Esther & Ruth

Reformed Expository Commentary

by Iain M. Duguid

Does God help those who help themselves? That may seem to be the message of Esther and Ruth. Yet a closer reading shows a gracious and sovereign God at work, one who uses obviously flawed people—unable even to help themselves—to rescue his people and prepare for the coming of Christ.

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

224 pages, Hardcover

First published November 21, 2005

About the author

married to Barbara R. Duguid

Reviews

[Peter Todd · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was a great and enjoyable read! Duguid writes very clearly which made it very easy to dive into this commentary!

This book provides great biblical and historical context for the books of Esther and Ruth and has definitely deepened my understanding of them. Without this commentary, I wouldn’t have understood fully the biblical importance Esther and Ruth has to the complete biblical story.

[Scott Cox · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dr. Duguid's commentary on Esther & Ruth is very pastoral, and excellently researched. I can cite many examples, but will specifically note only 2 examples of the great encouragement found in this commentary.

First, on Esther chapter 7: "Just as importantly, we may have hope in our struggle against sin. Our hope lies not in our own progress or personal strength. Not at all! We cannot pull ourselves up by our own efforts, and the further we progress in the Christian life, the more evident that becomes. As we grow in spiritual maturity, we see the depths of our sin and the deceitfulness of our hearts ever more distinctly. Yet we may have confidence that we will make progress in godliness because God has promised his Holy Spirit to be at work in our hearts, generating his fruits of righteousness and holiness. The work may not progress as fast as we would wish, but its progress is assured because God has promised it. We are not simply to sit back, to 'let go and let God'; we are to strive with every fiber of our being toward the holiness for which God has designed us. But once again we do so with confidence, knowing that God will work his righteousness in us on the day we stand before him."

Second, on Ruth chapter 2: "Whether or not despair is what drives Naomi's inaction, it is certainly a problem in our own experience. When we stop believing in God's goodness and give ourselves over to doubt and worry, we easily sink into a despairing inactivity. This can lead to a downward spiral in which our inactivity makes our situation worse and deepens our despair, which in turn makes us feel less inclined than ever to step out into what we believe to be a hostile world. The key to breaking that cycle is grasping hold of God's covenant commitment to do us good. If we can once look to the cross and grasp the height and depth of the love of God for us in Jesus, then how can we doubt his desire to give us everything necessary for life and godliness? If we feel the smile of the Father's favor toward us in Christ, in spite of our history of sin and failure, then we will be encouraged to step out again in faith. We will still not know what the future holds, yet if we know that the one who holds the future cares for us, that first step upward on the long road back to obedience becomes possible again."

Wow! All I can say is praise God . . . and 5 stars for Duguid’s commentary!!

[Brad Owens · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good stuff. Very readable and helpful.

[Shawn · Rating 4 out of 5]

Good expositional commentary. Pastoral in nature due to the presentation of the content having first been preached from the pulpit.

[Teresa · Rating 5 out of 5]

I have never read a commentary cover to cover before but this one is wonderful. Actually enjoyable to read, although I know that’s not the point. It taught me a lot about Ruth and Esther that I would not have known or thought about otherwise. Excellent. I hope to read more commentaries from this series. (Looking at you, Revelation…)

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this expository commentary on these two books! Duguid does an excellent job of digging into the original Hebrew to bring the New Testament into the Old. These are two of the most well known and beloved stories in the Old Testament, and yet they are so so shallowly understood when we rip them out of the context of their time and cultures.

[Jeff Boettcher · Rating 5 out of 5]

In my opinion it just doens't get much better than Duguid when it comes to preaching Christ from the Old Testament. I read this commentary as a companion to my daily bible reading and was regularly stirred to think and feel more deeply about Christ. Highly Recommend.

[Cindy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very good although he read between the lines a bit too much for me.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review of the Esther part of the commentary:
Well written, focuses on the text, helpful application. Not a technical commentary.
Often has interesting parallels to Christ, e.g. asking questions like, "To what degree are we willing to make ourselves beautiful for Christ?".
My major beef with this commentary is that it interprets the lack of the word "God" in the book as a character defect in its characters rather than as a literary device to demonstrate that God works behind the scenes. There can be little doubt of Esther's and Mordecai's faith in God as they pray and fast, and as they both accept the reasoning that "deliverance will come to the Jews". As Duguid also points out, even Haman's wife sees the God of Israel at work. So it seems unfair to repeatedly criticize Mordecai and Esther for failing to talk about God and look to Him.
That being said, the commentary is a very good one. It helps the reader see Esther in its canonical and historical context, helps the reader see parallels and motifs in the book itself, points the reader toward the God who is behind every event in the book, and helps the reader apply the principles of the book in their own life.

[Jeff Wiesner · Rating 5 out of 5]

Of all the commentaries I consulted in my preaching series on Ruth, I found Duguid's work to be the most beneficial for exposition. Smooth prose. Creative presentation. Organized textually rather than thematically. Pastoral applications are well-within the text's intended pattern of meaning. A slight criticism might be offered toward Duguids hesitation to make hard decisions on ambigous texts, informing the reader why and how he arrived at his conclusion. Instead, he is content to present the various options, leave such decisions up to the reader, and move on. But this is a minor gripe. Overall, I highly recommend this volume.

