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“This volume completes Bible scholar Michael V. Fox’s comprehensive commentary on the book of Proverbs. As in his previous volume on the early chapters of Proverbs, the author here translates and explains in accessible language the meaning and literary qualities of the sayings and poems that comprise the final chapters. He gives special attention to comparable sayings in other wisdom books, particularly from Egypt, and makes extensive use of medieval Hebrew commentaries, which have received scant attention in previous Proverb commentaries. In separate sections set in smaller type, the author addresses technical issues of text and language for interested scholars. The author’s essays at the end of the commentary view the book of Proverbs in its entirety and investigate its ideas of wisdom, ethics, revelation, and knowledge. Out of Proverbs’ great variety of sayings from different times, Fox shows, there emerges a unified vision of life, its obligations, and its potentials.” – Yale University Press

[Dahood] offers a unique, lively translation of the most beloved collection of poetry in Judeo-Christian sacred Scriptures. Based on his linguistic analysis of both biblical and extrabiblical texts, Mitchell Dahood, S.J., interprets this Hebrew poetry in light of rich linguistic and cultural evidence. Dahood’s translation captures the beauty and full texture of Hebrew poetry. It offers an accurate English rendering, framed within the dynamic poetic forms of the Hebrew text. Through the use of Ugaritic and cognate literature, Dahood corrects mistranslations and illuminates previously obscure phrases. The fruit of a masterful analysis of the original texts, this fresh translation, the comprehensive notes, and the groundbreaking commentary establish Dahood’s Psalms I (1–50) as the premier commentary on the Psalms.” – Yale University Press

“The bulk of Israel’s religious poetry is preserved in the biblical book of Psalms. In this volume, the second of three on the Psalms, Mitchell Dahood, S.J., interprets this Hebrew poerty in light of a rich ancient collection of Ugaritic texts. Dahood’s translation captures the beauty and rich texture of Hebrew poetry. It offers an accurate English rendering,framed within the dynamic poetic forms of the Hebrew text. Through the use of Ugaritic and cognate literature, Dahood corrects mistranslations and illuminates previously obscure phrases. The fruit of a masterful analysis of the original texts, this fresh translation, with its comprehensive notes and groundbreaking commentary, establishes Dahood’s Psalms II (51-100) as the premier commentary on the Psalms.” – Yale University Press

Having closely examined the original text, Father Dahood has attempted a unique translation which relies heavily on contemporary linguistic evidence. His work stresses the relation of the Psalms to the Ugaritic texts found at Ras-Shamra, and to other epigraphic discoveries along the Phoenician littoral. This translation tries to capture as much as possible within the limits of language and the scope of present scholarship the poetic qualities of the original Hebrew. It attempts to render accurately not only the meaning of the Psalms but their poetic forms and rhythms as well. It is particularly responsive to the terse, three-beat metrical line predominant in Hebrew poetry, and it reproduces the parallelism so characteristic of biblical verse. In this process of probing the original, Father Dahood unearths some striking examples of passages previously mistranslated, and arrives at many provocative readings. In addition to an introduction, text, and notes, this volume contains a comprehensive Grammar of the Psalter which makes use of much of Father Dahood’s recent work with Ugaritic.” – Yale University Press

“In this landmark commentary, Craig R. Koester offers a comprehensive look at a powerful and controversial early Christian text, the book of Revelation. Originally written for Christian communities in Asia Minor, Revelation depicts scenes of cosmic conflict in which God, the creator of the world, overcomes the forces of destruction and makes all things new. This often misunderstood portion of the New Testament repeatedly surprises readers by warning that judgment is imminent, only to interrupt the visions of terror with messages of hope and redemption. Koester provides richly textured descriptions of the book’s setting and language, making extensive use of Greek and Latin inscriptions, classical texts, and ancient Jewish writings, including the Dead Sea Scrolls. While Revelation has often been viewed as world-negating, this commentary focuses on its deep engagement with social, religious, and economic issues. It also addresses the book’s volatile history of interpretation and its cultural impact over the centuries. The result is a groundbreaking study that provides powerful insights and sets new directions for the continued appreciation of this visionary religious text.” – Yale University Press

