The purpose and format of the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary series is now well known. It offers a visually stimulating and user-friendly format , directed toward all students of Scripture, addressing Christia ns and the larger church (xiii). We are assured that information from archaeol ogy, ancient history, geography, comparative literature, history of religions, politics, sociology, and even economics is used to illuminate the culture of the people who produced the Bible. the writers have drawn from the history of interpretation, not only as it is found in traditional commentary on the Bible but also in literature, theater, church history, and the visual arts (xiv). In each case an accompanying CD-ROM offers searching and research tools. This volume, like all the volumes in the series, treats each passage by moving from a general introduction, setting forth the literary structure and general thought of the unit, to the commentary that deals with the sense of the individual verses, finally to Connections, which explores possibilities for contemporary appropriation. Given the greater length of the Book of Hebrews in relation to James, one is hardly surprised to find that Hebrews occupies 320 pages, while only approximately one hundred pages is given over to James. [Full Review]

Edit Review