Ruth: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible (8)

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament #8

by Daniel I. Block

"The Zondervan Old Testament Exegetical Commentary Series serves pastors and teachers by providing them with a careful analysis and interpretation of the biblical text, rooted in a study of the Hebrew text of the Old Testament and intended to track the flow of the argument in each book and passage. Key Features of the Series In our effort to serve pastors and teachers in their study of the text of the Old Testament for ministry, Zondervan has developed a set of distinctive features for this series. A Graphical Display of the Text of Each Passage This visual thought flow of the passage will enable the reader to grasp quickly and accurately the main idea of the text, its development, and supporting ideas. For readability, the graphical display will be done in the commentator s own English translation of the passage. A few paragraphs of discussion following this display will seek to enable the reader to understand how the commentator arrived at this depiction and interpretation of the passage. Identification and Discussion of the Main Idea of Each Passage Special emphasis will be placed on identifying and discussing the main thrust of each passage and showing how it contributes to the development of the whole composition. The main idea will be illustrated in the graphical display, discussed in the introduction to the passage, and reflected upon in the Theological and Canonical Significance section of the commentary. Help in Drawing Out the Meaning of the Hebrew for Interpretation The goal of this exegetical commentary series will be to draw on Hebrew grammar in the service of meaning. Hebrew will not be discussed for the sake of better understanding Hebrew alone. Whenever a Hebrew construction affects the interpretation of the text, this feature will be discussed and explained. Theological and Canonical Significance This portion of the commentary will focus on providing a theological and applicational discussion of the main thrust of the passage. This section will build the theological discussion on the exegesis of the text by synthesizing the theology of the passage and elaborating on it.""

Genres: Old Testament, Biblical Studies

308 pages, Hardcover

First published December 15, 2015

About the author

Daniel I. Block (DPhil, University of Liverpool) is Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College in Wheaton, Illinois. He is the author of several books and numerous essays and has written commentaries on Deuteronomy, Judges-Ruth, and Ezekiel. He has also been involved in the production of the New Living Translation of the Bible and lectures and preaches around the world.

Reviews

[Jimmy · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best technical commentary on the book of Ruth I would recommend. If you read the book of Ruth in the Bible it is only four chapters and yet this commentary is 271 pages long (308 pages if you go by what the publishers say), filled with insights properly extrapolated from God’s Word that is exegetical in nature; that is, it is filled with grammatical and syntactical observation from the Hebrew text along with word study and exploration of a passage’s intertextuality. An aspect of this commentary that makes it unique is the author’s use of discourse analysis. There are many things readers will learn from God’s Word here and I was blown away with what I discover in this book that led me to worship God and Christ more! While I have in the past enjoyed other titles in the Zondervan Old Testament Exegetical Commentary Series this one would be one that I would highly recommend.
The book begins with a very good introduction to the book of Ruth. I enjoyed the author’s discussion of the book’s literary style, canonical position of the book and the theological significance of the book of Ruth. The author believes that Ruth was written in the late seventh century and for me this is rather late. As a result of that position he also believes the author of Ruth is familiar with the prophecy in Micah 5:2-5 concerning the Messiah and is thus excited with the implication of what that means looking back at the story of Ruth and how Elimelech is from Bethlehem. Even if you don’t agree with the author’s view Daniel Block still should be read for his scholarly insight from the book of Ruth.
The commentary does a good job in examining individual text units in the book of Ruth in an organized and helpful manner. Each periscope begins with a summary of the main idea of the passage that states this in a one or two sentence summary. This is followed by a discussion of the literary context in terms of how the passage relates to the whole. Then there’s a translation and exegetical outline followed by structure and literary form survey and then a verse by verse explanation of the text. Finally there’s a discussion about the canonical and practical significance of the section.
One thing that I love about this work is the intertextuality that the author points out between the book of Ruth and other passages in Scripture. For instance both Ruth 3:11 and Proverbs 31:10 uses a Hebrew word for nobility that only appear twice in the canon and thus there is a suggestion that Ruth is the supreme example of nobility described in Proverbs 31.
I am so glad I used this commentary when I taught through the book of Ruth for my church on Sundays. What this book taught me went beyond some of the observations found in other commentaries. I would rank this as my favorite commentary on the book of Ruth. Its my opinion every bible expositor preaching and teaching through the book of Ruth should have this as a resource.
NOTE: This book was provided to me free by Zondervan Academic and Net Galley without any obligation for a positive review. All opinions offered above are mine unless otherwise stated or implied.

