DESCRIPTION

ECUMENICAL. SCHOLARLY. NONTECHNICAL.

No one familiar with the Bible needs to be told that it is a truly remarkable work. But it takes help to understand this ancient collection of diverse forms of literature written by different people across many centuries. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible (ECB) is the finest, most up-to-date single-volume Bible handbook now available.

Written by world-class Bible scholars, the ECB encapsulates in nontechnical language the best of modern scholarship on the 66 biblical books plus the Apocrypha. The only one-volume Bible commentary to cover all the texts (even including 1 Enoch) regarded by one or more Christian churches as canonical, the ECB provides reader-friendly treatments and succinct summaries of each section of the text that will be valuable to scholars, students and general readers alike.

The primary objective of this work is to clarify the meaning of each section of the Bible. The ECB focuses on principal units of meaning ? narrative, parable, prophetic oracle, section of argument, and so on ? highlighting their interconnectedness with the rest of the biblical text. The volume also addresses and answers major issues ? including the range of possible interpretations ? and refers readers to the best fuller discussions. Beyond providing reliable, informative commentary, this hefty volume also includes thirteen introductory and context-setting articles that do justice to the biblical documents both as historical sources and as scriptures.

The 67 contributors come from a wide variety of backgrounds and are acknowledged leaders in the field of biblical studies. Their contributions stand out either for their fresh interpretations of the evidence, or for their way of asking new questions of the text, or for their new angles of approach.

The translation of choice is the New Revised Standard Version.

Cutting-edge, comprehensive, and ecumenical, the ECB is both a fitting climax to the rich body of interconfessional work undertaken in the latter part of the twentieth century and a worthy launching pad for biblical study in the twenty-first.

Special features of the ECB

• The only one-volume commentary to cover all the texts (including the Apocrypha and 1 Enoch) regarded as canonical
• 13 major essays that introduce each section of Scripture and its study
• Encapsulates in nontechnical language the best of modern scholarship
• Includes superb bibliographies and an extensive subject index
• Written by 67 first-rate Bible scholars
• Designed for use by scholars, students, pastors, and general readers

ISBN: 0-8028-3711-5

Commendations:
"Comprehensive in scope and reader-friendly in format... For those seeking a single volume that will provide them with reliable commentary on Scripture, and for teachers looking for a one-volume commentary to put into the hands of their students, the Eerdmans Commentary is just the right work." - Frank J. Matera, Catholic University of America

"The contributors are distinguished and diverse, the scholarship is solid and up to date, and the format is inviting and user-friendly." - Daniel J. Harrington, Weston Jesuit School of Theology

Utilizing the considerable talents of scholars representing a broad theological spectrum, the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides readers with a concise, stimulating, sometimes provocative reading of the biblical text. - Tremper Longman III, Westmont College

The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible contains scholarship that is both international and ecumenical, including contributions from Catholics as well as Protestants. Most of the contributors have well-established international reputations, and several are at the top of their field. - John J. Collins, Yale Divinity School

About the Editors:

Widely regarded as one of the foremost scholars in the world today on the thought and writings of St. Paul, James D. G. Dunn is Lightfoot Professor Emeritus of Divinity at the University of Durham in England. Professor Dunn is the author of numerous books about the New Testament, including several important commentaries on various epistles of Paul. Among these commentaries are Romans (Word Biblical Commentary, 2 vols.), Galatians (Black's New Testament Commentaries), and Colossians and Philemon (New International Greek Testament Commentary).