5. Studies on Specific Books

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

AARON, DAVID H., Genesis Ideology: Essays on the Uses and Meanings of Stories (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), pp. x + 109. $17.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-0945-9.

This brief volume, intended for non-academic readers, comprises 14 essays plus introduction and epilogue. Apart from the first and the last, namely ‘Thoughts on Method and Biblical Interpretation’ and ‘Entering Exodus’, the essays explore the main theme of selected passages in Genesis: ‘Immorality Missed: Genesis 1–3’; ‘Family Trees, Branches, and Identity: Genesis 19’; ‘Understanding Origins: A Survival Strategy’ (Gen. 12 and 15); ‘The Ethics of Our Stories: Genesis 18–19’; ‘On the Permanence of Graves: Genesis 23’; ‘Recognizing Torah Voices: Genesis 27’; ‘Our (More-or-Less) Four Matriarchs: Genesis 28–31’; ‘A People by any Other Name: Genesis 32–33’; ‘Lost Literature: Introduction to the Joseph Story’ (Gen. 39); ‘Absolute Exile’ (Gen. 45–47); ‘Fantasy, Ancient Jewish Style’ (Gen. 41 and 45); and ‘Ideology History’ (Gen. 47 and 49–50). The afterword offers a useful bibliography for further studies. The author follows the line that the Pentateuch is mythical literature rather than historical record and assumes that it was written to shape the beliefs of the diaspora Jews in the early Second Temple period. Using an ideological-critical method, A. attempts to show the ideology of the author(s) of Genesis and to explain the impact of certain ideologies on the first readers as well as on Jews in the modern era. A.'s interpretation of the passages is innovative and should be of interest even to those readers inclined to regard the events and characters of the Pentateuch as historical.

JO-PING HSIAO

BLOCK, DANIEL I., and RICHARD L. SCHULTZ (eds.), Sepher Torath Mosheh: Studies in the Composition and Interpretation of Deuteronomy (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 2017), pp. xxvi + 441. £33.99. ISBN 978-1-68307-066-5. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

Block's ‘Introduction’ outlines the context: a Wheaton College colloquium at which broadly evangelical scholars considered historical, literary, theological and ethical issues regarding Deuteronomy. The contents are: Peter T. Vogt, ‘Deuteronomy: A History of Interpretation and Evangelical Responses’; Neal A. Huddleston, ‘Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Traditions and Their Implications for Interpreting Deuteronomy’; K. Lawson Younger Jr and Neal A. Huddleston, ‘Challenges to the Use of Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Forms for Dating and Interpreting Deuteronomy’; Michael A. Grisanti, ‘Josiah and the Composition of Deuteronomy’; Bill T. Arnold, ‘The Book of Deuteronomy: Pseudepigraphy, Pseudonymity, or Something Else Altogether?’; Brent A. Strawn, ‘Slaves and Rebels: Inscription, Identity, and Time in the Rhetoric of Deuteronomy’; Markus Zehnder, ‘Literary and Other Observations on Passages Dealing with Foreigners in the Book of Deuteronomy: The Command to Love the gēr Read in Context’; Richard E. Averbeck, ‘The Cult in Deuteronomy and its Relationship to the Book of the Covenant and the Holiness Code’; J. Gordon McConville, ‘Wisdom and Torah in Deuteronomy’; Carsten Vang, ‘When a Prophet Quotes Moses: On the Relationship between the Book of Hosea and Deuteronomy’; Sandra L. Richter, ‘The Archaeology of Mount Ebal and Mount Gerizim and Why it Matters’; Daniel I. Block, ‘Hearing Galatians with Moses: An Examination of Paul as a Second and Seconding Moses’; and Richard L. Schultz, ‘Concluding Reflections’. There is a useful bibliography, and indexes (modern authors, ancient sources). This edited collection illustrates variegated evangelical engagement with critical scholarship within the broader horizon of revering Deuteronomy as Holy Scripture.

HYWEL CLIFFORD

CARMICHAEL, CALUM, The Sacrificial Laws of Leviticus and the Joseph Story (Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2017), pp. x + 202. £75.00. ISBN 978-1-107-18967-6.

Beginning with The Laws of Deuteronomy (1974), the relationship of Pentateuchal law to biblical narrative has dominated C.'s scholarly career, offering a distinctive alternative to critical study of the law codes. For C., biblical law is the response of the lawgivers to their focus on specific narrative cases, which he works out here through a close examination of the laws of Leviticus 1–10 and the Joseph story, reflecting also on Aaron, the golden calf and the Good Samaritan in relation to Joseph. Each offence enumerated in these laws, he argues, relates to an incident in the Joseph story, with every aspect of each offence therein giving rise to its particular piece of legislation. The working out of all this is interesting, at times ingenious, although it is unlikely that the overall argument will gain many new adherents to the general theory about the origins of biblical law that C. has developed over so many years. Arguably aspects of his analysis of the Joseph story read too much into it. For example, although the early dreams suggest self-aggrandisement, whether as C. argues they inadvertently envision some sort of godlike status for Joseph and whether he actually achieves such status in Egypt is debatable. Nonetheless, the caution C. expresses against generalizing from the specificity of individual rules is worth noting, although perhaps not in the absolute sense he proposes it. (A lecture, ‘Judging Joseph in Light of Biblical Law’, which presents material found in this book, can be accessed at https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UC4VplIsPY0.)

GEORGE NICOL

COLLINS, C. JOHN, Reading Genesis Well: Navigating History, Poetry, Science, and Truth in Genesis 1–11 (Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), pp. 336. $36.99. ISBN 978-0-310-59857-2.

This is certainly a ‘well’-intended book. It comes with a two-page preface of 16 commendations and set me wondering why there remains in some circles of ‘faithful readers’ such anxiety about Genesis. C. addresses the anxiety by trying to construct a ‘linguistic-rhetorical-literary approach’, inspired by the writings of C.S. Lewis, which can guide those who wish to relate certain Bible passages to the findings of the sciences through offering a pattern of ‘good’ theological reading. For C. such good reading is based in appreciating a work's genre, its intended effect on its users, and ‘how it is meant to be used’ (p. 35; not ‘was meant’). For all that much room is given to analysing the text as an artefact from the past, in fact the underlying assumption of C.'s book is that ‘most biblical writers wrote in the context of what we now know as the canon, the authorized writings to guide the people of Israel (and afterwards the church)’ (p. 38). And for C. the basic character of such a ‘canonical’ setting is that no biblical author ever sought to correct or undermine another. Thus, what this book gives with one hand in terms of its well-conceived characterization of language, it takes away with the other by asserting literary cohesion and the necessity of a particular theological lens imposed both on the big story of the Pentateuch and on many details. For C. Genesis 1–11 is about how ‘all this comes from God and reflects his purposes for humankind’ (p. 288).

GEORGE J. BROOKE

DIMATTEI, STEVEN, Genesis 1 and the Creationism Debate: Being Honest to the Text, its Author, and his Beliefs (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xiii + 129. $20.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-3132-9.

D.'s thesis is that creationism can be refuted by a detailed and close reading of the texts of the stories in Genesis 1 (and to some extent ch. 2). He suggests (polemically) that modern-day creationists don't really know the texts in their original contexts in their original ANE culture(s). What we have here is a secular deconstructive view of the Bible that as a whole contains contradictions (with many plugs for his forthcoming work on the subject!) between stories and ideas that later writers and readers try to merge and read their own ideologies and viewpoints into them. Creation ex nihilo is an erroneous modern reading into the text, for instance. He very helpfully shows the differences between the two creation stories, one with a Mesopotamian background and the other with a Canaanite viewpoint. He suggests that Genesis 1 with its priestly background can be interpreted in the light of the whole priestly code and is really about legitimizing the Aaronic priesthood and its viewpoints and asks, Can this be ours today? Some may argue that he overplays the contradiction aspect and ask, for whom is the book written? Is it really aimed at creationists, with whom there is no engagement, or the wider academic community?

PETER BALLANTINE

EDE, FRANZISKA, Die Josefsgeschichte. Literarkritische und redaktionsgeschichtliche Untersuchungen zur Entstehung von Gen 37–50 (BZAW, 485; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016), pp. ix + 553. €139.95/£126.99/$196.00. ISBN 978-3-11-044746-0.

This study of the Joseph story, taking the form of a continuous literary and redaction-critical exegesis of the story, significantly advances scholarly study of its subject and has major implications for Pentateuchal criticism. Beginning with an overview of critical study, culminating in those studies which affirmed the original unity and independence of the story, the author has demonstrated, first, that the arguments for unity overlook the many contradictions, discrepancies and shifts of emphasis, and, secondly, that the links with both the patriarchal and the exodus traditions cannot be ignored. The links with the patriarchal tradition, which are substantive literary connections, are not to be relegated to late stages in the literary development of the story but belong to its oldest stage. So, the earliest pre-priestly form of the story of Joseph's sale to Egypt presupposes Jacob's love for Rachel rather than Leah (as the explanation for his preference for Joseph over his brothers) and the renaming of Jacob as Israel. The chief interest of the story in the success of Joseph in Egypt reflects loss of statehood in the northern kingdom and the fate of the Egyptian exiles, so sharing with Daniel and the letter of Jeremiah a positive view of life in the foreign land. In the course of further development of the story, in which Genesis 45 played a pivotal role, the interest shifts to the theme of Israel's descent into Egypt, his death there and burial in Canaan (anticipating the exodus tradition), so creating a first literary connection between the patriarchal and exodus stories.

ANDREW MAYES

GLANVILLE, MARK R., Adopting the Stranger as Kindred in Deuteronomy (Ancient Israel and Its Literature, 33; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2018), pp. xvii + 312. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-88414-310-9.

This is a comprehensive study of Deuteronomy's response to the gēr, perceived in forensic terms as ‘a vulnerable person from outside the core family’, and defined by absence of kinship. An initial chapter reviews existing scholarship and sets out G.'s ‘integrative methodology’, drawing on ANE sources and anthropological and archaeological material to support his argument. He then examines briefly the stipulations concerning the gēr in the law codes of the Pentateuch before moving to a closer exegesis of relevant texts in Deuteronomy. Chapter 3 probes the social law of Deuteronomy which protects vulnerable people from exploitative labour practices and includes the gēr in a comprehensive brother–sister ethic. Two subsequent chapters on judicial law and festal law deal with the ways in which these afford protection to the gēr, and foster incorporation within the community. Chapter 6 then examines the covenant texts which frame Deuteronomy and which envisage the incorporation of the gēr within the kinship grouping of all Israel. The gēr contests and defines what it means to be/become Israel, exposing an apparent tension between election and exclusion and an ethic of incorporation of the stranger. Although some of G.'s interpretations need careful appraisal, his argument that Deuteronomy calls the family, clan and nation to include the stranger as kindred challenges contemporary communities to reimagine themselves and their responsibility towards refugees.

FLEUR HOUSTON

GRAFIUS, BRANDON R., Reading Phinehas, Watching Slashers: Horror Theory and Numbers 25 (Lanham, MD: Lexington Books/Fortress Academic, 2018), pp. xvii + 209. $100.00. ISBN 978-1-97801-20-5.

In this interesting and innovative book, G. combines historical-critical exegesis together with psychoanalytical and social-scientific approaches to horror films in order to interpret the story of Phinehas's violent dispatch of Zimri and Cozbi. In G.'s reading, Numbers 25 with its themes of sexual transgressions, communal anxieties about societal structure and boundaries, and horrific violence is best understood as a horror narrative. Contemporary theory about horror films, especially 1980s slasher films, can shed light on how the narrative constructs Phinehas as an avenging monster who restores order through his violent acts. Early interpreters such as Philo, Pseudo-Philo and Josephus respond to the narrative in similar ways as viewers of contemporary horror films: enjoying the illicit sexual transgression on display while also distancing themselves from it and affirming the reassertion of familial and societal norms. The study is well written and clearly organized. A couple of chapters examine the historical-critical approach to Numbers 25, a couple of chapters describe horror theory and apply it to Numbers 25, and a final chapter examines the reception of Phinehas in early Jewish literature. There is an introduction and conclusion as well as an annotated translation of the biblical text. A provocative and engaging study.

NATHAN MACDONALD

GREENWOOD, KYLE R. (ed.), Since the Beginning: Interpreting Genesis 1 and 2 through the Ages (Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2018), pp. xxiii + 308. $26.99. ISBN 978-0-8010-3069-7.

This collection of essays explores the history of interpreting Genesis 1 and 2. Beginning with an essay on the impact of Genesis 1–2 within the Old Testament (by Kyle R. Greenwood) the volume proceeds through Second Temple literature (Michael D. Matlock) and the New Testament (Ira Brent Driggers). Jewish and Christian interpretations receive balanced treatment, with good historical coverage of early Rabbinic interpretations (Joel S. Allen), Ante-Nicene Fathers (Stephen O. Presley), Nicene and Post-Nicene Fathers (C. Rebecca Rine), Medieval Jewish interpretations (Jason Kalman), Medieval Christian interpretations (Timothy Bellamah), and the Protestant Reformers (Jennifer Powell McNutt). The choice to focus on the impact of Ancient Near Eastern literature (by David T. Tsumura) and post-Darwinian interpretations (by Aaron T. Smith) highlights the degree to which the volume responds to the challenge of science for Christian and Jewish interpretation of Genesis 1–2. Each essay follows a similar structure, focusing on major interpreters, treatment of ‘days’ in Genesis 1, cosmology, the creation and nature of humanity, the Garden of Eden, and interpretative peculiarities. Each essay also offers a helpful bibliography of major primary and secondary sources. This is a valuable and useful volume, especially for those interested in the ways that Christians and Jews through the ages have wrestled with (or against) the Bible's literal meaning, and the challenges of philosophy and science.

MATTHEW J. LYNCH

KAMIONKOWSKI, S. TAMAR, Leviticus (ed. Lauress Wilkins Lawrence; Wisdom Commentary, 3; Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018), pp. lxiii + 336. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-8102-2.

K.'s work is part of the Wisdom Commentary series which approaches the biblical text through a feminist lens. The aim of the series is to offer an interpretative approach that highlights blocks of text with particular emphasis on issues that concern women, e.g. poverty, food, power dynamics, sexuality, etc. In instances where there is no female presence, K. offers a feminist perspective on the Priestly writings (P) and the moral standards of the Holiness Legislation (H). The commentary makes use of current scholarship on Leviticus throughout, but it is not overly technical. At different points she raises issues of sexuality (particularly in Lev. 18) and how ancient priestly material can be interpreted in the light of contemporary gender issues. Her chapter on Leviticus 16 is brief (13 pages) and one might expect a more in-depth discussion on the Day of Atonement considering its centrality to the book. K.'s approach to H generally follows that of I. Knohl and J. Milgrom who contend that H is a priestly revision of pre-exilic P and that H is a polemical response and supplement to P's theology (p. liv). She highlights feminist issues within H relating to moral and ethical purity, offering a nuanced interpretation. This volume provides historical-critical analysis along with theological readings in a way that makes Leviticus accessible to scholars, clergy and students, and particularly to those seeking to interpret the Bible through a feminist lens.

MARK W. SCARLATA

KRAUSE, JOACHIM J., Exodus und Eisodus. Komposition und Theologie von Josua 1–5 (VTSup, 161; Leiden: Brill, 2017), pp. xviii + 488. €41.00. ISBN 978-90-04-34427-3.

This is the paperback edition of a work published in hardback in 2014, and reviewed in B.L. 2015, p. 71. For this work the author, who currently leads a research project on OT theology at the University of Tübingen, received the Manfred Lautenschlaeger Award for Theological Promise in 2015.

(BOOK LIST EDITOR)

LUNDBOM, JACK R., Deuteronomy: Law and Covenant (Cascade Companions; Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), pp. xiv + 214. $28.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-0370-9.

Having completed a major commentary on Deuteronomy (Eerdmans, 2013), L. turns his attention in the present volume to making accessible the most important aspects of that work to interested laypersons and non-academics. It is self-consciously simple in its content and tenor without becoming simplistic; in L.'s words, ‘The book is written for those who will never open this [Eerdmans] commentary or any other, or read a scholarly essay on [Deuteronomy]’ (p. ix). As such, this handy volume contains 15 short chapters introducing the most important points of discussion regarding Deuteronomy. Theologically, L. addresses themes such as God's election of Israel, Israel's expected faithfulness toward God, and care for the poor. On historical aspects, L. does address the important questions of authorship, dating, provenance, and contemporary ancient Near Eastern law codes. L.'s writing is clear: it remains unencumbered by jargon and avoids unnecessary side issues that would otherwise distract from the central issues. This concise volume will prove helpful for beginning students, busy pastors or interested laypersons.

STEPHEN D. CAMPBELL

MILLER, WILLIAM T., A Compact Study of Leviticus (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xx + 203. $27.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-3367-5.

M.'s book offers an introduction to Leviticus that is suited for a lay audience or those who are first embarking on what can seem like a very foreign text. The chapters generally follow the chapter structure of Leviticus. M. provides an explanation of specific topics within Leviticus by addressing both historical and critical issues. In the introduction he states that he will make extensive use of Jacob Milgrom's Anchor Bible commentary. Though that is a monumental work in the field of priestly studies and Leviticus, it is unfortunate that M. does not incorporate other significant scholarship that has since challenged some of Milgrom's arguments. For direct quotations M. provides page numbers to Milgrom's commentary, but it would have been helpful if citations were offered more consistently throughout. The strength of the study guide is M.'s ability to take complex subjects and distill them into manageable portions for a group discussion. He offers thought-provoking questions in each chapter and does not shy away from some of the more difficult historical-critical questions. This will be a helpful tool for those who would like an introductory guide to the world of Leviticus and the priestly material. Clergy or lay people will benefit from its clarity and engagement with the biblical text and the ancient world.

MARK W. SCARLATA

OKOYE, JAMES CHUKWUMA, Genesis 1–11: A Narrative-Theological Commentary (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018), pp. xii + 157. $22.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-0991-6.

This fairly short commentary on Genesis 1–11 is by an American Catholic scholar of West African extraction, currently Director of the Institute for Spiritan Studies at Duquesne University, Pittsburgh, and previously Stuhlmueller Professor of Old Testament Studies at Catholic Theological Union, Chicago. In the first chapter the author discusses his narrative-theological approach, which is not simply synchronic but includes the need for diachronic study, as well as considering other introductory matters. After that comes the commentary per se: here each section of commentary starts by going through the text in detail, and this is followed by information on the history of interpretation. This is in general a fine commentary, easy to read, packed with information and full of acute observations. There are, however, a number of slips. For example, the author confuses the harlot Shamhat in the Epic of Gilgamesh with the divine barmaid Siduri (p. 58), and many times, though not always, ‘Cassuto’ is misspelled as ‘Cassutto’ (passim). Further, with one exception the lengthy bibliography is confined to works in English, though the author seems unaware of my book From Creation to Babel: Studies in Genesis 1–11 (2013). However, overall this is a refreshing commentary and many readers will learn much from it.

JOHN DAY

PATTERSON, TODD L., The Plot-structure of Genesis: ‘Will the Righteous Seed Survive?’ in the Muthos-logical Movement from Complication to Dénouement (Biblical Interpretation Series, 160; Leiden: Brill, 2018), pp. xiii + 243. €100.00. ISBN 978-90-04-36250-5.

In this revised PhD thesis (Trinity International University, supervised by Richard Averbeck), P. offers a ‘muthos-logical’ reading of Genesis that develops the plot of the book from complication to dénouement and ‘requires that all the parts fit together into a single whole’. He emphasizes the role of the tôlědôt formula in giving rise to six main narrative sections, which he calls ‘plexuses’. Genesis 1 provides an introduction, which is followed by a further five plexuses, each introduced by a tôlědôt, while the integration of the remaining tôlědôt consisting of linear and segmented genealogies gives the whole a genealogical aspect. The expulsion from Eden and so from God's presence/‘creation sanctuary’ sets up the tension that defines and is the organizing principle of the biblical plot—how can humanity return there? The question whether the righteous seed will survive, which is the organizing principle ‘that guides our reading strategy for the book’, is raised by Cain's fratricide. Successive chapters examine the plexuses of Noah (5.1– 11.9), Terah (11.27–25.11), Isaac (25.19–35.29) and Jacob (37.2–50.26), paying attention throughout to those aspects of behaviour and character that threaten or promote the righteousness of the seed, which leads a precarious existence. Ultimately in Genesis ‘the seed’ proves to be ‘unreliable, tending always towards unrighteousness’ and so ‘cannot ensure its own survival’ although God will ensure it. Despite many useful observations, by combining discussion of the plot-structure of Genesis with that of the Bible, each with its separate ‘organizing principle’, P. may have attempted too much for a single book, which in some respects also crosses the border from literary reading to theological project.

GEORGE NICOL

PETERSON, BRIAN NEIL, Genesis as Torah: Reading Narrative as Legal Instruction (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2018), pp. xvi + 179. $25.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-3583-0.

