Energion.com Reader's Guide - Old Testament

Energion.com Description: This is an outstanding commentary on Numbers written from an evangelical Christian point of view. Some will be disappointed with the limited discussion of critical issues, but the discussion of theology and application will make this more valuable for the active preacher or teacher.

Energion.com Series Page

Energion.com Author Page

Energion.com Review

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

From Amazon.com: Jeremiah (Volume 21 in the acclaimed Anchor Bible), like most of the prophetic books, is an anthology containing a wide variety of literary forms.  This remarkable diversity gives the work a special appeal for students of literature, who find here striking parallels to later writings; for example, in the "confessions" one hears a voice not unlike John Donne's in the Holy Sonnets, and in the war poetry, one is reminded of pieces written two and a half millennia after Jeremiah, the war poems of Stephen Crane.

The life of Jeremiah (c. 627-580 B.C.) spanned a particularly crucial period in the history of Judah, the Southern Kingdom.  Except for a brief period of independence (under Josiah) she was under successive vassalages to Assyria, Egypt, and Babylonia.  In his introduction, John Bright elucidates the historical background of the events described in Jeremiah and clarifies the importance of Jeremiah's role to the history of Israel.

The Book of Jeremiah poses extraordinary difficulties for the translator.  In addition to coping with the usual--and formidable--problem of converting the classical Hebrew into modern English, the author had also to capture the different stylistic techniques used in the original.  This John Bright has succeeded admirably in doing, and the result is a translation notable not only for its accuracy of phrase, but also for its fidelity to style.  This volume thereby accomplishes one of the major aims of The Anchor Bible:  to rediscover the original, to know its importance, and to feel its impact as immediately as those who first read, or heard, its story.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

From Amazon.com: This is Volume 16 of The Anchor Bible, a new book-by-book translation of the Bible, each complete with an introduction and notes. Psalms I (1-50)  is translated and edited by Mitchell Dahood, S.J., Professor of Ugaritic Language and Literature at The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

With Psalms, any new translation will be considered in the context of the literary achievement of the King James Version, and in the light of more recent renderings.  A word of explanation is, therefore, appropriate.

"The translation offered here," Father Dahood writes, "differs from earlier efforts in that it is not the fruit of a confrontation of the Hebrew text with the ancient versions, from which the least objectionable reading is plucked."  Rather, from a close examination of the original text, a unique translation has been attempted, one which relies heavily on contemporary linguistic evidence.  It is a translation "accompanied by philological commentary, that lays heavy stress on the Ras-Shamra texts and other epigraphic discoveries made along the Phoenician littoral," a translation prepared in direct response to W.F. Albright's statement (made a quarter of a century ago) "that all future investigations of the book of Psalms must deal intensively with the Ugaritic texts."

This translation tries to capture as much as possible the poetic qualities of the original Hebrew.  Its attempt is to render accurately not only the meaning of the Psalms but their poetic forms and rhythms as well.  In this process of probing the original, Father Dahood unearths some striking examples of passages previously mistranslated, and arrives at many provocative readings.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

From Amazon.com: This is Volume 17A of The Anchor Bible, a new book-by-book translation of the Bible, each complete with an introduction and notes. Psalms III (101-150)  is translated and edited by Mitchell Dahood, S.J., Professor of Ugaritic Language and Literature at The Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome.

Having closely examined the original text, Father Dahood has attempted a unique translation which relies heavily on contemporary linguistic evidence.  His work stresses the relation of the Psalms to the Ugaritic texts found at Ras-Shamra, and to other epigraphic discoveries along the Phoenician littoral.

This translation tries to capture as much as possible--within the limits of language and the scope of present scholarship--the poetic qualities of the original Hebrew.  It attempts to render accurately not only the meaning of the Psalms but their poetic forms and rhythms as well.  It is particularly responsive to the terse, three-beat metrical line predominant in Hebrew poetry, and it reproduces the parallelism so characteristic of biblical verse.  In this process of probing the original, Father Dahood unearths some striking examples of passages previously mistranslated, and arrives at many provocative readings.

In addition to an introduction, text, and notes, this volume contains a comprehensive Grammar of the Psalter which makes use of much of Father Dahood's recent work with Ugaritic.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

From Amazon.com: In this outstanding commentary J. G. McConville offers a theological interpretation of the Old Testament book of Deuteronomy in the context of the biblical canon. He gives due attention to historical issues where these bear on what can be known about the settings in which the text emerged. His dominant method is one that approaches Deauteronomy as a finished work.

McConville argues that in the context of the ancient world Deuteronomy should be understood as the radical blueprint for the life of a people, at the same time both spiritual and political, and profoundly different from every other social, political and religious programe. The book incorporates the tension between an open-minded vision of a perfectly ordered society under God and practical provisions for dealing with the frailty and imperfections of real people. Hence, it is capable of informing our thinking about the organization of societies while maintaining a vision of the kingdom of God.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Energion.com Description: Brevard Childs was a pioneer in canonical criticism, and that work shows in this excellent commentary on Isaiah. Childs avoids many of the excesses of form, source, and redaction criticism. He reviews the results of these critical methodologies, but he emphasizes the canonical meaning in his exposition of each section and passage.

This is not a conservative or evangelical commentary, however. Full credit is given to historical-critical scholarship, and solutions to exegetical problems are not limited to those that are in accord with Biblical inerrancy. Nonetheless, because of the canonical approach, in which Childs draws on both Jewish and Christian tradition in discussing interpretation and application, conservative Bible students should find this commentary extremely useful.

Besides excellent introductory material to the entire book, this commentary includes introductions to each of the major division of Isaiah (1-39; 40-55; 56-66), and then for each subsection with those. For each chapter or major passage there is a section on form and genre followed by a more general section on exposition. There are numerous textual and translation notes.

To form a basis of comparison, the Anchor Bible commentary volume on Isaiah 1-39 provides more language commentary and more notes on critical issues, but is no better on exposition, and tends to be harder to read for someone without knowledge of Biblical languages. A pastor with a good background in Old Testament studies could use this in sermon preparation, though it is not designed as an expository commentary.

Serious Bible students would do well to have this commentary available in their library.

Energion.com Series Page

Energion.com Author Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

From Amazon.com: Genesis--the Bible's account of human origins and the harbinger of human destiny--is a book teeming with critical problems. Who wrote it? When? Does the account of creation square with modern science? What about Adam and Eve?Derek Kidner not only provides a running exegetical commentary, but lucidly handles the tough issues that Genesis raises. His clear prose and theological insight will expand readers' understanding of God's character and of human nature and destiny.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.

International Critical Commentary

A critical commentary series on the whole Bible. Follow the link for more detailed information.

Tyndale Old Testament Commentary

Evangelical series. Follow link for full series information.

Energion.com Series Page

Reviews Elsewhere:

Information provided by Energion.com (an Amazon.com Associate) where indicated and by Amazon.com.