Numbers: An Exegetical & Theological Bible Commentary - BCOT (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament) - Hardcover

Mark A. Awabdy

Hardcover

ISBN 10: 0801035740 ISBN 13: 9780801035746

Publisher: Baker Academic, 2023

Synopsis

Explore the contemporary significance of the Old Testament and hear the Word of God afresh

This substantive and useful commentary on the book of Numbers is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text. It is grounded in rigorous scholarship but useful for those who preach and teach.

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 matters

Pastors, 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 is the second volume in a new series on the Pentateuch, which complements other Baker Commentary on the Old Testament series: Historical Books, Wisdom and Psalms, and Prophets. Each series volume covers one book of the Pentateuch, addressing important issues and problems that flow from the text and exploring the contemporary relevance of the Pentateuch.

The series editor is Bill T. Arnold, the Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary.

About this title

About the Author

Mark A. Awabdy (PhD, Asbury Theological Seminary) is a professor of Old Testament and biblical languages, who teaches in the Arabian Gulf and South Asia. He is the author of Immigrants and Innovative Law and a commentary on LXX Leviticus.

From the Back Cover

"A successful evangelical interpretation of a fascinating biblical book"

"The commentary excellently combines current research in America and Europe on the literary history of the book of Numbers with a theological interpretation of the biblical text that allows the Word of God to become recognizable in a multitude of voices in the text. The commentary is both critical and evangelical in the best sense of the word and an important aid to understanding the book of Numbers for teaching and preaching."
--Eckart Otto, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich (emeritus); University of Pretoria, South Africa

"This is a great contribution to this important series. Awabdy's enthusiasm for Numbers is infectious. He is well versed in the relevant ancient Near Eastern literary and cultural backgrounds as well as in the scholarly discussion of the Pentateuch. He presents his own carefully crafted translation with notes justifying grammatical choices. His discussion is accessible and remains ever cognizant of the broader literary and cultural contexts while also being sensitive to theological themes."
--John A. Cook, Asbury Theological Seminary

"Reasoned, comprehensible, and illuminating, Awabdy's commentary is easy to read and offers insights for every reader through cross-references to the ancient Near East tradition. The narrative form is analyzed, and the relevant motifs are explained. The focus is not on literary history but on the theological message of the book. This is a successful evangelical interpretation of a fascinating biblical book."
--Christian Frevel, Ruhr-Universität, Bochum, Germany

"Even for Pentateuch experts, the book of Numbers is often a rather unknown book. All the more welcome is a commentary like this one, which combines critical scholarship and theological reflection in such a way that it not only can be used by pastors and teachers for preaching and teaching but also can be read with great profit by specialists in biblical studies. It is the theological focus that sets this commentary apart from many others."
--Benjamin Kilchör, Universitäre Theologische Hochschule, Basel, Switzerland

From the Inside Flap

Mark Awabdy offers a substantive and useful commentary on the book of Numbers that is both critically engaged and sensitive to the theological contributions of the text.

This volume is the second in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT): Pentateuch series, which complements the popular BCOT: Wisdom and Psalms series. Each series volume covers one book of the Pentateuch, addressing important issues and problems that flow from the text and exploring the contemporary relevance of the Pentateuch.

From the Series Preface
Each commentary in this series not only highlights the distinctive features unique to each biblical book but also reflects the unique approach of the one commenting on it. Each volume provides a fresh translation of the Hebrew text along with section-by-section comments. Each contributor carefully attends to (1) the meaning and significance of the ancient discourse and, where appropriate, (2) its reception in Jewish and Christian tradition, (3) the text's relation and contribution to the canon of Scripture as a whole, and (4) the text's implications for our contemporary setting. In this way, these commentaries not only lay bare the perspectives of the ancient human authors but also bring their voices into dialogue with other words that God has spoken--and is speaking--through Scripture and tradition, doing so in a way that dignifies the relevance of the Pentateuch as a contemporary word from God rather than merely an ancient, dusty book from antiquity. It is our hope that these BCOT: Pentateuch volumes will enable us all to hear this word from God afresh for the benefit of the church universal.

Edition details

• Publisher: Baker Academic
• Publication date: 2023
• Language: English
• ISBN 10: 0801035740
• ISBN 13: 9780801035746
• Binding: Hardcover
• Number of pages: 672