P. explores how narratives in Genesis may be read with the rest of the Torah/Pentateuch as religious ‘instruction’ (torah) in ancient Israel. This is seen from various angles: the narratives as case law, i.e. what laws could look like in practice; as teaching in an aural society to guide, entertain, warn, etc.; and for patterns of living that enabled Israel to be reclaimers of God's intentions for creation. Following prefatory discussion, the chapters are: ‘An Introduction to Reading Genesis as Torah’; ‘Genesis 1–2, Creation as Foundational to God's Torah’; ‘Genesis 3–4, The Anagogical Role of the Fall of Humanity’; ‘Genesis 5–11, The Flood and Babel: How to Avoid the Judgement of God’; ‘Genesis 12–25, Abraham as an Example of Righteous Behaviour’; ‘Genesis 26–36, “Israel” as an Example for Israel’; ‘Genesis 37–50, The Life of Joseph: How to Live in Exile’; and some ‘Conclusions’. For example, P. considers for Genesis 1–2, among other things, links to the Ten Commandments (an interpretative prism throughout), the tabernacle laws (Exod. 25–40), and life in early Israel (e.g. instruction for the ‘mixed multitude’). P.'s approach is traditional: a broad conception of torah, use of tell-tale legal content (e.g. Gen. 9, 17, 24), allowance for Mosaic authorship, canonical intertext-uality, and spiritual edification. There are also hallmarks of modernity (e.g. Gen. 1–2 as polemical theology in its ANE setting). The writing style is clear and accessible. There is some acknowledgment of early postbiblical interpretations—traditions that could bolster P's case. There is a bibliography, and indexes (subject, scripture).

HYWEL CLIFFORD

RUPP, ELEANOR GRACE, A Student's Notes on Genesis: The Bible for Public Schools (with a foreword by Barbara K. Bellefeuille; Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xvii + 238. $31.00. ISBN 978-1-61097-982-5.

The ‘Student's Notes’ of the title refers to the style of the book: journal entries taken during a course on Genesis. The book is extremely easy to read, imaginatively written, well-structured and clear. Though unambiguously written for children/teenagers, it would be a simple entry point for anyone knowing nothing about the Bible and/or Genesis. There are revision questions at the end of each lesson that test comprehension, e.g. the difference between ‘manuscript’ and ‘version’. The first six (of forty) lessons give a basic introduction to the Bible, including its transmission history, and the seventh is an introduction to Genesis. The rest of the book explains and interprets Genesis without retelling the text. Although not allowed to promote one religious view over another, R. is sympathetic towards the content of the biblical text and ends with an ‘epilogue’ in which she quotes her teacher: ‘You are now well prepared to take up the Bible and read on. May the wisdom in it enrich all your future studies and future years.’ I found a few things troubling; for instance, she implies that there may be an ‘original’ Bible out there, despite explaining that it was constructed over millennia. Another is her statement that ‘for a copy of the Bible to be called a manuscript, it must be in the original language’ (p. 11), i.e. Hebrew/Aramaic for an OT manuscript and Greek for a NT one. Overall, however, this is a good high-level commentary for older children/teenagers, which is an unusual phenomenon.

JULIE WOODS

SALKIN, JEFFREY K., JPS B'nai Mitzvah Torah Commentary (Lincoln, NE: University of Nebraska Press/Philadelphia, PA: Jewish Publication Society, 2017), pp. xxiv + 396. $29.95. ISBN 978-0-8276-1252-5.

You gotta love it! That might almost be Rabbi S.'s headline for his introduction to the Torah for young Jews preparing to become bar or bat mitzvah. What we have here is thus essentially orientation for 13-year-olds gearing up to teach their torah portion, along with material on the accompanying haftarah. A brief and enthusiastic introduction explains the project, and suggests that the unpointed torah text is effectively unfinished, inviting you—young reader—to enter in and give it voice. Then for each of the 54 portions that follow S. provides: a brief summary overview consisting of introduction plus 4 or 5 bullet points; a summary list of ‘big ideas’ with the first line of each entry highlighted in bold; two sample divrei torah, or ‘sermonettes’, usually exploring totally different aspects of the relevant portion (and thus modelling an openness to further approaches); and a series of discussion-starters called ‘Connections’. The mini-sermons draw helpfully on many traditional Jewish readings, with references to sources. The final third of the book repeats the cycle for the haftarah readings, in briefer compass: short summary followed by one sample mini-sermon. The style is lively and engaged, seeking to fortify young American Jews for a strange new world heading their way. Abraham's 13-year-old idol-smashing rebellion against Terah as one origin of the bar mitzvah leads to ‘without a rebellious teenager there would be no Jews’. A wide-ranging supporting cast includes Darth Vader, Shrek's talking donkey and the Blues Brothers. You gotta love it.

RICHARD S. BRIGGS

SCARLATA, MARK, The Abiding Presence: A Theological Commentary on Exodus (London: SCM Press, 2018), pp. xii + 260. £19.99. ISBN 978-0-334-05504-4.

S. offers an elegant section-by-section reading of the book of Exodus, attentive to matters of historical and literary detail, but mostly concerned to explore theological matters arising from the final-form text. The result is a thoughtful and helpfully focused commentary, which takes divine presence as its major rubric. A slightly unfocused 25-page introduction sets out the project, casting J (or JE) as ‘sacred authors’, and P as ‘priestly authors’, and then making rather more than one might have expected of history-ical plausibility as one key to reading. The ‘presence’ rubric is nuanced with a nod to Samuel Terrien's exploration of a dialectic of presence and hiddenness, which perhaps makes sense of the opening readings (of Exod. 1–2) being titled ‘Presence in Absence’. More straightforwardly the next sections are titled ‘Presence in a Name’ and ‘Presence in Creation’, but this pattern drops after Exodus 15. Such an approach overlaps awkwardly with Dozeman's suggestion that Exodus 1–15 is about YHWH's power, whereas 16–40 is more about presence. Undeniably, though, reading Exodus towards the taking up of divine presence as the climax of the book makes good sense, and S. will enable new readers to grasp well the outline and theological thrust of the book. The Christian aspect of the reading is handled by closing each section with a kind of intertextual NT discussion, only occasionally interacting with Christian theologians. In a generally very readable book, several scholars’ names are misprinted (Breman, Sweeny, Catrine Williams).

RICHARD S. BRIGGS

TSAI, DAISY YULIN, Human Rights in Deuteronomy: With Special Focus on Slave Laws (BZAW, 464; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014), pp. xv + 244. €109.95/$154.00/£99.99. ISBN 978-3-11-036320-3.

The major biblical laws concerned with slavery, particularly in Deuteronomy, are here compared with each other and with Mesopotamian and Hittite laws on similar subjects, with attention to their underlying philosophy. The exegesis and comparisons in chs. 2, 3 and 4 can claim little originality. However, in the introduction and the reflections on concepts of human rights in ch. 5, T. applies legal theory in a fresh way. A different legal philosophy animates the biblical laws. In contrast to the ‘ANE’ laws, they regard all legal subjects, including slaves, as persons with rights, ‘free, dignified and self-determining’. Deuteronomy, unlike the ANE laws, intends to shape morality through its laws. These results are important, but the book has serious flaws. T. defends her lack of attention to the social context of the biblical laws by arguing that law can affect society and economy, not only the converse. The point is obscured that, whatever its philosophy, no law that permits slavery treats persons equally: its social context matters. T. fails to examine the idea of human rights itself, treating it as self-evident that Deuteronomy attributes rights to persons; objections are not addressed. She defends all the biblical laws against criticism: e.g. Exod. 21.4 does not infringe family life if viewed in the context of the whole law; the simple point that the wife cannot go free is evaded. There are constant errors in English syntax and idiom. Can a reputable publisher really not afford to employ a competent copy-editor?

WALTER J. HOUSTON

VERSLUIS, ARIE, The Command to Exterminate the Canaanites: Deuteronomy 7 (OTS, 71; Leiden: Brill, 2017), pp. xii + 437. €160.00. ISBN 976-90-04-33798-5.

It's hard to argue with Richard Dawkins, who says the God of the OT sure seems like ‘a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser’. Deuteronomy 7 is one of the most poignant (or rather repugnant) cases in point. V. acknowledges this, but rather than retreat in defeat, he addresses one of most theologically and morally challenging texts in the Bible. Chapter 1 (Introduction) outlines the object, need and aim of his study. Chapter 2 provides a detailed exegesis of Deuteronomy 7 along with some relevant excurses on the list of nations and the function and meaning of ḥērem. Chapter 3 looks at the literary context of Deuteronomy 7. It argues that Deuteronomy 7 is an elaboration of the Shema and is central to Deut. 4.44–11.32. It's a necessary ‘precondition for living with (and for) YHWH’. The chapter then evaluates how the nations are treated in Deuteronomy and compares Deuteronomy 7 with the parallel texts of Exod. 23.20-33 and 34.11-16 and with the OT at large. Chapter 4 looks at Deuteronomy 7 in its historical setting: the nations of Canaan in the ANE, the prevalence of child sacrifices and sexual practices at the time, and, finally, the dating of the command itself. In Chapter 5, V. offers a biblical-theological evaluation of the command from a Reformed Christian perspective, and Chapter 6 (Conclusion) summarizes his findings. Not every scholar will agree with V.'s findings, but every scholar should now interact with what is the most thorough treatment of Deuteronomy 7 to date.

WILL STALDER

WARNER, MEGAN, Re-Imagining Abraham: A Re-Assessment of the Influence of Deuteronomism in Genesis (OTS, 72; Leiden: Brill, 2018), pp. xiv + 259. €100.00. ISBN 978-90-04-35583-5.

This volume originates in the author's doctoral thesis (at the University of Divinity in Melbourne, Australia, supervised by Howard Wallace and Mark Brett), arguing for influences on the text of Genesis from other biblical books. As is typical of a dissertation, the book provides painstaking reviews of secondary literature and cites a broad range of opinions on the topic, although usually favouring a late dating for selected Genesis narratives. Nevertheless, the topic is controversial, on several grounds. First, already on p. 1, the author claims that ‘all that can be said with any real confidence’ is that the Pentateuch originated in the Persian period (citing Diana Edelman), which may reflect the opinion of many but certainly not all biblical scholars. A distinction should be made between various stages of a text being composed, transmitted and finally redacted, potentially extending over many generations; the Persian period compresses this entire process chronologically. Second, the dating of selected Genesis passages is often based upon comparisons of single words or a cluster of similar terms (not necessarily in the same exact form) from other biblical books, rather than on actual duplicate passages. Third, the possibility that the written corpus of Genesis goes back to oral tradition circulating as verbal narratives long before being committed to writing has not been considered, which could potentially undermine much of the argumentation. Subdividing Pentateuchal narratives into earlier- and later-period storylines is hardly more plausible than to assume that these accounts originally circulated as orally transmitted textual entities until being committed to writing.

FLORENTINA BADALANOVA GELLER

WILSON, J., Making Sense of Genesis: Its Unfolding Ideas and Images (Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2017), pp. xi + 127. $19.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-9076-0.

W. is a Christian author moving away from a very conservative reading of Genesis. Although Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch is assumed and several aspects of Genesis are read in the light of NT texts, he offers an overall theological and thematic approach of some merit. Genesis contains ‘helpful and abiding truth’, with a dominant theme of divine punishment and the destruction of the wicked, which in W.'s opinion are all part of a fundamental pattern of history. W.'s discussion of the divine image is a somewhat sermonic reading of humans as prophets, priests and kings, and he meditates on how the narratives of giving up the firstborn anticipate what God himself was also to do. Other major themes in Genesis are its concerns with offspring, dominion, food and farming, all of which characterize blight and blessing. There are insightful discussions of how the Joseph story depends on the Gilgamesh epic, of how Genesis echoes some of the concerns of Deuteronomy, and of how the issues of reward and punishment are woven into the narratives. But there is still some literalism: W. claims that all the animals in the ark must have been herbivores, since Noah had not taken extra animals as food for carnivores.

GEORGE J. BROOKE

Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this Book List:

BAR, SHAUL, A Nation is Born: The Jacob Story — see p. 114

BOORER, SUZANNE, The Vision of the Priestly Narrative: Its Genre and Hermeneutics of Time — see p. 118

BRIGGS, RICHARD S., Theological Hermeneutics and the Book of Numbers as Christian Scripture — see p. 119

DELAPP, NEVADA LEVI, Theophanic ‘Type-Scenes’ in the Pentateuch: Visions of YHWH — see p. 162

EMMENDÖRFFER, MICHAEL, Gottesnähe. Zur Rede von der Präsenz JHWHs in der Priesterschrift und verwandten Texten — see p. 163

ESTELLE, BRYAN D., Echoes of Exodus: Tracing a Biblical Motif — see p. 125

GARTON, ROY E., Mirages in the Desert: The Tradition-historical Developments of the Story of Massah-Meribah — see p. 128

GERMAN, IGAL, The Fall Reconsidered: A Literary Synthesis of the Primeval Sin Narratives against the Backdrop of the History of Exegesis — see p. 165

HALPERN-AMARU, BETSY, The Perspective from Mt. Sinai: The Book of Jubilees and Exodus — see p. 206

LEPORE, LEONARDO, Le astuzie dello scriba: Studio di una tecnica redazionale tardiva di riscrittura. Exempla di Exodo — see p. 46

LONGMAN, TREMPER, III, and JOHN H. WALTON, The Lost World of the Flood: Mythology, Theology, and the Deluge Debate — see p. 172

MASON, ERIC F., and EDMONDO F. LUPIERI (eds.), Golden Calf Traditions in Early Judaism, Christianity, and Islam — see p. 140

MBUVI, AMANDA BECKENSTEIN, Belonging in Genesis: Biblical Israel and the Politics of Identity Formation — see p. 140

NAUMANN, THOMAS, Ismael. Israels Selbstwahrnehmung im Kreis der Völker aus der Nachkommenschaft Abrahams — see p. 143

NEUBER, CAROLIN (ed.), Der immer neue Exodus. Aneignungen und Transformationen des Exodusmotivs — see p. 144

PYSCHNY, KATHARINA, and SARAH SCHULZ (eds.), Debating Authority: Concepts of Leadership in the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets — see p. 145

RUDNIG-ZELT, SUSANNE, Glaube im Alten Testament. Eine begriffsgeschichtliche Untersuchung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Jes 7,1-17; Dtn 1–3; Num 13–14 und Gen 22,1-19 — see p. 181

SYKORA, JOSEF, The Unfavored: Judah and Saul in the Narratives of Genesis and 1 Samuel — see p. 154

ZORNBERG, AVIVAH GOTTLIEB, Moses: A Human Life — see p. 156

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

ABADIE, PHILIPPE, MICHEL BERDER, GÉRARD BILLON, CAROLINE CHEVALIER-ROYET, GILBERT DAHAN, JEAN-LOUIS DÉCLAIS, MARTINE DULAEY, BEAT FöLLMI, DOMINIQUE GRASCOEUR, PHILIPPE GRUSON, RÉGINE HUNZIKER-RODEWALD, DAN JAFFÉ and MARIE-CÉCILE MANÈS, Il re Davide: 1 Sam 16–1 Re 2 (trans. Romeo Fabbri and Alfio Filippi; Temi Biblici, 3; Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane, 2015), pp. 200. €17.50. ISBN 978-88-10-22503-5.

This is the Italian edition of the original French work Le roi David: 1 Samuel 16 à 1 Rois 2 (Cahiers Évangile Supplément, 166; Paris: Éditions du Cerf, 2013).

(BOOK LIST EDITOR)

BACHMANN, MERCEDES L. GARCíA, Judges (ed. Ahida Calderón Pilarski; Wisdom Commentary, 7; Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2018), pp. liv + 273. $39.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-8106-0.

This volume, part of a series of feminist commentaries on the whole of Scripture, offers a basic commentary on the entire text of Judges, though gives more room in the main body of the commentary to texts that are traditionally of more interest for liberation and feminist readings: Achsah, Deborah and Jael, Jephthah and his daughter, Samson, the Levite and his concubine. These sections are also supplemented with a number of excursuses featuring work by others, complementary but not always in full agreement with the main author. These windows onto other scholars at times provide some of the best, most original content, bringing together readings from completely different cultures to shed light on the text. However, they are of uneven quality and are not brought into critical dialogue with the main body of the commentary. The commentary is organized alongside the traditional segmentation of Judges, but each section is treated as a whole, rather than featuring detailed textual and literary analysis. At times, much more space is dedicated to conjectures around what is not in the text than to paying attention to the subtleties and ambiguities of the text as it is. The writer tries to eschew an essentialist dichotomy along gender lines, and to bring out the destructive consequences of patriarchy for the whole of Israelite society. She also shows sensitivity to questions of oppression and identity more widely than gender, with frequent recourse to queer hermeneutics and a variety of intersectional readings (Mujerista, womanist, etc.).

ISABELLE HAMLEY

BROOKE, GEORGE J., and ARIEL FELDMAN (eds.), On Prophets, Warriors, and Kings: Former Prophets through the Eyes of their Interpreters (BZAW, 470; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016), pp. vi + 268. €99.95/$140.00/£90.99. ISBN 978-3-11-037596-1.

This collection of articles, stemming from a conference on the interpretation of the Former Prophets (2014, Fort Worth, Texas), focuses on the ways in which later texts, predominantly from the Second Temple period, reconceptualized the mighty men (and a few women) of Israel and Judah to convey a message to their own contemporaries. The volume contains the following 11 essays: T.J. Sandoval, ‘Reconfiguring Solomon in the Royal Fiction of Ecclesiastes’; S. Frolov, ‘The Comeback of Comebacks: David, Bathsheba, and the Prophets in the Song of Songs’; C.V. Camp, ‘Killing the Father: Gender and the Figure of Solomon in Ben Sira's Hymn to the Fathers’; A. Feldman, ‘The Book of Judges in Early Jewish Interpretation: The Contribution of the Dead Sea Scrolls’; G.J. Brooke, ‘Zedekiah, Covenant, and the Scrolls from Qumran’; G.J. Brooke and H. Najman, ‘Dethroning David and Enthroning Messiah: Jewish and Christian Perspectives’; A. Feldman, F. Feldman, J. McDonald, and R. Serino, ‘Probing the Former Prophets with a New Online Tool for the Study of Biblical Quotations and Allusions in the Dead Sea Scrolls’; W. Carter, ‘Septuagint Joshua and Matthew's Jesus: Salvation and Land Wars?’; S. Matthew, ‘Elijah, Ezekiel, and Romulus: Luke's Flesh and Bones (Luke 24:39) in Light of Ancient Narratives of Ascent, Resurrection, and Apotheosis’; M. Henze, ‘King Manasseh of Judah in Early Judaism and Christianity’; and S.M. Langston, ‘ “A Running Thread of Ideals”: Joshua and the Israelite Conquest in American History’. This is a useful volume for anyone interested in the ever-evolving afterlife of biblical characters and their ability to speak to new audiences.

LENA-SOFIA TIEMEYER

EVANS, MARY J., Judges and Ruth: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 7; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2017), pp. xix + 273. $23.00. ISBN 978-0-8308-4257-5.

In keeping with the aim of the series, the focus of this useful commentary is on the text and its meaning. After an introduction to each book, sections of text are dealt with under the headings ‘context’, ‘comment’ and ‘meaning’, discussions of meaning having a theological emphasis. The term ‘leader’ or deliverer’ is preferred to ‘judge’ for the protagonists in Judges. Throughout, the approach implies acceptance of an underlying historicity, albeit that details are not always clear, e.g. Ehud's status (p. 67) or Heber's relationship to Jabin (p. 78) and, in light of the uncertainty about historical details in Judges 5, E. comments that it was not intended to be a historical record but ‘a poetic inspiration and encouragement’ (p. 86). An overriding aim of the narratives in Judges is seen to be to make it clear that this was not how life in Israel was meant to be, and the setting of Ruth in the period of the judges may mean that, rather than being an entirely positive story, it was intended to show that covenant obligations were only being fulfilled in a perfunctory way. (That the covenant had been established prior to the time of the judges is assumed.) E. also makes the interesting suggestion that the references to the minor leaders, with their numerous wives, children and donkeys, may be indications of periods of peace and stability. The fact that the commentary is based on the NIV could helpfully have been flagged more clearly than in the publication details.

ADRIAN CURTIS

EVANS, PAUL S., 1–2 Samuel (The Story of God Bible Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), pp. 549. $44.99. ISBN 978-0-310-49093-7.

If the mark of a good commentary is to meet the needs of its target audience effectively, this conservative Christian resource for pastor-preachers and laypeople is one of the best commentaries on 1–2 Samuel currently available. The Story of God commentary series aims explicitly to exposit the text first in the context of its original audience and then in light of Jesus’ death and resurrection, identifying historical, typological and theological trajectories that culminate in the NT. Even so, this author is not prone to simplistic christological twisting of passages. The commentary divides the text into units almost always comprising one chapter of the NIV (2011), occasionally two, and each unit is analysed under the three standard headings of ‘Listen to the Story’, ‘Explain the Story’, and ‘Live the Story’. The first section prints the NIV text in full, and then cites and discusses possible biblical and ANE literary connections, consistently displaying a well-informed and engaging interest in the latter category. The second section exposits the text episode-by-episode, limiting the footnotes for the sake of its intended audience but still showing a widely read familiarity with the scholarly literature (conveniently indexed). The intention is to give accessible explanations of the text, especially details that modern audiences find difficult, and to unpack its theological messages. The third section touches on between one and four applicable themes from the chapter(s) under discussion, and offers creatively illustrated and effective moral or theological mini-sermons that will doubtless be of great help to those preaching from 1– 2 Samuel.

JAMES E. PATRICK

GUEST, DERYN, YHWH and Israel in the Book of Judges: An Object-Relations Analysis (Society for Old Testament Study Monograph Series; Cambridge: Cambridge University Press, 2019), pp. ix + 194. £75.00. ISBN 978-1-108-47650-8.

