Judges, Ruth (NIV Application Commentary | NIVAC)

by K. Lawson Younger Jr.

Publisher:

Zondervan

, 2002

Overview

The concept of judgment is at odds with today’s culture, which considers it a sin to suggest there is such a thing as sin. Perhaps that is partly because we have seen all too clearly the fallibility of those who judge. What many of us long for is not judgment but righteousness and deliverance from oppression. That is why the books of Judges and Ruth are so relevant today: Judges, because it reveals a God who employs very human deliverers but refuses to gloss over their sins and the consequences of those sins; and Ruth, because it demonstrates the far-reaching impact of a righteous character. Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Dr. K. Lawson Younger Jr. shares literary perspectives on the books of Judges and Ruth that reveal ageless truths for our 21st-century lives.

Key Features

• Preface by the author
• In-depth introductions
• Bibliographical references and indexes

Contents

Top Highlights

“The most likely explanation of Naomi’s instructions is that they mean that Ruth should end her period of mourning and so signal her return to the normal activities and desires of life, which, of course, would include marriage. This change in her appearance, with its symbolic meaning, will indicate to Boaz both her availability and the seriousness of her intentions.” (Page 459)

“Important to the understanding of Ruth is the realization that the gōʾēl, while having a responsibility to perform ‘redemption/restoration’ (g^eʾullâ), was not obligated to do so.” (Page 401)

“Thus Naomi ‘models one way in which divine and human actions work together: believers are not to wait passively for events to happen; rather, they must seize the initiative when an opportunity presents itself,’ knowing that God presents the opportunity.” (Page 467)

“Normally in the ancient Near East, foreigners would draw water for Israelites, and women would draw it for men. Thus Boaz’s provision is extraordinary.” (Page 444)

“There can be little doubt that the writer’s use of the word ‘empty’ is meant to reflect the reversal of Naomi’s ‘emptiness’ expressed in 1:21: ‘I went away full, but the Lord has brought me back empty.’” (Page 465)

Product Details

• Title: Judges and Ruth
• Author: K. Lawson Younger Jr.
• Series: NIV Application Commentary
• Publisher: Zondervan
• Print Publication Date: 2002
• Logos Release Date: 2012
• Pages: 512
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subjects: Bible. O.T. Judges › Commentaries; Bible. O.T. Ruth › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9780310490449, 9780310206361, 0310490448, 0310206367, 9780310114765, 0310114764
• Resource ID: LLS:NIVAC07JDG
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2023-01-03T19:58:38Z

About K. Lawson Younger Jr.

K. Lawson Younger, Jr. (PhD, University of Sheffield) is professor of Old Testament, Semitic languages, and ancient near eastern history at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Deerfield, Illinois. He is the author, associate editor, and co-editor of several books, and has contributed to numerous collections of essays, dictionaries, and periodicals.