“The book of Deuteronomy can rightly be called a compendium of the most important ideas of the Old Testament.” So begins this commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, which Bill Arnold treat
“The book of Deuteronomy can rightly be called a compendium of the most important ideas of the Old Testament.” So begins this commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, which Bill Arnold treats as the heart of the Torah and the fulcrum of the Old Testament—crystallizing the themes of the first four books of the Bible and establishing the theological foundation of the books that follow.
After a thorough introduction that explores these and other matters, Arnold provides an original translation of the first eleven chapters of Deuteronomy along with verse-by-verse commentary (with the translation and commentary of the remaining chapters following in a second volume). As with the other entries in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Arnold remains rooted in the book’s historical context while focusing on its meaning and use as Christian Scripture today. Ideal for pastors, students, scholars, and interested laypersons, this commentary is an authoritative yet accessible companion to the book of Deuteronomy.
Review of Biblical Literature
“The volume will be of great interest to all graduate-level students (including seminary but also anyone wanting an up-to-date, expansive work on recent Deuteronomy scholarship), teachers, scholars, as well as the general reader. That is a key highlight of the volume: it is both meticulous in its scholarship, yet also accessible.”
Calvin Theological Journal
“Arnold’s commentary of Deuteronomy 1–11 will likely become the standard treatment from a broadly evangelical perspective.”
“Bill T. Arnold has been working toward this commentary for some time now. Here at last comes the first installment of what is nothing short of a monumental gift to biblical interpreters of all kinds. Arnold has given us the most extensive, careful exposition of the text of Deuteronomy 1–11 we’ve seen in decades. We are all in his considerable debt, and we will remain there for a very long time to come.”
—Brent A. Strawn
Duke University
“This new edition exemplifies all that makes NICOT the leading OT commentary series: sane text-critical analysis; exegetical rigor; a deep, wide, and up-to-date engagement with the scholarly literature; and theological sensitivity and relevance. Having read dozens of commentaries and countless other works on Deuteronomy—with a few publications of my own—I still learned a lot from Arnold. More importantly, my love for the book was reignited as Arnold unpacked God’s revelation through the voice of Moses.”
—Kenneth Turner
Toccoa Falls College
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Bill T. Arnold is the Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary. At Asbury since 1995, he has served as Vice President of Academic Affairs/Provost, Director of Postgraduate Studies, Chair of the Area of Biblical Studies, and Director of Hebrew Studies. One of the series editors of NICOT, Dr. Arnold is also the author of several other books, including Introduction to the Old Testament.
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Table of Contents
Bibliography
Introduction
I. Background: The Narrative Horizons
II. Unity of Composition
III. Authorship and Date
IV. Occasion
V. Canonicity
VI. The Text
VII. Theology
VIII. Main Themes and Their Implications
IX. Analysis of Contents
Text and Commentary
I. The Superscription (1:1–5)
II. Historical Discourse: From Horeb to Beth-Peor (1:6–3:29)
III. Sermonic Discourse: The Nature and Tragedy of Idolatry (4:1–43)
IV. Torah Discourse: Covenant Instructions for Israel (4:44–26:19)
Indexes
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