In this, the second publication of the new SOTS monograph series, G. engages with the YHWH–Israel relation in the book of Judges, adopting a psychologically informed approach to that relationship. Although critical of the ready justification of YHWH's dealings with Israel as found in commentaries and OT theologies, she nonetheless appreciates ‘how their writers wrestle profoundly with a very discomforting text’. Following her Introduction, in which she argues for de-privileging YHWH's perspective, G.'s book consists of four chapters and a brief conclusion, bibliography and index. First, she outlines Donald Winnicott's object-relations theory, which she employs in the analysis of the Parent/YHWH–Child/Israel relationship. Disturbingly, ‘YHWH's parenting style does not correspond to “good-enough mother”’. Second, applying trauma theory to Judges’ cyclical framework, she explores both its possibility and its limitations before surveying the various proposals for dating Judges in light of revisionist theories and concluding that it is more a wisdom than a historiographic text and from the late Persian or early Hellenistic period. Third, applying attachment theory she explores the relationship dynamics described in Judg. 2.11-20; 10.6-16 and 1 Sam. 12.7-25 and finds that they present ‘a relationship teetering on the point of boiling over’. And fourth, while admitting the difficulties of identifying masochistic features in literature, G. nonetheless offers a fascinating discussion of the YHWH–Israel relationship, making ‘a case for the repeated cycle in Judges as a masochistic defence mechanism’. I get the impression that this is an important book, its thesis worth careful consideration. Although G. expresses differences with past, particularly faith based, Judges scholarship, she does so gently, seeking conversation rather than confrontation.

GEORGE NICOL

KAUHANEN, TUUKKA, Lucifer of Cagliari and the Text of 1–2 Kings (Septuagint and Cognate Studies, 68; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2018), pp. xv + 426. $62.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-205-2.

Lucifer, bishop of Cagliari (died c. 371), cuts an unsympathetic figure. A tireless supporter of Athanasius, he carried on an unrelenting polemic against all and any supporters of Arianism, including the emperor Constantius II, and spent much of his episcopate exiled to the eastern Mediterranean. Constantius was a particular target of Lucifer's violent pen. Lucifer thought he was worse than the most apostate kings of Israel and Judah, and that he persecuted Athanasius as Ahab persecuted Elijah. In making this argument, Lucifer quotes in Latin just over one tenth of the text of 1–2 Kings (= LXX 3–4 Kingdoms). K. makes a meticulous study of these quotations, to see what they might tell us about the Greek texts that underlie Lucifer's Latin, and Lucifer's relation to the recensions of LXX. Beyond that is a hope that Lucifer's Latin and Greek predecessors could take us back to forms of the Hebrew text earlier than that attested in MT. But questions of intention bedevil discussions of this kind. When Lucifer's wording is different from this or that other version, is the difference intentional, or is Lucifer quoting from memory? (If sometimes from memory, it would explain a tendency to shorten.) When one reading is said to ‘agree’ with another, in what way does ‘agree’ mean more than ‘coincide’? An air of tentativeness therefore hangs over the book's conclusions, though the case-by-case analysis is exemplary in thoroughness. Those who are primarily concerned with the Hebrew of 1–2 Kings will be especially interested in the 18 instances where Lucifer might ultimately point to a pre-MT reading (pp. 316-19).

ANDERS BERGQUIST

KURUVILLA, ABRAHAM, Judges: A Theological Commentary for Preachers (Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), pp. xi + 337. $41.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-9822-3.

Preachers who follow the Revised Common Lectionary can perhaps be forgiven for a sense of relief that Judges appears only once in the three-year cycle of readings for the Principal Service each Sunday. But this volume suggests possibilities for preaching on the whole book! An Introduction covers a number of general issues regarding the book, its structure and its contents, which shows an awareness of some recent scholarly discussion. Thereafter Judges is divided into 12 ‘Pericopes’, here understood as ‘a segment of Scripture, irrespective of genre or length, that forms the textual basis for an individual sermon’ (p. 1 n. 2). For each pericope there is an overview of issues relevant to the passage and an indication of its theological focus, then two possible sermon outlines. K. manages to suggest a positive theological theme for each pericope, and these are listed on p. 24. His overall aim is to provide what he terms ‘a christiconic mode of interpreting Scripture’ (p. 304), and to demonstrate how Judges points to the ‘divine goal of instituting godly leadership’ (p. 306). There is occasional reference to the Hebrew text, and at times an understanding seems to be presumed which goes beyond the lexical, e.g. in the pointing to a series of wayyiqtol verbs and a related footnote referring to contrasting weqatal forms (p. 53), without feeling the need to spell out the significance. The attempt to base application on exegesis is to be welcomed, but whether this will prompt a flurry of sermons on Judges remains to be seen!

ADRIAN CURTIS

LASS, MAGDALENA, Zum Kampf mit Kraft umgürtet. Untersuchungen zu 2 Sam 22 unter gewalthermeneutischen Perspektiven (Bonner Biblische Beiträge, 185; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht/Bonn: Bonn University Press, 2018), pp. 410. €55.00. ISBN 978-3-8471-0816-0.

This well-researched and presented study was originally L.'s doctoral dissertation at the Katholische Privat-Universität, Linz. It embodies the best elements of the published dissertation, with extensive awareness of the secondary literature and a close attention to the main biblical text. The author also provides a detailed inter-disciplinary study of what it means to read violent texts, something derived from her interest in fantasy literature and film, both of which feature. Roughly half the book is devoted to hermeneutical concerns, and here she recognizes that violence can be viewed in different ways, and that not all violence is understood negatively. Violence also comes in diverse forms, and is represented in various literary forms, notably fairy tales. The psychological impact of reading these is important for her final argument, where 2 Samuel 22 is read as fictive. The treatment of 2 Samuel 22 is more conventional, with close attention to the text, not just the passages which more directly reflect violence since it is integrated into the whole. I would have appreciated more attention to how the text works in Samuel than is given, and at points it seems that 2 Samuel 22 and its parallel in Psalm 18 are treated as equivalent for L.'s work. Yet might not a poem's placement in different settings impact its meaning? But this is a minor quibble in an otherwise excellent piece of work.

DAVID G. FIRTH

SCHULZ, SARAH, Die Anhänge zum Richterbuch. Eine kompositionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung von Ri 17–21 (BZAW, 477; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016), pp. xii + 270. €99.95/£90.99/$140.00. ISBN 978-3-11-041135-5.

In this well-researched monograph, S. offers an insightful exegetical examination of the appendixes to Judges. The examination provides valuable discoveries regarding the emergence of Judges 17–21, and its location within the book. It also pays attention to the compositional history of these chapters, within the Enneateuch. Judges 17–21 is part of a hinge composition, which structures the transition from the Hexateuch to Samuel– Kings. The appendixes occupy a central position in the Enneateuch, betraying a theologically full-fledged concept. This becomes apparent when examined against the background of its compositional history. Judges 1 and 17–21 clearly favour Judah. Some passages in ch. 19 and the commentary in 17.6 and 21.25 concretize this tendency in a pro-Davidic attitude. The pro-Davidic elements in these chapters are idealizations of Davidic royalty. Contrast with the body of Judges is unavoidable. This theological discrepancy corresponds to a literary seam. The framing chapters of Judges (1 and 17– 21) and its corpus (2.6–16.31) form independent compositions. The framing chapters are explanations respecting the fall of Israel and Judah. According to the main body of Judges, an alternative to kingship is charismatic leadership. Immediately next to this criticism of the monarchy emerges a substitute interpretation of the past. Unlike kingship criticism, it devises a vision for the future, culminating in the emergence of proto-messianic movements. These cling to the hope of a future, eschatological ruler on the throne of David. Such a David redivivus saw, in S.'s view, a fulfilment in the belief of those Jews who affirmed Jesus to be the Christ.

BÁLINT KÁROLY ZABÁN

SMIT, LAURA A., and STEPHEN E. FOWL, Judges and Ruth (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible; Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2018), pp. xviii + 270. $32.99. ISBN 978-1-58743-330-6.

This series is now well established and this volume follows the pattern of offering theological interpretation. It is not a commentary as such, and there is little textual discussion. Overall the purpose is identified as being written to support the Christian doctrinal tradition. S. sees Judges as a book which is far more than just a collection of entertaining stories, rather a ‘book of prophetic proclamation’ which carries the authority of God. She has to deal with difficult questions in the book of Judges, e.g. the command to destroy the Canaanites and God's anger. She does not avoid these difficult questions, nor does she soften the text to ensure that God emerges less demanding and angry. Each of the judges is discussed in turn, but in the conclusion S. notes that the people of Israel are depicted as not following God's commands. F. begins his theological commentary on Ruth with a reflection on what theological commentary might be, particularly Christian interpretation. Overall themes he develops are ḥesed (faithful goodness), the worthiness of Ruth and Tamar, and God's providence. There is a clear Christian interpretation of the genealogy of David and link to Jesus. This book fits well with the others in the series and will be of most use to those who are interested in developing themes and teachings.

FRANCIS LOFTUS

TOCZYSKI, ANDRZEJ, The ‘Geometrics’ of the Rahab Story: A Multi-dimensional Analysis of Joshua 2 (LHBOTS, 664; London: T&T Clark, 2018), pp. xviii + 196. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-5676-7904-8.

The author's ‘multi-dimensional’ approach to the text means giving separate voice to several modes of reading it, in order to achieve what he calls ‘the visualization of the coalescing of these areas’ (pp. 4-5). In his hermeneutical model of a ‘communication paradigm’, the (implied) author, the text, the (critical) reader, and significant interpretative trends, from early Jewish and Christian readings to the postmodern present, are in ‘dialectical relationship’. Applying the textual linguistics of Alviero Niccacci, with its concepts of ‘main line’ and ‘off-line’, he shows how the text produces meaning, with distinctions, for example, between ‘telling’ (narrative) and ‘showing’ (dialogue), and between ‘comment’ and ‘direct speech’. A chapter entitled ‘The Mental Library of the Reader’ charts early Jewish and Christian readings of Rahab, modern ‘historical’ paradigms, literary and discourse analyses, and feminist and postcolonial readings. In the chapter ‘Rahab in 3D’, the concepts of ‘linguistic attitude’, ‘linguistic prominence’ and ‘linguistic perspective’ (p. 127) correspond respectively to chronological structure, authorial comments, and dialogues. The dialogical character of the act of reading involves a subliminal conversation among the modes of reading, such that ‘the interpretative commitment of the critical reader was regularly informed by the voices coming from the story's long and diversified afterlife’ (p. 165). The recognition that various current modes of reading the biblical text do not exist in separate compartments, but may be fruitfully integrated, is an important strength of this accomplished work.

J. GORDON MCCONVILLE

WATTY, WILLIAM W., The Nathan Narrative in 2 Samuel 7:1-17: A Traditio-historical Study (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xiv + 214. $28.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-0000-4.

W. begins his detailed examination with an overview of the Davidic tradition in the Hebrew canon before explaining the traditio-historical approach, pointing out both its strengths and weaknesses. Then follows a critical analysis of the views of a number of scholars as to the place of the Nathan narrative in Deuteronomy–Kings. This leads W. to work backwards through a series of pre-canonical redactions, exilic, Josianic and Hezekianic. His literary-critical analysis reveals the complexity of the text and shows that the dynastic theme was not originally continuous with the temple theme. He then turns to the oral traditions behind the narrative, examining them from the standpoint of prophecy, covenant, the hieros logos and ‘the Royal Novel’. Though W. sees the latter as of limited viability, he recognizes that some of the problems with the text have arisen due to the incomplete blending of traditions. In a concluding chapter, W. examines the distinct tradition of the promise of a dynasty and the revelation regarding the building of a sanctuary in the context of the history of the two kingdoms, arguing that while the Nathan narrative began to take shape during Hezekiah's reign, in the very different political situation facing Josiah it came fully into being. It would prove to be the dominant perspective in shaping the canon, and later the eschatology of Judaism and Christianity. W.'s closely argued thesis will prove indispensible for anyone who seeks to make sense of the canonical text of the Nathan narrative.

ANTHONY PHILLIPS

YOON, SUNG-HEE, The Question of the Beginning and the Ending of the So-called History of David's Rise: A Methodological Reflection and its Implication (BZAW, 462; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2014), pp. xii + 242. €109.95/$154.00/£99.99. ISBN 978-3-11-034980.

In this revised Oxford thesis (supervised by John Barton), Y. begins by arguing cogently that the textual, linguistic and stylistic features often cited to establish HDR's beginning and end are too ambiguous to admit of any certainty and are determined in any case by interpreters’ prior conclusions regarding HDR's theme(s), purpose and genre as a whole. Persuaded by his discussion of philosophical hermeneutics that all attempts to arrive at the meaning of HDR are thwarted by the inevitably conditioned nature of interpretation, Y. is nevertheless emboldened to offer his own by the conviction that such attempts are somehow nevertheless spiralling toward ‘the truth of the text’. He then usefully critiques previous classifications of the genre of HDR before concluding that it is a pre-Dtr ‘popular history’ or a ‘Jewish historical novel’, the theme of which is the divine superintending of ‘the rise and fall of all human beings’. In ch. 4, Y. then identifies and excludes passages which were added by later tradents, thus allowing HDR to run from 1 Sam. 16.14 to 2 Sam. 5.3, though curiously, by the end of ch. 4, the theme has been narrowed to David's rise and Saul's demise and the divine superintending appears to be forgotten. Y.'s final very ambitious chapter (5) sets out to show not only that his pristine HDR has no literary connections to what comes before or after it in the books of Samuel, but also that it was both incorporated into the DtrH in the late exilic period and subsequently redacted in the postexilic period. While not all will agree with the volume's constructive conclusions (including especially those to which ch. 5 hastens rather too quickly), Y.'s careful critique of existing scholarly positions is admirable.

DAVID J. SHEPHERD

Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this Book List:

BLYTH, CAROLINE, Reimagining Delilah's Afterlives as Femme Fatale: The Lost Seduction — see p. 116

CASPI, MISHAEL M., and JOHN T. GREENE, Portraits of a King Favored by God: David the King—God's Poet, Warrior, and Statesman — see p. 121

FARBER, ZEV, Images of Joshua in the Bible and their Reception — see p. 126

HELLER, ROY L., The Characters of Elijah and Elisha and the Deuteronomic Evaluation of Prophecy: Miracles and Manipulation — see p. 132

HERBST, JOHN W., Development of an Icon: Solomon before and after King David — see p. 132

KALIMI, ISAAC, Writing and Rewriting the Story of Solomon in Ancient Israel — see p. 134

KAMRADA, DOLORES G., Heroines, Heroes and Deity: Three Narratives of the Biblical Heroic Tradition — see p. 135

MÄKIPELTO, VILLE, Uncovering Ancient Editing: Documented Evidence of Changes in Joshua 24 and Related Texts — see p. 139

PYSCHNY, KATHARINA, and SARAH SCHULZ (eds.), Debating Authority: Concepts of Leadership in the Pentateuch and the Former Prophets — see p. 145

SYKORA, JOSEF, The Unfavored: Judah and Saul in the Narratives of Genesis and 1 Samuel — see p. 154

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

ASTER, SHAWN ZELIG, Reflections of Empire in Isaiah 1–39: Responses to Assyrian Ideology (Ancient Near East Monographs, 19; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2017), pp. xix + 360. $54.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-201-4.

The Assyrian empire was too vast to be controlled by military power alone; so the Assyrians relied also on the propagation of an ideology of the universal dominion of Assur exercised through the king. The ruling elites of subject states were exposed to this ideology through Assyrian officials in the provinces and also through regular required visits to the Assyrian capital. It is this ideology and responses to it which, this study argues, inform significant passages in First Isaiah. The author demonstrates that several long literary units in Isaiah 1–39 are to be understood as rhetorical responses by the prophet to the ideology being propagated and indeed accepted by the Judaean royal establishment. These responses use, and subvert, linguistic expressions and motifs used in Assyrian texts, reliefs and sculptures, in order to construct a counter ideology of Yahweh's universal and transcendent power. So Isaiah 6 opens with a description of Yahweh enthroned in the temple, using motifs adopted from the ‘procession reliefs’ of the Assyrian royal palace at Calah, while the puzzling commission given to Isaiah is designed to mock the mission that the Assyrians entrusted to Judaean emissaries. Isaiah 31, reflecting the period of Assyrian suppression of widespread revolts, similarly adopts and subverts Assyrian motifs in order to promote the transcendent supremacy of Yahweh. This study brings Assyrian imperial history and ideology effectively to bear in an often insightful exegesis of texts which express a range of different and developing prophetic responses to changing political realities.

ANDREW MAYES

BLENKINSOPP, JOSEPH, The Beauty of Holiness: Re-Reading Isaiah in the Light of Psalms (London: T&T Clark, 2019), pp. xii + 174. £17.99. ISBN 978-0-567-68030-3.

In a very interesting little study of the book of Isaiah, one of our best experts on the subject shows how much in common it has with the book of Psalms. He begins by looking briefly at the scanty evidence for musicians, cult prophets and the like, particularly in the years following the destruction and exile of the 6th century BCE, and reviews modern scholarship like Ulrich Berges’ famous theory that Isaiah 40–48 was composed by Temple singers. He then shows how a distinctive focus on Zion, the two ways, the servant(s) of the Lord, the repudiation of sacrifice and the beauty of holiness, is common to Psalms and Isaiah (all three sections of the book, 1–39, 40–55 and 56–66). Among his many examples he notes how references to the mythical creatures Rahab and Leviathan occur only in Isaiah and Psalms, and discusses the significance of the three key liturgical phrases ‘the Lord of hosts’, ‘the Holy One of Israel’ and ‘the Mighty One of Jacob’. This is a fascinating, original and thought-provoking intertextual reading of two very familiar texts, leading to the conclusion that ‘the beauty of the Psalms resounds throughout the book of Isaiah, and the Isaian vision … is echoed and joyfully proclaimed by the Psalmists’ (p. 161).

JOHN F.A. SAWYER

BORDJADZE, KARLO V., Darkness Visible: A Study of Isaiah 14:3-23 as Christian Scripture (with a foreword by R.W.L. Moberly; Princeton Theological Monograph Series, 228; Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2017), pp. xvi + 280. $35.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-1657-0.

This book investigates the text of Isa. 14.3-23 and focuses on the passage being about the king of Babylon and not Satan. In the process B. seeks to prove that Biblical Theology, compared to the historical-critical approach, is a better tool to obtain the enduring truth of the Scriptures. In eight chapters B. demonstrates these key areas of research: text, mythical and cognate connections, historical context, and reception history. The first two chapters provide an introduction and exegesis, with mention of the translation choices of various English Bibles. Chapter 3 proposes the possible function and meaning of māšāl (v. 4). Chapter 4 explores the sense of the poem in its entirety, with lengthy discussions on Gilgamesh and Sheol. Chapter 5 surveys the mythological background of vv. 12-15 and the historical referent of the king of Babylon. Chapter 6 compares Origen with Calvin, both of whom interpreted the Scriptures through the lens of their predispositions. Chapter 7 evaluates W. Brueggemann and C. Seitz. According to this reviewer's reading of the two theologians’ works elsewhere, B. is seemingly favouring the latter over the former on the evaluation of their theological treatment of Scriptures and on allowing the OT to stand by itself. Chapter 8 wraps up the investigation. Two shortcomings could be fixed: B. could have used more primary sources to establish his case against other commentators; and the lengthy excursuses and discussions could be placed at the end of each chapter or of the book. Overall, this book is creative and facilitates a high level of study.

HEDY HUNG

CHAPMAN, COLIN, Prophecy Fulfilled Today? Does Ezekiel Have Anything to Say about the Modern State of Israel? (Grove Biblical Series, 87; Cambridge: Grove Books, 2018), pp. 28. £3.95. ISBN 978-1-78827-041-0.

This short 26-page booklet is less a study of Ezekiel than of its NT reception, filtered through postbiblical spiritualized and supersessionist Gentile hermeneutics, despite the author's denial of such labels. Its explicit aim is to rebut those modern Christians (and Jews) who regard the re-establishment of the State of Israel during the past century as a fulfilment of biblical prophecy. After just two superficial but accurate pages on Ezekiel and his postexilic reception, ten pages attempt to show NT writers spiritualizing (or universalizing) seven of Ezekiel's prophetic promises for Israel, and the final seven pages contain five further arguments to discredit modern Israel as fulfilling prophetic expectations and to refute evidence that Jesus and Luke–Acts anticipated a future return for exiled Israel. Hermeneutical principles for how to apply Israelite prophecy are assumed rather than defended, and despite awareness of his opponents’ alternative readings of NT passages, no attempt is made to analyse why they have come to such opposite conclusions. Instead, common fallacies are taken for granted, such as the expansion of Israel's promises to incorporate Gentile nations necessarily entailing an erasure of Israel's distinct identity and promised territory (contrast Eph. 2.12; Rom. 11.28-29), or the gathering of Gentile ‘lost sheep’ by Messiah replacing any prophetic mission to regather Jewish diaspora (compare Jn 10.16 and 11.51-52 with Isa. 56.6-8). Christians who wish to see Isaiah 53 fulfilled literally in Jesus cannot then spiritualize chs. 52 and 54. C. exemplifies the pressing need for post-supersessionist NT hermen-eutics of Israelite prophecy.

JAMES E. PATRICK

CHARLESWORTH, JAMES H. (ed.), The Unperceived Continuity of Isaiah (Jewish and Christian Texts in Contexts and Related Studies, 28; London: T&T Clark, 2019), pp. xiv + 236. £76.50. ISBN 978-0-567-68424-0.

