Historical Commentary on the Old Testament - entire series
examples:
Amazon blurb:
The book of Micah provides insight into the struggle of a prophet with his vocation in an extremely difficult time. The aggressive policies of Neo-Assyrian kings which involved large-scale destruction, deportation and resettlement upturned existing social structures everywhere. Kings of Judah like Ahaz and Hezekiah had to compromise with the enemy to retain their position. Micah denounced their overindulgence. Initially, the results of his efforts were disappointing and one may certainly say that Micah was a tragic figure who towards the end of his life felt he had been a failed prophet. It is no coincidence that in the Hebrew Bible Micah 3:12 occupies the middle of the whole book of the Twelve "Minor" Prophets. In this verse Micah courageously announced the destruction of the temple on Zion because of Jerusalem's sins -- more than a hundred years before it actually happened. His contemporaries had ridiculed him because they did not believe God would ever allow the destruction of his holy abode. Whistleblowers are never popular and it is possible that Micah has had to pay with his life for his scathing criticism of the authorities. However, history proved him right and Micah's impressive sermons inspired later generations to complement them with consoling messages of forgiveness and hope. Prophecy, also prophecy outside Israel, was always open to future expansion. In this way the book of Micah became a cherished source of messianic expectations among both Jews and Christians. Modern research into the book of Micah denies him the authorship of more than half of the chapters attributed to him. On the basis of new textual and archaeological data from the entire Ancient Near East this commentary argues that much more can be regarded as actual fire-and-brimstone preaching of the historical prophet Micah. This conclusion was achieved among other things by collating more than a hundred Hebrew manuscripts of the book of Micah. The commentary devotes also much attention to geology, climate, flora, fauna, agriculture and art. Fifty illustrations elucidate these realia.
Amazon blurb:
James Watts uses rhetorical analysis for this detailed exposition of Leviticus 1-10. In dialogue with a wide variety of contemporary scholarship on Leviticus, this commentary also engages the history of the book's interpretation and the history of Jewish and Christian ritual practices. Leviticus's rhetoric aimed to persuade ancient Israelites to make offerings to God. It legitimized the monopoly of Aaronide priests over Israel's offerings and over determining correct ritual practice. The priests in turn established the Torah containing Leviticus as the authoritative text of Israel's religion. Rhetorical analysis of Leviticus thus leads to new insights into the role of priests in raising the Pentateuch to the status of scripture and in shaping the biblical canon. It also calls attention to the role of ritual rhetoric in the polities of later Jewish and Christian groups, despite the fact that neither religion makes animal offerings as Leviticus 1-10 mandates.
Critical Praise for Houtman's Commentary on Exodus: informative and illuminating commentary which no one working on Exodus can afford to overlook" - J.W. Rogerson in Book List 1990, 56. is to my mind one of the best available on Exodus to modern scholars." - John Wevers in Bibliotheca Orientalis 48 (1991) 885. the commentary has a great deal to offer both scholar and layman, and ... provides the fullest modern treatment ... of Exodus that is available in any language" - G.L. Davies in Vetus Testamentum 43 (1993) 428. Kommentierung enthält ... eine Rubrik mit dem Titel "Hauptlinien und Perspektiven". Sie Bietet ... eine Auslegung, die f r jeden Leser nicht nur ein Gewinn, sondern auch ein Genuss ist." - J. Becker in Biblische Zeitschrift 36 (1992) 115. importance ... elle (l'information de C.H.) est incontestablement plus complète que celle des grands commentaires de l'Exode..." - J. Loza in Revue Biblique 98 (1991)
Orthodox Bishop Alfeyev: "To be a theologian means to have experience of a personal encounter with God through prayer and worship."; Orthodox proverb: "We know where the Church is, we do not know where it is not."