What do you think?
Rate this book
The New International Commentary on the New Testament
The Gospel of Matthew (New International Commentary on the New Testament
"It is a special pleasure to introduce R T (Dick) France's commentary to the pastoral and scholarly community, who should find it a truly exceptional - and helpful - volume." So says Gordon Fee in his preface to this work. France's masterful commentary on Matthew focuses on exegesis of Matthew's text as it stands rather than on the prehistory of the material or details of Synoptic comparison. It is concerned throughout with what Matthew himself meant to convey about Jesus and how he set about doing so within the cultural and historical context of first-century Palestine. Amid the wide array of Matthew commentaries available today, France's world-class stature, his clear focus on Matthew and Jesus, his careful methodology, and his user-friendly style promise to make this volume an enduring standard for years to come.
1233 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 27, 2007
148 people are currently reading
505 people want to read
About the author
R.T. France
36 books17 followersRichard Thomas France was a New Testament scholar and Anglican cleric, and Research Fellow in the Department of Theology and Religious Studies, University of Wales, Bangor.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews
Want to read
February 6, 2018
Goodreads Recommendation Engine, you are a bad, bad, bad AI. Don't ever change.
February 12, 2020
Read France’s commentary as a side for translating the Gospel of Matthew. So I didn’t read the whole book, but around 3/4 of it, especially the introductory notes and more difficult issues (e.g. Jesus’ take on divorce or the ‘camel through a needle’s eye saying).
France is a fairly conservative British scholar, with a careful writing, and a strong eye for OT citations/allusions in the Gospels, which are most of the time convincing (I disagreed with his position on Matt 2:23 though). The translations, exegetical notes and theological insights are far from dull and really corroborate for a balanced reading and application of the text. Really enjoyed it as a companion to studying Matthew.
France is a fairly conservative British scholar, with a careful writing, and a strong eye for OT citations/allusions in the Gospels, which are most of the time convincing (I disagreed with his position on Matt 2:23 though). The translations, exegetical notes and theological insights are far from dull and really corroborate for a balanced reading and application of the text. Really enjoyed it as a companion to studying Matthew.
October 28, 2021
I read this as I preached through the Gospel of Matthew. I didn’t always agree with it, but it was helpful as my primary modern commentary on the Gospel. It was particularly helpful on the Olivet Discourse.
January 23, 2018
The Gospel of Matthew is an New Testament commentary, written by R.T. France and published by Eerdmands. Commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew can be either highly critical or devotional in nature. I therefore was pleasantly surprised when I read France’s work and found it to be more or less on the conservative side while still engaging with high criticism scholarship. It has been a long time since a scholarly mostly conservative work has been published on the Gospel of Matthew and France did not disappoint, weighing in at just over 1200 pages.
This commentary is a newer edition of the famous New International Commentary on the New Testament Series, a series which is synonymous with excellent exegesis and superior application, this volume not only continues this legacy, but truly propels it to new heights. This volume is one of the most articulate and practical commentaries on the one of the books of history which is usually bogged down by from criticism and or long discussions on genocide. Yet while France does answer these critical issues, something he does flawlessly by the way, he interacts with critical scholarship in a way most conservative commentators don’t. From this it is easy to see why France is a highly regarded scholar and superior exegete.
The Gospel of Matthew has two main sections the typical general introduction, and then followed by a insightful exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. With regard to the general introduction it is the typical study into the introductory matters of the book and how they relate to the Bible as a whole. This is a serious scholarly work which dives into contextual as well as the as the different methodical approaches to study of this book France takes great care in carefully showing the original context of passage while applying it directly to the modern day reader. He does not use his own translation of the Greek text, yet this is not common in the NICNT series as a whole. I do wish though that there was more application to some of the more difficult passages.
While I disagree with France on a few minor issues with regard to New Testament date of writing, the arguments he makes are sound I just adhere to a earlier date of composition. One are I did greatly enjoy is France discussion of the eight I am statements.
France is innovate in his interpretation and application while staying stalwart in his commitment to orthodoxy. In the vein of recommending, The Gospel of Matthew, to others I would recommend this commentary to pastors and scholars, yet I would highly recommend pastors, such as myself, to pair this scholarly commentary with one that is one that has more of a pastoral tone. There are many commentaries about Gospel of Matthew available at this moment but The Gospel of Matthew of the New International Commentary on the New Testament series is a very scholarly works worthy of your time.
