Carol Newsom, Sharon H. Ringe, Jacqueline E. Lapsley
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Wives at Wells and Water
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Wives at Wells and Water
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Wives at Wells and Water The associations in literature between fertility and water are ancient intuitive acknowledgments of our watery origins on earth and in our mothers’ wombs, and of the source of life upon which we continue to depend. Four scenes involving water, women, and …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Matriarchs
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Matriarchs
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Matriarchs Like the tales of Genesis 1–11, with their recurring patterns of world ordering, the tales of the matriarchs have recurring narrative patterns typical of traditional literature. In Genesis 12–36 and 38, certain motifs mark the life history of the women at the turni…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Mothers and Fathers of Israel
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Mothers and Fathers of Israel Commentaries on Genesis 12–50 generally focus on Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph, ancestral heroes of Israel. Their life stories are built from traditional elements such as the hero’s unusual birth, his stormy relationship with his brothers, yo…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
God’s People Celebrate and Dedicate the House of God Ezra–Nehemiah reaches its climax with the public reading of the book of the Torah, after the walls of Jerusalem are restored. As the celebration begins, all the people gather in the plaza before the Water Gate. Ezra reads from …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Status and Spiritual Gifts
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Status and Spiritual Gifts
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Status and Spiritual gifts As in the previous section, the issue here is status divisions, but divisions based on possession of spiritual gifts, not (at least, not directly) on wealth. Paul’s response is to promote those gifts (e.g., prophecy) and actions (e.g., love) that enhanc…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Third Isaiah
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Third Isaiah
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Third Isaiah The last eleven chapters, set in Jerusalem after the return from exile, further Zion’s story while developing a variety of themes from previous chapters. Not only does personified Zion continue, but other themes of interest, such as inclusion and justice, both human …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Jerusalem’s Fall and Future
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Jerusalem’s Fall and Future
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Jerusalem’s Fall and Future The second round of judgment/promise begins with a specific and detailed oracle against Jerusalem. The imagery here is graphic; it describes the rulers’ oppressive behaviour as tearing off the skin and flesh, consuming the people (3:1–3)…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Messenger, Justice, and the Father’s Special Possession
The Womens' Bible Commentary - The Messenger, Justice, and the Father’s Special Possession
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
The Messenger, Justice, and the Father’s Special Possession The three dialogues of 2:17–4:3 begin with an accusation: “You have wearied YHWH with your words.” The image of a weary Deity captures the emotional escalation that occurs in these passages…
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Hope
The Womens' Bible Commentary - Hope
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Hope Only shreds of hope appear in this book to counterpoise the deep river of devastation, grief, and despair that pervades most of it (3:14–18; 12:14–17; 16:14–15; 17:24–26; 22:2–4; 23:5–8; 24:4–7; 29:10–14; 42:7–12). In a collection of prose and poetry called “the little book …
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God as "Father"
The Womens' Bible Commentary - God as "Father"
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
God as “Father” In addition to bringing about people’s transformation from the status of minor children under guardianship of the law to that of mature heirs able to enjoy their inheritance (see above on 3:23–26), the coming of Christ has other consequences as well…
The Women's Bible Commentary - Mary, Martha, and Jesus
The Women's Bible Commentary - Mary, Martha, and Jesus
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Mary, Martha, and Jesus The miracle of the raising of Lazarus is the climax of John 11:1–44, but it is not its center. Of the forty-four verses that constitute this story, only seven of them take place at Lazarus’s tomb (11:38–44). The story centers on the conversations in which …
The Women's Bible Commentary - Exhortation to Righteousness
The Women's Bible Commentary - Exhortation to Righteousness
by SPCK - Newsom, Ringe and Lapsley
Exhortation to Righteousness The first part of the book addresses “you rulers of the earth,” urging them away from the death they have invited by their ungodly lives and toward the gift of immortality that comes with righteousness and wisdom…
The Women's Bible Commentary - Naomi’s Homecoming