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  3. New Cambridge Bible Commentary

Building upon its reputation as a longstanding publisher of Bibles as well as academic books on biblical studies and theology, Cambridge University Press is pleased to announce the forthcoming release of the New Cambridge Bible Commentary (NCBC) series. Like the original Cambridge Bible Commentary - a collection of exegetical volumes widely read and studied in the 1960s and 1970s - the NCBC aims to elucidate the Hebrew and Christian scriptures for a wide range of intellectually curious individuals. Commentaries in the NCBC thus will be academically rigorous but will not assume the reader has a great deal of specialized theological knowledge or an impressive command of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or biblical Greek. Unlike the earlier CBC, however, the new series will take advantage of many of the rewards provided by scholarly research over the last three decades. While not mistaking trendiness for truth, volumes in the NCBC will make accessible and build upon many of the advances in theory and theology produced in universities and seminaries during the last thirty years. Utilizing recent gains in rhetorical criticism, social scientific study of the scriptures, narrative criticism and other developing disciplines, this series intends to provide a fresh look at biblical texts, taking advantage of the growing edges in Biblical Studies.

  • General Editors: Ben Witherington III, Asbury Theological Seminary, Bill T. Arnold, Asbury Theological Seminary
  • Editorial Boards: James D. G. Dunn, University of Durham, Michael V. Fox, University of Wisconsin, Madison, Robert P. Gordon, University of Cambridge, Judith Gundry-Volf, Yale University, Connecticut

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17 results in New Cambridge Bible Commentary

Isaiah 40–66
  • Katie Heffelfinger
  • Published online:
    04 May 2024
    Print publication:
    09 May 2024
  • The texts in Isaiah 40–66 are widely admired for their poetic brilliance. Situating Isaiah within its historic context, Katie Heffelfinger here explores its literary aspects through a lyrically informed approach that emphasizes key features of the poetry and explains how they create meaning. Her detailed analysis of the text's passages demonstrates how powerful poetic devices, such as paradox, allusion, juxtaposition, as well as word and sound play, are used to great effect via the divine speaking voice, as well as the personified figures of the Servant and Zion. Heffelfinger's commentary includes a glossary of poetic terminology that provides definitions of key terms in non-technical language. It features additional resources, notably, 'Closer Look' sections, which explore important issues in detail; as well as 'Bridging the Horizons' sections that connect Isaiah's poetry to contemporary issues, including migration, fear, and divided society.

The Pastoral Epistles
  • Scot McKnight
  • Published online:
    21 December 2023
    Print publication:
    09 November 2023
  • In the church tradition three letters, now known as the Pastoral Epistles, are attributed to the apostle Paul. They are unlike any other letters by Paul. They are written to two of his closest companions, Timothy and Titus, and they instruct those two leaders how to lead gathered Christians in Ephesus and in Crete. The letters contain plenty of instruction for how church leaders at that time, and in those places, were to function. In this commentary, Scot McKnight seeks to explain the major themes of the Pastoral Epistles - church order, false teaching, and failing Christians - and their foundational vision for how Christians could make a good impression in public life. These three brief letters express a view of how Christians were to live in the Roman empire in a way that does not offend public sensibilities. They prescribe a way of public behavior best translated as 'civilized religion.'

1 – 2 Samuel
  • Marvin A. Sweeney
  • Published online:
    14 December 2023
    Print publication:
    21 December 2023
  • In this commentary to 1–2 Samuel, Marvin Sweeney focuses on the qualities of leadership displayed by the major characters of the book. He reads 1–2 Samuel in relation to Machiavelli's The Prince and Sun Tzu's The Art of War, which provide a comparative evaluation of the qualities of leadership displayed by Eli, Samuel, Saul, David, Ish-Bosheth, Abner, Abshalom, Joab, and others. Additionally, Sweeney provides an analysis of the synchronic, literary structure of Samuel, as well as a new theory regarding its composition. He also re-evaluates the role of 2 Samuel 21–24 within the synchronic literary structure of the book, arguing that the so-called Succession Narrative in 2 Samuel 9–20 is a northern Israelite composition that stands as a component of the Jehu Dynastic History. Highlighting the geography and cities of the land of Israel, Sweeney's commentary enables readers to understand the role that the land of Israel plays in the narrative of the book of Samuel.