This book was provided to me free of charge from Eerdmans in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
The Gospel of Matthew: New International Commentary on the New Testament
© 2007 by R. T. France
Publisher: Eerdmans
Page Count: 1233 Pages
ISBN: 978-0802825018
This commentary is a newer edition of the famous New International Commentary on the New Testament Series, a series which is synonymous with excellent exegesis and superior application, this volume not only continues this legacy, but truly propels it to new heights. This volume is one of the most articulate and practical commentaries on the one of the books of history which is usually bogged down by from criticism and or long discussions on genocide. Yet while France does answer these critical issues, something he does flawlessly by the way, he interacts with critical scholarship in a way most conservative commentators don’t. From this it is easy to see why France is a highly regarded scholar and superior exegete.
The Gospel of Matthew has two main sections the typical general introduction, and then followed by a insightful exegetical commentaries on the Gospel of Matthew. With regard to the general introduction it is the typical study into the introductory matters of the book and how they relate to the Bible as a whole. This is a serious scholarly work which dives into contextual as well as the as the different methodical approaches to study of this book France takes great care in carefully showing the original context of passage while applying it directly to the modern day reader. He does not use his own translation of the Greek text, yet this is not common in the NICNT series as a whole. I do wish though that there was more application to some of the more difficult passages.
While I disagree with France on a few minor issues with regard to New Testament date of writing, the arguments he makes are sound I just adhere to a earlier date of composition. One are I did greatly enjoy is France discussion of the eight I am statements.
France is innovate in his interpretation and application while staying stalwart in his commitment to orthodoxy. In the vein of recommending, The Gospel of Matthew, to others I would recommend this commentary to pastors and scholars, yet I would highly recommend pastors, such as myself, to pair this scholarly commentary with one that is one that has more of a pastoral tone. There are many commentaries about Gospel of Matthew available at this moment but The Gospel of Matthew of the New International Commentary on the New Testament series is a very scholarly works worthy of your time.
This book was provided to me free of charge from Eerdmans in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.
The Gospel of Matthew: New International Commentary on the New Testament
© 2007 by R. T. France
Publisher: Eerdmans
Page Count: 1233 Pages
ISBN: 978-0802825018
August 7, 2017
this was a fantastic commentary although I personally disagreed with many of his interpretations France was able to articulate his points well without getting sidetracked or being overbearing with his explanations. My only complaint was that he frequently referred to non canonical books mainly the gospel of Thomas to help persuade the reader of many of the points he was trying to make. over all a great commentary though.
June 24, 2025
Finally…only took me 6 months to get through this beast. To be honest, I read about 80% of the commentary but I don’t care—I’m counting it.
I love France’s work so much. If you’re looking for a commentary that digs deep into the cultural backgrounds or textual criticism this probably isn’t what you want. His exegesis is done through a synchronic reading of the text. If you take the time to read most—if not all—of this commentary, France will help you get a solid hold on Matthew’s narrative flow. He connects both major and seemingly insignificant plot points throughout. There were several points where he made connections from the front of the book to the end that I had never thought of before and changed how I read certain passages.
Probably my favorite aspect of this commentary was France’s handling of the “coming of the Son of Man” passages—especially in the apocalyptic discourse of chs. 24-25. If you’re looking for a primer on his points, I recommend Divine Government: God’s Kingship in the Gospel of Mark. There is considerable overlap with his thoughts on Mark with this commentary, but it’s worth just reading the sections on chs. 24–25, even if you don’t intend to read the whole commentary. Plus, this is kind of his hobby horse and he engages with a lot of differing views in these sections and his comments on other peoples' work are surprisingly hilarious.
If I am honest, I wouldn’t recommend this commentary for preparing for a Bible class. I used it for that and it has absolutely wrecked me. France has a more concise commentary on Matthew in the Tyndale series that I’m sure would be very useful too. But If you’re looking for a reference commentary on Matthew to help you with sermons or classes this will be very helpful.
I love France’s work so much. If you’re looking for a commentary that digs deep into the cultural backgrounds or textual criticism this probably isn’t what you want. His exegesis is done through a synchronic reading of the text. If you take the time to read most—if not all—of this commentary, France will help you get a solid hold on Matthew’s narrative flow. He connects both major and seemingly insignificant plot points throughout. There were several points where he made connections from the front of the book to the end that I had never thought of before and changed how I read certain passages.
