Daniel: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC)

by J. Paul Tanner

Publisher:

Lexham Press

, 2020

Daniel

In this volume from the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary, Paul Tanner argues that the book of Daniel is the Old Testament blueprint of the Bible's overarching eschatological narrative. Tanner examines key aspects of the book of Daniel such as the revelation of Israel's future in relation to gentile kingdoms, God's exaltation of Daniel as a channel through whom he reveals his will and God's sovereign control of the nations under whom Israel is being disciplined. Tanner provides exegetical insight to help readers better understand not only how God worked in Israel's history through Daniel, but how he sovereignly directs all of world history—for all time.

Praise for Daniel

Every generation or so, a book comes along that becomes a marker of “before X” or “after X.” Paul Tanner has written such a book. As a student of Old Testament history and eschatology I have had occasion to give at least passing attention to almost everything written on Daniel in the past 100 years, and without cavil or hyperbole I judge this work by Tanner—masterful in its use of Hebrew and Aramaic, without peer in the depth and breadth of its citation of relevant resources, and engagingly delightful in the clarity of its literary style—will become the standard in its niche, especially in evangelical scholarship.

—Eugene H. Merrill, Dallas Theological Seminary

Daniel is a challenging book to study, but it is an important one. Paul Tanner handles the book’s message and issues in a solid way so that the book’s message is made clear. Views are treated fairly and well surveyed. Your understanding of Daniel will be richly enhanced through working through Tanner’s treatment of the text.

—Darrell Bock, Dallas Theological Seminary

Evangelical scholarship is deeply indebted to Dr. J. Paul Tanner for this contribution to the study of Daniel. Critical evangelical commentaries on this book are rare and rarer still those that defend a conservative position on the crucial issues of date and authorship. His treatment of the notoriously difficult Prophecy of the Seventy Weeks is a milestone in the history of interpretation of this text. I predict this work will be ranked among the finest expositions of Daniel and will well serve this generation so in need of proper guidance in biblical pedagogy and prophecy.

—Randall Price, Rawlings School of Divinity, Liberty University

Paul Tanner’s new commentary will soon take its place among the finest, most thorough and most helpful commentaries ever produced on the book of Daniel. A careful analysis demonstrates that he is definitely committed to the inerrancy of Scripture, a premillennial view of eschatology, a future for Israel in God’s kingdom program, and an early date of the book as written by Daniel in the sixth century BC. In spite of this, he interacts fairly, thoroughly and objectively with a broad spectrum of diverse theological approaches. I enthusiastically recommend it.

—Kenneth L. Barker, General Editor, NIV Study Bible

Top Highlights

“The position taken in this commentary is that the prophet Daniel, shortly after 536/35 bc, wrote the book bearing his name in its entirety.” (Page 39)

“Hence, with the destruction of the statue we finally see the true value of what the statue symbolized: the parts were worthless in value before God. That no trace of them was left (v. 35) suggests that they will be totally done away with (removed), no longer to interfere with God’s plan for history. This is a stronger point than saying that the ‘stone’ will simply have dominion over the statue.” (Pages 193–194)

“The book consists of two primary parts: court tales in chaps. 1–6 and visions given to Daniel in chaps. 7–12.” (Page 1)

“Most evangelicals today, regardless of their eschatological viewpoint, and virtually all the early church fathers interpret the first four kingdoms as beginning with Babylon and extending to the Roman Empire.” (Page 195)

“The first major section (chaps. 2–7) emphasizes the Gentile nations under whom Israel is being disciplined. This would explain why these chapters were written in Aramaic, the lingua franca of the Gentile world in Daniel’s day. Since the general context of the whole book is the theological reason for Israel’s exile (see chap. 9 in this regard), chaps. 2–7 pertain to the Gentile nations in their relationship to Israel’s exile. Israel’s discipline would not be a mere seventy years but rather a discipline spanning the complete course of history up to the second coming of Christ. Only when Christ returns, the antichrist is defeated, and Messiah’s kingdom is formally established will Israel’s discipline be lifted. Until then she will be dominated by Gentile kingdoms.” (Page 34)

Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series

The Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC) series is a premiere biblical commentary rooted in the original text of Scripture. Incorporating the latest in critical biblical scholarship and written from a distinctly evangelical perspective, each comprehensive volume features a remarkable amount of depth, providing historical and literary insights, and addressing exegetical, pastoral, and theological details. Readers will gain a full understanding of the text and how to apply it to everyday life.

Learn more about the other titles in this series.

Product Details

• Title: Daniel: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC)
• Author: J. Paul Tanner
• Editors: H. Wayne House, William D. Barrick
• Series: Evangelical Exegetical Commentary (EEC)
• Publisher: Lexham Press
• Publication Date: 2020
• Pages: 864
• Format: Logos Digital, Hardcover
• Trim Size: 6x9
• ISBN: 9781683593096

About J. Paul Tanner

J. Paul Tanner is a biblical scholar who currently serves as the V.P. and Academic Dean of the Arab Center for Biblical Studies. Over the course of his career, he has taught at five seminaries around the world. He and his wife Linda lived in Amman Jordan for five years while Paul served as professor of Hebrew and Old Testament studies and as the Academic Dean of the Jordan Evangelical Theological Seminary. He also served for 26 years on staff with BEE World, and was the first Middle East Director for that ministry. He is the author of the commentary on Daniel for the Evangelical Exegetical Commentary series. He also has published articles in academic journals, including Bibliotheca Sacra, the Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, and Trinity Journal. He holds a ThM from Dallas Seminary and a PhD in Hebrew Literature and Culture from the University of Texas at Austin.