LANGE’S COMMENTARY ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, Kings-Esther, two volumes. Published by Zondervan Pub­lishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price per volume $3.95.

Dr. Bahr of Carlsruhe, who prepared the commentary on Kings, substituted the title’s Heilsgeschich–liche and Ethische Grundgedanken for the usual heading of the second part of the exposition in Lange’s Bible work. The translator has rendered this: His­torical and Ethical. The fundamental soundness of this part of the Commentary may be judged by what Dr. Bahr writes in the Historical and Ethical notes on the revolt of the ten tribes and the division of the kingdom. As to the evaluation of Jehu’s character and work we agree rather with the notes by the Rev. W. G. Sumner, who writes that Jehu’s zeal was motivated by his carnal ambition of securing for himself the throne. Cf. 147 ff. II 114 If.

The commentary on Chronicles was prepared by Dr. Otto Zackler, that on Ezra and on Esther by Dr. Fr. U. Schultz, and that on Nehemiah by Dr. Howard Crosby.

I do not believe that Dr. Schultz has succeeded to grasp and demonstrate the canonical significance of the book of Esther. This, to my mind, must be sought in the fact that God frustrated, by the instrumentality of carnal Jews, the attack of the dragon upon the woman that was to bring forth the man child, the Christ. Rev. 12.

We highly recommend these commentaries to all students of Holy Writ.

LANGE’S COMMENTARY ON THE HOLY SCRIPTURES, Psalms. Published by Zondervan Publishing House, Grand Rapids, Mich. Price $4.95.

This commentary on the Psalms on Lange’s Bible-werk was prepared by Dr. Moll, professor of Theology in Halle.

I can do no better, to give the reader a taste of the contents of this commentary, than by quoting the fol­lowing from the Introduction:

“It (i.e. the Psalter) might well be called a little Bible, embracing like a manual in the shortest and finest way, all the rest of the Bible; so that it seems as if the Holy Ghost had taken pains to set together a little Bible, a sample book of the whole of Christianity, or of all the saints, in order that he who cannot read the whole Bible, might here have almost the whole sub­stance of it, in one little book.”

No wonder the people of God prize the psalms and love to sing them!

Heartily I recommend this volume to all our read­ers.

EXPOSITORY THOUGHTS ON THE GOSPELS, by Bishop J. C. Ryle. The Gospel according to John, two volumes. Pub­lished by Zondervan Publishing House. Price per vol. $4.95.

All that I have said in my review of Ryle: com­mentary on Matthew, Mark and Luke, is applicable to his “Expository Thoughts” on the gospel according to John, These two volumes are a commentary, indeed; yet they are more than a mere exposition of this parti­cular book of Scripture. They evince a devout spirit and a profoundly spiritual insight into the truth of Holy Writ. The style is very lucid and makes the con­tents easily accessible to every student of Scripture.

Bishop Ryle believes in the Scriptural doctrine of election as is evident also from his “Thoughts” on John. The more surprising it is, therefore that, with­out any sound exegetical reasons, he interprets the term “world” in John 3:16 as referring to all mankind, to every sinner, head for head. With his exposition of this passage we cannot possibly agree.