Mark J. Boda – författare

How a biblical author says something is just as important as what they say.Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the series carefully analyzes the discourse of each Old Testament book and shows how the main thrust of each passage contributes to the development of the whole composition in the original Hebrew.For each passage, the ZECOT provides:The main idea of the passage.Its literary context.The author’s original translation.Exegetical outline with Hebrew layout.Its structure and literary form.An explanation of the text.Its canonical and practical significance.While primarily designed for those with a basic knowledge of biblical Hebrew, Hebrew words are always explained so that anyone who desires to understand the Old Testament and communicate its message will benefit from the depth and accessibility these volumes offer.

The NIV Application Commentary helps you communicate and apply biblical text effectively in today's context.To bring the ancient messages of the Bible into today's world, each passage is treated in three sections:Original Meaning. Concise exegesis to help readers understand the original meaning of the biblical text in its historical, literary, and cultural context.Bridging Contexts. A bridge between the world of the Bible and the world of today, built by discerning what is timeless in the timely pages of the Bible.Contemporary Significance. This section identifies comparable situations to those faced in the Bible and explores relevant application of the biblical messages. The author alerts the readers of problems they may encounter when seeking to apply the passage and helps them think through the issues involved.This unique, award-winning commentary is the ideal resource for today's preachers, teachers, and serious students of the Bible, giving them the tools, ideas, and insights they need to communicate God's Word with the same powerful impact it had when it was first written.The book you receive may have a different cover design than shown on the website.

Hebrew tradition presents Haggai and Zechariah as prophetic figures arising in the wake of the Babylonian exile with an agenda of restoration for the early Persian period community in Yehud. This agenda, however, was not original to these prophets, but rather drawn from the earlier traditions of Israel. In recent years there has been a flurry of scholarly attention on the relationship between these Persian period prophets and the earlier traditions with a view to the ways in which these prophets draw on earlier tradition in innovative ways. It is time to take stock of these many contributions and provide a venue for dialogue and evaluation.

It is generally agreed within Hebrew Bible scholarship that Zechariah 9-14 is filled with allusions to other books within the Hebrew canon. Rex Mason's doctoral dissertation in the early 1970s contributed significantly to the foundation of this consensus. However, although Mason's thesis remains a seminal work for those studying Deutero-Zechariah, it has never been published. This volume contains the first publication of that work together with reflections from leading biblical scholars who have published onZechariah 9-14. The volume is rounded off with a response by Mason to these scholars and a reflection on his own contribution thirty years ago.Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement series, Volume 370.

Born out of two years of presentations in the Biblical Hebrew Poetry Section at SBL, this volume discusses 'voice'. This volume is born out of two years of academic presentations on laments in the Biblical Hebrew Poetry Section at the Society of Biblical Literature (2006-2007). The topics of these papers are gathered around the theme of 'voice'. The two parts to this volume: provide fresh readings of familiar texts as they are read through the lens of lamentation, and deepen our understanding of Israel and God as lamenter and lamentee. In the second section the focus on topics such as Israel's 'unbelieving faith' (i.e., strong accusations against the God on whom they have complete reliance and trust), the unrighteous lamenter, and God's acceptance and rejection of the people's lament(s), deepens our understanding of Israel's culture and practice of lamentation. The final essay notes how the expression of despair is in tension with the poetic devices that contain it. Over the last 30 years, this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field.The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.

This volume is born out of two years of academic presentations on laments in the Biblical Hebrew Poetry Section at the Society of Biblical Literature (2006-2007). The topics of these papers are gathered around the theme of "voice." The two parts to this volume: 1) provide fresh readings of familiar texts as they are read through the lens of lamentation, and 2) deepen our understanding of Israel and God as lamenter and lamentee. In the second section the focus on topics such as Israel's "unbelieving faith" (i.e., strong accusations against the God on whom they have complete reliance and trust), the unrighteous lamenter, and God's acceptance and rejection of the people's lament(s), deepens our understanding of Israel's culture and practice of lamentation. The final essay notes how the expression of despair is in tension with the poetic devices that contain it.

