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Matthew (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament)

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In my preaching, research, and personal study, I have benefitted greatly from numerous scholarly commentaries. One new budding commentary series is the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament (ZECNT), which promises 20 volumes by evangelical scholars on all the books of the NT. I was blessed to receive a review copy* of one of the latest volumes from the folks at Zondervan Academic and koinonia: Matthew by Grant Osborne. Osborne, professor of New Testament at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, is also the author of such works as The Hermeneutical Spiral and Revelation in the Baker Exegetical Commentary series. I was excited to start reading through this brand new, 1,152 page commentary on the book of the Bible that God really used to draw me close to him for the first time. I still remember leafing through the Gospel of Matthew with wonder as I read about Jesus. As I spent time in Matthew and in the commentary, I was once again blessed to sit in God's Word and ponder Jesus. Let me tell you right off the bat - I really like this new series and Osborne's volume.

About the ZECNT

Anyone who uses Bible commentaries with any regularity knows that there are a plethora of series out there, from every imaginable viewpoint and for the whole spectrum of possible audiences (uber-Bible nerd to regular Joe/Jill). One might ask, "Why another commentary series?" Clinton Arnold answers that question in the Series Introduction: This is a series for pastors and teachers who are looking for a "commentary series based on the Greek text." Such commentaries clearly exist (see NIGTC, WBC, Hermeneia to name a few), but the unique approach of the ZECNT that it is targeted for:

- Those with a Greek background,
- Who want precision on macro-level approaches to a section of text,
- Who want to-the-point analysis without getting sidetracked by rabbit chases,
- Like stuff like structural diagrams,
- Want something from a solid evangelical approach,
- Would like a little help with application of a section of text.

As such, they've divided the commentary by logical units into seven sections:

1. Literary Context
2. Main Idea
3. Translation and Graphical Layout
4. Structure
5. Exegetical Outline
6. Explanation of the Text
7. Theology in Application

The format of the text, I think, hits the sweet spot in between ultra-scholarly commentaries (see aforementioned NIGTC or WBC) and more concise or preacher-oriented commentaries (see TNTC, IVPNTC, or NAC). In addition to Osborne's volume on Matthew, there are three other commentaries available: Craig Blomberg on James, Thomas Schreiner on Galatians, and Clinton Arnold on Ephesians.

The Commentary

After spending about a month going through portions of Osborne's commentary on Matthew, I've come to really appreciate it. Osborne, from the preface, loves the church. This commentary is written with the church in mind, not simply adding another book on the Bible into the mix. He deftly walks through different passages, summarizing the various viewpoints, and then hits home main ideas when necessary. Whenever the sections shift into application, his paragraphs ooze his heart for God and the church. Here's a summary of the aspects of the commentary I appreciated:

+ Introduction to Narrative Hermeneutics. As Matthew is a Gospel, a narrative biography, you can't approach it the same way you'd approach one of Paul's letters. Cognizant of that, Osborne's introduction, instead of starting with the standard categories of authorship, genre, text, etc., he starts right away with a section "How to Study and Preach the Gospel of Matthew." There, he gives some basic strategies for understanding and studying the gospels, in a brief and practical manner.
+ Interaction with the Greek text. Each of the clause-by-clause analyses interact directly with the Greek text. Osborne provides his translation, with the original Greek in parentheses, and analyzes each clause piece by piece. As an added bonus, the ZECNT series does not transliterate the text, which I think makes it much easier for those with a Greek background to read it. I always had trouble reading transliterated text (such as in the Pillar Commentary Series), so I applaud this decision. Breaking up the analysis into clauses is also a good decision, in my opinion, as the comments can stay focused and precise. Moreover, it helps readers see the original breaks in the text and not the interpretive decisions of translators. When helpful, Osborne would state relevant grammatical terms and usually explain their significance. For example, here are his comments on Matt 9:34: "The imperfect "said" after the aorist of v. 33 places this charge in the foreground of the action [footnote to Porter's Idioms book here] and stresses the ongoing spread of this false premise. The contrast between the response of the crowds and the Pharisees could hardly be more stark. The former are filled with wonder, but the Pharisees make the opposite conclusion and accuse Jesus himself with being demon possessed. Since he is the great teacher and wonder worker, it must be Satan, "the prince of demons" who has given him such great power."
+ Great font and layout! Their choice of font and layout is excellent - the serifed font for the main body of text is very readable, as is the spacing. The explanation sections also split into two columns, which I found helpful. Footnotes are tastefully positioned in a slightly smaller, though still readable font. The outlines and structural diagrams use a sans-serifed font that is likewise quite readable.
Interaction with Other Scholars. On that note, Osborne interacts with a wide variety of scholars. Wherever there are divergent positions on an issue (for example, how exactly is it that Jesus "fulfilled" the law in Matt 5:17), he clearly lists the options, footnotes which scholars chose those viewpoints, and states his position on the matter.
+ Structural Diagrams and Outlines. I love structural diagrams. I've seen no other commentary series that explicitly provides a clause-by-clause structural diagram of every logical unit of text like the ZECNT. Some commentaries do this where it is deemed helpful, but in this commentary it's done on every single verse. Moreover, each clause is labeled according to its function in the sentence.
+ Prose, Flow, and Footnotes. Osborne's writing is extremely clear and concise. Unlike me, he doesn't get stuck in long-winded sentences only to come back (or not) to the main point. Moreover, he uses footnotes liberally when such information with undermine the flow of the text, pointing people to the appropriate scholarly resources as needed.
+ Theology in Application Section. I think this is a great feature of this commentary series. At the end of each logical unit, there is a section on application where Osborne gives a summary of the main point of the text just analyzed, and then some precisely worded points of application. Huge help.

While there is a lot I like about the commentary, there are some things I think could stand to be improved:

- Brevity at times. There were some times I wish Osborne wrote a little more on why he took a particular position as opposed to just stating it. I realize that Matthew is such a long book, and Osborne already wrote a thousand pages on it, but there were still times where I wished he would have delved into it a little more. In the introduction he says that he simply intends to refer people to other works to find the arguments there, but sometimes even a sentence or two would have been in order.
- Short Introduction. Although I appreciated the introductory section on narrative hermeneutics, the 20-page introduction was relatively short compared to other similar works (e.g. John Nolland's 63 page introduction in the NIGTC series, or Craig Keener's 73 page introduction in the Socio-Rhetorical Commentary series, both similar in size to Osborne's volume), especially considering that seven of those pages talked about how to properly interpret Matthew. Those looking for more detailed background data should probably look elsewhere.
- The Progress Bar. I know, I know, this is a little niggling thing, but I thought the little "progress bar" at the opening of each chapter showing where you were in the Gospel was a little hokey. It's styled to look like a web browser progress bar, which makes it look like some bizarre combination of an O'Reilly book on html and a textbook.

Final Summary

With those issues considered, I think Osborne's commentary on Matthew in the ZECNT series is a keeper. I think his love for the Word and the church, his clarity in writing, his biblical application, and thorough scholarly approach to the Greek text are an outstanding contribution to the church. I would highly recommend it for anyone preaching, teaching, or studying the book of Matthew. While you'll probably find this most helpful if you've studied at least a little Greek, the other parts--structural diagrams, literary context, and application--still make it a read. I like it enough that I put it at number one on my list of recommended commentaries on the book of Matthew. Here's my final marks for the book (each on a five-plus scale):

Accessibility: +++
Readability: +++++
Depth: ++++
Quality: +++++
Overall: ++++

--

* I received this copy free of charge with no requirement to give a positive review.

My first impression is that this tome means business as it weighs in at 4.5 pounds. Of course, Matthew is 28 chapters, so it takes some space to cover all of it. The binding is outstanding. I can open the book up to any page and it will stay open to that page. This may not seem like a big deal until you try to type notes while reading. It's a little thing that I've grown to appreciate with well-made books. The paper has a nice thickness to it with very little ghosting. The serif font used for the majority of the text is very readable, even in the footnotes.

