Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC: Old Testament & Deuterocanon (61 vols.)

by E. A. Speiser; William H. C. Propp; Jacob Milgrom; Baruch A. Levine

and

34 more

Publisher:

Yale University Press

, 1974–2014

Overview

The Anchor Yale Bible is a fresh approach to the world’s greatest classic—the Bible. This prestigious commentary series represents the pinnacle of biblical scholarship, drawing from the wisdom and resources of Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from around the world. A book-by-book translation and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible and the Apocrypha that includes 61 volumes, this vast commentary series makes available all the significant historical and linguistic knowledge which bears on the interpretation of the Bible.

These massive commentaries have set the standard for biblical scholarship for decades—marking the beginning of a new era—by making the Bible accessible to modern readers. The Anchor Yale Bible aims to arrive at the meaning of biblical literature through exact translation and extended exposition, and to reconstruct the ancient setting of the biblical story, as well as the circumstances of its transcription and the characteristics of its transcribers. These commentaries are written with the most exacting standards of scholarship, reflecting the highest technical accomplishment. They are accessible for laypersons, and vital for sermon preparation, research, and advanced study of the Bible.

Key Features

• Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
• Details the historical, critical, and literary evolution of the text
• Provides a detailed outline of each book
• Discusses the text with verse-by-verse commentary
• Analyzes various interpretive approaches and the process of canonicity
• Enhances study with maps, photographs, illustrations
• Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
• Implements an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature

About The Anchor Yale Bible Series

The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics. Yale University Press, having acquired this prestigious series in 2007, is now proud to offer all previously published Anchor Bible titles as well as new books—more than 115 titles in all. Many more volumes are in progress as the AYB Editorial Board, under the direction of General Editor John J. Collins, vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible. Widely recognized as the flagship of American biblical scholarship, the Anchor Yale Bible Series is comprised of:

• Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series (AYBC), a book-by-book translation and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha
• Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary (AYBD), a state-of-the-art dictionary in six volumes with more than 6,000 entries from 800 international scholars
• The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, containing more than 40 volumes by foremost scholars from a variety of religious backgrounds who focus on broad biblical themes

Product Details

• Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC: Old Testament & Deuterocanon (61 vols.)
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Series: Anchor Yale Bible
• Volumes: 61
• Pages: 31,907
• Resource Types: Commentaries
• Topic: Old Testament
• Resource ID: {F32CCD88-2CFD-45B6-AE5F-25E32D4B38A4}

Genesis

• Author: Ephraim A. Speiser
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1964
• Pages: 454

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The stories of Genesis have inspired more artwork than perhaps any other single piece of literature. A book full of creative expression, Genesis offers inspiring and gripping images that no artist can resist: from the two creation stories to the expulsion of Adam and Eve from the Garden of Eden, from the Tower of Babel to Noah and the flood, from Abraham to Joseph. Biblical scholars and theologians find the book equally alluring, and Ephraim A. Speiser is a giant among the many who have wrestled with this complex book.

A master of the original languages, fully immersed in the literature of the ancient Near East, and unparalleled in his use of archaeology and comparative religion to understand the Bible, Speiser is an incomparable commentator. For over 30 years his translations, textual analysis, and commentary comparing biblical stories to those found throughout the ancient Near East have helped students and scholars, laypeople and clergy understand Genesis. As he says in his introduction, he is “not motivated by mere pedantry…but by the hope that each new insight may bring us that much closer to the secret of the Bible’s universal and enduring appeal.” Not surprisingly, therefore, Speiser’s wisdom and insights are an enduring tribute to his legacy as a commentator.

Ephraim A. Speiser, before his death in 1965, was chairman of the department of Oriental studies at the University of Pennsylvania in Philadelphia.

Exodus 1–18

• Author: William H. C. Propp
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 720

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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. Yahweh, Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron, the Hebrew slaves, the plagues, the parting of the Red Sea—these larger-than-life characters and epoch events capture the imagination of everyone from biblical scholars to film makers. However, the meaning and significance, the beauty and the nuance, of this captivating book are lost unless we have a world-class Scripture scholar to open our eyes to its riches.

In Exodus 1–18, William H. C. Propp translates the original text in all its grandeur, then provides a masterful exploration and analysis of the book’s first 18 chapters. Here the fate of the Hebrew slaves hangs in the balance of the dramatic conflict between the God of Israel and the Pharaoh of Egypt. From the discovery of Moses in a basket made of bulrushes to the story of the burning bush, from the 10 plagues visited upon Egypt by God to water from the rock, and quail and manna from the skies, Exodus is filled with the miraculous and the dramatic.

William H. C. Propp is a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of California, San Diego. He has written on the Hebrew Bible for such respected scholarly journals as the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, the Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, and Bible Review.

Exodus 19–40

• Author: William H. C. Propp
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 865

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The conclusion of William H. C. Propp’s masterful study of Exodus, this informative, clearly written commentary provides a new perspective on Israelite culture and on the role of ritual, law, and covenant in biblical religion.

Exodus 19–40 sets a new standard in biblical scholarship. Thorough and up-to-date, it is the first commentary on Exodus to include critical textual evidence from the recently edited Dead Sea Scrolls. Informed by Propp’s deep understanding of ancient cultural mores and religious traditions, it casts new light on the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai, their entry into a covenant with God, their reception of the Law, their worship of the golden calf, and their reconciliation to God. The incisive commentary on the building of the Holy Tabernacle—God’s wilderness abode—is supplemented by numerous illustrations that clarify the biblical text.

Propp extends the scope and relevance of this major work in five appendixes that discuss the literary formation of the Torah, the historicity of the Exodus tradition, the origins of Israelite monotheism, the Exodus theme in the Bible, and the future of Old Testament scholarship. By taking an anthropological rather than strictly theological approach, Propp places familiar stories within a fresh context. The result is a fully accessible guide to one of the most important and best known books of the Bible.

William H. C. Propp is a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of California, San Diego. He has written on the Hebrew Bible for such respected scholarly journals as the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, the Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, and Bible Review.

Leviticus 1–16

• Author: Jacob Milgrom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1998
• Pages: 1,184

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At the beginning of his academic career, author Jacob Milgrom determined to make his lifework a probing study of the Laws of the Torah. Here, with Leviticus 1–16, the first of three volumes on Leviticus, he has reached the pinnacle of his long pursuit. No other contemporary commentary matches Milgrom’s comprehensive work on this much misunderstood and often under-appreciated biblical book.

In this richly detailed volume, the author traverses the shoals of legal thought and liturgical practice in ancient Israel. He clearly explains the role of the Tabernacle of the Wilderness as the all-important center of Israelite worship—the locus of the priestly orders, sacrificial rituals, and practices of purity to which the congregation repaired for penitence and reconciliation, restoration, and renewal. At the heart of the dwelling place of God was the real presence of the God of Israel, present through his splendor in the midst of the camp and the congregation—a permanent sign of the unique privilege and responsibility of Israel, perceived as a worshipping and serving people.

Jacob Milgrom, an ordained rabbi active in his profession, is emeritus professor of Hebrew and Bible at the University of California, Berkeley. Distinguished author of four books and over 10 scholarly articles on the Bible, Milgrom is a Guggenheim fellow, a Fulbright fellow, a fellow of the Institute of Advanced studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research.

Leviticus 17–22

• Author: Jacob Milgrom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 656

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Jacob Milgrom, a rabbi and Bible scholar, has devoted the bulk of his career to examining the laws of the Torah. His incisive commentary on Leviticus, which began with Leviticus 1–16, continues in this second of three volumes. It provides an authoritative and comprehensive explanation of ethical values concealed in Israel’s rituals. Although at first glance Leviticus seems far removed from the modern-day world, Milgrom’s thoughtful and provocative comments and notes reveal its enduring relevance for contemporary society.

Leviticus 17–22 brings us to the heart of the book. These chapters focus mainly on the practice of holiness required of laity and priest alike. The commandments that lead to holiness are detailed in chapter 19, the core of the book, if not the whole Torah. The acme of this chapter, the author maintains, is not “love your neighbor (fellow Israelites) as yourself,” but “love him (the alien) as yourself,” endowing him with equal civil rights.

With its English translations that convey the nuance and power of the original Hebrew, this trilogy will take its place alongside the best of the Anchor Yale Bible.

Jacob Milgrom, an ordained rabbi active in his profession, is emeritus professor of Hebrew and Bible at the University of California, Berkeley, and a widely published author. Distinguished author of four books and over 10 scholarly articles on the Bible, Milgrom is a Guggenheim fellow, a Fulbright fellow, a fellow of the Institute of Advanced studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research.

Leviticus 23–27

• Author: Jacob Milgrom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 848

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Jacob Milgrom’s incisive commentary on Leviticus, which began with Leviticus 1–16 and Leviticus 17–22, continues in this last volume of three. It provides an authoritative and comprehensive explanation of ethical values concealed in Israel’s rituals. Leviticus 23–27 brings us to the climactic end of the book and its revolutionary innovations, among which are the evolution of the festival calendar with its emphasis on folk traditions, and the jubilee, the priestly answer to the socio-economic problems of their time.

Jacob Milgrom, an ordained rabbi active in his profession, is emeritus professor of Hebrew and Bible at the University of California, Berkeley, and a widely published author. Distinguished author of four books and over 10 scholarly articles on the Bible, Milgrom is a Guggenheim fellow, a Fulbright fellow, a fellow of the Institute of Advanced studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem, and a fellow of the American Academy of Jewish Research.

Numbers 1–20

• Author: Baruch A. Levine
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1993
• Pages: 544

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The book of Numbers—from the numbering or census of the people in the opening chapters—is a much-neglected part of the Torah, the five books of Moses, which constitutes the heart of Holy Scriptures for Jews, while also forming an integral part of the Bible for Christians.

The book of Numbers is an account of the young would-be nation of Israel’s wanderings in the wilderness after the magnificent event at Sinai, where Moses speaks with God face-to-face and receives the Ten Commandments. Throughout this time of trial, the people complain, sensing the contrast between the relative security of slavery in Egypt, from which they have fled, and the precarious insecurity of freedom in the wilderness.