[Nathan Hunter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Block's exegetical analysis of Ruth is an excellent resource which strikes a decent balance at being a summary and being exhaustive in its dealings with the text. However, much of the book's exhaustive sections are useless to readers without a strong knowledge of Hebrew.

[Daniel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Helpful for Ruth. Layout and formatting is at times bothersome.

[Zack · Rating 4 out of 5]

A solid commentary on the book of Ruth. Eminently useful for understanding the relationships between phrases, and how they are significant to making a full exposition and application of the text. There is good tie-in material to redemptive history and broader biblical theology. Block helpfully clarifies and demystifies the legal details of the levirate marriage and kinsman-redeemer feature. I would highly recommend this commentary.

He tends to be a bit redundant at points, he uses the NIV in most places, and his own line-by-line translation is pretty dynamic-equivalence-y on the whole. Thus, 4/5

[Pam Larson · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary is part of the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series. It is a scholarly commentary. When the author refers to the Hebrew text it is not transliterated.
The commentary starts with the usual introductory matters (date, genre, etc.).
The format of the commentary in this series is:
1. The Main Idea of the Passage
2. Literary Context
3. Translation and Exegetical Outline
4. Structure and Literary Form
5. Explanation of the Text
6. Canonical and Practical Significance
The appendix contains the author's translation of the text presented in the form of a 4-act drama.
When I compared the explanations of the text in this book to the author's earlier commentary on Judges/Ruth in the NAC series, he seems to repeat what he said in the earlier book for the most part. (This is the only reason I rated this book 4 stars instead of 5.) However, the additional sections made this commentary worthwhile.
Here are some excerpts from the author's conclusion in his final paragraph:
"the primary significance of Ruth within the biblical canon... that this cluster of righteous individuals in the dark days of the judges represents a vital link in the human chain that ends ultimately in Jesus Christ, the son of David, the Messiah... even in those desperate times the hidden hand of God was at work not only preserving the royal line that he had in mind from the beginning, but also ensuring that that line would represent all humanity... In both covenantal elements, the Abrahamic-Israelite covenant and the Davidic covenant, YHWH had the blessing of all humanity in view. Ruth represented that humanity... If God can extend his wings of refuge to this Moabite woman, adopt her into his covenant family and, against all odds, incorporate her so thoroughly in his agenda that she becomes the [great-]grandmother of the Savior, surely the grace and ḥesed represented by his wings are open to all."

[James · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is an excellent technical commentary full of insights and explanations. You will struggle to find a better technical commentary on Ruth. However, this book is let down slightly by its occasional disinclination and sometimes outright refusal to let the book of Ruth speak of Christ, which it surely does.

[Guillaume Bourin · Rating 4 out of 5]

E.X.C.E.L.L.E.N.T! If you need a thorough introduction on the history of scholarship of Ruth, this is not the book you are looking for. If you want a deep exegetical and syntactical analysis, buy it. You won't regret it :)

[Ethan McCarter · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great commentary for Ruth! His translations can get a bit odd from time to time, but overall it's a solid Evangelical commentary on the book. If you're preaching or studying through Ruth, and you have some background in Hebrew, you'd find the book helpful.

[Travis Johnston · Rating 5 out of 5]

Best commentary on Ruth that I have read so far.

[Jon · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary on the book of Ruth. Deals with the main issues, points to Jesus.

[Marcus McCollom · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent commentary

[Ryan Ross · Rating 2 out of 5]

The format of this series works so much better in the New Testament. I ended up skimming by the end.