The book begins with an introduction explaining issues of authorship, sources, Matthew's use of the OT, etc. It also has an exegetical outline of the whole book, which is very handy if you plan on preaching through Matthew. The rest of the book is broken up into 122 chapters that are subsets of this major outline. It ends with a section on the theology of Matthew.

Each chapter begins with a paragraph on the literary context of the pericope, though chapters before major passages have an introduction to the whole section. For example, at the start of Matthew 24 there is an introduction to the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24:1-25:46. After the literary context there is a chart showing where this passage falls in the major outline with a good use of bold type. A few sentences describe the "main idea" for the passage, which is of course important if you plan to preach expository sermons. Each section is translated into English, but what's really nice is how this is done. The English translation is given in block outline form so you can follow the flow of the passage. On the right are labels for each clause in each verse. In a light shadow font are descriptions of each clause such as "Scene #1 setting" or "Objection" and then "Answer." Naturally, these are all subject to debate, but they really provide a great help in determining how the pericope flows.

Next is a section on the structure and literary form of each passage and this is a paragraph or two. Following that is an exegetical outline of the passage, which is yet another aid in preaching. Basically, Osborne has done what my Greek teacher taught me to do. I would still want to do this myself, but it is nice to have a scholar's work to check mine against.

After all these preliminaries are the meat of each chapter -- the explanation of the text. The explanation starts with a brief introduction and then goes through each clause. The clauses are presented with the English translation in bold type followed by the Greek in parenthesis. The Greek font is extremely readable, which I have learned is not a given in books that print Greek text. The text describing each clause also includes Greek in parenthesis where appropriate. For example, the note on Matthew 3:13 begins with, "The 'then' ('''') here shows that..." This is very helpful in thinking through the issues in each clause.

The book is heavily footnoted. It took a little digging for me to find the bibliography at the front of the book rather than the back. I appreciate that the footnotes are in the full SBL text note style rather than Author-Date citations in the text. This is superior to the system used in the Baker commentaries where it is more difficult to figure out each source for each citation.

The footnotes are my only real quibble with this resource. The 1/2 inch margins make the text feel a bit crowded. I cannot imagine how much the book would weigh with larger margins, so I understand why this had to be done. As this book becomes a staple in seminary libraries students are going to have a tough time making photocopies of the pages they want because the thickness of the book creates a deep gutter and the small margins give little tolerance for error. The good news is that text never disappears into the gutter when reading it.

I am not fond of the two-column format for the majority of the text. Again, given the way this book is designed there would be a lot of line breaks as the author moved from clause to clause. Nevertheless, the text ends up with too many hyphens for continued words. A quick glance through the book shows that most pages have a footnote broken between the two columns. Since this is not a book you're likely to curl up with in front of the fire, I don't think that this is a huge problem, but it is still a bit distracting.

Finally, each chapter ends with a section called "Theology in Application" where the author gives his opinion as to how one can apply what he just read. Again, this is a great aid in preaching.

I am hardly a Matthean scholar, so I do not feel qualified to offer much criticism of the substance of the work. I am working on a thesis regarding the connection between Matthew 2:15 and Hosea 11:1, so naturally I went there first. I found that Osborne presents the majority opinion, but also gives some information about other largely-held views.

Another passage I examined was Matthew 16:18-19. Osborne presents the various ideas of what "the rock" was to which Jesus referred. He explains a few views, but lands on the natural reading of Peter as "the rock," and also explains that is the majority view as well. Again, Osborne lands on the majority view, but has good reasons to do so.

Finally, I took a look at some of his comments around the Olivet Discourse in Matthew 24. He lays out four views of how to interpret it from the classic dispensational view to reading it all as apocalyptic language. None of his descriptions are exhaustive, but the descriptions and the footnotes combine to give the reader plenty to work on if he wants to do further research.

Overall, I am glad to have this in my library. I look forward to when this is included with Logos as well. I suspect that this is a commentary series that I will use quite heavily as I prepare NT sermons. You will not be sorry if you purchase this.

Note: I received this from the publisher for review.

