Customer Reviews

The New American Commentary Volume 8 - 1 & 2 Kings

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(2)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Are you looking for a simple commentary on 1st and 2nd Kings that isn't too shallow and doesn't ignore problems? This is the commentary you have been looking for. Paul House provides lucid comments on the text of these two biblical books in their historical and cultural setting. He doesn't stop there, however. At the conclusion of major sections of the Books of Kings, House describes the significance of the passage to the biblical canon and to pertinent subjects in Old Testament theology. Once the full meaning of the text has been presented, the author proceeds to suggest how the teachings apply to the lives of today's Christians.

In comparison to John Gray's commentary on 1st and 2nd Kings in the Old Testament Library series (Westminster Press), House's volume is less academic but provides far more interaction with theological matters. Gray's work might be chosen by a seminary professor, but House's commentary would be far more practical for preachers and lay teachers in churches and Bible institutes.

A companion commentary that takes a similar stance on interpretive issues, is based upon the New International Version (NIV) of the Bible, and is referred to often by House, would be "1, 2 Kings" by Richard Patterson and Hermann Austel in volume 4 of The Expositor's Bible Commentary (Zondervan).

The New American Commentary series is the continuation of the tradition established by the older An American Commentary series under the editorship of Alvah Hovey at the end of the nineteenth century. The format makes the materials available to layman and scholar alike. The commentaries are based upon the NIV. Individual commentators, however, have the freedom to develop their own translations of the original text where they differ from the NIV. Technical points of grammar and syntax are placed in the footnotes rather than in the text. Footnotes also provide the reader with a wealth of significant bibliographic references to a wide range of resources. Students and professors alike will find these paths to further research extremely helpful and rewarding.

I won't repeat the favorable comments made by others, but I will add this one point: one thing I love about this Commentary is House's extensive discussion of the historical, political, and military contexts of Kings, including citations to extra-Biblical sources. Having this outside context is invaluable for understanding the message of this important book.

Paul House's commentary is a most helpful explanation of the contents of 1 and 2 Kings. I commend it to anyone looking for additional resource in studying either book.