This collection of articles, stemming from a conference in Jerusalem in 2015, explores matters of continuity in the book of Isaiah, as well as its textual transmission and reception in later traditions (e.g. the NT). The volume asks two research questions. First, does the book of Isaiah represent ‘the thoughts of the eighth century BCE’ or does it reflect additions and insertions that ‘take us down to the third century BCE’? This question appears somewhat anachronistic insofar as few scholars today read the book of Isaiah as the product of Isaiah ben Amoz. Yet Chadwick's contribution appears to attempt exactly that, namely to read Isaiah 40–66 as addressed to traumatized Jerusalemites in the aftermath of 701 BCE. Second, is there continuity throughout the book of Isaiah? As Charlesworth states pertinently in his opening essay, although we may choose to treat the book as falling into three main sections, each of these sections should be studied in terms of the Isaiah corpus as a whole. The volume contains eight articles. The first five deal with the book of Isaiah itself: J.H. Charlesworth, ‘The Unperceived Continuity of Isaiah’; D. Kahn, ‘The Continuity in the Prophetic Visions in First Isaiah (1–39)’; S.M. Paul, ‘Deutero- (Second-) Isaiah’; J.R. Chadwick, ‘The Insights of Third Isaiah: Observations of a Traditionalist’; and E. Tov, ‘Exegesis and Theology in the Transmission of Isaiah’. The remaining three look at Isaiah in the NT and beyond: D.C. Allison Jr, ‘Isaiah, John the Baptizer, and Jesus’; J.H. Charlesworth, ‘The Influence of Isaiah on Paul's Romans and the Intra-Canonical Gospels’; and M.S. Wróbel, ‘The Influence of Isaiah on Jewish and Christian Liturgies’. The volume also features an Introduction, a Conclusion, and an Appendix (‘Love in the School of Isaiah and Continuity in 1QIsaiah^a’) by J.H. Charlesworth, as well as an ‘Afterword: Why Isaiah?’ by A.I. Baumgarten. This is a useful volume and I benefited from the insights of the individual articles, yet I found the scarcity of continental European scholarship lamentable. Berges is cited frequently, whereas Kratz appears in a single footnote and Becker and Gärtner etc. are never mentioned. Also, in this day and age, to publish a volume with only male authors is, in my view, not a splendid idea.

LENA-SOFIA TIEMEYER

CORZILIUS, BJÖRN, Michas Rätsel. Eine Untersuchung zur Kompositionsgeschichte des Michabuches (BZAW, 483; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016), pp. xvi + 466. €99.95/£91.00/$140.00. ISBN 978-3-11-044373-8.

This Göttingen doctorate, written under the supervision of R.G. Kratz, investigates the complex compositional history of the book of Micah. Following B. Stade's 1881 proposal that authentic words of the prophet are only found in Micah 1–3, C. embarks on a significant revision of the number of texts that can be attributed to the prophet from the town of Moreshet. As a result, C. finds the kernel of the book in a short poem about the various towns in the Shephelah (Mic. 1.10-15). This poem responds to the military disaster during the Assyrian invasion and does not yet reflect upon it theologically. Later stages of the book's development expand the focus and connect the poem with the judgement announced to Jerusalem (Mic. 1) and the various issues of social justice (Mic. 2–3). The result is a first larger composition, similar to Stade's proposal, which is then supplemented by several Fortschreibungen in Micah 4–7. Here Mic. 4.10 represents the earliest stage of such supplementation while Mic. 6.9aα, 12a, 16 serves as the basis for addition of the final chapter of the book. The study serves a twofold purpose: it offers a detailed literary-critical analysis of the origin of the book in the light of recent trends in research on the prophets as well as a more nuanced portrait of the figure of the prophet and his transformations in the course of the compositional history of the book attributed to his name.

ANSELM C. HAGEDORN

GASPARRO, LORENZO, La Parola, il gesto e il segno: Le azioni simboliche di Geremia e dei profeti (Collana Studi biblici, 73; Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane Bologna, 2015), pp. 144. €16.50. ISBN 978-88-10-41024-0.

The subtitle is less illuminating than it should be. The real subject of the book is a detailed study of Jer. 16.1-9, with a structural analysis and exegesis of the text, developing its theological implications at length. (According to G., there has been no previous monograph devoted to this text.) But this is preceded by an analysis of prophetic symbolic action, including a list of such actions in the text of the HB. Their effects are seen as being first to represent coming events by analogy, secondly to reveal the divine intention, and thirdly to set on foot the project of God. This scheme is applied to the series of abstentions from social life and solidarity imposed on Jeremiah, which announce and initiate YHWH's withdrawal of his peace (v. 5b), on which the text centres. But here the prophet's life is itself his message: his celibacy is ‘a living negation of his own most expressive metaphor’, and through his pain he shares his people's pain and incarnates that of their God. The approach is canonical, though the possibility of redaction is admitted: Jeremiah is an ‘anti-Abraham’ and his suffering foreshadows that of Jesus. The point of view is entirely that of the text: God is described as acting in realistic terms, and no misgivings are expressed about the ‘marriage metaphor’. I noted one or two minor errors or typos. Nevertheless, this is an attractive, well-written and conceptually rich reflection, which will reward study.

WALTER J. HOUSTON

HIEBEL, JANINA MARIA, Ezekiel's Vision Accounts as Interrelated Narratives: A Redaction-Critical and Theological Study (BZAW, 475; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2015), pp. xxii + 393. £109.00. ISBN 978-3-11-040364-0.

This monograph is a revised version of the author's 2014 doctoral thesis from Murdoch University, Australia (supervised by Sue Boorer). Its focus is the four vision accounts in Ezekiel (the prophet's commissioning in Ezek. 1, the departure of Yahweh's glory from the Jerusalem temple in Ezek. 8–11, the valley of dry bones in Ezek. 37 and the return of Yahweh to a new temple in Ezek. 40–48), which, suggests H., are closely interrelated by virtue of their shared terminology and key motifs. The connections between the sequence of visions raise questions regarding their origin and redactional development and the theological reasons that drove this process, which H. sets out to address. After a literature review (ch. 1), the book comprises a detailed diachronic analysis of each of the vision accounts, with extensive discussion of the redaction and development of each one in compositional terms (chs. 2-5). Chapter 6 examines the interrelationship between the vision accounts in more depth, arguing that later redactions enhance the coherence of the sequence and, indeed, the whole book. In Part 2 the author builds on this multi-layered approach to examine specific themes and topics in the text, both rhetorically (ch. 7) and theologically (chs. 8-9). Finally, four appendixes provide emended Hebrew text of each vision along with the author's translation, followed by a Bibliography and List of Scripture References. This is a highly technical and complex treatment of the vision accounts. The author reaches confident conclusions on the composition and redaction process that not all scholars will agree with, yet provides a wealth of detailed textual analysis and interpretation that is informative and thought-provoking.

HILARY MARLOW

HILDEBRANDT, SAMUEL, Interpreting Quoted Speech in Prophetic Literature: A Study of Jeremiah 2.1–3.5 (VTSup, 176; Leiden: Brill, 2017), pp. xv + 242. €88.00. ISBN 978-90-04-35172-1.

Interpreting Quoted Speech in Prophetic Literature is the published version of H.'s Edinburgh doctoral thesis (supervised by David Reimer). It is organized into a brief introduction followed by ten chapters and a short conclusion. The author investigates the scope of quoted speech, interacting with H.W. Wolff's ‘Das Zitat im Prophetenspruch’ (1937), T.W. Overholt's study on Jeremiah 2 (1979) and T. Clark's dissertation on Ezekiel (1984), and taking Jer. 2.1–3.5 as a test case, arguing that although some attention has already been given to quotations between different books, citations within the same book indicate a different nature which, particularly in Jeremiah, suggests a distinctive literary quality (pp. 1-6). Following the guidelines of M. Sternberg, H. attempts to establish a set of criteria for the hermeneutical impact alongside the role, communication and identification of quoted speech (pp. 211-14). H.'s contribution gives equal importance to both the quotations and the context in which such quotations are inserted, moving away from the quest for the ipsissima verba Jeremiae in which the biblical text is used as a window to the romantic reconstruction of the past (e.g. H. Gunkel's classic form-critical approach) to more recent paradigmatic change focusing on the book (already diagnosed by H.M. Barstad, ‘What Prophets Do: Reflections on Past Reality in the Book of Jeremiah’, in H.M. Barstad and R.G. Kratz [eds.], Prophecy in the Book of Jeremiah [BZAW, 388; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2009], pp. 10-32).

ANDERSON YAN

HUPPERT, RUTH, Israel steht auf. Eine Studie zu Bedeutung und Funktion von Ez 37,1-14 im Buch Ezechiel (Beiträge zum Verstehen der Bibel, 27; Berlin: LIT Verlag, 2016), pp. vi + 343. €34.90. ISBN 978-3-643-12746-4.

H.'s revised doctoral dissertation, completed at Ruhr-Universität Bochum under the supervision of Jürgen Ebach, argues that Ezek. 37.1-14 represents a turning point in the book's portrayal of the relationship between Yahweh and the people of Israel, after which Yahweh is once again concerned for the fate of Israel in the land. The monograph is primarily concerned with the narrative logic of Ezek. 37.1-14 in both its immediate and wider contexts, with particular attention given to the vision's relationship with Ezekiel 16, which H. views as a counter-narrative to Ezek. 37.1-14. Attention is given to the theological significance of the study's findings throughout, as well as the potential connections to other parts of the Christian Bible. Although perhaps not central to H.'s argument, her discussion of Ezek. 37.1-14 as an undated passage is of particular interest. H.'s comparisons to similar texts in light of the pervasive use of formulas in Ezekiel, and proposal that the theme of overcoming death is the reason for the lack of date marker in Ezekiel 37, make a valuable contribution to current discussions of formulas in the book. The volume has obvious appeal for Ezekiel scholars, with its wide-ranging discussion of the textual, socio-historical, literary and theological contexts of the book. However, those broadly interested in synchronic and/or theological readings of the prophets may also find in its pages an enjoyable conversation partner.

PENELOPE BARTER

KIM, BRITTANY, ‘Lengthen your Tent-Cords’: The Metaphorical World of Israel's Household in the Book of Isaiah (Siphrut, 23; University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2018), pp. xiii + 245. $64.95. ISBN 978-1-57506-778-0.

In this revised Wheaton College doctoral dissertation (supervised by Richard Schultz), K. examines, each in a separate chapter, the various presentations of Israel and Jerusalem as members of a household: sons/children, Zion as daughter, Zion as mother and wife, and servant(s). Each main chapter introduces the topic with a quick survey of the metaphor's use elsewhere in the HB and in the ANE. The analysis then moves through each passage in strictly canonical order. A final chapter tries to bring the whole together insofar as this can be done. As a descriptive exercise the work is careful and thorough, and there is good interaction with (mainly recent) other studies and commentaries. The very strict synchronic method means that generally the outline of a story can be told as K. works through the main sections of Isaiah, but there are exceptions where things do not fit so neatly, and she is honest in usually acknowledging that fact. Perhaps at such points the synchronic stranglehold deconstructs itself. For instance, 3.16–4.6 cries out for separation, 3.16–4.1 being obviously disjointed with changes of person (not mentioned here) and 4.2-6 being almost universally recognized as a later and separate composition. Diachronic conclusions sometimes result in a smoother narrative. But despite this, commentators will benefit from K.'s careful discussion of the passages she treats.

H.G.M. WILLIAMSON

KÖHLER, SARAH, Jeremia—Fürbitter oder Kläger? Eine religionsgeschichtliche Studie zur Fürbitte und Klage im Jeremiabuch (BZAW, 506; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017), pp. x + 295. €99.95/$114.99/£90.99. ISBN 978-3-11-054069-7.

This monograph provides a perceptive historical-critical analysis respecting such key passages as Jeremiah 4–6, 7, 8–10, 11 and 14–15, and a religious-historical analysis of complaint and intercession encapsulated in these texts. Chapter 1 explores the literary-critical and redaction-historical perspectives found in Jeremiah 4, 6, 8 and 10. Chapter 2 analyses these perspectives in combination with data culled from ANE texts, also preoccupied with genres of complaint. A separate excursus concentrates on the genre of complaint in Egypt. The subchapter dealing with the classification of Jeremianic texts in their ANE context is most impressive, especially considering the dexterity with which the relevant texts are invoked, and then carefully connected. Chapter 3 investigates the topic of intercession as an element of complaint, in ANE texts and in Jeremiah alike. Chapter 4 probes the question whether Jeremiah is a petitioner or complainer/lamenter. Here, the discussion centres on texts in Jeremiah 7, 11 and 14–15. Complaint and intercession are also investigated in the context of forms of prophecy and prophetic figures, with the conclusion that complaint should not be considered prophecy in the strict sense of the term. K. reaches the latter resolution following a detailed analysis concerned with the sources and concepts relating to prophets and prophecies in the OT and ANE. Furthermore, K. convincingly claims that intercession and complaint contributed to the formation of the book and to the shaping of the figure of the prophet.

BÁLINT KÁROLY ZABÁN

LEAR, SHEREE, Scribal Composition: Malachi as a Test Case (Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments, 270; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2018), pp. 177. €70.00. ISBN 978-3-525-55266-7.

The issue of scribal involvement in the production of prophetic texts is attracting more and more scholarly attention in recent years. L. contributes to this growing area of research by examining the scribal techniques in the composition of Malachi. In her view the scribes responsible for this little prophetic book interpreted and reused older traditions. A detailed examination of Mal. 2.10-16 shows a deliberate utilization of various earlier texts that deal in one way or another with some of three central themes of this passage: foreigners (Edomites), wives, other gods (ch. 2). L. argues that three types of wordplay—phonological, graphic and semantic—can be discerned in Malachi's use of tradition (ch. 3). Finally, the ideal Levite in Mal. 2.4-7 was Phinehas, whom the scribe identified with the prophet Elijah. This identification persists in later Jewish tradition, demonstrating that the communicative strategy of the scribal author, at least in this instance, was successful (ch. 4). L. establishes some interesting connections between Malachi and other texts from the HB. At times she goes too far and the argument appears strained, leaving the reader to wonder if all those links were indeed the result of conscious design. On the whole, however, her study is insightful and well worth consulting.

TCHAVDAR S. HADJIEV

LEE, LYDIA, Mapping Judah's Fate in Ezekiel's Oracles against the Nations (Ancient Near East Monographs, 15; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2016), pp. xvii. $49.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-151-2.

L.'s monograph, which is a revised doctoral thesis from Göttingen (supervised by Nathan MacDonald), argues that the predominant theme of the oracles against the nations (OAN) in Ezekiel 25–32 is the oblique message of judgment which confronts the nation of Judah. In the three central chapters of the study, L. draws out an array of lexical connections between the OAN and the language used to depict the fate of Judah in the wider context of Ezekiel. She argues that this shared vocabulary is designed to blur the ideological boundaries between Judah and the surrounding nations and thereby provides a bleak warning about the fate of Judah's land, temple and nation which are often depicted in similar terms. While L.'s approach to the text is mainly synchronic, her final main chapter contends that the alignment between Judah and the foreign nations has been both developed and transformed by the later redactors of the work. In this respect, she avers that the editors responsible for Ezekiel 35 and 38–39 reflect their anxiety over the commonality of Judah and the nations in the OAN by setting Judah's future deliverance in opposition to the fate of their neighbours. The strength of L.'s work lies in the discovery of a range of lexical connections which make a strong cumulative case for reading Ezekiel's OAN in connection with the surrounding pronouncements of judgment for Judah. Nevertheless, L.'s theory regarding the rhetorical purpose of the OAN may have benefited from a more comprehensive account of the compositional history of Ezekiel.

NEIL J. MORRISON

LUNDBOM, JACK R., CRAIG A. EVANS, and BRADFORD A. ANDERSON (eds.), The Book of Jeremiah: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation (VTSup, 178; Leiden: Brill, 2018), pp. xix + 545. €140.00. ISBN 978-90-04-37326-6.

This is the latest addition to a growing number of edited volumes focusing on the interpretation and reception of the book of Jeremiah. The volume is divided into four main parts, beginning with three essays subsumed under the heading of ‘General Topics’: ‘The Pen of Scribes: Writing, Textuality, and the Book of Jeremiah’ (M. Leuchter); ‘Jeremiah among the Prophets’ (M.A. Sweeney); ‘Jeremiah—“The Prophet like Moses”?’ (G. Fischer). The nine essays grouped together in Part II explore a wide range of topics under the general heading of ‘Issues in Interpretation’: ‘Jeremiah at Mizpah of Benjamin (Tell en-Nasbeh): The Archaeological Setting’ (J.R. Zorn); ‘Messianic Expectations in the Book of Jeremiah? The Productive Memory of David’ (B. Becking); ‘Sagacious Divine Judgment: Jeremiah's Use of Proverbs to Construct an Ethos and Ethics of Divine Epistemology’ (S.E. Balentine); ‘Structure in the Confessions of Jeremiah’ (C.S.W. So); ‘Reconsidering the “New Covenant” in Jeremiah 31:31-34’ (M. Kartveit); ‘Yet Another New Covenant: Jeremiah's Use of Deuteronomy and בוש שב/תישבות in the Book of Consolation’ (A.R. Morrow and J.F. Quant); ‘The Rechabites in the Book of Jeremiah and their Historical Roots in Israel’ (H.B. Huffmon); ‘Language and Rhetoric in Jeremiah's Foreign Nation Oracles’ (J.R. Lundbom); and ‘What Is Israel's God Up to among the Nations? Jeremiah 46, 48, and 49’ (P.R. Raabe). Part III contains a series of essays linked together by the overarching theme of ‘Textual Transmission and Reception History’: the textual history of MT and the Hebrew Vorlage of LXX Jeremiah (A.G. Shead); text-critical perspectives on the Qumran manuscripts of Jeremiah (A. Lange); Jeremiah in the NT, with particular reference to the prophecy of the ‘new covenant’ (CA. Evans); the life and teachings of ‘Targumic Jeremiah’ (R. Hayward); translation techniques in the Peshitta of Jeremiah (G. Greenberg); interpretations of the figure and book of Jeremiah in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha (SA. Adams); Josephus’ retelling of the story of Jeremiah and his book (M. Avioz); manuscripts of Jeremiah belonging to the Vetus Latina and the Vulgate (D.L. Everson); and medieval Christian commentaries on the book of Jeremiah (J.A. Schroeder). The three essays in Part IV, as indicated by the heading (‘Jeremiah and Theology’), offer theological perspectives on Jeremiah's self-understanding as mediator of the covenant (J.R. Lundbom), as well as the book's reflections on God and time (T.E. Fretheim) and God and ‘place’ (D.J. Reimer). A number of the contributions to this high-quality collection will undoubtedly become essential reading for those engaged in the study of the book of Jeremiah and its afterlife. The volume would nevertheless have benefited from a more substantial editorial justification of its scope and layout (particularly the rationale for the structuring of its first, second and fourth parts) and how it meets the brief of the particular sub-series (‘Formation and Interpretation of Old Testament Literature’) in which it appears.

CATRIN H WILLIAMS

MIZRAHI, NOAM, Witnessing a Prophetic Text in the Making: The Literary, Textual and Linguistic Development of Jeremiah 10:1-16 (BZAW, 502; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017), pp. viii + 242. €99.95/£81.99/$1 14.99. ISBN 978-3-11-052259-4.

The subtitle gives a more precise indication of this monograph's subject: M. (of Tel Aviv University) takes up the multifaceted questions raised by Jer. 10.1-16 with its differing MT and Greek forms, its verse of Aramaic, its links with the idol satire in Isaiah 40–48, and its combining of satire with confessional praise, and he offers a systematic study of the process whereby the text might have developed. He considers chapter by chapter the satirical passages (within which he finds two strands), the hymnic passage in vv. 12-13 (which he sees as drawn from two separate traditions), the Aramaic verse (which he suggests was cut and pasted from a piece of Achaemenid propaganda), then the hymnic passage in v. 10 (added at a relatively late stage) and the one in vv. 6-7 (an originally independent literary unit also added rather late). Among a few slips that I noticed, I was sorry to see Robert Carroll's name misspelled, beginning on p. 2. I'm not sure I like the word ‘orison’ but I do like the promotion of the word ‘prolusion’ and I was glad to see the implausible scarecrow in a melon field of v. 8 disappear in favour of a wrought palm tree. While it is a problem that there are many differing but plausible theories about the compositional history of Jeremiah, M.'s detailed comments on this intriguing passage are illuminating.

JOHN GOLDINGAY

MOON, JOSHUA N., Hosea (Apollos Old Testament Commentary, 21; London: Apollos / Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), pp. xiv + 253. £24.99. ISBN 978-0-8308-2520-2.

Apollos OT Commentaries aim to keep ‘one foot firmly planted in the universe of the original text and the other in that of the target audience, which is preachers, teachers and students of the Bible’ (Editors’ Preface, p. vii). Underpinning this commentary is a concern ‘to understand Hosea within Christian theology’ (p. 26); however, the book includes a wealth of detail and exegesis that will be useful to any student of this enigmatic prophetic book. A succinct Introduction in five sections (pp. 1-28) covers the historical backdrop and Hosea among the prophets (both very briefly), followed by a longer section on the text itself (origin, dating, Hebrew language, structure, etc.), a discussion of the theme of covenant in Hosea, and a justification for reading the text theologically. The exegetical sections break the text of Hosea into fairly short sections which each comprise the author's translation with notes, a discussion of form and structure, brief comment on the text, and an explanation that draws out some of the theological themes and implications—both for its ancient hearers (M. argues that it was originally an oral text) and for contemporary readers. Though detailed, the comments gloss over some important difficulties, notably the violence against the woman in Hosea 2, and take a surprisingly traditional stance on some translation issues, such as rendering Hos. 6.7 ‘They are like Adam…’ (p. 122), with no explanatory note. Overall this is an accessible commentary, from a fairly conservative perspective, that will be useful for theological students but should be read alongside other commentaries to gain a breadth of interpretative possibilities.

