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Isaiah
The book of Isaiah has been regarded from the earliest Christian period as a key part of the Old Testament's witness to Jesus Christ. This commentary by highly regarded Old Testament scholar J. Gordon McConville draws on the best of biblical scholarship as well as the Christian tradition to offer a substantive and useful commentary on Isaiah.
McConville treats Isaiah as an ancient Israelite document that speaks to twenty-first-century Christians. He examines the text section by section--offering a fresh translation, textual notes, paragraph-level commentary, and theological reflection--and shows how the prophetic words are framed to persuade audiences.
Grounded in rigorous scholarship but useful for those who preach and teach, this volume is the second in a new series on the Prophets. Series volumes are both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Series editors are Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College, and J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire.
McConville treats Isaiah as an ancient Israelite document that speaks to twenty-first-century Christians. He examines the text section by section--offering a fresh translation, textual notes, paragraph-level commentary, and theological reflection--and shows how the prophetic words are framed to persuade audiences.
Grounded in rigorous scholarship but useful for those who preach and teach, this volume is the second in a new series on the Prophets. Series volumes are both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Series editors are Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College, and J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire.
791 pages, Kindle Edition
Published April 25, 2023
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September 18, 2023
Here’s a major new commentary on the pivotal OT book of Isaiah in the newly emerging Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT) series. I had seen Mr. McConville’s names on some older works, but had not been immersed in his writings overall. I would judge this new work as a major commentary on Isaiah.
With 728 pages of text this is a thorough work, but not overly prolix as Isaiah gets two volumes in many series. The work itself is in-depth, scholarly, clearly written, and winsome. The only downside is that for me it’s simply too liberal in places. The discerning reader can still glean a great deal.
These traits become quickly obvious in the Introduction. On the one hand, there’s good background material and a sufficient discussion of structure. On the other hand, the obsession with redaction skews conclusions at times and can even read like old-style redaction. The Introduction also is a bit brief.
The commentary proper is much more valuable even if some underlying assumptions remain. It’s value is clearly its exegesis. On that score it’s excellent. The footnotes show careful scholarship too. Perhaps the theology is not the caliber of the exegesis, but it still has value.
This book will give an alternate viewpoint in some cases to, say, the NICOT, but it could easily be turned to profitable ends and so I recommend it.
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.
With 728 pages of text this is a thorough work, but not overly prolix as Isaiah gets two volumes in many series. The work itself is in-depth, scholarly, clearly written, and winsome. The only downside is that for me it’s simply too liberal in places. The discerning reader can still glean a great deal.
These traits become quickly obvious in the Introduction. On the one hand, there’s good background material and a sufficient discussion of structure. On the other hand, the obsession with redaction skews conclusions at times and can even read like old-style redaction. The Introduction also is a bit brief.
The commentary proper is much more valuable even if some underlying assumptions remain. It’s value is clearly its exegesis. On that score it’s excellent. The footnotes show careful scholarship too. Perhaps the theology is not the caliber of the exegesis, but it still has value.
This book will give an alternate viewpoint in some cases to, say, the NICOT, but it could easily be turned to profitable ends and so I recommend it.
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.
Displaying 1 of 1 review