Zephaniah Nahum Habakkuk Lamentations Obadiah

Nahum prophecies the destruction of Nineveh. Habakkuk questions the Lord of Israel. Zephaniah warns the last great king of Jerusalem. David W. Baker examines the authorship, composition, structure and historical context of each book and highlights the authors' major themes.

The books of Lamentations, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah are rich with God’s truth concerning our need of redemption. But hope and mercy have the fi nal word as God promises to bless those who turn back to him in faith and repentance. This accessible study takes readers through these books over the course of 12 weeks. The prophecies, though far removed from our historical context, are deeply relevant and applicable to today’s contemporary issues—offering hope for restoration in our fallen world. Part of the Knowing the Bible series.

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include:* commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.

In this commentary, Thomas Renz reads Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah as three carefully crafted writings of enduring relevance, each of which makes a vital contribution to the biblical canon. Discussing the historical settings, Renz takes up both long-standing issues, such as the relationship of Zephaniah to Josiah’s reforms, and the socioeconomic conditions of the time suggested by recent archaeological research. The place of these writings within the Book of the Twelve is given fresh consideration, including the question of what one should make of the alleged redaction history of Nahum and Habakkuk. The author’s careful translation of the text comes with detailed textual notes, illuminating some of the Bible’s most outstanding poetry (Nahum) and one of the biblical chapters that is among the most difficult to translate (Habakkuk 3). The thorough verse-by-verse commentary is followed by stimulating theological reflection, opening up avenues for teaching and preaching from these prophetic writings. No matter their previous familiarity with these and other Minor Prophets, scholars, pastors, and lay readers alike will find needed guidance in working through these difficult but important books of the Bible.