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Isaiah

Volume 1: chapters 1-39

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ISAIAH
Volume 1: chapters 1-39
By John L. Mackay
Evangelical Press. 864 pages. £29.95
ISBN 978-0-85234-656-3

This is an extremely fine commentary which will help anyone wanting to understand the Word of God in the book of Isaiah, whether preacher, Bible study leader or even someone using it for personal devotions.

The last of these is how I have been using it, having completed 17 chapters to my very great profit. The author is Professor of Old Testament at the Free Church College, Edinburgh. His commentary on Jeremiah (in the Mentor series) is magnificent, by some way the best for preachers on that book. He shows the same qualities in this work on Isaiah, which is written for a wider group of readers and has few footnotes. It has the prime virtue of explaining the text clearly and helpfully. Professor Mackay brings in observations from the Hebrew deftly and usefully; he refers to other scholars sparingly and to effect; he includes paragraphs of reflection on each section which are thoughtful, oriented to the New Testament and applied to today’s world and church. A special section examines the debates about the virgin in Isaiah 7.14 carefully.

There is no greater compliment than to say it is rather like reading one of Calvin’s commentaries in its focus on the text, its unobtrusive but authoritative scholarship, and its concern to listen and apply. Does it outshine Motyer? Probably not, because Motyer has some special virtues; but it comes close and is arguably more accessible. I think I would want to use both side by side (with Ortlund’s Isaiah in the Preaching the Word series) if and when I preach on Isaiah.

Julian Hardyman,
senior pastor, Eden Baptist Church, Cambridge