[A.C. Ham · Rating 5 out of 5]

Very insightful! Didn't have to read all of it for my project, but did anyways. I will definitely revisit this book again (probably for a video).

[John Kight · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel I. Block is a household name in the field of Old Testament studies. He is the Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament at Wheaton College where he has served for over a decade, and is author, co-author, and/or editor of numerous books, including the two-volume commentary on The Book of Ezekiel in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series, Deuteronomy in the NIV Application Commentary series, Judges & Ruth in the New American Commentary series, and much more. Most recently, functioning as the general editor of the series and the author of this volume on Ruth, Block has produced a captivating analysis into the theological corners of one of the most important narratives of the Hebrew Bible.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament: Ruth opens with an up-to-date selected bibliography of some the most important works related to the book of Ruth, as well as Block’s own translation of the Hebrew text. Block’s translation is exceptional. It was easy-to-read, faithful to the text, and true to the narratival genre as a whole. Following the translation, the reader will encounter a firmly situated introduction that addresses standard introductory matters, such as date, authorship, the providence of composition, major theological themes, style, structure, etc. The commentary proper is organized under six sections that guide the reader through the text: (1) The Main Idea of the Passage, (2) Literary Context, (3) Translation and Exegetical Outline, (4) Structure and Literary Form, (5) Explanation of the Text, (6) Canonical and Practical Significance. This format is extremely helpful in that it allows the reader to narrow in on the details of the text with a broader sense of the passage and book at large.

The high points of this commentary are overflowing. As mentioned above, the format and structure of the book is intentionally sensitive to the task of the end user. This means that the pastor and/or teacher will be more than pleased with the content and organization of the book as they seek to preach or teach through this important story. Block helpfully recognizes the importance of the narrative genre and does an excellent job bringing this feature to the surface throughout. For example, the outline of the book (p. 58) has been presented thematically as a type of narrative drama, and thus Block labels the sections and subsections accordingly (i.e. Act I, Act II, Act III, Act IV, Scene 1, Scene 2, Scene 3, etc.). Moreover, Block has also included a dramatized reading of the narrative to be used within an ecclesiastical setting, and thus mimic the original hearing of the story (p. 263). This narratival emphasis alone warrants a home for this volume on your bookshelf. I also found Block’s interaction with the text to be consistently helpful in recognizing the larger picture and significance of the book as a whole. Finally, it is worth mentioning, unlike the New Testament volumes in the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary series, this Old Testament volume include Hebrew and English in the presentation of the diagramed text. This is especially useful for those that know the original language, but those do may not will still find great benefit.

Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament: Ruth by Daniel I. Block is, in many ways, representative of how a commentary should be executed if the end goal is to be the faithful proclamation of a biblical narrative. Block has intentionally brought together helpful features that are rarely found between a single binding, and has thus done an outstanding job guiding the reader on both a macro and micro level. Moreover, his consistent narratival emphasis allows the reader to remain focused on the broader picture being painted throughout the story, as well as the main theological themes therein. While the commentary is certainly detailed in exegetical riches, I am confident that even those with little or no understanding of the biblical languages will be able to use this volume with tremendous benefit. If you are preparing to preach or teach through the book of Ruth, or simply interested in a detailed investigation into this important biblical story, this will be a volume that you cannot afford to be without.

I received a review copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255: “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.

[Michael Boling · Rating 5 out of 5]

Over the past year or so, I have become less of a hoarder of commentaries and commentary sets. In my bible college and seminary days, I used such tools extensively as they are required resources for writing research papers and for a number of other academically related tasks. With that said, when I see a commentary, especially one on a rather favorite book of Scripture, namely that of Ruth, I typically jump at the chance to take a look to see what the author has to offer, hoping to find some further nugget of truth and information. Daniel Block’s commentary on Ruth as part of Zondervan’s Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series, is just such a commentary I had the opportunity to dig into of late.

