Chapters 40-66 of the Book of the Prophet Isaiah, addressed to the Jews in exile in Babylon, belong to a period from about 547 BC when Babylonian power was weakening before the might of King Cyrus of Persia. Isaiah not only saw this as the will of God, but asserted that God was directing events in order that Yahweh's people might be released from exile. The lyrical, exhortatory quality of the earlier chapters in particular resulted from his conviction that it was his task to prepare the exiles for their new role and to restore their faith and confidence. The first volume of Professor Herbert's commentary on Isaiah, dealing with chapters 1-39, was published in 1973. In this second volume, Professor Herbert again introduces the text with a discussion of its nature, form and composition and historical setting. The N.E.B. translation of the text then follows, alternating with sections of commentary in the style now established for this series.
Professor Ackroyd's introduction summarizes the place of the First Book of Samuel in the Old Testament canon, its relationship with history and its theological purpose. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English Bible itself, but the text is further subdivided for the purposes of the commentary, which draws out the kind of significance indicated in the introduction. As in the series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible New Testament, short passages of text and the editor's commentary are interspersed so that the reader does not have to refer to another part of the book to find the commentary. A final brief section asks what is the theological message today of this account of the beginnings of the line of David, of Samuel's role as judge and of Saul's as king.
The plan of this volume of commentary on the New English Bible text of the First Book of Kings follows the pattern of the now well-established series on the Old and New Testaments. The main divisions of the text are those provided by the New English Bible itself, but these are further subdivided for the purposes of the commentary, which is printed in short sections following the relevant portion of the text. Canon Robinson suggests that the editors of I Kings compiled their history in order to teach the Hebrews that their existence as Israel, the covenant people of God, depended upon their continuing loyalty to their own religious traditions, and their refusal to exchange them for the very different traditions of the Canaanites among whom they lived.
Like the other volumes of the Cambridge Bible Commentary, this contains an introduction followed by the text of the New English Bible divided into sections. Each section of the text is followed by the commentary upon it. The Second Book of Samuel tells how David took full control of both the northern and southern Hebrew kingdoms and consolidated his power throughout the region. Professor Ackroyd's commentary concentrates on interpretation rather than historical reconstruction, and part of his introduction dealing with the theological significance of the Books of Samuel relates the religious tradition stemming from the Bible to present-day ways of thinking.
The prophet Ezekiel, in exile from the land of Judah ,came, to see the reason for his country's downfall, and prophesied its eventual restoration with the revival of faith and moral responsibility. This visionary book is often difficult to understand. Dr Carley's commentary makes its meaning available to the modern reader, particularly by explaining the historical context. When so explained, the book has a relevance still for people looking for meanings in a time of national and moral crisis.
The Chronicles, divided into two books purely for convenience, have long suffered from neglect; this is partly because much of their content can be found elsewhere in the Old Testament and partly because their presentation, emphasizing genealogies and ritual ceremonies, has lacked appeal for modern man over the last few hundred years. Yet these books, with their theological interpretation of historical events, are a valuable source of illumination about the Judaean community living under Persian rule about 350 B.C. and its special relationship with Jerusalem and its temple and with God. In his introductory section, Mr Cog ,ins discusses the probable origins and the nature and purpose of 'the Chronicler's' work (whether that of a single writer or a group) and then examines each book separately. In the established style of the series the N.E.B. translation of the text then follows, divided into brief sections and alternating with passages of commentary. The results of recent Old
The Cambridge Bible Commentary gives the full text in the N.E.B. version, with a lucid untechnical commentary designed for students in schools and colleges, for ministers of religion, and laymen generally. The volume is meant to be read as an uninterrupted unity, with introductory sections leading straight into the text, which is itself interwoven with the commentary. The central theme of Joshua is the acquisition of the land of Canaan by the people of Israel under the leadership of Joshua, the successor of Moses.
The five Old Testament books dealt with in this volume of the Commentary occupied a special place in Hebrew tradition as selected readings for major festivals and were accordingly brought together in Hebrew manuscripts to form a group of five scrolls. The books of The Five Scrolls vary greatly; debate about their holiness and authority is recorded from the second century AD onwards, and they pose many problems of interpretation today.
The book of Job, which deals with deep-seated conflict between the integrity of God and the integrity of man and belongs to a group of writings known as wisdom literature, surpasses any of its known Babylonian or Egyptian forerunners in the beauty of its poetic discourses and in its insight - the poet struggles to probe the meaning of life, especially life where suffering and injustice prevail for no apparent reason.
This reissue of Cambridge's classic series of commentaries on the New English Bible conveys some of the best biblical scholarship of its time, with many of its contributors going on to become famous scholars in their field and the church. The commentaries are designed for use in schools and colleges, as well as for the minister and general reader. Each volume comments on one book, or a few short books, of the Old Testament and in each the text is given in full. Sections of text and commentary alternate, so that the reader does not have to keep two books open, or turn from one part of the book to the other, or refer to a commentary in small type at the foot of the page. Great care has been taken to see that the commentary is suitable for the student and the general reader: there is no Greek or Hebrew and no strings of biblical reference, making them an accessible and thought provoking read. In addition to the general introductory volume, Understanding the Old Testament, there is a
This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a discussion of content, of authorship, and of the way the collection came to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the New English Bible text with commentary. Dr Rogerson and Dr McKay stress the richness and variety of the material in the Psalms, and provide an analytical table of the predominant themes. They discuss the literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry with special reference to devices such as the acrostic, and examine the problems faced by the New English Bible translators. Over the years many different approaches have been made to the interpretation of the Psalms. The authors characterize these as the spiritual, the historical, the form-critical and the cultic approaches, and their own commentary strikes an effective balance between them. One of their primary purposes is to bring out the religious teaching that is of permanent value within the Psalms.
