Recently, my wife and I decided to do something a little different for our devotions together. Instead of picking up something new or trendy, we went way back—back to the beginning of our marriage. Back then, we did something that might sound a little strange by modern Christian devotional standards: we used Matthew Henry’s commentary as our devotional reading.

Now, after raising (and almost raising) five kids—we’re not quite done yet in the child-raising department—we decided together to return to it. Not because it’s novel or impressive, but because it’s how we got started. And there’s something deeply comforting about returning to an old spiritual friend.

This isn’t an academic write-up. It’s not a defense of Matthew Henry (1662-1714) or a scholarly argument for why you should read him. It’s just a handful of things we love about reading him together—shared for fun, and maybe to make you curious enough to check him out sometime.

1. Methinks It’s Delightful

Let’s start with something small and joyful: his language.

Matthew Henry uses the word methinks. Not once in a blue moon, but often enough that you notice it. And once you notice it, you can’t un-notice it.

In his comments on Matthew 19, while reflecting on Jesus’ teaching on marriage, he writes, “Methinks it has something observable in it.” There’s just something charming about that phrasing—thoughtful, slightly old-fashioned, and oddly intimate.

My wife and I have started saying methinks to each other now, usually with a grin. It’s become a tiny shared joke, a little linguistic souvenir from our evening devotions. Small things like that have a way of bonding you together.

2. A Commentary That Actually Aims at Devotion

On a more serious note, what we truly love is that Matthew Henry’s commentary is devotional in its very bones. It doesn’t just explain the text; it presses it into the heart.

Last night, we were reading his comments on Matthew 5. On “Blessed are the poor in spirit,” Henry writes:

“The foundation of all other graces is laid in humility. Those who would build high must begin low… it fits the soil to receive the seed.”

That’s classic Henry. He gives the meaning of the text, and then he applies it—again and again—in warm, careful, beautiful language. He’s not content to tell you what the verse meant only; he wants to know what it’s doing to your soul. He applies it like medicine.

Reading him feels less like attending a lecture and more like being gently but firmly shepherded.

3. Honest About Sin—and Always Pointing to Christ

The last thing I’ll mention is something that both challenges and comforts us—and honestly, something we don’t see much in modern devotional books.

Matthew Henry tells the truth about sin. He doesn’t dodge it, soften it, or dress it up. He talks plainly about repentance, corruption, sorrow, and the ongoing fight against indwelling sin. But—and this matters—he is always pointing to Christ.

If you read him night after night, that becomes unmistakably clear. He never leaves you staring at your sin with nowhere to go. His honesty is never detached from hope. His calls to repentance are always “according to God,” with the eye fixed firmly on Christ.

On “Blessed are those who mourn,” he writes:

“Those are God’s mourners… they live a life of repentance… lament the corruption of their nature, and their many actual transgressions.”

Just before that, he reminds us that this sorrow is “according to God, with an eye to Christ.” And then this line stopped us both in our tracks:

“They are blessed, for they are like the Lord Jesus, who is a man of sorrows… of whom we never read that he laughed, but often that he wept.”

That kind of writing doesn’t condemn—it clarifies. It tells the truth about sin while steadily leading the heart back to Christ. It arms the soul against temptation and reminds us that repentance isn’t opposed to joy; it’s one of the paths God uses to bring us there.

How We’re Reading Him (For What It’s Worth)

If you were going to start reading Matthew Henry devotionally, I’d highly recommend beginning somewhere like the Sermon on the Mount. You don’t need to read huge chunks. Small portions are more than enough.

Here’s what we do.

I’ll pick a verse, and my wife will pick a verse. Separately, we read what Henry says about that one verse. Then we come back together and share anything that stood out to us—something about the biblical text, a phrase that caught our attention, or an insight from our old Puritan friend. After that, we pray together. Tip: Also, use the complete unabridged Matthew Henry commentary instead of the concise version. A lot of valuable information is omitted from the concise version. You can find the unabridged version on BibleGateway.com if you don’t have the physical copies.

That’s it.

I’m not trying to tell exactly how to do family devotions as if we have arrived. But I do believe family devotions matter—and none more so than rekindling the flame with your wife around the truth of God’s Word. We actually do family devotions using Scripture and a few other books that I will write about later. Matthew Henry is our devotional as a couple, but every family devotion starts with husband and wife getting their act together. Lisa and I are still learning to follow Christ.

Happy reading, my friends. I just wanted to write to you on a Sunday night and wish you well in your devotions this week. Methinks it’s time to open the Book.