Word Biblical Commentary: Deuteronomy 12-34

In this conclusion to his commentary on Deuteronomy, Dr. Duane Christensen continues his tradition of providing exegesis, history, and theology of the last book of the Pentateuch. The scholar, pastor, and student will find his commentary to be both informative and up to date. Christensen points out the surprising connections between this book's laws and various stories in other parts of the Old Testament. Drawing on recent scholarship on law and narrative, he shows how each set of legal topics influenced stories about people from Abraham to David and the kings of Israel and Judah. This new commentary on Deuteronomy 21:10- 34:12 also shows the literary connections between laws, blessings and curses, poetry, and narrative within the book. It argues that the synagogue's traditional cycle of Torah readings reveal the original structure and unity of the Book of Deuteronomy. Like the first volume, this commentary continues to draw attention to Deuteronomy's intricate metrical and literary structures to show the artistry behind the book's design. Here Dr. Christensen's analysis of its "poetic" form reaches its climax in commentary on the two poems in chapters 32 and 33, the "Song" and "Blessing" of Moses. This volume contains indexes that cover both volumes of the commentary on Deuteronomy. These include a comprehensive index of biblical and other ancient texts, as well as indexes of modern authors cited, principal topics discussed, and key Hebrew words.

About the Author :
Ralph P. Martin (1925-2013) was Distinguished Scholar in Residence at Fuller Theological Seminary and a New Testament Editor for the Word Biblical Commentary series. He earned the BA and MA from the University of Manchester, England, and the PhD from King's College, University of London. He was the author of numerous studies and commentaries on the New Testament, including Worship in the Early Church, the volume on Philippians in The Tyndale New Testament Commentary series. He also wrote 2 Corinthians and James in the WBC series. Duane L. Christensen is Professor of Biblical Studies and Ancient Near Eastern History at William Carey International University. He has a B.S. from Massachusetts Institute of Technology, an M.Div. from American Baptist Seminary of the West, and a Th.D. from Harvard University. Postdoctoral studies include stints at the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome, and the University of North Carolina, at the University of Vienna, and at Hebrew University, Jerusalem. He is the author of Transformations of the War Oracle in Old Testament Prophecy and Bible 101: God s Story in Human History, as well as numerous journal articles.