The Book of Lamentations
  • Joshua A. Berman
  • Published online:
    13 July 2023
    Print publication:
    27 July 2023
  • In this commentary, Joshua Berman considers Lamentations as a literary work that creates meaning for a community in the wake of tragedy through its repudiation of Zion theology. Drawing from studies in collective trauma, his volume is the first study of Lamentations that systematically accounts for the constructed character of the narrator, a pastoral mentor who engages in a series of dialogues with a second constructed character, daughter Zion, who embodies the traumatized community of survivors. In each chapter, the pastoral mentor speaks to a different religious typology and a different sub-community of post-destruction Judeans, working with daughter Zion to reconsider her errant positions and charting for her a positive way forward to reconnecting with the Lord. Providing a systematic approach to the careful structure of each of its chapters, Berman illuminates how biblical writers offered support to their communities in a way that is still relevant and appealing to a therapy-conscious contemporary society.

Hosea, Joel, and Amos
  • Graham R. Hamborg
  • Published online:
    15 June 2023
    Print publication:
    29 June 2023
  • In this commentary, Graham Hamborg offers a timely and up to date assessment of the books of Hosea, Joel and Amos. Recognising that each had a compositional history leading to the final forms by which we know them, he brings a literary approach to the texts and connects them to other parts of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament. Hamborg also draws attention to topics where there are a range of scholarly views. 'Closer Look' sections explore significant themes and terms in greater depth, and 'Bridging the Horizons' sections indicate how the texts are of continuing significance in today's world. Conveying the meaning and importance of Hosea, Joel, and Amos in non-technical language and in an accessible style, this volume will be a valuable commentary for biblical scholars, students, and non-specialists for years to come.

1 Peter
  • Ruth Anne Reese
  • Published online:
    19 May 2022
    Print publication:
    02 June 2022
  • In this commentary, Ruth Anne Reese offers a multi-disciplinary study of 1 Peter that builds on contemporary scholarship and research methods. She explores the relationship of the letter to the Old Testament, as reflected in the themes of exodus, exile, suffering, and glory. Integrating sociological analysis, she offers insights into the social situation of the letter's audience that have grown out of post-colonial and empire criticism. Reese also explores the themes of majority-minority relationships, non-retaliation, and ethical living. Her study reveals a more subversive character to 1 Peter than is often posited. Written in an accessible style, Reese's commentary provides overviews of important scholarly questions and points readers to a range of potential answers to those questions. It also features a 'Closer Look' section on a significant topic in each passage, as well as 'Bridging the Horizon' sections that connect the ancient context of 1 Peter with the contemporary world.

Ephesians
  • David A. deSilva
  • Published online:
    21 April 2022
    Print publication:
    28 April 2022
  • In this commentary, David deSilva approaches Ephesians as Paul's contribution to the ongoing work of forming his converts' individual and collective identity in Christ through the celebration of God's activity (past, ongoing, and future) on behalf of all who had responded in trust and faithfulness toward Jesus throughout the eastern Roman empire. He explores how Paul's first-century audiences in Roman Asia would have understood and responded to his message, particularly his promotion of the attitudes, pursuits, and practices that would constitute an appropriate response of gratitude for so costly a deliverance and so magnificent a destiny. deSilva's discussion is richly grounded in the Jewish and Greco-Roman contexts that both informed Paul as he composed and his audiences as they engaged his message. He is also attentive to points of relevance to the modern contexts of today's readers who continue to wrestle with Paul's vision for Christian discipleship and human community.

