Five Festal Garments: Christian Reflections on Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes and Esther

Webb’s treatment of Lamentations is one of the finest interpretive essays on Lamentations I have encountered. He memorably describes the book as “ordered grief,” showing how its elaborate poetic structure permits sorrow to be expressed fully while also giving it shape and limits. Even more valuable is his theological synthesis: Deuteronomic theology is not rejected by Lamentations, since the people acknowledge their sin and the justice of judgment; the deeper crisis concerns Zion theology and Israel’s election—what becomes of God’s promises when city, temple, and Davidic king have collapsed? Webb reads the unresolved ending particularly well, allowing Lamentations itself to finish with uncertainty before asking how its questions are answered within the wider Christian canon. Concise, perceptive, and theologically disciplined, this is an outstanding companion to a full exegetical commentary.

Webb’s treatment of Ruth is comparatively brief, but it contains an extraordinary concentration of literary and theological insight. He identifies hesed as the book’s controlling ethical idea—not merely kindness in excess of legal obligation, but loving-kindness that expresses the true spirit of Torah. Particularly illuminating is his description of Ruth as “micro” salvation history: God’s saving purposes advance not only through exodus-like miracles and national events but through hidden providence, ordinary family life, and the faithful actions of seemingly insignificant people. Webb also handles the book’s canonical locations, its association with the Feast of Weeks, the Davidic genealogy, and its movement into the New Testament with unusual economy and clarity. His discussion of Ruth the Moabite as someone whom the intention of Israel’s law ultimately welcomes rather than excludes is especially thought-provoking. This is too short to substitute for a major exegetical commentary, but as a theological synthesis to read alongside one, it is superb.

I really enjoyed the Song of Songs section of the work. Though quite short, it had great insights into structure, how to approach reading poetry, comment on the rich picture of love depicted and it connection to the rest of the Old Testament, particularly the wisdom literature and Genesis 2. I recommend it.