“World-class biblical scholar/author Fitzmeyer has written a masterful study on Paul’s Epistle to the Romans that will rival the great commentaries on Romans by Martin Luther and Karl Barth. Fitzmeyer is the author of the popular Anchor Bible commentaries on the Gospel according to Luke.” – Publisher

“Ruth (Volume 7 in the Anchor Bible Commentary series), a tale of human kindness and just dealing far beyond the norm, contains elements that for centuries have been the subject of debate. With a sprightly translation and a commentary rich in informed speculation, Professor Campbell considers the questions of layman and scholar alike. Finding no overt mighty acts, the layman asks, “Why was Ruth included in the Bible at all? Where is God?” Professor Campbell shows that God is not only present throughout but is indeed the moving force behind all the developments of the story. Naomi, Ruth, and Boaz each act as God to each other, by taking extraordinary responsibility and performing extraordinary acts of kindness. And it is God who is responsible for the series of coincidences on which the plot hinges. The scholar’s questions deal with such matters as purpose, date, and genre. Professor Campbell’s research into ancient customs and linguistics suggests to him that Ruth is a historical novelette, entertaining and instructive, composed not long after the reign of King David, during the time of Solomon or within the subsequent century. Professor Campbell demonstrates the storyteller’s skill with sensitive analysis of form, pacing, and wordplay. By delving into word origins and nuances he shows how convincingly the characters are developed. One instance: Naomi and Boaz use obsolescent language, emphasizing the generation gap between them and Ruth. In addition, the illustrations help the reader understand unfamiliar elements of the story—the setting, the agricultural seasons and harvesting, the clothing of the times, the city gate where elders and interested villagers gather to make sure that all is done in a just and godly way.” – Yale University Press

“In recent years, students, scholars, and lay readers of the Bible have been increasingly drawn to the book of Ruth. Delving deeply into the complicated nature of its characters’ relationships, Jeremy Schipper encourages readers to consider the roles that categories of difference involving gender, disability, household status, ethnicity, and sexual desire play throughout the text. This fresh translation of the deceptively simple book is more literal and less idiosyncratic than its predecessors. Combining the traditional strengths of the Anchor Yale Bible series with the latest research in biblical scholarship, Schipper’s much-needed volume will succeed Edward F. Campbell’s 1975 edition as the go-to commentary for years to come.” – Yale University Press

“Scholars rarely posses both the gift of academic excellence and the ability to communicate their expertise in an extremely readable fashion; but Furnish succeeds admirably with the right balance of scholarship and practical application, offered in the most accessible prose. With a mastery of primary languages and sources, and a lucid discussion of the first-century context of Paul’s second letter to the Corinthians, the reader enters the worldview of the original recipients of this hard-hitting letter. In the end, Furnish successfully navigates the maze of difficulties faced by the commentator and, thankfully, helps the general audience understand what II Corinthians says and means.” – Publisher

“The Song of Songs has been compared to a lock for which the key was lost. Traditionally ascribed to King Solomon, the book has a sensuous imagery that has been the subject of various allegorical interpretations, chiefly as relating to Yahweh’s love for Israel or Christ’s love for the Church. Marvin H. Pope suggests that the poem is what it seems, an unabashed celebration of sexual love, both human and divine, rooted in the fertility religions of the ancient Near East, the sacred marriage rite, and the funeral feast. A distinctive feature of his interpretation is the correlation between Love and Death. Also discussed are parallel literatures, possible Indian influences, and the significance of the Song for women’s liberation. Samples of traditional Jewish and Christian allegorical interpretations are cited for each verse. Numerous photographs and drawings of ancient Near East origin illustrate and authenticate this provocative and controversial interpretation of Solomon’s sublime song.” – Yale University Press

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