The Exegetical Labors of the Reverend Matthew Poole: Volume 79: 1 John-Jude

"[Y]ou will find in Poole's Synopsis a marvellous collection of all the wisdom ... of the critics.... Query--a query for which I will not demand an answer--has one of you ever beaten the dust from the venerable copy of Poole which loads our library shelves? Yet as Poole spent no less than ten years in compiling it, it should be worthy of your frequent notice.... Matthew Poole also wrote Annotations upon the Word of God, in English, which are mentioned by Matthew Henry ... and he not only highly praises them, but declares that he has in his own work all along been brief upon that which Mr. Poole has more largely discussed, and has industriously declined what is to be found there.... On the whole, if I must have only one commentary, and had read Matthew Henry as I have, I do not know but what I should choose Poole. He is a very prudent and judicious commentator..." Spurgeon's Commenting and Commentaries, 6.