Voelz, James W., and Christopher Wright Mitchell. Mark 8:27-16:8. Concordia Commentary?: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture. Saint Louis: Concordia Publishing House, 2019. ISBN: 9780758639554.
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The ‘Concordia Commentary series’ is indeed the most magisterial commentary series of this decade. The latest addition to this most esteemed series is by Voelz and Mitchell on the second part of the Gospel of Mark. This is the sequel to Voelz’s work on Mark 1:1-8:26 that came out in 2013. The disputed verses of Mark’s Gospel (16:9-20) is done by Christopher W. Mitchell. Like all its predecessors, this is also an equally commanding interpretation of the Gospel.
Voelz and Mitchell have reconstructed the Greek text which they have translated with detailed notes on the text and translation. This is followed by notes on the important grammatical points. To add to the richness of the volume further, there is a section on the Greek of Mark. This pattern is followed in every passage! Then comes the verse by verse exegetical comments on the Greek text. A number of excursus makes it still more invaluable.
A critical review is beyond the scope of this note; students and scholars will certainly be stunned by the depth and authority of this commentary.
Hilber, John W. Ezekiel: A Focused Commentary for Preaching and Teaching. 2019
By this work, Hilber has demonstrated how to write commentary for pastors and teachers who are the major consumers of Bible commentaries. Many commentaries very technical the ordinary pastors and students of the Bible. On the other extreme are commentaries who compromise exegesis for detailed suggestions for application. What is unique about this commentary is that it has a proper balance between exegesis and application; and is not too technical for the non-specialist.
What makes this a very user-friendly commentary is its structure. In the short introduction, the author gives us an overview of the Book of Ezekiel. He also offers some advice on how to divide the book into ‘teachable units.’ This is followed by suggestions on how to apply the text to the context of the preachers and their listeners.
He divides the Book into teachable units. The key themes of each unit are presented in the form of bulleted lists. He then presents the specific context of this passage in the wider context of the Book of Ezekiel. In the section that follows titled ‘Interpretive Highlights’ comments on the significant verses are given. So, we don’t have comments on all verses and words or phrases! Only what is essential for our understanding of the key themes of the passages are discussed. Besides these, all units also have a section called ‘Theological Bridge to Application’ where the key themes of each unit are seen in the light of the larger Biblical theology. In the last section, titled ‘Focus of Application’ the author makes broader suggestions as to how that particular section speaks to contemporary situations that we live in.
This indeed is a commentary where the reader gets what they need to preach and teach without having wade through mind-boggling details. Every reader would long for similar volumes from Hilber on other books of the Bible.