Numbers is a book filled with power struggles, raising questions about who speaks for God, along with personal and communal crises of faith and rumors of revolt. Yet despite the people’s blindness and rebelliousness, God remains faithful to the promises made to Israel’s ancestors—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and now Moses—and remains at Israel’s side, guiding her slowly but surely to the Promised Land. In all, Numbers describes a terrific journey of discipline and dependence upon the God who liberated the Hebrews from bondage in Egypt: a journey to strengthen Israel for the challenge of a new and wondrous land and the battles she will have to fight in order to claim and keep it.

Despite the importance of the book of Numbers, its rich collection of stories is not easily assimilated, even by the most conscientious of readers. As such, it requires the help of an expert guide to thread one’s way through this mixture of interesting episodes and anecdotes on the one hand, and the many lists, prescriptive rules, ritual regulations, and repeated admonitions on the other. Baruch A. Levine shows us the way into this difficult and sometimes forbidding book of the Bible, and we can be confident of our guide, and secure in the knowledge that the one who led us into the thicket will lead us out again into a broad and fair land.

Baruch A. Levine is the Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at New York University. Ordained early in his career, eventually he moved from the synagogue to the classroom, shaping a generation of future rabbis, clergy, and scholars. In his long and distinguished career, he has published widely on the books and themes of the Torah, including the volume on Leviticus in the JPS Torah Commentary Collection, available from Logos.

Numbers 21–36

• Author: Baruch A. Levine
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 624

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The book of Numbers is an account of how the Israelites wandered in the wilderness after receiving the Ten Commandments of Mount Sinai. Through this time of testing, while facing an uncertain future, the people complained repeatedly to Moses and to God. Though fraught with tension and power struggles, their pilgrimage led to the discovery that God is indeed faithful to his promises, regardless of how people behave.

In Numbers 21–36, world-renowned Bible scholar Baruch A. Levine unravels the complexity and confusing details in this Old Testament book. His lucid translation, based on thorough textual and linguistic research, including the ancient Deir Alla texts, opens the door for modern readers to understand and appreciate the richness of this intriguing book. Further, Levine examines the route of the wilderness wanderings, the Ancient Near Eastern context of the laws, the social organization of early Israel, and the meaning of this biblical book for the contemporary world. Numbers 21–36 is destined to become a classic and to share the same glowing reception that greeted Numbers 1–20 and its publication.

Baruch A. Levine is the Skirball Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at New York University. Ordained early in his career, eventually he moved from the synagogue to the classroom, shaping a generation of future rabbis, clergy, and scholars. In his long and distinguished career, he has published widely on the books and themes of the Torah, including the volume on Leviticus in the JPS Torah Commentary Collection available from Logos.

Deuteronomy 1–11

• Author: Moshe Weinfeld
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 624

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Deuteronomy 1–11 is here presented in a ground-breaking new translation, with a comprehensive introduction and thorough commentary by world-renowned Israeli biblical scholar Moshe Weinfeld. The “second law,” Deuteronomy portrays Moses as the founder and great lawgiver of Israel. In a series of addresses, Moses reviews his life and the life of God’s people. He reminds them of the guiding hand of God, which has brought them thus far along the way, and will bring their Exodus and wanderings to a triumphal conclusion in the Holy Land.

Through a beautiful translation and insightful comments in this first of two volumes on Deuteronomy, Weinfeld reinvigorates the basic laws of society with their life-giving power: the Shema (“Hear O Israel, the Lord is our God, the Lord is One”) and the Great Commandment (“You shall love the Lord your God with all your heart, and with all your soul, and with all your might”). These laws govern Israelite religious and communal life under God’s guidance.

Moshe Weinfeld is the foremost commentator on the Deuteronomist and the Deuteronomic School. He is professor of biblical and Ancient Near Eastern studies at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Joshua

• Authors: Robert G. Boling and G. Ernest Wright
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 612

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Joshua began as a collaboration between G. Ernest Wright, the distinguished biblical scholar and archaeologist, and his student, Robert G. Boling. After Wright’s death, Robert Boling, who also did the translation and commentary for Judges, finished the task alone.

Boling’s extensive treatment includes not only an entire new translation of Joshua and a complete commentary on the text, but also comprehensive notes, numerous bibliographies, four pages of illustrations, and 11 maps especially commissioned for this volume.

In addition to exhaustive research and excellent scholarship, this volume also includes Ernest Wright’s 135-page-introduction, completed just before his death, which provides not only an informed foreword to the text of Joshua but also a summary of his previous writings on Israel’s formative years.

Robert G. Boling is a minister of the United Presbyterian Church and a professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. He belongs to the American Schools of Oriental Research, the American Academy of Religion, and the Society of Biblical Literature, and is editor of the journal Biblical Research.

G. Ernest Wright is the author of numerous works on archaeology, including Biblical Archaeology and The Westminster Historical Atlas. He was also the founding editor of Biblical Archeologist. Wright died in 1974.

Judges

• Author: Robert G. Boling
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 360

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The book of Judges records the birth pangs of the Israelite nation. From the Conquest to the Settlement, the conflicts in this book (military, political, and religious) reveal a nascent Israel, struggling to define itself as a people.

The period of the Judges, c. 1200–1100 BC, was fraught with inter-tribal struggles, skirmishes, and pitched battles with neighboring peoples, and the constant threat of assimilation. The Israelites repeatedly turned away from their God: ignored his commandments, worshipped other gods, and continually sinned. Yahweh raised up judges to lead the people back to covenant faithfulness. In their several roles as priest, prophet, and military chief of staff, these judges heeded God’s call and led the people. In the book of Judges, we get rare glimpses into the exceptional qualities and human frailties of these leaders. The approachable stories, the humor, and even the criticism of the children of Israel and the judges surprisingly illuminate a people in transition.

Robert G. Boling is a minister of the United Presbyterian Church and a professor at McCormick Theological Seminary. He belongs to the American Schools of Oriental Research, the American Academy of Religion, and the Society of Biblical Literature, and is editor of the journal Biblical Research.

Judges 1–12: A New Translation and Commentary

• Author: Jack M. Sasson
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2014
• Pages: 616

The past 40 years have witnessed profound changes in the study of early Israel as the pendulum of scholarship has swung toward literary and theological readings not significantly informed by the literature of the ancient Near East. Jack M. Sasson’s commentary on the first 12 chapters of Judges is a refreshing reversal of this trend. It aims to expand comprehension of the Hebrew text by explaining its meaning, exploring its contexts, and charting its effect over time.

Sasson addresses issues about the techniques that advance the text’s objectives, the impulses behind its composition, the motivations behind its preservation, the diversity of interpretations during its transmission in several ancient languages, and the learned attention it has gathered over time in faith traditions, Jewish, Christian, and Muslim.

Sasson does not shy away from citing variant or divergent readings in the few Judges fragments and readily calls on testimonies from diverse Greek, Aramaic, and Latin renderings. This impressive new appreciation of Judges will be of immense interest to bible specialists, theologians, cultural historians, and students of the ancient world.

Jack M. Sasson is currently the Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies, professor of classics, and director of Jewish studies at Vanderbilt University.

Ruth

• Author: Edward F. Campbell Jr.
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 214

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Ruth, a tale of human kindness and just dealing far beyond the norm, contains elements that for centuries have been the subject of debate. With a sprightly translation and a commentary rich in informed speculation, Edward Campbell considers the questions of layman and scholar alike.

Finding no overt mighty acts, the layman asks, "Why was Ruth included in the Bible at all? Where is God?" Campbell shows that God is not only present throughout but is indeed the moving force behind all the developments of the story. Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz each act as God to each other, by taking extraordinary responsibility and performing extraordinary acts of kindness. And it is God who is responsible for the series of coincidences on which the plot hinges.

The scholar’s questions deal with such matters as purpose, date, and genre. Campbell’s research into ancient customs and linguistics suggests to him that Ruth is a historical novelette, entertaining and instructive, composed not long after the reign of King David, during the time of Solomon or within the subsequent century. Campbell demonstrates the storyteller’s skill with sensitive analysis of form, pacing, and wordplay. By delving into word origins and nuances he shows how convincingly the characters are developed. One instance: Naomi and Boaz use obsolescent language, emphasizing the generation gap between them and Ruth.

In addition, the illustrations help the reader understand unfamiliar elements of the story—the setting, the agricultural seasons and harvesting, the clothing of the times, the city gate where elders and interested villagers gather to make sure that all is done in a just and godly way.

Edward F. Campbell Jr. is professor of Old Testament at McCormick Theological Seminary in Chicago.

I Samuel

• Author: P. Kyle McCarter Jr.
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 496

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The two books of Samuel narrate the establishment and expansion of the Kingdom of Israel. From Samuel’s providential birth, to his appointment of Saul as Israel’s first king, to the demise of Saul and the rise of David as his successor, I and II Samuel are filled with the stuff of Israel’s everyday experience. Religious, political, economic, military, agricultural, and many other features of the Middle Eastern landscape populate this sacred narrative.

A thorough analysis of textual and literary sources, as well as an examination of the larger ancient Near Eastern context of the period, leads P. Kyle McCarter Jr., to descriptions of the people, places, customs, and noteworthy features of the language of I Samuel. For McCarter, a key issue is accounting for the historical circumstances that led to the composition of the books of Samuel. In dialogue with major schools of thought pertaining to the origin and transmission of I Samuel, the author offers his scholarly opinions on its composition. McCarter presents a unique new translation based upon the latest and most extensive textual sources available, including scrolls and fragments from Qumran. Furthermore, he disentangles the complicated textual history of Samuel.

P. Kyle McCarter Jr. is William F. Albright Professor in Biblical and Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He holds degrees from Harvard University, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the University of Oklahoma. He is a contributor to Ancient Israel, Aspects of Monotheism, and The Rise of Ancient Israel.

II Samuel

• Author: P. Kyle McCarter Jr.
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 576

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II Samuel completes P. Kyle McCarter Jr.’s study of the book of Samuel. In this volume, McCarter continues the discussion of textual and literary sources as they relate to a reconstruction of historical events.

