The Second Book of Samuel
in New International Commentary on the Old Testament
Pages
320
Publisher
Eerdmans
Published
7/23/2019
ISBN-13
9780802870964
Second Samuel includes some of the most well-known and theologically layered episodes in the Old Testament, such as the Lord’s establishment of an eternal covenant with David, David’s sin with Bathsheba, and the subsequent account of Absalom’s rebellion. In this second part of an ambitious two-volume commentary on the books of Samuel, David Toshio Tsumura elucidates the rich text of 2 Samuel with special attention to literary and textual issues. Tsumura interprets the book in light of the meaning of the original composition, and he provides a fresh new translation based on careful analysis of the Hebrew text.
Collections
This book appears in the following featured collections.
- Ultimate Commentary Collection: OT Technical by John Glynn
- Basic Library Booklist by Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
- Non-Western and BIPOC Commentaries by Best Commentaries
- TGC: Scholarly Commentaries by The Gospel Coalition
Reviews
DavidH
August 8, 2026
August 8, 2026
Tsumura is indispensable for anyone wanting to understand what the Hebrew text of Samuel may actually mean before resorting to emendation or elaborate source theories. His exceptional command of Semitic philology, especially Ugaritic, enables him to offer fresh explanations for many supposedly corrupt readings, while his preference for the MT is methodological rather than dogmatic: he asks first whether Hebrew grammar, phonology and discourse structure can explain the received text. He also insists that synchronic linguistic analysis should precede diachronic reconstruction, a principle that repeatedly produces more restrained and persuasive exegesis. Tsumura can be technical and is less immediately useful for preaching than Long or Davis, but for serious exegesis he is one of the most original and valuable Samuel commentators available.