Add to Wishlist

Judges

£15.00£35.00

In this new contribution to the Readings series of commentaries, Roger Ryan offers a challenge to the fashionable disdain for the heroes of the Book of Judges.

Check book details below for scholars' price.  
Enter the code scholar at checkout.
SKU: 978-1-906055-23-3

In this new contribution to the Readings series of commentaries, Roger Ryan offers a challenge to the fashionable disdain for the heroes of the Book of Judges. As against the current consensus majoring on the supposed flaws in the characters of the judges, and denigrating them as participants in Israel’s moral and religious decline, he paints a positive portrait of each of the book’s judge-deliverers.

The key element in all the stories of the judges is that each of them wins independence for oppressed Israelites against great odds —an element that should predispose readers to a favourable evaluation of the heroes. Ehud slaughters an enemy king when the only weapon he has is a homemade dagger. Barak resolutely charges downhill against enemy chariots reinforced with iron. Jael slaughters an enemy commander by improvising with a hammer and a tent peg. Gideon defeats hordes of nomadic invaders with a small token army. The lone hero Samson slaughters the Philistine foe in great numbers.

The Book of Judges presents in this reading a dark story-world in which its characters take heroic risks as they resolve conflicts by violent means. Their stories are jubilantly told and readers are expected to be neither squeamish nor censorious.

Additional information

author
authors
editors
isbn
list price (paperback)
page extent
publication
publication date
series
table of contenta
table of contents
version

Reviews

  1. J.A.G., Old Testament Abstracts.

    In contrast to many contemporary studies, this accessible, chapter by chapter commentary presents the heroes of the Book of Judges in a consistently positive light. R. stresses how all the stories record daring and memorable victories for the oppressed Israelites. The text, he says, should thus be read with sympathy and surprise, for the storyteller aims to impress his exilic audience with the honor and ability of Israel’s deliverers.

Add a review

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Book information

Author
Roger Ryan
List Price
£35 / $60 / €50
Series
Readings: A New Biblical Commentary
Scholars' Price
£17.50 / $30 / €25
ISBN 13 hardback
978-1-906055-23-3
Paperback price
£15 / $25 / €22.50
ISBN 13 Paperback
978-1-906055-24-0
Format
Hardback / Paperback
Page Extent
x + 226
Publication Date
Oct-07
Select the fields to be shown. Others will be hidden. Drag and drop to rearrange the order.
  • Image
  • SKU
  • Rating
  • Price
  • Stock
  • Availability
  • Add to cart
  • Description
  • Content
  • Weight
  • Dimensions
  • Additional information
Click outside to hide the comparison bar
Compare
    0
    Your Cart
    Your cart is emptyReturn to Shop
    ×