HILARY MARLOW

O'BRIEN, MARK A., Discerning the Dynamics of Jeremiah 1–25 (MT) (Adelaide: ATF Theology, 2017), pp. xxxiii + 276. $29.96. ISBN 978-1-925643-28-2.

This work presents a synchronic analysis of MT Jeremiah 1–25, influenced by Georg Fischer's two-volume commentary (Freiburg, 2005) defending the idea that, although the book went through a long editorial process in which the Deuteronomistic redaction played an important role, the ‘final form’ of the book reveals an intentional coherence. O. argues that the main theme revolves around the ‘story of the impact of the word of God’ in which Jeremiah functions as the bearer of the word (pp. xiii-xxiii, 245). He suggests that the prologues spread throughout the first half of Jeremiah (e.g. 2.1; 3.12; 11.6; 21.11) share a basic structural organization featured by the ‘command to Jeremiah to go and proclaim/speak the word of Yahweh to an audience’ (p. 245). This work adds a valuable contribution to a synchronic reading of MT Jeremiah, but I would expect a little more interaction with a historical investigation, as James Barr reminded us that synchronic readings should not necessarily be ahistorical and even the MT is also located within an historical context (in J.C. de Moor [ed.], Synchronic or Diachronic? [Leiden, 1995], pp. 1-14). Although O. occasionally comments timidly on the historical circumstances of the book (e.g. postexilic readers/listeners, p. 30), his argument would be enhanced if he had interacted more with the role of the Persian influence in Jeremiah, as more recent prophet scholarship has explored (e.g. essays in D.V. Edelman and E. Ben Zvi [eds.], The Production of Prophecy [London, 2009). Finally, I would argue that the organization of MT Jeremiah seems to bring less coherence than LXX Jeremiah, particularly the separation between ch. 25 and the oracles against the nations.

ANDERSON YAN

PAGANO, GIANPAOLO, I profeti tra storia e teologia (with an introduction by Paolo Garuti; Collana Studi biblici, 74; Bologna: Edizioni Dehoniane, 2016), pp. 221. €22.50. ISBN 978-88-10-41025-7.

This work on the prophetic literature of the OT, including Baruch and Daniel, intentionally uses diachronic and synchronic approaches in parallel: hence ‘between history and theology’. The seven pages by Garuti employ an Aristotelian typology to categorize prophecy, apocalyptic and Gnosticism. This has little to do with the work proper, which begins with an introduction on prophecy and the prophetic books, and proceeds with a section on each prophet in five chronologically ordered chapters. The sections each in turn consist of two parts, one on the structure and history (or composition) of the book and a longer one on its ‘message’ or theology. Despite this, the historical approach dominates: the ‘message’ of the prophet remains in the ancient context, and the discussion takes in extensive reference to the structure and composition of the text. The book falls between two stools in more than one way. Although P. embraces a complex redactional theory for many of the books, in matters of history he is conservative. It is also unclear for whom he writes. The small compass of the book suggests an introductory textbook, but there is much technical language and a profusion of secondary literature in various languages in the footnotes (but no bibliography). I have been unable to trace the origin of the ingenious but wrongheaded emendation of Amos 5.7 given on p. 55, in translation without acknowledgment: ‘He who turns the sea into wormwood (!-absinthe?) and establishes righteousness and justice in the land.’

WALTER J. HOUSTON

PIKOR, WOJCIECH, The Land of Israel in the Book of Ezekiel (LHBOTS, 667; London: T&T Clark, 2018), pp. xxi + 264. £91.80. ISBN 978-0-567-67884-3.

Originally published in Polish, this volume offers a semantic analysis of the land in the book of Ezekiel. Adopting a synchronic approach, it argues that the motif of the land constitutes the unifying structural principle of the book. Ezekiel may be thus characterized as ‘geo-theology’. After a chapter addressing contextual matters (ch. 1), P. directs his attention to the land's anthropomorphisation in the oracles of punishment (ch. 2). Three chapters then focus on the relationship between Israel's land and Israel's covenant with YHWH. The first examines the role of the land in the context of Israel's past history, focusing on the exodus (ch. 3). The second examines the role of the land vis-à-vis Israel's future restoration, identifying it as an essential part of the new covenant between Israel and YHWH (ch. 4). A final chapter considers this with reference to YHWH's own return to the land (ch. 5). P.'s analysis leads him to conclude that the personified land is presented as a protagonist in Israel's history, the covenantal space in which Israel relates to YHWH and thus a necessary element of Israel's salvation. An early decision to pursue a paradigmatic approach leads P. to treat certain terms as synonyms (e.g. ארץ and אדמה); combined with the synchronic approach, this has the unfortunate effect of overlooking important differentiation in Ezekiel's use of these terms. Nevertheless, the volume offers some useful reflection on a central concern of the book and merits consultation.

C.L. CROUCH

SAWYER, JOHN F.A., Isaiah through the Centuries (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries; Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2018), pp. xxii + 484. £80.00. ISBN 978-0-631-21963-7.

S. is widely recognized as a founding father of the Reception History movement with his seminal work on Isaiah (The Fifth Gospel, Cambridge University Press, 1996) and subsequent edited works on the Bible and Culture (Blackwell, 2006) and the Bible in Music (Rowman and Littlefield, 2015). This commentary, therefore, represents the distillation of a life of research and reflection and, as such, is an invaluable resource to all those interested in the interpretation of the book of Isaiah past and present. It falls on this reviewer less to assess the undoubted quality of this resource than to describe its form. The passages of Isaiah are treated chapter-by-chapter. Each chapter presents the opinions of its most notable interpreters. Marginal or unusual readings are rarely mentioned. There are no footnotes. Unlike most other published volumes in the series, this volume does not present a diachronic story of the development of Jewish and Christian interpretation for each chapter. Instead, one paragraph might interweave the thoughts of Luther, Calvin, Ibn Ezra, Lowth, Origen, Jerome and 3 Enoch (in this order) to end up where it began with Luther (so p. 46). Works of literature, art and music are then considered and related to these interpretations. This, therefore, is an open-ended and concise introduction to a vast subject, i.e. the reception history of the book called Isaiah.

DANIEL J. CROWTHER

SCHLEGEL, MICHAEL, Jerusalem ‘an jenem Tag’. Eine traditionsgeschichtliche Untersuchung von Sach 12–14 zur Rolle Jerusalems im Endgeschehen im Kontext spätprophetischer Literatur (Arbeiten zu Text und Sprache im Alten Testament, 103; St Ottilien: EOS Verlag, 2018), pp. viii + 339. €34.95. ISBN 978-3-8306-7906-6.

This dissertation submitted to the University of Freiberg (supervisor: Hubert Irsigler) examines the place of the temple/city of Jerusalem in the end time as envisaged in Zechariah 12–14. There are chapters on previous research, then on the text and translation, textual criticism, structural analysis, and the semantic and linguistic analysis of the Zechariah passage. The bulk of the book (nearly 40 per cent) is taken up with examining the motifs and traditions on the role of Jerusalem in the end time of the passage in comparison with other prophetic literature. S. argues that Zechariah 12–14 shares similar themes to such other late prophetic texts as Joel 1–4 and Ezekiel 34–39, but ch.14 also presents an end time scenario that prepares for the central aspects of apocalyptic. S. suggests these chapters are dated to the Diadochi period (c. 301 BCE), for chs. 12–13, into the Ptolemaic period (c. 250 BCE) for ch. 14. They show the difference between Zion theology and the lived reality, which probably reflects the time of the battles between the Diadochi. The many motifs taken from other prophetic literature suggests that it is one of the latest texts in the prophetic corpus. The study is particularly helpful in showing parallels to Zechariah 12–14 from other prophetic texts.

LESTER L. GRABBE

STULAC, DANIEL J., History and Hope: The Agrarian Wisdom of Isaiah 28–35 (Siphrut, 24; University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2018), pp. xii + 327. $64.95. ISBN 978-1-57506-789-6.

This is another very interesting application of the insights of modern agrarianism to the Bible, following, for example, Ellen Davis, Scripture, Culture and Agriculture: An Agrarian Reading of the Bible (reviewed in B.L. 2010, p. 142). The Introduction makes it clear that agrarian hermeneutics is not the same as Norman Habel's ecological herm-eneutics (see B.L. 2009, pp. 101-102), but moves away from Cartesian dualism towards a way of life attuned to the requirements of land and local communities. Three chapters on the six woes in Isaiah 28–35 show how through Yahweh's rule human behaviour is drawn into proper correspondence with non-human creation, and transport the reader from sad reflection on historical destruction in the first part of the book (Isa. 1–27) to the vision of ‘agrarian hope’ in Isaiah 36–66, which is beautifully analysed in ch. 5 of this study. A concluding chapter summarizes the argument as ‘a call to obedience’, and an Appendix contains a new, richly annotated translation of the eight chapters.

JOHN F.A. SAWYER

THOMAS, HEATH A., Habakkuk (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018), pp. xiv + 234. $25.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-6870-1. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

Here is a further volume in the commentary series written primarily for students, pastors, and other Christian leaders seeking to engage in the theological interpretation of Scripture, and to that end is a paragraph-by-paragraph engagement with the text with a deliberately theological focus. Thus Part I of the work is concerned not only with the text of Habakkuk along with translation and commentary matters, but also with how it may be related to matters of current theological and ecclesiastical concern. This part of the book is therefore made up of four sections: an Introduction, and then three further sections on the three chapters of Habakkuk. Then follows Part II of the work, which is called ‘Theological Horizons’, and consists of three sections, namely ‘Major Themes in the book of Habakkuk and Biblical Theology’, ‘Centering Shalom: Habakkuk and Prayer’, and ‘Dead Ends to Doorways: Habakkuk and Spiritual Formation’. There is a Select Bibliography, and indexes of authors, subjects, and scriptures. Here is the attempt to help the reader both understand the text itself, and also to go on and apply it theologically in the contemporary world. It is, I suggest, a work to be welcomed in particular by those who are called upon either to help seekers to understand what this ancient text means for them and others today, or to assist leaders of contemporary church worship involving the exposition of biblical texts from both Testaments.

MICHAEL E.W. THOMPSON

TUCKER, W. DENNIS, JR, Jonah: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible; Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2nd edn, 2018), pp. xii + 120. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-4813-0846-5.

The first edition of this Handbook—constituting indeed the first volume in this series of Handbooks—was published in 2006, and reviewed in B.L. 2008, pp. 246-47. In the now ‘revised and expanded edition’, T. (who also serves as General Editor of the series) has brought the analysis of the biblical text here into line with the generative grammar approach that now characterizes the series as a whole (see e.g. the reviews in this B.L. of the recent contributions on Hosea [immediately below] and Qoheleth [below, p. 94]), whereas the first edition had been using the model of discourse analysis. The new Introduction sets out the operative linguistic approach now deployed, with considerations of linguistic background (constituency, verbal valency), verbal semantics, word order (syntax, topic and focus), and subordinate clauses-and, very usefully, a Glossary and an Index of Linguistic Issues are also included at the end of the volume. The Introduction also makes observations on the poetry in Jonah 2 and the use of אשר and ש in the book of Jonah. The text of the book is divided into seven sections (1.1-3; 1.4-16; 2.1-11; 3.1-3a; 3.3b-10; 4.1-4; 4.5-11), and within these sections each verse, clause, and word or word-cluster is treated in sequence. There is much here that intermediate and advanced students of Hebrew will appreciate, especially those who wish (or whose teachers wish them) to become immersed in the model of generative grammar, but, having tested this as a resource for students moving from elementary grammar to their first engagement with the biblical text, I found this Handbook to be somewhat perplexing to that type of student-which is a pity in view of Jonah often being deployed as one of the first books translated by emerging students of Biblical Hebrew.

JOHN JARICK

TULLY, ERIC J., Hosea: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible; Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2018), pp. xii + 368. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-4813-0282-1.

T., whose doctoral thesis (published by Brill, 2015) included a running textual commentary on the Peshitta of Hosea which also occasionally referenced the Greek and the Targum and who co-authored the second edition of E.R. Brotzmann's widely used introduction to Old Testament Textual Criticism (Baker Academic, 2016), comes well qualified to the task of analysing the often difficult text of Hosea. The author builds on the methodology of generative grammar and follows the understanding of the Hebrew verbal system of scholars like J.A. Cook and R.D. Holmstedt. The textual basis is BHS rather than BHQ; the difference is minimal as references to the apparatus are infrequent. The poetic division of the text notes the Masoretic accents but not in a very sophisticated way. T. is sceptical about often-made claims that the difficulties of the text of Hosea relate to its northern provenance and instead suspects that they are the result of authorial idiosyncrasies and early corruption of the text. Like other volumes in the series, the book is designed to be used in the initial stage of working with the Hebrew text and does not offer a full literary, historical or theological commentary. While Hosea, unlike Jonah or even Malachi, is not a text into which students usually immerse themselves following a course in elementary Hebrew, the Handbook nevertheless assumes limited facility with Hebrew. It is consequently less succinct than more advanced students might wish, making the insights and helpful discussion it offers less readily accessible.

THOMAS RENZ

WILLIAMSON, H.G.M., A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on Isaiah 1–27. II. Commentary on Isaiah 6–12 (International Critical Commentary; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018), pp. lxi + 740. £75.00. ISBN 978-0-567-03059-7.

This much-awaited sequel to an earlier commentary on Isaiah 1–5 (for which see B.L. 2007, pp. 92-93) continues W.'s distinctive project of a comprehensive redaction-critical reading of the book of Isaiah as a whole. Orientation can be found in his 1994 monograph, The Book Called Isaiah. He finds substantive origins in the ministry of Isaiah of Jerusalem, yet argues for two major redactions, one in the late exilic period (the work of Deutero-Isaiah, who is chiefly responsible for Isaiah 1–39 in its present form), and another in the postexilic period when chs. 56–66 were added to the book. In the first of these redactions, significant amounts of material were introduced into chs. 6– 12, while small additions were made in the second redaction (though W. is undecided about whether ch. 7 may be independent of either redaction). He draws a clear distinction between these overall redactions and varied and numerous interpretative glosses, which he also finds in the text. Beyond this, the philological and exegetical work is both meticulous and comprehensive, the control of modern secondary literature and discussion is enviable, and the complexities of the overall construal are presented with unfailing clarity and accessibility. Fresh insights into the possible meaning of the Hebrew text abound, more than in any other Isaiah commentary I have worked with. Issues to do with the history and hermeneutics of reception are unsurprisingly omitted, as is conventional in this series. However, this commentary does supremely well those things that one looks for in ICC volumes. Amid the extensive literature on Isaiah 6–12 on my shelves, this will be my first port of call.

WALTER MOBERLY

Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this Book List:

BODA, MARK J., et al. (eds.), Riddles and Revelations: Explorations into the Relationship between Wisdom and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible — see p. 117

FOWLER, WILLIAM G., and MICHAEL STRICKLAND, The Influence of Ezekiel in the Fourth Gospel: Intertextuality and Interpretation — see p. 206

HÄUSL, MARIA (ed.), Denkt nich mehr an das Frühere! Begründungsressourcen in Esra/Nehemia und Jes 40–66 im Vergleich — see p. 130

POLLNER, MANFRED, Die Vetus-Latina-Fragmente im Jeremiabuch. Untersuchungen zur Textgestalt und deren Lesartendifferenzen gegenüber LXX und MT unter Berücksichtigung inhaltlich-theologischer Bearbeitungsstufen — see p. 48

RUDNIG-ZELT, SUSANNE, Glaube im Alten Testament. Eine begriffsgeschichtliche Untersuchung unter besonderer Berücksichtigung von Jes 7,1-17; Dtn 1–3; Num 13–14 und Gen 22,1-19 — see p. 181

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

BODA, MARK J., KEVIN CHAU, and BETH LANEEL TANNER (eds.), Inner Biblical Allusion in the Poetry of Wisdom and Psalms (LHBOTS, 659; London: T&T Clark, 2019), pp. xii + 195. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-567-67589-7.

This volume offers an interesting and enjoyable range of close readings through the lens of allusion and intertextuality. After an introduction by Boda, the first six papers focus on Psalm texts: ‘The Psalmist as Historiographer’ by J.M. Leonard; ‘Allusion or Illusion in the Psalms: How Do We Decide?’ by B.L. Tanner; ‘Exodus 34:6-7 in Psalms 86, 103, and 145 in Relation to the Theological Perspectives of Books III, IV, and V of the Psalter’ by H.S. Kim; ‘The Elevation of God in Psalm 105’ by D. Emmanuel; ‘The Poetry of Creation and Victory in the Psalms’ by K. Chau; and finally ‘A Ridiculous God: Job uses Psalm 8:5 to Respond to Eliphaz’ by C. Yu. Next come two essays which detail the titular allusions in Proverbs (R. O'Dowd considers Agur's Oracle in Prov. 30.1-9) and Ecclesiastes (R. Schultz analyses connections between Deut. 23.22-24 and Eccl. 5.3-5). Each of these attractive papers variously interrogate first what (and how powerful) the intertextual elements are in the poetic reception (con)texts, and secondly what these allusions could be said to achieve. There is much that can be gleaned from these essays. The final chapter by J. Jindo looks to a broader discussion of method, and offers reflections on interpreting allusion with respect to Isaiah. Unfortunately Jindo's paper does not balance the excellent introduction—containing extensive footnoted self-reference but little hint of connection with the preceding contributions; neither does it bring to a climax the engaging and persuasive examinations of textual detail that have gone before. There follows a full and lengthy bibliography, and indexes of references and of authors.

MEGAN I.J. DAFFERN

BRODERSEN, ALMA, The End of the Psalter: Psalms 146–150 in the Masoretic Text, the Dead Sea Scrolls, and the Septuagint (Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2018), pp. x + 321. $39.95. ISBN 978-1-4813-0899-1.

This monograph—a painstaking analysis of the supposed unity of Psalms 146–150— is a reprint of BZAW, 505 (Berlin: De Gruyter, 2017; not reviewed in the B.L.), originally an Oxford DPhil thesis supervised by John Barton. B.'s starting point is the assumption found almost universally among scholars and in commentaries that the group of psalms which concludes the Psalter is a consistent, specially composed set of poems displaying significant inner coherence. B.'s primary tools for her critique of this convention are, first, a close look at the groups as they are found in MT, LXX and DSS, and second, a no-holds-barred review of supposed intertextuality both within these psalms and in their relation to other HB texts. It is significant that the way these psalms are organized in the three primary sources differs significantly. There are strikingly variant orderings in DSS, while LXX divides Psalm 147 into two, adds 151, and has distinct superscriptions instead of framing Hallelujahs. B.'s main thrust is to apply a rigorous set of criteria for intertextuality to each psalm in the group (see pp. 24-27), arguing that too often claims of this kind are based on impressionistic rather than analytic criteria. She concludes that there is no evidence for intertextuality within the group, or between individuals in the group and other biblical texts. These are important, albeit negative findings. Future study of the final form of the Psalter will have to take B.'s work very seriously.

ALASTAIR G. HUNTER

BYASSEE, JASON, Psalms 101–150 (Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible; Grand Rapids, MI: Brazos Press, 2018), pp. xxv + 262. $32.99. ISBN 978-1-58743-352-8.

B.'s accomplished 2007 book on reading the Psalms with Augustine made him a natural choice as a commentator for this Brazos series. He is one of four Psalms commentators, as there are separate contributors for each of the volumes treating Psalms 1–50 and 51–100, as well as an individual volume on Psalm 119. Of these, only the first volume has already appeared (not reviewed in the B.L.), but already these show marked contrasts, in spite of both achieving the goals for this series. B.'s readings are maximally christological (pp. xxiv, 126), drawing heavily on patristic exegesis. Some volumes in this series have been criticized for not being ‘theological’ enough, but this charge cannot be levelled here! B. acknowledges a particular debt to J.L. Mays—but the most heavily referenced conversation partners (based on the index) remain Augustine, F.-L. Hossfeld and E. Zenger, and C.H. Spurgeon, the latter mined for Puritan quotes. For B., then, ‘theological interpretation’ is carried out in an explicitly and insistently Christian way. Once B.'s commitments are clear, one can decide whether his readings are likely to be helpful. B.'s lively style can sometimes shade into ‘breezy’ in an uncongenial sense, and at points he seems resistant to the tone and shape of the psalm. My impression is that commentary-per-psalm reduces as the volume proceeds, perhaps the result of working sequentially with a strict word-limit. On the whole, though, readers sharing his interest and outlook will find much here that is fresh and stimulating.

DAVID J. REIMER

CARTER, JASON A., Inside the Whirlwind: The Book of Job through African Eyes (foreword by Andrew F. Walls; African Christian Studies Series; Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2017), pp. xvii + 303. $38.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-3069-8.

This monograph is a reworking of a 2014 Edinburgh doctoral thesis (supervised by Brian Stanley). It is one of a number of books published in Wipf & Stock's new series wherein the focus is African Christianity which aims to shift discourse of narrow theological concerns to broader interdisciplinary engagement with African religio-cultural history and traditions. C. uses the book of Job as a lens into conversations about contemporary African Christianity. The approach is novel and new: readers are placed within the story in order to observe dialogical interactions between the text, culture and praxis. For example, C. explores Job ‘from the experience of Leprosy and HIV/AIDS’, noting that both in ancient Israel and among Fang Christians in Equatorial Guinea the idea of innocent suffering is an oxymoron. For people dealing with the aforementioned, stigmatized, illnesses, Job's words of lament are therapeutic and empowering. They are, C. argues, a paradigm-shifter in a generalized culture of blame which seeks a person alized origin of sickness and suffering. The book does not seek to embrace historical- critical, literary, or other approaches: it is a description and analysis of Christian interpretations of Job through the eyes of pastors and laypeople, HIV-positive Christians, leprosy patients and others. This grassroots focus is an interesting and exciting new aspect of biblical studies, given that research focusing on how the Bible is engaged with at this level is relatively rare.