There is much to enjoy about this commentary. For starters, it is not a 25 pound weight that you dread pulling off your bookshelf in fear of straining your triceps. It is a manageable size and thus is not intimidating looking from a sheer volume standpoint. Those who are not a fan of large academic minded commentaries that are hard to read and even harder to understand, should have no fear as Block does not take that tact in this volume. Conversely, with pastors and laymen in mind, he approaches the text in a manner that is extremely helpful. Mind you he does not shy away from engaging academic related elements concerning the text, but he does it in a way that is very understandable and accessible to both seasoned theologian and those who might be new to the subject matter, in this case the book of Ruth.

Another valuable aspect about this commentary that is related to the aforementioned ease of reading, is the numerous helpful tools that accompany each section. For example, before his commentary on each periscope of Ruth, he provides the main idea of the passage, the literary context, structure and literary forms such as chiastic structure, and on several occasions gives the reader very helpful tables, charts, and other visual aids before he even gets to an explanation of the text. Such background information is hugely helpful to the reader as it sets the important foundation.

Finally, Block provides in Appendix A something quite interesting that I have yet to see in other commentaries. He gives instructions on how to do a dramatic reading of the book of Ruth complete with how to set the dramatic reading up as well as the dialogue to be read. This is a really neat tool by which to use in a Sunday School setting, both for young children and teenagers. In fact, homeschoolers, especially those with larger families or who are part of homeschool cooperatives, might find this a fun activity as part of Bible or drama class.

I highly recommend Daniel Block’s commentary on Ruth. It is engaging, replete with a plethora of helpful tools for understanding the text, and he provides a wealth of information that will assuredly help the reader better understand the message of Ruth in keeping with the overall message of restoration and redemption found throughout Scripture.

I received this book for free from Zondervan and the opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Michael Philliber · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Biblical book known as "Ruth" is one of my favorites to read and preach through. Therefore I was delighted to see that Daniel I Block, Gunther H. Knoedler Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College, has crafted a unique commentary on Ruth titled "Ruth: The King is Coming". It is part of the "Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament," a series that Block is general editor for. This 304 page hardback is meant for seminary professors, preachers, and knowledgeable Bible teachers. The Hebrew and Hebrew grammar is presented in such a way that a mild knowledge of Biblical Hebrew will make the commentary even more valuable.

Block looks at the authorial style of "Ruth" in which the initial recipients of the story are "hearers" not essentially "readers. The author of this commentary approaches his work through discourse analysis, which is not only to understand what the text says, but also how it is said. He thinks through the placing of Ruth in the canonical corpus, and the connection it makes to the Pentateuch as well as the prophetic writings of Judges, and 1 and 2 Samuel. Block continues to hearken back, through ears attuned to the story, to the canonical flow of Ruth. The Biblical depth is robust, and Block's directional reminders - how Ruth takes us to David, and ultimately the greater son of David - makes the commentary solid and sound.

The commentary's format has an all-out translation of Ruth, an introduction to the Biblical material, and an extended commentary. In the commentary itself the pattern follows a simple approach; there's the main idea of the passage; it's literary context; translational and exegetical outline; the structure and literary form found in the passage; and rich and in-depth explanation of the text; and finally the canonical and practical significance.

The commentary's time looking at the canonical and practical significance asks and answers five questions, very similar to worldview questions. What does the passage tell the listeners about God? What are we told about the world and society broadly? How does this text address the human condition, the nature of sin and the destiny of humankind? What does a particular section tell us about how God relates to humans? And finally, what, in the passage, is our appropriate response ethically and spiritually, to the work of God? This is a delightfully enriching approach to Ruth.

The commentary's author, out of a desire to restore "listenership" to a congregation or audience has an appendix piece that maps out a sample dramatic reading of Ruth. It is detailed enough to be easily picked up and employed. Thought there is some staging and gesturing, the focus is to be on the reading out-loud, and attuned hearing.

"Ruth: The King is Coming" is a technical commentary is well worth the time and cerebral sweat. The reader will find devotional material for themselves, as well as sermonic substance for their parishioners. While reading the commentary I thought to myself several times, "I think Ruth would make a great Advent series next year!" I gladly recommend this book.