Probably my favorite aspect of this commentary was France’s handling of the “coming of the Son of Man” passages—especially in the apocalyptic discourse of chs. 24-25. If you’re looking for a primer on his points, I recommend Divine Government: God’s Kingship in the Gospel of Mark. There is considerable overlap with his thoughts on Mark with this commentary, but it’s worth just reading the sections on chs. 24–25, even if you don’t intend to read the whole commentary. Plus, this is kind of his hobby horse and he engages with a lot of differing views in these sections and his comments on other peoples' work are surprisingly hilarious.
If I am honest, I wouldn’t recommend this commentary for preparing for a Bible class. I used it for that and it has absolutely wrecked me. France has a more concise commentary on Matthew in the Tyndale series that I’m sure would be very useful too. But If you’re looking for a reference commentary on Matthew to help you with sermons or classes this will be very helpful.
May 10, 2022
Read for sermon series on Matthew.
Some excellent insights. France dove deeper than some of my other commentaries which was helpful at times.
Some excellent insights. France dove deeper than some of my other commentaries which was helpful at times.
November 18, 2017
از کسی ایراد نگیرید، تا از شما نیز ایراد نگیرند. زیرا هر طور که با دیگران رفتار کنید، همانگونه با شما رفتار خواهند کرد. چرا پر کاه را در چشم برادرت میبینی اما تیر چوب را درچشم خودت نمیبینی؟ چگونه جرأت میکنی بگویی، اجازه بده پر کاه را از چشمت در آورم در حالی که خودت چوبی در چشم داری؟ ای متظاهر، نخست چوب را از چشم خود درآور تا بهتر بتوانی پر کاه را در چشم برادرت ببینی.
August 18, 2017
Excellent and must-have commentary on the book of Matthew! Especially for the pastor or theologian who may be studying the book, or just as a reference... France's comments and insights are very helpful and his analysis of the original language and context help to frame the narrative and theological points of the text.
August 20, 2013
An excellent commentary. It truly goes into some in depth material of the culture and literature of Matthew. I highly recommend it to anyone who is studying through Matthew. I believe that his insights will help all who study this book share thoughts and insights on a deeper level.
November 20, 2020
Highly useful, insightful, good technical and theological investigations. France, along with Keener, formed my most robust commentary resources for preaching through Matthew. Essential if you need to get into the text with a detailed understanding of the theology therein.
October 18, 2017
This was my “go to” technical commentary for Matthew. Too detailed for most uses, but France unpacks the nuances splendidly.
October 19, 2020
Mattew 26:41
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into tempation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
"Watch and pray so that you will not fall into tempation. The spirit is willing, but the flesh is weak."
December 3, 2024
It is very hard to beat this commentary for a technical exegetical study of Matthew. I particularly am grateful for Francis interpretation of Matthew 24.
April 11, 2025
Excellent commentary and often referred to and quoted by many others.
June 26, 2025
Probably the best Matthew commentary out there? No complaints except for his annihilationism. Easy to read despite being categorized under technical commentaries
September 28, 2025
An excellent, theologically sound commentary. Referenced it for sermon preparation; I haven't quite read the entire thing yet, but it's become a solid go-to NT commentary.
November 4, 2025
Words to live by, a life to emulate.
February 18, 2018
16 Jan 2018
On chapter 11 now. Thoughts thus far:
- Comprehensive
- Extremely suitable for one who might want to prepare a teaching or sermon on the various pericopes of Matthew
- Well annotated, footnoted
- Readable
- Analysis of Greek words
- Lacking the ego of the author (a good thing) in a careful discussion of the text
26 Jan 2018
- Conversational
- Running account of the story, transporting me to the time and place of the events - a proverbial "fly on the wall"
13 Feb 2018
- On Matthew 26, now, and I am still of the same opinion. Author is consistent with his approach throughout ... analyzes, thoughtfully explores alternate theories, respectful, conversational, in depth
14 Feb 2018
- As I read France, it occurs to me that we read and interpret the Bible in light of all that we have been taught, in light of our personal cultural environment, instead of rethinking and reinterpreting for ourselves or instead of asking the Holy Spirit to guide our learning and then letting ourselves be challenged by a new way of understanding. One of the things zi appreciate in France's commentary is that he quietly challenges popular understandings through his thoughtful analysis of NT culture, the language of the time, received texts, the historical record, etc. This seems like a good example of his work, when he discusses what "and our children" meant when the crowd before Pilate accepted responsibility for the decision to crucify Jesus. History reminds us that some in the church have persecuted Jews because the Jewish crowd accepted the responsibility for themselves and their children for the crucifixion, France has this proposal:
"The reference to “our children” was probably prompted by Matthew’s reflection that it would be a new generation who bore the brunt of the Roman onslaught on Jerusalem in AD 70."
