5. Studies on Specific Books

I. Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

Ausloos, Hans, The Deuteronomist's History: The Role of the Deuteronomist in Historical-Critical Research into Genesis–Numbers (OTS, 67; Leiden: Brill, 2015), pp. xviii + 429. €135.00/$175.00. ISBN 978-90-04-29676-3; e-ISBN 978-90-04-30704-9; ISSN 1069-7226.

This substantial and very fully documented monograph marks the culmination of work over a quarter of a century that has had the changing interpretation of Exod. 23.20–33 as its main worked example. Starting with the eighteenth-century beginnings of historical-critical research on the Pentateuch, A. pays closest attention within the nineteenth-century story to J.W. Colenso's large-scale work on the deuteronom(ist)ic elements in Genesis–Numbers, before noting the more immediately influential work of Abraham Kuenen and Julius Wellhausen. Chapter 2 reviews those who claimed deuteronomistic elements in Genesis–Numbers in the first half of the twentieth century and explores their argumentation. A. turns next to the quest led by C.H.W. Brekelmans and Norbert Lohfink for proto-deuteronomic elements in the Tetrateuch. In his review of deuteronomistic research since the second half of the twentieth century (ch. 4), A. finds the epilogue to the Covenant Code associated with the latest Pentateuchal redactions. The final chapter is a careful search for criteria and adequate terminology: how can one ‘determine whether a relationship exists between a pericope and the so-called Deuteronomistic canon’ (p. 285)?—by which term he means Deuteronomy–Kings + Jeremiah. A. recommends refining the early arguments of Alexander Geddes and J.S. Vater about harmonization with Deuteronomy in the Samaritan Pentateuch; adds ‘simili-’ to ‘pre-’, ‘proto-’, and ‘post-Deuteronomic’; and concludes wisely (p. 337) ‘that the history of the Deuteronomist has not yet reached its end …’

Blenkinsopp, Joseph, Abraham: The Story of a Life (Grand Rapids, Ml/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2015), pp. xvi + 240. $29.00/£19.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-7287-6. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

B. defines the genre of this volume as ‘discursive commentary’ (p. xi). After an introduction presenting aspects of the figure of Abraham and of the Abraham narrative, it is ostensibly a telling of the story of Abraham, in ten chapters or episodes, largely following the sequence of the biblical narrative. A phrase which B. uses is ‘tracing the narrative logic’ (p. 96). But in fact it is much more than storytelling, because the reader is subtly introduced to a range of material which might be found in a traditional commentary, but in a much more readily digestible way than working verse by verse through the text. There are a number of references to the Hebrew text, but often made in such a way as to be helpful to the non-Hebraist, and analogies with other Hebrew Bible passages are noted. Attention is also given to reception history, often in the section entitled ‘Filling in the Gaps’ which is to be found at the end of most of the chapters. The approach enables a nuanced treatment of enigmatic passages such as the Aqedah, an episode which this reader felt was handled particularly helpfully. Occasionally, perhaps deliberately, the difference between story and history seems to be something of a grey area. Finally an epilogue, written from a Christian perspective, encourages reflection on what is distinct in one tradition, in addition to what is shared by the so-called Abrahamic faiths. This is a fine example of accessible scholarship.

Chen, Kevin, Eschatological Sanctuary in Exodus 15:17 and Related Texts (Studies in Biblical Literature, 154; New York: Peter Lang, 2013), pp. xiv + 158. £47.00. ISBN 978-1-4331-2083-1; e-ISBN 978-1-4539-0945-4; ISSN 1089-0645.

This book is a revision of C.'s doctoral dissertation under John Sailhamer. It argues that ‘the sanctuary, O Lord, that your hands have established’ in Exod. 15.17 refers not to Solomon's temple, but to an eschatological sanctuary built not with human hands but by the hand of the Lord. The highlight is ch. 1, which rehearses thoroughly the history of interpretation, and succeeds in showing that early awareness of various translational possibilities has been lost in the past 500 years, where interpreters, in C.'s judgment, tend to pass down the received wisdom of others. Some early readers do perceive eschatological reference here. One suspects that they did not do so, however, in anything like the ‘compositional’ terms that C. then develops to show that attempts to read Exod. 15.17 as fulfilled in Solomon's temple all fall short. This usually takes the form of arguing that it is possible so to construe all other texts about the Temple that they do not match what Exod. 15.17 says, and also to construe texts of eschatological anticipation so that they do match it. One may agree: this is possible. But whether it is likely, or more plausible than seeing Solomon's temple as in view, at least sometimes, is really the question. C. appears to think all texts must point the same way, and that he can bring them all into line. Had he suggested that one reading of Exod. 15.17 is to allow for eschatological possibilities this might have been more persuasive. The book is generally well presented, except that the very first footnote of the book refers to a later discussion in ‘chapter two … pp. 71–79’, when in fact it is in chapter three, pp. 53–58.

Davies, Eryl W., Numbers: The Road to Freedom (Phoenix Guides to the Old Testament, 4; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. x + 85. £12.95. ISBN 978-1-909697-69-0.

This volume is one of the new Sheffield Phoenix Guides to the Old Testament that are intended as updates and replacements of the older Sheffield series. The five chapters are ‘Introductory Issues’, ‘Numbers and Biblical Criticism’, ‘Themes in Numbers’, ‘Problematic Passages’, and ‘Historical Value and Contemporary Relevance’. Within these chapters, a selection of significant topics that relate to the book are addressed, including title; summary of content; composition and date; structure; reader-response, feminist and postcolonial criticism; land; purity and holiness; rebellion; the censuses in Numbers; the Balaam tradition; and the wilderness itinerary in Numbers 33, together with considerations of the historical value and contemporary relevance of the biblical book. Helpful bibliographies on the various aspects of Numbers covered conclude each chapter. A short index of subjects and an index of authors appear at the end of the book. By and large, D. follows mainstream interpretations of Numbers in terms of its dating and composition, with an outline of the contours of past scholarship along the way. However, recent German redactional approaches to Numbers are not surveyed, and in apparent broad correlation with this there is generally a lack of considering Numbers as part of a wider work. Postcolonial exploration in this guide is also limited to an isolated, even if not insignificant, example, in view of the wider issue of violence relating to the Israelite conquest tradition of which Numbers is part. With these caveats, the guide is in my view overall a lucid, accessible and useful introduction to the book of Numbers.

Edelman, Diana V., Philip R. Davies, Christophe Nihan and Thomas Römer, Clés pour le Pentateuque. État de la recherche et thèmes fondamentaux (Le monde de la Bible, 65; Geneva: Labor et Fides, 2013), pp. 239. €25.00. ISBN 978-2-8309-1518-1.

This is a French translation of the 2012 English original Opening the Books of Moses, reviewed in B.L. 2013 (p. 77), where it was warmly welcomed as ‘an excellent introduction’. Its focus on Persian-period final-form texts leads into an engagement with the Pentateuch in its socio-political and religious contexts, and makes for a well-conceived and clearly executed study.

Ederer, Matthias, Aufbrüche zur Exodustheologie. Das Itinerar Num 33,1-49 als theologische Deutung der Wüstenzeit Israels (Stuttgarter Bibelstudien, 231; Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2014), pp. 195. €27.50. ISBN 978-3-460-03314-6.

In this volume E. executes a detailed study of the itinerary in Numbers 33. His interest is not the geographical details that have detained many other interpreters, but the chapter's theology. E. identifies Numbers 33 as a late composition, and pursues the theology through attention to inner-biblical interpretation. The first substantive chapter is devoted to vv. 1–2 and its relationships to Num. 9.15–23 and 10.11–28 (and ultimately Exod. 40.34–38). These echoes ensure that the first post-Sinai station is viewed as paradigmatic: Yhwh leads the people in the cloud for the entire forty years. The reference to Egypt alludes to Exod. 6.1–7.7 and 12.41, 51 and incorporates the wilderness wanderings into the exodus event. The following chapter examines the rest of the itinerary. E. observes how Numbers 33 is structured by references to the ‘edge’ of the wilderness (vv. 6, 37). At either end of the wilderness are two narratives: the death of the firstborn, which underlines Yhwh's defeat of the Egyptian gods, and the death of Aaron, after which the conquest begins. A final chapter discusses the reference to Moses writing down the itinerary (v. 2), and contrasts it to other texts where Moses is portrayed writing down laws. This last example highlights the strengths of E.'s work: its careful attention to detail in order to demonstrate how Numbers 33 alludes to earlier texts, but alters them in subtle ways. In doing so E. succeeds in making his case that Numbers 33 is a theological composition.

Garrett, Duane A., A Commentary on Exodus (Kregel Exegetical Library; Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014), pp. 741. $39.99/£26.99. ISBN 978-0-8254-2551-6. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This substantial commentary, combining exegetical and theological analysis, is aimed at scholars and Christian ministers. The perspective is confessional and conservative. Hebrew is used intermittently, without transliteration, but is largely found in the footnotes, along with some of the reasoning behind particular interpretations of the text. This leaves the main commentary uncluttered and fairly concise for the benefit of the more general reader; in each section, careful exegesis is followed by a clear theological summary of key points aimed particularly at the preacher. In his introduction, G. outlines features of Egyptology and then devotes significant space to arguing for the historicity of the exodus events. As part of this he considers the location of particular places (but curiously includes no maps), opting tentatively for Mt Bedr in Arabia as the location of Mt Sinai. This major historical emphasis, also found in some of the intermittent excursuses, can become tedious for readers with other concerns (such as the history of interpretation, which is not examined at all). G. translates the biblical text on a clause-by-clause basis, aiming to demonstrate how the language flows. He also focuses closely on analysing poems embedded in the narrative, identifying eight of these (such as 6.2–8, 19.3–6 and 29.42–46, in addition to the more familiar 15.1–18 and 34.6–7). From their placement at key points throughout the narrative and their Yahwistic focus, G. argues that these may originally have had liturgical and pedagogical functions. This is an interesting and distinctive feature of the commentary.

Giuntoli, Federico and Konrad Schmid (eds.), The Post-Priestly Pentateuch: New Perspectives on its Redactional Development and Theological Profiles (FAT, 101; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. viii + 351. €114.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153121-7; e-ISBN 978-3-16-153833-9 (PDF); ISSN 0940-4155.

This collection of 17 essays (11 in English and 6 in German) is in honour of Jean Louis Ska and his esteemed contribution to Pentateuchal studies, on the occasion of his 70th birthday. Perhaps oddly, about half the essays offer some form of warm acknowledgment of this occasion, while half make no mention of Ska at all. The focus is on the increasingly recognized existence of post-Priestly redactions and elements, contributing to the development of the final form of the Pentateuch appearing in the Persian and even Hellenistic periods. The essays are: ‘Von der Diaskeuase zur nachendredaktionellen Fortschreibung. Die Geschichte der Erforschung der nachpriesterschriftlichen Redaktionsgeschichte des Pentateuch’ (Konrad Schmid); ‘Strong and Weak Cases and Criteria for Establishing the Post-Priestly Character of Hexateuchal Material’ (David M. Carr); ‘How to Speak about GOD with Non-Israelites: Some Observations about the Use of Names for God by Israelites and Pagans in the Pentateuch’ (Reinhard Achenbach); ‘The Formative Impact of the Hexateuch Redaction. An Interim Result’ (Rainer Albertz); ‘Ruth, the Pentateuch and the Nature of Biblical Law: In Conversation with Jean Louis Ska’ (Bernard S. Jackson); ‘A Post-Priestly Harmonization in the Flood Narrative’ (Bernard M. Levinson); ‘Die Väterverheißungen: Eine Bestandsaufnahme’ (Christoph Levin); ‘The “Covenant of Circumcision” (Gen 17) in the Context of the Abraham Cycle (Gen 11:27–25:11). Preliminary Considerations’ (Joseph Blenkinsopp); ‘Gen 20–22 als nachpriesterliche Erweiterung der Vätergeschichte’ (Matthias Köckert); ‘The Admonitions Not to Leave the Promised Land in Genesis 24 and 26 and the Authorization in Genesis 46’ (Alexander Rofé); ‘The Joseph Story: Pre-P or Post-P?’ (Thomas Römer); ‘Ephraim, Manasseh, and Post-Exilic Israel: A Study of the Redactional Expansions in Gen 48 Regarding Joseph's Sons’ (Federico Giuntoli); ‘Zusammenhang, Trennung und Selbständigkeit der Bücher Genesis und Exodus im priesterlichen und nachpriesterlichen Pentateuch’ (Jan C. Gertz); ‘Der Stab des Mose in der vor- und nachpriesterlichen Redaktion des Pentateuch’ (Ludwig Schmidt); ‘Die “Sinai-Overtüre” in Ex 19,3b–9 als nachpriesterliche Verbindung zwischen Pentateuch und Vorderen Propheten. Mal'ak-, Hexateuch- oder Enneateuch-Fortschreibung?’ (Hans-Christoph Schmitt); ‘Leviticus 26:39–46 and the Post-Priestly Composition of Leviticus. Some Remarks in Light of Recent Discussion’ (Christophe Nihan); and ‘The Integration of the Post-Exilic Book of Deuteronomy into the Post-Priestly Pentateuch’ (Eckart Otto). Schmid's opening review emphasizes that this kind of enquiry is at an early stage, but the volume as a whole demonstrates that there is plenty more coming in this vein (including one forthcoming ‘farewell to P’, apparently). The gradual disintegration of the documentary hypothesis is engagingly charted by Otto in the form of a personal narrative of how his mind has changed and why. Carr, meanwhile, weighs in with caution about whether post-Priestly activity is really as common as most of the continental contributors seem to think, and proposes what he calls ‘Priestly wash’ as a phenomenon of the adding of small Priestly elements to prior texts. This book is not the clearest account of the current state of Pentateuchal discussion, and it will not long remain the most recent. For most it may be worth waiting to see what comes out longer term in the wash, Priestly or otherwise.

Halton, Charles, James K. Hoffmeier, Gordon John Wenham and Kenton Sparks, Genesis: History, Fiction, Or Neither? Three Views on the Bible's Earliest Chapters (Counterpoints; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2015), pp. 173. $16.99 (print); $10.99 (e-book). ISBN 978-0-310-51494-7; e-ISBN 978-0-310-51495-4.

This is a volume in Zondervan's Counterpoints series, in which evangelical scholars explain and respond to each other's views. Halton's ‘Introduction’ introduces the study of genre, highlighting the discovery of ANE texts and G. von Rad's influence, and explains that the three scholars were invited to identify the genre of Genesis 1–11, explain their identification, explore the implications, and apply this to the Nephilim, Flood, and Babel episodes. Hoffmeier's ‘Genesis 1–11 as History and Theology’ argues on the basis of genealogies, geography and memory. The source-critical approach is critiqued, as is presumed Israelite dependence on ANE texts. Wenham's ‘Genesis 1–11 as Protohistory’ suggests it is an ‘expanded genealogy’, the narratives being expansions of a genealogical backbone. ‘Myth’ is avoided in favour of ‘protohistory’, i.e. literary portraits of paradigms or principles (that critique ANE [Babylonian] traditions) which are not thereby ‘history’ tout simple. Sparks’ ‘Genesis 1–11 as Ancient Historiography’ sees Israelite dependence on older ANE genres (genealogy, myth, tale, legend, etc.) and re-labels Genesis's underlying sources: an ‘Antiquarian’ and an ‘Apologist’, later edited by an ‘Anthologist’. Genesis is not ‘history’ as moderns understand it; nor is it defensible scientifically. Halton's ‘Conclusion’ recommends that as the history of interpretation is so changeable, charity (following Augustine) should characterize interaction in such debates. The scholars by and large meet the brief; and the responses to each other's views are instructive. That the interpretations offered are arguably constrained by a modernist ‘history vs myth’ paradigm is offset somewhat by acknowledgments of traditional Christian interpretations.

Johnstone, William, Exodus 1–19 (Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary; Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2014), pp. xxiv + 479 + CD-ROM. Numerous figures. $60.00. ISBN 978-1-57312-728-8.

Johnstone, William, Exodus 20–40 (Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary; Macon, GA: Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2014), pp. xxvi + 518 + CD-ROM. Numerous figures. $60.00. ISBN 978-1-57312-729-5.

The Smyth & Helwys commentary series may be too little known in the UK. It provides an unusual but often successful blending of detailed textual commentary, theological and cultural reflection, and striking visual presentation. The visual element is wide-ranging. Multiple illustrations draw helpfully on artistic reception—such as the bronze doors on the Church of the Madeleine in Paris illustrating each of the Ten Commandments—or make use of photos, for example, of phylacteries or, on the last page, Durham Cathedral. Wide-ranging textual ‘side-bars’ variously offer mini-excursuses, poetic or literary companion texts, or linguistic clarifications. The whole is then reproduced on a CD-ROM attached to each inside cover, making it all searchable. These two volumes add up to over 1000 pages, of which 830 are commentary proper. The introduction is brief, 25 pages, and (perhaps surprisingly) more or less reproduced in the second volume. It moves the reader at high speed through contrasting P and D accounts, which the author (of the commentary, probably best not abbreviated to ‘J’!) uses to attempt some theological dialogue between alternative views of various key issues. It then offers some orientation to the tasks of reading Exodus as Christian Scripture. The introduction also contains a lucid and thought-provoking account of the wondrous Verduner Altarpiece, suitably if only partially illustrated: the best account in English that I have seen of its typological rendering of OT and NT panels (though the coverage is awkwardly spliced between the two volumes). The breadth of interest represented across this bridge from Pentateuchal criticism to artistic typology well captures the generous reach of these two volumes. The discussions generally move sequentially from ‘Commentary’ to ‘Connections’ subheadings, but the interweaving of side-bars and illustrations effects a more integrated treatment than is sometimes attained in such projects. The results will doubtless stretch readers beyond their main interests in one direction or the other, but there is surely real merit in working across the mixed frames of reference. Where else will one move in short order from ‘P's Critique of the D-version's Final Plague Narrative’ to ‘Religion and the Fall of Communism in Eastern Europe’? Johnstone's conviction that D effects a major theological statement extending into the books of Kings dissuades him from adopting the language of ‘non-P’. P is taken to offer a postexilic vision for the nature of life back in the land. The D/P discussion seems to intensify as the two volumes progress, culminating in extensive summarizing and cross-comparison at the end of Exodus 34, where Johnstone hazards the interesting suggestion that D's interests tend toward ‘justification’ and P's to ‘sanctification’ (suitably construed). This discussion is then followed by George Herbert's celebrated ‘Love’ poem, with analysis. With many such juxtapositions, this is a consistently surprising, stretching, and refreshing commentary, to which I shall return often. May it provoke wide reflection both on Exodus and on the nature of careful and critical Christian commentary on Old Testament texts.

Klingbeil, Gerald A. (ed.), The Genesis Creation Account and its Reverberations in the Old Testament (Berrien Springs, MI: Andrews University Press, 2015), pp. xii + 395. $24.99. ISBN 978-1-940980-09-6.

Ten authors all attached to Seventh-Day Adventist educational institutions contribute to this compendium of resources on creation in Genesis and how it is taken up in the rest of the OT (which is presumed to have the account of Genesis 1–2 to hand, as written by Moses, one gathers). A second volume on New Testament reverberations is also promised. Articles are ‘Introduction’ (Gerald A. Klingbeil); ‘The Unique Cosmology of Genesis 1 against Ancient Near Eastern and Egyptian Parallels’ (Gerhard F. Hasel and Michael G. Hasel); ‘The Myth of the Solid Heavenly Dome: Another Look at the Hebrew rāqîa’ (Randall W. Younker and Richard M. Davidson); ‘The Genesis Account of Origins’ (Richard M. Davidson); ‘Creation Revisited: Echoes of Genesis 1 and 2 in the Pentateuch’ (Paul Gregor); ‘The Creation Theme in Psalm 104’ (Richard M. Davidson); ‘The Creation Theme in Selected Psalms’ (Alexej Murán); ‘Genesis and Creation in the Wisdom Literature’ (Ángel M. Rodríguez); ‘Creation in the Prophetic Literature of the Old Testament: An Intertextual Approach’ (Martin G. Klingbeil); ‘Biblical Creationism and Ancient Near Eastern Evolutionary Ideas’ (Ángel M. Rodríguez); and ‘“When Death Was Not Yet”: The Testimony of Biblical Creation’ (Jacques B. Doukhan). Four of the pieces, including the cornerstone chapter on the Genesis account by Davidson, are revisions of articles originally appearing elsewhere in scholarly Adventist journals. The distinctives of Adventist hermeneutics seem to locate it among very conservative dialogue partners, finding even those who are generally thought to be conservative evangelicals to be on the daringly creative side. There is occasional mention of congruence with the writings of Ellen White, though concerns over the Sabbath are perhaps surprisingly low-key, given the provenance. One is not surprised to see that ‘literal’ is taken to mean ‘factual’ (rather than ‘what the text says’, i.e. according to the letter); or that intertextuality is connected to authorial intent. But the result is a volume that will interest only the most conservative of readers. As to whether Adventist hermeneutics will inherit the (young) earth: it seems unlikely.