KATHERINE SOUTHWOOD

CROOKS, JAMES, We Find Ourselves Put to the Test: A Reading of the Book of Job (Montreal: McGill-Queen's University Press, 2018), pp. xiv + 167. Can$29.95. ISBN 978-0-7735-5315-6.

Ask a philosopher to explore the Bible and don't be surprised if you get something different. C. comes from a background of teaching philosophy in the world of liberal education and, since the book of Job handles a universal problem going back at least to the 4th century BCE and we have no certainty as to date or authorship, he treats it strictly as a poem, enriching the journey with references to a variety of sources from Plato to Heidegger, Kafka and Moby Dick. C.'s modus operandi is to read the poem aloud in a group of colleagues and fellow-travellers for discussion (a method honed weekly over 25 years), because different readers add their own nuance when they read aloud. He discounts the Prologue because Job has no awareness of it and the primary objective is not to use the text to solve an intellectual (insoluble) problem but ‘to own it’, to feel what Job felt and so ‘bring the Bible to life’. So does it work? For this reviewer it surely does. I welcome not only what C. finds in Job but also what C. brings from philosophy, theatre, literature, etc. and the way what begins as a human intellectual challenge to divine justice ends up being a divine spiritual challenge to Job and to the reader who is indeed ‘put to the test’. His treatment of prologue and epilogue, of the divine speeches and the link between the seven days of silence and Job 40.4-5, only adds to the riches.

ALEC GILMORE

DAFFERN, MEGAN, Songs of the Spirit: A Psalm a Day for Lent and Easter (London: SPCK, 2017), pp. xv + 204. £9.99. ISBN 978-0-281-07796-0.

As the subtitle indicates, D. has chosen a psalm for every day of Lent (not including the Sundays) and Easter week. The Hallel psalms (Pss. 113–118) are considered in Holy Week and Pss. 145–150 in Easter week, while previous weeks include a varied selection from across the psalter, chosen to fit the journey D. invites the reader to take. Three longer psalms are abbreviated (Pss. 18, 107 and 119) but there is no censoring of Psalms 137 or 139 to remove content contemporary readers may find troubling. For each psalm D. offers her own translation and an invitation to reflection for Christian readers. The translations succeed in being readable and stimulating for contemporary readers—D. generally remains close to the Hebrew, though the ‘potter's vessel’ of Ps. 2.9 in my view helpfully becomes a ‘china teacup’ (p. 75). The reflections include considering each psalm in itself and in an ancient Israelite context, analogies to help modern readers understand its concerns, and connections to the NT and Christian themes, with the balance of these elements varying between the different reflections. As might be expected, the book draws on OT scholarship rather more than being a contribution to it, but it will well serve its intended purpose of encouraging attention to the texts themselves and their significance today in a Christian context.

KEITH BEECH-GRÜNEBERG

DELL, KATHERINE, and WILL KYNES (eds.), Reading Proverbs Intertextually (LHBOTS, 629; London: T&T Clark, 2019), pp. xiii + 253. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-567-66737-3.

This is the third book in a series edited by Dell and Kynes providing an overview of intertextual perspectives on the wisdom literature of the OT (on Job, see B.L. 2014, p. 96; and on Ecclesiastes, see B.L. 2016, pp. 102-103). This volume presents a set of chapters on selected contents of the book of Proverbs in dialogue with at least one example from each of the OT's larger groups of literature: the Pentateuch, specifically the J creation account (C.R. Yoder) and Deuteronomy (B.U. Schipper); the Deuteronomistic History, namely the Solomon narrative (W. Kynes); Isaiah as an example of a major prophet (J. Goldingay); the Psalms (W.P. Brown); the two other books of wisdom literature, Job (S.C. Jones) and Ecclesiastes (M. Saur); the twice-told proverbs as an example of intertextuality within Proverbs itself (M. Sneed); and also Ruth (K. Dell) and Canticles (A.C. Hagedorn). Though the chapters in this volume, in an attempt to helpfully present a great breadth of perspectives, are often rather brief, they are generally concise, well researched and fruitful for the reader. From among them, I can particularly recommend Schipper's take on the reciprocal relationship of Proverbs and Deuteronomy, i.e. law and wisdom, Brown's discussion of deeper links between Proverbs and Psalms through terminology of rebuke/complaint and emphasis on praise, and Hagedorn showing the independence of Canticles from the wisdom tradition with respect to the treatment of sexual matters. Besides those chapters, whose concern remains fully within the realm of the OT, the book contains further discussions of the contents of Proverbs read in the light of later literature as well as historical controversies, namely Ecclesiasticus (P.C. Beentjes), 4Q481 (W.A. Tooman), the NT (K.M. Heim), the Arian Controversy (S. Ticciati), Midrash (S. Niditch), Confucius (C.D. Hancock), and Sotho and Yorùbá Proverbs (M. Masenya and F. Olojede).

MORITZ F. ADAM

DUNHAM, KYLE C., The Pious Sage in Job: Eliphaz in the Context of Wisdom Theodicy (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xvi + 270. $34.00. ISBN 978-1-62564-980-5.

The author claims in ch. 1 that Eliphaz merits a prominent place in the book of Job. In ch. 2, D. presents a history of the reception of Eliphaz, ancient and modern. There follows in ch. 3 a section on contemporary approaches to Eliphaz's role by L.G. Perdue, J.C.L. Gibson, L.O. Caesar, R.S. Fyall, J.W. Whedbee, C.A. Newsom, and D.W. Cotter. A critical assessment of the strengths and weaknesses of each of these writers’ interpretations is offered. In ch. 4, D. sets out to identify the meaning, origin and theological provenance of Eliphaz. He sees Eliphaz as having an Edomite provenance, and as being a ‘specimen of the finest sapience that Gentile wisdom had to offer’. This preparatory work sets the stage for a closer look at Eliphaz's speeches (ch. 5). However, D.'s offering of a ‘fresh approach’ to Eliphaz's role concerns only the salient portions of his speeches. He argues that Eliphaz is not to be understood as a flat one-dimensional character but a sophisticated counsellor of ANE wisdom and insight. In the end, however, he failed to reach the heights of divine wisdom. The reception-history section (pp. 14-114), while interesting, occupies too much of the book's contents compared with the exegetical attention assigned to Eliphaz's role (pp. 175-233). A pre-Mosaic time of writing is adopted (see Appendix), and D. posits the author as Elihu. D. works within a conservative theological framework, and sometimes his conclusions rest on too slender foundations. There is a good bibliography, copious footnotes, and a general index included.

NORMAN S. WILSON

EDER, SIGRID, Identifikationspotenziale in den Psalmen. Emotionen, Metaphern und Textdynamik in den Psalmen 30, 64, 90 und 147 (Bonner Biblische Beiträge, 183; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht/Bonn: Bonn University Press, 2018), pp. 436. €60.00. ISBN 978-3-8471-0684-5.

The wave-like fluctuation of life-situations, painful or joyous agitations, palpable emotions, tragic experiences as displayed in the Psalter beckons the onlooker to seek some sort of identification with these and/or with the voices echoed in them. The purpose of this meticulous study is to explore textual potentials for identification in the psalms, and textual strategies that allow readers to identify themselves with these. Volumes of this kind rarely encapsulate such concentrated sections on methodology and its application as the current one. The relevance of the Psalms, the (author's) hermeneutic of psalm-reading, the characteristics of the language of the Psalms, empathy as an anthropological constant, and emotions in the OT are topics dealt with in ch. 1. Chapter 2 focuses upon methodological questions pertaining to identification. Identification is accessed via empathy. E. examines identification in literature and psychology, presenting the views of such scholars as Werner Wolf and Els Adringa. The third chapter, on methodology, connects emotions and text-elements, establishes the connection between emotions and metaphors, and then cleverly moves into the realm of text-dynamics. Verbs, parallelisms and stylistic devices are not overlooked either. Chapters 4 and 5 offer the application of the methodology in the case studies respecting Psalms 30, 147, 90 and 64. Respecting each psalm, the author investigates verse-by-verse the emotions involved. Identification is possible by dint of content, emotion and text-dynamics. The antepenultimate chapter proposes the following cascading movement of potentials for identification, namely entering, dwelling, identification and appropriation. E.'s monograph is a feat of innovation.

BÁLINT KÁROLY ZABÁN

FISS, ANN-CATHRIN, ‘Lobe den Herrn, meine Seele!’: Psalm 103 in seinen Kontexten (Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament, 156; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2019), pp. 336. €65.00. ISBN 978-3-7887-3341-4.

This well-written and argued study of Psalm 103 is a revised version of F.'s doctoral thesis, completed under the supervision of F. Hartenstein at the Ludwig-MaximiliansUniversität in Munich. It represents many of the best characteristics of this genre, including a sound grasp of the secondary literature on Psalm 103 and a careful and detailed study of the text. Along with this, F. demonstrates awareness of a range of texts from across the OT and Qumran which bear on the psalm's interpretation. Aware that this psalm refers to many other texts and is itself taken up by others, F. also offers careful readings of these intertexts before exploring their relevance to Psalm 103. She argues that the psalm is a postexilic text which is particularly concerned with grace and mercy, since the grace formula is introduced early and stands at the heart of the psalm. Although this is not novel in itself, the value of the work lies in the ways F. situates this in wider contexts. She is also aware of the possibilities of reading Psalm 103 within the exegesis of the Psalter, though this is offered more as an area where future research could be done than a finished part of the study. I look forward to seeing how F. develops this work.

DAVID G. FIRTH

FLETCHER, DANIEL H., Psalms of Christ: The Messiah in Non-Messianic Psalms (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2018), pp. xviii + 244. $32.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-5079-6.

Emerging from a series of lectures given on preaching the Psalms, F.'s study offers an explicitly Christian reading of Psalms 1, 23, 29, 30, 46, 67, 88, 100, 119, 127, 137, 148. The selection of psalms was apparently a combination of personal interest and that these were not commonly treated as ‘messianic’. Exactly what a messianic psalm might be is left undefined, so the definition is apparently determined by their (relative) non-use at key points of the year within Christian liturgy. In a brief introduction, F. indicates that his approach is largely determined by reading Lk. 24.24-27 as indicating that there should be some pointer to Christ in any passage in the OT. Not all Christian interpreters would agree with this reading, and alternative views are not canvassed. It does, however, lead to F. treating each psalm under two headings: ‘History’, which provides a (mostly) historical-grammatical exegesis of the psalm, though often with wider theological concerns, and ‘Christology’, which reads the psalm in the light of Christ. The ‘History’ readings tend to draw on more literary approaches to the Psalter, whereas F. deploys a wide range of approaches to develop his ‘Christology’. The lack of clear method in developing the ‘Christology’ means not all F.'s connections are equally persuasive, but as long as the book is read as how one Christian reading of these psalms might function then it works well enough.

DAVID G. FIRTH

FORTI, TOVA L., ‘Like a Lone Bird on a Roof’: Animal Imagery and the Structure of Psalms (Critical Studies in the Hebrew Bible, 10; University Park, PA: Eisenbrauns, 2018), pp. vii + 118. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-57506-965-4.

In this two-chapter volume, F. explores the role of animal imagery in the Wisdom Psalms, particularly in relation to two rhetorical features—namely, refrains and secondary interpolations. In the first chapter, F. examines psalmodic refrains in Pss. 49.13, 21; 59.7, 15; 22.13-14, 17, 21-22; and 118.10-12, arguing that, for example, the faunal imagery in 49.13, 21, which compares humans to beasts, is an integral part of that psalm's refrain, conveying the ideas that the wealthy, the poor, and animals ultimately each share the same fate, and that humans can turn to God in their distress (pp. 11-28). F. further argues that the animal metaphors in 22.12-13 help structure the key components of the psalm, with the ferocious animals featured in the refrains symbolizing ‘hostility and violence toward the psalmist’ (p. 52). In the second chapter, she turns to investigate the function of faunal imagery as a secondary interpolation, which serves as a concretizing device in Pss. 84.4; 102.7-8; 33.16-17; and 32.8-9. She argues that bird imagery, for example, is used as an interpolation in 84.4 to reinforce the theme of intimacy with God (p. 71), and in 102.7-8 to strengthen the themes of individual and then collective desolation (p. 78). Overall, F. displays commendable consistency in her approach to metaphors. Her work may serve as a useful methodological tool for any future research into metaphors in the Psalms.

JUAN CRUZ

GILLINGHAM, SUSAN, Psalms through the Centuries. II. A Reception History Commentary on Psalms 1–72 (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries; Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2018), pp. xxiii + 454. 13 figures; 27 colour plates. £83.50. ISBN 978-1-118-83056-7.

This is a magnificent book, the second entry in G.'s 3-volume reception history of the Psalms (for a review of the first volume, see B.L. 2008, p. 95). It thrives off the bounteous reception of more or less every individual Psalm in worshipping, liturgical, and broader doctrinal, aesthetic and cultural horizons. G. tracks multiple readings in a logical but never constricting seven-step approach, for each Psalm taking in turn its reception in the canonical collection of the Psalter, Jewish and then Christian tradition, reception in liturgy, then art, and then music, and finally more modern forms of discourse. Step 1, on the Psalter, consists in placing individual Psalms within various mini-series. Step 2 includes looking at the LXX and Vulgate, and step 3 the NT. Some aspects of these stages will be familiar to Psalms students, but here they serve to pave the way for the subsequent flight into vast, fascinating and under-explored aspects of interpretative take-up. G. frequently shows how certain early decisions open the receptive spaces for later traditions. Whereas some earlier entries in this series provoked an ‘interesting but to what end?’ response, G.'s exploration of musical and artistic reception fits the Psalms so well that the insights lead elegantly to reflection on each Psalm and its significance. In showing how Jewish and Christian traditions feed off and against each other, or how musical manifestations from choral to Leonard Cohen keep the text alive, or sitting at the feet of Marc Chagall or Damien Hirst (on Ps. 27) as they repaint the poetry, G. leads readers through insight to understanding. A triumph.

RICHARD S. BRIGGS

HAINES, ALASTAIR IAN, Gender in Solomon's Song of Songs: Discourse Analytical Abduction to a Gynocentric Hypothesis (Australian College of Theology Monograph Series; Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xiii + 296. $36.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-8845-3.

In essence, this is a very close reading of the Song, applying text linguistics in the form of ‘Segmented Discourse Representation Theory’ (SDRT). Incidentally, while this and other linguistic acronyms are clarified (pp. 119, 121, 183 and 185), a full list would have been helpful. The methodology adopted aims at finding objective evidence for discourse features that explain the surface language (p. 5) to demonstrate that the Song may be interpreted as the disclosure of a woman's heart in support of advice regarding the formation of intimate relationships, inferred from a progressive analysis of the text (p. 70). The author has attempted to provide the best and simplest explanation, using ‘abduction’ (a form of logical inference) rather than ‘induction’ or ‘deduction’ (p. 131) for the results of his discourse analysis, largely in critical but certainly not antagonistic dialogue with D. Roberts, Let Me See your Form: Seeking Poetic Structure in the Song of Songs (University Press of America, 2007; not reviewed in the B.L.). The ‘gynocentric hypothesis’ he defends is that the Song is a unity, focused on the woman's state of mind, and that she is concerned with rewarded patience, eventually finding her loved one (p. 132). The Song is not a narrative but ‘a working through of themes associated with romantic love’ (pp. 270-71). The author's arguments are subtle and his book will repay close study, but occasionally he seems to be reading more into the text than is warranted, e.g. when stating that ‘the Shulamite [sic] is dark-skinned due to her patient suffering under her harsh brothers’ (p. 132). H.'s detailed analysis will undoubtedly improve our understanding of an enigmatic poetic work.

WILFRED G.E. WATSON

HAWLEY, LANCE R., Metaphor Competition in the Book of Job (JAJSup, 26; Göttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 2018), pp. 256. €90.00. ISBN 978-3-525-53135-8.

This monograph is an updated version of H.'s 2016 PhD dissertation (at the University of Wisconsin–Madison, supervised by Ron Troxel), which focuses on metaphor in the book of Job. He notes the common scholarly opinion that the dialogues in Job have neither coherence nor progression of argument. He tests and challenges this by examining Joban metaphors which cohere and compete. The interlocutors’ metaphors cohere most perceptibly when they are novel, specific and spatially proximate. They compete when they elaborate, extend and question each other. After an introduction in ch. 1, ch. 2 sets out H.'s methodology. His examination is rooted in cognitive linguistics, invoking e.g. conceptual metaphor theory, blend theory, prototype theory, basic level categories, and the generic conduit metaphor. In chs. 3–4, H. comments on the coherence between the interlocutors’ metaphors, their agreements and disagreements, and the progression which emerges. Chapter 3 examines metaphors with the target domain of speech, particularly words as ‘destructive objects’, ‘strengthening objects’, and ‘wind’. Chapter 4 examines metaphors with the source domain of animals. Particularly prevalent are wild animals, and especially the metaphor ‘Job is a wild animal’. In ch. 5, H. explains how the animal images in the divine speeches respond to those in the dialogues. Yahweh does not allude to the dialogues, nor does he offer alternative metaphors. Rather, he offers a shift in perspective, by profiling ‘wild animals’ against the frame of ‘divine care’ instead of ‘divine punishment’. Overall, this is a thorough and systematic monograph, which helpfully invokes modern linguistic theory to show coherence in the book of Job.

SUZANNA R. MILLAR

HENSLEY, ADAM D., Covenant Relationships and the Editing of the Hebrew Psalter (LHBOTS, 666; London: T&T Clark, 2018), pp. xvi + 311. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-567-67910-9.

H.'s well-conceived and well-structured study, which originated as a Concordia Seminary doctoral dissertation, offers a comprehensive analysis of covenant in the book of Psalms as a collection. The book is divided into three parts. The first part sets out the methodological approach for identifying editorial activity in the Psalter, and H. is suitably cautious about multistage redactional theories. The second part examines covenantal relationships in the psalter. H. argues that there is just one covenant in the Psalter and the Abrahamic, Mosaic and Davidic covenants are a theological unity. In contrast to many other interpreters, H. argues that the Psalter royalizes the other covenants, rather than the Davidic covenant being ‘democratized’. David is portrayed as the keeper of the Mosaic covenant and even as a new Moses. The third part provides further evidence for the book's thesis about the royalizing of the covenant by examining important editorial texts: Ps. 72.17; 86.15; 103.8; 145.8 and the two opening psalms. H. makes a good case for his understanding of covenant in the psalms and his argument could be further strengthened by placing his thesis in the context of recent work on covenant elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible.

NATHAN MACDONALD

HESSELGRAVE, RONALD P., I Know that my Redeemer Lives: Suffering and Redemption in the Book of Job (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xii + 142. $21.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-8158-4.

This book is aimed at church groups wishing to understand the Bible's teaching on suffering and to support those who have survived serious trauma. It is focused on the book of Job and is a study in ten parts. Each of the chapters is supplemented by a discussion guide consisting of suggestions of passages to be read from Job together with questions for group discussion and advice on conducting the group sessions. H. divides his material into three main parts. In the first he describes what he sees as God's mission in the book of Job; in the second part he takes a wide view of the place of Job within the theology of the Wisdom writers, particularly with regard to the problem of suffering; and the third part is concentrated more directly on Job itself, considering the various speeches, concluding with an assertion of the sovereignty of God over the powers of evil. H. finally concludes by asserting that ‘it is in the theology of the cross that one finds the most complete response to the problem of evil’ (p. 121). The book is written from a conservative evangelical theological stance and as such there are many to whom it will not appeal, but there is much valuable material here presented in an easy-to-read form.

IAN YATES

HOLMSTEDT, ROBERT D., JOHN A. COOK, and PHILLIP S. MARSHALL, Qoheleth: A Handbook on the Hebrew Text (Baylor Handbook on the Hebrew Bible; Waco, TX: Baylor University Press, 2017), pp. x + 356. $29.95. ISBN 978-1-60258-732-8.

It takes a triumvirate, it seems, to analyse the language of the book of Ecclesiastes-perhaps because ‘a threefold cord is not quickly broken’ (Eccl. 4.12)? Qohelet's language does have its idiosyncrasies, but our three Qoheleteers are equal to the challenge. Holmstedt and Cook are leading practitioners of a generative grammar approach to Biblical Hebrew, and in applying that method to the somewhat distinctive (when viewed over against other biblical books) linguistic profile of Ecclesiastes they are ably assisted here by Marshall. The Introduction discusses the biblical book's structure (regarding it as opaque), presents the background and terminology necessary for understanding the grammatical analyses in the Handbook, investigates Qohelet's use of pronouns and of relative words (i.e. the variation of אשר and ש) as well as the verbal system he deploys (highlighting six distinctive features in this biblical book), and ponders the dating of the book's language (placing it in the Hellenistic period). Then the three analysers work their way verse-by-verse, clause-by-clause, word-by-word through the biblical text, offering thorough and fascinating observations all the while. In their English translations (set together with the Hebrew text at the head of each verse's discussion and then gathered together in an Appendix), they leave the words הבל and לב to stand in Hebrew form and thus preserve their highly resonant character. As well as a listing of ‘Works Cited’, the end-matter includes a ‘Glossary’ (of linguistic terms) and an ‘Index of Linguistic Issues’, all of which enhance the volume's usefulness.