A comprehensive examination of the links between wisdom literature and prophecy. The book is divided into four sections. The first addresses methodological concerns such as identifying “wisdom,” identifying potential sociological spheres for wisdom and prophecy in the ancient Near East, and recognizing potential textual relationships. The second examines the role of wisdom in the prophetic corpus more broadly in a book-by-book analysis of biblical texts, first examining the role of wisdom in the prophetic corpus of the Hebrew Bible. The third section looks at elements of prophecy within the traditional wisdom books such as Job, Proverbs and Qoheleth. Finally, the book continues the conversation by providing two concluding chapters that evaluate, critique, engage, and raise new questions that Hebrew Bible scholars will need to wrestle with as the search for the relationship between wisdom and prophecy moves forward.

The contributors to this volume discuss not merely the theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of inner biblical allusion but rather provide practical examples of scholars working with specific texts within the wisdom and psalms corpora in order to showcase the function of this phenomenon within poetic texts. Closing responses from senior scholars (David Clines and John Goldingay) provide a critical engagement and mature reflection on the contributions.

A comprehensive examination of the links between wisdom literature and prophecy. The book is divided into four sections. The first addresses methodological concerns such as identifying “wisdom,” identifying potential sociological spheres for wisdom and prophecy in the ancient Near East, and recognizing potential textual relationships. The second examines the role of wisdom in the prophetic corpus more broadly in a book-by-book analysis of biblical texts, first examining the role of wisdom in the prophetic corpus of the Hebrew Bible. The third section looks at elements of prophecy within the traditional wisdom books such as Job, Proverbs and Qoheleth. Finally, the book continues the conversation by providing two concluding chapters that evaluate, critique, engage, and raise new questions that Hebrew Bible scholars will need to wrestle with as the search for the relationship between wisdom and prophecy moves forward.

The contributors to this volume discuss not merely the theoretical aspects of the phenomenon of inner biblical allusion but rather provide practical examples of scholars working with specific texts within the wisdom and psalms corpora in order to showcase the function of this phenomenon within poetic texts. Closing responses from senior scholars (David Clines and John Goldingay) provide a critical engagement and mature reflection on the contributions.

The present volume searches for different biblical perceptions of the wild, paying particular attention to the significance of fluid boundaries between the domestic and the wild, and to the options of crossing borders between them. Drawing on space, fauna, and flora, scholars investigate the ways biblical authors present the wild and the domestic and their interactions. In its six chapters and two responses, Hebrew Bible scholars, an archaeobotanist, an archaeologist, a geographer, and iconographers join forces to discuss the wild and its portrayals in biblical literature.The discussions bring to light the entire spectrum of real, imagined, metaphorized, and conceptualized forms of the wild that appear in biblical sources, as also in the material culture and agriculture of ancient Israel, and to some extent observe the great gap between biblical observations and modern studies of geography and of mapping that marks the distinctions between “the wilderness” and “the sown.” The book is the first written product presented on two consecutive years (2019, 2020) at the SBL Annual Meetings in the Section: “Nature Imagery and Conceptions of Nature in the Bible.”

The present volume searches for different biblical perceptions of the wild, paying particular attention to the significance of fluid boundaries between the domestic and the wild, and to the options of crossing borders between them. Drawing on space, fauna, and flora, scholars investigate the ways biblical authors present the wild and the domestic and their interactions. In its six chapters and two responses, Hebrew Bible scholars, an archaeobotanist, an archaeologist, a geographer, and iconographers join forces to discuss the wild and its portrayals in biblical literature.The discussions bring to light the entire spectrum of real, imagined, metaphorized, and conceptualized forms of the wild that appear in biblical sources, as also in the material culture and agriculture of ancient Israel, and to some extent observe the great gap between biblical observations and modern studies of geography and of mapping that marks the distinctions between “the wilderness” and “the sown.” The book is the first written product presented on two consecutive years (2019, 2020) at the SBL Annual Meetings in the Section: “Nature Imagery and Conceptions of Nature in the Bible.”

Human beings are captivated by trees, and history bears this out. From ancient times and in various cultures, trees function as central features of daily life, building and development, economics, shelter, and even religious reflection. In this volume, contributors explore how trees captivated the ancient mind, as revealed in metaphor and analogy in the biblical text, and then turn to reflect upon how modern research methods have aided interpreters in accessing the realia of the biblical world. Utilizing relevant data secured through methods of botany and archaeo-botany, this collection first explores the symbolic imagery of trees found in the Hebrew Bible and the Ancient Near East, from soil, roots and branches to fruit, leaves and the Tree of Life itself. Moving then to different types of trees, the contributors assess the depictions and importance of fig trees, vines, date-palms, deciduous trees, cedars and olive trees. This volume serves biblical scholars by offering a confluence of textual analysis, archaeological reflection, and scientific exploration.

