The Navarre Bible: The Letter to the Hebrews
Overview
In the early 1970s the theology faculty of the University of Navarre embarked on the project of making a new Spanish translation of the Bible—a volume accompanied by commentary designed for the general reader. This project was entrusted to the faculty by St. Josemaría Escrivá, founder of Opus Dei and the university’s first chancellor. The first volume, St. Matthew, appeared in 1976; the project was completed February 2005. The Navarre Bible series is considered by many the best Catholic commentary on the Bible available today.
More comprehensive than the The Navarre Bible: New Testament, this volume features notes and introductions—rarely very technical—designed to illuminate the spiritual and theological message of the Bible. The Standard Edition is replete with quotations from commentaries by the Fathers, as well as excerpts from other spiritual writers—not least among them, St. Josemaría Escrivá—provided to show how they read Scripture and made it meaningful in their lives.
One of the most important New Testament books is the Epistle to the Hebrews. This letter was addressed to Christians of Jewish origin. In it, Paul encourages such Christians to persevere in their faith even as they face persecution. More importantly, the letter provides the audience a doctrine of the priesthood, sacrifice, and superiority of Christ, illustrating that Christ is the new covenant and, the fulfillment of the old covenant—and that, therefore, his priesthood is on a higher level than the Levitical priesthood and his sacrifice is greater than all the sacrifices of the Old Law.
The Navarre Bible New Testament, Standard Edition is both scholarly and readable, presenting an intellectual, historical, and applicable survey of the riches of the New Testament. In the Logos edition of Hebrews, each Scripture passage links to your favorite translation, and is easy to study side-by-side with your other commentaries. You can search by topic or Scripture with split-second results!
This commentary does not include the Bible texts. The print edition cites the RSVCE and the Nova Vulgata, each available separately, or in select Verbum packages.
Key Features
- Provides an introduction to Hebrews
- Draws on numerous Catholic resources
- Contains a table of sources cited, maps, and informative notes
Contents
- Preface and Preliminary Notes
- Abbreviations
- Introduction to the Letter to the Hebrews
- Canonicity
- Author, and place and date of composition
- Immediate readership
- Structure
- Language and Style of Argument
- Interpretation of the Old Testament
- Theology
- TheLetter to the Hebrews: English Version, with Notes
- New Vulgate Text
- Explanatory Notes
- Headings Added to the Biblical Text
- Sources Quoted in the Commentary
Top Highlights
“Quite a number of scholars opt for 67 as the date of composition.” (Page 13)
“‘Christ gave his life for your sins, contending even to the point of dying for you; how is it that you do not put up with suffering, out of love for him?” (Page 132)
“The main point is that the only important thing is fidelity to God” (Page 132)
“and always by angels and men alike, for by doing so they adore Jesus” (Page 33)
“Ever since the Redemption, human suffering has become a way to perfection: it acts as expiation for personal sins, it spurs man to assert his spiritual and transcendental dimension, it makes for solidarity with others and links man to Christ’s sacrifice. ‘Suffering must serve for conversion, that is, for the rebuilding of goodness in the subject, who can recognize the divine mercy in this call to repentance […]. But in order to perceive the true answer to the ‘why’ of suffering, we must look to the revelation of divine love, the ultimate source of the meaning of everything that exists […]. Christ causes us to enter into the mystery and to discover the ‘why’ of suffering, as far as we are capable of grasping the sublimity of divine love’ (John Paul II, Salvifici doloris, 12–13).” (Pages 42–43)
Praise for the Series
[The Bible is] presented unambiguously as the inspired Word of God and, with the help of the commentaries, we are introduced to 2,000 years of contemplative Christian reading and living of the sacred Word.
—Osservatore Romano
. . . Superb volume for adult Bible Study . . . most helpful, enlightening, and fascinating.
—Catholic Transcript
Product Details
- Title: The Navarre Bible: The Letter to the Hebrews
- Translator: Michael Adams
- Edition: Revised
- Publisher: Four Courts Press
- Publication Date: 2005
- Pages: 160
About Michael Adams
Michael Adams was a graduate of Queen’s University, Belfast, and the University of Navarre, Pamplona. Michael’s first significant involvement in publishing was with Irish University Press. He was also instrumental in setting up Irish Academic Press, where he served as managing director until 1995. Michael was the author of Censorship: the Irish experience (the subject of his PhD thesis), as well as two short books on religion. In recognition of his contribution to academic studies in Ireland, Trinity College, Dublin awarded him an honorary doctorate in Letters in 2005.