Knafl, Anne K., Forming God: Divine Anthropomorphism in the Pentateuch (Siphrut, 12; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2014), pp. xiv + 311. $54.50. ISBN 978-1-57506-316-4.

This book derives from K.'s doctoral dissertation under Michael Fishbane at the University of Chicago. It bears all the dense hallmarks of the dissertation genre, and is heavily invested in detailed source-critical constructions of the Pentateuch such as have characterized some recent American scholarship (e.g. Joel Baden, Jeffrey Stackert), where J and E are two distinct sources out of 4 (or 5, with H), in a non-supplemental theory. The focus is the fascinating question of how God is described in anthropomorphic terms, addressed by K. entirely with regard to authorial intent, which is to say in terms of the conceptualities of the originating contexts of the sources. The study proceeds in six chapters with exemplary structural clarity: an introduction surveys the field and clarifies the questions; then ch. 2 outlines the methodology and pursues an illuminating test-case of (appropriately defined) anthropomorphism in Gen. 1.1–2.4a, hitherto largely overlooked because of presuppositions about P and its possible polemics. Chapters 3–5 then take up the three focal issues of divine body, divine location, and divine (inter-)action, working through the sources serially in each case in detailed exegetical examination. Synthetic conclusions are held for the final chapter, which opens with a typology suggesting six headings of corporal, proximate, interactive, characteristic, social and mediated anthropomorphism, though these labels do scant justice to the richly detailed conceptualities developed. Concluding source-critical thoughts emphasize that there is no evidence for an overall evolutionary approach (where P might seek to move away from J's anthropomorphisms, for example), nor for any source being fundamentally a polemic against others. The cross-comparison of sources suggests instead a good deal of basic agreement though with differing emphases. This is really a fascinating book that cuts through much confusion on an important topic. The dismantling of an ‘immanent/transcendent’ polarity is one such highlight. Three brief reflections: the source-critical work is obviously only one construction, and will require those with other views to reconstruct the data presented here in different configurations; the self-imposed limitation to original conceptuality is a little frustrating, since what is at stake is the attempt to analyse the phenomena presented in the text, and it is by no means obvious why later philosophical-theological categories are to be ruled out a priori given the inherent difficulty of explicating the issues, such as divine action, for example; and this reviewer would have liked divine speech as action to be included as one topic for analysis—it makes brief appearance in various places and is sometimes admitted to be opaque with regard to knowing what the text intends to portray (there is a useful summary at p. 262), but arguably it is an important basic example of anthropomorphism. Important conceptual issues are everywhere in this book, and K.'s patient analysis is a valuable step along a path with interesting developments surely still to come.

Landy, Francis, Leigh M. Trevaskis and Bryan D. Bibb (eds.), Text, Time, and Temple: Literary, Historical and Ritual Studies in Leviticus (Hebrew Bible Monographs, 64; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. xii + 239. £60.00/$95.00/€70.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-51-5; ISSN 1747-9614.

A helpful opening chapter (Bryan D. Bibb, ‘Introduction: Leviticus in Text and Tradition’) succinctly sets out recent investigation of Leviticus and summarizes the following 12 contributions: Michael B. Hundley, ‘Divine Fluidity? The Priestly Texts in their Ancient Near Eastern Contexts’; Jonathan P. Burnside, ‘The Medium and the Message: Necromancy and the Literary Context of Leviticus 20’; Israel Knohl, ‘P and the Traditions of Northern Syria and Southern Anatolia’; Reinhard Müller, ‘The Sanctifying Divine Voice: Observations on the ‭הוהי ינא‬-formula in the Holiness Code’; James Watts, ‘The Historical and Literary Contexts of the Sin and Guilt Offerings’; Christophe Nihan, ‘The Templization of Israel in Leviticus: Some Remarks on Blood Disposal and kipper in Leviticus 4’; Leigh M. Trevaskis, ‘Dangerous Liaisons: Sex and the Menstruating Woman in Leviticus’; Deborah Rooke, ‘The Blasphemer (Leviticus 24): Gender, Identity and Boundary Construction’; Francis Landy, ‘For Whom God's Name Is Blotted Out’; Rüdiger Schmitt, ‘Leviticus 14.33–57 as Intellectual Ritual’; Ida Fröhlich, ‘Sexual Rhetoric and Historical Interpretation: Leviticus 18 in the Context of Deuteronomic Historiography and Historical Interpretation at Qumran’; Jeremy Milgrom, ‘Growing up with Leviticus’. The articles range from lengthy to brief, and from the speculative to the exegetical to the synthetic. The influence of Jacob Milgrom is frequently evident, and the closing personal reflection by his son is a fitting conclusion to a varied collection. Whatever their interests, it is likely that readers will find essays here from which they will profit greatly.

Neef, Heinz-Dieter, Die Prüfung Abrahams. Eine exegetisch-theologische Studie zu Gen 22,1-19 (Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2nd rev. edn, 2014), pp. xii + 160. €19.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153099-9.

This small book (of about 35,000 words) offers a scholarly engagement with the text and theme of Genesis 22, but omits its reception history. The first edition (not noticed in B.L.) appeared in 1998. The first 50 pages give a Forschungsgeschichte covering the last 45 years. This has a bias towards German-language works; the name of Jon Levenson does not appear, and R.W.L. Moberly's significant treatment in Bible, Theology and Faith is also missing. N.'s own treatment begins with a translation, philological notes and a discussion of structure, followed by notes on language and style, before the verse-by-verse exegesis. This covers most questions in 22 pages, and is reasonably perceptive. Questions of tradition and literary history follow, before the theology in the last ten pages. N. associates the pericope with a pre-P ‘jehovistic’ redaction, and dates it towards the end of the seventh century. He emphasizes the close connections of the passage with other stories of Abraham, and especially the close parallels with 21.8–21—the only difference being that the threat of Isaac's death is a test. This theme is the leitmotif of N.'s treatment. It is a story of trust, but above all of Anfechtung, not only for Abraham but also for the reader. Abraham passes the test because he knows his God is to be trusted. The ethical question since Kant is reached only on the final page. The challenge for Abraham is not to commit an inhuman act in blind obedience, but to trust God in the hardest straits.

Peleg, Yitzhak (Itzik), Going Up and Going Down: A Key to Interpreting Jacob's Dream (Gen. 28.10–22) (trans. Betty Rozen; LHBOTS, 609; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xviii + 294. £75.00/$120.00 (print); £69.99/ $107.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56766-025-1; e-ISBN 978-0-56766-026-8.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Rees, Anthony, Voices of the Wilderness: An Ecological Reading of the Book of Numbers (The Earth Bible Commentary, 5; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. viii + 128. £50.00/$75.00/€60.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-90-4.

This book is concerned with listening to the non-human voices in Numbers, and each section ends with a short, imaginative, first-person account from such a perspective. Some of the ‘characters’ R. considers are the red heifer, holy water, Balaam's donkey, stones and wood used as weapons and, of course, the land, though R. distinguishes between different types of land, such as the wilderness and Canaan. For each topic, there is a subheading, ‘Suspicion’, where he reads the text suspiciously or, to use his terms, he situates the texts ‘in the wilderness’ (p. 118). He deems God to have wasted the quail to make a point in Numbers 11: ‘In short, Yhwh's attitude towards the created order in this chapter is dismissive, disrespectful and destructive’ (p. 44). R. refers throughout to Mother Earth, or simply Earth, and claims that ‘Earth and Yhwh are partners in production of life from Earth’ (p. 67). At times, arguably, he overstates his case and his rhetoric cannot always be substantiated, but he makes some interesting points. For instance, he considers that the dust, which carries in it echoes of death (though also, paradoxically, of life as well), threatens the holiness of the holy water in Num. 5.11–31. Another example is his suggestion that since donkeys live for about 45 years, some of them might have lived through and survived the wilderness experience, unlike their human counterparts. Polemic in places, provocative and postmodern, the book deserves a hearing, not least because it gives a voice to the voiceless.

Römer, Thomas, Moïse en version originale. Enquête sur le récit de la sortie d’Égypte (Exode 1–15) (Montrouge: Bayard; Geneva: Labor et Fides, 2015), pp. 278. Several figures. €19.90. ISBN 978-2-227-48837-3 (Bayard), 978-2-8309-1584-6 (Labor et Fides).

The origins of this volume lie in a course on Exodus, given in the Collège de France. The introduction highlights the importance of the figure of Moses, suggesting that the whole Pentateuch can be read as his biography (p. 9). Here detailed consideration is given to the beginning of the story of Moses. For each of the successive sections there is a translation plus discussion of the text, with particular emphasis on identifying the original version of the story and the subsequent redactional layers. A real strength of R.'s treatment is a concern not simply for identifying layers but for suggesting possible contexts or reasons for the additions or alterations. Attention is drawn to other texts or traditions, biblical or non-biblical, with which authors or editors may have been familiar. An interesting example is the possibility that at Exod. 1.10 and 4.6–7 the redactor(s) knew the traditions credited to the third-century bce Egyptian priest Manetho. Consideration is also given to other suggested ancient parallels to the story of Moses. The possibility that in telling of the birth of Moses the narrator deliberately draws a parallel with that of Sargon, the founder of Assyrian civilization, is considered likely, whereas suggested links between Moses and Akhenaten are dismissed as belonging ‘au domaine de la “science-fiction”’ (p. 80). There are helpful treatments of numerous important issues such as the meaning of the Tetragrammaton, and the historicity of the Exodus traditions. It is good that this ‘course’ is now available to a wider audience.

Sklar, Jay, Leviticus: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 3; Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014), pp. 336. Several tables. $18.00 (print); $14.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-8308-4284-1; e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9586-1.

The first series of Tyndale OT Commentaries served its constituency well, but the march of time sees a new series in production. The new commentaries, in keeping with the old, clarify content and explain contemporary relevance for Christian readers. S.'s Leviticus replaces the 1980 volume by R.K. Harrison which in some respects it resembles. S. believes that the Late Bronze Age provides a plausible date for much of Leviticus, concluding that Moses was, in the main, its ‘source and author … although it may include later editorial work’ (p. 35). S. is conversant with recent Pentateuchal scholarship, but here attends to the final form of the text, sitting lightly even to the P/H distinction reflected in much scholarly discussion. The 2011 niv translation is the default modern version cited, although S. is clearly working at first hand with the Hebrew text of the MT. Theologically, S. sees a ‘suzerain-vassal covenant’ providing the overarching context, in which the ‘holiness of the covenant king’ plays a central role. The issue of the applicability of Levitical law is a perennial question for Christian readers. S. discusses the matter helpfully, categorizing the laws of Leviticus according to a small set of discriminators, including pertinence for the ‘theocratic nation’, NT repetition, and new covenant fulfillment. Beyond these categories, S. argues for the continuing value of all the legal material for Christian theology and ethics. S. provides thoughtful and illuminating comment with even-handed coverage across the book as a whole—a worthy addition to the new TOTC series.

Tongue, Samuel, Between Biblical Criticism and Poetic Rewriting: Interpretative Struggles over Genesis 32:22–32 (Biblical Interpretation Series, 129; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2014), pp. xii + 292. €115.00/$149.00. ISBN 978-90-04-27040-4; e-ISBN 978-90-04-27115-9; ISSN 0928-0731.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Uhlenbruch, Frauke, The Nowhere Bible: Utopia, Dystopia, Science Fiction (Studies of the Bible and its Reception, 4; Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2015), pp. x + 210. €99.95/$140.00/£74.99. ISBN 978-3-11-041154-6; e-ISBN 978-3-11-041427-1 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-041417-2 (PDF); ISSN 2195-450X.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Wagner-Tsukamoto, Sigmund A., The Economics of Paradise: On the Onset of Modernity in Antiquity (Basingstoke: Palgrave Macmillan, 2015), pp. xiv + 262. £75.00. ISBN 978-1-137-28769-4; e-ISBN 978-1-137-28771-7 (e-Pub), 978-1-137-28770-0 (PDF).

The author is a specialist in ‘constitutional and institutional economics’, which he treats as a normative as well as a descriptive science. He has written extensively on the OT; an earlier book, Is God an Economist? (2009), was not noted in B.L. His thesis is that the Eden story, so far from being an archaic myth, presents a transaction that makes sense in modern economic terms, and its outcome is the essential precondition for subsequent biblical stories; the modern understanding of ‘economics as ethics’ is found here already and not first in the eighteenth century—hence the subtitle. Paradise was not a paradise; Adam and Eve were subject to an authoritarian regime that deprived them of significant capital goods without their consent, whereas rules for the exchange of capital in a society should be agreed by all. The concept of homo economicus applies to all the actors in the story, and the ‘prisoner's dilemma’ game is helpful in assessing gains and losses for them all. W.-T. considers that Adam and Eve's new-found liberty outweighed their loss, but God lost overall. Hobbesian anarchy resulted, but human liberty enabled more consensual arrangements later. There is some fresh insight here, but it is not clear why, as an economic actor, God should not have carried out his threat and started again (compare Exod. 32.10!); and the biblical covenants are hardly consensual. The book is tiresomely repetitious: 50 pages would have sufficed for a concise presentation. R.W.L. Moberly's name is misspelt throughout.

Walton, John H., The Lost World of Adam and Eve: Genesis 2–3 and the Human Origins Debate (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), pp. 255. $17.00 (print); $13.99 (e-book). ISBN 978-0-8308-2461-8; e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9771-1.

W., rightly regarded as a leading authority on early Genesis and on the ancient Near Eastern background of the OT, presents 21 ‘Propositions’ relating to Genesis 2–3, starting with ‘Genesis is an Ancient Document’. He reaffirms his view that Genesis 1 is not about material origins but, rather, functionality and the creation of sacred space for divine residence. The second creation narrative is now explained in similar terms. Unfortunately, W. seems not to have taken into account the responses to his earlier The Lost World of Genesis One (2009; reviewed in B.L. 2011, pp. 157–58). The constant use of the term ‘sacred space’, for all its currency elsewhere, is unfortunate in that it paves the way for eisegesis and over-sophistication. There is an excursus within Proposition 19, by N.T. Wright on Paul's use of Adam, which agrees with W. on functionality and sacred space. Whether the involvement of a Wright brother will make the machine fly is a fair question. Occasionally—in general ways and in particulars (pp. 31, 80)—W. brings to mind the attempt of P.J. Wiseman (among others) in the 1940s to demonstrate that Genesis 1 (sic) is about visionary experiences of creative acts (Wiseman averring that ‘made’ could be translated ‘show’, as in the English ‘show [Heb. ‘made, did’] mercy’). Both Wiseman and Walton, in effect, attempt to create secular space within the biblical text for some version of evolutionary human development and its corollaries—a defensive exercise that many readers will regard as a category mistake.

Wiener, Nancy H. and Jo Hirschmann, Maps and Meaning: Levitical Models for Contemporary Care (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2014), pp. xvi + 265. $39.00. ISBN 978-1-4514-8294-2; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-8754-1.

The context of the book is the need to offer rational commentary on Levitical regulations which can appear bizarre to Jewish and non-Jewish readers alike. A further interest comes from the authors’ work as rabbis in healthcare settings, which gives the book its pastoral dimension. The authors establish a link between science and theology in the concept of ‘neuro-theology’, which aligns the mapping of meaning by human beings with aspects of ritual behaviour. Key issues are the ways in which human beings orient themselves by engaging geography, time and self. The writers argue that biblical books use narratives to map out inner worlds and that these stories often deal with marginal states and trauma. In this framework the book explores the cartography of the P worldview in relation to two main categories of marginal state: the leper and the warrior. The writers reflect on the profile both of diseased person and of priestly healer, and on the warrior who has shed blood and the rituals to gain forgiveness. These investigations draw on the texts of Leviticus and Numbers and conclude that there is a symbolic priest, prophet and pastor in each one of us.

Ziegert, Carsten, Diaspora als Wüstenzeit. Übersetzungswissenschaftliche und theologische Aspekte des griechischen Numeribuches (BZAW, 480; Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2015), pp. xii + 340. €99.95/$140.00/£74.99. ISBN 978-3-11-042502-4; e-ISBN 978-3-11-042137-8 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-042126-2 (PDF); ISSN 0934-2575.

For a review of this volume, see Section 4 above.

II. Former Prophets (Joshua, Judges, Samuel, Kings)

Baziomo, Raoul, La Famille de Saül dans le conflit Saül versus David. Étude de la construction narrative des personnages de Jonathan, Mérav et Mikal (FAT 2, 78; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xiv + 301. €84.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153682-3; ISSN 1611-4914.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Beal, Lissa M. Wray, 1 & 2 Kings (Apollos Old Testament Commentary, 9; Nottingham: Apollos; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), pp. 615. £32.99/$36.00 (print); $29.60 (e-book). ISBN 978-1-78359-031-5 (Apollos), 978-0-8308-2509-7 (IVP); e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9622-6.

This new addition to the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series begins with a short introduction which provides an overview of the contents of Kings, and discusses the book's distinctive features, authorship and date, genre (defined as historiography), and theology. It also contains a useful section on the problem posed by chronology. As with other commentaries in this series the translation and notes on the Hebrew text are followed by three sections. ‘Form and structure’ deals with literary and sometimes also historical issues, ‘Comment’ focuses on exegesis, and ‘Explanation’ seeks to connect some of the central theological themes to the wider canon. B. shows awareness of the diachronic dimensions of the text but her focus is on its final form. Her literary analysis is, on the whole, sound. The ambiguous portrayal of Solomon is helpfully pointed out and the paradigmatic nature of some of the prophetic figures in Kings is recognized. B. creatively tries to imagine how the exilic readership of Kings would have read the narratives and uses this effectively as a springboard for her own theological reflections. More problematic is her approach to history. The analysis of the historical background of the events described in Kings is very scanty and does not recognize the fact that the historical veracity of some of them is hotly debated at the moment. The bibliography contains some striking omissions. Barring these problems, this is a good addition to the series and a tool which more conservative readers will find helpful.

Bezzel, Hannes, Saul: Israels König in Tradition, Redaktion und früher Rezeption (FAT, 97; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xii + 303. €94.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153684-7; ISSN 0940-4155.

