Carol Newsom, Sharon Ringe, Jacqueline Lapsley
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Jerusalem's Hopeful Future
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Jerusalem's Hopeful Future
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Jerusalem’s Hopeful Future (Isaiah 60: 1-22; 62: 1-12; 66: 7-13) Chapters 60–62 at the center of Third Isaiah echo language and themes of Second Isaiah most closely. Chapter 60 addresses Jerusalem much as Isaiah 49 had, directing her eyes to see her children coming from afar and,…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - End of the Age
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - End of the Age
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
End of the Age (Matthew 24: 1-51) Maternal imagery continues into the fifth discourse. Signs of destruction are “birth pangs” (24:8); the metaphor graphically indicates the inevitability as well as the increasing intensity associated with the end time…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Restoration and the Return of the Divine
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Restoration and the Return of the Divine
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Restoration and Return of the Divine (Ezekiel 25: 1- 48: 35) The oracles against the nations in chapters 25–32 form a kind of hinge in the book, as the scathing, judgment language against Israel comes to an end after the sign-action involving the lack of mourning observance for E…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Woman Power against the Heroic Oppressor?
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Woman Power against the Heroic Oppressor?
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Woman Power against the Heroic Oppressor? The Story of Deborah, the Judge and Prophet, and Jael, the Wife (Judges 4-5) When feminist scholars began to scrutinize the Bible for prominent women characters, they soon discovered the tale of Deborah in Judges 4–5. She is introduced as…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Ten Virgins
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Ten Virgins
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Ten Virgins: (Matthew 25: 1-13) Unique to Matthew, the parable of the Ten “Bridesmaids” (NRSV; literally, “virgins”; Gk. parthenoi) continues the Gospel’s concern for women at the final judgment (cf. 24:19, 41). The women may be wedding guests or, more likely, servants waitin…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Apocalyptic Expectations
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Apocalyptic Expectations
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Apocalyptic Expectations: The Afterlife, Labor Pain and New Birth (1 Thessalonians 4: 13- 5: 28) The recent death of believers in the community prompts Paul to expound on the afterlife. Again he employs the issue of suffering as a marker to distinguish between the Thessalonian co…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Call to Choose
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Call to Choose
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Call to Choose (Joshua 23-24) Beginnings and endings of narratives are always important. Joshua 1 begins with the assurance of God’s victory and a call to obedience and strength. Chapter 24 closes the book with a rehearsal of the history of the Israelites and God’s overwhelmi…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Disarming the Power of Persecution
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Disarming the Power of Persecution
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Disarming the Power of Persecution: Imitators of the Churches in Judea (1 Thessalonians 2: 13- 3: 13) The Thessalonians are not simply imitators of Paul; they are also imitators of the churches of God in Christ that are in Judea. The Thessalonians’ suffering at the hands of their…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book V
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book V (Psalms 107-150) Book V of the Psalter opens with Psalm 107, a community hymn celebrating God’s graciousness in delivering the community of faith from exile in Babylon. The psalmist says: “Let the redeemed of YHWH say so, those he redeemed from trouble and gathered in from…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Conquest of the Land
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Conquest of the Land
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Conquest of the Land (Joshua 3-12) Readers are given a good clue as to the direction of the narrative when the captain of YHWH’s army comes to Joshua with a sword in his hand (5:13). He tells Joshua, “Remove your sandals from your feet, for the place where you stand is holy” …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Sermon on the Mount
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Sermon on the Mount
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Sermon on the Mount (Matthew 5: 1- 7: 29) Beatitudes and Antitheses. Matthew’s Gospel offers five teaching discourses: the Sermon on the Mount (5:1–7:29); missionary instructions (10:1–42); parables concerning the kingdom (Gk. basileia) of heaven (13:1–53); church guidelines …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Levirate Widow
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Levirate Widow
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Levirate Widow (Matthew 22: 23-33) Within Jerusalem, conflicts with Pharisees fade while Sadducees and high priests become the antagonists. Amid such controversies as the concern for paying taxes (22:15–22), the question of the great commandment (22:34–40), and the issue of t…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Apostle as Nurse
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Apostle as Nurse
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Apostle as Nurse (Deuteronomy 32: 1- 34: 12) In chapter 2, Paul again ties the experience of persecution to believers’ identity in God and Christ. Paul recounts his and his companions’ struggles in Philippi and quickly asserts that it did not hinder their mission to the Thess…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Moses' Final Words and His Death
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Moses' Final Words and His Death
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Moses’ Final Words and His Death (Deuteronomy 32: 1- 34: 12) As noted in the introduction to this essay, the Deuteronomic redactors shaped the whole of their book as the last will and testament of Moses. After the discussion of law and covenant, redactors have appended materials …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Grace to You and Peace in God and Christ (1 Thessalonians 1: 1-10) Paul’s usual claim of apostolic authority (1 Cor. 1:1; 2 Cor. 1:1; Gal. 1:1) and his less acclaimed self-designation “slave of Christ” (Phil. 1:1; Rom. 1:1) are absent from his introduction. Instead, Paul simply n…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Book IV
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Book IV (Psalm 90-106) Book IV opens with “A Prayer of Moses, the Man of God.” It is the only psalm in the Hebrew Psalter ascribed to Moses. Its words are a plea to God for mercy: “Turn [shub], O YHWH! How long? Change your mind [nakham] concerning your servants” (90:13, my trans…
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Golden Calf and Its Aftermath (Exodus 31: 18-34: 35) For forty days and forty nights Moses is on Mount Sinai, where he receives instructions from YHWH (24:18). The text does not specify how much time has elapsed, but during this time, the people approach Aaron and ask him to …
THE WOMEN'S BIBLE COMMENTARY - Third Lesson