I've been reading the ESV commentary via my Bibleworks software for years and finally decided to get a hard copy recently. I like the print quality and fonts, but I mainly purchased it for the occasional insights I find in the commentary. The cross references are also nice. It's not exhaustive obviously and seems to be lite on comparing readings with manuscript families on some verses (NET notes is a pretty good source for that, but also a bit heavy handed with their own favored opinions I find), which is understandable. I haven't read the entire volume yet, or the numerous topical essays in the back, not by a long shot.Having said that, I have removed a star after I found it to be what I consider to be (politically?) compromised in critical places. The best example of this comes from the contribution of Dennis E. Johnson (Westminster Seminary California, Ph.D., Fuller Theological Seminary) who wrote the commentary for the book of Revelation, which I believe is the most important document on earth at this time - after the Christian has come to a saving grace and solid faith in the work of Christ on the cross thus bringing in the New Covenant which Jeremiah said would not be like the one at Sinai (Jer 31.31-32) with a new law out of Zion, not Sinai (Isa 2.3; Rom 3.27, 8.2; 1Cor 9.21; Jam 1.25, 2.12; John 15.12,17, 6.29, 13.34-35; 1John 3.23-24; Luke 7.50; John 5.17), notwithstanding the increasing barrage of mis-teachings targeting Christians to 'keep the law/sabbath' (old covenant) online and in publications consistently taking the same handful of key verses out of context as if coordinated (for example John 14.15 or Rev 12.17, playing on common ignorance of these referring to the "commandments" outlined in 1John 3.23-4, not the 613 commandments of Moses of which Sabbath-keeping is used as the gateway to, flying in the face of the plain reading of Acts 15, etc, etc) -- but I digress.Back to Dr Johnson's interpretations in the book of Revelation; the place this compromise is most evident is the place where arguably the clearest 'revelation' in the whole book of Revelation is given, namely, the identity of "the great city... where also their Lord was crucified" (Rev 11.8) which is also called the woman identified as mystery Babylon (Rev 17.5, 18 -- she is also described in the colors and jewels closely describing the garb of the Levitical high priest, Exo 28.4-11 vs Rev 17.4, an important connection missed in the commentary).These key verses lock in one place alone, and it isn't Rome, NYC, Edom (which is not a city), Ninevah, or anywhere other than earthly Jerusalem.A second key witness, Yeshua Jesus Himself, to the true identity of mystery Babylon which also locks in Jerusalem, Jerusalem is Rev 18.24 taken with Mat 23.37 (see also 1Thes 2.14-16).Oddly enough, Dr. Johnson shows the plain revelation when he cross-references the relevant biblical verses in the notes for Rev 11.8 allowing the bible to interpret the bible, but then quickly tramples upon the clear revelation of mystery Babylon's identity with a gratuitous, forced interpretation (Rome) which is not from the bible and flatly contradicts it. What a shame, but not at all surprising; I see it all the time. To be partially consistent with the text however he seems to struggle a bit and wavers later admitting Jerusalem is also implicated but only insofar as he merges it with Rome, and further smokescreens the revelation by concluding "but it also stands as a representative symbol for every empire that grasps after divine glory and afflicts Christ's church even in this present day," in contradiction to the critical clue of it being "the great city" and not an empire, nor do the scriptures ever compare any of the previous empires or even their capitals as Babylon.This deception is actually predictable if the revelation is indeed true -- the worldwide domination over the kings/rulers and great merchants of the earth as described in the text (Rev 17.18, 18.23) reveals the mystery/secret of her far reaching influence over governments including their military and vast array of secret spies (who are strategically embedded throughout international societies with fingers in all forms of information, communications and media worldwide, be it online, broadcast or print, and institutions including schools, universities, churches, seminaries, govt agencies, NGOs, secret societies/freemasonry, etc.) and transnational corporations like big tech (google, youtube, facebook, twitter and all the rest), which are married together forming a fascist global system where states and corporations are merged -- which perfectly sums up the world system today almost 2000 years in advance. In other words, this monstrous Leviathan wrapped around the world would target and come down on anyone of any prominence revealing