This Habilitationsschrift at Jena (supervisor: Uwe Becker) seeks to trace the development of the Saul tradition in the Bible by traditio-historical analysis. However, essential to its method is the interpretation of the Saul tradition in later biblical and extra-biblical sources. In the Bible B. looks at Chronicles, then in Jewish literature Ben Sira, Qumran (especially 4Q252 [Commentary on Genesis A]), Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum, and the Antiquities of Josephus. The oldest set of Saul traditions is seen to be in 1 Samuel 9–10, 11 and 14.47–51. This was expanded to a Saul-Samuel cycle of traditions in 1 Samuel 1, 4, 9–10, 13–14, 29 and 31. Finally, in a third phase this was connected with the David tradition. An appendix summarizes the presumed development by giving a translation of the text, with the different phases marked in various typefaces. B.'s literary analysis has implications for the reconstruction of the history of Israel during this time, though he does not really spell these out. No doubt he would say that to do so was beyond his remit, but this reviewer for one regrets that.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr, A Commentary on Judges and Ruth (Kregel Exegetical Library; Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2013), pp. 697. $39.99/£23.99. ISBN 978-0-8254-2556-1. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

A Commentary on Judges and Ruth joins A Commentary on Exodus and A Commentary on the Psalms in Kregel's Exegetical Library series. The explicit aims of the series are to promote and serve an evangelical Christian agenda. The commentary is clearly organized, following a structure based on translation (using work on clausal structure), followed by exegesis, a literary and theological exposition and finally a section on homiletics. The book of Judges is read through the lens of deuteronomistic redaction, and takes seriously the findings of the historico-critical school. The debates about a more recent date for the redaction of Judges are not given an airing, nor are some of the recent suggestions that the book is to be read as a possible parody. While Judges receives a full historical treatment, the introduction to the book of Ruth is somewhat divorced from historical context (see the brief discussion on pp. 577–80). The book's main theme is understood to be the providence of God, a view which although partly correct eclipses the darker aspects of the book, e.g. the (potentially abusive) relationship between Ruth and Naomi, the ‘grooming’ of Ruth in ch. 3, and her lack of voice or agency in ch. 4. C.'s work is at its most useful in its exegetical exposition. There is limited engagement with feminist readings and postmodern methodologies and only a passing nod at reception history, so the reader will need to consult other commentaries for a fuller treatment. The footnotes are excellent and there is an extensive bibliography following the commentary on each book.

Eynikel, Erik and Tobias Nicklas (eds.), Samson: Hero or Fool? The Many Faces of Samson (Themes in Biblical Narrative, 17; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2014), pp. x + 244. Several figures. €103.00/$133.00. ISBN 978-90-04-26217-1; e-ISBN 978-90-04-26236-2; ISSN 1388-3909.

This is an entertaining and informative collection of papers presented to an international conference at the University of Nijmegen in April 2008, containing almost everything you wanted to know about Samson but were afraid to ask—well, almost everything. The text of Judges 13–16 is studied from different perspectives in order to investigate how the complex character of Samson lives on in later traditions. In ‘The Structure and Meaning of the Samson Narratives (Jud. 13–16)’ Elie Assis evaluates Samson as both hero and fool, whose acts of strength are triggered by his weakness for women. J. Cheryl Exum, ‘The Many Faces of Samson’, says he is multifaceted with many possible combinations of categories such as ‘heroic fool, foolish hero, trickster, tragic wild man, comic bandit, tragicomic-trickster-terrorist, foolish-freedom-fighter-type-of-hero, fool-for-love-Nazirite-judge, negative example and hero of the faith’ (p. 30). Susanne Gillmayer-Bucher, ‘A Hero Ensnared in Otherness? Literary Images of Samson’, shows Samson as a character who does not belong, while Lara van der Zee, ‘Samson and Samuel: Two Examples of Leadership’, argues that the theme of Judges 13–16 is leadership, and that Samuel (1 Samuel 7) shows an ideal picture of leadership in Israel (a challenging paper for this reviewer that sent me back to the text to reconsider my own reading). Cornelis Houtman, ‘Who Cut Samson's Hair? The Interpretation of Judges 16.19a’, shows that the answer to the question depends on how the reader imagines the posture of the couple—lying or sitting. In ‘The Septuagint Reading of the Samson Cycle’, Natalio Fernández Marcos argues that the Old Greek translation reflects the background of contemporary Hellenistic Judaism and identifies with Samson as hero-victim who is mocked by the Gentiles. Other papers are Ronit Nikolsky, ‘Rabbinic Discourse about Samson: Continuity and Change between the Tannaitic Culture to the Amoraic’; Tessel M. Jonquière, ‘Of Valour and Strength: The Samson Cycle in Josephus’ work: Jewish Antiquities 5.276–317’; Tobias Nicklas, ‘Kein Simson im Neuen Testament?’; Erick Eynikel, ‘Samson in Islamic Literature and in the Old Testament’; Kees Wisse, ‘Samson in Music’; Karin Schöpflin, ‘Samson in European Literature: Some Examples from English, French and German Poetry’; Klaas Spronk, ‘The Looks of a Hero: Some Aspects of Samson in Fine Arts’; and Reinhold Zwick, ‘Obsessive Love: Samson and Delilah Go to the Movies’. There are omissions in the collection. None have considered Samson's refusal of the offer of his sister-in-law which is strange if he has a weakness for women, as claimed (Assis, p. 6), and is a ‘fool for love’ (Exum, p. 14). Nor does any author speak up in defence of Samson; or should the ‘defence’ of such a problematic character be considered an implausible prospect? Does no one like this man? The collection would also have been enhanced with brief information about contributors. Unfortunately the high cost of this entertaining and readable volume militates against a wide readership.

Gilmour, Rachelle, Juxtaposition and the Elisha Cycle (LHBOTS, 598; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2014), pp. xiv + 250. £65.00/$120.00 (hardback edition); £19.99/$25.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56743-809-6 (hardback edition); e-ISBN 978-0-56743-251-3.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Gunkel, Hermann, Elijah, Yahweh, and Baal (ed. and trans. K.C. Hanson; Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2014), pp. viii + 97. $14.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-0186-5.

It has been 110 years since the publication of Gunkel's Elias, Jahve und Baal. Two of his early works appeared in English reasonably quickly (The Legends of Genesis [1901]; What Remains of the Old Testament and other Essays [1928]), but until now all other English versions have waited until the later decades of the last century and the first decade of this one. The editor of the present book was involved in two of these (Water for a Thirsty Land: Israelite Literature and Religion [2001]; Israel and Babylon: The Babylonian Influence on Israelite Religion [2009]), and he worked with this publisher for the second of them. They then drew his attention to a typescript in their archives containing someone's translation, which he says was ‘evidently finished in [sic] sometime before 1930’ (p. viii), and on that translation he bases this book. It is spoiled by several inelegant or erroneous uses of language, but fortunately not enough to prevent the reader for whom the German text is inaccessible from appreciating the gentle way Gunkel, the son and grandson of Lutheran pastors, was able to introduce the Formgeschichte of his age into the pulpit. He had already completed his work on Genesis in 1901 and this concise application of his method to the Elijah narrative will have been similarly seminal in its day.

Han, Samuel, Der ‘Geist’ in den Saul- und Davidgeschichten des 1. Samuelbuches (Arbeiten zur Bibel und ihrer Geschichte, 51; Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2015), pp. 232. €88.00. ISBN 978-3-374-04177-0.

H.'s study was originally his doctoral thesis, completed under W. Thiel at the Ruhr-Universität Bochum in 2014. H.'s concerns are broader than the title might suggest, as he is interested to explore what is signified by ruach in the Old Testament more generally, though all of this is examined with particular reference to the stories of Saul and David in 1 Samuel. The differing experiences of Saul and David are then examined through detailed studies of 1 Sam. 9.1–10.16, 11.1–11, 16.1–13, 16.14–23, 18.10–12, 19.8–10 and 19.18–24. Each narrative is examined through a broadly consistent pattern of literary criticism, tradition and redaction history, though H. varies the way he does this with each text. However, he is concerned to identify the layers in the text and how they relate to his overall approach. He also gives good attention to Saul's experience of the evil spirit. H. shows that the divine spirit is important for the origin of kingship, and works both to legitimate and de-legitimate kings. H. argues that the spirit traditions in Saul's story are earlier than those in David's rise and suggests subtle differences in how ruach is used in these two traditions. This is a useful contribution, but more so for the interpretation of 1 Samuel than the wider issue of how ruach is understood.

Jensen, David H., 1 & 2 Samuel (Belief: A Theological Commentary on the Bible; Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox, 2015), pp. xvi + 325. $40.00/£27.00. ISBN 978-0-664-26178-8 (paperback edition).

This commentary is a prime example of the Belief series of theological commentaries, being written by a professor of Reformed Theology at a Presbyterian seminary, and emphasizing theological reflection above historical-critical comment. Theological inspiration is naturally drawn from Aquinas, Calvin, Schleiermacher, Barth and so on, and historic confessions of the Presbyterian Church (USA), but also from more recent theologians of liberation (e.g. G. Gutiérrez), feminism and LGBT perspectives, among others. J.'s main interlocutors (or mentors?) as regards the text of Samuel itself are J. Cheryl Exum, Barbara Green, P. Kyle McCarter, Robert Polzin, Marti Steussy and Johanna Wijk-Bos. Perhaps as a result of the relative paucity of recent theological commentators on Samuel, these exert noticeable influence on J.'s interpretations, their views rarely subjected to critique on the basis of either the text or Christian tradition as one might have expected of a Presbyterian theologian. Radical criticisms of the character of God as portrayed in Samuel are quoted with interest, as are interpretations of the book and its characters as invariably anti-female and bigoted. One of J.'s most troubling comments quotes with approval a suggestion that David's treatment of the defeated Moabite army calls to mind Nazi death camps. Even so, J.'s deep reflection on each passage of the text is admirable. Topics for extended reflection are addressed with occasional theological essays, on the subjects of ‘God-language’ (Yhwh is never addressed with male pronouns in this commentary), ‘Sin’, ‘Christ as Prophet, Priest, and King’, ‘Pacifism, Just War, and Crusade’, ‘The Authority and Inspiration of Scripture’, ‘LGBT Theologies’, ‘Theology and the Use of the Law’, ‘Theology and Disability’, and ‘Election’. Other shorter discussions within the commentary itself include petitionary prayer, holiness of land, divine responsiveness, music, friendship, truth-telling, suicide, home, death and grief, submission to adversity, mercy, death and the cross, and God and nature. Since contemporary American experience is regularly in view, usually challenging conservative religious positions, the lack of any focused discussion on the oft-mentioned theme of foreigners is surprising. J.'s very honest Afterword is worth reading first, in that the word ‘struggle’ not only encapsulates his writing experience but also what is perhaps the distinctive feature of his theological response in this commentary, both to the text of Samuel and to his own theological tradition.

Johnson, Benjamin J.M., Reading David and Goliath in Greek and Hebrew: A Literary Approach (FAT 2, 82; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xiv + 270. €79.00. ISBN 978-3-16-154046-2; e-ISBN 978-3-16-154047-9 (PDF); ISSN 1611-4914.

For a review of this volume, see Section 4 above.

Joseph, Alison L., Portrait of the Kings: The Davidic Prototype in Deuteronomistic Poetics (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), pp. xii + 272. $39.00/£25.99. ISBN 978-1-4514-6566-2; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-6958-5.

In her revised doctoral dissertation, J. examines narrative techniques employed by the Deuteronomist in his presentation of the kings of Israel and Judah. She takes account of a ‘dual causality’ principle, whereby events can be attributed to ‘both historical and divine causality’ (p. 50), and identifies as particularly important a ‘prototype strategy’ whereby a particular construction of David in Kings is represented as the prototype of the ideal king. Despite early potential, Jeroboam fails to become ‘a second David’ and so becomes the prototype of the evil king. Subsequent kings are assessed in relation to these prototypes. Following two chapters that explore the poetics of the Davidic prototype and deuteronomistic poetics, four chapters present David, Jeroboam, Josiah and Manasseh before a brief concluding chapter. Throughout, J. follows F.M. Cross's double redaction theory with some modifications (e.g. the Manasseh material in 2 Kings 21 ‘includes a significant insertion of exilic material’ [p. 189]). Her Deuteronomist, who makes use of prophetic legends and other sources, is characterized ‘as both creative author and thoughtful and intentional editor’ (p. 109). Little attention is given to the Smend-Dietrich theory or to recent scholarship that might suggest a different approach. Her opinion that the LXX ‘is a midrash of sorts on the MT’ (p. 29) allows her to bypass the work of scholars such as A.G. Auld, J.C. Trebolle Barrera, R. Person and J. Van Seters and so to contend for a pre-deuteronomistic origin for the David stories in Samuel. Despite being tied (perhaps too closely for European taste!) to the Cross-Nelson approach, J. is to be commended for a valiant attempt to strengthen its foundations. Her book contains many insightful observations on the materials she addresses, particularly at a literary level, and should not be neglected.

Newkirk, Matthew, Just Deceivers: An Exploration of the Motif of Deception in the Books of Samuel (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 2015), pp. xviii + 244. 8 tables. £18.25 (print); £14.75 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-227-17550-7; e-ISBN 978-0-227-90519-7.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Park, Song-Mi Suzie, Hezekiah and the Dialogue of Memory (Emerging Scholars: Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), pp. xii + 318. $59.00. ISBN 978-1-4514-8522-6; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-9434-1.

This Harvard doctoral thesis examines the narratives about Hezekiah in 2 Kings 18–20, Isaiah 36–39, and 2 Chronicles 29–32. The main interest is in the redactional growth of each passage and also how each relates to the other. If a main thesis emerges it is that the usual view of a steady increase in Hezekiah's reputation is not as simple as often suggested. The relationship between the various stories in Kings is more complicated and Isaiah does not represent any such increase. The style of writing is attractive and the arguments are generally clear. Nevertheless it is hard not to feel some disappointment. The discussion generally picks and chooses between standard options on a number of critical topics with only modest tweaks here and there. Furthermore the range of secondary literature consulted is very limited. Several recent monographs in English do not even get mentioned, and the use of German and French scholarship is negligible, being mainly confined to works which have appeared in translation or where it looks as though P. is relying on the way material is reported by other scholars. This is, perhaps, an unusual complaint to make about a published dissertation, where the opposite extreme is often the problem, but it means that this work is likely to serve more as an attractive way into the material for students rather than to make any lasting contribution in its own right to progress in what is admittedly a complex set of questions.

Simpson, Timothy F., Not ‘Who Is on the Lord's Side?’ but ‘Whose Side Is the Lord On?’ Contesting Claims and Divine Inscrutability in 2 Samuel 16:5–14 (Studies in Biblical Literature, 152; New York: Peter Lang, 2014), pp. xii + 155. $77.95/£48.00. ISBN 978-1-4331-1979-8; e-ISBN 978-1-4539-1130-3; ISSN 1089-0645.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Ueberschaer, Frank, Vom Gründungsmythos zur Untergangssymphonie. Eine text-und literaturgeschichtliche Untersuchung zu 1 Kön 11–14 (BZAW, 481; Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2015), pp. x + 310. €99.95/$140.00/£74.99. ISBN 978-3-11-042515-4; e-ISBN 978-3-11-042139-2 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-042130-9 (PDF); ISSN 0934-2575.

This Habilitationsschrift from the University of Zürich (supervisor: T. Krüger) seeks to analyse the literary growth of 1 Kings 11–14 primarily by a comparison of the MT and LXX texts (also occasionally the Peshitta and Vulgate). The passage has a unity with its own character, but this is the result of a long formation and editing history, from perhaps several independent narratives. U. sees a number of editors. Thus, an editor J created what is probably the earliest narrative about Jeroboam (in which Jeroboam was initially a positive historical figure), perhaps in the Northern Kingdom in the eighth century. There was also a Historian editor (H) and Nomist editor (N), as well as a Deuteronomistic editor (D). These and other editors created a variety of narratives (e.g. a wisdom narrative in 12.1–18*). An ‘anti-prophetic narrative’ (1 Kgs 13) was originally an ironic independent story of prophetic ambiguity that was only later attached to Jeroboam and 12.26–32. It will be for tradition historians to evaluate the specific analysis, but U. is no doubt correct in seeing the importance of comparing all the texts (rather than just relying on the MT), and in postulating the combination of a complex of traditions to make the final narrative.

Westbrook, April D., ‘And He Will Take your Daughters …’ Woman Story and the Ethical Evaluation of Monarchy in the David Narrative (LHBOTS, 610; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xiv + 269. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/ $100.99 (e-book). ISBN 978-0-56765-852-4; e-ISBN 978-0-56766-266-8 (e-Pub), 978-0-56765-853-1 (PDF).

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Yoder, John C., Power and Politics in the Book of Judges: Men and Women of Valor (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), pp. xiv + 273. $29.99. ISBN 978-1-4514-9642-0; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-9662-8.

Proceeding from a suspicion that the religious overtones in the portrayal of the heroic figures in the book of Judges are editorial impositions by the Deuteronomist, Y. offers a social science based reading of these narratives. When such overly religious expressions as ‘man/woman of valour’ are set aside, what remain are very little more than mere ‘strongmen’ and ‘warlords’ as perceived in modern political science terms. These characters manoeuvred and sought to consolidate their hold on power by controlling knowledge, demanding trust, claiming honour and amassing a great deal of wealth. The judges’ hold on power can be explained almost adequately by their use of violence, patronage and such other tactics without invoking their special relationship with Yhwh. The efficacy of Y.'s reading here may be limited in that a perception of human existence that excludes the religious element is too recent a development to apply to an ancient text such as the book of Judges. A strictly socio-political analysis of the hero-stories of Judges may be difficult to sustain. However, the book offers an interesting alternative reading of the book of Judges.

III. Latter Prophets (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea-Malachi)

Abernethy, Andrew T., Eating in Isaiah: Approaching the Role of Food and Drink in Isaiah's Structure and Message (Biblical Interpretation Series, 131; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2014), pp. xv + 234. €99.00/$128.00. ISBN 978-90-04-27037-4; e-ISBN 978-90-04-28086-1; ISSN 0928-0731.

This published version of A.'s doctoral thesis deals, as the title suggests, with food and drink in Isaiah. Rather than being an exhaustive discussion of all food-related items and actions, however, it aims to show that eating and drinking play supporting roles in the book. Appearing at key junctures in the text, they enhance its main themes and deepen its messages. After the introduction where A. highlights the benefits of reading Isaiah sequentially in its final form, the monograph falls into five main chapters: Isaiah 1; 2–35; 36–37; 40–55; and 56–66. In each case, A. offers a fairly detailed exegetical discussion of the subsection germane to the topic and demonstrates how food and drink shape and augment the message of the pericope as a whole. In Isaiah 1, for example, the motif of eating emphasizes the message of God's retribution, encourages repentance, and stresses God's sovereignty. In contrast, the language of food and drink in Isa. 55.1–3a helps convince the audience to turn anew to God and to receive freely from his gifts. Yet again, in Isaiah 65–66, the theme of eating accentuates the distinction between insiders and outsiders in the community. A. further shows how the motifs of food and drink develop throughout Isaiah. This is a very well-researched book which highlights a hitherto neglected theme. At the same time, a more restricted definition of ‘food’ may have been beneficial. As it stands, not enough distinction is made between, for example, sacrifices, fertility and eating.

Abernethy, Andrew T., Mark G. Brett, Tim Bulkeley and Tim Meadowcroft (eds.), Isaiah and Imperial Context: The Book of Isaiah in the Times of the Empire (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2013), pp. xii +250. 32 figures. $29.00. ISBN 978-1-62032-623-7.

This collection arose from a colloquium on ‘Isaiah and Empire’ held in Auckland in 2011. Eleven essays are followed by responses from John Goldingay and Mark Brett. A common thread in most of the contributions is an engagement with postcolonial issues and a desire to find lessons from the Isaianic texts applicable to contemporary situations of colonization and exile. In their responses, Goldingay and Brett, in different ways, raise pertinent questions about the appropriateness and effectiveness of addressing questions derived from contemporary critical theory to ancient texts and contexts. The contributions are: David Ussishkin, ‘Sennacherib's Campaign to Judah: The Events at Lachish and Jerusalem’; Andrew T. Abernethy, ‘Eating, Assyrian Imperialism, and God's Kingdom in Isaiah’; Christopher B. Hays, ‘Isaiah as Colonized Poet: His Rhetoric of Death in Conversation with African Postcolonial Writers’; Tim Bulkeley, ‘Living in Empire: What Purposes Do Assertions of Divine Sovereignty Serve in Isaiah?’; Judith E. McKinlay, ‘The Usefulness of a Daughter’; Joy Hooker, ‘Zion as Theological Symbol in Isaiah: Implications for Judah, for the Nations, and for Empire’; Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer, ‘Imperial Influence on the Language and Content of Isaiah 40–55’; Tim Meadowcroft, ‘Transforming Word and Empire: Isaiah 50:10–11 Considered’; John Goldingay, ‘Isaiah 56–66: An Isaianic and a Postcolonial Reading’; Mark G. Brett, ‘Imperial Imagination in Isaiah 56–66’; and Malcolm MacDonald, ‘Redeeming the Earth: Imagining the Folk Songs’. The two responses are Mark G. Brett, ‘Negotiating the Tides of Empire’; and John Goldingay, ‘Four Reflections on Isaiah and Imperial Context’.

