Customer Reviews

New Jerome Biblical Commentary, The (paperback reprint) (3rd Edition)

5 star:		(35)
4 star:		(6)
3 star:		(1)
2 star:		(2)
1 star:		(6)

 

 

This is one of the finest biblical commentaries available -- and is certainly unsurpassed as a one-volume commentary.

It is encyclopedic in its examination of the prevailing theories of 'higher biblical criticism.' If you want to know what scholars think about the development of a particular book of the Bible, this is a superb source to consult.

It is not a 'preaching commentary,' however. And though it will tell you a lot about theological ideas associated with particular texts, it is the text, not the theology, which is of principal interest to the authors. This commentary reads more like a technical manual than like Shakespeare -- but this is not a fault. Rather, this commentary fills a much-needed niche among commentaries.

The would-be reader and purchaser of this book should also know that it is born out of a Roman Catholic perspective and often provides critical insights into how the Roman Catholic Church has interpreted Scripture. Similarly, however, this perspective often leaves the reader without the contrasting Protestant and Orthodox perspectives. Again, this is not a fault -- simply something to keep in mind.

This is a superb work that deserves a place in the library of preachers, biblical scholars, and serious students of the Bible.

. . .which is equally useful for the Protestant or Catholic academic.

If you desire an academic commentary which covers the entire corpus of Scripture in a single volume, this is the book for you. Named after the premier Scripture scholar of the Patristic period, it is an update of the Jerome Biblical Commentary of more than a quarter century ago.

Not only is every book of the Bible discussed in detail, there are numerous scholarly articles dealing with history, critical methods, contemporary issues and the like. It's perspective is honestly centrist; catering to neither the fundamentalist, nor to the deconstructionist. Controversial issues are handled in an appropriate manner, giving numerous bibliographic citations representing a wide range of learned opinions.

Although Catholic in orientation, the book is equally valuable to believers from other faith traditions, and indeed, to non-believers as well. Its editors, especially the late Raymond Brown and Joseph Fitzmyer represent the very best of Catholic critical scholarship.

This book is probably not the best choice for the average layman; it presupposes a certain familiarity with theological academics. However, it is indispensible for the seminarian, the graduate student, the clergy, and the academic.

(For an "informed layman's" version, please see my review of the excellent "New Jerome Biblical HANDBOOK").

I heartily endorse this book.

The New Jerome Biblical Commentary is a great reference book for scholars and pastors who need a single volume of biblical commentary near at hand. The articles are written by some of the greats of biblical scholarship, and offer remarkably in-depth analysis, considering that one volume covers the entire Christian Scriptures. Of special help to students and scholars are the bibliographies at the end of each article. While not up-to-the-minute (the most recent edition of the NJBC is 1991, I think), the bibliographies often point out the most important books and articles written on the Bible in the past 30 years. I heartily recommend this book!

In many scholarly circles, this commentary is considered the finest example of Catholic biblical scholarship. Admittedly my opinion means little, but I humbly have to disagree. Before I begin allow me to say that several people I respect HIGHLY endorse this commentary. I do not understand why.

First, allow me to address what strengths the commentary has.

1) The finest historical/critical scholarship in the modern Catholic Church is presented.

2) The commentary is well organized and easily used.

3) The commentary is well edited and lean. This commentary covers the entire bible, including the apocrypha, and is available in one volume for a reasonable price.

4) The commentary can be of help when trying to deal with a difficult passage of scripture.

These four strengths however do not, to my mind, make up for the book's myriad weaknesses. A few of the most egregious problems with the commentary follow:

1) The commentary focuses solely on the insights of the historical critical method. The method can and does provide valuable insights. However, it can be problematic in that it takes skepticism as its starting point. Its conclusions therefore can be biased against faith. One example is the dating of texts that include prophesy. The historical critical scholar will postdate the text to after the prophesy had been fulfilled. The assumption is against the idea that a prophet from God could have warned about the future BEFORE the event occurred.

2) Historical critical method, by definition, can only address the literal sense of scripture. (Who wrote the text, when was it written, what is the author's agenda, what does he or she want tell us etc. etc.) In Catholic teaching however there are four senses of Sacred Scripture, the texts of which are Holy, inerrant, and inspired by the Holy Spirit. These four senses are: a) the Literal b) the Allegorical c) the Anagogical and d) the Moral. This commentary, by its very nature, ignores most of the Catholic view of the scriptures because it can really only address one sense of scripture effectively.

3) The best current scholarship seems to have left the Catholic camp (sadly). NT Wright (an Anglican) is one example. His works on Paul and the historicity of the Resurrection for instance have totally eclipsed Ray Brown, Fitzmeyer, et all. This scholarship would be considered "conservative" by the editors of the NJB and insights from evangelical and conservative protestant scholars are routinely dismissed by them as biased or unscientific. This makes this commentary decidedly myopic in favor of a more liberal and modern view of the dating and authorship of the various NT texts. It is no accident that this is the bible commentary of choice at Episcopal "divinity" schools such as the one at Yale.

