This is an excellent commentary on Jeremiah Chapters 26 to 52 that has quite a unique background of development.
Peter C. Craigie was commissioned to write both volumes of the WBC Jeremiah commentary. He had written the introduction and finished the commentary up to Chapter 8, verse 3 when he died in a car accident. The WBC editors commissioned two other OT scholars to finish Volume 1 (from Chapter 8, verse 4 to Chapter 25).
Then, for reasons unbeknownst to me, the WBC editors commissioned yet three other OT scholars to write Volume 2, none of which were responsible for writing Volume 1: Pamela J. Scalise covered Chapters 26 to 34; Gerald L. Keown covered Chapters 35 to 45 and 52; and Thomas G. Smothers covered Chapters 46 to 51.
Each author was assigned an approximately equal number of verses to cover: Scalise had 251 verses, Keown 256 verses, and Smothers 231 verses. However, Scalise wrote 190 pages, Keown 95 pages, and Smothers 99 pages. This calculates to 0.75 page per verse for Scalise, 0.37 page per verse for Keown, and 0.43 page per verse for Smothers.
The result is that this commentary is a bit uneven. This is because Scalise was a little more detailed, hence her increased page per verse amount. But that's nitpicking--the bottom line is that this commentary, while unique, turned out exceptionally good.
After the table of contents, foreword, editorial preface, 12 pages(!) of abbreviations, and 7-page general bibliography, it moves right into the commentary proper. There is no introduction as the introduction in the first volume covers all 52 chapters of Jeremiah.
The commentary proper is 384 pages long in the standard WBC format. For each Biblical passage, there is a bibliography, the author's own translation, notes on the Hebrew text, a form/structure/setting section, a comment section, and an explanation. I thought that Scalise excelled in the comment sections (which is where she was more detailed). I also thought that Keown's explanations were particularly good and Smothers' form/structure/setting sections were superb. Be that as it may, all three are excellent writers.
There are six excursuses in the commentary: "Introductory Formulas," "Shiloh" (ref. Jer. 26:6), and "Seventy Years" (ref. Jer. 29:10) by Scalise; "The Identity of the Rechabites" (ref. Jer. 35:1ff.) and "The Queen of Heaven" (ref. Jer. 44:17) by Keown; and "The Cup of Wrath" (ref. Jer. 48:26, cf. 25:15-16, 27-29) by Smothers.
This is a remarkable commentary. Knowing the background added to my enjoyment of it. I like the WBC Series of commentaries as a whole, but I particularly like this WBC volume because it was produced under difficult conditions. As in all of life, what matters in difficult situations is how one responds. Scalise, Keown, Smothers, and the WBC editors are to be commended.
Loading your book clubs
There was a problem loading your book clubs. Please try again.
Not in a club? Learn more
Join or create book clubs
Choose books together
Track your books
Bring your club to Amazon Book Clubs, start a new book club and invite your friends to join, or find a club that’s right for you for free.
Download the free Kindle app and start reading Kindle books instantly on your smartphone, tablet, or computer - no Kindle device required.
Read instantly on your browser with Kindle for Web.
Using your mobile phone camera - scan the code below and download the Kindle app.
Book recommendations, author interviews, editors' picks, and more. Read it now.
Customers who viewed this item also viewed
Page 1 of 1 Start overPage 1 of 1