A key issue for McCarter is accounting for the historical circumstances that led to the composition of the book of Samuel. In dialogue with major schools of thought pertaining to the origin and transmission of the book, the author offers his scholarly opinions on its composition. McCarter presents a unique new translation based upon the latest and most extensive textual sources available, including scrolls and fragments from Qumran. Furthermore, he resolves the complicated textual history of Samuel.

P. Kyle McCarter Jr. is William F. Albright Professor in Biblical and Near Eastern Studies at Johns Hopkins University. He holds degrees from Harvard University, McCormick Theological Seminary, and the University of Oklahoma. He is a contributor to Ancient Israel, Aspects of Monotheism, and The Rise of Ancient Israel.

I Kings

• Author: Mordechai Cogan
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 576

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Beginning with the death of David and the rise of Solomon, I Kings charts the history of Israel through the divided monarchy, when Ahab reigned in the north and Jehoshaphat reigned in the south. Mordechai Cogan’s translation brings new immediacy to well-known passages, such as Solomon’s famously wise judgment when asked by two prostitutes to decide their dispute regarding motherhood of a child: “Cut the live son in two! And give half to one and half to the other.” With a bibliography that runs to almost a thousand articles and books, Cogan’s commentary demonstrates his mastery of the political history described by I Kings, as well as the themes of moral and religious failure that eventually led to Israel’s defeat and exile.

Mordechai Cogan received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. He is a professor in the department of history of the Jewish People at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

II Kings

• Authors: Mordechai Cogan and Hayim Tadmor
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 408

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II Kings is the chronicle of the raging conflicts that tore the United Kingdom of Israel apart, creating the rival nations of Israel to the north and Judah to the south. It tells of the time of the great prophecies of Elijah and Elisha, and of the legendary conquerors of not only the Jews, but the whole of the Middle East—Sennacherib, Hazael, Tiglath-pileser III, Nebuchadnezzar, and Shalmaneser.

The book of II Kings was written with a dual purpose. It provided a chronological history of the divided kingdoms of Israel, from the time of division, through the destruction of the city of Jerusalem, and the final exile of the Jews into Babylonia. It also served as a reminder to all Israelite monarchs that their loyalty to the God of Israel, as worshipped in Jerusalem, determined the course of history. In his telling of the story, the book’s author emphasized to his contemporaries and future generations that in order to avert the calamities that befell the Chosen People (their conquest by non-believers, the destruction of Jerusalem, and their ignominious exile), they would have to avoid a repetition of the misdeeds of the past. If they remained loyal to their God, their God would remain loyal to them.

Complete with maps, charts, photographs, and extra-biblical documentation, II Kings presents an important and illuminating new translation which explores a tumultuous epoch of change that forever affected theological and world history.

Mordechai Cogan received his PhD from the University of Pennsylvania in 1971. He is a professor in the department of history of the Jewish People at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem.

Hayim Tadmor is a professor of Assyriology at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem.

I Chronicles 1–9

• Author: Gary N. Knoppers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 544

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Who were the Israelites? Was Israel’s first king, Saul, a hero or a disaster? Was David a gifted and accomplished leader or a murderer and a cheat? Did Solomon preside over the most glorious epoch in Israelite history or did he lead the nation into a fateful decline?

In I Chronicles 1–9, the distinguished scholar Gary Knoppers addresses these questions through a thoughtful and exacting reading of one of the last books of the Hebrew Bible. He shows that Chronicles, which contains a variety of viewpoints on the major events and people, provides a distinct perspective on much of Israel’s past, especially the monarchy. He discusses how the chronicler’s introduction to the people of Israel redefines Israel itself; explains and defends the transition from Saul to David; and shows how the Davidic-Solomonic monarchy was not only a time of incomparable achievement and glory, but also the period during which the nation’s most important public institutions—the Davidic dynasty, the Jerusalem Temple, the priests, and the Levites—took formative shape.

I Chronicles 1–9 systematically employs the Dead Sea Scrolls to reconstruct the biblical author’s text. Knoppers reveals how Chronicles is related to and creatively drawn from many earlier biblical books, and presents a fascinating look at its connections, in both compositional style and approach, to the historical writings of ancient Mesopotamia and classical Greece.

Gary N. Knoppers is head of the department of classics and Ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State University. In addition to writing and editing three books, he has published articles in such scholarly publications as Biblica, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and Journal of Near Eastern Studies.

I Chronicles 10–29

• Author: Gary N. Knoppers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 608

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What was the place of the monarchy in the history of ancient Israel? Was Israel’s first king Saul a hero or a disaster? Was David a highly gifted leader and accomplished king or a murderer and a cheat? Did Solomon preside over the most glorious epoch in Israelite history or did he lead the nation into a fateful decline? Gary N. Knoppers show how the Bible itself contains a variety of fascinating perspectives on major events and characters. One of the most misunderstood books of the Bible, Chronicles presents a distinctive and important viewpoint on much of Israel’s past, especially the monarchy.

I Chronicles 10–29 systematically employs the Dead Sea Scrolls to reconstruct the biblical author’s text. Knoppers reveals how Chronicles is related to and creatively drawn from many earlier biblical books, and presents a fascinating look at its connections, in both compositional style and approach, to the historical writings of ancient Mesopotamia and classical Greece.

Gary N. Knoppers is head of the department of classics and Ancient Mediterranean studies at Penn State University. In addition to writing and editing three books, he has published articles in such scholarly publications as Biblica, Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research, Catholic Biblical Quarterly, and Journal of Near Eastern Studies.

II Chronicles

• Author: Jacob M. Myers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 308

II Chronicles is a crucial book for historians of the biblical period and for students of the Bible. Like I Chronicles, it has been both over—and undervalued. In recent years it has, certainly, suffered undue neglect.

However, II Chronicles is to be neither accepted as a faithful narrative of the period of biblical history from Solomon to Cyrus nor dismissed as an imaginative re-creation of that history. It must be taken as an important clue to the biblical process, for here we find the Bible quoting itself—sometimes directly, sometimes in paraphrase.

Jacob M. Myers has set before himself the enormous task of organizing and correlating the evidence to be found in II Chronicles. Meticulously, he analyzes important aspects of the Chronicler and his work—his method of composition, his conviction that to rebuild the nation of Israel one had to restore and strengthen her traditional religion, his significant post-Exilic perspective. The book also examines the vast literature on Chronicles to find what it yields toward a better understanding of the chronicler and a fuller appreciation of his work. The appendixes in the book provide a list of the parallels and paraphrases that relate Chronicles to other books of the Bible, and genealogical charts summarize the family histories to be found in Chronicles.

Jacob M. Myers was professor of Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania until his death in 1991.

Ezra, Nehemiah

• Author: Jacob M. Myers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 356

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Ezra and Nememiah in the acclaimed Anchor Bible series continues the spiritual history of Jerusalem begun in II Chronicles; they relate the return of the Jewish people to their home from exile in Babylonia and the revitalization of the Jewish religion. Two remarkable personalities—with strikingly different approaches to the same objective—played dominant roles in this rebuilding of a nation. Ezra, the learned, pious, scribal priest, known among his contemporaries as “the second Moses,” was the architect of spiritual reform. Nehemiah, the forceful, shrewd, resourceful administrator, was the master international politician.

The importance of Ezra and Nememiah is, however, not only historical. With I and II Chronicles, believed to be written by the same author, Ezra and Nememiah comprise of an exceedingly complex jigsaw puzzle of parallels, direct quotes, and retellings, in some cases, of the same stories—all of which is, perhaps, more absorbing for the scholar than for the layman. But a study of Ezra and Nememiah—and the conclusions to which it leads—is crucial to an understanding of who wrote which portions of the Bible, how and when they came to be written, and what that understanding tells us ultimately about how the Bible, bit by bit over a period of almost 1,000 years, came into being.

Jacob M. Myers was professor of Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania until his death in 1991.

Esther

• Author: Carey A. Moore
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 192

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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. Carey A. Moore combines his treatment of scholarly issues with an engaging explanation of the popular Jewish festival of Purim.

One of three biblical and extra-biblical books named after women (Esther, Ruth, and Judith), Esther reads like a novel, with its fast-paced, action-packed story. Drawing on ancient tales of court intrigue and Midrashic sources, the author captivates the reader with the story of Queen Esther, her uncle Mordecai, King Xerxes, and the royal court’s villain, Haman. The story not only entertains, it also explains the origins of the Jewish festival of Purim.

Moore deftly deals with the scholarly issues peculiar to this book without sacrificing his sensitivity to its literary quality. The uncertainty that Esther should be included in sacred Scripture stems from its apparent lack of religious elements, its absence at Qumran, and its questionable historicity. Moore takes up these issues, carefully explaining and weighing prevailing scholarly theories before registering his own conclusions on the origin, date, and purpose of the book of Esther.

Carey A. Moore is chairman of the department of religion at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.

Job

• Author: Marvin H. Pope
• Edition: Third
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1965
• Pages: 504

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This third edition on the book of Job contains numerous new, revised, or augmented notes. Of special interest is the inclusion of readings from the earliest translation of the book of Job, the recently published Targum (Aramaic translation) recovered from Cave XI of Khirbet Qumran, in the Judean wilderness near the Dead Sea, perhaps the version which was suppressed by Rabbi Gamaliel.

The book of Job is one of the indisputably great works of world literature. The story is well-known: a prosperous and happy man, distinguished for rectitude and piety, falls victim to a series of catastrophes. And the occasion (if not the reason) for these undeserved calamities: Satan’s challenge to Yahweh to test the sincerity of Job’s faith.

It is by now proverbial to refer to the patience of Job. Yet this traditional image derives only from the prologue and the epilogue of the book. The Job who confronts us in the long middle section is anything but patient. His outcries against God raise the question of theodicy, or divine justice, which occupies the greater portion of Job’s dialogue with his comforters.