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afreshThe book of Lamentations is disturbing, says highly regarded Old Testament scholar Mark J. Boda. It forces readers to encounter the honest pain of a community and to struggle with the various strategies employed for processing that pain. Its presence in the scriptural canon of all streams of Judaism and Christianity is testimony to its enduring value.This substantive and useful commentary on Lamentations is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. It is grounded in rigorous scholarship but accessible to those who preach and teach. In addition to paragraph-level commentary, all volumes of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT) series feature● a fresh translation of the Hebrew text;● incisive comments based on the author's translation;● linguistic, historical, and canonical insights;● concluding reflections; and● footnotes addressing technical matters.Lamentations is the fourth volume on the prophetic books in the BCOT series, following Hosea-Micah by John Goldingay, Isaiah by J. Gordon McConville, and Daniel by Stephen L. Cook. Series editors are Mark J. Boda (McMaster Divinity College) and J. Gordon McConville (University of Gloucestershire).

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afreshHighly regarded Old Testament scholar John Goldingay offers a substantive and useful commentary on Hosea through Micah and explores the contemporary significance of these prophetic books. This volume, the first in a new series on the Prophets, complements the successful Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Wisdom and Psalms series. Each volume is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Series editors are Mark J. Boda and J. Gordon McConville.In addition to paragraph-level commentary, all volumes of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series feature:● A fresh translation of the Hebrew text● Incisive comments based on the author's translation● Linguistic, historical, and canonical insights● Concluding reflections● Footnotes addressing technical mattersPastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find here an accessible commentary that will serve as an excellent resource for their study.

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afreshHighly regarded Old Testament scholar Stephen Cook offers a substantive and useful commentary on the book of Daniel and explores the contemporary significance of this prophetic book.This groundbreaking commentary departs from common rationalist approaches in order to engage Daniel's visionary content on its own terms, introducing innovative interpretive frameworks that emphasize the cosmic scope of this biblical book and its revelations of heavenly reality. Integrating insights from fields such as analytical psychology, comparative literature, and cosmology, Cook's approach allows the disorienting imagery of Daniel to resonate fully, offering readers fresh insights into its apocalyptic dreams and transcendent symbolism. Cook also addresses the political and theological implications of apocalyptic literature in modern spiritual and geopolitical contexts.In addition to paragraph-level commentary, all volumes of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series feature:● A fresh translation of the Hebrew text● Incisive comments based on the author's translation● Linguistic, historical, and canonical insights● Concluding reflections● Footnotes addressing technical mattersPastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find here an accessible commentary that will serve as an excellent resource for their study.This volume, like each in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series, is grounded in rigorous scholarship but is useful for those who preach and teach. Daniel is the third volume on the prophetic books, following Hosea-Micah by John Goldingay and Isaiah by J. Gordon McConville. Series editors are Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College, and J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire.

This volume explores the theological heartbeat of the Old Testament by examining three big ideas that communicate the Old Testament's redemptive theology. Highly respected scholar Mark Boda shows how three creedal expressions--the narrative, character, and relational creeds--recur throughout the Old Testament and express its core redemptive theology, in turn revealing how the redemptive pulse of God expands to all of creation. He also traces these redemptive and creational pulses into the New Testament and shows their relevance for today's Christian community.

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afreshChristianity Today 2024 Book Award Finalist (Biblical Studies)The book of Isaiah has been regarded from the earliest Christian period as a key part of the Old Testament's witness to Jesus Christ. This commentary by highly regarded Old Testament scholar J. Gordon McConville draws on the best of biblical scholarship as well as the Christian tradition to offer a substantive and useful commentary on Isaiah.McConville treats Isaiah as an ancient Israelite document that speaks to twenty-first-century Christians. He examines the text section by section and shows how the prophetic words are framed to persuade audiences.In addition to paragraph-level commentary, all volumes of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series feature:● A fresh translation of the Hebrew text● Incisive comments based on the author's translation● Linguistic, historical, and canonical insights● Concluding reflections● Footnotes addressing technical mattersPastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find here an accessible commentary that will serve as an excellent resource for their study.Grounded in rigorous scholarship but useful for those who preach and teach, this volume is the second in a new series on the Prophets. Series volumes are both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. Series editors are Mark J. Boda, McMaster Divinity College, and J. Gordon McConville, University of Gloucestershire.

