Tuesday, July 19, 2005

New Matthew commentary in NIGTC series

According to Dove Book sellers, John Nolland's volume in the NIGTC series will be out in September! Nolland's 3 volume work on Luke is great and he gives a very sober evaluation of tradition and source critical issues. I look forward to reading it. What is more, he's an Aussie - so you know it will be good! The blurb reads:

Having devoted the past ten years of his life to research for this major new work, John Nolland gives us a commentary on Matthew that engages with a notable range of Matthean scholarship and offers fresh interpretations of this most Jewish of the Gospels. Without neglecting Matthew's sources or historical background, Nolland's volume focuses on the story that Matthew tells and how it is told. Nolland maintains that the Gospel of Matthew reflects the historical ministry of Jesus with considerable accuracy, and he brings to the table new evidence for an early date of composition. With remarkable facility he connects Matthew's story with its source in Mark as well as with other parts of the biblical narrative. Other features of his commentary include an introduction summarizing key information, accurate translations of the Gospel based on the latest critical Greek text, and thorough bibliographies for each section. Students, teachers, and preachers of Matthew's Gospel will be delighted by these features no less than by Nolland's invaluable verse-by-verse comments.


On Matthew commentaries in general, here's my take:

1. Davies & Allison in the ICC series must have pride of place.
2. Craig S. Keener's commentary on Matt is probably the best evangelical one I have come across; almost encyclopedic in its collection of primary and secondary source references in the footnotes, and also very good for preaching.
3. Ulrich Luz in the continental commentary/hermeneia series is also a good read esp. his emphasis on wirkungsgeschichte.
4. Donald A. Hagner produces a useful commentary in the WBC series that is also worth noting.
5. On top of that, Blomberg in the NAC and Carson in the EBC are good on the coservative side too.

Ever wondered why no-one has written a volume on Matthew in the NICNT series - I believe it is because it is cursed - everyone assigned to write it has a habit of dying, e.g. Ned B. Stonehouse, Hermann Ridderbos, and Robert Guelich! Does anyone know who is down to do it now?

Thesis Update:

I've finished proof reading the whole thing and I've been converting my Word.docs into PDFs. Tommorrow I walk into my own private Gethsemane (the University Printery) and get it printed for examination. Followed by a lovely seminar on the Christology of Hebrews.

4 comments:

Joe Weaks said...

I would add Gene Boring's Matthew commentary in New Interpreter's Bible series. He is a redaction critic par excellence.

Michael F. Bird said...

I've read some of Gene Boring's stuff, but haven't come across his Matt commentary yet. The NIB series itself is pretty kosher!

J. B. Hood said...

Brandon Wason commented on your Moo-Romans post (in response to my question) that R. T. France is up to do the Matthew commentary. Now, he is old, but I think I'd put money on him getting it done, on what I'll call the Moo-on-Romans principle: if you've written several books on Matt before, you'll probably have an easier crack at getting a commentary done.

Boring's commentary is good--one of his asides played a big role in getting me to a thesis.

For something idiosyncratic yet useful, Dale Bruner's latest edition is interesting. Sometimes poor, sometimes brilliant in a pastoral way.

Peter M. Head said...

The other week Dick France said he was up to Matt 26

Pete