Customer Reviews

Luke 9:51-24:53 (Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

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I am a pastor who uses commentaries in my sermon prep. I've found that Bock's stuff on Luke, and this volume in particular, as well as it's twin, encourage me with practical and technical information that is actually useful. For example, in the passage I just did for Palm Sunday, Bock does a great job of providing many worthwhile nuggets on Luke 19:28-40. I found some commentators wasting lots of space on issues like 'which part of the story was really spoken by Jesus' and things like that which are completely worthless for preaching...

Bock avoids all that stuff and goes to the meat of the issues at hand. For example, on the cross references he sometimes provides great insights as in when discussing Bethphage, one of the little towns Jesus was near when he sent his disciples to get the colt for him to ride on...that Bock points out the Aramaic meaning of Bethphage, which was 'House of unripe figs'. The cross reference in the Greek text to the pronouncement of judgment on the fig tree earlier in Luke was augmented by this information. The clear allusion then is to the judgment pronounced on the Jews for being an unripe fig tree by Jesus as he passes through 'the house of unripe figs' just before his Triumphal Entry into Jerusalem which ends up with his grief over Jerusalem's judgment for rejecting his kingship.
Bock has a lot of detail like this that I have not found as much of in most commentaries.

He also cued me in on the angaria concept without too much information so that I could see crucial points without wasting a lot of time on minutia. (Angaria was the custom of demanding citizens provide transportation...which may relate to the provision of the colt for Jesus triumphal entry).

This commentary is a wealth of very helpful information that is based on solid exegesis. His information provided also blends well with the sermon crafting process for those who are careful to use tried and true hermeneutical principles.

I have found that these two Luke commentaries (Baker Exegetical) are more helpful to me than even my NICNT on Luke...and I love that one as well.

A whole hearted recommendation here.

2009 update: This commentary still remains my top pick for Luke studies.

Bock is insightful, exegetical and relevant. He has surpassed I. Howard Marshall in my opinion as well as Fitzmeyer. This is my preferred commentary on Luke, though the above mentioneed commentaries should also be consulted for serious research.

This commentary is the third one written on Luke by the same author. It focuses on contemperary application of Luke's message. One might need another (more detailed) commentary to determine the original meaning of the text. Those with necessary training in the Biblical Greek should consult his two-volume commentary published by Baker.