JOHN JARICK

KM, JIMYUNG, Reanimating Qohelet's Contradictory Voices: Studies of Open-Ended Discourse on Wisdom in Ecclesiastes (Biblical Interpretation Series, 166; Leiden: Brill, 2018), pp. xiv + 242. €105.00/$126.00. ISBN 978-90-04-38105-6.

This study attempts to solve the alleged contradictions in Ecclesiastes. Chapter 1 outlines modernist approaches to the book's interpretation, which for K. are unconvincing. In response, K., in ch. 2, appropriates the literary and philosophical theories of M.M. Bakhtin et al, notably Bakhtin's concept of ‘dialogized interior monologues’. Every utterance is dialogic. Qoheleth's contradictions are ‘unfinalizable dialogues of multiple voices’. Chapter 3 outlines the historical backgound to Qoheleth's utterances (mainly 3rd century BCE). In chs. 4 and 5, the multiple dialogic voices in the formation of Qoheleth's consciousness are identified: these are the Father's voice (traditional wisdom), the voice of the Rational Intellect (Hellenistic influences), Victims’ Voice (Social Justice), and the Apocalyptic Voice. The final ch. 6 explores Qoheleth's ‘dialogized interior monologue on Wisdom’. The book is laced with literary and philosophical theory, presented as a hermeneutical key to explicate the alleged contradictions. Only in ch. 6 does K. grapple with the exposition of the Hebrew text, and then only regarding Qoheleth's understanding of Wisdom. K. assumes too much Greek philosophical influence on Qoheleth's outlook. It is difficult to view Qoheleth responding to such a vast range of dialogic voices. If K.'s thesis holds, then one wonders why anyone would write such a complicated book. Little attention is paid to Qoheleth's theology. The alleged ‘conflicting voices’ could simply represent Qoheleth's view of the world. If you enjoy literary and philosophical theory, this book should please; if you want sustained exegesis of Ecclesiastes, look elsewhere. Quality hardback, but expensive for students.

NORMAN S. WILSON

KRAVITZ, LEONARD S., and KERRY M. OLITZKY, The Book of Job: A Modern Translation and Commentary (Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2017), pp. xv + 255. $33.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-3604-2.

This is a commentary by two Jewish scholars written for the Jewish faith community, but its contents have obvious relevance for any faith. It is not a historical-critical commentary per se. Like Job, this book has 42 chapters. On average there are 6-7 pages of commentary on each chapter (ch. 25 has 3). This is, therefore, not a sustained exege-tical commentary. No Hebrew text is included, but where appropriate, transliteration of the Hebrew is given. Solid scholarship is in evidence throughout. A striking feature of the authors’ approach is that in their exposition they constantly engage with traditional commentators—the Targum, Ibn Ezra, Rashi, Levi ben Gershon. It is rare not to find references to these classic commentators lacing every page of the book. This gives ready access to some interesting insights from past interpreters. For example, relating to Job 4, according to the Rabbis, God's own prayer is ‘May my attribute of compassion overcome my attribute of justice’. Kravitz and Olitzky comment, ‘We live in a relationship with God that is contextualized by the tension between these two attributes … justice and compassion’ (p. 26). In dealing with hevel (breath) in 7.16, the authors interlock with Eccl. 1.2, giving ‘My days are useless’. Translating hevel as ‘useless’ in both contexts is perhaps much too negative (p. 45). Notwithstanding, there are riches in this commentary to relish, including many perceptive contemporary insights. No index or footnotes are included.

NORMAN S. WILSON

LEWIS, ANDREW ZACK, Approaching Job (Cascade Companions; Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2017), pp. ix + 145. $21.00. ISBN 978-1-62564-818-1.

‘Cascade Companions’ offer introductions to matters important for Christian tradition, aiming to be accessible yet grounded in scholarship. L.'s contribution on Job strikes this balance well. The first chapter introduces the content of Job, viewing it as a drama whose protagonists are Job, God, the narrator and Job's friends (who should, L. reminds us, be seen individually and not lumped together). The minor characters— hassatan, Job's wife, children, servants, and the Sabeans and Chaldeans—function mainly as plot devices. The key themes according to L. are the trial, creation, wisdom, prayer and suffering. The second chapter discusses structural and historical-critical issues. L. offers various alternatives, and discusses their merits and downsides, but (perhaps unhelpfully) does not clarify his own position. Structurally, he describes both ‘linear’ and ‘chiastic’ structures in Job. Historical-critically, he surveys the book's probable complex prehistory, but also speaks favourably of reading it as an integrated whole. In the third chapter, L. examines what happens if we make certain passages our hermeneutical cruxes: Job 1.9; 1.21-22; 3–27; 19.25-27; 28; 32–37; 38–41; 42.1-6; and 42.7-8. To me, a notable omission here is the disputed ending in 42.9-16. The final chapter surveys the history of tradition—Christian and Jewish—for the theological, pastoral and ethical implications of the book. He focuses on the issues of suffering and theodicy; reading post-Holocaust; the freedom of God and humanity; and creation. Overall, this book is a helpful, accessible navigation guide for those beginning to explore the perplexing book of Job.

SUZANNA R. MILLAR

LOVE-FORDHAM, APRIL, Dismantling Injustice: A Disorderly Parable of the Song of Solomon (with a foreword by Catherine Meeks and art by Kit Fordham; Disorderly Parable Bible Studies Series; Eugene, OR: Resource Publications, 2016), pp. xvii + 213. $29.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-8913-9.

According to the author herself, parables are not only inherently untidy or ‘disorderly’ but also subversive, and the ‘injustice’ that her book, as such a parable, intends to ‘dismantle’ is racism. Her previous books in the same series are James in the Suburbs (2014), a study of the Epistle of James, and St Francis and the Christian Life (2018), on the Epistle to the Galatians, and more are planned. Here, the author has woven together a story about an African-American congressman and the narrative in the Song of Songs, ‘inviting readers to travel on the path with the characters, engaging in personal reflection and spiritual practice’ (p. x). It is ‘a story of everyday people that illustrates the spiritual truths found in the Song of Solomon’ (p. xii). Essentially, this is a very modern parable rather loosely based on the Song of Songs and intended for study groups, for which Appendix 1 provides ‘lesson plans’. Appendix 2 lists the characters and locales in the parable and in the Song of Songs. The actual translation of the Hebrew and the succinct explanations are good, but sometimes more is being read into the text than it warrants. For example, the Shulammite is said to be a concubine in King Solomon's harem (p. 21), although such a statement seems to be an assumption on both counts. There is a brief bibliography. This book will make the Song of Songs, also presented as a six-act play (pp. 26-42), more accessible to modern readers as well as providing much food for thought.

WILFRED G.E. WATSON

MÖLLER, KARL, The Song of Songs: Beautiful Bodies, Erotic Desire and Intoxicating Pleasure (Grove Biblical Series, 89; Cambridge: Grove Books, 2018), pp. 28. £3.95. ISBN 978-1-78827-059-5.

The explicit aim of this booklet is to provide a balance to the church's attitude towards the Song and sex (though this is already a well-trodden path). As such, allegorical interpretations of the Song are outside M.'s scope, as are discussions about sexual ethics in general. His work sometimes appears (perhaps in keeping with the Song) to be idealizing erotic desire and the satisfaction of the sexually active, but he does address contemporary issues, such as the negative impact of emphasizing bodily image, including the feelings that the less beautiful might have in reading/hearing the affirmation that erotic desire is dependent on beauty. While I felt that M. handled this subject well, his treatment of singleness was disappointing. At the end of each chapter there are questions for reflection and these primarily address contemporary issues. He notes that the man in the Song primarily delights in the body of the woman, while the woman expresses desire. Unlike some, M. considers that the lovers have consummated their love, that a verse such as 2.17 is an invitation to a night of pleasure, that the door in 5.2-8 means more than an opening to the room, and that the Song talks about pubic regions, e.g. the mountains of myrrh in 3.6. He tentatively translates 6.12 as ‘I do not know myself—she has placed me in the most wonderful chariot’, which he also considers to be a reference to the consummation of the couple's relationship. He explains why the metaphors in 4.1-7 are compliments.

JULIE WOODS

O'DONNELL, DOUGLAS SEAN, Ecclesiastes (Reformed Expository Commentary; Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2014), pp. xiv + 248. $22.99. ISBN 978-1-5963-8398-2.

This commentary, intended for ministers and lay readers, is based on a series of sermons, and appears in a series that is, according to the Series Introduction, ‘unashamedly doctrinal’, and ‘committed to the Westminster Confession’. It may not be surprising, therefore, to discover that it adopts the old conservative interpretation of Ecclesiastes in terms of faith and divine salvation bringing sense to a senseless world, or that the author treats the book's protagonist (whom he calls ‘Solomon’ without committing himself entirely to Solomonic authorship) as a fellow preacher. There is a chatty tone, furthermore, and many allusions to popular culture that are more redolent of the pulpit than of the library: although many of the important, modern English-language commentaries are cited, there is little attempt to engage in scholarly debate or to examine the complexities of the text. Within those limitations, however, the book is often charming, explains its views with great clarity, and, sometimes, offers some thought-provoking observations or analogies.

STUART WEEKS

OLSEN, DEREK A., The Honey of Souls: Cassiodorus and the Interpretation of the Psalms in the Early Medieval West (Collegeville, MN: Liturgical Press, 2017), pp. xii + 313. $44.95. ISBN 978-0-8146-8414-6.

O. has written a fine introduction to Cassiodorus and his Explanation of the Psalms. The work is divided into three sections. In the first section, O. sets the work of Cassiodorus in the wider context of his life and the issues of his day: Flavius Magnus Aurelius Cassiodorus the Roman Senator before and during the controversial reign of Justin; then Cassiodorus the monk-scholar, the founder of a monastic centre of piety and education in southern Italy and the author of the foremost medieval work used to teach illiterate novice monks religion, rhetoric and writing—Expositio Psalmorum. In the second section of this work, O. overviews the content of this Explanation of the Psalms in relation to the works upon which it is dependent: principally Origen, Augustine, Hilary of Poitiers and John Cassion. In the third and final section, O. presents, and critically evaluates, three well-chosen psalm commentaries from Explanation. O. finds that Cassiodorus succeeds in regard to his aims, but also succeeds in embracing and passing on the anti-Jewish prejudices of his era. O. writes in an easy English style full of insightful historical context. The work is, however, only an introduction. There is little recognition of variant scholarly opinion concerning the value and influence of the work of Cassiodorus. As a result, the index of issues addressed and authors discussed is lightweight.

DANIEL J. CROWTHER

PEMBERTON, GLENN, A Life that Is Good: The Message of Proverbs in a World Wanting Wisdom (Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018), pp. xviii + 236. $18.00. ISBN 978-0-8028-7567-9. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

The book is split into eleven chapters across four parts. Part 1 consists of three chapters on the sages and their book; the women of Proverbs; and the proverb. The second part deals with the fool; searching for God; and merciful justice. Part 3, again across three chapters, applies wisdom to a contemporary setting and covers speech and words; wealth and poverty; and wise leadership. The final part considers wise relationships: first in the realm of friendship; and secondly, in the family. ‘This book is written primarily for faith-based discussion groups and Bible classes, with secondary consideration for undergraduate university courses’ (p. xv). While surely helpful to the first group, I would doubt that this often anecdotal book would be suitable for university students. At the same time, it is a basic introduction to Proverbs, e.g. P. explains the difference between priest, prophet and sage. Each chapter ends with discussion questions, followed by a ‘Project Challenge’ for ‘ambitious groups’ (p. xv). P. notes that the book was written to and for young men, which accounts for why women are talked about but not to, and he tries to address the gender imbalance: one of his end-of-chapter ‘challenges’ imagines that the book was written to women and asks how ‘other’ or ‘strange’ men might be described/recognized. Ironically, while ‘Listening to Women’ is a subtitle of a chapter conclusion, I was surprised that Katharine Dell is not mentioned in the Bibliography (though Ellen Davis and a few other women are).

JULIE WOODS

PERSAUD, ARAN J.E., Praying the Language of Enmity in the Psalter: A Study of Psalms 110, 119, 129, 137, 139, and 149 (with a foreword by James M. Houston; Eugene, OR: Wipf & Stock, 2016), pp. xiv + 251. $30.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-8961-0.

P. aims to address the challenge for Christian readers of holding in tension ‘the New Testament ethic to love one's enemies and the graphic prayers which seek for enemies’ utter destruction’ (p. xi). He argues for the normative value of these texts as prayers by examining carefully selected psalms from Book V of the Psalter (110, 119, 129, 137, 139, 149). He understands their context as a restoration that has started but is not yet complete. The chosen psalms reflect a variety of genres, not merely lamentation or imprecation. P.'s method is to offer not just an exegesis of a psalm, but also, for comparison, historical interpretations from the postexilic restoration, the NT period, the Pre- and Post-Nicene Fathers, and Augustine to the Reformers. Focusing on suffering that arises from moral evil, and the response to such suffering, P. argues that these psalms develop a theology of God's just dealing with people, especially his people. One may query certain points of interpretation, e.g. whether suffering really exists in Psalm 139. And concerning the book's structure, it would perhaps have been more reader-friendly to divide the heavy ch. 2 into several chapters, with a chapter for each psalm. Nevertheless, this book, with its representative reception history, helpful presentation of certain data in charts, and its reach beyond the contextualized functions of these psalms to explore why people might use their language in prayer, makes a valuable contribution to the study of the psalms in question.

CHRISTINA NANA DU

REYNOLDS, STEFAN GILLOW, The Wisdom of Love in the Song of Songs (London: Hikari Press, 2018), pp. xxviii + 353. £25.00. ISBN 978-0-9956478-2-4.

R.'s book was inspired by the work of his great uncle John Trinick, a poet, writer and artist in stained glass who proposed a new understanding of the Song based on modern views of marriage as mutual companionship and spiritual growth. There are illustrations, including two by Trinick, and the volume is beautifully produced. The author sets out to show three things: that the Song has a real story at the literal level; that this does provide a basis for a symbolic reading; and that these two cannot be separated (p. 6). He ‘builds a bridge between traditional and modern perspectives’, bringing together the human and the mystical aspects (p. 19), and drawing on patristic and mediaeval Christian writings, as well as Jewish and Sufi texts. Most are quoted in full. The Song originated, perhaps, in Egypt, in the circles that cherished Ben Sira. ‘Who cannot discern the Shulamit [sic] in Sirach 24.13-34?’ (p. 318). Maybe it was written by a woman (p. 41). Maybe the Song describes the relationship between man and woman before the fall, and ‘what Genesis expresses in mythical form becomes poetry in the Song’ (p. 308). This is a work of gentle and profound scholarship, a feast of well-digested learning and reflection. It is very different from much recent work on the Song, but that is no bad thing.

MARGARET BARKER

TUCKER, W. DENNIS, JR, and JAMIE A. GRANT, Psalms, Volume 2 (The NIV Application Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2018), pp. 1072. $64.99. ISBN 978-0-310-20670-5.

In 2002 Gerald Wilson produced the first volume of this commentary (not noted in B.L.), but sadly died before beginning work on the second. Given the impact of his work on Psalms studies, readers may be grateful for Tucker and Grant taking up the mantle, and seeing through to completion the challenge of a commentary that takes canonical location seriously as one factor that might weigh upon readers. Other factors are determined by the scope of the NIVAC series, which addresses thoughtful Christian readers in a broadly evangelical tradition, via a threefold approach to every text: original meaning, then ‘bridging contexts’, before ending on ‘contemporary significance’. It is the middle of these three steps in particular that permits matters of canonical shaping to have their due. The ‘original meaning’ discussions model clarity, frequently distilling just sufficient textual analysis to help the general reader (e.g. the discussion of nuances in Pss. 121 or 137). The third section, as always in this series, ranges widely and occasionally arbitrarily, especially since individual entries are not in fact jointly written. Rather, Grant covers books 3–4 in just under 500 pages, pondering pastoral insights from preaching ministry in Scotland, while Tucker offers an overall introduction (on the shape and the theology of the Psalter), and treats book 5 in another 500 pages, nicely lining up some texts (e.g. Ps. 109) against current polarized popular American usage. Overall there is a welcome and enriching wisdom on hand throughout, completing a valuable (if bulky) two-volume set.

RICHARD S. BRIGGS

TWERSKY, GEULA, Song of Riddles: Deciphering the Song of Songs (Jerusalem: Gefen Publishing House, 2018), pp. xvi + 224. $19.95. ISBN 978-965-229-908-6.

The title foreshadows the commentary by Y. Zakovitch, The Song of Songs: Riddle of Riddles (see below, p. 101), but has a different approach. The author states that ‘The Song is replete with thematic anomalies and conundrums’ (p. 91) and lists 21 of them, which are then solved in ch. 15. However, she goes further, saying that the whole of the Song of Songs ‘may best be described as an extensive riddle’ (p. 23). The solution to this riddle is that the book in question uses ‘a subtle metaphor structure that points to a complex system of allusions to the Temple keruvim’ (p. 189). However, many of these supposed allusions seem forced: for example, the comparison between the cherubim being hidden (Num. 7.89) and the lovers hiding from each other in the Song. Although the Song of Songs obviously recycles much biblical (and apocryphal) material—e.g. Proverbs 7 (pp. 49-50), or Ben Sira 24.1-22 (p. 30)—whether it is actually a riddle is another matter. There are two excursuses: one on Numbers 23–24 and the Song of Songs, and the other on Deuteronomy 33 and the keruvim, both passages considered as precedents for the thesis of T.'s book. No diacritics are used for transcriptions but the Hebrew text is set out in Hebrew characters. This book will make readers re-examine the text of the Song of Songs closely and ultimately decide for themselves.

WILFRED G.E. WATSON

WILSON, LINDSAY, Proverbs: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 17; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), pp. xxi + 324. $22.00. ISBN 978-0-8308-4267-4.

Tyndale OT Commentaries have long been used as accessible commentaries to the OT. This volume is a complete revision of D. Kidner's commentary in the series (1964). The introductory chapters take the reader through the understanding of the literary genre of a proverb, the ‘flavour’ of Proverbs (the good life) and some structural and theological issues. Key themes are identified, and there is a section on Ministry Issues which draws in factors of practical theology. There are some interesting comments on preaching Proverbs. W.'s approach in the commentary (which does not include the text) is to look at each chapter of Proverbs in parts. Each part is then analysed under the subheadings of Context, Comment and Meaning. Her argument is that chs. 1–9 enable the reader to understand the rest of the book. As with all IVP publications, the target audience is Christian and this book will be very useful for Christian Bible readers looking for the theology of Proverbs. Equally a characteristic of IVP publications is that there is sufficient indication of the scholarly debates around the topic under discussion. In this case the bibliography will be helpful and the commentary sets the material well in the context of Middle Eastern wisdom. This is a book which introduces Proverbs effectively, particularly for those beginning the study of Wisdom literature.

FRANCIS LOFTUS

ZAKOVITCH, YAIR, The Song of Songs: Riddle of Riddles (trans. and ed. Valerie Carr Zakovitch; LHBOTS, 673; London: T&T Clark, 2019), pp. ix + 125. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-567-67613-9.

This slim volume (for a truly ridiculous price) unites eight fascinating essays on the Song of Songs by the Emeritus Father Takeji Otsuki Professor of Bible at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. The centre of the studies is what Z. terms the ‘riddle of the Song of Songs’, i.e. an anthology of secular love poetry in the midst of the HB. To solve this riddle, Z. employs a methodology he calls ‘literary archaeology’. The essays, in turn, investigate the gaping chasm between biblical narrative and the poetry of the Song and their manifold connections; elucidate the origin and literary history of the portrait of Solomon as husband of a thousand wives; address (in three essays) various individual riddles, i.e. difficult to interpret passages such as the threefold question ‘Who is she?’ and the passage 6.4-10; consider the inner world of the woman in the dream sequence of 5.2–6.3; join the emerging debate about possible connections between the Song and wisdom literature (here Z. argues that Prov. 31.10-31 formulates an opposing view that beauty can be deceptive and that true praise belongs to an industrious woman who is stripped of any eroticism); and, finally, argue that some poems of the Song were already understood allegorically before they were included in the canon, offering a further conjecture that it was perhaps ‘the allegorical school of interpretation that was responsible for amassing the different poems in the first place’ (pp. 111-12). This is a highly stimulating collection that—thanks to the editorial work of Valerie Carr Zakovitch—has a unified feel often absent from such volumes.

ANSELM C. HAGEDORN

Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this Book List:

BLENKINSOPP, JOSEPH, The Beauty of Holiness: Re-Reading Isaiah in the Light of Psalms — see p. 71

BODA, MARK J., et al. (eds.), Riddles and Revelations: Explorations into the Relationship between Wisdom and Prophecy in the Hebrew Bible — see p. 117

BRENNER-IDAN, ATHALYA, et al. (eds.), The Five Scrolls — see p. 118

DHONT, MARIEKE, Style and Context of Old Greek Job — see p. 43

JONES, SCOTT C., and CHRISTINE ROY YODER (eds.), ‘When the Morning Stars Sang’: Essays in Honor of Choon Leong Seow on the Occasion of His Sixty-Fifth Birthday — see p. 7

LEGASPI, MICHAEL C., Wisdom in Classical and Biblical Tradition — see p. 136

MCLAUGHLIN, JOHN L., An Introduction to Israel's Wisdom Traditions — see p. 12

MELTON, BRITTANY N., Where is God in the Megilloth? A Dialogue on the Ambiguity of Divine Presence and Absence — see p. 174

MORGAN, DONN F. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible — see p. 12

PHILLIPS, ELAINE A., An Introduction to Reading Biblical Wisdom Texts — see p. 14

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

AHN, SUK-IL, The Persuasive Portrayal of David and Solomon in Chronicles: A Rhetorical Analysis of the Speeches and Prayers in the David–Solomon Narrative (foreword by Mark J. Boda; McMaster Biblical Studies Series, 3; Eugene, OR: Pickwick Publications, 2018), pp. xiii + 319. $39.00. ISBN 978-1-5326-0492-8.

