Over the last year, we have added five pertinent volumes to our NICOT commentary series. The Book of Ruth , available now, is the newest book in the series that explores the human and divine love at the center of the narrative as well as the book’s relevance to Christian theology.
Peter H. W. Lau upholds the series’ standard of quality. The Book of Ruth includes detailed notes on the translation and pays careful attention to the original Hebrew and the book’s historical context, all the while remaining focused on Ruth’s relevance to Christian readers today. An indispensable resource for pastors, scholars, students, and all readers of Scripture, Lau’s commentary is the perfect companion to one of the most beloved books of the Old Testament.
An Interview with Peter Lau
This commentary was chosen to be an updated volume from the previous work by Robert Hubbard . What influence did that work have on your research for this new NICOT volume?
Bob Hubbard’s commentary has been influential in my thinking on Ruth from when I started my doctoral dissertation on Ruth in 2005. My admiration for Bob’s commentary was one of the reasons I was hesitant to accept his gracious invitation. As I worked on this commentary, his commentary served as a valuable conversation partner.
What new insights do you bring to the reader with this commentary on Ruth?
Another reason I was hesitant to write this commentary was that I had already spent over a decade thinking about the book of Ruth. But I’m pleased to report that I still learned a lot from the discipline of writing this commentary, from zeroing in on textual matters to bringing it all together thematically.
God’s word is indeed abundantly rich! A couple of “aha” moments include sorting out in my mind what is going on with the field harvester’s reply (Ruth 2:7) and the mysterious threshing floor rendezvous (Ruth 3). No spoilers though; you’ll have to read the commentary to find out!
What is something you found challenging or interesting as you worked on this volume?
The arduous yet gratifying task of textual criticism—a single footnote could take me hours!
Who do you hope picks up this book to read and learn from it?
Pastors and preachers
Students and scholars
Educated Bible readers
Anything else you’d like to share?
Potential readers of this commentary might like to know that the commentary’s distinctives reflect my experiences and interpretive interests. They include the following approaches:
Biblical-theological
Literary-narratological
Social-scientific
Gender-based
Missional
Ethnic-contextual
I hope there’s something in that mix for everyone!
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Recent NICOT Additions
`The Book of Numbers, 2nd ed.
This second edition includes revisions that reflect Ashley’s decades of experience with the book of Numbers, as well as updates to the footnotes and bibliography, which add many important works published in the last thirty years. With these new features, Ashley’s commentary solidifies its place as the church’s most faithful and definitive reference on the book of Numbers.
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The Book of Deuteronomy, Chapters 1-11
“The book of Deuteronomy can rightly be called a compendium of the most important ideas of the Old Testament.” So begins this commentary on the book of Deuteronomy, which Bill Arnold treats as the heart of the Torah and the fulcrum of the Old Testament—crystallizing the themes of the first four books of the Bible and establishing the theological foundation of the books that follow.
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The Books of Ezra and Nehemiah
Throughout this commentary, Harrington combines analytical research on the language and culture behind the books of Ezra and Nehemiah with challenging thoughts for the Christian church today, bringing to bear a unique perspective on these books not as the end of Old Testament history but as early documents of the Second Temple period.
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The Book of Lamentations s
In this volume, widely respected Old Testament scholar John Goldingay analyzes these and other aspects of Lamentations while keeping a constant eye on the book’s meaning and use as Christian Scripture. After a thorough introduction that explores matters of background, composition, and theology, Goldingay provides an original translation of the book from the Masoretic text along with verse-by-verse commentary.
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Coming Soon to NICOT
The Books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah (5/31/2023)
In the latest volume of the New International Commentary on the Old Testament, James D. Nogalski offers a new translation of and commentary on several of the Minor Prophets—the Books of Joel, Obadiah, and Jonah—that grapple with the theme of God’s mercy and judgment in radically different ways.
This volume includes a robust introduction for each book, delineating its textual transmission, historical context, literary form, and major themes.
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