But it is inevitable, as literature, that Job must be read and enjoyed. This translation is marked by a concerted effort to capture as much as possible the poetic and metrical characteristics of the original Hebrew: the result is a version notable for its accuracy and directness. The experience of reading the book of Job in this translation, then, is to rediscover an exceedingly eloquent masterpiece. In the terse, rhythmic quality of the translation, the incisive comprehensiveness of the introduction and notes, Job maintains a high standard of scholarship, literateness, and readability.

Marvin H. Pope is professor of Northwest Semitic languages at Yale University.

Psalm I: 1–50

• Author: Mitchell Dahood
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 380

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Psalms I: 1–50 is the first of a three volume commentary on the biblical book of Psalms. It offers a unique, lively translation of the most beloved collection of poetry in Judeo-Christian sacred Scriptures. Based on his linguistic analysis of both biblical and extra-biblical texts, Mitchell Dahood, interprets this Hebrew poetry in light of rich linguistic and cultural evidence.

Dahood’s translation captures the beauty and full texture of Hebrew poetry. It offers an accurate English rendering, framed within the dynamic poetic forms of the Hebrew text. Through the use of Ugaritic and cognate literature, Dahood corrects mistranslations and illuminates previously obscure phrases. The fruit of a masterful analysis of the original texts, this fresh translation, the comprehensive notes, and the groundbreaking commentary establish Dahood’s Psalms I: 1–50 as the premier commentary on the Psalms.

Mitchell Dahood was professor of Ugaritic language and literature at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome up to his death in 1982. He received his PhD under the direction of W. F. Albright at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Ugaritic-Hebrew Philology, available from Logos as part of the Ugaritic Library (12 vols.).

Psalm II: 51–100

• Author: Mitchell Dahood
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 430

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The bulk of Israel’s religious poetry is preserved in the biblical book of Psalms. In this volume, the second of three on the Psalms, Mitchell Dahood interprets this Hebrew poetry in light of a rich collection of Ugaritic texts.

Dahood’s translation captures the beauty and rich texture of Hebrew poetry. It offers an accurate English rendering, framed within the dynamic poetic forms of the Hebrew text. Through the use of Ugaritic and cognate literature, Dahood corrects mistranslations and illuminates previously obscure phrases. The fruit of a masterful analysis of the original texts, this fresh translation, with its comprehensive notes and ground-breaking commentary, establishes Dahood’s Psalms II: 51–100 as the premier commentary on the Psalms.

Mitchell Dahood was professor of Ugaritic language and literature at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome up to his death in 1982. He received his PhD under the direction of W. F. Albright at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Ugaritic-Hebrew Philology, available from Logos as part of the Ugaritic Library (12 vols.).

Psalms III: 101–150

• Author: Mitchell Dahood
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1970
• Pages: 544

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Having closely examined the original text, Mitchell Dahood has attempted a unique translation which relies heavily on contemporary linguistic evidence. His work stresses the relation of the Psalms to the Ugaritic texts found at Ras-Shamra, and to other epigraphic discoveries along the Phoenician littoral.

This translation tries to capture as much as possible—within the limits of language and the scope of present scholarship—the poetic qualities of the original Hebrew. It attempts to render accurately not only the meaning of the Psalms but their poetic forms and rhythms as well. It is particularly responsive to the terse, three-beat metrical line predominant in Hebrew poetry, and it reproduces the parallelism so characteristic of biblical verse. In this process of probing the original, Mitchell Dahood unearths some striking examples of passages previously mistranslated, and arrives at many provocative readings.

In addition to an introduction, text, and notes, this volume contains a comprehensive grammar of the Psalter which makes use of much of Mitchell Dahood’s recent work with Ugaritic.

Mitchell Dahood was professor of Ugaritic language and literature at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome up to his death in 1982. He received his PhD under the direction of W. F. Albright at Johns Hopkins University. He is the author of Ugaritic-Hebrew Philology, available from Logos as part of the Ugaritic Library (12 vols.).

Proverbs 1–9

• Author: Michael V. Fox
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 496

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In Proverbs 1–9, Bible scholar Michael V. Fox translates and explains the meaning of the first nine chapters of this profound, timeless book, and examines their place in the intellectual history of ancient Israel. This thorough study of Proverbs includes a survey of the collections of ancient Near Eastern wisdom literature, as well as innovative and insightful comments. In addition to the translation and commentary proper, Fox includes several extended thematic essays on Proverbs 1–9, covering such themes as the origins of personified wisdom, what wisdom is, and where wisdom can be heard, plus an appendix of textual notes. The format of the commentary makes it accessible to the general reader and also provides materials of special interest to scholars. This is the first of a two-volume commentary that accords Proverbs the depth of study it deserves.

Michael V. Fox is Halls-Bascom Professor in the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies at the University of Wisconsin–Madison. After rabbinical studies and ordination at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, he trained in Bible studies, Semitics, and Egyptology, receiving his PhD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Among his numerous works on wisdom literature and other aspects of biblical literature, he has contributed numerous articles to The Journal of Biblical Literature, and authored the volume on Ecclesiastes in The JPS Bible Commentary.

Proverbs 10–31

• Author: Michael V. Fox
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 752

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This volume completes Bible scholar Michael V. Fox’s comprehensive commentary on the book of Proverbs in the Anchor Yale series. Fox 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 author’s 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.

Michael V. Fox is Halls-Bascom Professor in the Department of Hebrew and Semitic Studies at the University of Wisconsin-Madison. After rabbinical studies and ordination at Hebrew Union College, Cincinnati, he trained in Bible studies, Semitics, and Egyptology, receiving his PhD at the Hebrew University in Jerusalem. Among his numerous works on wisdom literature and other aspects of biblical literature, he has contributed numerous articles to The Journal of Biblical Literature, and authored the volume on Ecclesiastes in The JPS Bible Commentary.

Ecclesiastes

• Author: Choon-Leong Seow
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1997
• Pages: 448

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Good advice that stands the test of time—those things we all know are true, tips that help us live the good life—we call wisdom. But, one lifetime is not enough to master the fine art of living. Distilled over centuries, the biblical book of Ecclesiastes offers us the time-tested advice of Israel’s sages. This is the best of wisdom, with echoes of East and West—from Zen and Tao to Merton and Moore—all rolled into one.

In Ecclesiastes, Bible scholar Choon-Leong Seow creatively translates and carefully interprets one of the world’s most profound, most enduring collections of ancient wisdom. Sometimes joyful and exultant, other times cynical and fatalistic, the ancient author Qohelet (“Teacher”) wrestles with the ups and downs of real life. Even today, we recognize and repeat the sayings of this treasure-trove of apt advice. The book begins and ends with the infamous claim, “Vanity of vanities, says Qohelet, vanity of vanities! All is vanity!” In between, the sage leaves no stone unturned in the search for meaning.

Focusing the best tools of modern scholarship on the biblical book, Seow’s commentary overflows with insights about the meaning of the original text and its relevance for today. As the wisdom of biblical Ecclesiastes has stood the test of time, so shall Seow’s Ecclesiastes become a classic.

Choon-Leong Seow is Henry Snyder Gehman Professor of Old Testament Language and Literature at Princeton Theological Seminary, and he is internationally recognized for his work on the Hebrew Bible and on wisdom literature.

Song of Songs

• Author: Marvin H. Pope
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 776

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The Song of Songs has been compared to a lock for which the key was lost. Traditionally ascribed to King Solomon, the book has a sensuous imagery that has been the subject of various allegorical interpretations, chiefly as relating to Yahweh’s love for Israel or Christ’s love for the Church.

Marvin H. Pope suggests that the poem is what it seems, an unabashed celebration of sexual love, both human and divine, rooted in the fertility religions of the Ancient Near East, the sacred marriage rite, and the funeral feast. A distinctive feature of his interpretation is the correlation between love and death. Also discussed are parallel literatures, possible Indian influences, and the significance of the song for women’s liberation. Samples of traditional Jewish and Christian allegorical interpretations are cited for each verse.

Numerous photographs and drawings of ancient Near East origin illustrate and authenticate this provocative and controversial interpretation of Solomon’s sublime song.

Marvin H. Pope is professor of Northwest Semitic languages at Yale University.

Isaiah 1–39

• Author: Joseph Blenkinsopp
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2000
• Pages: 544

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Writing a commentary on the book of Isaiah in the middle of a paradigm shift in biblical studies, and in the study of the prophetic books in particular, is no easy task. The book of Isaiah has been the object of more scholarly interest over the past two or three decades than during the preceding century. At the same time, much of the received wisdom on the formation of the book has been called into question, including such matters as the date of its several components, the standard tripartite division, the role (if any) to be assigned to the prophet Isaiah himself, and the passages dealing with the anonymous Servant of the Lord. A great deal of effort has been, and continues to be, expended in exploring new approaches to the book, both within the conventional critical methodologies and beyond them.

This commentary by Joseph Blenkinsopp on the first 39 chapters of the book, the first of a three-volume commentary on Isaiah, is written from a critical perspective in the belief that only in this way can these texts be given the opportunity to say what they have to say—and also in the conviction that what they have to say still retains its transforming power for those willing to listen attentively today. The result is a commentary of unequaled brilliance and insight that will stand as the definitive study of one of the Hebrew Bible’s most compelling and elusive books.

Joseph Blenkinsopp is currently John A. O’Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he has taught since 1970. He served as rector of the Ecumenical Institute, Tantur, Israel, in 1978, took part in excavations at Tel Dan, and coordinated the excavation at the Greek Orthodox site of Capernaum throughout the 1980s. He was born in Durham, England, educated at the universities of London and Oxford.

Isaiah 40–55

• Author: Joseph Blenkinsopp
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2002
• Pages: 432

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Scholars have traditionally isolated three distinct sections of what is known as the book of Isaiah, and in Isaiah 40–55, distinguished biblical scholar Joseph Blenkinsopp provides a new translation and critical commentary on the section usually referred to as Second or Deutero Isaiah. The second volume in a three-volume commentary, it easily maintains the high standards of academic excellence established by Isaiah 1–39.

