First and Second Samuel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching) [Hardcover]

Walter Brueggemann (Author)

Book Description

Series: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching | Publication Date: January 1, 1990

With critical scholarship and theological sensitivity, Walter Brueggemann traces the people of God through the books of Samuel as they shift from marginalized tribalism to oppressive monarchy. He carefully opens the literature of the books, sketching a narrative filled with historical realism but also bursting with an awareness that more than human action is being presented.

Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching is a distinctive resource for those who interpret the Bible in the church. Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

Editorial Reviews

About the Author

Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. He is the world's leading interpreter of the Old Testament, and is the author of numerous books, including Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination and Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes.

Product Details

• Hardcover: 362 pages
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox Press (January 1, 1990)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0804231087
• ISBN-13: 978-0804231084
• Product Dimensions: 9.5 x 6.3 x 1.4 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.5 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 3.7 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (3 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #285,962 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Walter Brueggemann is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament Emeritus at Columbia Theological Seminary. He is the world's leading interpreter of the Old Testament and is the author of numerous books, including Westminster John Knox Press best sellers such as Genesis and First and Second Samuel in the Interpretation series, An Introduction to the Old Testament: The Canon and Christian Imagination, and Reverberations of Faith: A Theological Handbook of Old Testament Themes.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

23 of 23 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Very helpful, but limited, August 15, 2000

By 

Mark McEntire - See all my reviews

This review is from: First and Second Samuel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching) (Hardcover)

This commentary fulfills the goals of the series for the most part. Brueggemann is an excellent writer with keen sensitivities for the text. His attention to narrative issues is especially welcome when applied to perhaps the finest narrative in the Hebrew Bible. Thea aim of the Interpretation series is to provide insights for teaching and preaching, and these abound in this commentary. On the other hand, this is a commentary on both books of Samuel which is less than 400 pages in length. What that means is that not every verse receives attention. The focus is on the larger (more important?) stories. In addition there is little attention to issues of history, text, grammar, and translation. If you want a commentary that provides discussion of every verse, then you will have to look elsewhere, and you will not find a single volume that treats both books of Samuel. If you are looking for good, intelligent teaching material on major texts from these books, then this is the commentary to use. One other factor to consider is that this commentary is getting a bit old, and I and II Samuel have been the target of intense literary interest over the past two decades. Much has happened in the discussion of these books since this commentary was written with which it can obviously not interact.

1 of 1 people found the following review helpful:

5.0 out of 5 stars Bruggemann Knows His Business!, October 8, 2009

By 

Andrea L. Martin "MDIV Student, Christian The... (Indianapolis, IN) - See all my reviews
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This review is from: First and Second Samuel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching) (Hardcover)

This is an excellent book for the biblical scholar and students as well.
Bruggemann will not put you to sleep as his writing is comprehensive; yet,
easy to understand.

4 of 6 people found the following review helpful:

2.0 out of 5 stars An interesting but diffuse mix, January 9, 2007

By 

GA "GA" (Sweden) - See all my reviews

This review is from: First and Second Samuel: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching (Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching & Preaching) (Hardcover)

Brueggemann is as always a good writer and his commentary is easy to read and very interesting. Howevever, a major problem is that it is difficult to dicern what he actually is commenting. Is it the literary text or the historical events? When Brueggemann for instance discusses Samuel or David he mixes the logic so that you never now if he is talking about the character or the "real, historic" persons and their motives. As a result he tend to introduce explanations - motives, parties etc - that is not the explanations of the text or the so called narrator. It would have been better if he had distinguished between the analysis of the text and his suggestions about "what really happened".