O.'s commentary in this new series of a projected 58 volumes sets a high benchmark for other contributors. Designed to provide serious feminist engagement with the whole biblical text, the series should have broad appeal. The strong introductory section comprises a brief foreword (Athalya Brenner-Idan), the editor's introduction to the series (Barbara Reid), and the author's extensive introduction to her work—essential reading, which discusses the biblical book's likely context in the Persian period as well as its aesthetics, and introduces briefly the variety of contexts in which it is read today. Material enclosed in numerous greyscale insets represent interpretations from different religious traditions, sexual identities, and cultural, racial and social backgrounds, some of which complement and others debate with the author. Other greyscale insets include excursuses by O. While the series includes the text of the nrsv, where necessary O. states clearly her reasons for departing from that translation. Although this is not a verse-by-verse commentary, O. discusses the whole text. She pays close attention to gendered language, a feature of the commentary that is signalled by the titles given to the three sections in which she discusses the book: Micah 1–3 is ‘Judgements against Female Cities and Male Leaders’; Micah 4–5 ‘Exaltation of Daughter Jerusalem and her King’; and Micah 6–7 ‘Yhwh's Lawsuit and Daughter Jerusalem's Response’. In this last section she argues that the whole of Micah 6 ‘constitutes an imagined legal dispute’ in which Yhwh advances his case against the people, while Micah 7 offers ‘an imagined dialogue between Daughter Jerusalem and Yhwh’. A brief concluding chapter offers a feminist response to Micah's theology. Altogether, this is an engaging and at times challenging commentary that deserves to be widely read and appreciated.

Park, Young Bok, Restoration in the Book of Ezekiel: A Text-Linguistic Analysis of Ezekiel 33–39 (Amsterdamse Cahiers voor Exegese van de Bijbel en zijn Tradities supplement series, 11; Bergambacht: 2VM, 2013), pp. viii + 238. €25.00. ISBN 978-94-90393-39-7.

This Free University of Amsterdam thesis (supervisors: Eep Talstra and Eveline van Staalduine-Sulman) aims to contribute to research in the theology of hope and restoration by a text-linguistic analysis of Ezekiel 33–39. This analysis is carried out in ch. 2, but here is where the reader is likely to come unstuck, for there is no explanation of how the linguistic analysis actually works. The results of the linguistic analysis are given, with a brief abbreviation- and jargon-filled summary (though a key to the abbreviations is given on p. 221). It is plain that P. is following a methodology derived from the Free University Werkgroep Informatica database (WIVU). But he assumes that the reader will know what this methodology is, how it works, and agrees that it is convincing. He never explains or justifies the methodology. Those willing to work through his results methodically will probably grasp in part what he has done, though whether his results are convincing is another matter. Since the rest of the thesis is built on this ‘clause hierarchical structure’ laid out in ch. 2, one is hard pressed to say whether his final theological conclusions are convincing without an understanding of what he has done in ch. 2. If you are going to publish the results of your research, it is helpful to explain your method and justify it. I am sorry the editors of the Amsterdamse Cahiers did not see to it that the author did this.

Petterson, Anthony R., Haggai, Zechariah and Malachi (Apollos Old Testament Commentary, 25; Nottingham: Apollos; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), pp. 451. £29.99/$36.00 (print); $29.60 (e-book). ISBN 978-1-78359-211-1 (Apollos), 978-0-8308-2524-0 (IVP); e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9848-0.

This commentary follows the usual format of the Apollos Old Testament Commentary series. After a general introduction and a brief introduction to each of the individual prophetic books, it offers for each passage a translation of and notes on the Hebrew text, followed by three sections entitled ‘Form and Structure’, ‘Comment’, and ‘Explanation’. The translation follows the MT closely and departs from it only in a few exceptional cases. P. describes his approach to interpretation as ‘confessional critical’. This is said to aim to incorporate the best of all available scholarly methodologies while working from an explicitly Christian standpoint which recognizes the OT as the Word of God. In practice, however, it leads to eschewing historical criticism and diachronic analysis, and lack of engagement with large sections of modern scholarship. The commentary contains quite a lot of useful detail although at times the reader may not be able to escape the suspicion that the events from the life of Jesus are read back into the text. Usually the most helpful section is the concluding ‘Explanation’ which relates the passage to the larger themes of biblical theology and makes explicit links with the New Testament. For conservative Christian readers who share P.'s presuppositions and approach this is going to be a useful resource. Others may wish to look for help elsewhere.

Sedlmeier, Franz, Das Buch Ezechiel, Kapitel 25–48 (Neuer Stuttgarter Kommentar zum Alten Testament, 21.2; Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2013), pp. 376. 15 figures. €28.90. ISBN 978-3-460-07212-1.

This completes S.'s commentary on Ezekiel, vol. 1 of which was released in 2002. The general introduction appears in the first volume. In this one, S. provides a short introduction for each major text segment: chs. 25–32, 33–39 and 40–48. These are followed by comments on individual pericopes and verses. S. has also provided a number of excursuses on topics like the oracles against the nations, the transmission of the book, and the origins of apocalypticism in the Old Testament. These are printed on a grey background to set them apart. Images and photographs that are relevant to iconography and historical environment occasionally punctuate the comments. Methodologically, S. takes the MT as his object. He argues that Ezekiel was a historical person, who produced the original exilic work that bears his name. The reader can see that the exilic book was progressively updated from later historical perspectives, but the whole is presented as the words of Ezekiel the exilic priest. S. refers to his approach as ‘diachron reflektierte Synchronie’. This is one commentary that should be translated into English. Standing, as it does, between more superficial and exhaustive commentaries, it could also fill a gap. More importantly, the approach is compatible with trends in English-speaking scholarship (and thus would have a market), and S. is a seasoned and perceptive scholar from whom English-speaking students of Ezekiel could learn much.

Smith, Gary V., Interpreting the Prophetic Books: An Exegetical Handbook (Handbooks for Old Testament Exegesis; Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2014), pp. 214. $22.99/£16.99. ISBN 978-0-8254-4363-3. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This volume follows the same pattern as others in the series. It considers genres of prophecy and major themes in each of the prophetic books, along with their historical and cultural settings. Particular interpretative issues are then considered, leading on to final chapters on the proclamation and application of prophetic texts today, which focus on two specific examples from Isa. 31.1–9 and Jer. 23.1–8. This concern to resource the preacher is a significant and distinctive feature of the book. Some more attention to the role of those who listen to the sermon in the interpretative process would help balance the book's valuable emphasis on the biblical text and its historical backgrounds. A basic knowledge of Hebrew is assumed, although Hebrew is referred to only very occasionally. While different theological standpoints are acknowledged, the ethos is North American evangelical and conservative (thus, the book of Jonah depicts a literal Assyrian repentance, which happened before the ministry of Amos). The style is concise and meticulous. The book's brevity is an attractive feature for students, which also inevitably means minimal discussion of some debatable questions (for example, the servant in Isaiah is presented briefly in purely individual terms, not as a role for the nation of Israel). S.'s stated desire to distil from the biblical text theological principles that are ‘timeless and culturally neutral’ (p. 176) also merits some discussion. The bibliographies, glossary and indexes are well presented and useful, as is the guidance on computer software and online resources.

Smith-Christopher, Daniel L., Micah: A Commentary (OTL; Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 2015), pp. xxxiv + 268. N.p. ISBN 978-0-664-26181-8 (paperback edition).

This new commentary supplements James L. Mays’ 1976 volume in the Old Testament Library (OTL) series. It approaches the book of Micah from several perspectives, the first three being the international, regional and local contexts of the book. The first of these highlights the military, imperial and diplomatic powers of the Neo-Assyrians in the eighth century bce, while the second focuses specifically on the socio-economic pressures which the kingdoms of Judah and Israel experienced as a result of the Assyrian tributary system. The third moves the focus of the book from the capital city of Jerusalem to the less populous villages of Shephelah, Lachish and especially Moresheth, the village of the prophet Micah, who denounced the warmongering policies of Jerusalem. Finally, S.-C. considers the book as a work of ‘antimilitary populism’ which he believes to be ‘the most effective way to understand Micah in his historical, geographical, and ideological context’ (p. 21). He argues that the book is not chiefly concerned with social justice as such, but is principally a critique against the destructiveness of militarism. However, this view appears to downplay the war imagery in 4.12–13, where Jerusalem crushes and grinds her enemies like sheaves on a threshing floor, and in 5.7, where Jacob's remnant appears like a fierce lion trampling and dismembering its enemies (see pp. 160 and 180). Overall, though, this commentary is an excellent addition to OTL, offering new interpretations of the book of Micah from the perspectives described above.

Stipp, Hermann-Josef, Studien zum Jeremiabuch. Text und Redaktion (FAT, 96; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. viii + 444. €119.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153497-3; ISSN 0940-4155.

This handsome volume contains 16 studies on the book of Jeremiah by the Professor of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament at the Catholic Faculty of Theology of Munich University. Fifteen of these have been previously published though were reworked and updated quite extensively for the new publication. One study (‘Der prämasoretische Idiolekt im Jeremiabuch’, pp. 83–126) is published here for the first time. The collection has to be seen as a companion volume to S.'s forthcoming commentary on Jeremiah for the series Handbuch zum Alten Testament where it will replace W. Rudolph's classic work. As such, the individual essays will provide a more detailed explanation of views put forth in the commentary. The literary origin of the book of Jeremiah forms the centre of the book. After two introductory essays on the relationship between text criticism and literary criticism (‘Das Verhältnis von Textkritik und Literarkritik in neueren alttestamentlichen Veröffentlichungen’ and ‘Textkritik—Literarkritik—Textentwicklung. Überlegungen zur exegetischen Aspektsystematik’), the main part of the volume is devoted to aspects of the vexing textual history of Jeremiah. Here S. argues that the Alexandrian text of Jeremiah as represented by the Septuagint, 4Q71 and 4Q72a deserves ‘global priority’ over MT: ‘Zur aktuellen Diskussion um das Verhältnis der Textformen des Jeremiabuches’; ‘Der prämasoretische Idiolekt im Jeremiabuch’; ‘Der prämasoretische Idiolekt des Buches Ezechiel und seine Beziehungen zum griechischen Jeremiabuch’; ‘Offene Fragen zur Übersetzungskritik des antiken griechischen Jeremiabuches’; ‘Die Jeremia-Septuaginta als theologische Programmschrift. Zur Kommentierung des griechischen Jeremiabuches in der “Septuaginta Deutsch” (LXX.D)’; ‘Interpretierende Übersetzung in der Jeremia-Septuaginta’; ‘Gottesbildragen in den Lesartendifferenzen zwischen dem masoretischen und dem alexandrinischen Text des Jeremiabuches’; and ‘Die Perikope vom “Neuen Bund” (Jer 31,31–34) im masoretischen und alexandrinischen Jeremiabuch. Zu Adrian Schenkers These von der “Theologie der drei Bundesschlüsse” ‘. The third part addresses various issues in the redaction history of Jeremiah, such as recent models and the relationship to deuteronomistic circles: ‘Probleme des redaktionsgeschichtlichen Modells der Entstehung des Jeremiabuches’; ‘Jeremias Zeichenhandlung mit dem leinenen Schurz (Jer 13,1–11). Zum Verfahren der Identifikation der deuteronomistischen Redaktion im Jeremiabuch’; ‘Das judäische und das babylonische Jeremiabuch. Zur Frage der Heimat der deuteronomistische Redaktionen des Jeremiabuches’; and ‘Jeremia 24: Geschichtsbild und historischer Ort’. The last part deals with questions of interpretation in Jeremiah 36 (‘Baruchs Erben. Die Schriftprophetie im Spiegel von Jer 36’) and historical problems in Jeremiah 39–41 (‘Gedaja und die Kolonie von Mizpa’). This is an incredibly rich volume, which every (critical) scholar on Jeremiah will have to consult. Having S.'s most important studies united in one place will be a convenient help. Detailed indexes conclude the book.

Tiemeyer, Lena-Sofia and Hans M. Barstad (eds.), Continuity and Discontinuity: Chronological and Thematic Development in Isaiah 40–66 (FRLANT, 255; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2014), pp. 259. €90.00/£80.99 (print); €74.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-3-525-53614-8; e-ISBN 978-3-647-53614-9. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This book brings together 12 papers from a conference held at the University of Aberdeen in October 2011. These form a rich collection which endeavours to challenge the traditional divisions between Isaiah 40–55 and Isaiah 56–66, while also offering new ways to read Isaiah's last 27 chapters. The first article, ‘Continuity and Discontinuity in Isaiah 40–66: History of Research’ (Tiemeyer), sets out the issues at stake, while other articles tackle a variety of issues. All papers are concerned with questions of continuity and discontinuity, and look at a range of approaches: thematic (U. Berges, ‘Where Does Trito-Isaiah Start in the Book of Isaiah?’; Ø. Lund, ‘My Way—My Right: Persuasive Discourse in Isaiah 40–66’); geographical (J. Blenkinsopp, ‘Continuity–Discontinuity in Isaiah 40–66: The Issue of Location’); historical (Barstad, ‘Isaiah 56–66 in Relation to Isaiah 40–55: Why a New Reading Is Necessary’); literary (E.R. Hayes, ‘Fading and Flourishing: The Rhetorical Function of Plant Imagery in Isaiah 40–66’ [on conceptual metaphor theory]; C. Körting, ‘Isaiah 62:1–7 and Psalm 45—or—Two Ways to Become Queen’ [on intertextuality]; K. Schmid, ‘New Creation Instead of New Exodus: The Innerbiblical Exegesis and Theological Transformations of Isaiah 65:17–25’ [intertextuality]; H.G.M. Williamson, ‘Jacob in Isaiah 40–66’); theological (J. Schaper, ‘Divine Images, Iconophobia and Monotheism in Isaiah 40–66’; B. Scheuer, ‘“Why Do You Let Us Wander O Lord from Your Ways?” [Isa 63:17]: Clarification of Culpability in the Last Part of the Book of Isaiah’); and rhetorical (J. Stromberg, ‘Deutero-Isaiah's Restoration Reconfigured’). The strength of this book lies in the multiplicity of approaches, and as such it makes a valuable contribution to Isaianic studies. There is an extensive and useful bibliography at the end making this book an excellent resource for both students and teachers.

Troxel, Ronald R., Joel: Scope, Genre(s), and Meaning (Critical Studies in the Hebrew Bible, 6; Winona Lake, IN: Eisenbrauns, 2015), pp. xii + 122. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-57506-381-2.

In this monograph T. attempts to understand the meaning of the book of Joel by paying close attention to its genre. His thesis is that Joel is a prophetic didactic narrative. The implied audience of the narrative is a generation living in the indeterminate future when the Day of the Lord is going to make another devastating appearance (3.1–5). For their benefit the prophet exhorts his own generation to pass on to their children the story of how they themselves experienced deliverance from the Day by heeding the call to gather in the Temple and seek the Lord. The aim is to instruct the future generation on how to respond when the Day of the Lord comes. T. arrives at his conclusions via a very useful summary of the reception history of Joel (ch. 1) and a discussion of various attempts to account for the composite character of the book (ch. 2). Chapter 3 (‘Joel as Narrative’) looks at the narrative frame and the outlines of the story that Joel arguably conveys, while ch. 4 (‘Eschatology in the Book of Joel’) discusses the meaning of Joel 3.1–5 and its relation to the preceding. The thesis is dependent upon the exclusion of Joel 4 from consideration as a later addition to the original narrative. The impact of this addition on the genre and meaning of Joel is not quite clear. Overall, this is an insightful and important contribution to Joel studies.

Viands, Jamie, I Will Surely Multiply your Offspring: An Old Testament Theology of the Blessing of Progeny with Special Attention to the Latter Prophets (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014), pp. xviii + 356. $41.00. ISBN 978-1-62032-485-1.

In a ‘slightly revised and expanded’ (p. xiv) doctoral dissertation that attempts to address a perceived gap in biblical theology, V. examines the progeny motif in the Old Testament, with a strong emphasis on the Latter Prophets. Following the introduction, there is a lengthy second chapter (87 pages) that covers the whole of the Old Testament outside the Latter Prophets, before individual chapters on Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Twelve (in which such texts are found only in Hosea and Zechariah). An appendix lists the texts he considers ‘Progeny Blessing Texts’ and picks out ‘Key phrases’ within them, a feature which perhaps unwittingly demonstrates the relative paucity of these texts in many biblical books when compared to Genesis and to a lesser extent Deuteronomy as well as Isaiah among the Latter Prophets. There is a focus on the Bible's canonical form, which entails the sort of restrictions canonical readings always impose; there is also an intention to expose the intertextual links that for V. suggest the reliance of the Latter Prophets on expressions of the theme found in the Pentateuch, yet there is little recognition of the different compositional layers within biblical books out of which the development of the theme might be traced. Without denying the presence of numerous useful and stimulating insights, the overall impression is that V. has attempted to cover too much material in a book of this length so that the focus is not quite right; the result is not quite ‘an Old Testament theology’ on the theme, nor is it an essay on the theme as it is taken up by the Latter Prophets.

Wilke, Alexa F., Die Gebete der Propheten. Anrufungen Gottes im ‘corpus propheticum’ der Hebräischen Bibel (BZAW, 451; Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2014), pp. viii + 461. €129.95/$182.00/£97.99. ISBN 978-3-11-031207-2; e-ISBN 978-3-11-037327-1 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-031218-8 (PDF); ISSN 0934-2575.

This substantial and well-researched Habilitationsschrift investigates the prayers in the prophetic literature. In her introduction, W. defines what a ‘prayer’ is and who prays. She further traces the origin of the ‘praying prophet’ to Jeremiah's laments (Jer. 1–10) and explores the links between the concept of the lamenting and the interceding prophet (e.g. Jer. 15.1; 21.2), and also how the notion of prayer is interconnected with other theological and literary features in Jeremiah. W. likewise discusses how prayer serves as a connecting theme throughout Isaiah. The rest of the book goes systematically through the prophetic material. W. differentiates between three types of ‘prayers from sinners’, namely, prayers which call for and emphasize the need and desire for repentance (Hos. 14.2–4; Mic. 7.18–20; Dan. 9.4–19); prayers which express Israel's disappointment at God's failure to act on their behalf (Jer. 14.7–22; Isa. 63.7–64.11); and prayers which stress God's future acts of salvation (Isa. 38.9–21; Jon. 2; Isa. 12.1–6). In each instance, W. offers a translation of the text with extensive textual notes, discusses its structure as well as its gradual textual growth, its Sitz im Buch, and its interpretation within that context and within Israel's wider traditions. Turning to ‘prayers of the righteous’, W. likewise distinguishes between three types: prayers which convey expectation (Isa. 26.7–12); prayers which speak of delay (Jer. 11.18–12.6; 15.10–21; 17.12–18; 18.18–23; 20.7–18); and prayers which provide a solution (Hab. 3). W. concludes that prayer is an integral part of the prophetic literature at all its stages of growth.

Willis, John T., Instruction Shall Go Forth: Studies in Micah and Isaiah (ed. Timothy M. Willis and Mark W. Hamilton; Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014), pp. xx + 348. $40.00. ISBN 978-1-62032-989-4.

For as long as most of us can remember W. has been publishing articles on Micah and Isaiah. His approach is that of a cautious literary-critical scholar, well informed about the work of those who have preceded him, and often making useful proposals after reflecting on previously offered suggestions. Eleven studies on Micah and seven on Isaiah (all on the first half of the book) are reprinted here. In their introduction the editors seem to be mistaken in suggesting that a previously unpublished article on the structure of Isaiah 1–5 is included. Even without that, however, this collection will be a valuable resource for future research. Most of the essays relate to words, phrases or exegetical issues relating to specific verses or passages, namely Mic. 1.2; 2.1, 6–8; 3.1; 4.14–5.5; 5.1, 9–14; and Isa. 1.7–8, 18, 21ff.; 5.1–7; 22.15–25 (two articles). The others are on the structure of Micah, a redactional analysis of Micah, fundamental issues in contemporary Micah studies, ‘The Structure of Micah 3–5 and the Function of Micah 5.9–14 in the Book’, and a discussion of the extent of the first pericope in the book of Isaiah.