Second Isaiah was written in the sixth century BC, in the years just before the fall of the mighty Babylonian Empire, by an anonymous prophet whom history has erroneously identified with the real Isaiah (born ca. 765 BC). Scholars know Second Isaiah was written by someone other than Isaiah because the contexts of these prophecies are so very different. When Second Isaiah was written, the prophet believed that Israel’s time of suffering was drawing to a close. There was, he insisted, a new age upon them, a time of hope, peace, and renewed national prosperity. The main thrust of the prophet’s argument was intended to rally the spirits of a people devastated by war and conquest. One of the most famous examples of this optimistic tone is the well-known and beloved “Song of the Suffering Servant,” which is found in chapters 52–53, and about which Blenkinsopp has some challenging new ideas.

The final chapters of Second Isaiah, however, are in an entirely different key as it becomes clear that the new world the prophet foresaw earlier was not going to come to pass. This despair finds its most poignant expression in the final section of the book of Isaiah, addressed in the third volume, also included in this collection.

Joseph Blenkinsopp is currently John A. O’Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he has taught since 1970. He served as rector of the Ecumenical Institute, Tantur, Israel, in 1978, took part in excavations at Tel Dan, and coordinated the excavation at the Greek Orthodox site of Capernaum throughout the 1980s. He was born in Durham, England, educated at the universities of London and Oxford.

Isaiah 56–66

• Author: Joseph Blenkinsopp
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2003
• Pages: 368

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The world’s leading authority on the prophet Isaiah brings his distinguished three-volume commentary on the book of Isaiah to a conclusion with this new translation and critical discussion of the final 11 chapters.

The concluding section of the book of Isaiah, sometimes referred to as Third or Trito Isaiah, had a profound impact on the Christian movement in its formative phase, including such central issues as the identity of the founder, the profile of the disciple, and the gentile mission. In this thorough and informative commentary, Joseph Blenkinsopp shows that while these chapters maintain continuity with Second Isaiah, they must be considered in the light of a new set of circumstances.

The texts present a community beset by severe problems, attempting to cope with disappointed expectations and trying to maintain its faith in the reality, power, and benevolence of the God of traditional religion. Blenkinsopp discusses in detail the issues that divide the community, from concerns about the efficacy of religious practices (prayer, fasting, Sabbath observance, and sacrifice) to questions about who may claim the name of Israelite and under what conditions, to what kind of relations should be maintained with outsiders. In examining each of these topics, Blenkinsopp shows that they provide evidence of an emerging Judaism seeking its own identity and self-definition and testify to the existence of a prophetic discipleship inspired by the person and teaching of the charismatic servant whose fate is described in the previous section of Isaiah.

Reflecting the same standard of excellence as Blenkinsopp’s first two volumes on Isaiah, this is an important contribution to the prestigious Anchor Yale Bible.

Joseph Blenkinsopp is currently John A. O’Brien Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at the University of Notre Dame, where he has taught since 1970. He served as rector of the Ecumenical Institute, Tantur, Israel, in 1978, took part in excavations at Tel Dan, and coordinated the excavation at the Greek Orthodox site of Capernaum throughout the 1980s. He was born in Durham, England, educated at the universities of London and Oxford.

Second Isaiah

• Author: John L. McKenzie
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1969
• Pages: 304

Isaiah, the largest and most widely quoted prophetic book in the Bible, is unmatched in eloquence and grandeur. The prophetic figure behind this book looms large in Israel’s history because he speaks to perennial themes that echo throughout Israel’s history. John L. McKenzie here translates and comments on the portion of the book of Isaiah known as Second Isaiah (chapters 34–35 and 40–66).

Hope springs eternal for the exiles addressed by Second Isaiah. The prophet points to the rise of Cyrus and his Persian Empire as God’s chosen instrument for sealing the destruction of Babylon. With the fall of Babylon, Isaiah soothes the pain of endless exile and envisions a new age when Israel will once again return to the Promised Land. Isaiah offers the exiles the hope of restoration and paints a picture of God’s salvation.

Drawing on available material from the Dead Sea Scrolls, McKenzie’s translation captures the spirit and excitement of Second Isaiah. His examination of literary and theological issues amply illuminates this monumental prophetic book for the novice and expert alike.

John L. McKenzie was professor of Old Testament at De Paul University in Chicago, until his death in 1991.

Jeremiah 1–20

• Author: Jack R. Lundbom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1999
• Pages: 960

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Jeremiah, long considered one of the most colorful of the ancient Israelite prophets, comes to life in Jack R. Lundbom’s Jeremiah 1–20. From his boyhood call to prophecy in 627 BC, 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. He saw his fellow Israelites abandon their one true God, and witnessed the predictable outcome of their disregard for God’s word—their tragic fall to the Babylonians.

The first book of a three-volume commentary on Jeremiah, Jack R. Lundbom’s eagerly awaited exegesis of this book investigates the opening 20 chapters of this Old Testament giant. With considerable skill and erudition, Lundbom leads modern readers through this prophet’s often mysterious oracles, judgments, and visions. He quickly dispels the notion that the life and words of a seventh-century BC Israelite prophet can have no relevance for the contemporary reader. Clearly, Jeremiah was every bit as concerned as we are with issues like terrorism, hypocrisy, environmental pollution, and social justice.

This impressive work of scholarship, essential to any biblical studies curriculum, replaces John Bright’s landmark Anchor Yale Bible commentary on Jeremiah. Like its predecessor, Jeremiah 1–20 draws on the best biblical scholarship to further our understanding of the weeping prophet and his message to the world.

Jack R. Lundbom is an internationally respected authority on Jeremiah. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and held visiting appointments at Andover Newton Theological School, Yale Divinity School, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Uppsala University in Sweden. Lundbom has traveled and lectured widely in Europe, the Near East, Africa, and the United States. He has twice been a Fulbright Professor in Germany, at Universität Marburg in 1988–1989 and Universität Tübingen in 2002. His many publications include Jeremiah: A Study in Ancient Hebrew Rhetoric and The Early Career of the Prophet Jeremiah. He is a life member at Clare Hall, Cambridge University.

Jeremiah 21–36

• Author: Jack R. Lundbom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 672

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This second book of the three volume Anchor Yale Bible commentary on Jeremiah by Jack R. Lundbom offers an astute translation and commentary on the middle 16 chapters of Jeremiah. Important themes in the present volume include injustice within Judah’s royal house, sexual immorality among the clergy, and true versus false prophecy. Yet the prophet who thundered Yahweh’s judgment was also the one who gave the remnant people—in oracle and in symbolic action—a promise and a hope, expressed climactically in a new and eternal covenant for future days. Here too is the only report in the Bible of an accredited scribe writing up a scroll of oracles for public reading at the temple.

This magisterial work of scholarship is sure to be essential to any biblical studies curriculum. Jeremiah 21–36 draws on the best biblical scholarship to further our understanding of this pre-eminent prophet and his message to the world.

Jack R. Lundbom is an internationally respected authority on Jeremiah. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and held visiting appointments at Andover Newton Theological School, Yale Divinity School, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Uppsala University in Sweden. Lundbom has traveled and lectured widely in Europe, the Near East, Africa, and the United States. He has twice been a Fulbright Professor in Germany, at Universität Marburg in 1988–1989 and Universität Tübingen in 2002. His many publications include Jeremiah: A Study in Ancient Hebrew Rhetoric and The Early Career of the Prophet Jeremiah. He is a life member at Clare Hall, Cambridge University.

Jeremiah 37–52

• Author: Jack R. Lundbom
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2004
• Pages: 656

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Stirring words of the most outspoken of the Hebrew prophets are re-examined in this concluding volume of the esteemed Anchor Yale Bible on Jeremiah.

This final book of the three volume Anchor Yale Bible commentary on Jeremiah by Jack R. Lundbom gives us translation and commentary on the concluding 16 chapters of Jeremiah. Here, during Judah’s darkest days, when nationhood came to an end, Jeremiah with his people confronted the consequences of the nation’s sin, while at the same time reconstituting a remnant community with hopes to give Israel a future. Jeremiah preached that Israel’s God, Yahweh, was calling to account every nation on the earth, even the nation chosen as his own. For the latter, Jeremiah was cast into a pit and left to die, only to be rescued by an Ethiopian eunuch. But the large collection of foreign nation oracles in the book shows that other nations too were made to drink the cup of divine wrath, swollen as they were by wickedness, arrogant pride, and trust in their own gods.

This magisterial work of scholarship is sure to be essential to any biblical studies curriculum. Jeremiah 37–52 draws on the best biblical scholarship to further our understanding of this pre-eminent prophet and his message to the world.

Jack R. Lundbom is an internationally respected authority on Jeremiah. He has taught at the University of California, Berkeley, and held visiting appointments at Andover Newton Theological School, Yale Divinity School, The Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago, and Uppsala University in Sweden. Lundbom has traveled and lectured widely in Europe, the Near East, Africa, and the United States. He has twice been a Fulbright Professor in Germany, at Universität Marburg in 1988–1989 and Universität Tübingen in 2002. His many publications include Jeremiah: A Study in Ancient Hebrew Rhetoric and The Early Career of the Prophet Jeremiah. He is a life member at Clare Hall, Cambridge University.

Lamentations

• Author: Delbert R. Hillers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1972
• Pages: 175

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The poetry found in the Book of Lamentations is an eloquent expression of one man’s, and one nation’s, despair. The poet is deep in mourning as a result of the fall of Jerusalem to the Babylonians in the sixth century BC. He looks to Israel’s own sins to explain the catastrophe, and yet he recites poignant examples of Israel’s suffering in wondering aloud if God has abandoned his people altogether. Thus his lament is both a confession and a prayer for hope in spite of the horrible defeat.

Lamentations is traditionally thought to have been written by the prophet Jeremiah; today the question is whether one man wrote it or many. In his introduction, Delbert Hillers gives the 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 Lamentations has been taken up through history both as poetry and as an expression of boundless grief. It has become part of the Jewish and Christian liturgies, as well as a source of comfort far beyond the time in which it was written. This commentary fills in the book’s literary and historical background, and we emerge with a fresh respect for the artistry with which it was composed. The poetry itself demands this respect, with a translation here that carries the emotion and heartbreak of the original Hebrew.

