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Tyndale Old Testament Commentary #9
1 And 2 Kings: An Introduction and Commentary
The book of Kings is a unique source for understanding the history of Israel from the last days of the united kingdom under David to the eventual fall of the kingdoms of Israel and Judah. Presenting Israel's national history from a divine viewpoint, these narratives measure the kings of Israel and Judah not by the mark they leave on secular history, but by their "doing what is right in the Lord's sight." Embedded in this story are enduring lessons of the ways of God with his people in every age.In this commentary Donald Wiseman brings to this portion of Scripture his life-long study of the archeology, history, languages and documents of the ancient Near East. No other commentary on Kings offers as much historical background and well-considered judgement in such concise and accessible form.
318 pages, Paperback
First published June 1, 1993
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Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews
October 16, 2013
Boy George : 'Allo, 'allo, eez me again, your compere sans compare, your quizzing quizzitor, your marmalade of merde, your nancy with the laughing eyes, thang yew, thang yew, and welcome ladeeeez and gennlemen to a special Celebrity Death Match here in the plush surroundings of the Munitions, Defibrillators and Chicken de-Beakers Union Social Club here in Pontefract in the heart of the Socialist Republic of Yorkshire, thang yew...
(scattered applause)
So, this will be a short brutal contest tonight to decide who is to be the God of the Israelites. Let me introduce you to the contestants. In the Rrrrred cornerrrrr, we have the one, the only, all the way from Los Angeles, give it up for
YAHWEH!
(Fans begin a chant.... Yah-weh! Yah-weh!)
And in the bloooooo cornerrr, he's a local boy, you know him well, he's your verrry own, it's
BAAL!
(scattered applause)
Tonight there will be one knockout or one Fall to decide the winner. Resurrection in mid-bout is NOT allowed. Contestants are to be clothed in human flesh at ALL times. And now eet ees my verry grrreat pleasure to present tonight's referee the ever popular Miss Jane Austen...!
(general indifference)
Jane : Look, when I say "break", I want a clean break. In the event of a knock-down, you will be directed to go to a neutral corner. You are both professionals so I expect a good, clean fight!
Bell : Ting!
The two gods advance into the centre of the ring.
YAHWEH : You know this is pointless don't you.
BAAL : (sighs) Yes, I know. But what do I do? I have a family to feed. Actually, more than one if the truth be told.
YAHWEH: Well, maybe we can work something out.
JANE : Fight! Come on, fight!
BAAL : What do you mean?
YAHWEH: Well, how about this. I get the Israelites and you get the surrounding areas, except the Golan heights.
BAAL: Well that sounds okay, but you'll smite me. i know it.
YAHWEH: I won't smite you. Scout's honour. As I am my own witness.
BAAL : Throw in five percent of the Israelites burnt offerings for a five year period starting on 1st january and it's a deal.
YAHWEH : I can live with that.
They unstrap their boxing gloves and shake hands.
Crowd boos.
JANE : Fight, kill, maim!
BAAL : Cool down, lady - who is she anyway?
YAHWEH : She writes novels.
BAAL : That explains it.
**
Note to all relevant parties : This book made me laugh and cry. I absolutely fell in love with the characters!
(scattered applause)
So, this will be a short brutal contest tonight to decide who is to be the God of the Israelites. Let me introduce you to the contestants. In the Rrrrred cornerrrrr, we have the one, the only, all the way from Los Angeles, give it up for
YAHWEH!
(Fans begin a chant.... Yah-weh! Yah-weh!)
And in the bloooooo cornerrr, he's a local boy, you know him well, he's your verrry own, it's
BAAL!
(scattered applause)
Tonight there will be one knockout or one Fall to decide the winner. Resurrection in mid-bout is NOT allowed. Contestants are to be clothed in human flesh at ALL times. And now eet ees my verry grrreat pleasure to present tonight's referee the ever popular Miss Jane Austen...!
(general indifference)
Jane : Look, when I say "break", I want a clean break. In the event of a knock-down, you will be directed to go to a neutral corner. You are both professionals so I expect a good, clean fight!
Bell : Ting!
The two gods advance into the centre of the ring.
YAHWEH : You know this is pointless don't you.
BAAL : (sighs) Yes, I know. But what do I do? I have a family to feed. Actually, more than one if the truth be told.
YAHWEH: Well, maybe we can work something out.
