Review of NAC Isaiah 40-66 by Gary V. Smith
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Smith, Gary V. Isaiah 40-66. Vol. 15B The New American Commentary, ed. E. Ray Clendenen and Kenneth A. Mathews. Nashville, TN: Broadman & Holdman, 2009.
Gary Smith is professor Christian Studies at Union University in Jackson, TN.
The New American Commentary series is a expositional and theological series that seeks to provide commentary on the text the Bible in order to assist pastors in Bible teaching and sermon preparation. Like all the NAC, this volume from Gary Smith is from a conservative evangelical theological position which upholds the inspiration and inerrancy of the text. Smith is also the author of the Isaiah 1-39 in the NAC series.
Smith offers insightful exegetical comments on the text and shows a clear ability to handle the exegetical issues from the Hebrew text. Yet, his comments refuse to be bogged down in the minutia of Hebrew grammar and remained focus on explaining the text from its smaller structure to its greater cohesive units. In addition, Smith shows a depth of research by constantly setting the events and language of Isaiah in their eighth century Ancient Near Eastern contexts. In addition, Smith does not shy away from engaging in topics of history and widely quotes and cites critical scholars when their work enlightens the original meaning of the text. Some of Smith’s best work comes in the THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS sections where he shows that his exegetical skill is equaled by his ability to understand the text as a theological document that intends to reveal God to its readers. These sections deal with topics of Biblical, historical and systematic theology and often engage with the contemporary significance of a text that is twenty-eight hundred years old.
This balance of exegetical and theological insight is best scene in Smith’s extended section on the Suffering Servant in chapter 53. Commentaries from conservative evangelicals often jump at the chance to show the significance of this text for understanding the atoning work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament (and well they should). However, these good intentions often lead to overlooking the original historical meaning of the text which Isaiah wished to communicate to his Israelite readers. Smith avoids this temptation and masterfully exposits what the Suffering Servant text meant to Israel and only then turns to its relevance for the New Testament; which he shows organically grows out of the original Israelite meaning.
Overall, the two volume set Smith has offered on the prophet Isaiah must be included with Oswalt’s NICOT set as the two must-have commentaries on the greatest of Israel’s literary prophets.
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January 14, 2012
Review of NAC Isaiah 40-66 by Gary V. Smith
Posted by Reformed Humanist under Books, Commentary, IsaiahLeave a Comment
Gary Smith is professor Christian Studies at Union University in Jackson, TN.
The New American Commentary series is a expositional and theological series that seeks to provide commentary on the text the Bible in order to assist pastors in Bible teaching and sermon preparation. Like all the NAC, this volume from Gary Smith is from a conservative evangelical theological position which upholds the inspiration and inerrancy of the text. Smith is also the author of the Isaiah 1-39 in the NAC series.
Smith offers insightful exegetical comments on the text and shows a clear ability to handle the exegetical issues from the Hebrew text. Yet, his comments refuse to be bogged down in the minutia of Hebrew grammar and remained focus on explaining the text from its smaller structure to its greater cohesive units. In addition, Smith shows a depth of research by constantly setting the events and language of Isaiah in their eighth century Ancient Near Eastern contexts. In addition, Smith does not shy away from engaging in topics of history and widely quotes and cites critical scholars when their work enlightens the original meaning of the text. Some of Smith’s best work comes in the THEOLOGICAL IMPLICATIONS sections where he shows that his exegetical skill is equaled by his ability to understand the text as a theological document that intends to reveal God to its readers. These sections deal with topics of Biblical, historical and systematic theology and often engage with the contemporary significance of a text that is twenty-eight hundred years old.
This balance of exegetical and theological insight is best scene in Smith’s extended section on the Suffering Servant in chapter 53. Commentaries from conservative evangelicals often jump at the chance to show the significance of this text for understanding the atoning work of Jesus Christ in the New Testament (and well they should). However, these good intentions often lead to overlooking the original historical meaning of the text which Isaiah wished to communicate to his Israelite readers. Smith avoids this temptation and masterfully exposits what the Suffering Servant text meant to Israel and only then turns to its relevance for the New Testament; which he shows organically grows out of the original Israelite meaning.
Overall, the two volume set Smith has offered on the prophet Isaiah must be included with Oswalt’s NICOT set as the two must-have commentaries on the greatest of Israel’s literary prophets.
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