This new edition by Delbert R. Hillersis a thorough revision of his earlier Anchor Yale Bible commentary, incorporating new literary theories and textual discoveries connected with the very latest Dead Sea Scrolls scholarship.

Delbert R. Hillers is W.W. Spence Professor of Semitic Languages and Near Eastern studies at Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Maryland. He is also the author of the volume on Micah in Hermeneia.

Ezekiel 1–20

• Author: Moshe Greenberg
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1983
• Pages: 408

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In Ezekiel 1–20, the first of two volumes of commentary on the Scripture attributed to the third major Old Testament prophet, Moshe Greenberg uses accessible prose to explain Ezekiel’s ecstatic, erratic, almost incomprehensible otherworldly visions and prophecies. One of this century’s most respected biblical scholars, Greenberg translates the text, identifies the critical issues raised by the book, and offers an impressively balanced, thoroughly holistic interpretation of Ezekiel.

Ezekiel 1–20 rigorously engages the biblical text with all the tools of historical critical analysis. Drawing upon the rich history of Jewish and Christian interpretation, Greenberg employs ancient and modern sources in his elucidation of this most difficult prophetic book.

Moshe Greenberg was professor of biblical studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During a long and illustrious career, he has written numerous works, including The Religion of Israel, Understanding Exodus, and Introduction to Hebrew. He also edited the Encyclopaedia Judaica and served as a translator of the Jewish Bible, Tanakh.

Ezekiel 21–37

• Author: Moshe Greenberg
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 372

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Ezekiel was and is perhaps the most misunderstood and challenging Hebrew prophet. His prophecies and visions transport us to almost indescribable realms, completely uncharted territory this side of heaven. But as one of Israel’s three major prophets, the words and symbolic actions of this mouthpiece of God were directed to a people weighed down by the realities of human experience.

In this long-awaited and eagerly anticipated second volume of his commentary on the book of Ezekiel, Moshe Greenberg exhibits the characteristic care and special sensitivity of a world-renowned scholar. He translates the text into flowing English that captures the richness and subtleties of the problematic Hebrew original. Using illustrations from a vast array of literature on Ezekiel, Greenberg brings the book’s prophecies and people alive for modern readers.

Moshe Greenberg was professor of biblical studies at Hebrew University in Jerusalem. During a long and illustrious career, he has written numerous works, including The Religion of Israel, Understanding Exodus, and Introduction to Hebrew. He also edited the Encyclopaedia Judaica and served as a translator of the Jewish Bible, Tanakh.

The Book of Daniel

• Authors: Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. Di Lella
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2005
• Pages: 360

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The book of Daniel was written as resistance literature, to strengthen and console loyal Jews of the second century BC who had to endure religious, economic, and social oppression at the hands of Antiochus I. The inspiring stories in which Daniel and his companions Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego survive the ordeals of the lions’ den and the fiery furnace dramatize for believers of all time the ultimate test of faith—the willingness to risk one’s life for one’s beliefs.

The book of Daniel also includes the famous incident of “the handwriting on the wall” and recounts the four vivid dream-visions or apocalypses which, through symbols and signs, offered interpretations of history and predictions of future deliverance.

Louis F. Hartman and Alexander A. Di Lella have revealed the profound religious and human dimensions of the Daniel stories. They present Daniel as a colorful and dramatic hero unique in biblical literature—an enduring symbol of hope and salvation for all men and women of faith who must suffer for their beliefs.

Louis F. Hartman was professor of Semitic languages at The Catholic University of America.

Alexander A. Di Lella is professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America.

Hosea

• Authors: Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1996
• Pages: 720

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Hosea is the result of collaboration by world-renowned scholars Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman. This new translation and commentary is based on one of the oldest of prophetic writings. The translation is unique in so far as the literary integrity of the text is scrupulously adhered to. For both scholars and general readers, the commentary notes contain cultural and linguistic information which sets each passage within the socio-historic context of the eighth century BC. Hebrew vocabulary, syntax, and poetic language are examined in an effort to confront one of the most obscure sections of biblical literature. Eight pages of photographs and illustrations are also included, which take readers into the wonders of the Iron Age in which Hosea lived.

Francis I. Andersen taught the Bible in Australia, the United States, and around the world before retiring as professorial fellow in the department of classics and archaeology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Out of his pioneering work on the poetics and metrics of biblical texts, he has produced over 70 scholarly articles and many books.

David Noel Freedman (1922–2008) received his PhD in Semitic languages and literature from Johns Hopkins University in 1948. Distinguished author and prolific editor, D. N. Freedman contributed to the Eerdmans Biblical Resources Series and The Bible in Its World.

Joel

• Author: James L. Crenshaw
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2007
• Pages: 272

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Scripture scholar James L. Crenshaw captures the ominous, yet hopeful spirit of Joel’s prophecy in his new translation and commentary.

Joel’s prophecy has an unexpectedly familiar ring to it. The biblical book of Joel is relevant to our world because it confronts an age when people tolerated almost anything, did not want someone telling them how to live their lives, and had difficulty distinguishing right from wrong. It was at once a time of self-indulgence and a time of spiritual decay. The economic and political disparity of the day, combined with widespread social injustice and deviant religious practices, brought about God’s judgment on his chosen people, the Judahites. Pleading the litany of sins in Joel is like reading the newspaper; things have not changed much in 2,500 years.

Leading Scripture scholar James L. Crenshaw’s fresh translation of the biblical prophecy of Joel combines the latest research into Hebrew language and literature with down-to-earth insights into how Joel’s words relate to the modern world. Drawing upon a thorough analysis of the book’s grammar and philology, literary forms and context, religious and social situation, and historical setting, Crenshaw offers the most informed and up-to-date commentary available. For those who want to read and understand Joel, this book is indispensable.

James L. Crenshaw is professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School in Durham, North Carolina. He has held numerous professional and academic positions, including editor of the Society of Biblical Literature Monograph Series. He was also the recipient of a Guggenheim Fellowship. He is the author of Old Testament Wisdom: An Introduction, among numerous other publications.

Amos

• Authors: Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1989
• Pages: 1,024

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The life and mission of Amos, the shepherd and prophet, have always fascinated students of the Old Testament. This rancher-farmer from Tekoa, summoned dramatically by Yahweh to prophesy to Israel under the kingship of Jeroboam II (eighth century BC) about the corruption, injustice, and religious insincerity of his time, has intrigued scholars for centuries. Was Amos’ message one of judgment and retribution only, or also of redemption?

Noted scholars Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman team up to examine and explain this critical segment of the Bible. Using new insights and modern methods, the authors interpret the text clearly, enthusiastically, and with startling perception. Readers will gain a new understanding of the historical, literary, and religious dimensions of the book of Amos.

Francis I. Andersen taught the Bible in Australia, the United States, and around the world before retiring as professorial fellow in the department of classics and archaeology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Out of his pioneering work on the poetics and metrics of biblical texts, he has produced over 70 scholarly articles and many books.

David Noel Freedman (1922–2008) received his PhD in Semitic languages and literature from Johns Hopkins University in 1948. Distinguished author and prolific editor, D. N. Freedman contributed to the Eerdmans Biblical Resources Series and The Bible in Its World.

Obadiah

• Author: Paul R. Raabe
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1996
• Pages: 336

Obadiah exemplifies the classic Israelite prophetic tradition. This brief but volatile diatribe encompasses many of the great prophetic themes, such as divine judgment against Israel’s enemies, the day of Yahweh, Zion theology, Israel’s possession of the Promised Land, and the kingship of Yahweh. These themes allow Obadiah to transcend time and touch upon some of the modern Middle East’s most controversial issues. Its harsh language and pro-Israelite zeal spark debate even today. Through his accurate translation and sympathetic interpretation of what the book meant to its original sixth-century audience, Paul R. Raabe relates the reader’s modern world to that of the Ancient Near East.

In the revered Anchor Yale Bible tradition, the commentator provides the contextual framework to make sense of Obadiah’s cryptic and often ignored prophetic message. Drawing upon an exhaustive analysis of the books grammar and philology, literary forms and context, religious and social situation, and historical context, Raabe offers us the most informed and up-to-date commentary available. Scholars, students, clergy, and laypeople will rely on Obadiah for years to come.

Paul R. Raabe is an associate professor at Concordia Seminary in St. Louis, Missouri. He is the author of Psalm Structures and co-editor of Fortunate the Eyes That See. He received MS and MDiv degrees from Concordia College an MA in Classics from Washington University, St. Louis, and a PhD in Near Eastern Studies from the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor.

Jonah

• Author: Jack M. Sasson
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 384

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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?

These issues, and many more, are thoughtfully considered in this meticulously detailed and insightful translation of the original Hebrew text of Jonah as created by Jewish authorities during the second half of the first millennium BC. In these profound and enduring tales, realistic events and miraculous incidents merge, and we never have to wait long to witness the power of God’s love or wrath.

One of the 12 Minor Prophets, Jonah faced more challenges in a short span of time than any other biblical hero. He went to sea and nearly drowned in the belly of a great fish. On land, Jonah journeyed east to Nineveh, where his mission was to spread the word of God in a city plagued by evil. He was tested by God at every turn. But even during his darkest hours, his faith never wavered and through all the tumult, he always listened for the comforting voice of the Lord.

Author Jack M. Sasson employs the very latest information in biblical scholarship to interpret the many nuances in Jonah’s seemingly simple story. Providing Greek, Hebrew, Latin, Aramaic, and, occasionally, Syriac and Arabic translations, this volume is an exciting addition to the world-acclaimed series.

Jack M. Sasson is currently the Mary Jane Werthan Professor of Judaic and Biblical Studies, professor of classics, and director of Jewish studies at Vanderbilt University.

Micah

• Authors: Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2006
• Pages: 664

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One of the 12 Minor Prophets, Micah unwaveringly spoke God’s message to Israel—a message filled with judgment but also laced with the promise of redemption. Micah combined poetic complexity and literary sophistication to compel his audience to respond. And now, through an exacting linguistic and literary analysis of the biblical text, co-authors Francis I. Andersen and David Noel Freedman explain what Micah meant to his contemporaries, as well as what his message means to readers today.

