The Gospel of Matthew: A Commentary on the Greek Text

This fine study is a worthy complement to the commentaries on Mark (R. T. France, 2002) and Luke (I. H. Marshall, 1978) in a series that is for the most part characterized by careful and balanced exegesis. Like his two predecessors in the series Nolland primarily uses a redaction critical approach to analyze and interpret the verses under discussion. With nearly 1,275 pages of commentary, he offers a thorough analysis of Matthew’s Gospel. Nolland interacts with a wide variety of interpreters (the bibliography is nearly two hundred pages), but he makes exegesis of the text of the Gospel his primary pursuit. Unlike lengthier commentaries on Matthew (by W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison, 3 vols.; and by Ulrich Luz, 3 vols.) that tend to discuss the history of interpretation without necessarily coming to conclusions, Nolland states what he thinks is the most reasonable meaning of the text and why.

Both pastors and students will find help in understanding Matthew by their use of this commentary. However, the commentary on Matthew by Craig S. Keener (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1999) is very useful for expository preaching and teaching. The content of each of the one-volume commentaries in the New International Greek Testament Commentary series is difficult to match for overall value.

About the Contributors

David K. Lowery

Dr. David Lowery retired from full-time faculty service at DTS after 42 years of faithful service in the department of New Testament Studies. He graduated with his ThM degree in 1975 and earned his PhD in 4987 from the University of Aberdeen in Scotland. He did postdoctoral work at Tübingen University in Germany and at Cambridge University in the UK.Dr. Lowery contributed to the New American Standard Bible and the NET Bible. He taught in Europe, the Middle East, the Caribbean, and the South Pacific. His particular ares of focus in the NT are Matthew, Mark, and Paul's letters. In addition to his extensive academic pursuits, Dave was involved in church planting and ministry for over three decades in Vermont and Texas. Dave and his wife Deb made DTS a family affair. Their children, Daniel, John, and Mary attended DTS, where they met their spouses. All six are graduates. Dave currently serves as an elder in a church pastored by one son and in writing a commentary on Matthew with another son. Their son-in-law and daughter are on staff at a church in Tennessee. Dave and Deb have seven grandchildren.