Judges, Ruth: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture (Volume 6) (The New American Commentary)

Daniel Block presents a fairly comprehensive inductive study of the biblical books Judges and Ruth. He gives ample historical context, overview, and makes his arguments for the larger purposes of the books against some of the other better known or widespread interpretations. He also gives constant attention to the original Hebrew text and linguistic issues and given the ancient history of these books he approaches translation difficulties in an honest and conservative approach. He affirms the inerrancy of Scripture while recognizing that scribal problems have come into play that sometimes obscure small portions of the text, or that make them curious, but this does not invalidate the greater text or destroy the understanding.This is a meaningful resource for the lay reader but it offers so much to those who are interested in a more advanced commentary. The constant and copious notes that sometimes take up more than half of the main page are probably more than 75% of the time specific to Hebrew terminology, linguistical and written structure, that those who are versed in Hebrew will benefit greatly. Those not interested in reviewing these notes will certainly move through the commentaries much more quickly and will still get quite a bit of reflection on parts of speech and writing techniques but will be exposed more to the history and explanations of what certain events, comments, and actions mean in the context of the day.Ultimately Block has delivered this commentary on these collected books because he sees a link between the two though they stand in such stark contrast to each other: Judges bridges the gap between the leadership of the Hebrew people entering the land given to them by God and the increasingly lawless pre-monarchic period casting the people of Yahweh in a harrowing light that makes them look worse than their gentilic neighbors, and still God grants and shows them mercy if one has the eyes to see, while Ruth is part of that mercy in both showing the hesed (faithfulness and lovingkindness) of God's people operating more like Him and showing his heart in the set-up to the Christology of the coming King David which the book of Ruth foreshadows.The detail and wealth of information that Block supplies is great but it is also dry as it is not condensed. It is a scholarly work, his style is not conversational but direct, and that is why it can be hard to get into if you're looking for something light but his interpretations and commentary are extremely valuable. I have read other commentary by Block and I would read him again as his approach and knowledge develop the reader's trust.

*Note: At this point, I have only read the section on Judges. At some point, I may read the portion on Ruth and update this review, but for now, my study of Ruth needs to be put on hold while I am working through Samuel.Like all of his works, Block's commentary on Judges is thoroughly researched, and offers a wealth of literary and exegetical insights. Block's expository comments are frequently quotable and nearly always thought provoking. He rights with an eye to the "big picture," and occasionally even reads complicated stories "backwards" in a step-by-step manner to show the cause and effect relationships. This is especially helpful in seeing the unity of the Samson cycle and untangling the convoluted storyline in Judges 19-21. Regardless of a few minor exegetical disagreements I had with him, I thoroughly enjoyed reading this commentary.Block is largely conservative on historical-critical issues. He (correctly in my judgment) identifies the theme of Judges as "the Canaanization of Israel." Many of his exegetical and literary insights are geared towards advancing this theme, and he has thoroughly convinced me of this idea. In connection with that, Block lays to rest the tired notion that Judges is supposed to be a work of "pro-monarchic" or "anti-monarchic" polemic. These types of ideas have certain attractions, but ultimately read more into the text than they read out. Like other volumes in the NAC series, knowing Hebrew is helpful, but not strictly necessary. The Hebrew is transliterated in the text, but the actual Hebrew font appears in the footnotes.Among Christian interpreters, there is a difficulty with the fact that Hebrews 11:32 lauds several of the Judges as heroes of "faith," while the men themselves throughout the book appear to engage in numerous despicable actions. The question arises as to whether we reinterpret the judges to be acting in a positive light, or whether we reinterpret the verse in Hebrews so that we don't need to excuse these men's behavior. Block definitely opts for the latter option. With the exceptions of Deborah and Othniel, no character in this book remains "unsullied."I think Block is generally right not to sugar-coat the exploits of the deliverers. I agree with many of his positions (e.g. Jephthah sacrificing his daughter, Gideon's rejection of kingship being a sham, etc.), although there are places where I wonder if he errs too far to the opposite extreme. I am not, for instance, convinced that Gideon's "fleecing" of God ought to be interpreted as a lack of faith on Gideon's part. Further, I've actually always seen Manoah and his wife in opposite light from how Block portrays them. (He sees Manoah's wife as the spiritually perceptive one, while Manoah is oafish and misses the point). Perhaps the text of Judges is not as clear on this point as either of us think.I do wish there had been more on the relationship between Judges and the NT. Judges is never quoted explicitly, but IMHO there are some rather powerful typological points that can be made by comparing / contrasting the deliverers with Christ. While I recognize the obvious value of learning to read the OT in its own right, as a Christian, I cannot ignore Christ's insistence that the OT scriptures were ultimately about him. Block makes a point here and there, but much more could have been done in this area.Ultimately though, I heartily recommend Block's commentary, which has almost certainly earned its five-star rating. For preachers, it is one of the best helps for preparing sermons and classes. For scholars, it would be inexcusable to overlook this important expert treatment of the book of Judges.

While there are many fine Bible study series available, in my opinion the NAC series seems to be the best overall series for interested laypeople in Biblical studies. All of the books in the series are marked by both a good overall indepth research and yet does not become so erudite that a reader becomes lost in obscure debates. Having read the majority of the books in the series, I would say without a doubt Daniel I. Block's commentary on Judges is the most outstanding and original of the books in the series. I have read in an another book on Judges that frequently Judges is among, if not the least, book read of the Bible and also the least liked of the books in the Bible. However, once reads Daniel Block's NAC commentary on Judges I beleive that the people in Judge's will become so real and human that one will always feel a real connection with the people and issues found in Judges. In addition, reading reviews in other sources there is some criticism on Block's analysis of the judges themselves, much of the criticism is based on how Block challenges views that all the Judges are frequently precieved as perfect people and guides. However, that is the very special point of the study, the judges become real people with real faults (some more than others) and they become human while one also learns of God's great care and concern for all humans and how He is able guide people in spite of their faults and short commings., and actually use these faults to His advantage. Not wanting to give away the thesis of the book, I will not write much - except that this book is a real classic that will become a part of the thoughts and ideas of anyone who reads it.

A embalagem do produto veio violada, ele veio sujo e levemente danificado. Não aconselho que comprem esse produto direto da amazom.com.br. Parece ser um item em estoque há muito tempo e mal cuidado.

This book is everything that a student of Judges ir needs. Highly recommended and easy to follow. God bless our brother Daniel Block.