The Epistle to the Hebrews

The New International Commentary on the New Testament

by F.F. Bruce, Paul the Apostle

The Epistle to the Hebrews evidences twenty-five years of further study on Bruces's part especially through thoroughly updated and embellished footnotes that take into account the numerous publications on Hebrews that have appeared in the intervening years.

Genres: Reference, Biblical Studies, Theology, New Testament, Christian, Nonfiction, Religion

448 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1964

About the author

Frederick Fyvie Bruce FBA was a Biblical scholar who supported the historical reliability of the New Testament. His first book, The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable? (1943), was voted by the American evangelical periodical Christianity Today in 2006 as one of the top 50 books "which had shaped evangelicals".

Reviews

[Salvador Vivas · Rating 5 out of 5]

F.F. Bruce nos regala con este comentario, una guía muy clara para una carta tan compleja. La cantidad de fuentes, la sencillez de su lenguaje, su entendimiento de la intertextualidad es fantástica. Este es un comentario que sí o sí debes tener en tu biblioteca. No diré que estoy de acuerdo con absolutamente todo, pero sí con la enorme mayoría de lo dicho.

Recomendadísimo.

[Jo Ksly · Rating 4 out of 5]

Un très bon commentaire sur l'épitre aux hébreux. Relativement concis, les notes de bas de page viennent bien argumenter les choix de l'auteur lorsque l'explication est plus technique.
J'aurais aimé toutefois y trouver plus de synthèse, et de liaison entre les parties, les versets etc. Le traitement se faisant strictement verset par verset, on en perd parfois le fil de la pensée de l'auteur de l'épitre.

[Peter Jones · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was very good commentary, but O'Brien quotes and borrows so much from Bruce that if you get O'Brien then you probably don't need Bruce.

[Hannah Lewonka · Rating 3 out of 5]

This was a good book, mostly because I liked the topic. I also needed to read it to pass quizzes, but besides the point. I sometimes thought it was hard to follow, but I liked it. Hebrews is a cool epistle and it deserves more recognition

[Jonathan Mcleod · Rating 5 out of 5]

I used this book in preaching through the book of Hebrews. It's in my top-3 of Hebrews commentaries for sermon preparation.

[Hiram · Rating 4 out of 5]

Bruce is always good. Deep but not too deep, enjoyable and good to work through.

[BJ · Rating 3 out of 5]

I think Bruce is a good commentator but not the most pastoral and warmest of commentators. I love a deeply scholarly and exegetical commentary AND one that is convicting, devotional, and passionate.

[Ethan · Rating 5 out of 5]

A magisterial, thorough, scholarly mid 20th century Evangelical commentary on the letter to the Hebrews.

The author provides a thorough introduction. For every section of the text he provides a translation with copious notes detailing the critical textual issues involved with every major variant. His interpretations are thorough and engage on every matter of discussion and dispute which will likely come up.

I understand the impetus to update the NICNT with the Cockerill edition, and have not read that volume, but even though Bruce's tome is over 60 years old, it holds up strongly, indicating the quality of the work. He provides a great snapshot of the conversation regarding the text and its interpretation in the middle of the twentieth century, and that conversation remains relevant to this day. Other commentaries will update the conversation, but Bruce provides a great foundation.

Very much worth the reading when deeply studying Hebrews.

[Craig · Rating 4 out of 5]

I referenced quite a few commentaries in my sermon series on Hebrews, but four were particularly helpful. This one, by Bruce, offers a nice fly-over commentary without getting mired in details. I was thankful for this resource.

[Other commentaries I referenced: Kistemaker (not in Goodreads! 5 stars!), Guthrie, Grindheim]

[Nathan Ellzey · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this outstanding commentary. The first was in the middle of the Army convoy into Iraq during Operation Desert Storm. I highly recommend this commentary to anyone looking to dig into the depths of the Epistle to the Hebrews.

[Sean Meade · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce is always great.

The footnotes are essential to me, but they were a little too extensive in this case. I especially got tired of all the stuff about Philo (though I realize the importance of including it). Maybe I was just feeling a little peevish. ;-)

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good technical commentary. Though Bruce does read the NT into the OT at times his work is still very helpful when studying the book of Hebrews.

[Justin · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Marty Taylor · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great analysis of Hebrews. Academic enough, but very readable as well.

