New International Commentary on the Old Testament

This commentary by Pieter A. Verhoef offers a thorough exegesis and exposition of Haggai and Malachi - two important books of Scripture that, unfortunately, are little studied - and stresses the relevance of these prophets' messages in terms of continuity and discontinuity for the Christian church. Verhoef's introduction to each book elucidates questions of authorship, style, text, structure, historical background, and message. Making extensive use of structural analysis, Verhoef argues convincingly for the authenticity, unity, and integrity of both books. Verhoef also brings his knowledge of the ancient Near East, the Old Testament, and biblical scholarship to bear in the commentary proper, and he displays theological acumen and pastoral sensitivity in tailoring his exposition for the student and pastor as well as for the scholar.

The close-knit bond between prophecy and history, according to O. Palmer Robertson, becomes particularly clear through the study of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah. As the historical context of their messages is explored, it becomes ever more apparent that biblical history - in addition to providing the context for prophecy - actually embodies and functions as prophecy. The events that occurred to Judah and its neighbors spoke in anticipation of world-shaking circumstances that were yet to come. In this commentary Robertson combines the insights of biblical theology with a keen awareness of the age in which we live. After first dealing with the relevant background issues of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah - redemptive-historical setting, theological perspective, date and authorship, and so on - Robertson applies the care and precision of an exegete and the concern of a pastor to his verse-by-verse exposition of each book. The result is a relevant confrontation with the ancient call to repentance and faith - a confrontation greatly needed in today's world.

Woudstra's work on the Book of Joshua is a contribution to The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Like its companion series on the New Testament, this commentary devotes considerable care to achieving a balance between technical information and homiletic-devotional interpretation.

Ecclesiastes is one of the most fascinating -and hauntingly familiar- books of the Old Testament. The sentiments of the main speaker of the book, a person given the name Qohelet, sound incredibly modern. Expressing the uncertainty and anxieties of our own age, he is driven by the question, "Where can we find meaning in the world?" But while Qohelet's question resonates with readers today, his answer is shocking. "Meaningless," says Qohelet, "everything is meaningless." How does this pessimistic perspective fit into the rest of biblical revelation? In this commentary, Tremper Longman III addresses this question by taking a canonical-Christocentric approach to the meaning of Ecclesiastes. Longman first provides an extensive introduction to Ecclesiastes, exploring such background matters as authorship, language, genre, structure, literary style, and the book's theological message. He argues that the author of Ecclesiastes is not Solomon, as has been traditionally thought, but a writer who adopts a Solomonic persona. In the verse-by-verse commentary that follows, Longman helps clarify the confusing, sometimes contradictory message of Ecclesiastes by showing that the book should be divided into three sections -a prologue (1:1-11), Qohelet's autobiographical speech (1:12-12:7), and an epilogue (12:8-14) -and that the frame narrative provided by prologue and epilogue is the key to understanding the message of the book as a whole.

Craigie's study on the Book of Deuteronomy is part of The New International Commentary on the Old Testament. Like its companion series on the New Testament, this commentary devotes considerable care to achieving a balance between technical information and homiletic-devotional interpretation.