Popular Commentary of the Bible

By Paul E. Kretzmann

Kretzmann's Commentary, originally published by Concordia Publishing House in 1921, is a Bible commentary beloved by confessional Lutherans for over a century for its faithful exposition of Scripture, its spirit of faith and piety, and its commitment to Lutheran orthodoxy.

"It is a commentary such as Luther would have written, had he lived in America to-day, a commentary of the Bible and for the Bible. … It is a popular commentary in the truest sense of the term; a commentary for the people, and offering to the people nothing but unalloyed exposition of the Bible."
John Theodore Mueller, 1921

Read the commentary

All 66 books, chapter by chapter. Browse the full table of contents →

Old Testament

New Testament

About the work

Paul E. Kretzmann wrote the Popular Commentary of the Bible to put sound, readable exposition of every chapter of Scripture into the hands of everyday Christians. Concordia Publishing House released it in four volumes between 1921 and 1924 — two on the New Testament, two on the Old — nearly three thousand pages in all.

This site is a new digital edition of the complete work: the full text, chapter by chapter alongside the Scripture it explains, free to read online.

Articles

Topical essays from the commentary. All articles →

Try a reference like “John 3:16” or a phrase like “means of grace”.