My gratitude to Zondervan Academic and Netgalley for the loan of an electronic copy used for this review.

[Craig Hurst · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wheaton College Old Testament professor and writer Daniel L. Block has recently written Ruth: A Discourse Analysis of the Hebrew Bible (Zondervan, 2015), which is part of the newer Zondervan Exegetical Commentary series on the Old and New Testaments. Block is also the general editor for the Old Testament portion of the series.

These commentaries separate themselves from other solid commentary series in the following ways:

Main Idea – Basing itself on all of the work to follow, the main idea of the passage is briefly explained at the beginning of each chapter.
Literary Context – Each passage is placed in its most immediate context and then within the broader context of the book itself.
Translation and Exegetical Outline – In my mind this is where the commentary excels. The author provides a fresh translation of the passage which is accompanied by several features: (1) the passage is arranged line by line with corresponding chiastic structured labeling (1a, 1b, 1c – 2a, 2b, 2c), (2) the Hebrew text is line by line next to the translation, and (3) each movement of the text is identified in an outline format with short descriptions.
Structure and Literary Forms – Here, the relevant and significant structural and literary features of the passage are briefly mentioned. This includes things like word repetition, changes in grammar, stylistic features, verb usages, etc.
Explanation of the Text – While this is the bulk of any commentary, this section is predominately dominated by the literary structure of the passage. Compared to other exegetical commentaries, this section is noticeably shorter book for book but does not skimp on content. They get to the point and allow the other aspects to fill in.
Canonical and Practical Significance – This final section links the passages connection to the rest of the book and the whole Bible when applicable. It also bridges the world of the Bible to today’s world with practical application that is sensitive to the context of the passage.
In regards to Block’s commentary on Ruth, the most notable feature under-girding all of his work in the book is his focus on Ruth as a drama. As such the pericopes are seen in terms of act’s in a play. Further, the translation of the book has a more narrative feel to it as compared to other standard translations.

While knowledge of Hebrew is certainly ideal, those who are not familiar with it will still gain much from Block’s work. Block is one of those writers who seems to hit a home run with every book he writes and this book is no exception. Though Block has already written a commentary on Ruth for the New American Commentary series, this time around gave him the chance to visit the text once again with new eyes and provide a fresh take on a familiar book.

I heartily recommend Ruth by Block for anyone looking to gain a better understanding of the book, especially from an exegetical and literary perspective.

I received this book for free from Zondervan for this review. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255 : “Guides Concerning the Use of Endorsements and Testimonials in Advertising.”

[Charles Carter · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is an excellent commentary on one of my favourite books of the Bible. Sadly, this commentary came to me only after having taught through the book of Ruth 4 or 5 times already, so I wasn't able to benefit from it until later in life. However, once I got it I was able to use it, at least twice, and it has easily become one of my favourite commentaries for this book, and the series as a whole is one of my new favourite go-to collections.

[Jimmy Reagan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Daniel Block’s commentary on Ruth is a prototype commentary in the major exegetical commentary category. Perhaps you are like me, and already loved his commentary on Judges and Ruth in the New American Commentary series. Most reviewers always thought his section on Ruth was not quite as outstanding as the one on Judges. Though I still found it valuable, that was probably a fair assessment. So what did Mr. Block go and do here? He has given us what is likely the best exegetical commentary on the Book of Ruth that we have today.

This book is one of the early volumes in the emerging ZECOT series. The bar remains high for future volumes. It continues the discourse analysis approach, which is merely keeping the narrative flow ever in view.

His Introduction to Ruth was tantalizing. He uncovers things usually overlooked and that provides us great help in our goal of grasping the book of Ruth. For example, I hadn’t thought about the fact that the namesake of the book speaks the least often of the three main characters. These kinds of clues really tell us something. His following of the narrative flow helps bring out wonderfully the structure and literary style of the book. Best of all, his brief overview of the theological message of Ruth was outstanding. I might see more in the messianic significance than he does, but the Introduction is still top-notch.