Several weeks ago, Zondervan Academic's blog, "Koinonia", announced a blog tour featuring some of the newly released volumes in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament series. Through their generosity, I received a review copy of Grant Osborne's volume on Matthew.

It's my hope that this brief review will provide the reader with some basic information about the series, as well as the "Matthew" volume in particular, hoping that one will be able to make a good assessment as to whether the "Matthew" volume would be of general benefit to personal study and/or pastoral preparation.


General Remarks

I'm excited about the volumes in this series, as the ZECNT series is proving to be solidly evangelical, exegetically helpful, academically credible, and designed with the pastor-teacher in mind.

If grades were given out solely in terms of layout, construction, and design, the ZECNT would score very highly. This commentary is not small by any means (1154 pages), but its hardcover construction and binding are of great quality for such a sizeable book. The layout and design are clear and logical, with a very readable typeset.

Textually speaking, the commentary series, as a whole, utilizes 7 different components for the analysis of each pericope:

Literary Context
Each pericope is considered in light of how it functions within the book as a whole.

Main Idea
An incredibly helpful 1-2 sentence summary of the "big idea" of each pericope.

Translation and Graphical Layout
The commentator provides his translation of the Greek text. This part is particularly helpful for visualizing the interconnectedness and flow of the text, as each section is displayed with each clause or phrase on it's own line. This is greatly helpful for understanding how each clause or phrase supports or develops the main action of the text.

Structure
After the graphical layout, the commentator explains his interpretive decisions regarding the way he related the clauses in each pericope.

Exegetical Outline
A detailed description and overall flow of each passage, in outline form.

Explanation of the Text
Utilizing the Greek language (English translation provided as well for the non-specialist) the commentator works his way through the text noting and explaining textual, historical, contextual, cultural, and interpretative issues. I appreciate that the English translation is cited first and is in bold; the Greek text is offered afterward in parentheses. This, again, helps the non-specialist get the most out of this commentary, while continuing to provide the original text for the Greek student.

Theology in Application
The commentator addresses the theological implications of the passage for the church today.

Overall, the layout and design of this series are superb for the person desiring a commentary that will be "user-friendly" as well as one that will effectively and logically help a person thoroughly work their way through a particular pericope.

My only qualm with the design, and a seemingly insignificant one at that, is the use of the "computing-style" scroll bar next to each of the outline snapshots in the "Literary Context" sections. It just seemed a little cheesy and didn't connect with the rest of the overall graphical layout.


Commentary

The "Introduction" to the volume was brief, but to the point. Though it my not be as thorough in matters as many scholars would like, it follows the series' purpose/intention by providing information essential in understanding Matthew's gospel for the purpose of preaching/teaching.

I found the section on "The Purpose and Audience of Matthew's Gospel" particularly helpful in giving the student a lens through which to see Matthew's purpose in writing, specifically to show the impact of Jesus' life and ministry on four groups--the leaders, the crowds, the disciples, and the demons. This will no doubt be pastorally and homiletically helpful for the pastor to aid the church in asking which group they identify with each time they come to the text.

Osborne has interacted will with other scholars well, and has provided a great deal of wealth and direction in his footnotes as well.

Overall, I appreciated Osborne's ability throughout the commentary to work his way through the text of Matthew's Gospel in such a way as to provide information and explanation essential to pastoral preparation. There aren't long discourses on controversial minutiae (though that is certainly necessary at times for certain aspects of biblical study), but rather clear, concise, and altogether helpful undertakings of the most essential matters for the pastor-teacher.


Theology

This commentary series is worth its price for the "Theology in Application" section alone. As many pastors are very busy with the ins-and-outs of fulltime vocational ministry, this section will help the pastor credibly teach a passage and with theological depth, effectively help the congregation see the practical theological implications for their lives.

One specific example of the helpful nature of this section is in Osborne's treatment of the temptation of Messiah Jesus in Matthew 4. Many pastors often make hasty, pragmatic conclusions about this text saying that it teaches that believers can defeat Satan with Scripture in every temptation. Though there may be some principles to be drawn regarding the effectiveness of God's Word in aiding the believer to think in truth and avoid the lies and temptations of the Enemy, the passage is explained with a proper focus upon Jesus as the victorious Son of God and noting the work of perfect obedience that He has successfully accomplished for the salvation of His people and the glory of His Father.


