From the Described by Goethe as “the most charming little whole” of antiquity, Ruth has long been recognized for its literary quality. This beautifully composed narrative continues to attract readers across generations and boundaries of gender, class and ethnicity. In fact, the beauty of the book often distracts from the practical nature of the narrative. For all of its appeal, Ruth is, after all a story about family and survival. The marriage between Ruth and Boaz is a levirate marriage. The goal of this practice is to ensure the continuation and stability of the family line. Thus this “charming little whole” has as its subject preservation of life in the face of death and upholding memory to ward off the loss of identity. This story of survival is short; it consists of four chapters with elements of loss and recovery; famine and harvest, barrenness and fruitfulness, life and death. These elements afford the book a broad appeal as it speaks to various stages and seasons of life, all the while upholding the power of faithfulness against an ever-changing backdrop. Named after one of the major characters, the book of Ruth tells the story of Naomi of Bethlehem and her family “in the days when the judges ruled.” So much of what happens in Ruth happens where no one can see. Ruth binds herself to Naomi in the “in between place” of Moab and Judah. No one is there to witness it. Similarly, Ruth asks Boaz for redemption in the middle of the night when we presume everyone else is asleep. These events allow for the inclusion of Ruth as Boaz’s people, first as a gleaner and then as a wife. The pattern of what happens away from our observation and then bursts forth where we can see it draws on the images of planting and harvest, conception and birth. On a theological level, it suggests that even in the famine times, God is planting seed, preparing for the next harvest, even when we cannot see it. We must assume then, that whatever we know or recognize about the work of God is only a small piece of the larger whole. We cannot know it all. Introduction A Dialogue of Determination Terms of Endearment A Cloaked Covenant A Dialogue of Identity Conclusion

Engages the reader by amplifying the biblical resonances echoing in our own world today by disclosing how God's Word is embodied and made known by those we least expect. The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. This study of the Books of Kings unfolds with attention and sensitivity to the immense literary artistry that craft these narratives. While setting forth the literary and theological significance of these traditions concerning the major figures in these canonical books, i.e. Israel's Kings, this commentary consistently trains our attention upon the minor characters also resident in these stories. Fixing upon these individuals as well as the prophets, the exegetical discussion often discloses how God's Word is embodied and made known by those we might least expect. While steadfastly avoiding analogical readings, the theological and ethical exposition skillfully engage the reader by amplifying the resonances in these texts echoing in our own world today. The present volume gives an up-to-date, readable commentary on the books of 1-2 Kings. The commentary covers critical issues section by section while emphasizing the larger theological and literary issues in Kings and illustrating its relevance for modern readers.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, all to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. The present volume gives an up-to-date, readable commentary on the books of First and Second Chronicles. The commentary covers critical issues section by section while emphasizing the larger theological and literary issues in Chronicles and illustrating its relevance for modern readers.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. In this commentary, Day addresses both perennial and contemporary concerns pertinent to the book of Esther. Attention is given to literary, linguistic, and thematic features of the biblical text. Day considers the book of Esther with an eye to concerns of gender and ethnicity, as well as the theological concerns raised by divine absence in the story.