The commentary itself is all that you could hope for. It follows carefully the ZECOT layout and uses it to the best advantage. In addition, there are some charts along the way that really added something helpful to my comprehension. As a bonus, he provides a dramatic reading of the Book of Ruth in an appendix.

Not only is this an extraordinary commentary, it was enjoyable to read someone who not only loved the book of Ruth, but the God of Ruth as well. Label this one – a must buy!

I received this book free from the publisher. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own. I am disclosing this in accordance with the Federal Trade Commission’s 16 CFR, Part 255.

[Debbie · Rating 5 out of 5]

"Ruth" is an in-depth examination of the text of Ruth along with a discussion of what the reader was probably intended to understand from it. For example, why was the book of Ruth included and placed where it is in the various cannons?

The author started by discussing the various possibilities of who wrote the book and when. He then examined the Hebrew text for overall sentence structures (A B C C B A patterns and such) as well as Hebrew words and sentence constructions that have significance but which don't translate well into English.

You don't have to know Hebrew to understand this analysis, but you'll probably get more out of it if you do. I know only a little Hebrew, but I still found the discussion very interesting. Some parts of the discussion really made me think, and others helped to clear up my thinking about conflicting opinions I've heard. For example, I always felt that "feet" literally meant "feet" in this story, and the author's analysis confirmed that this was true.

The author also gave some application points. These Zondervan Exegetical Commentaries tend to get more in-depth than most laymen (like me) need, but I've always learned new and interesting things from them. I'd recommend this commentary to teachers, students, pastors, and anyone who wants an in-depth look at Ruth.

I received an ebook review copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley.

[Lindsay John Kennedy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Review here
http://mydigitalseminary.com/ruth-zecot/

[Cole Brandon · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thorough, overkill for the pastor though, and speculative at times.

[Jonathan · Rating 3 out of 5]

Ruth is a heart-warming book. This book fans the heat and examines Ruth's story with an eye for detail while never losing the big picture. Good read.

[Jordan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Another excellent addition to the commentary set.

[Dan · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ruth written by Daniel I. Block, who also serves as the General Editor of the series and published by Zondervan, is part of the Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament Series. There are many different kinds of commentaries written in different ways and to a variety of different contexts, some are written with the laymen in mind, some with the Bible Student, some with the Pastor. This commentary is aimed at Pastors., Bible Teachers, and Bible Students.

Unlike many exegetical commentaries Ruth is not as highly technical as it could be, while discussion of the Hebrew is not kept to the footnotes like some other commentaries, the reader does not need to be highly skilled in Hebrew to use this commentary. With that said, a rudimentary understanding of Hebrew is helpful and good understanding will help even more.

Ruth begins with the typical study into the introductory matters of this book of the Bible, yet while introductions are common; this introduction is atypical of most commentaries. It is not that this work does dive into history and recent scholarship, which The Book of Ruth does a phenomenal job of rather, it is the thoroughness that Block takes with these introductory matters which makes this commentary atypical. In a day where these matters are either glossed over to get to the exegesis of the text or are so cumbersome that they become useless, Block though has found a good balance in being thorough, communicating depth and attention to recent scholarship, without losing the forest in the trees.

In reference to the commentary on the text of this book of history, Block takes painstaking care in carefully showing the original context of passage while sprinkling practical application to the reader throughout the textual commentary. Yet while this commentary can be technical it is not so overtly technical that it obscures the helpfulness of the commentary.

One of the weaknesses of this commentary and the series as a whole is the lack of practical application, while it is scattered throughout the commentary there could be a more substantial section of application for each periscope that Dr. Block breaks the book down into. In the end I would recommend this book in collaboration with others if one is looking to preach or teach though the book of Ruth in depth.

This book was provided to me free of charge from Zondervan Publishing via NetGalley in exchange for an unbiased, honest review.

Ruth: An Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament

© 2015 by Daniel I. Block

Publisher: Zondervan

Page Count: 304 Pages

ISBN-13: 978-0310282983