The ZECOT has certainly found its own niche with its discourse analysis orientation and in the process has become a commentary series you simply must not miss. Here the wooly Book of Judges gets its turn and it seems to me the discourse analysis approach especially gives a rich payload in this book that many don’t know what to make of. Boda, whose commentary on Zechariah impressed me a few years back, and Conway have done good work here. The two are colleagues at McMaster Divinity College and proved to be seamless collaborators as well.

After a bibliography and translation, there’s a successful 50 page introduction that slows down where it should while zipping along where it should as well. When discussing Judges and its historical context, the authors see a dichotomy between the history itself and that of the original readers as they see Judges being written later on. Obviously, much of that is speculative. The intent of the writer taken from clues from the text is the rose among the thorns of this section. That next section leads them to an in-depth look at clause function as originated by Roy Heller. The detail is complex, but the conclusions are easy to follow and quite interesting.

My favorite section of the Introduction, entitled Judges and its literary shape, is eye opening. The earlier detailed work is marshaled into an outstanding explanation of the structure. That means, of course, the unique goal of this series is fully realized here. You’ll understand Judges fair better because of it too.

The theology section was a little brief but perhaps some would blame Judges for that.

The commentary proper with the good foundation laid in the Introduction is ideal. One of the strengths of the ZECOT is its layout and its advantages are evident here. People love Daniel Block’s work on Judges and rightly so, but you’d do yourself a favor to get this one too.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

Goldingay is a prolific writer of commentaries to say the least. Sometimes you wonder if he has some captive researchers locked up in his basement. As Baker expands its major commentaries in the OT, we find that he will soon have in print a commentary for them in the Pentateuch, History, Wisdom, and Prophetic sections. At what point is he just showing out?

More seriously, I really like this commentary. In over a decade of book reviewing, I’ve found myself not particularly liking some of his earlier ones that I reviewed and then really liking his more recent contributions like Jeremiah and Lamentations. Maybe he changed. His comments don’t strike me as subversive as before to be sure. Maybe I changed. I had to make myself admit the possibility.

So for this review I want to focus on specifically why this volume and his other recent ones ( I hadn’t seen his Genesis or Joshua yet) are so effective. When you pick up this volume, read the Author’s Preface that mostly describes the process of how he wrote this commentary. I wish all commentaries told this information up front. Later it hit me. He didn’t just collate a mass of scholarly details (a fair description of many modern works), but he had something to say himself. He is one of the leading OT scholars today, so isn’t that as it should be? I can look up what everyone else says myself. I like to hear what the author has to say. The footnotes will back up this assertion.

Further, he has settled into a comfortable, mature, capable writing style that belies his scholarly prowess mingled with effective communication that belies his years of teaching. He writes as one who wants to get his message across and has honed the skills necessary to do it. In his paragraphs both what he has learned and what you have just learned rise to the top.

His next great strength is in OT background. Again, offering to us from his decades of work that we don’t have. Only when his assertion arises from critical assumptions alone does he miss. He often transports the reader to Bible times. He harnesses a mass of details and makes it a palatable morsel to swallow. He is closer to average on theology and structure, but he excels in bringing to bear the broad sweep of OT times while sitting you down in a particular text. That is really how he stands out in the pack and that really helps in these lesser-known Minor Prophets.

This book is not as long as some on just one of these prophets from Hosea to Micah, but I bet it will do you as much good. I still must spar with him in places. “Wind” instead of “spirit” in Joel 2. Ok, whatever. The historicity of Jonah? I knew that was coming. At least he said it was still authoritative. The whole theological message of Obadiah is that “God will take redress”. That’s it? Really? I could list more examples, but there are far more places where he taught me something. Even where he failed to convince me, he often made me think. I can overlook a few places where I rolled my eyes to get all that good stuff. And of course you, the reader of this review, might have rolled your eyes at me instead at these disputed points.

I like this volume so much that I wonder if I should go back and look up and review a few of his that I missed along the way like, say, the Psalms. In any event, you can’t miss with this one.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

I’ve always enjoyed these books that help us by ranking the best commentaries among the nearly endless options available. Here Nijay Gupta throws his hat in the ring and offers up his choices. Of necessity, this type book is going to work best for you the better you line up with the one doing the ranking.

To be sure, I don’t align with Gupta as much as others with similar offerings. I simply wouldn’t choose many of his top choices and am baffled by some of his omissions. If you were a bit less conservative than me, he would likely fall right in line for you. I also feel his selections are more apropos for scholars than pastors though he attempts to offer advise to both.

The best value here for me is at the margins. I like to have a few works outside my box, and he offers real help in making those selections. A few recommendations he provided were totally off my radar and gave me a few good ideas for future selections.

If all such books were of the same stripe, you really couldn’t find much value in multiple authors recommending. It’s where disagreements arise that having a few of these type books on hand could help you.

I like the format more than the selections. That style of presentation makes a clearer case for what he’s suggesting than many such formats.

Commentaries cost a fortune, so some evaluations are needed. Let this title be one such evaluation.

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.