Reproduction of the original: The Expositor’s Bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets, Vol. 2 by George Adam Smith

Reproduction of the original: The Expositor’s Bible: The Book of the Twelve Prophets, Vol. I by George Adam Smith

This seminal and comprehensive study of Targum Jonathan to Zephaniah focuses on two major facets of exegesis: The twenty-one manuscripts from five different provenances, reflecting a variety of textual traditions and scribal erudition, thus revealing distinct stemmas; and the history of transmission of Targum Jonathan. Divergences from the literality of the MT unveil the emotions – fear, dismay, and hope – and the prayers of the meturgeman, as he reacts to historical events in the near past and in his own time.

The eloquent and uncompromising calls for social righteousness by the Minor Prophets are familiar to many, yet the writings themselves are probably the least-studied and least-known texts of the Old Testament. Those who are familiar with these books are also aware of the historical and literary problems that plague their study. Drawing on theological, historical, and literary insights, Leslie Allen’s commentary on Joel, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah carefully and imaginatively reconstructs the context in which the original Hebrew audience received the prophets’ messages. In turn, Allen shows what relevance they hold for contemporary Christians. For each of the books, Allen includes a substantial introduction, presenting and assessing a broad range of scholarship, a select bibliography, and an extensive commentary on the author’s own translation of the text. Allen pays special attention to Micah, in which he treats at greater length many of the forms and motifs that also appear in Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah. The introductory material for Joel includes discussions of canonicity and textual criticism that apply to the entire volume.

Jonah Through the Centuries Jonah through the Centuries is a systematic examination of the reception history of the book of Jonah, long-recognized for its numerous theological implications and diverse interpretations. The first book of its kind written in English, this singular volume provides a lucid and coherent commentary on the most influential re-readings of Jonah in Jewish, Christian, Muslim, and secular traditions. Author Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer progresses slowly through the book of Jonah verse-by-verse—even word-by-word through key verses such as Jonah 1:1 and 2:1—to offer readers deep insight into the many and multifaceted interpretations of Jonah from early Jewish readings to modern literary retellings. Structured thematically rather than strictly chronologically, the text begins with the earliest interpretation and follows its trendline all the way through to modern times before turning to the next-oldest interpretation. The commentary covers a broad range of retellings in many languages and in various media including commentaries, sermons, prose, poetry, theatrical drama, art, and music, and analyses interpretations of both often-cited and lesser-known verses from the book of Jonah, interacting with an international range of literary retellings of the book of Jonah, offered in English translation. Throughout the text, the author demonstrates how all these retellings ultimately originate within the biblical text itself and highlights how many of the interpretations are fuelled and influenced by the interpreter’s religious background, cultural assumptions, and their preconceived notions of what the text should say. Jonah through the Centuries is an invaluable resource for educated clergy, undergraduate and graduate students in both seminaries and universities, scholars and academics, and general readers with interest in the reception of biblical texts in literature, art, and music.

Piles of Slain, Heaps of Corpses reads the violence in the book of Nahum against the background of the war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo and tries to show how this violent book can be therapeutic and transformative for wounded communities. Here Jacob Onyumbe views Nahum through four scholarly lenses: poetic analysis, study of Assyrian iconography related to eighth- and seventh-century Judah, ethnographic research among survivors of war in the Democratic Republic of the Congo, and modern studies on the impact of war trauma on communities of survivors. He argues that Nahum uses lyric poetry so as to evoke in seventh-century BCE Judahite audiences the memory of war and destruction at the hands of the Assyrians. The prophet uses poetry to evoke (rather than narrate) in order to bring comfort to his audience by revealing the powerful presence of God in the conditions of traumatic violence. Viewed thus, the book of Nahum cannot be dismissed (as has commonly been the case among both scholars and general readers) as irrelevant or merely vindictive. On the contrary, this book—with its depiction of a vengeful God and repulsive war scenes—is essential, especially for traumatized communities.

In this commentary on Haggai and Malachi, Mignon Jacobs offers clear and insightful interpretation of the text while highlighting themes that are especially relevant to contemporary concerns, such as honoring or dishonoring God, the responsibilities of leaders, questioning God, and hearing the prophetic word in challenging times. Engaging with the latest scholarship, Jacobs provides a thorough introduction to both prophets in which she addresses questions of authorship, date, purpose, structure, and theology, followed by a new translation of the biblical text and a verse-by-verse commentary. With intertextual discussions about key aspects of the text and attention to competing perspectives, this commentary offers a rich new interpretation of Haggai and Malachi.