What sets Micah apart is the attention it pays to the details of the prophet’s original text. The commentary is descriptive rather than speculative, philological rather than theological. With unusual care, the authors—two of the world’s leading Bible scholars—examine the features of Micah’s biblical Hebrew and prophetic discourse. They discover the use of a special kind of language, which, in its poetic composition, differs significantly from the language of classical Hebrew prose.

At the zenith of their careers, masters of all relevant disciplines, Andersen and Freedman are the perfect duo to unlock the words of this challenging prophet.

Francis I. Andersen taught the Bible in Australia, the United States, and around the world before retiring as professorial fellow in the department of classics and archaeology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Out of his pioneering work on the poetics and metrics of biblical texts, he has produced over 70 scholarly articles and many books.

David Noel Freedman (1922–2008) received his PhD in Semitic languages and literature from Johns Hopkins University in 1948. Distinguished author and prolific editor, D. N. Freedman contributed to the Eerdmans Biblical Resources Series and The Bible in Its World.

Nahum

• Author: Duane L. Christensen
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2009
• Pages: 464

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This work represents a significant breakthrough in the study of Hebrew prosody with important implications for understanding the formation of the canon of the Hebrew Bible. Duane Christensen, a renowned biblical scholar, offers a detailed analysis of the Hebrew text of Nahum and demonstrates the intricate literary structure and high poetic quality of the work.

Nahum is a book about God’s justice and portrays God as strong, unyielding, and capable of great anger. This view of God’s nature stands in contrast to that found in Jonah, another book in the section of the Hebrew Bible known as the Book of the 12 Prophets, which presents God as “compassionate, gracious . . . [and] abounding in steadfast love.” Christensen shows how Nahum and Jonah present complementary aspects of God’s nature, each essential for an understanding of the divine being.

Readers of this remarkable commentary get more than one would expect from a commentary on one of the Minor Prophets. They receive a thorough introduction in the rules of the logoprosodic method and a fully worked out application of these rules in the analysis of this prophetic book.

—Klaas Spronk, Old Testament studies, Protestant Theological University, Kampen, The Netherlands

Duane L. Christensen is professor of Old Testament languages and literature (retired), Graduate Theological Union, Berkeley, California. He is president of BIBAL Corporation.

Habakkuk

• Author: Francis I. Andersen
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2001
• Pages: 416

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The book of Habakkuk (one of the 12 Minor Prophets) is an intensely personal testimony played out against a highly political backdrop. Writing as his land and his fellow Israelites were being invaded and plundered by the Chaldeans, Habakkuk questions God’s actions with a passion equal to Job’s. Habakkuk wonders, how can a God who is just and compassionate allow his people to be slaughtered? In trying to punish the Israelites and right the wrongs of his people, why did God choose the savage, infinitely more wicked Chaldeans as his instrument?

The puzzles Habakkuk contemplates will stir the hearts and minds of anyone who has ever wrestled with the evils of existence. Francis I. Andersen, a well-known authority on the Minor Prophets and acclaimed for his pioneering work in the study of biblical Hebrew, examines Habakkuk both as a work of sophisticated theological inquiry and as an artistic creation. The result is a book that illuminates the nuances of the text and brings to life the culture and values of the ancient Israelites through a compelling portrait of one the Bible’s most fascinating and most elusive prophets.

Francis I. Andersen taught the Bible in Australia, the United States, and around the world before retiring as professorial fellow in the department of classics and archaeology at the University of Melbourne, Australia. Out of his pioneering work on the poetics and metrics of biblical texts, he has produced over seventy scholarly articles and many books.

Zephaniah

• Author: Adele Berlin
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1994
• Pages: 165

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In a world plagued by political corruption and human indifference, the great prophet Zephaniah made an urgent plea for reform and return to faith. Writing during the tumultuous reign of Josiah of Judah (640–609 BC), Zephaniah witnessed the slow erosion of the Jews’ obedience to Yahweh and their increasing imitation of the ruling Assyrians’ pagan rituals and cult practices. Unable to bear this moral decline, Zephaniah cried out with a devastating message that pierced the complacent atmosphere of Jerusalem like a trumpet blast. The day of the Lord’s judgment was near and, as the prophet forecasted, it would be “a day of wrath . . . a day of distress and anguish . . . and of . . . darkness and gloom.”

In staccato exclamations, elevated rhetoric, and a rich tapestry of metaphors and similes, Zephaniah painted a world beset by corruption, idolatry, and apathy. As his passionate verse unfolds, we learn of the doomed destiny of nations that are indifferent to the Lord’s power and of humans who have become too enthralled with worldly riches. As scathing as any modern social critic, Zephaniah proclaimed salvation only to those who lead a life of simplicity, faith, and humility.

Adele Berlin’s splendid translation captures the vivid imagery and sheer potency of Zephaniah, causing the prophet’s words to spring to life and sweep the reader into the politically and socially dynamic world of ancient Israel. With keen insight and lucid analysis, Berlin also draws vital links between Zephaniah’s historical references and other relevant parts of the Bible.

Adele Berlin is a professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Near Eastern literature at the University of Maryland at College Park. She is highly regarded for her literary analysis of biblical and cognate literature. Among her publications is her volume on Esther in the JPS Bible Commentary.

Haggai, Zechariah 1–8

• Authors: Carol L. Meyers and Eric M. Meyers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 552

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Haggai and Zechariah were written during a critical period in Israel’s history, the momentous return of the Jews from Babylonian exile. Following the conquest of Babylon by the Persian Empire, the Israelites sought to reestablish their ethnic and religious legacy in Judah. This was a time of profound turmoil and uncertainty, and Haggai and Zechariah provided a crucial measure of support and inspiration. They rallied Israel’s energies and exhorted their fellow countrymen to heed the word of God. Under their guidance the Jews restored the Temple at Jerusalem, which had been destroyed by the armies of Nebuchadnezzar. Together the two prophets guided Israel through an important transitional epoch, and reconciled the influences of Persia’s dominion with the sacred traditions of the Hebrew people.

In this illuminating new translation and commentary, Carol Meyers and Eric Meyers consider the book of Haggai and the first eight chapters of the book of Zechariah in a linguistic, social, and historical context. They underscore the literary artistry, the political acumen, and the prophetic authority of these fascinating volumes that proved so vital to the survival of Israel and the preservation of the Jewish faith.

Carol L. Meyers holds an MA and a PhD from Brandeis University, and is professor in the department of religion and is associate director of the Women’s Studies Program at Duke.

Eric M. Meyers has an MA from Brandeis and a PhD from Harvard. He is also a professor in the department of religion at Duke. He is author of Jewish Ossuaries: Reburial and Rebirth, available from Logos as part of the PBI Old Testament Studies Collection (6 vols.).

Zechariah 9–14

• Authors: Carol L. Meyers and Eric M. Meyers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 552

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This commentary and new translation of Zechariah 9–14 continues the approach adopted in the authors’ volume on Haggai and Zechariah 1–8. Authors Carol Meyers and Eric Meyers are perhaps uniquely qualified for this work because of their backgrounds in biblical archaeology and the social sciences. Employing the highest standards of philological, literary, and historical research, they shed light on many enigmatic passages and offer an entirely new perspective on the history of Israel and its religion in the Persian period.

Whereas many scholars have viewed this point in the history of Israel as a time of deterioration of the beliefs and practices of biblical religion, the authors paint a picture of an innovative and vibrant community struggling to maintain its identity within a rapidly changing world dominated by the mighty Greeks and Persians. In the face of this the author of Zechariah 9–14 makes extensive and transformative use of earlier biblical writings and of the sayings of previous prophets, and articulates a radically new view of Israel’s future.

Carol and Eric Meyers are the first modern commentators to see in these ancient texts the central role played by the Greco-Persian wars in shaping the postexilic restoration community of Israel and its views of an expansive and glorious future. And although Zechariah 9–14 is often regarded as the swan song of biblical prophecy, the authors clearly demonstrate that the new modes of prophetic discourse found within this text helped biblical religion to meet one of the greatest challenges in its long history.

Carol L. Meyers holds an MA and a PhD from Brandeis University, and is professor in the department of religion and is associate director of the Women’s Studies Program at Duke.

Eric M. Meyers has an MA from Brandeis and a PhD from Harvard. He is also a professor in the department of religion at Duke. He is author of Jewish Ossuaries: Reburial and Rebirth, available from Logos as part of the PBI Old Testament Studies Collection (6 vols.).

Malachi

• Author: Andrew E. Hill
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1998
• Pages: 480

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Admittedly, as the last book in the Old Testament, and a minor prophet at that, Malachi is often overlooked by Bible readers. Yet, Malachi’s passionate proclamations and the significance of what he had to say to his people capture the attention of even the casual reader. The message of Malachi came at a time of cultural and religious rethinking for Israel (roughly 500 BC), when God’s people were scattered throughout the Near East, with most living in Mesopotamia under Persian rule. They could easily have disappeared from history had it not been for the prophetic call to repentance.

In his fresh new translation, notes, and comments on this brief prophetic book, Andrew E. Hill explains why we should pay attention to Malachi as God’s spokesperson. Hill places the book in its historical context to interpret the original meaning, as well as offer the modern reader insights into what it has to say to us today. With his translation and commentary, along with photographs, line art, and maps, he provides all the necessary details for the reader to understand and appreciate Malachi.

Andrew E. Hill (PhD, University of Michigan) is professor of Old Testament studies at Wheaton College in Illinois. His articles have appeared in such scholarly publications as Hebrew Annual Review, Journal of Biblical Literature, and Vetus Testamentum.

Tobit

• Author: Carey A. Moore
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1996
• Pages: 368

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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. To test his faith, an angel joins Tobiah on his journey, and in the end Tobiah returns with the money, a beautiful bride, and a miraculous cure for his father’s affliction. Tobit’s story touches us precisely because it tells the tale of simple, hardworking everyday folk, who try, despite seemingly insurmountable dangers and difficulties, to be faithful and do good.