This second volume completes Richard Clifford's Commentary on the Psalms. The rich imagery of the Psalms has guided and molded pray-ers since ancient times. As we seek to understand the threads and colors of the Psalms, Clifford helps us see their inner dramatic logic, how they organize the experience and desires of the pray-er, and how they seek to move us. His primary concern is to help readers see the pattern and progression within the Psalms, while attending to their complex, evocative nature.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves.Jeremiah has a reputation for being one of the most difficult books in the Bible to read. Despite its dense and jumbled appearance, Stulman shows that Jeremiah is far more than a random accumulation of miscellaneous materials. Jeremiah is an artistic and symbolic tapestry held together by prose seams. In the first commentary to give the prose literature such strong attention, Stulman explains how the prophetic book reenacts the dismantling of Israel's most cherished social and symbolic systems. In doing so it speaks poignantly of the horrors of war and military occupation, as well as the resultant despair and anger. Siege and deportation, however, do not signal the end for the people of God. As Jeremiah unfolds, seeds of hope begin to emerge. Such hope asserts that massive wreckage does not nullify God's love, that oppressive and murderous forces will not ultimately triumph, and that the suffering and sovereign God will sculpt new beginnings out of the ruin of fallen worlds.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on all the books of the Old Testament. In addition to providing fundamental information on and insights into Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis so as to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed engagement of the biblical texts themselves. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders. Each volume consists of four—an introduction that addresses the key issues raised by the writing; the literary genre, structure, and character of the writing; the occasional and situational context of the writing, including its wider social and historical context; and the theological and ethical significance of the writing within these several contexts—a commentary on the text, organized by literary units, covering literary analysis, exegetical analysis, and theological and ethical analysis—an annotated bibliography—a brief subject index Bergant's commentary opens to students and pastors the visceral poetry of Lamentations, a book that plumbs the depth of biblical Israel's despair over the destruction of Jerusalem. The security of Jerusalem signaled divine protection of the whole nation, so Jerusalem's destruction was perceived as a sign that God had abandoned the entire people. The book of Lamentations is a cry to God for mercy. The horrors detailed within its five short chapters reveal the extent of human cruelty and the resiliency of the human spirit to endure such cruelty. Unlike many biblical books, Lamentations ends on an unresolved note. Will God eventually hear the cry of the people? Will God, as in days gone by, step in with mercy and salvation?

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries series offers compact, critical commentaries on all the books of the Old Testament. In addition to providing fundamental information on and insights into Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful, critical exegesis so as to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed engagement of the biblical texts themselves. These commentaries are written with special attention to the needs and interests of theology students, but they will also be useful for students in upper-level college or university settings, as well as for pastors and other church leaders. Each volume consists of four—an introduction that addresses the key issues raised by the writing; the literary genre, structure, and character of the writing; the occasional and situational context of the writing, including its wider social and historical context; and the theological and ethical significance of the writing within these several contexts—a commentary on the text, organized by literary units, covering literary analysis, exegetical analysis, and theological and ethical analysis—an annotated bibliography—a brief subject index Gowan takes full account of the most important current scholarship and secondary literature, while not attempting to engage in technical academic debate. The fundamental concern of this and every volume is analysis and discussion of the literary, sociohistorical, theological, and ethical dimensions of the biblical texts themselves. Each volume attends to issues of special concern to students of the literary genre, structure and character of the writing, occasion and situational context of the writing, wider social and historical context, the theological and ethical significance of the writing within these several contexts, and the like. Daniel—one of the most misused books of the Bible—is read in this commentary as a powerful message concerning hope and responsibility for believers who, for various reasons, have to face the theological question, "Who's in charge here?" The book of Daniel insists that the God of Israel is in charge, in spite of what circumstances may indicate; then finds ways, through story and vision, to reassure the faithful that there is a future for them after all. The commentary shows that what might be taken as just "Sunday school stories"—the lions' den and the fiery furnace—do raise issues from real life that have faced believers time and again across the centuries. It also helps readers to understand how to read Daniel's predictions of the future in a way that is most faithful to Scripture as a whole. The author explores the widely disparate meanings that have been attributed to the visions in the book. He investigates four basic interpretations that form the basis of reading the Book of Daniel.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. The prophetic books gathered together in the book of the Twelve are sometimes called the "minor" prophets because of their relatively small size when compared with Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel. They are often neglected, at least partly because their words of judgment make the reader uncomfortable. Yet they have considerable theological and ethical value—for their call for social justice (especially Amos and Micah), their insights about the passionate love of God (in Hosea), God's grace and forgiveness (Jonah, Hosea, and elsewhere), and the finality of hope, even in the face of terrible catastrophes.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, all to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves. The six books found at the close of the Minor Prophets (Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah, Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi) present distinctive understandings of God, humanity, and the future. This commentary engages those understandings, considers what the books may have meant in the past, and describes how they resonate with contemporary readers. With attention to issues of gender, violence, and inclusivity, O'Brien explores the ethical challenges of the books and asks how faithful readers can both acknowledge the problems these biblical books raise and appreciate their value for contemporary theological reflection.