Judges. By David Beldman

Abstract

The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series is aimed primarily at students, pastors, and Christian leaders, emphasizing theological exegesis passage by passage and some form of theological reflection that varies from one author to another. David Beldman, associate professor at Redeemer University in Ontario, has written extensively on theological interpretation, especially of the book of Judges. In this volume, he provides not only a commentary on the chapters of Judges but a coherent theological reading of the complete book. The series’ audience is explicitly Christian, and Beldman sets the ‘goal of hearing the divine address’ (p. 5), without becoming homiletic. Thus forewarned, non-Christian readers should not be surprised by reference to ‘Postfall human existence’ (p. 191), or potentially more discomforting descriptions of Second Temple Judaism (p. 239): ‘Over the course of the centuries leading up to Jesus, rather than taking up their calling as a channel of blessing they become...