Judges, Ruth (The NIV Application Commentary) (Hardcover)

~ K. Lawson Younger (Author) "AFTER THE DEATH of Joshua, the Israelites asked the LORD, "Who will be the first to go up and fight for us against the Canaanites?..." (more)
Key Phrases: fleece incidents, nearer redeemer, major judge cycle, Old Testament, The Book of the Judges, Near East (more...)

Editorial Reviews

Product Description

Judges/Ruth, which is part of the NIV Application Commentary Series, helps readers learn how the messages of Judges and Ruth can have the same powerful impact today that they did when they were first written.

From the Back Cover

The concept of judgment is at odds with today’s culture, which considers it a sin to suggest there is such a thing as sin. Perhaps that is partly because we have seen all too clearly the fallibility of those who judge. What many of us long for is not judgment but righteousness and deliverance from oppression. That is why the books of Judges and Ruth are so relevant today: Judges, because it reveals a God who employs very human deliverers but refuses to gloss over their sins and the consequences of those sins; and Ruth, because it demonstrates the far-reaching impact of a righteous character.

Exploring the links between the Bible and our own times, Dr. K. Lawson Younger Jr. shares literary perspectives on the books of Judges and Ruth that reveal ageless truths for our twenty-first-century lives.

Most Bible commentaries take us on a one-way trip from our world to the world of the Bible. But they leave us there, assuming that we can somehow make the return journey on our own. They focus on the original meaning of the passage but don’t discuss its contemporary application. The information they offer is valuable--but the job is only half done!

The NIV Application Commentary Series helps bring both halves of the interpretive task together. This unique, award-winning series shows readers how to bring an ancient message into our postmodern context. It explains not only what the Bible meant but also how it speaks powerfully today.

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Product Details

• Hardcover: 512 pages
• Publisher: Zondervan (February 1, 2002)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0310206367
• ISBN-13: 978-0310206361
• Product Dimensions: 9.3 x 6.1 x 1.3 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.8 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (5 customer reviews)
• Amazon.com Sales Rank: #433,554 in Books (See Bestsellers in Books)

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Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

8 of 8 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars interpretative and meditative, well done, March 12, 2006

By	Student Leuven Belgium - See all my reviews

From the evangelical OT scholar K.L.Younger, who edited the celebrated three volumes 'Context of Scripture' (a mine of archaeological evidence relevant for comparative studies), comes a very readable and illuminating volume on Judges and Ruth. Consulting this book regularly in preparing sermons you will feel that the people who 'screwed up' the times between the conquest of Israel and the monarchy are not unlike you. Lawson providing just the background issues you need, like information on warfare, meanings of odd phrases, old near eastern habits and the like. Thus he is able to go past these issues and past the very stories themselves so to make Judges and Ruth lively messages, dealing with timeless feelings of honour and distress little different from us and our private war campaigns. Whenever I'm working on Judges Lawson is around.

4 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

3.0 out of 5 stars Both good and less than good, December 17, 2007

By	R. Thomas (Sullivan, IL) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

I purchased the book not knowing what to think. After using it (currently I am in Ruth 4), I am both satisfied and, in part, disappointed. With his work in Ruth, I am pleased, relatively speaking, in total. The original meaning and application I have found to be very good. In Judges, on the other hand, this is a different matter. I really liked the application sections. On the original meanings, I have a different point of view. I understood his words to be very pessimistic about many situations that, contextually, are not required. When one produces a commentary, comments like this are to be expected and since this man felt that way, it is reasonable that he could (can and did) offer his point of view. I would recommend the book, but encourage one to use additional sources, such as: The Expositor's Bible Commentary, WBC, etc.

5.0 out of 5 stars Great Commentary, March 12, 2010

By	Matthew W. Giesman (Ft Worth, TX) - See all my reviews (REAL NAME)

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In-depth. Analysis of original languages. Structural outlines. Practical Applications. Scholarly and pastoral emphases. Footnotes if you wanna be detailed, but it doesn't bog down the main text. This and Ralph Davis are my two go-to commentaries for Judges right now.

Matt Giesman