Best Commentaries on Luke

Chen’s commentary helps readers understand the world in which Jesus lived—one steeped in Jewish history and convictions, yet threatened by Roman power and culture. Chen’s interpretation will help readers fuse scriptural and modern horizons, and see both life and ministry applications.

Bock’s volume provides basic exegesis that summarizes the fuller comments in his massive BECNT volume (see below). It will benefit Bible teachers because it’s well-outlined with key principles, exposition, and application.

Replacing the venerable Leon Morris’s good work in the series, readers will find Perrin’s new commentary to be an excellent introductory-level resource.

Davis’s work is always readable, and his two volumes on Luke are no exception. Arising out of sermons, they contain illustrations along with careful and practical explanations of the text. Each passage is explained thoughtfully, with technical terms in bold, and footnotes that while limited indicate informed study of the text.

Edwards focuses on the historical setting, narrative purpose and themes, and theological significance of the book. This commentary is a informed, stimulating, and sensible exegesis of the text that highlights how Jesus is the fulfillment of God’s saving purposes in the history of Israel. Tabb says it’s “eminently readable and consistently insightful and highly recommended for all students of Luke’s Gospel.”

Pao’s work supplements Liefeld’s initial publication, which already packed a great deal of astute content into a relatively small compass, making this non-technical commentary even stronger.

Carson says Bock’s comprehensive treatment of Luke’s Gospel is “well-written and intelligent.” Bock gives a careful exposition of the Greek in its historical context, and he engages with all the scholarly questions about Luke’s historicity and sources. This set is the standard for serious students with knowledge of the original language.

Garland’s 1,000-plus-page commentary is user-friendly and an all-around gem despite its length. It adheres tightly to the ZECNT series format, and uses enough Greek that it belongs in this category though others without language knowledge can benefit from it as well. Garland consistently lands on the most persuasive approach to contested issues. His commentary is simultaneously strong at the exegetical level and helpful at the homiletical level. Tabb says, “Garland frequently references primary sources like Josephus and the Mishnah and notes important secondary sources while maintaining focused on the biblical text.”

Green’s commentary of nearly a thousand pages helps readers see broader literary connections, themes, and cultural background material. The commentary is thought-provoking and filled with thoughtful interaction with contemporary scholarship. Carson says its “forte” is “narrative historiography and discourse analysis,” but notes one downside of Green’s almost exclusively literary reading; this means Green downplays discussion about the relation between Luke and the other Synoptics, including the major historical issues implicit in such discussions.