Wright, Christopher J.H., The Message of Jeremiah: Grace in the End (The Bible Speaks Today; Nottingham: InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2014), pp. 448. £14.99/$20.00 (print); $16.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-1-78359-032-2 (UK), 978-1-8308-2439-7 (US); e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9636-3.

In line with the aims of the Bible Speaks Today series, this commentary is written for pastors and preachers from a Christian theological viewpoint; its goal is ‘careful exposition rather than the detailed exegesis that is found in scholarly critical commentaries’ (p. 10). In the introduction W. stresses the important distinction between book and prophet in Jeremiah; much of the exposition follows this point as W. comments on both the life of the prophet and the editorial structure of the book. Each chapter discusses a section of text and concludes with a series of ‘theological and expository reflections’. The writing style is clear and engaging; W. does a commendable job in explaining the text and its message. I would recommend the book for its intended audience.

IV. Psalms and Wisdom (Psalms, Proverbs, Song of Songs, Ecclesiastes, Job)

Alobaidi, Joseph (ed. and trans.), Old Jewish Commentaries on the Song of Songs. II. The Two Commentaries of Tanchum Yerushalmi: Text and Translation (Bible in History/La Bible dans l'histoire, 10; Bern: Peter Lang, 2014), pp. xi + 320. SFr 95.00/£63.00 (print); SFr 100.10/£63.00 (e-book). ISBN 978-3-0343-1505-0; e-ISBN 978-3-0352-0247-2; ISSN 1422-5972; e-ISSN 2235-5723

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Atkinson, Tyler, Singing at the Winepress: Ecclesiastes and the Ethics of Work (London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xvi + 245. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/$100.99 (PDF/e-Pub e-book). ISBN 978-0-567-65991-0; e-ISBN 978-0-567-65992-7 (PDF), 978-0-567-65993-4 (e-Pub).

If you can believe that Eccl. 1.10 is a messianic prophecy—to be translated ‘There is a Word of whom one says, “Behold this one! New he is!” He has already existed for ages before us’—and accordingly you can be persuaded that ‘Qoheleth … summons the reader of his words to read the book of creation anew through the Word’ (p. 197), and if you can further believe that the famous poem on the times in Eccl. 3.2–8 is about Christ making all things new both now and in the world to come and accordingly you can be persuaded that ‘Qoheleth … summons the worker to understand her or his work in the work of Christ’ (p. 205), then you will enjoy this Aberdeen doctoral thesis (2013, supervised by theological ethicist Brian Brock). But if that kind of patristic-style christological rereading of Ecclesiastes strikes you as rather eisegetical, not grounded in the text itself, then you may wish to avoid this work of theological ethics, which seeks to examine Qoheleth's work ethic in conversation with two seminal works of Christian interpretation of Ecclesiastes, namely Bonaventure's thirteenth-century treatment of the book as a manual for penitents and Martin Luther's sixteenth-century treatment of it as a sermon on economic and political issues. The overall tone is that set by Luther (as quoted on p. 187): ‘Indeed, all our toil should be like that of those who, in the winepress or in the harvest, sing as they work.’

Balentine, Samuel E., Have You Considered my Servant Job? Understanding the Biblical Archetype of Patience (Studies on Personalities of the Bible; Columbia, SC: University of South Carolina Press, 2015), pp. xxii + 287. $54.95. ISBN 978-1-61117-451-9; e-ISBN 978-1-61117-452-6.

B.'s major commentary on Job appeared in 2006, and the format of that work promoted engagement with the text's ‘afterlife’. In this monograph, B. carries forward that engagement in a dazzling display of multifaceted re-readings of this most profound of books. This has the ironic effect of reading against the flow of the majority of contemporary interpretations in which traditional perceptions have been overturned, interpretations such as Job the impatient, the Accuser rather than ‘Satan’, and so on. Instead, the earlier readings, deeply embedded in traditional accounts, provide successive starting points for exploring the ways in which Job has provoked engagement over the centuries. After a scene-setting prologue, the first three chapters attend to the ‘patient’ Job, Satan as a diabolical figure, and Job's wife, whose brief role in the canonical book belies the fascination she holds for later interpreters. These chapters take up nearly half the book: testimony to the generative power of Job's brief prose introduction. Chapters 4–7 are occupied with aspects of the dialogues: the very fact that Job speaks; his questioning of divine justice; the problematic voices of Job's ‘comforters’; and the Lord's answer (via Leviathan in particular). An epilogue picks up details from the book of Job's own epilogue, and reiterates the challenge contained in the book's title. One would say this is a delightful read—except the weighty subject matter requires qualifying that otherwise deserved adjective. The force of the book is summed up in B.'s assertion that ‘the debate about Joban suffering requires constant engagement. It cannot end in silence’ (p. 175).

Batnitzky, Leora and Ilana Pardes (eds.), The Book of Job: Aesthetics, Ethics, Hermeneutics (Perspectives on Jewish Texts and Contexts, 1; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015), pp. viii + 226. €99.95/$140.00. ISBN 978-3-11-033383-1; e-ISBN 978-3-11-039398-9 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-033879-9 (PDF); ISSN 2199-6962.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Brown, Ken, The Vision in Job 4 and its Role in the Book: Reframing the Development of the Joban Dialogues (Studies of the Sofja Kovalevskaja Research Group on Early Jewish Monotheism, 4; FAT 2, 75; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xii + 350. €84.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153533-8; ISSN 1611-4914.

This is B.'s revised doctoral dissertation from Göttingen, completed under the supervision of N. MacDonald and H. Spieckermann. B. argues that Eliphaz's vision (4.12–21) originally belonged to Job and formed the conclusion of ch. 3. Its meaning is ambiguous but Job interpreted it as an indication that God had become his enemy. The vision then plays a key role in the dialogue between him and his friends. Job repeatedly refers to the vision (7.13–21; 9.2, 11–14) to substantiate his complaint that God treats all human beings alike, while the friends constantly reject it (15.14–16; 20.2–9), pointing out that God differentiates between the just and the wicked. The vision was inserted into Eliphaz's first speech at a late stage by a redactor who also attributed 26.2–14 and 27.13–23 to Job. The aim was to obscure Job's dependence on the vision and thus to blunt the force of some of his most outrageous statements, anticipating later developments in the reception history of the book which converted his character into a model of righteous perseverance. B. also explores the synchronic implications of his theory but this is disappointingly brief and almost to the very end works on the assumption that the vision is still heard from Job's lips. If the vision was indeed central to the dialogue then the impact of its reattribution on the final form of the text deserves a lot more attention. All in all, however, B.'s monograph is informative, convincing and highly readable, and represents a valuable contribution to scholarship.

Bundvad, Mette, Time in the Book of Ecclesiastes (Oxford Theology and Religion Monographs; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2015), pp. x + 211. £65.00. ISBN 978-0-19-873970-8.

B. explores time as a key theme in Ecclesiastes. A sensitive analysis of the opening and closing poems of the book reveals a contrast between the temporal framework of the cosmos, which is characterized by continuity and cyclicality, and the time of individual human beings which is more linear and finite. This contrast causes cognitive and existential problems. The impression of perpetual change is misleading (Eccl. 1.10) and the knowledge that there are proper moments for doing or experiencing certain things (3.1–8) is frustrating, as we do not have a broad enough perspective to discern these moments. The world's temporal structures not only limit human ability to understand the present but also hinder proper engagement with past and future. The close reading of key passages (including 6.1–8, 7–12; 8.1–9; 9.1–12 and, more briefly, the narratives in 1.12–2.20; 4.13–16; 9.13–15) is preceded by a chapter discussing the possibility of reading Ecclesiastes in spite of its contradictions and one defending the possibility of a Hebrew author in Hellenistic times thinking about time in the abstract. The relative length of these chapters, given their mainstream conclusions, reveals the origin of the book in a doctoral thesis (supervisor John Barton). B. successfully demonstrates that time is a useful lens through which to read Ecclesiastes. More discussion of the theme of time as it relates to humankind (as opposed to individuals) and of the carpe diem (‘enjoy life’) passages would have been desirable, but this is a stimulating and convincing piece of research.

Charney, Davida H., Persuading God: Rhetorical Studies of First-Person Psalms (Hebrew Bible Monographs, 73; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. xii + 156. Several tables. £45.00/$70.00/€55.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-80-5; ISSN 1747-9614.

Biblical studies is often a parasitic discipline, with its specialists mining other disciplines (such as history, linguistics, poetics) to inform the interpretation of particular texts. In this case, the process is reversed as C., a specialist in the study of rhetoric, brings her particular skills to the interpretation of first-person psalms. But C. is not simply an amateur who is dabbling in another discipline, as her work shows a broad awareness of trends in the interpretation of Psalms. She is concerned to ensure that the study of their rhetoric is wider than the sub-discipline of rhetorical criticism has often made it, and draws particularly on Aristotle's modes to frame the discussion, even if not limiting herself to them. She makes particularly good use of the concept of amplitude, demonstrating its value in the tabular presentation of the structure of the psalms examined, the arrangement of which is broadly consistent with form-critical discussion if not overtly informed by it. Specialists will note some gaps in the secondary literature, but none of this undermines the value of the work. In the end, the title is slightly misleading, as in some instances the rhetoric is aimed at persuading the community or self-persuasion rather than persuading God and we do not know if God is finally persuaded. But this is a helpful study.

Cheung, Simon Chi-Chung, Wisdom Intoned: A Reappraisal of the Genre ‘Wisdom Psalms’ (LHBOTS, 613; London: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xvi + 229. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/$83.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56766-152-4; e-ISBN 978-0-56766-151-7.

This fine monograph, based on C.'s doctoral dissertation, constitutes a thoughtful and constructive contribution to the debate about the place (if any) of genre and Sitz im Leben as tools for the understanding of the history and character of the Psalms. C. provides a measured but nonetheless effective critique of ‘life setting’, showing effectively that it is all too often a cart pulling a horse rather than a genuine deduction from real evidence. Genre itself is understood to be a porous and flexible ‘family’ description rather than the fixed and sharply defined essence favoured by those set on cataloguing the Psalms. The first two chapters cover methodology, noting that ‘wisdom’ in particular is notoriously hard to pin down, and offering a useful set of criteria—including speech-act theory—to determine the extent to which particular psalms might legitimately be said to belong to the ‘wisdom’ genre-family. The next five chapters deal with seven specific psalms (37, 49, 73, 128, 32, 39 and 19); the order in which they are examined roughly matches the (decreasing) extent to which each may be said to be wisdom-like. Given C.'s welcome scepticism about many of the claims formerly made by genre studies, my one disappointment was not to see any real discussion of why attention to genre is of lasting importance, and how ‘wisdom’ might be construed in the ongoing work of Psalms study. But that is a minor cavil; no doubt C. will develop his important work further in the future.

Daley, Brian E., SJ and Paul R. Kolbet (eds.), The Harp of Prophecy: Early Christian Interpretation of the Psalms (Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity, 20; Notre Dame, IN: University of Notre Dame Press, 2015), pp. xvi + 332. $39.00. ISBN 978-0-268-02619-6; e-ISBN 978-0-268-07783-9.

For a review of this volume, see Section 6 below.

Dell, Katharine and Will Kynes (eds.), Reading Ecclesiastes Intertextually (LHBOTS, 587; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2014), pp. xxiii + 326. £70.00/$130.00 (hardback edition); $24.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56733-125-0; e-ISBN 978-0-56733-008-6.

This volume is a worthy companion to the editors’ Reading Job Intertextually (see B.L. 2014, p. 96) and, like its predecessor, illustrates the kind of fresh insights an intertextual approach can bring to the study of a biblical book. A brief introduction by the editors is followed in Part I by articles that place Ecclesiastes in dialogue with the Hebrew Bible: ‘Exploring Intertextual Links between Ecclesiastes and Genesis 1–11’ (K. Dell); ‘Follow your Heart and Do Not Say it Was a Mistake: Qoheleth's Allusions to Numbers 15 and the Story of the Spies’ (W. Kynes); ‘“Better that You Should Not Vow Than that You Vow and Not Fulfill”: Qoheleth's Use of Textual Allusion and the Transformation of Deuteronomy's Law of Vows’ (B.M. Levinson); ‘Qoheleth as Solomon: “For What Can Anyone Who Comes after the King Do?” (Ecclesiastes 2:12)’ (T. Longman III); ‘Qoheleth and Isaiah in Dialogue’ (R.L. Schultz); ‘Polyphonic Narration in Ecclesiastes and Jonah’ (M. Mills); ‘Of Snakes and Sinners: An Intertextual Reading of Ba'al ha-lashon in Ecclesiastes 10:11 in Light of ‘Ish lashon in Psalm 140:12 [11]’ (T. Forti); ‘“And They Have No Comforter”: Job and Ecclesiastes in Dialogue’ (T. Krüger); ‘Intertextuality and Economics: Reading Ecclesiastes with Proverbs’ (M.P. Horne); ‘Seeking and Finding in Ecclesiastes and Proverbs’ (D.J. Estes); ‘Solomon, Wisdom, and Love: Intertextual Resonance between Ecclesiastes and Song of Songs’ (B.N. Melton); ‘The Inner-Textuality of Qoheleth's Monologue’ (S. Weeks). In Part II, Ecclesiastes appears in dialogue with texts throughout history: ‘Ecclesiastes in the Intertextual Matrix of Ancient Near Eastern Literature’ (W.H.U. Anderson); ‘Ecclesiastes among the Comedians’ (J. Jarick); ‘A Reassessment of Sirach's Relationship to Qoheleth: A Case Study of Qoheleth 3:15 and Sirach 5:3’ (B.C. Gregory); ‘Intertextual Connections between the Wisdom of Solomon and Qoheleth’ (L.L. Grabbe); ‘Wisdom, Apocalypticism and Intertextuality: The Book of Ecclesiastes and the Sociolect of the Dead Sea Scrolls’ (M. Goff); ‘The Intertextuality of Ecclesiastes and the New Testament’ (C.G. Bartholomew); ‘Qoheleth's Israel in Jerome's Commentarius in Ecclesiasten’ (J. Grillo); ‘Ecclesiastes, Augustine's uti/frui Distinction, and Christ as the Waste of the World’ (S. Ticciati); ‘Examples of Intertextuality in Ecclesiastes Rabbah: An Examination of the Book of Psalms in Ecclesiastes Rabbah with Methodological Nuances’ (M. Kitsos); ‘Remembering in one's Youth: Kierkegaard Reading Ecclesiastes as an Edifying Discourse’ (H.S. Pyper); ‘Ecclesiastes in Dialogue with Modernity: A Matter of Life and Death’ (D.J. Treier).

Doak, Brian R., Consider Leviathan: Narratives of Nature and Self in Job (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2014), pp. xxvii + 302. $39.00. ISBN 978-1-4514-6993-6; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-8951-4.

This book offers a perceptive analysis of the plant and animal analogies in the book of Job, offering a deeper understanding of something of which we were already aware: the importance and prevalence of references to nature throughout the book. D. identifies the theological significance of nature language in constructing a meaningful ‘ecological anthropology’ (the attempt to understand the human self and its appropriate floral and faunal analogies), highlighting how perspectives shift even within single speeches as the participants grapple with the issues Job's predicament raises. The volume begins with a prologue, setting forth the aims, methods and outline of the book, and there follow five lengthy chapters. The first comprises a scholarly overview and explanation of the theoretical approach adopted here. The second turns to ‘Eco-Anthropologies of Wisdom in the Hebrew Bible’, with a particular focus on wisdom literature and its use of plant and animal metaphors in the construction of a theological anthropology. The analysis of ‘Eco-Anthropologies’ in the dialogue and in the divine speeches comprises the focus of the ensuing two chapters, while the final chapter situates the debate within the early postexilic community of the late-sixth and early-fifth centuries bce and its need to raise subversive questions relating to natural theology, anthropology, and the place of Israel in the world. Although it is not concerned with environmental issues, this book will be of importance to the construction of a biblical theology of nature and its relation to humanity, as well as to the study of Job.

Duguid, Iain M., The Song of Songs: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 19; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2015), pp. 160. $18.00 (print); $12.00 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-8308-4286-5; e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9914-2.

This recent addition to the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries proposes that the Song of Songs represents a powerful statement of married love that is set in a fallen world and naturally points to Jesus Christ: ‘The Song challenges all of us as failed lovers and points us to the perfect Lover, who has loved us and given himself for us. Jesus Christ enfleshed that perfect love for the sake of his bride, the church’ (p. 51). This Christian perspective is maintained throughout the commentary, and since sex is therefore only possible within marriage several of the more obvious innuendos have to be explained away. In Song 1.6 D. acknowledges that the vineyard describes the woman's body and continues, ‘She has not been able to expend the time and resources necessary for developing her appearance, yet nonetheless she is still beautiful’ (p. 85). For the critical scholar the commentary is of limited use, but in circles that cannot imagine sexual relationships outside marriage or in a non-religious setting, it will undoubtedly be popular.

Fernandes, Salvador, OFM Cap, God as Rock in the Psalter (European University Studies, Series 23 [Theology], 934; Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2013), pp. xvi + 413. Several tables. £54.00. ISBN 978-3-631-63464-6; ISSN 0721-3409.

This study of an important metaphor in the Psalms, and indeed across the whole OT, was originally a doctoral dissertation completed under U. Berges at the University of Bonn. Somewhat surprisingly the study does not ground itself in a particular theory of metaphor, though F. does note the importance of examining inanimate metaphors for God since these have been comparatively underexplored. Instead, F. is more concerned with how the metaphor works within the editing of the Psalter, reflecting the influence of F.-L. Hossfeld, who was second reader for the dissertation. F. recognizes that there are a number of terms in the semantic domain ‘rock’ but particularly focuses on instances where the word ṣûr occurs. The heart of the book is a detailed analysis of each occurrence of the metaphor, following a standard pattern of a close reading of the particular verse in which the metaphor occurs, then consideration of its place in the psalm, and then the place of the psalm within the Psalter. F.'s treatment of the first two aspects is helpful and persuasive, showing that the metaphor can be applied in several different ways, but his claims of the importance of the metaphor for the editing of the Psalter are less persuasive. Overall, however, a helpful study.

Fishbane, Michael, Song of Songs (The JPS Bible Commentary; Lincoln, NE: Jewish Publication Society, 2015), pp. lx + 338. $55.00. ISBN 978-0-8276-0741-5; e-ISBN 978-0-8276-1145-0.

This major new commentary on the Song of Songs is designed to provide each of its 117 verses with the four levels of Jewish interpretation: the peshat, the plain or literal sense; the derash, the midrashic, traditional religious sense; the remez, the allegorical interpretation; and the sod, the mystical interpretation. The long introduction sets out F.'s own position in relation to these levels. The Hebrew text follows with the new JPS translation, occasionally modified by F. The commentary occupies the central position, and the final section of the book is an excursus on the history of Jewish interpretations of the Song. There are hundreds of endnotes, and a bibliography of over 27 pages. F. himself, unexpectedly in the light of his earlier book, The Kiss of God (1994), adopts the love-lyrics line. But he expounds it with a sombre earnestness curiously at odds with an interpretation which should at least have the merit of exhaling joie de vivre. Moreover, he equates it with the peshat, although this level of interpretation is dependent on close reading, of which there is little evidence. It is clear from the start that F. is determined to promote what everyone believes, namely, that the Song is about a pair of lovers. Thus, when he comes to ‘A History of Jewish Interpretation’, he begins in eleventh-century Europe, that is to say, when the rise of humanism welcomed secular interpretations of the Song. But by the end of the thirteenth century the most important source of commentary on the Song was that of the Zohar, a mystical work of biblical exegesis in which the Song is pre-eminent. F. writes long and learnedly on this subject, if somewhat coolly as befits his stance on the correct reading. But as he works through the later Hasidic masters, concluding with that most holy of men, Rav Kook (1865–1935), the reader is likely to feel that this is where F.'s heart is to be found.