Conclusion

Overall, Osborne's volume is definitely one to be considered when studying or preaching through Matthew's gospel. I would highly recommend it!

The ZECNT series as a whole is one that should be sought after by pastors who desire to understand and teach the Scriptures credibly. I believe the series makes a valuable contribution in what it specifically provides to the pastor-teacher. With the matters addressed, and to the quality with which they are, this commentary series will help pastors cut straighter lines in their exegesis of the text, helping those entrusted to their care understand the theological implications of the text for doxological purposes in their lives and in the body of Christ.

The Gospel of Matthew has a certain importance since it is the first canonical book of the New Testament and is perhaps the most read gospel and the first gospel that is consulted for details about the life of Jesus. In this new commentary, Grant Osborne notes the importance of this gospel and provides us with a significant, scholarly, exegetical commentary on the first gospel.

This commentary is part of the growing "Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament" series. Some notable features of this series is their unique format which includes a running outline, literary and structure analysis, exegesis, and a theology in application section. Osborne's commentary is thorough (over 1000 pages) while being brief enough as to not weigh down the reader with too many details.

Matthew is a big book compared to most books in the New Testament and it therefore demands a good amount of coverage and discussion. Osborne keeps his comments brief but detailed enough noting items of exegetical significance from the original Greek text and expounding on the theology of Matthew. The book is generously footnoted but again the footnotes are kept as brief as possible and are generally useful to the study of the gospel.

Osborne is conservative and evangelical which is reflected throughout the commentary. Osborne's commitment to the historicity and inerrancy of the gospel can be seen in his discussion of the Magi and the resurrection of Christ. Some interpretational highlights are below:

- Osborne believes that Matthew and Luke used Mark and Q in the creation of their gospels. This is a fairly standard position amongst NT scholars. Certainly it is only a hypothesis and Osborne notes as much.

- Osborne provides much discussion on the "Sermon on the Mount" section providing generally solid application from the text that reflects a fairly common evangelical perspective on this portion of Scripture.

- Osborne is generally Futurist in his reading of Matthew's eschatology. Matthew 24 is seen to foreshadow the events surrounding the second coming by using the destruction of Jerusalem as a type or shadow of what is to come. Osborne is a premillenialist (see his commentary on Revelation in the BECNT series)

- Osborne has a section at the end of the commentary discussing the theological emphases of Matthew. This section is very helpful for the student trying to distill all the information in the commentary into a summary. Osborne is aware of the importance of biblical theology.

Osborne's commentary is a useful tool for pastors, teachers, and students. As an exegetical commentary it is a useful tool for interacting with the Greek text along with other language tools. Osborne's commentary should serve as a useful reference for many years to come.

Thank you to Zondervan for providing me with a review copy!

Other reviewers have done a good job describing the structure and methodology of this commentary and the whole commentary series edited by Clint Arnold. The series is brilliantly conceived and Grant Osborne's contribution on Matthew demonstrates the value of its design because he executes so well.

While it's said that the series is intended for readers who have at least some background in Greek, I hope readers without a language background will not avoid this commentary because they expect it to be out of reach for them. This is an accessible commentary for the serious Bible student. And the perspective on Matthew here is refreshing and insightful. Though Osborne is a seminary professor, his volume reflects a pastoral sensitivity that is uncommon among similar commentaries.

I have already made good use of this commentary in recent writing of my own. I urge serious Bible students to study Osborne's commentary on Matthew.