this amazing revelation, which is why you cannot find anyone doing so but rather inexplicably/mysteriously deploying absurd mental gymnastics and diversions to the old favorite scapegoat of the rabbies: Rome (which they consider to be Edom/Christianity/West and thus slated for destruction before their messiah comes to openly rule earth instead of from the shadows -- a destruction well underway).The small group of teachers who actually will admit the truth on this subject all 'mysteriously' seem to be in lock step in their narrative, invariably attaching it to a different set of deceptions (preterism), claiming Jerusalem as mystery Babylon only refers to the time leading up to 70 AD (which cannot be since it was not ruling over the kings or great merchants of the earth/land as the text says) and deploy a series of baseless, allegorical, and unbiblical interpretations to explain away the earthly messianic kingdom in the millennium beginning the unending righteousness and resurrections as already here, brushing off all the unmistakable, obvious and cosmic signs in heaven and earth associated with it and the Son of Man coming in glory which everyone will see and will not be in secret (Mat 24.27), etc, etc, essentially rendering language meaningless and completely subjective to the interpreter's whim, lulling their would-be followers to sleep, blind to critically important prophecies, never mind that the earliest and best evidence puts the date of authorship of Revelation in the mid 90s, or how Ireneaus, disciple of Polycarp who knew and was a disciple of the apostle John, knew the false messiah/beast of Revelation 13 was still in the future. But I digress, again.Here are the key verses identifying mystery Babylon, speaking for themselves:_And their dead bodies will lie on the street of *THE GREAT CITY* which spiritually is called Sodom and Egypt, where also their Lord was crucified._ (Rev 11.8)._The woman [Babylon per 17.5] whom you saw is *THE GREAT CITY* which reigns over the kings of the earth._ (Rev 17.18)_”And in her was found the blood of prophets and of saints and of all who have been slain on the earth/land.”_ (Rev 18.24)_”Jerusalem, Jerusalem, who kills the prophets and stones those who are sent to her!”_ (Mat 23.37)_for your [Babylon’s] merchants were the great men of the earth, for all the nations were deceived by your “PHARMAKEIA”_ (Rev 18.23)Christ warned people to flee at the end of the age who lived where? NYC? Rome? No, "JUDEA," when they see the abomination/idol of desolation (given life and able to speak — a.i.?) set up in the holy place/temple (Matthew 24.15-16) which hasn't happened yet. He also warned those about fleeing in winter or on the SABBATH (Mat 24.20) which shows it will be strictly enforced under the reign of the false messiah._"Come out of her, my people, so that you will not participate in her sins and receive of her plagues."_ (Rev 18:4)Is it a coincidence in Revelation the harlot comes riding on a red beast in the wilderness (the Temple Institute in Jerusalem is preparing a red heifer sacrifice to bring back the temple ministry which in the Torah is prescribed to be sacrificed in the wilderness, ie, outside the camp per Numbers 19.3) and dressed in the colors and jewels describing the high priestly garment from Exodus 28.4-11? Or that Zech 12.2 describes Jerusalem as a cup of reeling echoing language and imagery from Jer 51.7 used to describe Babylon?A Jerusalem Post 2017 article lets the cat out of the bag revealing that Israel will be the capital of the nwo, titled “Israel and the unexpected new world order,” which sheds much light on the seismic shifts happening on the international stage with new alliances and partnerships occurring today (April 12, 2023).I have also noticed a recent sudden surge of what seems to be bot activity on youtube suddenly using the same strawman argument that Babylon cannot be Jerusalem because it is not a port city, but Revelation doesn't say Babylon (Jerusalem) is a port city. That's a red herring being spread widely in what appears to be an online campaign (similar to the massive ongoing coordinated campaign to push law/sabbath-keeping, with even the pope endorsing sabbath-keeping in recent years). It just says the smoke of it can be seen from the sea and that it has merchants ships -- which is just like in the time of Solomon (king of Jerusalem) who ruled over a trade bloc in the region and had fleets of merchant ships and was at one point even earning 666 talents of gold. The Jerusalem Post article from 2017 (see above) talks about a plan to do this again and even cites the kingdom of Solomon in comparison.All nations (‘waters’ are peoples/multitudes/nations/TONGUES as explained in Rev 17.15) will gather to where she sits (Jerusalem also sits upon 7 hills/mts) in false worship as