The books of Samuel focus on the lives of three men: Samuel, Saul, and David. They are first seen as individuals rising in their respective careers. As time passes, their lives more frequently interact and become interwined with each other. J. Carl Laney covers these two books section by section, often pausing to clear up a difficult passage that would mean trouble to the reader. This volume is complete with many maps that prove to be an invaluable aid to the reader in helping him to plot out where the action of a particular chapter is taking place. Dr. Laney helps the reader to understand the anguish and agony David experienced as a result of the division of his household and the rebellion of his son Absalom. We can see how Saul met his ultimate downfall as king because of his reliance upon outside sources for guidance instead of implicitly trusting in the Lord. One also sees the godly Samuel who, nevertheless, was unable to keep his own household in order. Contemporary lessons are plentiful in these two Bible books and available to those who take the time to study their truths.

Planned and written specifically for teaching and preaching needs, this critically acclaimed biblical commentary is a major contribution to scholarship and ministry.

By the waters of Babylon, in the sixth century B.C., the Jewish people felt like permanent refugees in a foreign land. Israel had undergone captivity once before, in Egypt. This time the people were in exile because of disobedience. The books of 1 and 2 Kings were meant as an antidote for the sorrow of heart that afflicted their souls. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. guides you through the maze of kings and empires, prophets and priests, that are the subjects of those two Old Testament historical books. In those books, Hubbard says, are "peaks of unbelievable glory and valleys of unforgettable despair." His study of 1 and 2 Kings and of the chaotic time chronicled in those books is written in a comfortable style but with scholarly care. Hubbard applies to our lives today the lessons learned through years of pain. Scholar and layman alike will appreciate the combination of readability and scholarly investigation that marks this book.

To its own generation the book of Chronicles was a vivid reminder of hope in the faithfulness of God, a reminder of the promise--made both to the world and to the house of David--of peace and prosperity, to be fulfilled through the covenant people of God. Structurally, the book may be considered an exegetical summary of Old Testament history. Not only does it recount the important events of God's dealing with Israel, but it also explains the significance of those events to Israel's history.

Identifying three streams of concern in the books of Samuel (politics, people, and preaching), Mary Evans demonstrates how each of these manifests itself in the underlying and unifying theme of power-and powerlessness. She then uses this concept of power as a fascinating matrix for interpreting the events God ordains and the characters God uses in biblical history. Evans defends her case for the unity of the books that we divide into 1 and 2 Samuel with a sensitivity to the composition of the text and the intentionality of the various "writers" who had a hand in bringing the different accounts together. The discussion interacts with the parallel material in Chronicles and Kings and recognizes the importance of the themes of covenant and law, especially from the Deuteronomic perspective. The commentary, with its additional notes, also includes a good breadth of references to scholarly debate and discussion on various issues. Evans brings the often theologically difficult text of Samuel and the complex characters of Samuel, Saul, David, and others into sharp focus for the contemporary reader while offering fresh insights and perspectives on the ancient text.

One in an ongoing series of esteemed and popular Bible commentary volumes based on the New International Version text.

The stories of Samuel, Saul and David are wound up in the larger story of God's purpose for his people. Looking beyond the well-known surface of these stories, Joyce C. Baldwin explores the significance of Israel's transition from a confederation of tribes to a nation ruled by one king.