Ezekiel: (A Catholic Bible Commentary on the Old Testament by Trusted Catholic Biblical Scholars - CCSS)

by Daniel A Keating, Mary Healy (Editor), Mark Giszczak (Editor)

The 17 New Testament volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series have been widely acclaimed. The series now expands to include readable Old Testament commentaries that integrate the best of contemporary biblical scholarship with the traditional understanding of the Old Testament books as prophesying and prefiguring Christ.

Written from a standpoint of faith in the Holy Spirit's inspiration of Scripture, CCSS Old Testament commentaries are designed for preaching, teaching, and applying Scripture to Christian life today. Accessibly written yet substantive, they include quotes from Church documents, Church Fathers, and saints and are packed with features that make them particularly useful to those doing ministry in Catholic parishes.

General editors for the series are Mary Healy (Sacred Heart Major Seminary), Mark Giszczak (Augustine Institute), and Peter S. Williamson (Sacred Heart Major Seminary).

352 pages, Paperback

First published August 20, 2024

Reviews

[Kenneth · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've been reading this book in conjunction with a study group at my church which is currently working through the Old Testament book of Ezekiel. Ezekiel himself came from a priestly family in Jerusalem, but God called him to be a prophet in the opening chapters of the book, when he was already among the Jewish exiles in Babylonia - after King Josiah's death, the kingdom of Judah was caught between Egypt and the Babylonians - there were factions of Jews who favored one and some the other. Egypt proved to be unreliable as an ally. and when King Jehoiachin was deposed and deported to Babylon by King Nebuchadnezzar, Ezekiel was one of the Hebrews that were put into exile with him. So, Ezekiel was called by God when he was with the exiles by the river Chebar (also spelled Kebar in some translations), in a very dramatic way. In the first number of chapters, God gives him visions of what was going on in Jerusalem and even in the Temple itself- the idolatries, injustices, etc. which God was determined to punish. Ezekiel's message for his fellow exiles was that they should repent and be faithful and not blame God for their woes. Eventually Jerusalem falls and the city and its Temple are destroyed and all the inhabitants (except for the poorest) are deported to Babylonia, which gives Ezekiel credibility as a prophet. The next bunch of chapters consist of oracles against other nations - Ammon, Moab, Egypt, Sidon and Tyre in Phoenicia, Edom. But then, Ezekiel has oracles of God restoring Israel and renewing his covenant with them - very hopeful. Chapter 37 has the vision of the valley of dry bones which are restored to life. Chapters 38-39 have the apocalyptic prophecies of Gog and Magog. The concluding chapters describe a new Temple and a renewal of the land with all 12 tribes restored in it.

The author gives much historical detail and provides comments in sidebars, including what certain Church Fathers - St. Augustine and others - have said about certain things in Ezekiel. Also discussed are how Ezekiel is reflected in various New Testament passages and correlations with other Old Testament books, especially Isaiah and Jeremiah, the latter being contemporary with Ezekiel. The author also has a list of references at the back - a bibliography of scholars who have written about Ezekiel - Catholic, Protestant and Jewish. Also, a glossary.

If you are in a Bible Study doing Ezekiel, I highly recommend this book.

[Douglas Lee · Rating 5 out of 5]

The New Testament volumes in the Catholic Commentary on Sacred Scripture series are among the most useful, faithful, level-headed commentaries available, consequently, I am so happy to see that they are expanding the series into the Old Testament. The Book of Ezekial is one of the most puzzling, enigmatic and, at times, bizarre writings among the Old Testament Prophets. In keeping with the quality of the NT books in this series, Daniel Keating provides a sober, orthodox, sensible and faithful commentary on this prophetic writing. At the beginning, Keating delivers an excellent introduction to the structure of the writing and the literary features which help orient the reader. The commentary that follows is block by block rather than verse by verse. As part of the commentary, the author draws attention to the writings of the Church Fathers and other great teachers of Church history. Each block of commentary also makes reference to useful scriptural cross-references and the Catholic Catechism.

This commentary is useful on many levels and I recommend it fully to teachers and preachers who bring the Sacred Scriptures to others, but I also recommend it to laypeople who are looking for a reliable guide to walk them through Ezekial's dramatic visions. While intellectually substantial, this commentary does not get "bogged down" in technical or speculative issues - it is practical, applicable and encouraging. While this is part of an overtly Catholic Commentary Series, readers from other orthodox streams within the Christian Church - I am an ordained Pentecostal minister and found this commentary to be one of the most useful I have read on Ezekial.

[Fred Christopherson · Rating 5 out of 5]

This commentary is simply excellent. It includes the full text of Ezekiel, and explains and discusses it section by section. Each section is smaller than a chapter. The author assumes that many of his readers are Christians, and thus explains how different features of Ezekiel point to God's later revelation of Christ.