Fox, Michael V., Proverbs: An Eclectic Edition with Introduction and Textual Commentary (The Hebrew Bible: A Critical Edition, 1; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2015), pp. xxii + 474. $69.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-020-1; e-ISBN 978-1-62837-021-8

For a review of this volume, see Section 4 above.

Fuhr, Richard Alan, Jr, An Analysis of the Inter-Dependency of the Prominent Motifs within the Book of Qohelet (Studies in Biblical Literature, 151; New York: Peter Lang, 2013), pp. xvi + 230. $83.95/£52.00. ISBN 978-1-4331-1901-9; e-ISBN 978-1-4539-0908-9; ISSN 1089-0645.

The project presented here is a highly commendable one within its context: F. is evidently writing within the bounds of a confessionally based school (the work is a doctoral dissertation scripted at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) and calling upon his co-religionists to take a well-rounded view of one of the Bible's most challenging books. He investigates in turn seven prominent motifs in the book of Ecclesiastes—‘vanity’, ‘under the sun’, wisdom, the ways of God, death, ‘enjoy life’, and ‘fear God’—and rightly argues that these themes and expressions should be seen as fruitfully integrated rather than hopelessly contradictory elements in the thought-world of the book. He wrongly assumes that all readers of a series called ‘Studies in Biblical Literature’ will share his evangelical assumptions—such as those concerning the ‘inspired’ nature of the text, the need to keep open the possibility of Solomonic authorship, the notions that Qoheleth teaches the Christian doctrine of the Fall and looks to a post-mortem judgment, the appropriateness of gender-exclusive language concerning humanity, and the addressing of remarks to ‘God's people’—but nevertheless non-confessional readers can still applaud F. for presenting to his constituency a worthy argument for the essential unity of the book of Ecclesiastes.

Gauthier, Randall X., Psalms 38 and 145 of the Old Greek Version (VTSup, 166; Leiden/Boston: Brill, 2014), pp. xvi + 396. €135.00/$175.00. ISBN 978-90-04-28337-4; e-ISBN 978-90-04-28338-1; ISSN 0083-5889.

For a review of this volume, see Section 4 above.

Habel, Norman C., Finding Wisdom in Nature: An Eco-Wisdom Reading of the Book of Job (Earth Bible Commentary, 4; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2014), pp. xii + 126. £40.00/$70.00/€50.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-62-1.

In this contribution to the Earth Bible Commentary, which supplements his 1985 commentary in the Old Testament Library series, H. proposes an eco-wisdom reading that sees the quest for wisdom as Job's central issue. The opening two chapters outline the aims of the Earth Bible Commentary (already summarized by H. Marlow in B.L. 2012, p. 82) and H.'s eco-wisdom approach to reading Job. H. discusses the cosmological, geological/biological, ethical, spiritual, didactic and personal dimensions of wisdom, before stating his intent to read from a less anthropocentric perspective than has usually been the case, including in his own earlier work. Chapters 3 to 19 apply H.'s approach to the book of Job. As he regards the search for eco-wisdom articulated in Job 28 as pivotal, this is where his reading begins. In general, more space is given to an analysis of Job's words than to those of his human interlocutors, but Job's speeches in chs. 19–27 receive no attention at all. Poetic ‘retrieval’ sections at the end of each chapter offer reflections from the perspective of various natural phenomena, most often the Earth itself. In the final chapter, H. convincingly concludes that the book's narrator ‘takes us on a journey from a justice-oriented cosmology to a wisdom-oriented cosmology’ (p. 115), a journey that aims at an ‘ecological conversion’. Even if one does not agree with all of H.'s interpretative moves and conclusions, this is an intriguing study that offers some fresh perspectives on an important text.

Hauge, Martin Ravndal, Solomon the Lover and the Shape of the Song of Songs (Hebrew Bible Monographs, 77; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. x + 186. £50.00/$75.00/€65.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-95-9; ISSN 1747-9614.

H. divides the Song into five poems, each comprising a narrative passage, an address to the ‘daughters of Jerusalem’ and a dialogue between the lovers. These major units, therefore, are Song 1.2–2.3, 2.4–17, 3.1–5.1, 5.2–7.14 and 8.1–14. All this is explained in ch. 1. The next chapter deals with basic concepts, such as the proper time for love, separation and yearning. The whole of ch. 3 is on the fifth poem (8.1–14) of which the final two verses are considered crucial. In ch. 4, ‘The Shulammite and the Strange Woman’, H. considers Proverbs 2–7 to be ‘the model text for Canticles’ (p. 157) and even that it ‘represents the dramaturgic frame for Canticles as a whole’ (p. 158). This is examined in detail. A bibliography and indexes of authors and texts are supplied. Charts, tables or diagrams would have been helpful generally, but perhaps they would have broken the lucid narrative flow of the book. Although almost any comparison with other ANE texts has been excluded (p. 3), H.'s acute observations on the interconnections among the various passages in the Song and their relationship to other parts of the OT are a delight to read. I concur with H. that the Song is a polemic against the ban on marriage with foreign women, as in Ezra 9–10, although he does not elaborate on this (p. 166). Provocatively, he concludes, ‘Since Canticles is a wisdom text, one could even envisage a poet who presents his reader with something that in its entirety constitutes a riddle’ (p. 173). All in all, this is a sensitive reading of the Song of Songs and evidently the result of mature reflection.

Hossfeld, Frank-Lothar and Erich Zenger, Neigt euer Ohr den Worten meines Mundes (Ps 78.1). Studien zu Psalmen und Psalter (eds. Christoph Dohmen and Thomas Hieke; Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2015), pp. 328. €48.00. ISBN 978-3-460-33149-5.

The individual publications and extensive collaborations between Hossfeld and Zenger have played a crucial role for our understanding of the Psalms and the Psalter and so it is only appropriate to devote an entire volume to their influence and insight. While none of the 20 essays presents new material—all of them have been published elsewhere between 1986 and 2011—the editorial selection offers a convenient collection which aptly represents the wide range of Hossfeld and Zenger's analytical endeavours. In the first section (‘Gemeinsame Studien’), eight co-authored studies address among other topics the redaction history and theology of Psalms 15–24, the Elohistic Psalter, and the reception of the Psalter in Matthew's Gospel. This is followed by a selection of six publications by Hossfeld. Alongside a comparison between Psalm 104 and Ben Sira and a discussion of prophetic aspects in the Psalms, this section also includes essays on Psalm 50, the theophanies in Psalms 18, 29 and 68, the role of Psalm 105 in the context of Psalms 104–106, and a study of the genesis of Psalms 42–83. Correspondingly, the book ends with six essays by Zenger. This collection opens with an analysis of Psalm 2 and contains in addition studies on the introductory role of Psalms 1–2, the hymnic configuration of Psalm 29, the theology of Psalm 33, the reception history of Psalms 42/43, and the Schlüsselrolle of Psalm 23. This diversity of topics aptly recognizes the manifold ways in which Hossfeld and Zenger have advanced the study of the Psalms. The volume can be recommended as a handy reference work for those already familiar with their work or as a first encounter with the approach and acumen of these two key figures in current Psalms studies.

Jarick, John (ed.), Perspectives on Israelite Wisdom: Proceedings of the Oxford Old Testament Seminar (LHBOTS, 618; London: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2016), pp. xxv + 494. £85.00/$128.00 (print); £74.99/$96.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56766-316-0; e-ISBN 978-0-56766-317-7.

These essays, originally delivered as papers to the Oxford Seminar between 2011 and 2014, examine so-called wisdom traditions from a variety of perspectives. After a brief introduction by the editor, Part I deals with issues in the study of Israelite wisdom, with articles on ‘The Place and Limits of Wisdom Revisited’ (S. Weeks); ‘Ethics in the Wisdom Literature of the Old Testament’ (J. Barton); ‘“Mother in Israel”: Women and Wisdom’ (J. Williams); ‘Orality and the Sage: A Word (Proverb) to the Wise Suffices’ (A. Nahkola); and ‘The Nineteenth-Century Beginnings of “Wisdom Literature”, and its Twenty-First-Century End?’ (W. Kynes). Part II focuses on the wisdom corpus itself. Proverbs is discussed by G.A. Rendsburg (‘Literary and Linguistic Matters in the Book of Proverbs’) and J.E. Patrick (‘“The Fear of the Lord Is the Beginning of Wisdom”: Calendars, Divination and Stories of Terror’); Job by D.J.A. Clines (‘One or Two Things You May Not Know about the Universe: The Cosmology of the Divine Speeches in Job’) and T. Stordalen (‘The Canonical Taming of Job [Job 42.1–6]’); and Ecclesiastes by J. Jarick (‘The Rhetorical Structure of Ecclesiastes’), J. Grillo (‘Is Patristic Exegesis Good for Biblical Scholarship? Jerome and Gregory of Nyssa on Qohelet’) and M. Bundvad (‘At Play in Potential Space: Reading King Qohelet's Building Experiment with Psychoanalytic Spatial Theory’). Other texts are related to wisdom by S. Gillingham (‘“I will incline my ear to a proverb; I will solve my riddle to the music of the harp” [Psalm 49.4]: The Wisdom Tradition and the Psalms’); E. Kingsmill (‘The Song of Songs: A Wisdom Book’); J. Day (‘Wisdom and the Garden of Eden’); P.Y. Yoo (‘The Absence of Wisdom in the Wilderness’); K.J. Dell (‘Jeremiah, Creation and Wisdom’); D.W. Rooke (‘Handel's Nabal’); J.K. Aitken (‘Ben Sira's Table Manners and the Social Setting of his Book’); and J.E. Harding (‘Ben Sira on Friendship: Notes on Intertextuality and Method’). The volume provides a useful resource for those interested in the broad question of wisdom traditions in the Bible and/or in the individual books discussed here as wisdom.

Kim, Tae-Kyung, Frömmigkeit in der Weisheit. Untersuchungen zum religiösen Geschehen zwischen Gott und dem einzelnen Menschen in der Weisheitstradition (European University Studies, Series 23 [Theology], 933; Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2013), pp. 252. Several figures. £35.10. ISBN 978-3-631-59814-6; ISSN 0721-3409.

K.'s doctoral dissertation, completed at Münster in Westphalia in 2008, considers a series of wisdom passages addressing God's dealings with individuals. Starting from Rainer Albertz's description of personal piety as the foundation for the individual lament, she claims that in wisdom literature the active subject is not the whole people of Israel but rather the individual. Operating with a broad definition of wisdom, most of the volume is concerned with the Psalter: thanksgiving psalms (Pss. 32, 34), wisdom psalms concerned with theodicy (Pss. 37, 49, 62, 73, 112), and Torah psalms (Pss. 1, 19). She also examines a few sayings from Proverbs, as well as two Ben Sira passages (Sir. 33.7–15; 39.12–35). For each passage, she provides a translation (with footnotes discussing textual problems), as well as an outline of structure, before examining its notions of personal piety. In line with her sharp distinction between individual and national piety, she replaces ‘Israel’ (Ps. 73.1) with ‘the honest’ (cf. nrsv), and omits the Septuagintal mention of Zion at the psalm's conclusion (Ps. 73.28). The bibliography includes a good amount of older scholarship. Although there are no indexes, the six-page table of contents outlines the book's major sections. Suitable for researchers interested in the piety of the Psalms.

Klangwisan, Yael, Earthing the Cosmic Queen: Relevance Theory and the Song of Songs (Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2014), pp. xxiv + 152. $20.00. ISBN 978-1-62564-499-2.

Relevance theory, apparently, ‘describes the process of communication as one that is earthed in actual contexts’ (p. xxii), meaning that the reader should try to reconstruct the ‘crisis’ that gave rise to a literary work. In the Song of Songs, it would seem, the poet is engaging with ‘the socio-religious and patriarchal context of Ancient Israel’ (p. 143). K. also applies exegesis as used in the Zohar—known by the anacronym ‘PaRDeS’—to the Song. Here it is restricted to peshat, the literal meaning (ch. 1), remez, the hidden or symbolic meaning (ch. 2), and derash or midrash (ch. 3). Sodh, the esoteric meaning, is the subject of her companion book, Jouissance: A Cixousian Encounter with the Song of Songs (Sheffield, 2015). In effect, ch. 1 deals with linguistic theory, illustrated by excerpts from the Song, ch. 2 analyses the whole of the Song in terms of discourse, and ch. 3 is an exploration of the similarities between passages from Genesis (including the Garden of Eden story) and the Song, not all of them convincing. The result is an empathetic reading of this poem that makes it accessible to the non-specialist. Sometimes, however, more is read into the text than seems to be present. There are figures, tables and a bibliography but no index.

Longman, Tremper, III, Psalms: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 15–16; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2014), pp. 479. $18.00 (print); $12.00 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-8308-4285-8; e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9825-1.

This is one of the new series of Tyndale commentaries, intended to offer an up-to-date reading from an evangelical standpoint. However, it is little touched by recent developments in Psalms study, particularly reception history. The question of the editing of the Psalter is acknowledged in the introduction and in the prefatory remarks to Psalms 1 and 2 and concluding comment to Psalms 146–150, but it is not a continuous thread throughout the book. After the introduction (concerning matters such as titles, genre, composition and editing, style and theology, the Psalms as prayer, and imprecations), the commentary proper is organized in five sections corresponding to the books of the Psalter, but the editorial significance of this is not examined. Each psalm is discussed under the headings ‘Context’ (concerning its genre, setting, summary of contents), ‘Comment’ (the bulk of the commentary, in which verses are discussed in blocks), and ‘Meaning’ (relating to the original context and to its christological significance). L.'s conclusions are as expected: reference to the ‘mountain of the Lord’ in Psalm 24 might be compatible with Davidic authorship; Psalm 29 (whose ‘heavenly beings’ are ‘angels’) intentionally links with Ugaritic religion but to undermine ‘the worship of false, non-existent gods’; Psalm 88 has little awareness of the afterlife, a truth revealed later, but by its persistence still reveals hope in God; Psalms 96 and 98 anticipate ‘the Lord coming in the future as Judge’. The book will be of most value to those seeking to read the Psalms as Scripture.

Lucas, Ernest, Proverbs (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, Ml/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2015), pp. xiv + 407. $28.00/£18.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-2710-4. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This commentary starts with an informative and interesting introduction in which L. outlines different kinds of parallelism and various sorts of proverbs, cross-referencing ANE traditions for further elucidation. Similarly, when looking at the origins of Proverbs, he examines works on both African and Arabic proverbs in order to provide a broader background against which to conduct his analysis. While he is explanatory, L. does not simplify the content, which is robust and, though this is not a critical commentary, he engages with the Hebrew, other texts where necessary, critical commentators (such as W. McKane), and a host of other scholars, ancient and modern. L. has a style that is easy to read; he gives short headings for each small group of proverbs and discursively works through them in turn. The second half of the book is, effectively, a monograph which looks at the (Christian) theological significances of Proverbs. It is well-researched, insightful and flows neatly from the first section. For example, when discussing in his commentary section Wisdom's role in creation in Prov. 8.30, he itemizes the various suggestions (‘craftsman’, ‘heavenly sage’, ‘nursling/cherished child’, ‘being raised/growing up’, ‘faithfully’) and then gives his own view (‘heavenly sage’, though he considers none of the options compelling). He then directs the reader to the relevant section in the second half, ‘Wisdom and Christology’, which is a rich investigation spanning the Wisdom of Ben Sirah, Baruch, the Wisdom of Solomon and the New Testament. This is a commentary worth having.

Maier, Christl M. and Nuria Calduch-Benages (eds.), The Writings and Later Wisdom Books (The Bible and Women, 1.3; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2014), pp. x + 333. $44.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-057-7 (paperback edition); e-ISBN 978-1-62837-058-4.

For a review of this volume, see Section 5 (V) below.

Meredith, Christopher, Journeys in the Songscape: Space and the Song of Songs (Hebrew Bible Monographs, 53; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2013), pp. xii + 202. £60.00/$95.00/€70.00. ISBN 978-1-907534-85-0; ISSN 1747-9614.

In this work, the Song is presented as akin to Walter Benjamin's phantasmagoria: a projection which is perceived as three-dimensional yet remains transitory. A precursor to cinema, the phantasmagoria works through the willingness of an audience to perceive magic, something as integral to the experience as the projections, scrims and smoke. M. argues that the reader similarly actualizes the Song through their willingness to participate in the poem with the lovers, which is something different from merely observing a dreamscape. The reader interacts differently with space as rendered in the Song, whether in the forms of the lovers, the garden or the city. The connectedness of different images must be negotiated though awareness of the role of the reader in the process of phantasmagorical meaning-making. By way of example, M. effectively demonstrates the capacity of the reader to infer a whole body for the Song's woman through a Benjaminian sense of embodiment, where ‘“body-and-image-space” in the text conjoin, each actualizing the other’ (p. 182). By this process of mutual actualization, M. challenges the reader to reconsider the veracity and meanings of commonly identified binaries: those of city/garden, male/female, open/enclosed, reader/storyteller. The Song plays creatively with different voices and spaces, and provocatively asks how it is owned, imagined and projected. In creating a spatial Songscape, M. has shown the potential for different readings, ideologies and power dynamics to be rendered malleable and contingent on the very text being interpreted. This has implications not limited to the Song, and offers exciting possibilities for other texts.

Mitchell, David C., The Songs of Ascents: Psalms 120 to 134 in the Worship of Jerusalem's Temples (Newton Mearns, Glasgow: Campbell Publications, 2015), pp. xvi + 290. Numerous figures and tables. £14.75. ISBN 978-1-50-874535-8.

Since the publication of Suzanne Haïk-Vantoura's La musique de la Bible révélée in 1976 the quest to identify a musical interpretation of the Masoretic cantillation marks in the poetic biblical books has acquired some impetus. M., combining musical expertise and biblical scholarship, has made in this monograph a significant contribution to this ongoing quest. M. identifies a persuasive chain of tradition which could support the view that the cantillations are a genuine representation of a musical tradition known to the Masoretes, but subsequently lost. Building on Haïk-Vantoura's work, and using as a test case the Gregorian tonus peregrinus for Psalm 114 (whose melody is echoed in both Sephardic and Ashkenazi melodies for the same psalm) M. provides a musical understanding of the cantillations which transfers into explicit musical directions (which he reproduces) for each of the Psalms of Ascents. More controversially, identifying himself as a historical ‘maximalist’, M. locates the composition of these psalms in Solomon's time, first used at the historical dedication of the first Temple. This reviewer (more ‘minimalist’ by inclination) is not persuaded. However, the evidence of much detailed structure in the Psalms of Ascents, their clear festival purport, and their likely use at a Sukkot celebration in the Temple in later times, are points we can agree on. This study deserves to be taken very seriously indeed.

Moss, Alan, Proverbs (Readings: A New Biblical Commentary; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. viii + 187. £15.00/$25.00/€22.50. ISBN 978-1-909697-46-1 (paperback edition).

The commentary proper is divided into five sections following a fairly standard analysis: the ‘instructional’ material of Proverbs 1–9, the ‘Proverbs of Solomon’ in 10.1–22.16, the ‘Words of the Wise’ in 22.17–24.34, the sayings collected by Hezekiah's men in 25.1–29.27 and, finally, the concluding miscellany of 30.1–31.31. There follows an interesting appendix (pp. 152–71) surveying opinion on ‘Solomon as the Author of Proverbs’, from Origen to modern scholars such as J. Vilchez Lindez and Bruce Waltke. Notwithstanding this interest in Solomon, the commentary accepts the conventional understanding that we owe Proverbs to many hands, the ‘sages’ who edited and collected its sayings, and that in its final form it is postexilic. It understands the book to have been intended as an educational text for the youth of Israel, speaking with a parental voice to admonish and instruct, rather than, for example, an instruction manual for scribes in the royal court. This is a workmanlike commentary generally content to articulate the con–sensus views of scholarship; its judgments are sound and often enlightening, although it does not offer any startling new insights or attempt to resolve the well-known textual difficulties of the book. However, the decision to treat the meshalim of 10.1–22.16 by grouping them together according to theme, rather than by the order in which they appear in the book, was a bold one that, arguably, tends to obscure the rich variety of, sometimes conflicting, opinion that flourishes in this section of Proverbs.

