The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
in New International Commentary on the Old Testament
Pages
750
Publisher
Eerdmans
Published
6/8/2021
ISBN-13
9780802826268
In this commentary, Thomas Renz reads Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah as three carefully crafted writings of enduring relevance that each make a vital contribution to the biblical canon.
Discussing the historical settings, Renz takes up both long-standing issues, such as the relationship of Zephaniah to Josiah’s reforms, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of the time suggested by recent archaeological research. The place of these writings within the Book of the Twelve is given fresh consideration, including the question what one should make of the alleged redaction history of Nahum and Habakkuk.
The author’s careful translation of the text comes with detailed textual notes, illuminating some of the most outstanding poetry of the Bible (Nahum) and one of its most difficult to translate chapters (Habakkuk 3). The thorough verse-by-verse commentary is followed by stimulating theological reflection, opening up venues for teaching and preaching from these prophetic writings.
No matter their previous familiarity with these and other Minor Prophets, scholars, pastors, and lay readers alike will find needed guidance in working through these difficult but important books of the Bible.
Discussing the historical settings, Renz takes up both long-standing issues, such as the relationship of Zephaniah to Josiah’s reforms, as well as the socioeconomic conditions of the time suggested by recent archaeological research. The place of these writings within the Book of the Twelve is given fresh consideration, including the question what one should make of the alleged redaction history of Nahum and Habakkuk.
The author’s careful translation of the text comes with detailed textual notes, illuminating some of the most outstanding poetry of the Bible (Nahum) and one of its most difficult to translate chapters (Habakkuk 3). The thorough verse-by-verse commentary is followed by stimulating theological reflection, opening up venues for teaching and preaching from these prophetic writings.
No matter their previous familiarity with these and other Minor Prophets, scholars, pastors, and lay readers alike will find needed guidance in working through these difficult but important books of the Bible.
Collections
This book appears in the following featured collections.
- Basic Library Booklist by Detroit Baptist Theological Seminary
- Top Old Testament Commentaries by Engaging Scripture (Nijay Gupta's Substack)
Reviews
DavidH
August 3, 2026
August 3, 2026
Renz provides an outstanding commentary on Nahum, Habakkuk and Zephaniah, combining close attention to the Hebrew text, Masoretic accentuation, poetic form and literary structure with substantial theological reflection and contemporary application. His work is genuinely original at numerous points—particularly in his treatment of Nahum’s acrostic features, the rhetorical movement of Habakkuk and the creation and de-creation imagery in Zephaniah—but he normally presents his proposals with appropriate caution rather than forcing the text into an elaborate scheme. Renz is especially helpful on the difficult theology of divine judgment, showing how Nahum can offer comfort to victims of oppression without legitimising human violence, and his discussions of prayer, faithfulness, empire, the Day of the Lord and the place of these books within the Twelve are consistently perceptive. I do not agree with every compositional or redactional judgment, and the technical detail may occasionally be demanding, but it is carefully organised and remains highly useful for pastors as well as scholars. This is now my first recommendation on these three prophets and one of the finest recent Old Testament commentaries.
Michael Bird's Blog (Andrew Judd)
March 11, 2023
March 11, 2023
While Renz is not a big Book-of-the-Twelve-as-One-Single-Book devotee, he does a great job of both hearing the individual voices and reading the prophets in light of the canonical shape of the Twelve (and the New Testament, for that matter). As such, the 703 page volume begins with a separate introduction to the three books within their literary and historical context. I am very glad to see this excellent series continue to receive the love and attention of excellent scholars and pastor-teachers like Renz.
[Full Review]