Joshua 1–12, 2nd ed. (Word Biblical Commentary, vol. 7A | WBC)
Overview
This updated and revised edition of Trent C. Butler’s commentary on Joshua features solid biblical scholarship, thorough coverage of the original Hebrew, and close analysis of the ancient manuscripts of Joshua. It includes Butler’s translation of the text, explanatory notes, and commentary to help any professor, student, or pastor with research and writing.
- Incorporates Greek and Hebrew resources for in-depth research
- Contains author translations
- Includes Hebrew text and transliteration throughout
Top Highlights
“The reproach or disgrace of Egypt refers to the insulting social position as slaves to which Israel was degraded in Egypt.” (Page 336)
“שָׁקְטָה periods which were not the permanent rest promised in the nuaḥ group of words.” (Page 520)
“If one does not emend the text, the poem is a direct address to the heavenly bodies. This is normal for Israel’s neighbors, where the moon and sun would be seen as gods. It is astounding in Israel, where even the creation story refuses to name the sun and moon, being content to refer to the greater and lesser lights (Gen 1:14–19). Such language could easily be interpreted as worship of and prayer to the heavenly deities, but the biblical writer carefully avoids this. Joshua speaks to Yahweh through such language (v 12a). In so doing, he shows the impotence of the gods of Canaan and underscores the importance of Joshua. He is a man of prayer empowered to command the great ‘gods’ of Israel’s neighbors. But he can do so only because Yahweh listens to him (v 14).” (Page 484)
“Jericho remains, then, a conundrum. The biblical writer leaves the reader with the impression of a mighty, masterful victory over a large city, but the best evidence points to the taking of a small fort that guarded the roads to larger cities and stood under the command of one or more of those cities. Still, the Jericho tradition is preserved in a spy story, in a military siege tradition, in a preserve-the-prostitute tradition that goes against Yahweh war legislation, and in a cultic reenactment tradition. The isolation of such multiple preservations provides strong evidence for the importance of victory at Jericho for God and the chosen people Israel.” (Page 373)
- Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
Each section of the commentary includes:
- Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
- Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
- Notes—the author’s notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
- Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
- Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
- Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
- General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliographycontains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.
Trent C. Butler served 10 years on the faculty of the International Baptist Theological Seminary in Ruschilkon, Switzerland, and for 22 years as editorial director for Holman Bible Publishers. He wrote the Word Biblical Commentary volume on Judges, the Layman’s Bible Book Commentary on Isaiah, the Holman Old Testament Commentaries on Isaiah and on Hosea through Micah, and the Holman New Testament Commentary on Luke.
Reviews
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Matthew
3/2/2024
Mike Harris
10/21/2021
Ray Mills
2/25/2016