4)This book is widely trumpeted as THE Catholic bible commentary, and people use it to get the Church's view of the scriptures. This is a poor use for this book. The place to get the Church's view of the Scriptures is the Catechism, not this commentary, which provides a very modern and narrow view of the scriptures.

5)Eastern Christian bible scholarship has a long and beautiful history in drawing out the spiritual meaning of biblical texts. This commentary ignores the East altogether. This is not a joke. Not a single Eastern mystic, saint, or scholar is included in this commentary. It breathes with one lung only (the western one), and the VERY modern and liberal wing of western one at that. The Church offers a HUGE treasury of biblical theology that this commentary simply dismisses. This is outrageous, and again provides a very narrow view of the scriptures.

6) There are FAR better commentaries available for the Christian. For instance, the Navarre Catholic Bible (while more expensive than this volume as it also contains the entirety of the biblical texts and is published in many volumes) includes not only the insights of historical critical scholarship, but also the insights of the saints, mystics, and biblical theology. Furthermore, historical scholarship from more than the liberal wing of the academy is included. The Navarre Bible Commentary is far richer than the NJBC as result.

In short, I would avoid this book until one has a deep and solid grounding in Scripture. It is a very liberal and skeptical commentary that ignores the riches of what the Church has to offer. It is marketed as a Catholic commentary to the laity and this is a misnomer.

I use other commentaries such as the Navarre Bible, Collegeville and Barclay's. I even refer to some Protestant commentaries for another point of view. But when I do not get enough detail or the references are too ambiguous I always end up going back to the New Jerome Commentary. It can get overly detailed sometimes so it is probably not your first source, but it will be your authoritative source when other lighter commentaries fail you.

This is the revised and updated version of the famous volume named for St. Jerome, the great Christian biblical scholar who insisted that "Ignorance of the Scriptures is ignorance of Christ." I am certain that he would be honored that his name graces the title of this commentary, which has been helping pastors and students for decades.

Inside this work you will find the books of the Bible listed individually, with detailed commentary on verses and even partial verses. Prior to the detailed commentary, a helpful historical sketch is given to assist the reader in situating the particular biblical book in its context. It includes maps and charts.

Though this volume comes highly recommended, it is not always on the "cutting edge" of biblical scholarship. If you choose to utilize this volume, you have made a wise choice, but you should not limit your library to this commentary alone.

I have several commentaries and this is the most complete for a one volume edition. Worth twice the weight of others in this class. Written exclusively by Catholics but fair and objective in presenting latest developments in biblical scholarship-perhaps to a fault. Easy to use once aquainted with it. May be a tough read but, worth it!

Some will say that Raymond Brown, Roland Murphy, and John P. Meier are "modernists" or "heterodox". Those who make these claims typically stopped reading Catholic teaching just before Vatican II - and most, if not all, who assert "modernism" are biblical literalists and/or fundamentalists, both Protestant and Catholic.

Brown and Meier are the premier historical-critical exegetes of our time. This commentary is a must have for any serious student of the Bible. It is not for those who prefer "pop apologetics" (e.g., The Catholic Answers crowd). It is for serious scholars who appreciate the nuance of biblical scholarship.

Upon the death of Raymond Brown one commentator had this to say about Brownn (and Murphy):

"Both produce scholarship clearly Catholic in character and modern in substance. Both respect and follow guidelines of the Pontifical Biblical Commission (BTB 26:2, 79-81). For both, caution was never so strict that they forsook honesty. Together, they span the two Testaments. Orthodoxy for Raymond E. Brown was a hallmark. Given a conflict between text and theology, he found a middle course that allowed both to survive. His lines of argument may have exhausted the field; yet his Catholic loyalty never flagged...As Raymond Brown's honesty at times may have shocked some, so the forthrightness of BTB authors should expand the envelope of scholarship today for even more expansive inclusivity in the future."

This volume is loaded with articles and commentary that will illuminate, stimulate, and prompt more extensive research. If you buy only one commentary, make certain it is this one!

The NJBC has no peers among Catholic commentaries on Scripture form an academic perspective.

This is NOT an aide to 'lectio divina' (Sacred reading, or prayerful reflection upon verses that 'speak to one's soul'). This is world-class Scripture scholarship written for serious students. I use this in seminary Scripture courses all the time.

The historical-critical method must have a voice in biblical studies, though it must never be given The Last Word. For this reason, Catholics are well advised to supplement the use of the NJBC with more 'spirtitual exegesis', such as the great theologian Henri De Lubac championed.

this is a commentary on the whole bible (apocrypha included as the authors are catholic priests) with additional sections on theological topics pertinent to bible interpretation. the historical critical method is maintained throughout - no devotional angle and very little author bias. as is typical of the works of brown and fitzmyer, the scholarship is calm and somewhat detached (they don't attempt to sway the reader to their camps with wit or polemic). if i had to classify them i would say they are centrists (moderates). the bible is treated here as if it contains the word of God, but is definitely not word for word inerrant. as the reader might expect, pseudonymous authorship is accepted for several books here. all in all this is an excellent reference work, even if one does not share all viewpoints. in general, this commentary might be slightly over the heads of those not familiar with academic theology.