This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a discussion of content, of authorship, and of the way the collection came to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the NEB text with commentary. Dr Rogerson and Dr McKay stress the richness and variety of the material in the Psalms, and provide an analytical table of the predominant themes. They discuss the literary characteristics of Hebrew poetry with special reference to devices such as the acrostic, and examine the problems faced by the NEB translators. Over the years many different approaches have been made to the interoperation of the Psalms. The authors characterize these as the spiritual, the historical, the form-critical and the cultic approach, and their own commentary strikes an effective balance between them. One of their primary purposes is to bring out the religious teaching of permanent value within the Psalms.
This volume follows the general pattern of the series, opening with a discussion of content, of authorship and of the way the collection came to be put together, followed by a psalm-by-psalm presentation of the N.E.B. text with commentary.
This reissue of Cambridge's classic series of commentaries on the New English Bible conveys some of the best biblical scholarship of its time, with many of its contributors going on to become famous s
Chapters 12-50 of the book of Genesis may be considered as enshrining the patriarchal traditions of the Jewish people. Besides the elements of poetry and legend embodied in these traditions, Professor Davidson shows that there can be a historical basis for the narratives and offers guidelines for exploring it. The Genesis stories cannot simply be seen as a reading back into earlier times of the background to the social customs and religious outlook of their later editors. Introductory sections deal with the sources, historicity and general character¬istics of the narratives, and are followed by a section-by-section presentation of the text with commentary in the established style of the series.
The Making of the Old Testament is one of three books accompanying the volumes of commentary in the Old Testament and Apocrypha series of Cambridge Bible Commentaries on the New English Bible. This volume is concerned with the formation of the books of the Old Testament and Apocrypha in the context of the ancient Near Eastern World, and with the ways in which these books have come down to us through the Jewish and Christian communities. Individual chapters discuss other literary documents contemporary with events in the Old Testament; the style of and critical approaches to the Old Testament books; other Jewish writing (Apocrypha and pseudepigrapha); the development of the Old Testament canon; the development of the modern English text from the various earlier versions; and the place of the Old Testament in modern Judaism and Christianity. Each of the chapters is followed by suggestions for further reading.
Dr Whybray's volume, like the others in the series, contains the text in the New English Bible translation, with introductory material preceding, and a commentary directly following, each section of text. Dr Whybray describes the ancient Near Eastern tradition of producing collections of 'wisdom': instructions in the form of aphorisms and proverbs, for the education of the young for a happy and successful career. He indicates the dependence of Proverbs on this tradition, but also points out how the Israelite authors modified it. The book contains three kinds of material: sections whose form and character are hardly distinguishable from the instructions of Egypt and Mesopotamia; others where, in spite of a more specifically Israelite dress, the aim remains the achievement of a successful life; and finally passages in which the main purpose has now become the pursuit of a wisdom conforming entirely with the 'fear of the Lord'.
Unlike the First and Second Books of the Chronicles, the Books of Ezra and Nehemiah have received considerable attention; partly because their presentation is more attractive, but more importantly because they illuminate a period of history about which very little is known: Jerusalem in the context of the Persian domination of South-West Asia from 539 to 336 B.C. In other respects, however, there are striking similarities between these books, textually, linguistically and theologically: the opening of Ezra repeats the end of 2 Chronicles, suggesting that the works were originally continuous and possibly by the same hand or hands; and there is constantly a theological motivation in the recording of 'historical' events.
Chapters 1–11 of Genesis are like a poetic prologue to the early history of the Jewish people and to their religion. For Christianity also they later fulfil a similar purpose. Professor Davidson takes these chapters as a separate unity, comments on them, and explains their religious significance and their place in the Bible as a whole. Introductory sections on the sources and purpose of the book, and the meaning of myth, lead straight into the text and commentary which alternate with each other in the style of the series.
This is the illustrations volume which accompanies the Old Testament series of the Cambridge Bible Commentary. It is arranged on the same general plan as Mr Jones's successful companion volume on the New Testament. It contains 201 photographs, maps and drawings arranged in groups with a connected commentary which describes each picture in detail, explaining its significance. The whole collection provides a background study of the Old Testament lands and peoples. The sections deal with the geographical setting, the archaeology of the region, the periods of Old Testament history from the earliest times to the Hellenistic period, the social background, the Old Testament books as literary productions, the background of Jewish religious life. Maps are skilfully simplified to give only the information relevant to understanding the Old Testament itself The diagrams explain technical subjects. The photographs, of scenes, buildings and works of art, and the continuing tradition of Jewish