JANE : Fight! Come on, fight!
BAAL : What do you mean?
YAHWEH: Well, how about this. I get the Israelites and you get the surrounding areas, except the Golan heights.
BAAL: Well that sounds okay, but you'll smite me. i know it.
YAHWEH: I won't smite you. Scout's honour. As I am my own witness.
BAAL : Throw in five percent of the Israelites burnt offerings for a five year period starting on 1st january and it's a deal.
YAHWEH : I can live with that.
They unstrap their boxing gloves and shake hands.
Crowd boos.
JANE : Fight, kill, maim!
BAAL : Cool down, lady - who is she anyway?
YAHWEH : She writes novels.
BAAL : That explains it.
**
Note to all relevant parties : This book made me laugh and cry. I absolutely fell in love with the characters!
August 24, 2019
Who edits the editor? Doctor Wiseman was the fine editor of the Tyndale Commentary series and known for his expertise on Assyria and archeology. Unfortunately he seemed to struggle as a more general audience writer. Part of this seemed to be that as the editor no one edited him and this commentary needed some serious work. There were too many paragraphs that covered three separate topics with one sentence each and offered no depth on any of the three topics. Some sentences simply didn't make sense grammatically and all meaning was lost.
There are some solid reasons to read this volume. The introduction is the best part of the book and lets Dr. Wiseman stretch his historical legs in a decent sized area. The early chapters on Solomon and the Temple are also worth reading for the insight on how it was build and what was included. Finally the destruction and deportation of Israel and then Judah by the Mesopotamians showcase the instructor's knowledge but are far too brief.
It is the vast area of commentary in between that swing between simplistic, pedantic and archeology degree required that creates the problem. Dr. Wiseman seems to have been a wonderful Christian gentleman with tremendous knowledge to share. Sadly this work doesn't allow enough of that knowledge to flow onto the printed page.
There are some solid reasons to read this volume. The introduction is the best part of the book and lets Dr. Wiseman stretch his historical legs in a decent sized area. The early chapters on Solomon and the Temple are also worth reading for the insight on how it was build and what was included. Finally the destruction and deportation of Israel and then Judah by the Mesopotamians showcase the instructor's knowledge but are far too brief.
It is the vast area of commentary in between that swing between simplistic, pedantic and archeology degree required that creates the problem. Dr. Wiseman seems to have been a wonderful Christian gentleman with tremendous knowledge to share. Sadly this work doesn't allow enough of that knowledge to flow onto the printed page.
November 12, 2021
(3.5 stars)
This commentary had some strong points: the commentator does a good job of setting the book into its historical context, especially in regards to outside kingdoms like Assyria and Babylon. He also does a good job pointing out where archaeology has confirmed statements from the book. It was actually quite interesting to learn how much evidence in Kings is supported by archaeology.
Having said that, the commentary has its weaknesses as well. If there is an overarching thread or theme to the book of Kings, you won’t really find it in the commentary section. Sure, the author discusses themes in the introduction, but then rarely, if ever, refers to them in the body of the commentary.
Another weakness is the lack of attention to spiritual issues in the commentary section. Did the author want his readers to learn about Yahweh from his commentary? Are there threads that point to Christ? Is the author in some sense “preaching” to his readers? You certainly won’t find answers to these questions in this commentary.
Ultimately a little disappointing from a spiritual framework, but very good from a historical one.
This commentary had some strong points: the commentator does a good job of setting the book into its historical context, especially in regards to outside kingdoms like Assyria and Babylon. He also does a good job pointing out where archaeology has confirmed statements from the book. It was actually quite interesting to learn how much evidence in Kings is supported by archaeology.
Having said that, the commentary has its weaknesses as well. If there is an overarching thread or theme to the book of Kings, you won’t really find it in the commentary section. Sure, the author discusses themes in the introduction, but then rarely, if ever, refers to them in the body of the commentary.
Another weakness is the lack of attention to spiritual issues in the commentary section. Did the author want his readers to learn about Yahweh from his commentary? Are there threads that point to Christ? Is the author in some sense “preaching” to his readers? You certainly won’t find answers to these questions in this commentary.
Ultimately a little disappointing from a spiritual framework, but very good from a historical one.
April 29, 2012
The authors are evangelical, thorough, and warm. Recommended.
Displaying 1 - 4 of 4 reviews