Mtata, Kenneth, Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr and Miriam Rose (eds.), Singing the Songs of the Lord in Foreign Lands: Psalms in Contemporary Lutheran Interpretation (LWF Documentation, 59; Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2014), pp. 272. €19.80. ISBN 978-3-374-03773-5.

This is the second publication in a series ‘pertaining to interpretive practices and theories within the Lutheran traditions’ (p. 9), and represents a conference on Lutheran hermeneutics on Psalms in 2013. A considerable international range of theologians with various specialisms is gathered here. Prefatory and introductory pieces by Martin Junge, Klaus Dicke, and the three editors set the context. Six chapters follow, each comprising two or three essays. First, ‘Hermeneutic Approaches and Challenges’ provides the setting for Hans-Peter Grosshans, ‘Luther's Early Interpretation of the Psalms and his Contribution to Hermeneutics’, and Monica Jyotsna Melanchthon, ‘“Protect Me from Those Who Are Violent.” Psalm 140: A Cry for Justice—A Song of Hope’. The second chapter, ‘Psalms Exegesis: Methodologies Past and Present’, showcases Corinna Körting's ‘Singing, Praying and Meditating the Psalms: Exegetical and Historical Remarks’, and Frank-Lothar Hossfeld's ‘From Psalms to Psalter Exegesis’. Chapter 3, ‘Difficult Topics in Psalms and their Lutheran Interpretation’, features Jutta Hausmann, ‘The Topic of Violence—A Hermeneutic Challenge in Reading Psalms’; Urmas Nõmmik, ‘Between Praise and Lament: Remarks on the Development of the Hebrew Psalms’; and Roger Marcel Wanke, ‘The Vengeance Psalms as a Phenomenon of Critical Justice: The Problem of Enemies in Luther's Interpretation of Psalms’. Next, ‘Psalms from the Old Testament and their Reception in the New Testament’ comprises three essays: Karl-Wilhelm Niebuhr, ‘Psalms outside the Biblical Psalms Collection—the Example of Jonah’; Craig R. Koester, ‘Interpretation of the Psalms in the New Testament: Witness to Christ and the Human Condition’; and Anni Hentschel, ‘The Christological Reception of Psalms in Hebrews’. Fifth, ‘Luther's Interpretation of the Psalms from a Contemporary Perspective’ holds together a further three essays: Vitor Westhelle, ‘Luther and the Psalms: How Stories Shape the Story’; Brian Brock, ‘The Psalms and Luther's Praise Inversion: Cultural Criticism as Doxology Detection’; and L'ubomír Batka, ‘Theology of the Word in “Operationes in Psalmos” (1519–1521)’. Finally, the chapter ‘Contextual Approaches to the Psalms’ closes the volume with three papers: Madipoane Masenya (ngwan'a Mphahlele), ‘Being ‘ādām: A Contextual Reading of the Psalms Today’; Andrea Bieler, ‘The Wounds of War: Engaging the Psalms of Lament in Pastoral Care with Veterans against the Background of Martin Luther's Hermeneutics’; and Dorothea Erbele-Küster, ‘Luther's Poetic Reading of Psalms’. The admirable diversity of this collection means that it risks lacking coherence, in that Luther features sometimes centrally, sometimes in the background, or occasionally as a slightly awkward addendum. The variety of contributors and stances tends to many interpretations of the task at hand and ‘Lutheran’ is understood simultaneously in different papers as pertaining either to the work of Luther himself or the present ministry of the associated churches which took his name. The focus is sometimes on biblical or theological texts, sometimes on hermeneutic methods, and sometimes on contemporary readings. Both the confessional and the academic are included. The disparate nature of the collection—not entirely clarified by the chapter headings—means that as a whole the book is not comfortably commended to any singular audience. Nevertheless the individual essays, despite striving to respond to an agenda that embraces Luther, international Lutheranism today, the Psalms and hermeneutics in multiple combinations, contain some new insights. Papers unfolding Luther's theology of the Word in song in the Psalms merit attention, and other essays offer interesting reflections on violence in the Psalms. The Lutheran World Federation is to be commended for its commitment to such reflective theology of hermeneutics in its context, and does well to maintain such living biblical theology among its members.

Pavan, Marco, ‘He remembered that they were but flesh, a breath that passes and does not return’ (Ps 78,39): The Theme of Memory and Forgetting in the Third Book of the Psalter (Pss 73–89) (trans. Michael Tait; Österreichische Biblische Studien, 44; Frankfurt am Main: Peter Lang, 2014), pp. 473. 67 tables. €87.95/£66.00. ISBN 978-3-631-656235; e-ISBN 978-3-653-04868-1; ISSN 0948-1664.

The 17 psalms of the third book of the Psalter form a depressing work, preoccupied with injustice, destruction and judgment. P. seeks to reverse this impression by emphasizing the theme of memory within the collection: although God may have temporarily forgotten his people (Pss. 74, 77, 86 and 89) and the people may have forgotten God (Pss. 78 and 81), they can nevertheless be confident that God will remember them if they remember him (Pss. 74, 78, 88, 89). Taking seriously the literary unity of the entire collection, P. first reviews the Asaphite psalms, 73–83 (preoccupied with the destruction of the Temple and the end of the nation), and reflects on how, in their concentric arrangement, Psalm 78, with its focus on ‘remembering’, is placed at the centre (pp. 127–28). He then examines Psalms 84–89 (with their hopes for the restoration of Zion and David), and argues that the two groups of three psalms (84–86 and 87–89) intentionally end with Psalm 89, also a key psalm about ‘remembering’ (pp. 183–84). This is a thoroughly researched work: it was originally a doctorate under Gianni Barbiero, and is replete with extensive footnotes, using some nine modern languages and some five ancient ones. There are only two other seminal works on Book Three of the Psalter, but neither Robert Cole (2000) nor Clinton McCann (1993) deals so engagingly, as does P., with the theme of memory as part of its literary and theological shaping. The only niggle was the lack of indexes—without being able to follow up authors, psalms or subjects elsewhere it is impossible to do justice to the thoroughness of research which is so evident in this work.

Pelham, Abigail, Contested Creations in the Book of Job: The-World-as-It-Ought-and-Ought-Not-to-Be (Biblical Interpretation Series, 113; Leiden: Brill, 2012), pp. x + 261. €119.00/$146.00. ISBN 978-90-04-21820-8; e-ISBN 978-90-04-23029-3; ISSN 0928-0731.

P.'s study of the book of Job provides many interesting insights through its (forward) reading of creation themes within the text and its (backward) rereadings of these same themes. Essentially, this is a hermeneutical study of Job, and one which privileges the reader in the classic interpretative trichotomy of author, text and reader. Having established her methodological approach in the prologue, in the first chapter P. goes on to discuss the significance of the creation theme to the book as a whole and to the worldview(s) of the main literary participants. She argues that reading Job forwards from the prologue and backwards from the epilogue creates a tension in the reader's appreciation of the created order (the titular ‘Contested Creations’). Chapters 2–4 study this idea of the ‘world-as-it-ought-to-be’ and ‘world-as-it-ought-not-to-be’ vis-à-vis relationships, time and space. The fifth chapter then examines the powerfully disruptive literary effect of the epilogue, resulting in a strong sense of ambiguity which applies equally to the main characters’ understanding of their own experiences and the reader's understanding of the text. P. argues that the interpreter of Job must be comfortable with ambiguity and should acknowledge the multiplicity of meanings to be discovered in the story rather than focusing on any singular reading. This is a thoughtful and thought-provoking study of the vagaries of the book of Job; at times, however, one is left wondering if the inherent ambiguities are not somewhat overstated to make the case.

Petrany, Catherine, Pedagogy, Prayer and Praise: The Wisdom of the Psalms and Psalter (FAT 2, 83; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. x + 247. €79.00. ISBN 978-3-16-154272-5; e-ISBN 978-3-16-154273-2 (PDF); ISSN 1611-4914.

This volume explores the relationship between wisdom and the Psalms. In the first chapter P. presents a capable overview of the history of scholarship on wisdom in the Psalms as a prelude to introducing her own approach. P.'s approach is taken up in ch. 2, which analyses the communicative situations in wisdom texts and in the Psalms, focusing on how the complicated verbal interactions between the psalmist, his audience and the divine integrate both human-to-human speech (the horizontal axis) and human-to-divine speech (the vertical axis), as opposed to the human-to-human speech that predominates in wisdom literature. Her goal is to discover how the more complicated speech situations in the psalms play into the pedagogical strategies of the teacher (the psalmist) at the level of the individual psalm, and how these resonate within the book of Psalms as a whole. With this in mind, the following chapters elaborate upon the topic of wisdom and instruction in non-wisdom psalms, in wisdom psalms, and in the book of Psalms. P. successfully demonstrates that, whereas wisdom passages in books such as Proverbs are directly instructive, the wisdom elements in various psalms are both directly instructive and conducive to drawing the speaker and hearer into communicative interaction with the divine as well. Students, teachers, and scholars of the Psalms will benefit from P.'s carefully crafted volume, which highlights the role of speech, speaker, and hearer in this beloved book.

Ruiz, Eleuterio R., Das Land ist für die Armen da. Psalm 37 und seine immer aktuelle Bedeutung (Stuttgarter Bibelstudien, 232; Stuttgart: Katholisches Bibelwerk, 2015), pp. 114. €22.80. ISBN 978-3-460-03324-5.

R. is a Catholic priest and biblical scholar from Argentina. His book, introduced by Norbert Lohfink, is a presentation for a general readership, translated from the Spanish, of the substance of his Pontifical Biblical Institute thesis, shorn of technical material and supporting argumentation and references; however, there is a substantial bibliography. The book falls roughly into two halves. The first half is a translation and exegesis of Psalm 37. The exegesis is lucid and compelling, though the positions on date and authorship cannot be assessed without the arguments. R. dates the psalm in the third century bce, and attributes its authorship to a village scribe instructing poor country people desperate and angry at their exploitation by landlords and the Ptolemaic state. Far from being a loose collection of wisdom maxims, the psalm has a clear tripartite structure and an argument. The style is that of wisdom, but the substance is prophetic, encouraging people to await the coming divine intervention to destroy the ‘wicked’, that is the oppressors, and grant the poor possession of the land. Thus the principle of retribution is fulfilled eschatologically. The second half covers broadly the reception history of the psalm, first among other psalms in the Psalter, then its LXX version, followed by the pesher in 4Q171, Mt. 5.5, rabbinic and patristic interpretation, and finally modern interpretation. Pre-critical interpretation generally emphasizes the moral teaching and appeals to an other-worldly eschatology. A final word encourages us to read the psalm identifying ourselves with the poor.

Snearly, Michael K., The Return of the King: Messianic Expectation in Book V of the Psalter (LHBOTS, 624; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2016), pp. xii + 236. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/$83.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56766-433-4; e-ISBN 978-0-56766-435-8.

S.'s study of Book V of the Psalter is fighting on two fronts. First, he wants to establish a proper place for editorial criticism, that is, the study of how the Psalter was edited as a book, against those who have criticized it as overly subjective and not grounded in the history of interpretation. Second, against the reading particularly associated with G.H. Wilson, he wants to demonstrate that there is a coherent messianism which emerges through Book V. Obviously, the second only holds if the first is sustained. Although I suspect S. may not win over those critics who give priority to the individual psalm, he is conscious of the excessive claims sometimes made by editorial critics, arguing that the editorial shape of the Psalter is only one interpretative context, and not necessarily to be prioritized above all others. His exploration of Book V goes through its main groups, identifying points of contact to clear seams in the Psalter on the basis of cohesion (repetitions) and coherence. The exegesis is clear, but one might wonder if the final editors of the Psalter were necessarily concerned with constructing a clear storyline, and some connections are not as clear to this reader as he argues. But this remains a helpful and worthwhile study.

Sneed, Mark R., The Social World of the Sages: An Introduction to Israelite and Jewish Wisdom Literature (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), pp. xviii + 450. 3 maps, 12 illustrations, 26 figures, 12 sidebars. $44.00. ISBN 978-1-4514-7036-9; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-7987-4.

This is a textbook introduction to Israel's wisdom literature for beginning students, but with a difference. Rather than supplying detailed accounts of each wisdom book, S. focuses on the social world, which is often illuminated by salient quotations from biblical and non-biblical texts. Almost every page has bracketed references to the work of recent scholars, as listed in the bibliography. The volume's first 300 pages describe the social world of Israel's sages in the literary and archaeological context of the ancient Near East. Only the final 100 pages deal directly with specific texts as whole literary works: Proverbs, Job, Ecclesiastes, Sirach, Sapientia (= LXX Book of Wisdom), the Wisdom Psalms, and Qumran sapiential writings. After the bibliography there is an index of Scripture passages, and of names and subjects, though I was surprised that the bibliography omits the Anchor Bible volumes on Ben Sira and the book of Wisdom. The volume is enhanced by tables and drawings. S.'s teaching purpose is evident from his explanation that the wise lifestyle involves being a good citizen, whereas the fool is a troublemaker (p. 20). Overall, this is a useful textbook for introducing undergraduates to Israelite wisdom in its ancient social context, and even experienced scholars could learn from the broad surveys of scholarship, though some details might need to be nuanced for more advanced research.

Sumpter, Philip, The Substance of Psalm 24: An Attempt to Read Scripture after Brevard S. Childs (LHBOTS, 600; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xiv + 274. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/$100.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56765-617-9; e ISBN 978-0-56765-616-2.

Here is a thesis of two (unequal) halves. The first is a bustling review of Childs’ approach to Scripture, organized around the notions of verbum (the text as human witness) and res (the reality thereby witnessed). In six brief chapters spanning 56 pages, S. rehearses Childs’ concerns with form and function, stretching from his form-critical background to his well-known emphasis on the final form of the text. A balance is struck between historical-critical analysis, and the pressure of the texts’ subject-matter, or res, that pulls the interpreter into consideration of wider resonances and theological perspectives. S. acknowledges the fuller treatment of Daniel Driver's book on Childs, but is helpfully focused on what he terms the ‘acquiring of a proper stance’ for interpretation, rather than the learning of a method. The second part of the book moves to a canonical approach to Psalm 24, in four longer and more leisurely major chapters. This approach circles around verbum (a detailed literary-historical investigation); res (a dialogue with Robert Jenson's unusual concept of God under the heading ‘God in se’); verbum again (looking at canonical co-texts: Samuel, Pss. 15–24; Isaiah); and res again (interweaving coverage of the text with a sermon from Eberhard Jüngel, patristic interpretation, and finally Douglas Farrow on the ascension). The breadth of dialogue partners indicates the ambitious scope of the discussion, though S. is also fully at home with critical OT scholarship on his focal Hebrew text. There is merit in exploring the import of Childs’ work by way of a focused case study, and there is merit in the persuasive reading of Psalm 24 offered here, which finds theological unity amid the distributed parts in a vision of God as creator entering into the midst of opposition, and working towards bringing all things together, as modelled first—via the superscription—by David. There is even merit in trying to hold those two things together, though it is unnerving to read an entire thesis on Psalm 24 that protests more than once that there is insufficient space to explore all the theological issues raised. The difficult task of maintaining the appropriate levels of interaction with such disparate dialogue partners occasionally seems to defeat S., with one result being that there is no loop back to revisit ‘reading Scripture after Childs’ in a more broad-based final conclusion. Instead the book just stops with a res-orientated reflection, essentially affirming that the Early Church was right to shape its ascension theology around Psalm 24. The content of this book is stimulating, although the form of this kind of enquiry might benefit from more nuanced presentation of just how much of the theological weight is really provoked by the impress of the text. But it is a productive conversation to be having.

Tucker, W. Dennis, Jr, Constructing and Deconstructing Power in Psalms 107–150 (Ancient Israel and Its Literature, 19; Atlanta, GA: SBL, 2014), pp. xii + 227. $28.95 (paperback edition). ISBN 978-1-58983-972-4; e-ISBN 978-1-58983-974-8.

T. has written frequently on the politics of power within the Psalms; here he argues that the whole of Book Five (Pss. 107–150) offers an implicit critique of the Persian Empire. It emphasizes first the cosmic power of Yhwh (implicitly subverting that of Ahuramazda), and secondly the dependency of Yehud on God alone (thus subverting Persian imperialism). Chapter 1 assesses recent scholarship on the shaping of Book Five. Chapter 2 evaluates the ideology of the Achaemenid Dynasty. Chapters 3 and 4 examine Pss. 107–118 and 120–145. Chapter 5 considers the theological relationship between God and the Second Temple. Chapter 6 appraises God's protection of the disenfranchised ‘poor’. Chapter 7 examines the Hallel (Pss. 146–150) in the light of the thesis. This is undoubtedly a clear and carefully researched account; nevertheless, it does raise several important questions. For example, how is Book Five distinctive in its theology and anthropology—how do we read other psalms which confront imperialism in this way? Conversely, how do we interpret psalms in Book Five which actually praise God's rule over all nations—for example, Psalm 117? Furthermore, are the oppressors always those outside the community, or is there evidence in Book Five of internal party conflicts as well? And, most importantly, did Book Five really come about as a result of Persian imperialism? Was not the Hellenistic period, especially under the Seleucids, even more influential, some two centuries later? Questions such as these simply indicate that T. has produced one of the most interesting and innovative accounts of the shaping of Book Five to date.

Walton, John H. and Tremper Longman III, How to Read Job (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), pp. 208. $18.00 (print); $14.99 (e-book). ISBN 978-0-8308-4089-2; e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9907-4.

Distilling the complexities of the book of Job into a brief and accessible manual for readers is a formidable challenge, which this book achieves admirably in parts. The opening section considers the literary nature and rhetorical strategy of Job, while the second surveys the various characters in the book. The third part explores theological issues raised around suffering, wisdom, theodicy and the retribution principle. The final section indicates a Christian intended audience, particularly preachers and teachers; it resists some traditional comparisons of Job and Jesus, while also challenging prosperity gospel teachings with a call for service of God which is devoid of manipulation and self-interest. Walton and Longman argue that the central issue explored in the book of Job is not suffering but disinterested righteousness. Thus, although Job and other characters ask, ‘Why is Job suffering?’, the more significant and fruitful question posed by the book is, ‘Why is Job righteous?’ The outcome demonstrates that Job truly does ‘fear God for nothing’ (Job 1.9). God's way of running the world is effectively on trial in the artificial and hypothetical scenario of Job's life, which is seen as a test case. Walton and Longman conclude that God's justice is not the foundation of how the world operates, but God's wisdom is to be trusted, not least when divine actions cannot be understood. Their contention that the principle of divine retribution can have general value for theology but cannot be sustained for theodicy needs more clarification and justification.

Weber, Beat, ‘Wie ein Baum, eingepflanzt an Wasserrinnen’ (Psalm 1,3). Beiträge zur Poesie und Theologie von Psalmen und Psalter für Wissenschaft und Kirche (ed. Torsten Uhlig; Arbeiten zur Bibel und ihrer Geschichte, 41; Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt, 2014), pp. 534. 2 illustrations. €74.00. ISBN 978-3-374-03228-0.

This substantial volume consists of 28 essays, of which seven have not been previously published. The first three deal with methodologies in recent psalm research (balance of poetic, historical and canonical approaches; poetic techniques; theological role within the canon), while the next 11 are studies of individual psalms (Pss. 1; 3; 13; 30; 74/79; 77; 78; 81; 83; 88; 130). The following seven essays deal with the development of the Psalter (introductory function of Ps. 1; role of Pss. 1–3; the Asaph Psalter; Ps. 78 as the Psalter's midpoint; wisdom theology; blessings and macarisms; Psalms as God's word yet addressed to God). The final seven pieces are a pastoral reflection on Psalm 13 and six sermons (on Pss. 4; 31; 49; 121; 126; 127). The volume ends with a 29-page bibliography, mostly comprising recent scholarship, but unfortunately there are no indexes. Although only one essay is in English, each chapter helpfully has an English abstract. In many cases the author supplies his own translation of the Hebrew psalm as well as a poetic analysis, often engaging directly with the Hebrew text. A useful volume for everyone interested in psalm research.

