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"Exodus" is the heart of the Hebrew Bible, the defining moment in Israel's birth as a people, the dramatic triumph of their God. This volume offers an exploration and analysis of the book's first eighteen chapters.

Offers an introduction to the background, text, and context of the book of "Acts", as well as chapter-by-chapter notes and comments in which are provided insights and answers to questions that have long plagued preachers and parishioners, teachers and students.

Includes notes and comments, which sort out the major issues surrounding the writings of John - questions of authorship, composition, date, and John's relation to the Synoptic Gospels. This volume includes an appendix on the Paraclete, which examines the role of the Holy Spirit.

Offers a translation and critical commentary on the section usually referred to as Second or Deutero Isaiah.

Beginning with the death of David and the rise of Solomon, "1 Kings" charts the history of Israel through the divided monarchy, when Ahab reigned in the north and Jehoshaphat reigned in the south. This volume offers a commentary suitable for both Christian and Jewish scholarship and worship.

A companion to the masterful two-volume "The Gospel According to John". It examines controversies that have long troubled both biblical scholars and lay readers. It discusses questions of authorship, composition, and dating, as well as the debate over source theories.

The significance of the "First Letter of Peter" for the formation of Christianity stands in sharp contrast to its brevity. This volume sets the letter into context, covering its literary, historical, theological, and linguistic elements. It illuminates the social and cultural influences on the Church in its initial years.

Offers a history of the interpretation of the "Letter of James", highlighting the vast appreciation for it over the centuries. This book identifies the first-century authors as none other than James, the brother of Jesus Christ.

One of early Christianity's crafted sermons, "Epistle to the Hebrews" addresses listeners who have experienced the elation of conversion and the heat of hostility, but who now must confront the formidable task of remaining faithful in a society that rejects their commitments. This book examines the debates surrounding "Epistle to the Hebrews".

The letters of Paul to Timothy, one of his favorite delegates, often make for difficult reading. This book provides a commentary that will help lay readers navigate the letters and better understand their place within the context Paul's teachings.

Covering the "Gospel According to Luke", the author brings to the task his mastery of ancient and modern languages, his encyclopedic knowledge of the sources, and his intimate acquaintance with the questions and issues raised by the third "Synoptic Gospel". It helps Christians hear the Good News afresh and understand it.

Were Jonah's experiences true to the history of ancient Israel? Were they meant to be read comically, philosophically, allegorically, symbolically, or realistically? And is God godly when acting beyond the comprehension of prophets, let alone ordinary human beings? This volume considers these and many more other issues.

From his boyhood call to prophecy in 627 bce, which Jeremiah tried to refuse, to his scathing judgments against the sins and hypocrisy of the people of Israel, Jeremiah charged through life with passion and emotion. This book investigates the opening twenty chapters of this Old Testament giant.

"Esther", the biblical book named after the beautiful Jewish woman chosen by the Persian King Xerxes to be queen, is a story of love, political intrigue, and religious faithfulness. This volume offers a treatment of scholarly issues and provides an explanation of the popular Jewish festival of Purim.

"Lamentations" is traditionally thought to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah. This volume gives evidence against Jeremiah's authorship and suggests that the poems should be treated as an intelligible unity, most likely written by an eyewitness to the events described.

"The Book of Numbers" is an account of how the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after receiving the Ten Commandments of Mount Sinai. This volume unravels the complexity and confusing details in this Old Testament book.

A study of Proverbs that includes a survey of the collections of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature. It covers such themes as the origins of personified wisdom, what wisdom is, and where wisdom can be heard.

"The Letter to Titus", one of the three "Pastoral Epistles" of the New Testament, has become the ground of intense controversy - theologically, sociologically, even politically. This volume guides readers through the shoals of contemporary controversy among scholars, dealing definitively with issues of authorship, and the purpose of the Pastorals.

Traverses the shoals of legal thought and liturgical practice in ancient Israel. The author explains the role of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness as the all-important center of Israelite worship, the locus of the priestly orders, and practices of purity to which the congregation repaired for penitence and reconciliation, restoration and renewal.

