Joel & Obadiah

Mentor Commentary

by Irvin A. Busenitz

In this book you discover the theme of Joel: The day of Yahweh. You will also discover more about who one to whom the day belongs to - Yahweh.The people were facing devastating calamity and Joel calls the society to repent in order that they might escape this judgment and once again enjoy mercy and favour of Yahweh. Obadiah also focuses on the dual aspects of the theme both that there is Judgement and that blessing.Mentor commentaries retain a high view of scripture whilst interacting with other research from differing theological viewpoints.

Genres: Theology, Reference, Christian

288 pages, Hardcover

First published May 30, 2003

Reviews

[Jimmy]

I wish more commentaries of the Bible were like this one: plenty of exegetical insights into the Hebrew texts with vast lexical notes and some grammatical and syntactical observations. I appreciated how the author’s insightful is useful for those studying the Hebrew text for expository preaching while at the same time it’s not so technical that it cease being beneficial for a knowledgeable lay reader. The bulk of the commentary is on the book of Joel rather than Obadiah. I appreciated the introductory materials on Joel here, especially since there’s so much scholarly debate about the book and how Joel has so little internal evidence in regards to authorship, dates, etc. Dr. Busenitz does a good job in the commentary of surveying different positions concerning introductory and background matter, and offer reasons for the conclusions he lands on (rare in commentaries these days). There’s been many occasion as I read the text from Joel I was wondering what was going on, and Busenitz’s commentary has been helpful. I definitely recommend this whether you need a commentary to read along with your devotional or if you need a commentary that touches on the Hebrew text for your exposition.

[Neil Kruger · Rating 4 out of 5]

Joel: 4.5
Obadiah: 4

Very accessible for pastors and laypeople. Particularly strong in thinking through the various dimensions of the "Day of Yahweh".

[Caleb Lawson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Overall, the best commentary as I taught through the book of Joel (Did not reference/consult Obadiah portion). Busenitz contributes plenty of insightful textual remarks that will enlighten anyone studying Joel for a teaching/preaching series. Busenitz spills a lot of helpful ink discussing the Day of YHWH as it is central to the book. I also consulted Douglas Stuart in the WBC series which was my next go-to on Joel. He also had very insightful comments on the text, although he has some interesting and unique views (for example, he takes the locusts in Joel 1 & 2 to be figurative for an invading Babylonian army). I also used Raymond Dillard on Joel in the Baker Minor Prophets series and the Keil & Delitzsch volume on the Minor Prophets. Both had good insights, but overall weren't on the same level.

Some stances Busenitz takes on key interpretative issues in Joel:
- Argues for an early date of the book, sometime in the middle of the 9th century BC
- Takes the locusts of Joel 1 to be real, literal locusts that have decimated Israel
- Essentially argues Joel 2:1-11 is an eschatological army being described in "locust" terms (the historical locust plague is simply a precursor of the eschatological "locust" plague to come)
- Takes Joel 2:18ff to be describing the "prophetic perfect" i.e. not events that took place past tense in Joel's day, but still to come in the future
- Has an excursus on Joel 2:28-32 and its relationship to Acts 2:17-21. Takes a partial fulfillment/initiatory view with a complete fulfillment of Joel's prophecy yet to be fulfilled around the second advent

[Josh Anders · Rating 5 out of 5]

One of the most helpful commentaries I’ve read. Gives you all you need to teach, Hebrew usages, etc. but also clear pastoral points to help guide the development of the books. If you’re interested in studying either of these books, definitely grab this one

[Vitor Cortial · Rating 4 out of 5]

Muito bom! Achei que não apresentou um entendimento tão holístico do livro, mas tecnicamente muito bom.