[Megan · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very thorough exposition of the book of Hebrews in the Christian New Testament.

[sam tannehill · Rating 5 out of 5]

F.F. Bruce is an amazing expositor of scripture. I had previously read his commentary on the book of Acts. This commentary on Hebrews is wonderful.

[Brian Reagan · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is not an exegetical commentary...arguably one of the best exegetical commentaries on Hebrews is by Lane. That being said here are the reasons I like this one by Bruce: 1) It is easy to look and see what he says because of how the body of the text is formatted, 2) while not exegetical, the footnotes contain sufficient exegetical insights for reasonably deep study, 3) Baptism is connected with the concept of enlightenment and salvation, 4) It affirms the very real and true possibility of Christian apostasy. This is not a good commentary for Baptists or Calvinists, because most of what it says is antithetical to your particular brand of heresy. The text contains an approachable breakdown for both the novice and the more skilled exegete, while not getting bogged down in minutiae. This is probably in my top five for commentaries on Hebrews, and if the number of other commentators who quote Bruce is indicative of anything, apparently it is for many others.

[Sagely · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ever since Grant Osborne assigned F F Bruce's Paul: Apostle of the Heart Set Free for a NT seminary course, I've been a fan of Bruce. In that volume, Bruce speaks with both a depth of insight and a candor that could make anyone fall in love with Paul. So, when I set out last Spring to preach through Hebrews, I as delighted to find a commentary by Bruce.

There's been some of that study and spirit which enamored me in Paul--but just a little. Bruce's volume on Hebrews fails to dig down as far as, for instance Koester's AYB commentary. Bruce cover the historical-critical bases, but doesn't build from that to a revelatory treatment of the letter.

Likewise, the lively writing of Paul gets left behind in the staid verse-by-verse treatment of this commentary.

I did draw on this volume repeatedly in the course of the three-month study. But it never became my go-to resource.

[Ken Peters · Rating 5 out of 5]

Long ago, the writer of the Epistle to the Hebrews invited his readers to rest in the wonders of the finished work of Christ. Unfortunately, my own personal struggles with drivenness have long made that message very difficult for me to embrace. So this year, I decided to read through Hebrews very slowly, while also reading through F.F. Bruce’s commentary parallel to my reading of the epistle. And what an incredibly rewarding experience it’s been. This commentary is not only a valuable reference book for carefully studying Hebrews, but F.F. Bruce has also provided a wealth of faith-strengthening insights that have truly deepened my relationship with Jesus. This commentary is well worth reading devotionally, and as I’ve done so, F.F. Bruce has helped me to grow in my understanding of the truths in this amazing epistle.

[Ian Minielly · Rating 4 out of 5]

There was a time when I was in Seminary and the years that followed I really liked Bruce. For some reason the shine has worn off and I find him less deep than I did originally. I still enjoy his commentaries and his thoughts, but not as much as I did.

Bruce does a good job here with Hebrews, but I was hoping for more depth and it didnt seem like Bruce went too deep much of anywhere. I wonder if part of the reason might be Hebrews is pretty straight forward so he did not feel the need?

This is a good commentary and it does not get bogged down, but it also feels like it left some meat on the bones and I may buy yet another Hebrews commentary to see another perspective. This one has left me feeling short.

[Steve · Rating 5 out of 5]

Bruce's commentary on Hebrews was well researched, but written in such a way that it is appealing to both the highly academic scholar and the lay person. He spends little time focusing on the grammatical functions of the words in their original language and focuses more on making the big picture of salvation clear to readers. His historical commentary on Jewish Orthodoxy is immensely helpful in understanding what the authors of Hebrews was getting at in each passage. It's an excellent resource to have if you're studying the epistle to the Hebrews.

[Warren B · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my first encounter with F.F. Bruce. I have been absolutely amazed at this man's scholarly ability and mind for this sort of work. He's a treasure, and I'll be looking forward to reading more from him.

[Douglas Wilson · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent.

[Julia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent commentary on the book of Hebrews.

[Warren Pace · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good conservative commentary. Truly pulls the historical context into view, even carefully utilizing apocrypha sources for explanation.

[Pascal Denault · Rating 4 out of 5]

Concise, much useful for my exposition on Hebrews

[Paul · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very helpful and clearly written commentary

[Samuel Garcia]

One of the better commentaries written about Hebrews by FF Bruce