My review copy of this book was supplied by Zondervan as part of a 'blog tour.'
General Observations.
Don't read it in bed. If you go to sleep the weight will probably crush your ribcage. 1154 oversized pages, hard cover, well bound. The book will lie open at just about any page, which is a help when studying. Nothing less practical than books that won't lay open. Print size is generous and easy to read, with footnotes, not endnotes being utilised, a feature that encourages further study and interaction with other scholarship.
Formatting.
The ZECNT series has adopted a format by which each section of Scripture is considered in the following seven components: Literary Context; Main Idea; Translation and Graphical Layout; Structure; Exegetical Outline; Explanation of the Text; and Theology in Application. The commentary is based on the Greek text. The English Bible translation used is that of the TNIV, Today's New International Version. It is an interesting choice, given that the TNIV is being superseded by an updated NIV translation over the coming year. I don't know if forthcoming volumes in the series will adopt the newer translation when published. In any case, the reproduction of full English and Greek texts in the body of the commentary keeps consideration of the Scripture front and center and encourages the reader to think about and interact with the author's commentary material.
Introductory matters.
Osborne affirms Matthew as the author and suggests a preferred date of AD65-67 for the Gospel's writing. He provides a useful overview of controversies over authorship and dating in the process. The outline provided acknowledges the work of others and identifies seven main sections within the book. This outline is reproduced, section by section at the start of each chapter in `scroll down' frame.
The Commentary Chapters.
As mentioned above, each chapter commences with a brief statement placing the section of Scripture under examination in its literary context within the progress of the whole Gospel. Matthew 16:13-20, for instance, is identified as a climactic and pivotal moment in the narrative. This then transitions to a short description of the main idea of the passage, Christology, with secondary emphases on discipleship and blessing also noted.
Osborne's visual outline of the Greek text is then laid out in English translation in a way that shows the structure of the passage, a method that is further assisted by the use of varying font displays and the use of tags which identify various elements within the narrative.
The notes on Structure and Literary Form for this passage inform us that this is `a combination of a paradigm event and a pronouncement story'. The conversation between Jesus and Peter reveal the nature of Jesus' identity and then Jesus pronounces a blessing.
The Exegetical Outline expands on the overview statement `Peter's confession and Jesus' blessing' and produces a detailed outline of the passage that identifies numerous aspects for consideration in the three main sections of the section.
The explanation of the text follows a verse by verse form that begins with English translation and then Greek text. Osborne moves confidently through the text, engages constructively with wider scholarship, and even manages to affirm that Peter is the rock to which Jesus makes reference when He talks about building His church (vs 18) without succumbing to papal apostolic succession.
The Theology in Application section closes the chapter with Osborne able to identify the relevant theological themes of the passage, eg. 1. The Messiah and His Kingdom; 2. Peter is the Foundation and the Representative Disciple; & 3. The Church as a New Eschatological Authority. Each of these themes can then be related to other places where they are evident.
These Theology in Application points are supplemented by a concluding essay on The Theology of Matthew.
Conclusion.
A comprehensive and useful commentary for the preacher and student of Matthew.
It is a volume that brings scholarship to bear in a way that encourages the reader to study the text and not simply mine the book for Osborne's own (worthwhile and valuable) observations. It brings a focus to each passage of Scripture, while also allowing each passage to be appreciated in its wider canonical context. I'll look with great interest to see how other authors in the series have made use of the textual analysis format which the series has adopted.
In addition, if anyone wanted to learn how to be a faithful and fruitful student of the Scriptures, or to sharpen their existing skills, they would be well served by engaging with the model of scholarship which is provided by Grant Osborne in the Matthew volume of the ZECNT and adopting a similar pattern for their own textual studies.

I found this book to be written so well that the whole book flowed along smoothly without a lot of dry facts that seem to frequent many of the commentaries of today. The author is not trying to prove how smart he is every step of the way.
I was able to read through it without being sidetracked which is an accomplishment in itself.
I look forward to reading the book again in my study of Matthew's gospel.

Grant Osborne's commentary on Matthew is part of the new "Zondervan Exegetical Commentaries on the New Testament." The series has a nice level of technical detail. It assumes some Greek knowledge without assuming knowledge of intricate details. I've yet to feel lost in the commentary, though there were some rhetorical terms I wasn't too familiar with (perlocutionary, illocutionary, etc). For the most part, Osborne writes clear prose and is not difficult to follow.