Ezekiel's prophecies and visions transport us to almost indescribable realms, completely uncharted territory this side of heaven. This book exhibits the characteristic care and special sensitivity of a world-renowned scholar.

An acknowledged expert on the Hebrew Bible, Thomas Dozeman offers a fresh translation of the Hebrew and Greek texts of the book of Joshua and explores the nature, function, and causes of the religious violence depicted therein. By blending the distinct teachings of Deuteronomy and the Priestly literature, Dozeman provides a unique interpretation of holy war as a form of sacred genocide, arguing that, since peace in the promised land required the elimination of the populations of all existent royal cities, a general purging of the land accompanied the progress of the ark of the covenant. This essential work of religious scholarship demonstrates how the theme of total genocide is reinterpreted as partial conquest when redactors place Joshua, an independent book, between Deuteronomy and Judges. The author traces the evolution of this reinterpretation of the central themes of religious violence while providing a comparison of the two textual versions of Joshua and an insightful analysis of the book's reception history.

Captures the ominous, yet hopeful spirit of Joel's prophecy. This volume offers insights into how Joel's words relate to the modern world.

Distilled over centuries, the biblical book of "Ecclesiastes" offers us the time-tested advice of Israel's sages. This book offers an interpretation of this collection of ancient wisdom.

This volume completes Bible scholar Michael V. Foxs comprehensive commentary on the book of Proverbs. As in his previous volume on the early chapters of Proverbs, the author here translates and explains in accessible language the meaning and literary qualities of the sayings and poems that comprise the final chapters. He gives special attention to comparable sayings in other wisdom books, particularly from Egypt, and makes extensive use of medieval Hebrew commentaries, which have received scant attention in previous Proverb commentaries. In separate sections set in smaller type, the author addresses technical issues of text and language for interested scholars.The authors essays at the end of the commentary view the book of Proverbs in its entirety and investigate its ideas of wisdom, ethics, revelation, and knowledge. Out of Proverbs great variety of sayings from different times, Fox shows, there emerges a unified vision of life, its obligations, and its potentials.

In the final nine chapters of the Gospel of Mark, Jesus increasingly struggles with his disciples' incomprehension of his unique concept of suffering messiahship and with the opposition of the religious leaders of his day. The Gospel recounts the events that led to Jesus' arrest, trial, and crucifixion by the Roman authorities, concluding with an enigmatic ending in which Jesus' resurrection is announced but not displayed. In this volume New Testament scholar Joel Marcus offers a new translation of Mark 8-16 as well as extensive commentary and notes. He situates the narrative within the context of first-century Palestine and the larger Greco-Roman world; within the political context of the Jewish revolt against the Romans (66-73 C.E.); and within the religious context of the early church's sometimes rancorous engagement with Judaism, pagan religion, and its own internal problems. For religious scholars, pastors, and interested lay people alike, the book provides an accessible and enlightening window on the second of the canonical Gospels.

Featuring a translation of the "First Corinthians", this work explains the religious meaning of this Pauline epistle. It discusses many of the usual introductory problems associated with the epistle, including issues of its authorship, time of composition, and purpose.

Featuring a commentary on Leviticus, this trilogy explains ethical values concealed in Israel's rituals. It brings us to the end of the book and its innovations, among which are the evolution of the festival calendar with its focus on folk traditions, and the jubilee, the priestly answer to the socio-economic problems of their time.

Although it appears second in the "New Testament", "Mark" is generally recognized as the first Gospel to be written. This work points out, the "Gospel of Mark" can be understood only against the backdrop of the apocalyptic atmosphere of the Jewish rebellions of 66-73 ce, during which the Roman army destroyed the Temple of Jerusalem (70 ce).

Tobit is the story of a righteous, devout, and charitable man who - blind and miserable - sends his son, Tobiah, to collect on an old loan. This book draws upon an analysis of the book's grammar and philology, literary forms and context, religious and social situation, and historical context, and offers the commentary available on Tobit.