Matthew 3: 21–28
in Hermeneia
Pages
681 pages
Publisher
Augsburg Fortress Press
Published
11/1/2005
ISBN-13
9780800637705
Reviews
Minneapolis: Fortress, 2005. Pp. xliv + 681. Hardcover. $90.00. ISBN 0800637704. Edgar Krentz Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Chicago, IL 60615 This volume covering chapters 21–28 [the Jerusalem ministry and the passion and resurrection accounts] completes the English translation of Ulrich Luz’s massive commentary on Matthew. Volume 2, Matthew 8–20, appeared in 2001 in the Hermeneia series, while volume 1, Matthew 1–7 (translated by Wilhelm Linss; Minneapolis: Augsburg, 1989), will appear in a revised Hermeneia edition. This rich, detailed, comprehensive commentary far outreaches what this review can say. It is now the basic commentary that every interpreter of Matthew must consult. What contribution does this work make to the interpretation of Matthew? It fulfills the series title, providing a critical and historical commentary on the text. Luz gives rich bibliographies for the entire work and for each section, although the concentration is on German-language publications. The outline for the interpretation of Matt 23:37–39 is typical: “Bibliography,” “Original Translation” (reflecting the nuances of the German translation), “Structure,” “Tradition History,” “Origin and Original Meaning,” “Interpretation,” “Summary and History of Interpretation” (158–65); at time he also discusses the “Meaning for Today.” This goes beyond what the Hermeneia series usually does, since the four-volume German original in the Evangelisch-Katholischer Kommentar zum Neuen Testament includes sections titled “Wirkungsgeschichte,” “History of Interpretation” in this English translation. (I find the translation “History of Influence” in the Linss translation of volume 1 much better, more accurately reflecting what is actually done in these sections.
[Full Review]