Proverbs & Ecclesiastes

Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible

by Daniel J. Treier

Pastors and leaders of the classical church interpreted the Bible theologically, believing Scripture as a whole witnessed to the gospel of Jesus Christ. Modern interpreters of the Bible questioned this premise. But in recent decades, a critical mass of theologians and biblical scholars has begun to reassert the priority of a theological reading of Scripture. The Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible enlists leading theologians to read and interpret Scripture for the twenty-first century. In this addition to the well-received series, Daniel Treier offers theological exegesis of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes.

Genres: Old Testament

288 pages, Hardcover

First published July 1, 2011

About the author

Daniel Treier is a Christian theologian and has been Associate Professor of Theology at Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL since 2001. Prior to Wheaton College, Treier taught at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School as Instructor of Biblical and Systematic Theology and at Cornerstone University. He has an M.Div. (1996) and Th.M. (1998) from Grand Rapids Theological Seminary, and a Ph.D. from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School in Systematic Theology (2002) under the supervision of Kevin J. Vanhoozer.

Treier is an expert in theological hermeneutics, having been the associate editor for the Dictionary for Theological Interpreation of the Bible (2005).

Reviews

[John · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dan Treier takes on the daunting task of commenting on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, two books that very differently defy commentary: the former because of its piecemeal nature, the latter because, well, it doesn't seem like it belongs in the Bible.

A professor of theology at Wheaton College, Illinois--and a friendly professional acquaintance--Dan writes within the series known as the Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible. Strangely--to me, at least--Dan doesn't wax all that theological. What he offers theologically strikes me as both sound and insightful: there just isn't as much of it as I expected--and wanted, by the end of the book! In particular, he makes use, as the contributors in this series are supposed to, of classical commentators, and especially of the church fathers, but here, too, he is very economical in his draw upon them. In fact, especially in the latter commentary, he draws on contemporary novelists as much as he draws on patristic theologians.

Dan Treier knows Hebrew and relies on some reliable exegetes as well (such as Bartholomew, Longman, and Waltke), thus bringing wordplay to light that is disguised by whatever translation one might use. He also knows the human heart, and nicely balances exhortation with identification, admonition with admission of solidarity with the reader in the vagaries and failures of life. He is thus a humble, solid, trustworthy guide to some of the most difficult literature in the Bible, and while some readers will be disappointed not to be able to look up some particular odd Proverbs for definitive interpretation (!), we all will be better off for the perspective Dan brings to reading wisdom: which is not to be pursued "as predictive control...[but as] placing ourselves in the hands of God and nothing else" (235).

[John Schuurman · Rating 5 out of 5]

Substantial! Substantial!

I greatly appreciate this commentary by Daniel Trier. The case he builds for the translation of hebel into ungraspable is very strong. Also appreciated was Trier's arguments for a loosely held Christocentric reading of the book. Fine writer.

[Matt · Rating 3 out of 5]

Almost four stars.

[Jon J Anderson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ecclesiastes: This is truly an amazing commentary written about one of my favorite books in the Bible. It is packed with information and details on all aspects of this book. For example, he makes a good case that "the Teacher" may not be the best translation for the person writing the book, that "the Sage" better describes the name for the book's main voice.

He evaluates the use of the word "vanity," and after a long run through the options available, determines that "attempts to provide a single, definitive translation ... are the equivalent of chasing the wind," that "vanity" is probably the best English word to cover its many connotations.

Many aspects of life are raised into question, with the answer often being that life seems to be nothing but vanity. Ecclesiastes is presented as a complex book that deals directly with the ambiguities of life, acknowledging that nothing is final, that ironically, even this book itself may not be able to be understood.

[Nate Claiborne · Rating 3 out of 5]

For the average person looking for theological reflections on Proverbs and Ecclesiastes, Treier’s work succeeds in meeting that need. While not focusing explicitly on making applications (like a commentary in the NIVAC series might) Treier’s work does move toward more practical applications than a more exegetically minded commentary might. This is doubly fitting since he is dealing with two books in the wisdom literature and are meant to be read toward practical ends. The end result is a book that I think clearly meets its intended goals of theological supplement, and for many people will function as a good devotional read on the wisdom books.

For a full review, visit my blog

[Diane · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book provides a good introduction to the two wisdom books of the Old Testament. There isn't anything overly new or creative in it, but it is a good overall introduction.