It is generally agreed within Hebrew Bible scholarship that Zechariah 9-14 is filled with allusions to other books within the Hebrew canon. Rex Mason's doctoral dissertation in the early 1970s contributed significantly to the foundation of this consensus. However, although Mason's thesis remains a seminal work for those studying Deutero-Zechariah, it has never been published. This volume contains the first publication of that work together with reflections from leading biblical scholars who have published onZechariah 9-14. The volume is rounded off with a response by Mason to these scholars and a reflection on his own contribution thirty years ago.Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement series, Volume 370.

The biblical-theological approach Boda takes in this work is canonical-thematic, tracing the presentation of the theology of sin and its remedy in the canonical form and shape of the Old Testament. The hermeneutical foundations for this enterprise have been laid by others in past decades, especially by Brevard Childs in his groundbreaking work. But A Severe Mercy also reflects recent approaches to integrating biblical understanding with other methodologies in addition to Childs’s. Thus, it enters the imaginative space of the ancient canon of the Old Testament in order to highlight the “word views” and “literary shapes” of the “texts taken individually and as a whole collection.” For the literary shape of the individual texts, it places the “word views” of the dominant expressions and images, as well as various passages, in the larger context of the biblical books in which they are found. For the literary shape of the texts as a collection, it identifies key subthemes and traces their development through the Old Testament canon. The breadth of Boda’s study is both challenging and courageous, resulting in the first comprehensive examination of the topic in the 21st century.

The 18 essays by members of the Canadian Society for Biblical Studies published in this volume showcase the work of leading authorities on ancient Israelite and Jewish historiography as it intersects with the phenomenon of prophecy. A deep divide exists between the traditions of historiography and prophecy in the academic study of the Hebrew Bible, and the concern of the contributors is to close that gap, to expose the close relationship between these two traditions in the literature of the Hebrew Bible.The first section of the book explores prophecy and prophets in ancient Israelite and Jewish historiographic books (Torah, Deuteronomistic History, Chronicles, Ezra–Nehemiah, Second Temple Jewish historiography). The second section surveys historiography in Israelite and Jewish prophetic books (Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Book of the Twelve, Daniel, 1 Enoch). The contributors engage diverse methodological perspectives in these studies, the goal first being to show the role that the prophets played within the great Hebrew historiographic works and, second, to demonstrate the role that historiography plays within the great Hebrew prophetic works; this makes it clear that the influence is bidirectional.Prophets, Prophecy, and Ancient Israelite Historiography will be of value for advanced students and scholars working on historiographic and prophetic materials in the ancient Israelite and Jewish traditions, featuring the best of research and analysis and interacting with many major ancient literary traditions of historiography and prophecy.

“Meaningless, meaningless, everything is meaningless.” The word “meaningless” (hebel) appears more than 40 times in the book of Ecclesiastes and raises the question why a book that appears to deny meaning or purpose is included in the Bible. Many questions of interpretation as well as relevance surround the book of Ecclesiastes, including indeed the proper translation and understanding of the word hebel. If, after all, the book does examine the question of the meaning of life, what could be more important?The present volume explores Ecclesiastes/Qohelet on many different levels: linguistic, text-critical, theological, historical, and literary. The contributors, chosen from many of the leading and emerging experts on the book, present both the state of the field and their own assessment of the varied interpretive issues of Ecclesiastes. They include scholars, preachers, and philosophers. It should be helpful not only to scholars but also to all who want to study this book seriously.The first section of this volume deals with the history of interpretation. The second section is concerned with issues of history, form, and rhetoric. Section three is about key concepts and passages. The fourth section focuses on the language and grammar of Qohelet. The last section engages practical issues of interpretation. The volume is designed to provide exposure to a variety of readers who seek to engage Qohelet in fresh ways in the twenty-first century—from historians of interpretation to biblical exegetes to linguists to theological students.