[David · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the third commentary in this series I have read and I have enjoyed each one. The commentary is a collection of sermons preached through the books. Those looking for a more technical or academic commentary will want to look elsewhere. But these sermons are not empty applications with meandering stories. They are good expository sermons that dive into the text and preach the gospel. I found it helpful in my own preaching through Esther.

[David · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't recommend this commentary enough, Duguid makes the true stories of Esther and Ruth both assessable and Christ centered. I found myself looking forward to reading this book every day as it impacted how I as a man look at God's guiding providential hand, overtly in the case of Ruth, and subtlety in the case Esther are also happening in our day.

[Cameron Barham]

“In both (Esther and Ruth), the grace of God to the undeserving and the outcasts is prominently on display. Both stories thus constantly point us forward to Christ as the one in whom that grace will fully and finally come to aliens and strangers, redeeming rebellious sinners and making them into God’s new people.”, p. xi

[Mark Nenadov · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent treatments of Esther and Ruth, two fascinating books of the Old Testament. The writing is passionate, well-researched, and very helpful and encouraging. I wholeheartedly recommend this book for whoever wishes to read, understand, and apply Esther and Ruth.

[Nicholas Abraham · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great commentary series and this volume is a great addition to the series. It’s expository, but with enough technical engagement to not simply be surface level. I personally found the section on Ruth to be a bit better than the section on Esther.

[John Yelverton · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a well done commentary on the books of Esther and Ruth in the form of sermons in order to make it easy for the reader to comprehend and understand. This does result in the glossing over of some verses, but the benefits far outweigh the detriments.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the portion on Esther, but it was phenomenal!! It's written clearly and devotionally, but still addresses the major questions I had regarding culture, timing, and personality. I would love to revisit this and read the section on Ruth.

[Kendra · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very readable commentary, and one that can be easily be understood without being a Bible scholar.

[Isaac · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.5. Pretty good. Edifying & with some useful insights.

[Kevin Morse · Rating 5 out of 5]

Highly recommend, especially as devotional reading for any one. He is a clear , engaging, and funny writer.

[Rodney Tripp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great commentary...

[Drew · Rating 4 out of 5]

Only the Ruth portion:
Good. I think I had high hopes for this that left me a bit let down at points, but still good.

[Russell Hayes · Rating 5 out of 5]

An excellent commentary

[Mad Russian the Traveller · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary and analysis of that great redemption story that is the book of Ruth in the Old Testament of the Holy Bible. Because all we ever have is Redemption Songs...

[Jónatas Rafael Lopes · Rating 5 out of 5]

Comentário muito pastoral.

[Andrew · Rating 3 out of 5]

Only read the part on Ruth. Good coverage. I think pericopes were broken up too small to do the narrative justice.

[kyleesreads · Rating 3 out of 5]

📚 Esther & Ruth by Iain M. Duguid

“The door to God’s kingdom is open only to those who know they have nothing to offer God. It is open only to outsiders like Ruth, to those desperate enough to try anything, like Tamar, to those who have utterly despaired of making any sense out of life, like Naomi. It is open to those like some in the early church in Corinth: former idolaters, swindlers, prostitutes, homosexuals, thieves, slanderers, and drunkards (1 Cor. 6:9-11). These are the people whom God welcomes through Christ, for he is the friend of sinners. Whoever you are, no matter what you have done, there is room for you to kneel at the foot of the cross.” ❤️❤️❤️

⭐️⭐️⭐️

I absolutely LOVE Esther and Ruth!!! It was so fun to spend the extra time focusing on their stories in the Bible and more importantly, learning about God’s character and faithfulness and love for his people. The author of this commentary did a great job at connecting these OT stories to the gospel each chapter. My only critique is that the author was harsh at times with his assumptions on the character’s motives which was a perspective I haven’t heard anywhere else.

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[Malory · Rating 5 out of 5]

I only read the Ruth portion, but it was a phenomenal book. I really enjoyed how Duguid took the book piece by piece and reflected on the bigger story. Not just a love story between Ruth and Boaz. It is a story about the redemptive power of Jesus, how His grace has enormous power and can take an outsider like Ruth and make her a part of his own lineage. We are all sinners and when we accept we have nothing to offer Him, that is when his grace becomes the greatest gift of all.

VT Reading Challenge - #5 - "A Commentary on a Book of the Bible"

[Erika Schanzenbach · Rating 4 out of 5]

I really enjoy this series of commentaries for devotional reading. They have enough depth and application to be solid devotional material, but don't make your eyes roll back in your head by going on and on about Greek and Hebrew. There is a place in the world for more technical dissections of biblical text, but I find these to be a much more helpful resource for devotional reading. Very accessible.

[Anna · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow! This commentary tells the stories of the books of Ruth and Esther in a way that shows the reader what the actual intent of the author was. It ties these old testament story books to the gospel. I loved it.