This book seeks to examine the rhetoric of the speeches and prayers of the David– Solomon narrative in Chronicles in their narrative context. In contrast to Mark A. Throntveit, When Kings Speak: Royal Speech and Royal Prayer in Chronicles (Atlanta: Scholars Press, 1987), wherein royal speeches and prayers are regarded as different modes of speech, A. aims for a more holistic approach, interacting with the final form of the text and the speeches and prayers of David and Solomon within this context. Chapter 2 discusses the rhetorical situations of the speeches (the context from which the rhetorical discourse arose), delineating between the ‘text-world’ and the ‘author's real world’. Chapter 3 discusses rhetorical units, before chs. 4 and 5 analyse the speeches and prayers of David and Solomon in turn. The central thesis argues that the Chronicler's portrayal of David and Solomon is an attempt to ‘reestablish the Yehudite community identity by arguing that the covenantal relationship between YHWH and Israel continues even into the Persian period’. While the book offers some useful insights into the David and Solomon speeches and prayers and may be of use for undergraduate students in subject, structure and discussion, more experienced scholars will likely be left wanting more.

CAT QUINE

BORTZ, ANNA MARIA, Identität und Kontinuität. Form und Funktion der Rückkehrerliste Esr 2 (BZAW, 512; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2018), pp. xi + 327. €99.95/$114.99/£91.00. ISBN 978-3-11-056878-3.

This doctoral dissertation at the University of Mainz (supervisor: Sebastian Grätz) examines the migration list in Ezra 2, not in isolation but as an integral part of Ezra 1– 3. B. argues that the original location of the list was in Ezra 2 (in comparison with Neh. 7 and 1 Esd. 5). Ezra 2 is part of an exodus/transition-census-cultic act motif complex, encompassing both the exodus-Sinai narrative of Exodus/Numbers and the second exodus of Ezra 1–3. The list of ‘returnees’ is a literary creation (modelled on the census lists in Num. 1–4 and 26) but is also a contemporary source, because the names of it represent the names of the returnee community, primarily a temple-related elite. It gives an insight into the mechanics of identity building for a particular group. According to Ezra only the returnees constituted Israel: the returnee community was the new Israel and the list of Ezra 2 helps to construct this identity. The presence of the same list in Nehemiah 8 connects by parallelism the reading of the Torah in Nehemiah 8 with the reconstitution of the cult in Ezra 3 and the identification of the people who receive the Torah with the returnee community. This is a helpful examination of a perennial question in Ezra-Nehemiah studies.

LESTER L. GRABBE

FRENCH, BLAIRE A., Chronicles through the Centuries (Wiley Blackwell Bible Commentaries; Chichester: Wiley Blackwell, 2017), pp. ix + 238. £65.00. ISBN 978-1-118-69008-6.

To cover the reception history of the longest book in the Hebrew Bible in less than 200 pages demands selectivity, and F. is to be congratulated on her judicious choices in this regard. She concentrates on a generous selection of key passages or verses where Chronicles has no parallel in Samuel or Kings. The range of the commentary is exemplary. She includes plenty of material from Jewish sources throughout the ages as well as Christian material from the patristic period down to the present day (the 16th and 17th centuries seem to be especially well represented). She concentrates in the modern era on relatively popular presentations (in sermons and the like) rather than scholarly analyses. Other religious groups, such as the Mormons and Christian Scientists, also receive occasional attention. Although she focuses on written sources, music and the visual arts (usually with figures) are also sometimes dawn in. Most of the time she includes enough to tell a good story, so that she avoids the danger of a dry listing. Extensive reading and research clearly lie behind this valuable presentation.

H.G.M. WILLIAMSON

FRIED, LISBETH S., Ezra: A Commentary (Critical Commentaries, 1; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2017), pp. xviii + 468. £29.50/€32.50/$34.50. ISBN 978-1-910928-26-4.

This is the paperback edition of a work published in hardback in 2015, and reviewed in B.L. 2017, p. 95.

(BOOK LIST EDITOR)

GILES, TERRY, and WILLIAM J. DOAN, The Naomi Story—The Book of Ruth: From Gender to Politics (Biblical Performance Criticism, 13; Eugene, OR: Cascade Books, 2016), pp. x + 207. $27.00. ISBN 978-1-4982-0618-1.

This volume aims to recover the story of Naomi from the book of Ruth, a story which, the authors argue, has been overshadowed by the story and character of Ruth. Ruth's loyalty, kindness and devotion to Naomi has diverted attention from Naomi's experience, and the authors argue that reading and retelling the story from Naomi's perspective presents a new understanding of Naomi's narrative which is missing from biblical scholarship. The volume is divided into two parts; the first is concerned with recovering Naomi's story through various approaches including a gendered analysis of her story within a patriarchal system, a discussion on the performance of the story as an oral/aural narrative, and finally an examination of how and when the story of Naomi became usurped by that of Ruth. The second part is a retelling of the Naomi story which is set against the book of Ruth, followed by a reconstruction of Naomi's story in the format of a theatre script which includes performance notes, stage directions and critical notes. The script re-presents Naomi as a victim of tragic circumstances, a woman who must take control of her and Ruth's future, and finally as the central character who propels the narrative forward. The book ends with the script leaving the reader to draw their own conclusions of how performance of a biblical story can subvert traditional expectations of a text. Though an interesting presentation of Naomi, I disagree with the original premise that Naomi's character has been overshadowed and misrepresented in scholarship. However, the inclusion of a script at the end of the book provides a new opportunity for performance-based pedagogy which will benefit both students and teachers alike.

ZANNE DOMONEY-LYTTLE

GROSSMAN, JONATHAN, Esther: The Outer Narrative and the Hidden Reading (Siphrut, 6; Grand Rapids, MI: Eisenbrauns, 2011), pp. viii + 255. $47.50. ISBN 978-1-57506-221-1.

In this literary study of the book of Esther (MT), G. explicates what he sees as the hidden meanings in the Esther narrative. His basic idea is that alongside the version of events presented at face value in the text of Esther there is a good deal more going on beneath the surface, and this hidden level of meaning often contradicts the surface meaning. The remainder of the study then works through Esther (MT) chapter by chapter, highlighting the hidden levels of meaning that G. identifies as operative. In some respects G.'s reading is a version of the ironical and satirical readings favoured in recent scholarship, but in its repeated insistence on Esther's verbal intertextuality with other parts of the HB it claims a more purposeful and theologically orientated ‘carnivalesque’ character for Esther than the comic safety-valve to which some of these other readings reduce it. Indeed, G. coins the phrase ‘theological carnivalesque’ (p. 238) to describe the Esther narrative, asserting that the story is meant to emphasize the instability of life in general in which no human being, however powerful, truly knows what is going on. G.'s study reads easily and is full of intriguing and suggestive observations about the text of Esther, particularly in noting echoes of other biblical writings. Two questions, however, remain: whether the tapestry of allusions that G. identifies is as deliberate and coherent as he claims; and whether such detailed literary allusion makes sense, given recent ideas about the ongoing textual fluidity of the so-called canon.

DEBORAH W. ROOKE

GROSSMAN, JONATHAN, Ruth: Bridges and Boundaries (Das Alte Testament im Dialog/An Outline of an Old Testament Dialogue, 9; Bern: Peter Lang, 2015), pp. 348. €95.80/£64.00. ISBN 978-3-0351-9333-6.

This new commentary in a series called ‘An Outline of an Old Testament Dialogue’ presents itself as a literary analysis of the book of Ruth. The series ‘intends to promote and stimulate the scientific dialogue between the Old Testament and its interrelated subjects’. The introduction covers all the usual topics while suggesting that the book of Ruth can be read along three axes: first, the relationship between human action and the divine (the theological), emphasizing ‘integrative causality’ and human freedom; secondly, the attitude towards the law (the ‘moral-legal spirit’); and thirdly, attitudes towards the ‘Other’ and the importance of compassion. The main body is a thorough commentary which works throughout the chapters and verses with great attention to details and to contemporary scholarship. The author's main contribution is in the application of Donald Winnicott's work on ‘transitional object’ to the book of Ruth. Indeed the afterword focuses on the application of this concept to the political history of ancient Israel, i.e. the passage from the political chaos of the period of the Judges to the order created by the monarchy. It also functions as a ‘transitional object’ at the more personal level of the characters where both Naomi and Ruth function as ‘good enough mothers’. This is a good commentary, with excellent insights which will be helpful for both students and researchers. However, its lack of bibliography makes this book somewhat awkward to consult.

ANN JEFFERS

HOUSE, PAUL R., Daniel: An Introduction and Commentary (Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, 23; Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2018), pp. xix + 185. $18.99. ISBN 978-0-8038-4273-5.

This book is a new edition within the Tyndale OT Commentary series and follows the previous commentary by Joyce Baldwin (1978). H. offers a commentary (without the text) which is based on his view that the book of Daniel is about ‘God's kingdom rising’ (p. 1). He is careful to note the differences in the texts between the Hebrew and Aramaic versions and the Greek and Latin texts. In this H. does not become too technical. Attention is given to the historical background, theological elements and the place of the book of Daniel within the canon, especially in the light of its importance at Qumran and the possible parallels with other OT books. As H. works through each chapter in the commentary he divides his material into Context and Comment. Subheadings help the reader follow the argument. Although the book of Daniel is highly regarded by many in the Christian tradition, H. is careful to balance Christian interpretation (e.g. the fourth figure in the furnace in ch. 3 as an image of Jesus) with interpretations which fit the context of the book at the time it was written. There is enough material within the commentary and the bibliography to help anyone beginning to study the book of Daniel to follow up issues, and the commentary will be useful for those who wish to offer explanations to others.

FRANCIS LOFTUS

LAIRD, DONNA, Negotiating Power in Ezra-Nehemiah (Ancient Israel and Its Literature, 26; Atlanta, GA: SBL Press, 2016), pp. xiii + 403. $55.95. ISBN 978-1-62837-139-0.

This is a systematic and comprehensive analysis of every part of Ezra-Nehemiah. It employs the sociological theory of Pierre Bourdieu as a tool to analyse the ways in which power is exercised and contested, both by the actors in the text and by the authors in relation to their readers. Bourdieu speaks of different forms of ‘capital’, not only economic and political but also social and cultural, which enable players in a ‘field of power’ to exercise influence. L.'s use of the theory is often illuminating, for in Ezra-Nehemiah the exercise of political power is constrained by Persian rule, and social and cultural issues such as the temple, ethnicity or marriage take centre stage. But she also employs other sociologies ad hoc, as well as a wide range of other scholarship (but very little foreign-language work). The leading issue is the increasingly exclusive definitions of the community, which invalidate the religious capital of others: more inclusive definitions are perceived as threats to the authors’ interests as well as to the community. However, L. offers no clear view of the actual social situation in which this might apply at the time of the writing of either part of Ezra, nor does she note that the opponents in Ezra 4-6 are clearly characterized as Samarians. But there is far more to this wide-ranging work than this. It is an important addition to the growing literature on this book. Careless proofreading has led to חרם being misprinted הרם eleven times on pp. 213-17.

WALTER J. HOUSTON

LÖWISCH, INGEBORG, Trauma Begets Genealogy: Gender and Memory in Chronicles (The Bible in the Modern World, 66; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix Press, 2015), pp. xii + 266. £60.00. ISBN 978-1-909697-68-3.

A careful and sensitive reading of genealogies in Chronicles. The work uses both archive theory and insights from cultural memory studies to highlight how gendered fragments are key moments of both paradox and performance of identity in the genealogies of Chronicles. The wider arc of the book argues that the performance of genealogies, with the political choices they make, are a response to trauma, seeking to both remember and give a framework for forgetting. While the argument is well made with regards to the genealogies as a whole, it is not really clear that gendered fragments are specific responses to trauma. The two chapters that offer close readings of 1 Chronicles 1–9 are the real strength of this book in Biblical Studies; they are careful, balanced, and reading both along the grain and with deep attention to fractures, paradox and countermovements. The section on fragmentation and the role of women in setting out differential patterns of self and other is innovative and more thorough than other gender-focused work on the same texts (such as J. Kelso's). The text of Chronicles is set alongside a contemporary film, ‘My Life’, but I am unsure of the value of the juxtaposition. The methods and conclusions differ significantly for both texts and, generally, the reading of the film detracts from the careful work this book does on the text of Chronicles. Overall, this is a really helpful contribution to reading an often neglected genre with great creativity.

ISABELLE HAMLEY

MILLER, TRICIA, Jews and Anti-Judaism in Esther and the Church (Cambridge: James Clarke & Co., 2015), pp. xiv + 210. £23.00. ISBN 978-0-227-17447-0.

The book of Esther has rather a history of generating strong feelings in its readers, and M.'s analysis of Esther seems intended to do likewise. Her argument is that there is a direct line from the negative, anti-Jewish reception of Esther in antiquity to modern-day antipathy towards the state of Israel. Using close textual analysis, M. maintains that in the MT the Jews’ slaughter of Persians is defensive, necessary and proportionate, not a vindictive massacre. But widespread anti-Jewish sentiment even in antiquity led to the Old Greek and Alpha text recensions in an effort to counter potentially negative readings of the account. Unfortunately aspects of Esther's character and the decree for Jewish self-defence in the OG, the version transmitted to the Church via the LXX and the Vulgate, have influenced Christian perceptions of Esther as both bloodthirsty and feeble, as evidenced in feminist and anti-Jewish critique of Esther. M. then proceeds to show how she sees this negative attitude towards Esther and the Persian Jews being reflected in present-day attitudes towards Zionism and the state of Israel. As a piece of scholarship on Esther, this presents some interesting discussions relating to the dating and purpose of the OG and A-text versions, although I am disappointed by its historicizing treatment of the MT—presumably a necessity for M.'s thesis. Her flat-out equation of feminist (or is it anti-feminist?—the argument is unclear) with anti-Jewish/anti-Semitic critiques is equally open to question, and her treatment of the current political situation in Israel is selective. There is a desperate need for an equitable solution to the unrest in Israel/Palestine, but I don't think that this will help much.

DEBORAH W. ROOKE

POWELL, STEPHANIE DAY, Narrative Desire and the Book of Ruth (LHBOTS, 662; London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018), pp. xii + 201. £85.00. ISBN 978-0-5676-7875-1.

P.'s commencing thesis (in this Drew University PhD dissertation, supervised by Danna N. Fewell) is that the book of Ruth ‘suggests evidence of a homoerotic attachment between two females’, namely between the characters of Naomi and Ruth. However, P. does not merely point out evidence, because she is more curious about how the book of Ruth continues to shape its readers as historical subjects. Precisely at this point P. introduces ‘narrative desire’ as the central feature in her attempt to interpret the nature and meaning of the relationship between Naomi and Ruth. She defines ‘narrative desire’ as a quest for answers ‘how stories play upon our desires, as well as how our desires shape our reading of biblical narratives’. P. adopts D. Guest's four hermeneutical principles as guide of ‘lesbian biblical hermeneutics’ and deploys them as ‘hermeneutical backdrop’. Hence Guest's principles (resistance, rupture, reclamation and re-engagement), which are at the same time the titles of the chapters in P.'s monograph, along with the intertextual reading of the book of Ruth and three contemporary stories treating different aspects of lesbian relationship or its social implications, are the essence of P.'s exegesis of Ruth. P.'s argumentation would have been more convincing if she had based her exegesis more on the dynamics of Naomi's and Ruth's relationship as it is described in the book itself rather than significantly relying on the intertextual reading between the book of Ruth and the three contemporary stories. At the same time, P.'s monograph raises the awareness of its readership concerning the influence of their sexual identity on their exegesis of the biblical text.

IVAN MILANOV

SEGAL, MICHAEL, Dreams, Riddles, and Visions: Textual, Contextual, and Intertextual Approaches to the Book of Daniel (BZAW, 455; Berlin: De Gruyter, 2016), pp. xii + 250. €89.95/£81.99/$126.00. ISBN 978-3-11-033086-1.

This ground-breaking study provides an intricate reconstruction of the written traditions that pre-figured the final form of Daniel's ‘Dreams, Riddles, and Visions’ in the Masoretic Text. In this context the relevant accounts are mined for their significance in earlier prophetic writings, but also in relation to the Old Greek and Theodotion versions of the HB. This approach yields penetrating insights, e.g. where the depiction of Daniel, as ‘an improved Joseph’, demonstrated ‘the superiority of divinely inspired knowledge to the extensive educational training of Mesopotamian scribes and scholars’ (p. 67). Possibly the most innovative suggestion is S.'s identification of the ‘anointed leader’ (Dan. 9.25) as Nehemiah, rather than Cyrus or Darius. Equally notable is the fundamental significance of chronological accounting systems in Daniel 9. Here the illumination of two different counting systems, depicting the Persian period, is compelling: the first of these, based on multiples of weeks, typified longer periods in history; the second evokes the proto-rabbinic schema preserved in Seder Olam. These are particularly relevant to the reconstruction of ancient Judaism(s), where the existence of disparate calendrical systems (within the DSS, alone) remains challenging. This treatment complements previous studies, which have located the book of Daniel in the early development of apocalyptic thought, and is recommended for its astute and persuasive observations throughout.

SANDRA JACOBS

SHEPHERD, DAVID J., and CHRISTOPHER J.H. WRIGHT, Ezra and Nehemiah (The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary; Grand Rapids, MI: Eerdmans, 2018), pp. x + 243. $28.00/£23.99. ISBN 978-0-8028-6432-1. [Distributed in the UK by Alban Books.]

This co-authored work clearly indicates which author has written which chapter. Both have jointly written a short introduction (less than ten pages) to Ezra–Nehemiah, which has a minimal focus on the historical-critical issues of time and place and a greater emphasis on the world of the text and the theological issues it raises. Nevertheless, ‘Our commentary follows [H.G.M.] Williamson (and others) in recognising that the theological interests of the text cannot be discerned properly without at least some attention being given to relevant historical, but especially literary and indeed compositional issues’ (p. 8). Shepherd writes the commentaries on Ezra and Nehemiah (100 pages in total—around half the book); these are walk-throughs of the text with a short summary at the end of each biblical chapter or two. Sometimes they include a Hebrew word or small phrase for clarification. Wright contributes two essays on reading Ezra– Nehemiah canonically and then reading it ‘theologically today’. With regard to whether the divorcing of the foreign wives was the correct action, he concludes that ‘we must leave an open verdict… They did it’ (p. 150). Shepherd ends the book with an essay on leadership and Ezra–Nehemiah in which he rejects ‘most treatments of Nehemiah as a model for Christian leadership [which] are simply presented as the results of unadulterated exegetical reflection on the book itself ’ (p. 191). Instead, he looks at the subject in the light of Max Weber's work on leadership. I would recommend that Christian students and pastors have this commentary on their shelves.

JULIE WOODS

SILVERSTEIN, ADAM J., Veiling Esther, Unveiling her Story: The Reception of a Biblical Book in Islamic Lands (Oxford Studies in the Abrahamic Religions; Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2018), pp. ix + 232. £60.00. ISBN 978-0-19-879722-7.

In this fascinating study, S. makes a compelling case for the cross-fertilization of ideas between the Muslim, Jewish and Samaritan communities in Islamic lands. The first part of the book explores the reception of Esther. Chapter 1 discusses the absence of Esther in the Qur'an. The character Haman, referred to six times, does not imply knowledge of the Esther story; rather the Bible and the Qur'an both made use of an already known villain figure. Islamic reception of Esther is instead found in historical works (ch. 2). Historians like Al ṫabarī incorporated the Esther story into their surveys of Persian history. The Samaritan retelling by Abū 'l-Fatḥ likewise testifies to this ‘historizing’ tendency (ch. 3). The Esther narrative is set during the Judahite-Samaritan conflict, and rewritten from a Samaritan perspective with the Jews as the key antagonists. S. further emphasizes the need for understanding the reception of Esther along cultural rather than religious lines: Iranian Jews and Muslims shared traditions that were unknown in other regions (ch. 4). The second part argues that Islamic reception history of Esther sheds new light on the biblical narrative. Chapter 5 makes a solid case for seeing Esther as a typical pre-Islamic Persian story. There is no direct influence; the similarities are rather a matter of a shared ‘story-telling’ culture. Finally, chs. 6-7 investigate how the comparative Islamic evidence may explain two conundrums in the biblical text, namely Haman's epithet Bougaios (LXX) and Mordechai's refusal to bow before Haman. Highly recommended.

LENA-SOFIA TIEMEYER

Note also the following books reviewed in other sections of this Book List:

BRENNER-IDAN, ATHALYA, et al. (eds.), The Five Scrolls — see p. 118

FINKELSTEIN, ISRAEL, Hasmonean Realities behind Ezra, Nehemiah, and Chronicles: Archaeological and Historical Perspectives — see p. 19

HÄUSL, MARIA (ed.), Denkt nich mehr an das Frühere! Begründungsressourcen in Esra/Nehemia und Jes 40–66 im Vergleich — see p. 130

MELTON, BRITTANY N., Where is God in the Megilloth? A Dialogue on the Ambiguity of Divine Presence and Absence — see p. 174

MORGAN, DONN F. (ed.), The Oxford Handbook of the Writings of the Hebrew Bible — see p. 12