The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship. Overview of Commentary Organization Introduction-covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology. Each section of the commentary includes: Pericope Bibliography-a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope. Translation-the author's own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English. Notes-the author's notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation. Form/Structure/Setting-a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here. Comment-verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research. Explanation-brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues. General Bibliography-occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliographycontains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

The predominance of war in the Old Testament troubles many Christians. However it is an issue that must be faced, says Peter C. Craigie, because it has serious ramifications for contemporary Christian attitudes about war. Professor Craigie categorizes the problems into two kinds - personal and external. The personal problems arise from the Christian's attempt to grapple with the emphasis on war in a book fundamental to faith. Three areas are considered here: the representation of God as warrior; God's revelation of himself in a book which preserves an extensive amount of war literature; and the seemingly conflicting ethics taught in the Old Testament and the New Testament. The external problems are critiques against the Bible and the Christian faith, based on the war-like nature of the Old Testament and the close association between Christianity and war throughout history. Only by examining and understanding the problem of war in the Old Testament will Christians be able to respond intelligently to attacks on their faith, to educate their youth in the nature of war, and to influence modern attitudes toward war. Peter C. Craigie was Academic Vice-President of the University of Calgary, professor of religious studies, and authored The Book of Deuteronomy in the New International Commentary on the Old Testament series (Eerdmans). "Dr. Craigie is acutely aware of the ethical problems posed by his subject, and his study should be helpful to others who are equally aware of these problems. I am glad to commend this book." - F. F. Bruce University of Manchester "Professor Craigie approaches a difficult subject in an irenic, open manner, conveying both his grasp of the subject matter and his deep concern as a theologian and churchman for helping lay people think about a troubling problem in a fresh way. . . . Any person or group seeking to wrestle with the problem of war in the Old Testament will find Craigie's thoughtful study one of the most helpful resources available." - Patrick D. Miller, Jr. Princeton Theological Seminary