Scripture scholar Carey A. Moore’s crisp and insightful translation and commentary bring Tobit’s tale of justice and righteousness to life. Everybody can relate to these characters. As the commentator himself confesses, “I can honestly say that I really like and admire them. I ‘feel at home’ with them.”

In the prestigious tradition of the Anchor Yale Bible, Carey Moore relates the latest in biblical scholarship through down-to-earth comments that touch the lives of general readers. This is a ground-breaking commentary, the first ever to utilize the Tobit texts from Qumran. Drawing upon a thorough analysis of the book’s grammar and philology, literary forms and context, religious and social situation, and historical context, Moore offers the most informed and up-to-date commentary available on Tobit. This is truly an indispensable companion to anyone interested in Tobit and the Bible.

Carey A. Moore is chairman of the department of Religion at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.

Judith

• Author: Carey A. Moore
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 316

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In the Apocrypha, Judith is the saint who murdered for her people. She offered herself to Holofernes, the Assyrian general sent by Nebuchadnezzar to destroy the Israelites. After she had charmed Holofernes with flattery and drink, Judith chopped of his head while he lay in a drunken stupor, thereby leaving his troops “headless” and in a state of total panic and confusion. Her victory was celebrated in song and brought peace to her land for years to come.

In his illuminating new translation and commentary, Carey A. Moore considers the historicity of the story and explores the author’s true intent: Was it to describe actual events or to compose a fictitious story of other purposes? Was his concern more historical or theological?

The story of Judith abounds in ironies. There is Judith, the beautiful woman who lived a stark, celibate existence after her husband’s death had left her a wealthy widow. Born into a sexist society with rigidly defined roles, Judith better “played the man” than did any of her male compatriots. There is Holofernes, the Assyrian conqueror, unable to defeat a small Israelite village after dozens of countries had fallen under his sword. Intent on seducing Judith, Holofernes instead lost his head to her. Perhaps the ultimate irony of all is the story of Judith itself: the timeless tale of a deeply religious woman who became revered not for her poverty but for an act of murder.

Moore’s study of the canonicity of Judith brings perspective to the story’s varied acceptance among both Jews and Christians. It also notes the similarity between this work and the equally popular story of Esther; each woman, through different means, served her people through acts of bravery.

The photographs and maps illustrating Judith include depictions of the story of Judith by such masters as Machiavelli, Botticelli, Caravaggio, and Donatello.

Carey A. Moore is chairman of the department of Religion at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.

Daniel, Esther, and Jeremiah: The Additions

• Author: Carey A. Moore
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 408

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The apocryphal sections of Daniel, Esther, and Jeremiah are vibrant works which cast light on the life and thought of the Jewish nation at the time of the exile, adding dramatic excitement and increasing the religious significance of these beloved Bible tales.

The additions to the book of Daniel tell the exciting stories of the “Fiery Furnace,” “Susanna and the Elders,” and the confrontations between Daniel and the gods of Babylon; and show how God preserved the faithful in the face of certain death.

The book of Esther is transformed by the additions from a so-called “secular” work to a wonderful and dramatic tale of God’s concern and care for his people under the tyranny of foreign oppressors.

The additions to the book of Jeremiah consist of poems and prayers addressed to the people of the exile, exhorting them to shun idolatry and offering encouragement for a repressed nation.

Why were these invaluable additions excluded from the canonical versions of these books? This is a fascinating question which is considered in the introductions and notes to the different sections of this volume. The engrossing problems of authorship, date, and place of composition, and the intended relevance of each addition are also dealt with clearly and comprehensively. Illustrated by eight pages of well-chosen photographs, this work amplifies and enhances our understanding and appreciation of the canonical scriptures.

Carey A. Moore is chairman of the department of Religion at Gettysburg College, Pennsylvania.

Wisdom of Solomon

• Author: David Winston
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1979
• Pages: 360

The Wisdom of Solomon is a long and subtly poetic work placed in the mouth of “wise” King Solomon. It blends biblical thought and Middle Platonism. David Winston thoroughly analyzes the book, presenting the philosophical situation clearly and putting forth evidence to suggest that the work was written later than is commonly supposed, during the reign of Caligula (AD 37–41), and by a single author.

Because of its exclusion from the canon of scripture used by Jews and Protestant Christians, the Wisdom of Solomon has been neglected by biblical scholars in general. Winston’s commentary is the first to thoroughly cover previous research and recent developments such as the Qumran scrolls, papyrus discoveries in Egypt, and new knowledge of ancient Iranian religion. It is a major contribution to the study of the apocryphal literature of the Bible.

David Winston is professor of Hellenistic and Judaic studies and director of the Center for Judaic Studies at the Graduate Theological Union in Berkeley, California.

The Wisdom of Ben Sira

• Authors: Patrick W. Skehan and Alexander A. Di Lella
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 620

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The Wisdom of Ben Sira (Ecclesiasticus) contains the sayings of Ben Sira, arguably the last of Israel’s wise men and its first scribe, whose world was defined and dominated by Greek ideas and ideals. This Hellenistic worldview challenged the adequacy of the religion passed down to Palestinian Jews of the second century BC by their ancestors. Ben Sira’s training in both Judaic and Hellenistic literary traditions prepared him to meet this challenge. He vigorously opposed any compromise of Jewish values; and his teaching bolstered the faith and confidence of his people.

Through its elegant poetry and vehement exhortations, the Wisdom of Ben Sira exposes the ill effects of sinful behavior on one’s health status, and spiritual and material well-being. Ben Sira’s rigorous code of moral behavior was the measure of Jewish faithfulness in an era of ethical and religious bankruptcy.

Patrick W. Skehan was professor of Semitic languages at the Catholic University of America.

Alexander A. Di Lella is professor of Old Testament at The Catholic University of America.

I Maccabees

• Author: Jonathan A. Goldstein
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1976
• Pages: 624

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“The Apocryphal book of I Maccabees is an inspirational thriller.” with the help of God, the aged priest Mattathias and his sons—Judas Maccabaeus, Jonathan, and Simon—dramatically lead the Jews of Judaea first to victory and then to freedom against the formidable successors of Alexander the Great. Their struggles begin in guerilla warfare, responding to the terrible persecutions decreed by King Antiochus IV, and courageously accomplish their first great triumph—still celebrated in the festival of Hanukkah.

The introduction to this volume considers not only I Maccabees, but also the parallel accounts found in II Maccabees and shows that the two authors of I and II Maccabees wrote with passionate conviction to teach two sharply opposed points of view. In some cases their convictions blinded them to the truth, but Jonathan A. Goldstein renders their teachings accessible to the modern reader and reconstructs what really happened, making valuable contributions to Greek and Roman as well as to Jewish history. 19 maps and diagrams set the scene of the dramatic struggle and the troubled times described in I Maccabees.

Jonathan A. Goldstein studied at Jewish Theological Seminary and received a PhD at Columbia University, where he was an instructor in history for two years. He was a professor of ancient history and classics at the University of Iowa from 1962 until his retirement in 1997.

II Maccabees

• Author: Jonathan A. Goldstein
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 2008
• Pages: 624

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II Maccabees continues the chronicle of the “Time of the Troubles” (167–64 BC), begun in I Maccabees. It recounts the stories of conflict between militant Jews, led by Judas Maccabaeus, and their Hellenistic oppressors. Aside from the story of the struggle to control the temple and the holy city of Jerusalem, though, II Maccabees shares little in common with I Maccabees. The second volume of reflections of Jewry in the generation following the Maccabaean revolt presents and evaluates the experience from its own unique perspective.

How these events came to be written, who told the stories, and what reasons motivated such divergent yet parallel interpretations are the questions Jonathan A. Goldstein, translator and commentator on both Maccabaean histories, addresses here. Goldstein utilizes the full array of scholarly tools to examine the critical issues raised by II Maccabees. By examining its language and style, its Hellenic yet Jewish flavor, its comparison and relationship to I Maccabees, its use of sacred writings (Torah and Prophets), its historical context, and the role of the miraculous, Goldstein thoroughly elucidates this powerful account of a pivotal period in Jewish history.

As the commentary makes clear, II Maccabees focuses on certain themes: miracles as God’s tools for shaping history; the holiness of the Jerusalem temple; the dynamic relationship between the Hasmonaean rulers and their pious opponents; praise of martyrdom; the doctrine of resurrection. An abridgment of Jason of Cyrene’s work, II Maccabees advances its own theological perspective to its Greek-speaking audience, refuting the Hasmonaean partisan’s view that pervades I Maccabees.

Jonathan A. Goldstein studied at Jewish Theological Seminary and received a PhD at Columbia University, where he was an instructor in history for two years. He was a professor of ancient history and classics at the University of Iowa from 1962 until his retirement in 1997.

I & II Esdras

• Author: Jacob M. Myers
• Publisher: Yale University Press
• Publication Date: 1995
• Pages: 416

Written about 10 BC, I Esdras is a history ranging from the pious reign of Josiah to the religious reforms of Ezra. For this period Josephus follows I Esdras in his antiquities of the Jews.

An apocalyptic work, written 250 years later, II Esdras seeks to offer strength, courage, and hope to those whose faith was severely shaken in the gloom and despondency that followed upon the fall of Jerusalem in AD 70. Its chief purpose was to inspire trust in God and the ultimate triumph of righteousness, if not in this world, then in the world to come. “Tracts for the times such as II Esdras,” writes Jacob M. Myers in his preface, “have a message for us who in a revolutionary age are obsessed with the impatience reflected by Ezra; it was not that he lacked faith in God but that he, like Job, questioned his ways and the delay, perhaps seeming inactivity, in the face of what appeared to the prophet to be terrible urgencies. The questions posed are still asked in the context of our age.”

Eight photographs of Ancient Near Eastern sculpture and coins help the reader visualize both the events recounted in I Esdras and the apocalyptic imagery in II Esdras. Each book has its own introduction and bibliography.

Jacob M. Myers was professor of Old Testament at the Lutheran Theological Seminary in Gettysburg, Pennsylvania until his death in 1991.