Customer Reviews

Commentary on Matthew VIII-XVIII: A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew (International Critical Commentary, Vol. 2)

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I own a lot of biblical commentaries. I have shelves and shelves full of commentaries. As a pastor, I have a responsibility to make sure that the message I am proclaiming is a responsible, well-informed, theologically grounded interpretation of the biblical passage at hand that says something to us about who God is and what that means for how we are called to go about living our lives. Some biblical passages are, quite simply, difficult to understand. I routinely take comfort in the fact that there have been countless generations of Christians before me who have wrestled with similar questions about how to interpret scripture faithfully in a particular context. There are many people who have devoted much time and energy to reading scripture and telling others what it all means. Frankly, I find some much more helpful than others. Sometimes I read commentaries and find myself thinking, "I didn't learn a thing from that." Other times, I think, "Well, that was interesting historical background, but I'm still left with the question of what this means for me and for the community of faith for which I have a responsibility to provide spiritual leadership." And at other times, I find myself thinking, "I could have done better than that myself."

In all my travels through the scriptures, and in all the time and energy I have spent poring over commentaries and other theological tomes, I have found only two commentaries on Matthew's gospel that I consistently find to be helpful, clear, informative, grounded, articulate, and thought-provoking. I have found only two that, when I read them, I have "Aha!" moments, and I find myself energized and amazed by what I am reading, and can't wait to share it with others. I have found only two that have a solid understanding of the historical context combined with a tremendous depth of theological insight. One of them is Thomas G. Long's commentary in the Westminster Bible Companion series. The other is this three-volume commentary in the International Critical Commentary series.

This is a heavy tome indeed. There is well over two thousand pages worth of material in these three volumes. This is not for the casual reader, not for an average lay person who is just wanting a fairly straightforward interpretation without a lot of technicality. If you're looking for that, try Long's volume instead. If, on the other hand, you want solid critical scholarship that offers a careful reading of the Greek text, an analysis of historical and literary issues that impact on the meaning of the text, AND (not least!) that tremendous depth of theological insight that I mentioned a moment ago, this set of books is just what you need. How nice it is -- just to give one example out of hundreds I could give -- to read several pages of pretty heavy-duty commentary on the parable of the laborers of the vineyard in Matthew 20 and then come to words like this: "For the main teaching is indeed about how God rewards human beings according to his unexpected goodness -- although that teaching functions as much as warning as encouragement. Hence the less deserving may receive as much as the more deserving. Like the Spirit, the divine grace blows where it wills." This is a critical commentary that dares to be theological as well -- and does so in ways that I find consistently impressive. Thank you, W. D. Davies and Dale C. Allison Jr., for the work that YOU have done laboring in the vineyard.

I agree with the previous reviewer: This three volume series is tremendous! This is a review of volume two, but all three volumes feature exhaustive exegesis and extensive discussions on every imaginable issue that arises from the text of Matthew's Gospel.

Surprisingly, I agree with many of Davies and Allison's judgments. They demonstrate that the parables of Matthew 13 are designed to be an explanation for why John and Jesus get rejected in Matthew 11-12. Jesus' authority over nature with the walking on the water and the catching of Peter demonstrates that Jesus can do what Psalm 107 declares only God can do. Although the authors believe that the feeding of the 4000 may have been another example of a Matthaen doublet, they also feel that a real, historical event lies in the background, a much more moderately conservative take than I expected.

Davies and Allison surprised me by declaring that Matthew 16:13-20 presents Peter as being given unique authority, more so than what was apparently given to the other apostles, and that there is reason to be open to the Roman Catholic interpretation of this watershed text.

I disagreed with their assessment of the Transfiguration story in Matthew 17. They feel that the prophecy of 16:28 leading into the Transfiguration account is a prophecy of the 2nd Coming of Jesus or the resurrection of Jesus, or maybe both. I can't see how it could be both, and if Matthew follows Mark, then I would say that the prophecy of 16:28 must refer to the events in chapter, namely, the Transfiguration and the majestic, harrowing voice of God the Father that follows.

The book is like a great exegetical feast. You definitely get what you pay for! Some of the discussions of Greek prepositions and particles and parts of speech in my view didn't really add to the discussion, and I skimmed a few of these sections. But all I can say about this set is that I love it.

At first this work might seem daunting given the three volumes to cover the one Gospel, but there is so much information packed into these three volumes that you will often find yourself wishing for even more detail. This is the standard reference work for Matthew whether you are a scholar or a pastor.