The Banner of Truth has published John Owen’s seven-volume commentary on the book of Hebrews! This is such a gift to the church. John Owen is known as the “Prince of the Puritans” due to his brilliant mind and uncanny ability to understand and articulate God’s Word. This seven-volume series is proof of that!
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Hebrews by John Owen
This seven-volume series is actually a part of the larger works of John Owen. The Banner of Truth has published The Works of John Owen, which contains 16 volumes. Volume one of the Hebrews set is technically volume 17 of The Works of John Owen. Volume 17-23 is referred to as “Division Four: Expository” in The Works of John Owen. This may confuse some people due to the different color dust jacket that the Hebrews set has compared to volumes 1-16.
So why do I mention this? Because if you are a Christian, you need to own this entire 23 volume set! “Need” may be somewhat of an overstatement, but I believe that Owen is much like ice cream: when you experience a little taste of it, you just want more and more of it! John Owen writes in a way that stirs up my heart to worship the Lord like no other author. For this reason, I am very fond of this theological giant, and I am sure that you will be so, too.
Layout and Content
The seven volumes of this Hebrews set is divided as such:
- Volume One: Concerning the Epistle to the Hebrews; Concerning the Messiah; Concerning the Jewish Church
- Volume Two: The Sacerdotal Office of Christ; A Day of Sacred Rest; Summary of Observations on Hebrews
- Volume Three: Exposition of Hebrews 1-3:6
- Volume Four: Exposition of Hebrews 3:7-5:14
- Volume Five: Expostion of Hebrews 6:1-7:28
- Volume Six: Exposition of Hebrews 8:1-10:39
- Volume 7: Exposition of Hebrews 11:1-13:25
The commentary begins in volume three. One will notice rather quickly that Owen’s work is a very technical, scholarly work. Nearly every page contains the original Greek language, and Owen is found dissecting every aspect of the verse being examined. Nevertheless, his work is also brilliantly application oriented! This is sure to be an aspect of this seven volume set that the Christian reader will greatly love and benefit from! The pastor-scholar will enjoy the exegetical work being done with the Greek text, but everybody will benefit from Owen’s conclusions and exhortations and encouragements.
About the Author: John Owen
Owen thinks and writes in such a logical, orderly manner, and this will benefit the reader. He is like a careful surgeon with the Word of God! It is also worth mentioning that this set is very clear and understandable. Admittedly, Owen can be very difficult to understand in many of his writings. I found this commentary to be different. Apart from his usage of Greek, this set is very articulate and fairly easy to understand.
It is mind-boggling that one man could write such an incredible commentary on a book of the Bible. This seven volume series is literally thousands of pages of Owen meticulously exegeting and teaching the book of Hebrews. How he could accomplish in one lifetime, let alone alongside other masterpieces, is truly impressive!
Conclusion
The Hebrews commentary will serve the Christian well, and I want to highly recommend that you invest in it! I have not read through the entire seven volumes, but I am able to consult this series every time I have a question about the book of Hebrews. It will benefit the reader to read through the first two volumes before diving into the commentary itself in volume 3. But allow this set to be an excellent help and resource to you!
Charles Bridges, another hero of mine, says this about Owen’s Hebrews set: “Probably the most elaborate and instructive comment on a detached portion of Scripture.” Do you know what translates to? You need to own this! For that reason, tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to Banner of Truth for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
Other Book Reviews by Banner of Truth:
- {Book Review} Christ’s Doctrine of the Atonement
- {Book Review} The Apostles’ Doctrine of the Atonement
- {Book Review} Psalms (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
- {Book Review} The Christian in Complete Armour
- {Book Review} Christ Victorious: Selected Writings of Hugh Martin
- {Book Review} Spiritual-Mindedness
- {Book Review} The Spirit and the Church
- {Book Review} The Works of John Flavel
- {Book Review} Ecclesiastes: Life in a Fallen World
- {Book Review} The Church of Christ
- {Book Review} The Identity and Attributes of God
- {Book Review} The Letters of John Newton
- {Book Review} The Puritans Day by Day
- {Book Review} Jonathan Edwards: A New Biography
- {Book Review} Ernest C. Reisinger: A Biography
- {Book Review} The Christian Ministry With an Inquiry into the Causes of Its Inefficiency
- {Book Review} Memoir & Remains of Robert Murray M’Cheyne
Matt became a joyful follower of Jesus at the age of 21. He is very grateful to be a husband to Lindsey, and a father to four boys. He is an ordained minister (teaching elder) in the PCA. He previously served as a pastor of biblical counseling and is currently a corporate chaplain in southern Delaware. Matt received his Master of Divinity degree in Biblical Counseling from Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary and holds an advanced certification in biblical counseling from the Association of Biblical Counselors. In his free time, he loves playing with his boys, traveling with his wife, and reading (and buying!) books.
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