The Banner of Truth is the publisher of the Geneva Series of Commentaries. The volume on Hebrews is written by John Brown (1784-1858). This book was originally written in 1862, and the Banner of Truth first published it in 1961. It has since then been reprinted six times with the most recent printing being in 2009.
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Hebrews (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
Before getting into the content, I want to mention the beauty of the physical book. I love Banner books (they are always very aesthetically pleasing to me!) and this volume, along with all the others, is a beautiful hardcover book. The hardcover is a crimson-like color with gold lettering on the spine. The dust cover is white with a red banner (again, like all other volumes in this series), and this specific cover has a picture of Broughton Place Church in Edinburgh (the place where John Brown ministered). The back cover lists all of the other volumes that are available in the Geneva Series.
RELATED: Book Review: Psalms (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
Content
Now on to the most important part: the content of the book. I love commentaries, and I have many of them. I love technical commentaries, and I love devotional/pastoral commentaries. John Brown didn’t want to choose between those two options, so he wrote his commentary on Hebrews with a combination of technical and devotional writing.
I was amazed at Brown’s writing style. The book of Hebrews is not an easy book of the Bible to exegete. Brown meticulously works through this book verse by verse, never bypassing the hard verses in this book (of which there are many). And yet his writing style and vocabulary makes this book so easy to understand!
This commentary is truly for anybody, not just the pastor. I have quite a few commentaries on the book of Hebrews, and Brown is by far one of the best at teaching through this marvelous book of Holy Scripture! (I can’t go on without mentioning at this point that Banner of Truth also publishes John Owen’s complete series of commentaries on the book of Hebrews; definitely check that out as well!)
If you want to see covenant theology and the supremacy of Jesus Christ at the forefront, you must study the book of Hebrews in depth! It is completely worth your time, and Brown is an excellent tour guide to help you down that glorious path!
The commentary itself is phenomenal, and Brown has proven to be one of the greatest commentators on this book. In addition to the excellent work that Brown has produced, Banner of Truth also included an excellent concise biography of John Brown at the beginning of the book. I really liked that addition.
Drawbacks
There is one thing that I would have liked to have seen added to this volume: verses in bold or in margins. Every even-numbered page has a chapter and verse reference in brackets to help the reader find a specific passage. However, if one were to be in search of a very specific verse, sometimes it can be hard to determine when Brown begins an exposition of that particular verse since it isn’t highlighted in any way. Some other volumes in the Geneva Series do this, and I really prefer that format for the sake of referencing.
Conclusion
As with all volumes in the Banner of Truth Geneva Series of Commentaries, I can’t recommend Brown’s volume on Hebrews enough! Let this fabulous teacher of God’s Word help you to better interpret and apply the Word of God to your life, for the glory of our Triune God! Tolle lege, take up and read!
Disclaimer: My thanks to The Banner of Truth Trust for providing me with a complimentary copy of this book in exchange for an unbiased review. The opinions expressed are my own.
More Book Reviews in the Geneva Series of Commentaries
- Acts (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
- Colossians (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
- Galatians (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
- Psalms (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
- Romans (Geneva Series of Commentaries)
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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