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A Critical and Exegetical Commentary on the Gospel According to Saint Matthew (The International Critical Commentary, Vol. 1)

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Matthew 1-7 is an elegantly written exegetical study of Matthew's Gospel. In the introduction, Davies and Allison contend that this gospel was written somewhere between 70-100 AD, and that it cannot be pinned down to a specific genre. They do not stand with the scholars who teach that Matthew is historically all the way through. But neither can they agree with those on the far left who think that Matthew is completely fictional. They observe that Matthew has elements of biography, myth, history, and apocalyptic.

They state that the genealogy in Matthew 1 was deliberately crafted by Matthew to make the theological point that Jesus was of the lineage of David. They also stress forefully that even though the story of Christ's birth in Matthew 1:18-2:20 is powerful and evocative, most of it must be regarded as myth. They think it highly unlikely that the Magi would have known about the birth of the Jewish baby reputed to be a messiah figure.

Instead, Davies and Allison work hard to show that the infancy stories of Jesus incorporate heavily from haggadic stories about the life of Moses.

The Beatitudes in Matthew 5 borrow heavily from Old Testament texts, and the mountain setting of the Sermon on the Mount also recalls the life and ministry of Moses.

I should also say that there are few things related to the book of Matthew that Davies and Allison haven't thought deeply about. I am much more optimistic about the historicity of the material constituting the infancy narratives, and the authors even admit that King Herod's words and deeds in Matthew are consistent with what we know of his character (or lack of thereof).

In the introduction, I was hoping for more of a discussion on the theology of Matthew, but the authors felt strongly about saving much of this discussion for the end of the commentary, after they have hadmore of a chance to grasp Matthew's theology.

Though I might demur at someof the specifics within the body of the commentary. I found it to be so well written and so engrossing that I didn't care. I realize that this is a very expensive three volume commentary set, but this is a good example of getting what you pay for. If you can spring the cash, buy this, because it will repay you again and again over the course of your ministry.

A magnificent commentary on Mathew that students, pastors and scholars will want to add to their libraries. Along with John Noland's and Craig S. Keener's commentaries, this commentary is at the top of all commentaries on Mathew. It offers the best exegetical, hermeneutical, critical, textual, literary and historical commentary, based on the Greek text that is yet available. It is indeed very technical and scholarly but it is aimed at the more advanced students of the word of God.

The commentary is divided into three volumes and treats in detail, verse by verse the gospel of Mathew. The commentary starts with a lengthy introduction that deals with the authorship, general structure, date, sources and literary characteristics of Mathew's gospel. Then the authors continue with a sound systematic commentary on the Greek text, briliantly engaging the current scholarship on many critical issues.

The authors see much of Mathew's message as being eschatological in flavor and present an historical yet apocalyptical Jesus. The commentary is undertaken from a historical-critical perspective and is completed with canon and textual critical insights. Extensive explicatory footnotes are very helpful.

Because of the quality of its scholarship and the many references and quotes about it in many other commentaries and theological texts, I fully recommend this commentary.

This is the standard must have resource on the Gospel of Matthew for those who know Greek and want to delve into the text.

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.

This is an excellent resource for any biblical student who wants to get a deeper understanding of the literary, retorical and critical view of the gospel of Matthew. I recommend it to anyone who wants to study seriosly this New Testament Gospel