In many ways, the Old Testament book of Daniel is an enigma. It consists of two different kinds of material: stories about Judean exiles working in the court of pagan kings (chapters 1-6) and accounts of visions experienced by one of these exiles (chapters 7-12). It is written in two languages, Hebrew and Aramaic, and the language division does not match the subject division. Whether the book's affinities lie more with the Hebrew prophets or with later Jewish apocalypses is debated, as are its affinities with the wisdom traditions of both Israel and Babylon. Refreshingly, Enest Lucas postpones much of the discussion of such issues to an Epilogue, and invites the reader to an investigation of the meaning of the text in the form in which we now have it. He identifies the central theme of the book as the sovereignty of the God of Israel. With even-handedness and clarity, Lucas demonstrates that, for preachers and teachers, there is much in Daniel that is fairly readily understandable and applicable, and that there are also theological depths that are rewarding for those willing to plumb them and wrestle with the issues they raise.
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25 of 29 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
This early entry in the Apollos Commentary Series has set a high standard for future volumes. The series features a new translation by the author (including footnotes); a section on Form and Structure which is largely concerned with the literary features of the text; a Comment section in which the text is exegeted; and an Explanation section where the author traces the "passage's interpretational development in Scripture and the church" in order to provide a theologically informed conclusion on the meaning of the text and suggested avenues of appropriation. Lucas has accomplished each of these tasks admirably.
Daniel is a difficult book to comment on because it has been the subject of much heated debate between conservative and liberal scholars, its visions have been wildly and carelessly interpreted, and its stories are familiar to the point of meaninglessness. On each of these points Lucas has provided a sane and helpful alternative.
While remaining somewhat noncommittal about the authorship and date of the book, he intelligently interacted with the most recent critical scholarship on Daniel and presented a reasoned defense of generally conservative positions. He leaves open the possibility that chapter 11 may be pseudonymous in keeping with the typical conventions of that genre.
Regarding the visions Lucas presents interpretations that are well informed by his familiarity with ANE parallels and relevant historical background. He takes the culmination of all the visions to be the reign of Antiochus Epiphanes. His approach to these texts is strengthened by his sensitivity to the apocalyptic genre and its effects on the meaning of the language employed.
In dealing with the stories, Lucas employs the tools of literary criticism to great advantage. The result being fresh and deep interpretations of the text that can take the typical reader beyond the simplistic readings she is probably familiar with from childhood.
The commentary is highly recommended. The series is aimed at both scholars and pastors, so the discussions can get a bit technical for some, but generally they will be understandable to most lay people. As with any book, no one commentary can say everything nor get everything right. The reader may want to compare other volumes such as those by Collins, Goldingay, Baldwin, Lacocque, or Longman.
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Lucas' commentary on Daniel covers succinctly and in easy to read fashion the major issues of this important OT book. The text is well-referenced, clearly written, and holds to a high value of Scripture and rigorous scholarship. Explanation of the text without over easy application. Well worth the investment and reading.
3 of 7 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I reviewed this commentary along with 12 others for a seminary class. Lucas did not fare well in the survey because on too many key interpretive issues he did not provide sufficient discussion of the various options or the rationale for his choice. Welcome exceptions to this were his discussions of the identity of Darius the Mede and Belshazzar the King.
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Inside This Book
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First Sentence:
Montgomery (1927: 12) comments that the MT of Daniel has an unusual amount of variation both in the K and the Q and in variant readings of the MS. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Darius the Mede, God of Israel, Akkadian Prophecies, King Nebuchadnezzar, Ancient One, Asia Minor, Babylonian Empire, Antiochus Epiphanes, Daniel's God, New Year Festival, Cyrus the Persian, Alexander the Great, Dynastic Prophecy, Roman Empire, Seleucid Empire, Assyrian Empire, Uruk Prophecy, Near East, God of Shadrach, Macedonian Empire, Median Empire, Ba'al Samem, Halley's Comet, King Darius New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Montgomery (1927: 12) comments that the MT of Daniel has an unusual amount of variation both in the K and the Q and in variant readings of the MS. Read the first page Key Phrases - Capitalized Phrases (CAPs): (learn more)
Darius the Mede, God of Israel, Akkadian Prophecies, King Nebuchadnezzar, Ancient One, Asia Minor, Babylonian Empire, Antiochus Epiphanes, Daniel's God, New Year Festival, Cyrus the Persian, Alexander the Great, Dynastic Prophecy, Roman Empire, Seleucid Empire, Assyrian Empire, Uruk Prophecy, Near East, God of Shadrach, Macedonian Empire, Median Empire, Ba'al Samem, Halley's Comet, King Darius New!
Books on Related Topics | Concordance | Text Stats Browse Sample Pages:
Front Cover | Front Flap | Table of Contents | First Pages | Index | Back Flap | Back Cover | Surprise Me!
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 88
books:
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- New Year (Get Set Go) by Helen Bliss on page 51, and page 126
- The Interpretation of Dreams in the Ancient Near East (Ancient Mesopotamian Texts and Studies) by Leo Oppenheim in Back Matter
- The Persian Empire by J.M. Cook on page 83
- The Wisdom of Jesus (The Wisdom series) by Tom Wright on page 249
- An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax by Bruce K. Waltke in Back Matter
See all 88 books this book cites
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