His proposal is part of his commentary on
Matthew 27:25 NIV
All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
17 Feb 2018
Today, I finished my current reading of Matthew. I will miss this gentle commentator. I have enjoyed his work immensely. Tomorrow I start Mark. I wish France's Mark were available as an e-book, preferably Kindle, but it is not.
On chapter 11 now. Thoughts thus far:
- Comprehensive
- Extremely suitable for one who might want to prepare a teaching or sermon on the various pericopes of Matthew
- Well annotated, footnoted
- Readable
- Analysis of Greek words
- Lacking the ego of the author (a good thing) in a careful discussion of the text
26 Jan 2018
- Conversational
- Running account of the story, transporting me to the time and place of the events - a proverbial "fly on the wall"
13 Feb 2018
- On Matthew 26, now, and I am still of the same opinion. Author is consistent with his approach throughout ... analyzes, thoughtfully explores alternate theories, respectful, conversational, in depth
14 Feb 2018
- As I read France, it occurs to me that we read and interpret the Bible in light of all that we have been taught, in light of our personal cultural environment, instead of rethinking and reinterpreting for ourselves or instead of asking the Holy Spirit to guide our learning and then letting ourselves be challenged by a new way of understanding. One of the things zi appreciate in France's commentary is that he quietly challenges popular understandings through his thoughtful analysis of NT culture, the language of the time, received texts, the historical record, etc. This seems like a good example of his work, when he discusses what "and our children" meant when the crowd before Pilate accepted responsibility for the decision to crucify Jesus. History reminds us that some in the church have persecuted Jews because the Jewish crowd accepted the responsibility for themselves and their children for the crucifixion, France has this proposal:
"The reference to “our children” was probably prompted by Matthew’s reflection that it would be a new generation who bore the brunt of the Roman onslaught on Jerusalem in AD 70."
His proposal is part of his commentary on
Matthew 27:25 NIV
All the people answered, “His blood is on us and on our children!”
17 Feb 2018
Today, I finished my current reading of Matthew. I will miss this gentle commentator. I have enjoyed his work immensely. Tomorrow I start Mark. I wish France's Mark were available as an e-book, preferably Kindle, but it is not.
September 3, 2013
A great commentary from a Matthew scholar. All you need to understand the historical, literary, and textual context of Matthew is in this commentary. He has great grasp on the secondary literature. He evaluates various positions. He section on Matthew 24 and 25 is very helpful, even if one disagree with some of his conclusions. He also does his own translation of the text, which I really enjoyed. Sometimes it is overkill, but generally he is worth it. I did not like the lack of application. It seems that if you are going to write a commentary then I need to see that the book changed the way the writer thought and lived. Still, I would consider this commentary essential for understanding Matthew. If you want something simpler, you can get his commentary in the Tyndale New Testament Commentary Series.
November 10, 2012
Excellent commentary. It covers a wide range of exegetical perspective while being accessible to lay leaders. It does not require Greek knowledge though it is more technical than an application commentary. It definitely covers translation issues. I especially like it because he addresses liberal scholarship so that we are informed, but ultimately takes an evangelical perspective. I appreciate the fact that he does not completely ignore redaction criticism or historical reconstructions of the life of Jesus.
October 4, 2015
It has been a while since I read this, but it is THE BEST single commentary of any book in the Bible I have ever read. France was fantastic. It focused on what the text said/meant and not on denominational or partisan opinions. I highly recommend this.
December 17, 2012
Excellent commentary
April 16, 2016
top notch commentary, very helpful as I preached through Matthew.
February 8, 2023
Wow. Stellar.
Read
February 3, 2018Did not read this book, read Matthew in the Bible
Displaying 1 - 26 of 26 reviews