Lange's Commentaries

Shawn Drewett

How do you all rank these as compared to your other commentaries?

I want these and am hoping for some kind of discount in the future , Christmas maybe?

Graham Owen

How do you all rank these as compared to your other commentaries?

Generally quite useful, good that every book is covered and the Apocrypha is a bonus now we seem to have an increasing interest in it!

I find that there is a good balance between the 'academic' analysis of the text and the practical application, I read a comment somewhere that this series comes form an age where there was a balance between the two.

As an example of the content, this is from the commentary on Revelation 13:8 which is debated in another thread.

Every one whose name, etc.—Thus a contrast is found—not merely in a general way, but betwixt man and man—between the worshippers of the Dragon and those whose names are written in the book of life. This writing here denotes that security of the people of God which is expressed in ch. 7 by the sealing. And now the following question arises—Shall we read: Written in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain from the foundation of the world (Vulg., Bede, etc.), as the immediate reference of the closing words [ἀπὸ καταβολῆς κόσμου] seems to demand, or: written from the foundation of the world in the book of life of the Lamb that hath been slain (Grotius, Bengel, Hengstenberg, Düsterdieck, et al.), as seems to be decidedly indicated by the passage, ch. 17:8? It cannot, however, be denied that 1 Pet. 1:19, 20, supports the former and more ancient apprehension, as does also the Johannean utterance in the Gospel of John, ch. 17:24. Both apprehensions of the passage contemplate the first, and hence the last, cause of the security of God’s people in that election which took place before the foundation of the world, and which has therefore prevailed since the foundation of the world. But as the pre-appointment of the glory of Christ was at the same time a pre-appointment of His death, and was conditioned, in its manifestation, by the foreview of His holy conduct, so the election of believers, in its manifestation, is conditioned by their faithfulness, in accordance with ch. 20:12 (κατὰ τὰ ἔργα αὐτῶν). We, therefore, have to do with a mysterious synthesis of eternal personal foundation and disposition and a morally free verification [of said foundation and disposition]—neither with the one alone, in a predestinarian sense, nor with the other exclusively, in an Arminian sense. There is a decided lack of clearness in the following deliverance of Hengstenberg: “When temptation has attained its highest degree, nothing holds out against it save the eternal election based upon the atonement in Christ.” Since both explanations are, materially, equally warranted, the more obvious course is to prefer the older exposition. And what shall we gain by so doing? Those who are written in the book of the Lamb that was slain from the foundation of the world, are such as form a contrast, in respect of their disposition and conduct, to those who dread and shun suffering; for by a dread of suffering, the greatest genius that mankind has ever seen may lapse into subtile cowardice, and thus fall under the dominion of the world and Antichristianity. Comp. Rom. 6:3. The central point of those who are ready for suffering—the martyrs, who, precisely as such, are invincible—is formed by the Lamb, Who was mystically slain from the foundation of the world, and Who, from the very fact of His being thus slain, is the Prince of life, with Whose victory the ideal, eternal book of life is actualized.

Lange, J. P., Schaff, P., Moore, E., Craven, E. R., & Woods, J. H. (2008). A commentary on the Holy Scriptures : Revelation (268–269). Bellingham, WA: Logos Research Systems, Inc.