Wilson, Lindsay, Job (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, Ml/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2015), pp. xii + 420. $28.00/£18.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-2708-1. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

W.'s book is a welcome study at a time when there seems to be a resurgence of interest in Job. The book is broadly divided into four parts. The introduction does not simply repeat existing opinions, but freshly considers the book's provenance and reception. As expected in this series, the commentary is not the bulk of the work, sometimes feeling a little short, and when combined with the introduction is only just over half the work. The rest of the study is a series of profitable essays on the theology of Job. This is first handled with some short essays that deal with major religious and ethical themes, such as suffering and God. The essays are thoughtfully presented and contain good research, though one is sometimes left wondering what to do with what is said, the essays are so short. The rest of the studies make a strong closing read, interacting with NT and Second Temple scholarship. W. seems to argue that the wisdom of Job has more to do with perseverance and faith, and perhaps less with answering questions of theodicy. He rejects the typological connections with Christ, instead seeing the Christian interpretation in how the biblical book depicts God's kingly rule. W. adroitly handles the text, is clear and insightful, and his work should prominently accompany—maybe even replace—earlier works on the subject.

V. Other Writings (Lamentations, Daniel, Ruth, Esther, Chronicles, Ezra–Nehemiah)

Beyer, Andrea, Hoffnung in Bethlehem. Innerbiblische Querbezüge als Deutungshorizonte im Ruthbuch (BZAW, 463; Berlin/Boston: De Gruyter, 2014), pp. xii + 252. €99.95/$140.00/£74.99. ISBN 978-3-11-035018-0; e-ISBN 978-3-11-038786-5 (e-Pub), 978-3-11-035363-1 (PDF); ISSN 0934-2575.

A short introduction (ch. 1) reviews crisply the contributions to ‘intertextuality’ by Julia Kristeva and Gérard Gennette before offering criteria for assessing textual cross-references. Four readings of the book of Ruth (ch. 2), as idyll or novella, as a story about women or strangers, as critique of Ezra–Nehemiah, and as literature from the milieu of wisdom, are sketched and critically assessed. The next two chapters bear the main weight of B.'s argument. In ch. 3, the compositional structure of the book of Ruth is explored: for each chapter of the text, reviews of syntax, speeches, and scenic arrangement precede analysis of semantic fields—keywords can indicate structuring and important passages. B.'s study of Ruth 4 concludes with a very acute argument for its unity. Then, in ch. 4, B. uses inner-biblical cross-references to help profile the contents and suggest the theology of the book of Ruth: Naomi is compared with Job, and Ruth contrasted with the ‘št-ḥyl in Proverbs 31; the climactic genealogy of David is anticipated several times through the narrative; and the family histories of Genesis are richly recalled, links between Ruth and Abraham being especially significant. B.'s conclusion to this careful study (ch. 5) argues that the breadth of ‘biblical’ reference, including both the poetry and the framework of Job, points to a Hellenistic date; that, like the Joseph-story and Jonah, Ruth is wisdom literature; and that this story of hope exemplifies behaviour that conforms to ḥsd and is to the benefit of all, including strangers and women.

Bier, Miriam J., ‘Perhaps There Is Hope’: Reading Lamentations as a Polyphony of Pain, Penitence, and Protest (LHBOTS, 603; London/New York: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xvi + 249. £70.00/$120.00 (print); £69.99/$107.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-567-65838-8; e-ISBN 978-0-567-65837-1.

This monograph is the revised version of B.'s 2012 PhD dissertation (University of Otago), in which she argues that Lamentations should be read as an unresolved multi-voiced expression of pain, penitence and protest. Chapter 1 explains how the Bakhtinian method of the project is narrowed further by Boris Uspensky's work on ‘point of view’. Chapter 2 demonstrates the dialogic interaction of the voices of the lamenter and Zion in Lamentations 1. Chapter 3 continues to navigate this interaction throughout Lamentations 2, and observes the lamenter's increasing sympathy for Zion. Through the employment of Bakhtin's concepts of multiple centres and authoritative discourse, in ch. 4 B. reads Lamentations 3 as an ambiguous internal dialogue. The polyphonic reading of Lamentations 4, undertaken in ch. 5, allows for blame to be allocated in various directions. Chapter 6 emphasizes that Lamentations 5 ends in an unresolved fashion, which further validates B.'s understanding of the text as a polyphony. Chapters 7 and 8 reiterate the appropriateness of reading Lamentations as a polyphonic text, even if this would not be fitting for the whole of the canon. With clarity, B. guides the reader through each chapter of Lamentations, distinguishing the voices of multiple speakers in dialogue with one another and themselves. B. accomplishes her aim of demonstrating how readers ‘monologize’ a polyphonic text by attempting to surmise a unified theological message (e.g. penitence versus protest). Her approach allows the full weight of the theodic and antitheodic tensions at work in Lamentations to be felt.

Chisholm, Robert B., Jr, A Commentary on Judges and Ruth (Kregel Exegetical Library; Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Publications, 2013), pp. 697. $39.99/£23.99. ISBN 978-0-8254-2556-1. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

For a review of this volume, see Section 5 (II) above.

Davis, Dale Ralph, The Message of Daniel: His Kingdom Cannot Fail (The Bible Speaks Today; Nottingham: InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2013), pp. 169. £9.99/$18.00 (print); $15.00 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-1-84474-801-3 (UK), 978-0-8308-2438-0 (US).

Like all the commentaries in the Bible Speaks Today series, D.'s commentary seeks to faithfully interpret the Bible text while relating its message to the modern life of faith. D. deals well with issues of historical background and context, presenting the Daniel story within its Israelite and Babylonian framework. He also deals well with the contentious issue of the date of Daniel's prophecy, defending the origin of the work in the early Persian period, probably in the sixth century bc, and adducing much convincing evidence to this end. D. also does a good job of relating the text to contemporary life. In particular, he offers perceptive insights on power's unfailing tendency to corrupt, and on the believer's relation to authority and power in all its forms. The style is readable and anecdotal, and contains some amusing illustrations and pictures on the pretensions of power (such as the naked man who thought he was cutting a fine dash with a corset wrapped round his head!). If I were looking for any fault, I was disappointed by his ‘agnostic’ approach to the prophecy of 70 weeks. More could have been said on the different views. And, of course, those seeking a detailed commentary on the Hebrew and Aramaic text will find this book lightweight. But what it does, it does well, providing an accessible, scholarly introduction to Daniel. Good for general insights, good for preachers. Highly recommended.

Fulton, Deirdre N., Reconsidering Nehemiah's Judah: The Case of MT and LXX Nehemiah 11–12 (FAT 2, 80; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2015), pp. xvi + 258. €79.00. ISBN 978-3-16-153881-0; e-ISBN 978-3-16-153882-7 (PDF); ISSN 1611-4914.

This revised PhD thesis from the Pennsylvania State University (supervisor: G.N. Knoppers) argues for a tradition history of the lists in Nehemiah 11–12 by means of a text-critical analysis of the two chapters in the MT and the LXX. Although the LXX of Nehemiah (text of Esdras β) is generally similar to the MT, it is very different in these two chapters. F. argues that the shorter LXX lists are the earlier (representing the Persian period), while the lists in the MT are later, perhaps from the Hasmonaean period. However, both sets of lists are seen to reflect the historical situation of a particular period (she draws up a more detailed hypothesis of literary development on pp. 189–99). Overall, her results are convincing and have the potential of increasing our knowledge of the settlement in Yehud in the Persian period. However, much depends on her understanding of the LXX, and LXX scholars are likely to have views. For example, she rejects use of Hanhart's critical text in the Göttingen edition (see B.L. 1995, p. 50) in favour of the uncial mss (primarily Codex B; Appendix A helpfully prints her reconstructed text with an English translation). Also, as a footnote, she erroneously refers to the ‘critical text’ of the Cambridge edition; it is a diplomatic text, mainly a reproduction of Vaticanus.

Lester, G. Brooke, Daniel Evokes Isaiah: Allusive Characterization of Foreign Rule in the Hebrew–Aramaic Book of Daniel (LHBOTS, 606; London: Bloomsbury T & T Clark, 2015), pp. xii + 229. £65.00/$112.00 (print); £64.99/$83.99 (PDF e-book). ISBN 978-0-56765-857-9; e-ISBN 978-0-56765-856-2.

Allusions to Isaiah in the book of Daniel have often been noted before, though generally in a piecemeal manner. L. here develops these insights in two main ways. First, he seeks to solidify and expand the collection, rightly commenting that at best Daniel favours allusion over citation. Second, noting that many of these allusions are to Isaiah 10, he makes a particular study of their contribution to the discussion of the apparently dual attitude of the book to the question of the rule of the nations over the people of Israel. L.'s analysis is detailed, but of course he also faces unacknowledged difficulties. Since the obvious allusions have already been noted by other scholars, the more he adds to them the more allusive the allusions become, and it is sometimes a fine line to know whether there is really an allusion at all or simply the use of common language and motifs. Also, the extent to which the link with Isaiah can itself illuminate the arguments of the author(s) of Daniel is something of an open question. While there is thus much to learn from this careful study, some scholars may judge that in certain places it is more clever than convincing.

Maier, Christl M. and Nuria Calduch-Benages (eds.), The Writings and Later Wisdom Books (The Bible and Women, 1.3; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2014), pp. x + 333. $44.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-057-7 (paperback edition); e-ISBN 978-1-62837-058-4.

The international collaborative project ‘Bible and Women: Encyclopedia of Exegesis and Cultural History’ continues to progress, as is indicated by the appearance of this volume on the Writings and later wisdom books. The appearance of vol. 1.1 (Torah) was noted in its German version in B.L. 2010, pp. 18–19 and in its English version in B.L. 2012, p. 18, and this volume is the third to appear, following one on twentieth-century feminist biblical studies (reviewed above, p. 31). The editors begin with a short introduction that explains the scope and content of the volume, the main body of which is presented in four parts. The first, ‘Tracing the Living Conditions of Women’, contains Tamara Cohn Eskenazi, ‘The Lives of Women in the Postexilic Era’; and Sara Japhet, ‘Female Names and Gender Perspectives in Chronicles’. The second part, ‘“Good” and “Bad” Women? Images of Women in Israel's Wisdom Tradition’, consists of Gerlinde Baumann, ‘Personified Wisdom: Contexts, Meanings, Theology’; Christl M. Maier, ‘Good and Evil Women in Proverbs and Job: The Emergence of Cultural Stereotypes’; Vittoria D'Alario, ‘Between Misogyny and Valorization: Perspectives on Women in Qoheleth’; and Nuria Calduch-Benages, ‘Good and Bad Wives in the Book of Ben Sira: A Harmless Classification?’. The third part, ‘Women's Voices and Female Metaphors in Poetic Texts’, contains Silvia Schroer, ‘Ancient Near Eastern Pictures as Keys to Biblical Metaphors’; Donatella Scaiola, ‘Feminine Symbols and Metaphors in the Psalter’; Ulrike Bail, ‘On Gendering Laments: A Gender-Oriented Reading of Old Testament Psalms of Lament’; Nancy C. Lee, ‘Lamentations and Gender in Biblical Cultural Context’; and Gianni Barbiero, ‘Shulammite: The Woman “at Peace” in the Song of Songs’. The final part, ‘Ambivalent Role Models: Women in Narrative Texts’, has Miren Junkal Guevara Llaguno, ‘Ruth and Naomi Reclaim their Lives and Memories’; Susan Niditch, ‘Interpreting Esther: Categories, Contexts, and Creative Ambiguities’; and Isabel Gómez-Acebo, ‘Susanna, Example of Virtue and Daniel's Female Counterpart’. A bibliography, details of contributors, and an index of ancient sources round off the collection. With foci ranging from historical to ideological to metaphorical and beyond, this treatment of where and how women appear in the Writings and wisdom literature is full of the insights and challenges that we have come to expect from feminist biblical scholarship at its best.

McKeown, James, Ruth (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, Ml/Cambridge, UK: Eerdmans, 2015), pp. x + 152. $22.00/£14.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-6385-0. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This theologically focused commentary is excellent for its intended audience of pastors (and students). M. begins with an introduction aimed to ‘hook’ the reader and then discursively walks through the text, drawing on other parts of the canon and in conversation throughout with opposing views of Jewish and Christian commentators, ancient and modern. I had one or two criticisms of the content; for example, M. portrays only the positive aspect of God visiting (pqd) his people and omits God visiting in punishment (p. 20). It is also worth noting that he does not discuss feet as a sexual metaphor, but asserts that Boaz's unambiguous offer that Ruth ‘lodge’ with him deliberately avoids the terms ‘lie’ or ‘sleep’ which have sexual connotations (p. 59). The second half of the book introduces wider theological themes in relation to Ruth (e.g. creation, land, redemption, universalism), feminist studies, missiological significance, and connections between Ruth and other OT books, particularly Genesis, whose themes such as barrenness and seed/offspring underlie Ruth (M. argues), but also others, such as Samuel, where M. contrasts Boaz's and David's treatment of women, not to mention Moabites. This section also includes character studies and M. notes that while, throughout, Naomi values men more highly than women, she finally observes that ‘the Moabite Ruth is worth more than seven sons (4:15)’ (p. 101). M. proposes that the book deliberately does not blame Elimelech and that Ruth's marriage does not fit the levirate marriage custom, but instead, was an act of redemption (pp. 86–95).

Merrill, Eugene H., A Commentary on 1 & 2 Chronicles (Kregel Exegetical Library; Grand Rapids, MI: Kregel Academic, 2015), pp. 637. $39.99. ISBN 978-0-8254-2559-2. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This substantial commentary, based on the niv with minimal textual notes, treats all aspects of the text, including the historical, at face value. It also includes a ‘theological discourse’ at the end of each section and 12 excursuses on a variety of specific topics. Although M. has read reasonably widely in the relevant secondary literature (though equally many obvious studies are not included), he seldom makes reference to the kinds of literary and historical difficulties that most other studies address. Differences from Samuel and Kings are harmonized, a procedure which only evokes further analysis when there are obvious problems about so doing. A larger portion of the introduction is devoted to a summary of Ezra–Nehemiah as providing the necessary historical background against which to read Chronicles than to questions of literary analysis and theology. Surprisingly, attention in the commentary often focuses on topics that might be thought subsidiary (such as chronology) whereas significant theological elements, such as the apparent citations from the prophets in a number of the speeches, are not even noted, let alone discussed. The intended readership is obviously lay, conservative and Christian, and they will receive a useful first-time overview of the text. They, together with readers of a different persuasion, will need to look elsewhere, however, for answers to many of the questions that this text raises.

Omanson, Roger L. and John E. Ellington, A Handbook on 1–2 Chronicles (2 vols.; United Bible Societies Handbook Series; Miami, FL: United Bible Societies, 2015), pp. xii + 696 (vol. 1), ix + 697–1477 (vol. 2). $40.00 (set). ISBN 978-0-8267-0183-1 (vol. 1), 978-0-8267-0184-8 (vol. 2), 978-0-8267-0182-4 (set).

The main purpose of this series is to help Bible translators (usually in minority languages) to understand the problems they are likely to encounter. 1–2 Chronicles are trickier for translators than most other OT books because their content has both much overlap with and significant differences from the content of Samuel and Kings. Omanson and Ellington were particularly well equipped to tackle 1–2 Chronicles because they were also the co-authors of the earlier handbooks on Samuel and Kings. They advise strongly against the temptation to harmonize variant accounts, and deal in some detail (especially in the two appendixes) with the specific problems involved in translating the extensive genealogies. As with all the books in this series, the bulk of the text consists of a thorough and judicious verse-by-verse discussion of the textual, exegetical and cultural problems that translators face. In terms of the Hebrew text to be followed, Omanson and Ellington usually recommend that translators should follow the advice of the final report of UBS's Hebrew Old Testament Text Project. They provide examples of approaches to the translation of specific texts not only from numerous versions in English, but also from those in French, German, Italian, Spanish, Dutch and Brazilian Portuguese. They also draw on their extensive experience of working with translators in Africa and Latin America. These volumes will be of interest and profit to anyone working on 1–2 Chronicles, not least because they discuss issues that few other commentators would think of. Sadly Omanson died shortly after these volumes were published.

Park, Song-Mi Suzie, Hezekiah and the Dialogue of Memory (Emerging Scholars: Bible; Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 2015), pp. xii + 318. $59.00. ISBN 978-1-4514-8522-6; e-ISBN 978-1-4514-9434-1.

For a review of this volume, see Section 5 (II) above.

Screnock, John and Robert D. Holmstedt, Esther: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible; Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2015), pp. viii + 295. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-60258-678-9.

This compact handbook on the Hebrew text of Esther will be a welcome addition to the Baylor Handbook series. Compact it may be, but it is certainly an instance where a good thing has come in a small package. It begins with a comprehensive introduction to matters linguistic as they relate to the subsequent analysis of the Hebrew text, including a detailed discussion of ‘The Linguistic Dating of Esther’ which concludes by confirming the book's dating on linguistic grounds as one of the latest in the Hebrew Bible. The treatment of the text proper is divided into four parts: ‘Esther Becomes Queen of Persia (1:1–2:23)’, ‘Haman and Mordecai in Conflict (3:1–7:10)’; ‘The Jews and the Peoples in Conflict (8:1–9:32)’; and ‘Epilogue (10:1–3)’, followed by three appendixes on linguistic topics related to Esther, a bibliography and an index of linguistic issues. Within each of the four parts of textual analysis, the larger textual unit is broken down into smaller pericopae, for each of which an English translation is presented before an analysis of the Hebrew on a verse-by-verse, phrase-by-phrase basis. The detailed discussion offers not only a linguistic breakdown of the phrases, as one might expect, but comments on how individual verses function in the storyline, so that this is not just a morphological/syntactical analysis but more akin to a commentary based on the Hebrew text. As an aid to understanding how the Hebrew in the book of Esther functions, and how the linguistic structures contribute to the book's meaning, this compact volume is worth its weight in gold.

Wright, Christopher J.H., The Message of Lamentations: Honest to God (The Bible Speaks Today; Nottingham: InterVarsity Press; Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2015), pp. 166. 1 image. £9.99/$16.00 (print); $13.00 (e-book). ISBN 978-1-78359-275-3 (UK), 978-0-8308-2441-0 (US); e-ISBN 978-0-8308-9872-5.

This is a good introduction to Lamentations, readable but not ‘dumbed down’—for example, there is discussion of transliterated Hebrew words when applicable. W. engages with other commentators, and his approach is closest to Robin Parry's recent commentary. He is also in sympathy with much of Adele Berlin's and Kathleen O'Connor's interpretations, though he reads the end of Lamentations more positively than they (p. 163). More than a third of the commentary consists of an extensive introduction, which explores theological approaches to the book of Lamentations in the context of the rest of the canon. For instance, W. proposes that Lamentations be read on its own terms, but also in the light of Isaiah 40–55 (p. 44); that the destruction of Jerusalem is a portent of Christ's crucifixion (both are acts of human wickedness as well as God's outpouring of anger); and that Israel's return to the land adumbrates the resurrection. He draws parallels between the ‘man’ (personified Judah) in Lamentations 3 and the servant in Isaiah (personified Israel, later embodied by Christ) (p. 52). Although he deems it impossible to identify the ‘man’ in Lamentations 3, W. considers that the author and prophet (Jeremiah?) fits the profile of both representing Israel and talking to the people (pp. 101–103). He urges his readers to place themselves with (not just the sufferers but) the enemies who inflicted pain (p. 52), while at the same time sympathizing with Lady Zion (p. 65). Reading Lamentations should lead to hearing the voice of the oppressed and advocating for them (p. 55).