they did at the tower of Babel. (This connection was hinted at by the first Pentecost after Christ's ascension to heaven when the apostles were speaking in the various tongues recalling the various tongues from the tower of babel, hence 1Peter 5.13, and we know Peter's headquarters was Jerusalem, Acts 15.2,7, and addressed his letter "to those who reside as aliens scattered," 1Peter 1.1), but first a traumatic global crisis will be be engineered to ‘bring the world together.’But as Solomon said, what came before will come again and there's nothing new under the sun, and so just as her allies would eventually turn against her, and destroy her (Ezk 16.35-43, 15-21), save a remnant spiritually marked by the angel upon the forehead (Ezk 9.3-6) as described in the days of Ezekiel, so we see this occur again using similar descriptions and imagery in Revelation (Rev 17.1-6, 16-17; 18.3-8) with a remnant saved, the 144,000 numbered out of the 12 tribes in the land with the name of God in their foreheads and standing with the Lamb of God on Mt Zion (Rev 7.1-4; 14.1).=====Notes pertaining to the above discussion:_In the Bible the only usage of the phrases “in the hand” and “in the foreheads” are all in the Law of Moses and refer to keeping the commandments, statutes, judgments and holy seasons or days given to Israelites in the time of Moses. The first reference is Exodus 13:9 where it states the Days of Unleavened Bread associated with the Passover were given “for a sign unto you upon your hand, and for a memorial between your eyes [in the forehead].”__The word “sign” in the above verse is translated “mark” in its second occurrence in the Bible and it refers to the “mark” given to Cain (Genesis 4:15). The biblical definition of the “mark” (or “sign”) in the hand and forehead is associated with holy days on the Mosaic calendar. The next usage refers to the commandments, statutes and judgments that the Israelites were to perform when they entered the land of Canaan.__“You shall bind them for a sign [or mark] upon your hand, and they shall be as frontlets between your eyes [in the forehead].” Deuteronomy 6:8__The third reference is similar to this and is given in Deuteronomy 11:18. The weekly Sabbath is described as such a “sign” (or MARK) in Exodus 31:12–17.__If we let the Bible interpret the Bible then the MARK (or sign) in the hand and in the forehead of Revelation 13:16–17 refers to the keeping of the Mosaic legislation — its holy day system and regulations for the people of Israel in the land of Canaan. And this is what the Antichrist will subject the world to when he commences his reign in Jerusalem just before the true Second Advent. He will display to the world his supposed divinity, the world will accept it, he will sit himself with great ceremony in the temple at Jerusalem, and then proclaim himself the true divinity come from heaven to reside among men (2 Thessalonians 2:4)._From "The Antichrist Will Establish the Mosaic Law" by the late Ernest L. Martin.More info:_"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were BUYING AND SELLING in the temple"_ (Mat 21.12)In Revelation 13 we have the second beast/false prophet who comes imitating the signs of Elijah to do 3 important things the rabbis expect Elijah to do:1) Renew the Sinai covenant marriage which in the Torah came with sealing the congregation with the mark of the Name of God in the forehead and hand in dedication of thoughts and works through the Aaronic Benediction as symbolized by the tefillin (Mark of the beast); _“You shall bind them [commandments per Deu 6.1-7] for a SIGN/MARK UPON YOUR HAND, and they shall be as frontlets BETWEEN YOUR EYES [the forehead].”_ (Deut 6.8)2) restore the sacrifices which only those in the covenant (take the mark of the name in covenant marriage) can participate in with the money-changers and merchants Yeshua threw out (buying and selling); _"And Jesus entered the temple and drove out all those who were BUYING AND SELLING in the temple"_ (Mat 21.12)3) regather and number the tribes in a census as in the books of Numbers and Ezra by heads of family names (number of names/number of men); _”Take a census of all the congregation of the sons of Israel, by their families, by their fathers' households, according to THE NUMBER OF NAMES, every male, head by head”_ (NUMBERS 1.2), and, _"..The NUMBER OF MEN of the people of Israel.."_ (Ezra 2.2)These are expected by the rabbis for Elijah to perform before the arrival of their (false) messiah who will enforce the Sinai covenant marriage in defiance of the new covenant marriage announced by Jeremiah who said it would not be like the one at Sinai (Jeremiah 31). Hence, the law is for the lawless (1Tim 1.9) and we know the false messiah is also called the lawless one (2Thes 2.8).Feel free to copy, print and share.