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Cornerstone Biblical Commentary
1-2 Chronicles
The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides students, pastors, and laypeople with up-to-date, accessible evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Presenting the message for each passage, as well as an overview of other issues relevant to the text, each volume equips pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge so they can better understand and apply God’s Word. This volume includes the entire NLT text of 1 and 2 Chronicles. Mark J. Boda (Ph.D., University of Cambridge) has authored numerous articles and books in addition to editing several collections of scholarly essays on various topics related to the Old Testament and Christian Theology. He taught for nine years at Canadian Theological Seminary before joining McMaster Divinity College in 2003. Mark enjoys mentoring students and teaches with enthusiasm about the Old Testament and its continued relevance to the Christian life today.
456 pages, ebook
First published March 17, 2010
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Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews
October 16, 2012
Structure:
The "Cornerstone Biblical Commentary" brings together a wealth of scholarship in a clearly presented and highly accessible format. Each larger section of text gets its own introductory section. Then each textual unit, usually of a chapter or two in length, gets its own separate treatment. The full text from the New Living Translation opens the section, then footnotes to the text, and detailed notes follow. The commentary section is next and covers sources used by the Chronicler, the structure and content of the section - which is where the primary exegesis happens, and then a concluding section titled "significance" where the author brings home the main themes from the text.
Features:
A detailed introduction to the books of Chronicles opens the work, and enumerates the setting, author, date, and audience. The canonicity and textual history of Chronicles are detailed, and literary and theological concerns are addressed. Space is also devoted to the major themes of the books of Chronicles, of which the author finds covenant relationship, an emphasis on renewing the present through remembering the past, and the prophetic office as key. And while the Chronicler emphasizes Judah's history, he repeatedly refers to "all Israel," Boda sees in this a concern for the fulfillment of a truly united Israel "comprised of inhabitants from both north and south united around the Temple, King, and Jerusalem" (p. 18). And intriguingly, he argues that "The omission of the history of the northern kingdom throughout the account is not intended as a slight against these tribes, but rather is used to play down the schism and to include them in `all Israel'" (p. 18). The introduction also includes a detailed outline of the books of Chronicles.
Other features of the commentary include a proprietary numbering system from Tyndale for the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words - similar to Strong's numbers, but coded to other reference works from Tyndale. Some numbers are also provided that key to Zondervan resources as well. A detailed list is also provided of key textual witnesses to 1 and 2 Chronicles, and the Old and New Testaments as a whole. Also included is an extensive explanation of the transliteration and numbering system employed in the commentary. Throughout the volume, charts, maps, chiastic structures, and timelines are provided, but all in black and white. The commentary makes thorough use of end notes after every section and introduction, as well. This allows it to remain highly technical but also more accessible to the average reader.
Evaluation:
This commentary over and again proves faithful to a high view of Scripture. Yet it is also extremely helpful in sorting out the techincal details in the text and catching the underlying theological vision of the Chronicler. Some of my readers may not be aware of how very different the books of Chronicles are from the books of Kings, and this commentary helps underscore and interpret these differences as being loaded with theological import rather than evidence against the divine ispiration of both groups of books. The books of Chronicles are full of lists and genealogies, and the technical bent of this commentary proves helpful in catpuring what is being communicated theologically by the Chronicler. The material is presented in a clear way and remains accessible to a wide variety of readers. I recommend this book for anyone who desires to study the books of Chronicles. I'm confident that it will prove helpful and steer you right.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
The "Cornerstone Biblical Commentary" brings together a wealth of scholarship in a clearly presented and highly accessible format. Each larger section of text gets its own introductory section. Then each textual unit, usually of a chapter or two in length, gets its own separate treatment. The full text from the New Living Translation opens the section, then footnotes to the text, and detailed notes follow. The commentary section is next and covers sources used by the Chronicler, the structure and content of the section - which is where the primary exegesis happens, and then a concluding section titled "significance" where the author brings home the main themes from the text.
Features:
A detailed introduction to the books of Chronicles opens the work, and enumerates the setting, author, date, and audience. The canonicity and textual history of Chronicles are detailed, and literary and theological concerns are addressed. Space is also devoted to the major themes of the books of Chronicles, of which the author finds covenant relationship, an emphasis on renewing the present through remembering the past, and the prophetic office as key. And while the Chronicler emphasizes Judah's history, he repeatedly refers to "all Israel," Boda sees in this a concern for the fulfillment of a truly united Israel "comprised of inhabitants from both north and south united around the Temple, King, and Jerusalem" (p. 18). And intriguingly, he argues that "The omission of the history of the northern kingdom throughout the account is not intended as a slight against these tribes, but rather is used to play down the schism and to include them in `all Israel'" (p. 18). The introduction also includes a detailed outline of the books of Chronicles.
Other features of the commentary include a proprietary numbering system from Tyndale for the Hebrew, Aramaic and Greek words - similar to Strong's numbers, but coded to other reference works from Tyndale. Some numbers are also provided that key to Zondervan resources as well. A detailed list is also provided of key textual witnesses to 1 and 2 Chronicles, and the Old and New Testaments as a whole. Also included is an extensive explanation of the transliteration and numbering system employed in the commentary. Throughout the volume, charts, maps, chiastic structures, and timelines are provided, but all in black and white. The commentary makes thorough use of end notes after every section and introduction, as well. This allows it to remain highly technical but also more accessible to the average reader.
Evaluation:
This commentary over and again proves faithful to a high view of Scripture. Yet it is also extremely helpful in sorting out the techincal details in the text and catching the underlying theological vision of the Chronicler. Some of my readers may not be aware of how very different the books of Chronicles are from the books of Kings, and this commentary helps underscore and interpret these differences as being loaded with theological import rather than evidence against the divine ispiration of both groups of books. The books of Chronicles are full of lists and genealogies, and the technical bent of this commentary proves helpful in catpuring what is being communicated theologically by the Chronicler. The material is presented in a clear way and remains accessible to a wide variety of readers. I recommend this book for anyone who desires to study the books of Chronicles. I'm confident that it will prove helpful and steer you right.
Disclaimer:
This book was provided by Tyndale House Publishers. I was under no obligation to offer a favorable review.
March 16, 2011
In this commentary, author Mark J. Boda has managed to continue the quality commentary that I expect from this series. My personal tendency is to criticize a commentary such as this one for not including enough comment on issues of biblical criticism, the language, and translation issues. But those are not the primary focus here. This commentary is designed to be read by the non-theologian and people who do not read Hebrew.
At the same time it does have considerable information on the structure of the book and on the language. I found the introduction to the genalogies (pp. 25-31) particularly helpful, because it takes on issues such as the purpose of the genealogies and why they are included in the way that they are. I’ve previously written about the importance of genealogies and why they should not be neglected. These pages make many of those points and a number more as well.
In the section on 1 Chronicles 1-9, the commentary section follows a consistent structure that differs from what it follows in the rest of the book. The first portion discusses sources. Chronicles is one of those sections of the Bible where we have source explicitly referenced and easily discernible. The second portion discusses structure and content. While most readers will probably be going more directly for content, the excellent discussion of structure is one of the strong points of this commentary. Finally, there is a section on significance, particularly important because we are dealing with genealogies.
The whole commentary is 449 pages, including the text of the NLT. The remainder of the commentary starting with 1 Chronicles 10 is follows the more standard format of comment on short passages in succession. The discussion is thorough. References to Hebrew are transliterated and explained adequately for someone who does not know the language. (Those who do read Hebrew will, or at least should, want to know more.)
I would like to have an index in a book like this. I realize that people generally read commentaries by going to the section on a passage in which they have an interest. I would like to be able to follow some themes, such as prayer, through the commentary, and an index would be extremely helpful.
The bibliography occupies 13 pages, and will prove useful. I don’t have enough knowledge of the literature in this area to criticize the content, but it looks quite good in general.
I’m delighted to be studying these two books using this commentary. I personally want more comments on the language, but that is something I can get from other commentaries. This one is accessible and useful especially to the pastor or teaching in the church.
At the same time it does have considerable information on the structure of the book and on the language. I found the introduction to the genalogies (pp. 25-31) particularly helpful, because it takes on issues such as the purpose of the genealogies and why they are included in the way that they are. I’ve previously written about the importance of genealogies and why they should not be neglected. These pages make many of those points and a number more as well.
In the section on 1 Chronicles 1-9, the commentary section follows a consistent structure that differs from what it follows in the rest of the book. The first portion discusses sources. Chronicles is one of those sections of the Bible where we have source explicitly referenced and easily discernible. The second portion discusses structure and content. While most readers will probably be going more directly for content, the excellent discussion of structure is one of the strong points of this commentary. Finally, there is a section on significance, particularly important because we are dealing with genealogies.
The whole commentary is 449 pages, including the text of the NLT. The remainder of the commentary starting with 1 Chronicles 10 is follows the more standard format of comment on short passages in succession. The discussion is thorough. References to Hebrew are transliterated and explained adequately for someone who does not know the language. (Those who do read Hebrew will, or at least should, want to know more.)
I would like to have an index in a book like this. I realize that people generally read commentaries by going to the section on a passage in which they have an interest. I would like to be able to follow some themes, such as prayer, through the commentary, and an index would be extremely helpful.
The bibliography occupies 13 pages, and will prove useful. I don’t have enough knowledge of the literature in this area to criticize the content, but it looks quite good in general.
I’m delighted to be studying these two books using this commentary. I personally want more comments on the language, but that is something I can get from other commentaries. This one is accessible and useful especially to the pastor or teaching in the church.
Displaying 1 - 2 of 2 reviews