A few words are due on the physical layout of the commentary. The volume is a chunky one (1154 pages including indices), but considering that many commentaries on Matthew are split across two or three volumes, it's rather compact by comparison. In the beginning of the commentary, there is a series introduction and approximately 30 pages of introduction to the commentary. The commentary proper runs around 1000 pages, and at the end of the volume, in addition to the indices (scripture, subject, and author), there is a section on the "Theology of Matthew" that runs around 30 pages.

The commentary itself flows nicely. Each section is broken down into "Literary Context," "Main Idea," Translation," "Structure and Literary Form," "Exegetical Outline," and "Explantation of the Text." Finally, there is a "Theology in Action" section that offers food for though for those preaching from the section. The translation is actually diagrammed like they teach in Exegesis classes (so I'm told, I've yet to attend Seminary). The diagramming looks like it would be quite helpful for those who are helped by visuals. I'm not one of those people usually, but I like that it's there.

In the body of the commentary, the English translation is given for a phrase and then the Greek follows. Osborne refers to the Greek text where it's relevant, but doesn't overdo it. One inconsistency I found was in the body of commentary. Sometimes Greek text is written in Greek, sometimes it was transliterated. If there was a pattern to it, then I missed it. This didn't bug me much, but it would be nice to see it consistent. Footnotes too are used appropriately. They don't dominate but are present. Overall, I like the layout and think it will be quite useful for both students and pastors.

Concerning the quality of the commentary itself, I found plenty of things to like and some things to quibble with too. I liked his take on the Sermon on the Mount. He acknowledges that perfect fulfillment of the commands there is generally out of our reach this age, but they remain the telos, or goal, of every Christian. Thus, they are eschatological, in that though we strive now to fulfill them, they will only be fulfilled perfectly in Christ's return.

Likewise, he sees the importance in Jesus' healings and exorcisms. These are not just a stage for his teaching, but an important part of Jesus' mission. This mission is passed on to his Church. His own position on the charismatic gifts is that "they are available today but are only meant for those for whom the Spirit intends." (158).
I also enjoyed his take on Old Testament fulfillment in Matthew. He proposes typology as a way to understand the OT fulfillment passages. Corporate Identity allows Jesus to relive Israel's experience in an analogous manner. An extended quotation illustrates this:

"The problem is that few if any of the fulfillment passages were intended originally as messianic prophecies. So in what way were they fulfilled? The answer is typology. Typology is "analogous fulfillment," not direct prophecy but indirect centering on Jesus as the Messiah reliving or `fulfilling' the experience of Israel. With respect to this another concept is crucial - corporate identity. As Ellis says, `the individual `male' may be viewed as extending beyond himself to include those who belong to him. Thus, the husband (at the family level) and the king ( at the national level) both have an individual and corporate existence encompassing, respectively, the household and the nation."

There were a few quibbles. His explanation of the genealogy seemed a bit far-fetched. Matthew arranges his genealogy into 3 sets of 14, so the question is what does 14 mean. He argues that it is "gematria," where letters are used to represent a number. The Hebrew letters in the name David add up to 14, so Osborne sees it as a coded reference to David. I didn't see enough argumentation here to be convinced.

In commenting on 12:15, he says that "But Jesus knowing this departed from there" hints at omniscience. Certainly Matthew does tone down the difficult passages from Mark, but I don't know that we can see a hint at omniscience there. The OT prophets knew things they weren't supposed to know, and they were not omniscient. I'd propose instead that Jesus knew this because the Spirit revealed it to him, not because of his own omniscience.

Finally, I found some the "Theology in Application" sections helpful, but others not so much. Particularly in the birth narrative Osborne emphasizes God's sovereignty much more than I would. Perhaps I'm just too biased against anything that sounds like Calvinism (probably the case... have mercy on me Lord!), but I didn't find that helpful. On the other hand, he makes several statements that don't line up with TULIP. He asserts that God loves the whole world, and even counts himself as one who accepts the possibility of apostasy. So there's plenty to like and quibble with no matter what side of the Calvinist/Arminian debate you find yourself on :-P.

Osborne was quick to note the importance of Jesus' miracles, and his care for the poor in the application. I found him spot on there. So too I like his view that discipleship and not merely evangelism is crucial. Sometimes, though, the application sections were thin and didn't do more than suggest areas to explore. I guess that's okay, but I would've liked a little more meat in this area.

All in all, Osborne's work is quite helpful. He is a careful reader of the text, and has spent much time laboring in Matthew. He care and devotion shows in his work. I ended up enjoying this work much more than I expected. I think the series has a fantastic layout, and I'm grateful to have this work going into my Gospels class in the Spring. Anyone with a little background in NT Studies will benefit from the work, though those who have at least a little Greek will benefit most.

*I received this book free of charge with no requirement of publishing a positive review.

I was recently given a complimentary copy of this work for review purposes. Physically, the book has a nice appearance and good quality. It lays flat on my desk as I work. It is a heavy book - no surprise since is 1154 pages long.

It has been a long time since I used a new commentary. My first impression was that this commentary has a good layout. With pages (9.5x7 inches) larger than my other commentaries the pages are far less crowded.

I was quickly able to find the information that I wanted. Of course, I could find the chapter and verse I wanted. But within each chapter (for example the one on Matthew 7:1-12) information is separated well. The sections are Literary Context, Main Idea, Translation, Structure and Literary Form, Exegetical Outline, Explanation of the Text (the largest section in this chapter) and Theology in Application.

I appreciate having these things separated as I prefer to read more technical discussions of the text first. After making my own notes, then I will read the author's ideas on application. I also found the explanations to be a good balance between the technical and the practical.

Though many seek commentaries that completely fit their theological perspective, I prefer those that accurately discuss the Scriptures regardless of one's personal opinions. In the passages I read it appears that Osborne accomplishes this. Sometimes I agreed - on occasion I did not. I see the latter as a chance for me to challenge my beliefs and explore further exactly what the Bible says. I feel this reference helps me to do just that.

One drawback for me personally was the use of Today's New International Version as the Scripture text. I do not use that version for study purposes (and rarely for any other purpose). However, it would not be a serious issue as I usually read the passage from a Bible first before going to the commentary.

A few other interesting features ar: Greek text included in the Explanation of the Text, an 8 page bibliography and a section on the theology of Matthew. Most of the information is readily accessible by reading the pertinent chapter. One does not have to read a huge introduction to discover major themes. These are referenced throughout the text.

It will take more time to determine if I will use this regularly. My initial impression is that this is an excellent reference. The ease of use and quality of the material leads me to expect to use it more often.

Zondervan is currently publishing an exegetical commentary series of the New Testament, edited by Clinton E. Arnold. I received my free copy of the first volume (Matthew, written by Grant R. Osborne) as part of a blog tour from Zondervan's Koinonia Blog. I've only had it for a few weeks, but since I'm teaching a Bible Study on the Sermon on the Mount every other week, I've already had the chance to use it a couple of times. Here are my thoughts as I've used it:

First, the layout of the commentary is superb. Each large pericope, or section of text, is introduced into its literary and theological context. Osborne then articulates his understanding of the main idea of each passage. He gives his own translation and understanding of the structure of the passage, followed by an exegetical outline of the passage. This approach to the text is beneficial when attempting an exegetical study of the passage.

Secondly, Osborne is a fantastic scholar, and so the original languages and Old Testament background are prominent in his verse-by-verse explanations of the text. However, while scholarly, he doesn't get bogged down in technical data. Instead, he points to a number of further resources in the footnotes.

Thirdly, the last component of each section is entitled "Theology in Application." Osborne capably weaves the the fiber of his exegesis into the tapestry of application. While certainly grounded in scholarship, Osborne is careful to make clear that these verses are intended to affect the way in which followers of Jesus.

So I would heartily recommend this volume to any looking for a helpful resource for the study of Matthew. At over 1000 pages, it certainly covers a lot of territory, but the connection between exegesis and a theology that is lived out is invaluable.

Note: I received this volume free for the purpose of review from the publisher.