Philippians
  • Michael F. Bird, Nijay K. Gupta
  • Published online:
    16 April 2020
    Print publication:
    07 May 2020
  • In this commentary, Michael Bird and Nijay Gupta situate Paul's letter to the Philippians within the context of his imprisonment as well as the Philippians' situation of suffering and persecution. Paul draws the Philippians' attention to the power and progress of the gospel in spite of difficult circumstances. He also warns them about the dangers of rival Christian groups who preach out of poor motives or have a truncated gospel. Bird and Gupta unpack the rich wisdom and theology of the Christ Hymn (2:6-11). Throughout the commentary, they apply a broad range of exegetical tools to interpret this letter including historical, sociological, rhetorical, and literary analysis, and they give attention to the reception of this important Pauline text throughout history. Bird and Gupta also includes short reflections on the meaning of Philippians for today.

Acts
  • Craig S. Keener
  • Published online:
    21 March 2020
    Print publication:
    02 April 2020
  • As the earliest narrative source for the origins of Christianity, Acts is of unrivalled importance for understanding early Christianity and the mission that originally brought it from Judea and Galilee to gentiles, and even the heart of the Roman Empire. This volume is an abridged version of Keener's monumental, four-volume commentary on Acts, the longest and one of the most thorough engagements with Acts in its ancient setting. Sensitive to the work's narrative unity, Keener's commentary is especially known for its direct engagement with the wide range of ancient Jewish and Greco-Roman sources. The original commentary cited some 45,000 references from ancient extrabiblical sources to shed light on the Book of Acts. This accessible edition, aimed at students, scholars, and pastors, makes more widely available the decades of research that Keener has devoted to one of the key texts of Early Christianity.

Galatians
  • Craig S. Keener
  • Published online:
    03 April 2018
    Print publication:
    12 April 2018
  • This commentary offers a concise, incisive view of Galatians, Paul's most polemical letter. Here, Paul is fighting for the spiritual life and loyalty of some of his hard-won converts. Taking advantage of a range of persuasive rhetorical approaches, his letter appears to bristle with anger at the interlopers and the anguish of spurned affection. In this commentary, Craig S. Keener mines insights from the ancient world to highlight Paul's persuasive tactics and how the Galatian Christians would have heard his intense yet profound message. In so doing, Keener also helps readers to confront Galatians afresh today, so they can hear more closely what Paul is and is not saying for the church universal. Drawing on a wide range of ancient Mediterranean sources to reconstruct the context of Galatians, Keener helps us to grasp the issues that Paul was addressing, the reasons that Paul wrote the letter, and its continuing relevance for contemporary audiences.

Mark
  • Darrell Bock
  • Published online:
    05 August 2015
    Print publication:
    06 August 2015
  • This volume provides a comprehensive, accessible introduction to the Gospel of Mark, now widely considered the first recorded treatment of Jesus. Darrell Bock explains how this text, once the least-used gospel, came to be regarded as the starting point for understanding Jesus. Drawing together previous arguments and discussion in a constructive summary, he traces the significance of Mark and addresses key features such as its cultural and historical background, its narrative flow, and the role of Greek in supplying meaning. This commentary highlights the issues Mark's gospel raises and develops Mark's message surrounding Jesus' claims of kingdom authority and salvation, the call to disciples to follow him, and the preparation of those disciples to face suffering in light of their choice. Mark will be a valuable resource for students, teachers, and pastors alike.

Revelation
  • Ben Witherington, III
  • Published online:
    05 February 2015
    Print publication:
    15 September 2003
  • This book was the first of its kind: a socio-rhetorical commentary on the Book of Revelation. Without sacrificing scholarly perspective or academic rigor, it is written to be accessible for a wide audience - including pastors, scholars, teachers, seminarians, and interested lay people. A 'Suggested Reading List' - a feature of all volumes in the New Cambridge Bible Commentary - will serve as point of entry for the new student of Revelation and as a helpful annotated bibliography for all readers. Frequent 'Closer-Look' sections examine key elements of the Roman-Greco world that bear on the text's meaning while 'Bridging the Horizons' sub-chapters connect this world with the cultural, political, and religious environments of today. The entire NRSV translation is provided throughout the text. Award-winning author Ben Witherington, III brings a New Testament-scholar's insight and successful clergyman's lucidity to the often opaque passages of the last book of the New Testament.

Psalms
  • Walter Brueggemann, William H. Bellinger, Jr
  • Published online:
    05 June 2014
    Print publication:
    17 February 2014
  • This text introduces the book of Psalms and provides an exposition of each psalm with attention to genre, liturgical connections, societal issues and the psalm's place in the book of Psalms as a whole. The treatments of the psalms feature a close look at particular issues raised by the text and the encounters between the world of the psalm and the world of contemporary readers. The exposition of each psalm provides a reader's guide to the text in conversation with relevant theological issues.

Genesis
  • Bill T. Arnold
  • Published online:
    05 June 2014
    Print publication:
    06 October 2008
  • This commentary is an innovative interpretation of one of the most profound texts of world literature: the book of Genesis. The first book of the Bible has been studied, debated, and expounded as much as any text in history, yet because it addresses the weightiest questions of life and faith, it continues to demand our attention. The author of this new commentary combines older critical approaches with the latest rhetorical methodologies to yield fresh interpretations accessible to scholars, clergy, teachers, seminarians, and interested laypeople. It explains important concepts and terms as expressed in the Hebrew original so that both people who know Hebrew and those who do not will be able to follow the discussion. 'Closer Look' sections examine Genesis in the context of cultures of the ancient Near East. 'Bridging the Horizons' sections enable the reader to see the enduring relevance of the book in the twenty-first century.

Exodus
  • Carol Meyers
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    11 July 2005
  • This commentary views Exodus as a cultural document, preserving the collective memories of the Israelites and relating them to the major institutions and beliefs that emerged by the end of the period of the Hebrew Bible. It is intended to help the reader follow the story line of Exodus, understand its socio-cultural context, appreciate its literary features, recognize its major themes and values, and also note its interpretive and moral problems. It explains important concepts and terms as expressed in the Hebrew original so that both people who know Hebrew and those who don't will be able to follow the discussion. Frequent 'closer look' sections examine key elements of the Ancient Near East that bear on the text's meaning, while 'Bridging the Horizons' articles connect this world with the cultural, political and religious environments of today.

1-2 Corinthians
  • Craig S. Keener
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    13 June 2005
  • This commentary explains 1 and 2 Corinthians passage by passage, following Paul's argument. It uses a variety of ancient sources to show how Paul's argument would have made sense to first-century readers, drawing from ancient letter-writing, speaking, and social conventions. The commentary will be of interest to pastors, teachers, and others who read Paul's letters because of its readability, firm grasp of the background and scholarship on the Corinthian correspondence, and its sensitivity to the sorts of questions asked by those wishing to apply Paul's letters today. It will also be of interest to scholars because of its exploration of ancient sources, often providing sources not previously cited in commentaries.

Matthew
  • Craig A. Evans
  • Published online:
    05 June 2012
    Print publication:
    06 February 2012
  • This book is a verse-by-verse analysis of the New Testament Gospel of Matthew. It provides a comprehensive introduction to the Gospel, which describes the world of Jesus and his first followers. This commentary explores the historical, social and religious contexts of Matthew and examines the customs, beliefs and ideas that inform the text. Unfamiliar to many readers of the New Testament, this background will help readers fully understand the text of Matthew, which focuses on what Jesus taught and why the religious authorities in Jerusalem rejected his message and gave him up to the Roman governor for execution. This book will be an important tool for the clergy, scholars and other interested readers of Matthew.