Ruth: The King Is Coming (Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament | ZECOT)

by Daniel I. Block

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2015

Overview

Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament brings together commentary features rarely gathered together in one volume. With careful discourse analysis and interpretation of the Hebrew text, the authors trace the flow of argument in each Old Testament book, showing that how a biblical author says something is just as important as what they say.

In Ruth, Daniel I. Block continues providing the powerful exegetical commentary that the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary series has offered on other books of the Bible. Written primarily for the pastor and Bible teacher, the text succinctly exegetes each passage of Scripture in its grammatical and historical context. Each passage of Ruth is interpreted in the light of its biblical setting, with a view of grammatical detail, literary context, flow of biblical argument, and historical setting.

Key Features

• Provides a careful analysis and interpretation of the text
• Examines the biblical text in its original context
• Provides verse-by-verse commentary
• Includes thorough introductions

Contents

Top Highlights

“Third, God’s hand is present in the delicate and daring schemes of humans.” (Page 49)

“Like the book of Judges, Ruth should be interpreted as a historiographic document. It describes real experiences of real people in real time at real places.” (Page 37)

“Ruth is then a testimony to the blessing that comes to those who will live in faithful covenant relationship with God (חֶסֶד) and to God’s providential hand upon the house of David.” (Page 34)

“It was never intended to be heard as an isolated literary piece. Rather, it appears to have been deliberately composed to fill in the gap between the ending of the book of Judges and the beginning of the book of Samuel. This book explains how David, the most significant human character in the Hebrew Bible, could emerge from the spiritual and ethical morass that characterized the period of the judges. YHWH did indeed have his hand on this little community in Bethlehem.” (Page 40)

“Ruth. With respect to length and complexity, the book falls between the tale and the novella, that is, within the range of the short story. This classification is confirmed by the way the characters are treated: although one may detect some development in the character of Naomi, the author’s primary purpose is to expose the characters of Naomi and Ruth and Boaz. Reflecting great literary skill, all the scenes contribute to the revelation of their חֶסֶד, their genuine goodness and loyalty that expresses itself in loving their neighbors more than they love themselves.” (Pages 36–37)

Product Details

• Title: Ruth: The King is Coming
• Author: Daniel I. Block
• Series: Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2015
• Logos Release Date: 2017
• Pages: 304
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Ruth › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310555698, 9780310282983, 0310555698, 0310282985
• Resource ID: LLS:EXEGCOMM08RU
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-09-26T21:18:27Z

About Daniel I. Block

Dr. Daniel Block, professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College, has been teaching God’s Word for more than 30 years.

It has been a special joy for Dr. Block to watch students, who often take introductory courses in Old Testament only because they are required to do so by the curriculum, suddenly awaken to the fact that the Old Testament is understandable and its message is both life-giving and relevant for modern, everyday life.

Dr. Block has published a number of books and essays in scholarly journals. The paradigm for his research and ministry is set by Ezra, as described in Ezra 7:10: he committed himself to the study the Torah of Yahweh, to put it into practice, and to teach his revealed will in Israel. This means constantly asking serious questions of the Scriptures: What does the text say? Why does the text say it like that? What did the text mean to the original audience? What does the text have to say to me today? In order to answer these questions, one needs to understand both the worlds out of which the biblical texts arose and the worlds in which modern people live.