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Daniel
The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.
Overview of Commentary Organization
Introduction--covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
Each section of the commentary includes:
Pericope Bibliography--a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
Translation--the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
Notes--the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
Form/Structure/Setting--a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
Comment--verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
Explanation--brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
General Bibliography--occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliography contains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.
Overview of Commentary Organization
Introduction--covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
Each section of the commentary includes:
Pericope Bibliography--a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
Translation--the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
Notes--the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
Form/Structure/Setting--a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
Comment--verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
Explanation--brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
General Bibliography--occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliography contains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.
624 pages, Hardcover
First published January 1, 2019
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About the author
John E. Goldingay
87 books67 followersJohn Goldingay is David Allan Hubbard Professor of Old Testament at Fuller Theological Seminary in Pasadena, California. An internationally respected Old Testament scholar, Goldingay is the author of many commentaries and books.
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
November 9, 2019
John Goldingay is a big name in the scholarly world, and I can understand why the editors of the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC) series would ask him to revise his popular volume rather than replace it. It’s also good to see this revision since we haven’t seen many new releases from this series in quite a while. A page near the beginning shows that several volumes are now in revision or are forthcoming. Likely you are aware of how highly rated this book is to scholars while in many cases it might not be as well-loved by conservative pastors. In short, the author has not changed his overall conclusions on the Book of Daniel, but he has expanded his explanations in several cases. The page count has grown by nearly 300 pages! I’ll make it easy for you to rate this volume if you’re already familiar with the one that has been around since 1989. The perspective has not moved to the right, but the scholarly contribution has been successfully updated to the point that I see this volume holding its lofty status for several more decades to come.
I compared his Introduction in the original volume since I had it on hand and have used it several times. I do not personally endorse his viewpoint, but I felt he explained it well and, in many cases, took on more introductory issues that were even found in the original volume. He even followed the reception of Daniel through the New Testament and into later history all the way to the current time. That is a fascinating contribution, to say the least. I thought his conclusion after studying Daniel scholarship in the 20th century was that nothing changed at all during that time was quite surprising.
For you scholarly types, the bibliography has also significantly grown. He knows how to operate in the unique WBC format and his notes for scholars in every passage are extensive. He looks at structure more than some of these volumes do and the part that pastors would find most interesting still remains in the Explanation section. Sometimes his conclusion about the text or historicity leads him to places where I would strongly disagree. I don’t think this revision will majorly raise perceptions that pastors hold about this volume, but scholars are likely to give it the highest rating. Even if you don’t subscribe to all the author’s viewpoints, the book is simply too significant not to have access to for any kind of study or research on Daniel.
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.
I compared his Introduction in the original volume since I had it on hand and have used it several times. I do not personally endorse his viewpoint, but I felt he explained it well and, in many cases, took on more introductory issues that were even found in the original volume. He even followed the reception of Daniel through the New Testament and into later history all the way to the current time. That is a fascinating contribution, to say the least. I thought his conclusion after studying Daniel scholarship in the 20th century was that nothing changed at all during that time was quite surprising.
For you scholarly types, the bibliography has also significantly grown. He knows how to operate in the unique WBC format and his notes for scholars in every passage are extensive. He looks at structure more than some of these volumes do and the part that pastors would find most interesting still remains in the Explanation section. Sometimes his conclusion about the text or historicity leads him to places where I would strongly disagree. I don’t think this revision will majorly raise perceptions that pastors hold about this volume, but scholars are likely to give it the highest rating. Even if you don’t subscribe to all the author’s viewpoints, the book is simply too significant not to have access to for any kind of study or research on Daniel.
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.
June 15, 2022
Really hard to rate it.
He is not conservative evangelical, but yet theological insights he offers make this really worthwhile commentary.
He annoyed me with this idea of someone telling you his story in the explanation sections. That was sooo overcooked.
He is not conservative evangelical, but yet theological insights he offers make this really worthwhile commentary.
He annoyed me with this idea of someone telling you his story in the explanation sections. That was sooo overcooked.
August 3, 2018
The book of Daniel is biblical book which can be complicated for the expositor to exegete. There are many commentaries which are superb such as Baldwin (TOTC), Longman (NIVAC), Ferguson (TPC), and Dugid (REC). Yet while each of these commentaries while important to the exegesis of a passage focus more on practical application and less on exegesis on the Hebrew text. One such work which focuses on the exegesis of the Hebrew text is Goldingay's commentary on Daniel in the Word Biblical Commentary (WBC).
The nature of the WBC is more of a scholarly critical with scholars usually raging from moderate to conservative critical commentaries. Goldingay's Daniel volume fall's into this spectrum and is one of the better entries into this legendary series. Specifically this volume is filled with thoughtful and useful exegesis yet unfortunately Goldingay hold's to a later composition date which makes some of his conclusions skewed in a more moderate critical position, such as he views Daniel 1-6 as allegorical "historiography"
Due to Daniel's mixture of historical narrative and prophecy, what most people want to know is what millennial position the exegete holds which will measure it's worth to the pastor/scholar. Goldingay exegetes from a amillennial position, and argues this position well. If one does not hold to this position this volume is still exceedingly helpful to understand this position as well as the historical narrative portions of Daniel. While he also draws conclusion that are exceedingly liberal the commentary as a whole is well worth using.
As with all WBC volumes the format is hard to use, the information contained with in it is worth the confusing format.
I received this work from Zondervan Academic, for the purpose of an unbiased review.
The nature of the WBC is more of a scholarly critical with scholars usually raging from moderate to conservative critical commentaries. Goldingay's Daniel volume fall's into this spectrum and is one of the better entries into this legendary series. Specifically this volume is filled with thoughtful and useful exegesis yet unfortunately Goldingay hold's to a later composition date which makes some of his conclusions skewed in a more moderate critical position, such as he views Daniel 1-6 as allegorical "historiography"
Due to Daniel's mixture of historical narrative and prophecy, what most people want to know is what millennial position the exegete holds which will measure it's worth to the pastor/scholar. Goldingay exegetes from a amillennial position, and argues this position well. If one does not hold to this position this volume is still exceedingly helpful to understand this position as well as the historical narrative portions of Daniel. While he also draws conclusion that are exceedingly liberal the commentary as a whole is well worth using.
As with all WBC volumes the format is hard to use, the information contained with in it is worth the confusing format.
I received this work from Zondervan Academic, for the purpose of an unbiased review.
March 19, 2021
Outstanding!
Relational.
A-Millennial.
Goldingay helps us to appreciate what prophets were really up to when they prophesied.
Relational.
A-Millennial.
Goldingay helps us to appreciate what prophets were really up to when they prophesied.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews