Content area
Full Text
ESV Expository Commentary, Volume 3: 1 Samuel-2 Chronicles. Edited by Iain M. Duguid, James M. Hamilton Jr., and Jay Sklar. Wheaton, IL: Crossway, 2019, 1343 pp., $60.00.
This new commentary, volume 3 of a projected 12-volume series on the entire Bible using the ESV as the basic translation, expounds the four historical books of Samuel through Chronicles. It is a hefty but helpful contribution for understanding their meaning and message.
The series aims "to provide a clear, crisp, and Christ-centered explanation of the biblical text" (p. 9). In my opinion, the three contributors, John L. Mackay (deceased) on Samuel, J. Gary Millar on Kings, and John W. Olley on Chronicles admirably fulfill the stated objective. Especially to be commended is the intentional focus on a Christological reading of the OT text. This continues the ancient church tradition followed by the reformers of viewing the Bible as one overarching story of redemptive history in which the central figure is the Lord Jesus Christ. As Luther famously insisted, the exegete must pay attention to "what urges Christ." Our contributors help us appreciate how these texts do indeed point to the greater Son of David whose story is adumbrated in the storyline.
Notable for its absence, these commentaries avoid lengthy discussions of linguistic, grammatical, and syntactical issues in the Hebrew text, though it is evident all three contributors have done their homework and are well-trained in these aspects. In that this commentary series focuses on the English text and only occasionally transliterates Hebrew words and phrases, it is quite different from the Word Bible Commentary. What is more, there is sparing interaction with biblical scholarship. The omission is deliberate in light of the intended audience-pastors, church teachers, and motivated lay readers who possess limited or no knowledge of Hebrew and who wish to focus on the message, theology, and application of the biblical text. For that reason, scholars will probably pass on this series, though in my opinion, they could learn much from what is presented, and more importantly, their souls would be enriched. What we have in this series is a return to the robust biblical exposition found in the writings of Luther and Calvin, in the words of the editorial...