First and Second Kings

Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching

by Richard D. Nelson

Richard Nelson examines the books of Kings and treats the text as theological literature, emphasizing the literary impact of this important part of the Old Testament canon. Nelson recognizes King's as a useful though uncritical source of historical information, its purpose to transform the beliefs of its first readers, to get them to re-evaluate their identity before God.

Genres: Religion, Theology

273 pages, Hardcover

First published January 1, 1987

About the author

Professor Emeritus of Biblical Hebrew and Old Testament Interpretation at Perkins School of Theology in Dallas, Texas. He is the author of The Historical Books (Abingdon), Deuteronomy: A Commentary (Westminster John Knox), and From Eden to Babel: An Adventure in Bible Study (Chalice).

Reviews

[C.H.E. Sadaphal · Rating 3 out of 5]

The bottom line: A worthwhile reference with some notable caveats.

Before anyone uses this book as a reference, it must be understood how the author views the Books of First and Second Kings. One the one hand he is critical of the writings as legitimate historical narratives due to modern skepticism and standards for history writing (he expounds on this in the introduction), and regards the recorded history as “no longer [having] any direct impact on us. This observation goes deeper than the obvious fact that “we are not Jews of the sixth century B.C.E.” Nelson views both books instead as ... http://www.chesadaphal.com/interpreta...

[Douglas E. Dyer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Informative and interesting

I'm working my through the fascinating interpretations of each book of the Bible. I alternate between section by section as arranged by the various authors and two versions of the Bible. It's easier to keep up with who's who since many people's sound similar. Overall, I, II Kings is an eye-opening and frequently disturbing story of human behavior and God's grace. Recommend.