The Two Horizons Old and New Testament Commentary is a wide-approach 12-volume commentary set. It takes into account historical, cultural, and linguistic questions, while primarily seeking to understand the text theologically.

So, if you’re wondering whether this is a commentary for you, you’ve come to the right place. Let’s walk through the content, editors, and purpose of this series.

CONTENTS

The Two Horizons Commentary Set contains 12 Volumes:

INTRODUCTIONS

Each volume contains significant introductions. This isn’t a few simple paragraphs of information on the author and date. Instead, you’ll find yourself in a literary analysis: learning about character growth, plot development, and integrity. Additionally, you’re not being given short list of facts. You’re receiving a Spark Notes version of the book. Then it reveals all the major motifs, structure, and context, before you dive headlong into commentary.

COMMENTARY

I’ll show you a few different volumes of the Two Horizons commentary. That way, you can get a feel for their similarities and differences.

HABAKKUK

In the Habakkuk commentary, you’ll receive a translation, summary, and commentary on every passage. You’re going to go the most in-depth you have ever gone while studying Habakkuk. We don’t have pages, but I did scroll for quite awhile, only to still be on commentary covering Habakkuk 1:4. The thoroughness of this commentary is incredible.

Additionally, this commentary breaks out the Hebrew for you. If you are interested in Hebrew literature, this is for you. Repeat: this is for you.

THESSALONIANS

Next, let’s look at the Thessalonians volume. In this volume, you’ll have introductions and running commentary. First, you’ll cover a portion of Scripture in a few paragraphs. Then, you’ll go more verse-by-verse through that section.

You’re definitely going to want to practice up on your Greek for this commentary. Often, you’ll find the author sharing definitions with you. But sometimes there will be an assumption that you can follow along.

REVELATION

In the Revelation volume, you can expect much of what you find in the Thessalonians volume, structure-wise. However, in this volume, I am incredibly grateful for hyperlinked verse references. Revelation requires making a lot of connections, so it is always helpful to have references available instantaneously.

WHO ARE THE EDITORS?

J. Gordon McConville studied Modern Languages in Cambridge and Theology at New College, Edinburgh. This track led him to ordination in the Presbyterian Church. Lastly, he earned a PhD at Queen’s University in Belfast. Then, he became a professor of Old Testament theology at the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, England. Additionally, he is the author of several books and studies on Old Testament topics. Some including Law and Theology in Deuteronomy (JSOT Press), Time and Place in Deuteronomy(with J. G. Millar, JSOT Press), and Judgment and Promise: An Introduction to the Book of Jeremiah (Apollos).

Craig G. Bartholomew earned his doctorate through Bristol University. During that time, he studied the interrelationship of philosophy, literary theory and Old Testament hermeneutics. Now, he is director of the Kirby Laing Centre for Christian Ethics at Tyndale House, Cambridge, England. Additionally, he wrote and edited numerous books. Some including: Contours of the Kuyperian TraditionIntroducing Biblical HermeneuticsBeyond the Modern Age, and The Drama of Scripture.

FROM THE EDITORS

J. GORDON MCCONVILLE & CRAIG BARTHOLOMEW

Two features distinguish The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary series: theological exegesis and theological reflection.

Exegesis since the Reformation era and especially in the past two hundred years emphasized careful attention to philology, grammar, syntax, and concerns of a historical nature. More recently, commentary has expanded to include social-scientific, political, or canonical questions and more.

Without slighting the significance of those sorts of questions, scholars in The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary locate their primary interests on theological readings of texts, past and present. The result is a paragraph-by-paragraph engagement with the text that is deliberately theological in focus.

Theological reflection in The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary takes many forms, including locating each Old Testament book in relation to the whole of Scripture—asking what the biblical book contributes to biblical theology—and in conversation with constructive theology of today. How commentators engage in the work of theological reflection will differ from book to book, depending on their particular theological tradition and how they perceive the work of biblical theology and theological hermeneutics. This heterogeneity derives as well from the relative infancy of the project of theological interpretation of Scripture in modern times and from the challenge of grappling with a book’s message in Greco-Roman antiquity, in the canon of Scripture and history of interpretation, and for life in the admittedly diverse Western world at the beginning of the twenty-first century.

The Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary is written primarily for students, pastors, and other Christian leaders seeking to engage in theological interpretation of Scripture.

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2 Comments

  1. William Barrett

    I am looking for a works that gives detail on the history of the Bible itself, how it was decided to use specific books/letters for content. I have had a few discussions with individuals who claim that much of it was written by the Romans for political reasons at the time and I do not have the knowledge to dispute that other than my belief that the Bible was written by people, inspired by God.