Joshua: An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture

New American Bible Commentary, Old Testament Set #5

by David M. Howard Jr.

The book of Joshua forms the logical end point for much of the Pentateuch. It shows how Israel came to possess the land God had promised centuries before to Abraham and how God was faithful to his promises. It also portrays God’s demands that his covenant people forsake all other allegiances and follow him only and completely. The New American Commentary is for those who have been seeking a commentary that honors the Scriptures, represents the finest in contemporary evangelical scholarship and lends itself to the practical work of preaching and teaching. This series serves a minister’s friend and a student’s guide.   The New American Commentary assumes the inerrancy of Scripture, focuses on the intrinsic theological and exegetical concerns of each biblical book, and engages the range of issues raised in contemporary biblical scholarship. Drawing on the knowledge and skills of over forty scholars and encompassing forty volumes, the NAC brings together scholarship and piety to produce a tool that enhances and supports the life of the church.  

Genres: Old Testament, Reference, Theology, Christian, Biblical Studies

472 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 1, 1998

Reviews

[Ryan Rench · Rating 4 out of 5]

I always read this commentary second, and generally like this series. It doesn't get bogged down in the technicalities, it maintains a conservative theological viewpoint with a high view of Scripture, and yet it is thorough. It is an easy enough read for basically any question you might have about any passage in Joshua, and for that, I give it a solid 4 stars. Davis is still my favorite, though. :)

[Jon Pentecost · Rating 4 out of 5]

Very helpful.
Good, steady, textual work. More time on historicity questions than I think is helpful/necessary. But really good in helping show the ties between the Torah (esp Deuteronomy) and the events of Joshua. Provided really helpful material on Rahab, and in theological significance of the warfare.

Used in preparing to preach Joshua in 2020.

[Dan · Rating 4 out of 5]

The book of Joshua is one of the most fascinating yet under preached on books of the Bible. I say that it is under preached on due to most preachers fear of preaching a long-drawn-out exegetical series on the entire book rather than just preaching on the most well-known parts. Due to this need to preach on the book of Joshua exegetically, a exegetical commentary is needed. One of the best exegetical commentaries is that of the New American Commentary (NAC) produced by B&H publishing. This Commentary series is respected in both hire scholarship as well as in popular understanding. For this series combines the best of scholarship with practical applications. It is therefore easy to understand why B & H selected David M. Howard, Jr. to be the author of such an important volume.
This volume begins with a 50 page introductory section which is the envy of most commentaries. It is also important to note that Howard does not focus his entire introductory section on the authorship or sources of Joshua. Furthermore in this introductory section Howard gives a great detailed outline of the book of Joshua, which an exegetical preacher can use as a outline to preach from as well as a great excursus on the themes shown in the book of Joshua. With regard to the commentary proper, Stuart deals with each verse in turn. He make sure that the student of scripture will be able to understand the book of Joshua and its original context as well as it’s interconnections to the rest of scripture as a whole. Furthermore there are invaluable application insights scattered throughout this work.
There are a few sections I am a little disappointed with, the first deals with the commentary on the killing of other nations. It is not that the commentary is not phenomenal rather I found it much too brief to be a great detailed depth if one would preach more than a handful of sermons on the these chapters. I therefore recommend this commentary highly amongst a packed field of worthy exegetical commentaries.
These books was provided to me free of charge from B&H Academic Press in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.

[Brent Keck · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is one that fits very well with how I teach OT texts. It always seems to hit just the right tone.

[Ebookwormy1 · Rating 4 out of 5]

An excellent commentary on Joshua that was valuable in supplementing our small group study. Highly recommended.