Amos, Obadiah, Jonah

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Mar 1998 by Alexander, T D

Amos, Obadiah, Jonah. By Billy K. Smith and Frank S. Page. The New American Commentary 19b. Nashville: Broadman Ss Holman, 1995, 304 pp., $27.99.

In differing ways the books of Amos and Jonah have attracted considerable scholarly interest and discussion. Much of this is reflected in Smith's treatment of Amos and Obadiah and Page's study of Jonah. In keeping, however, with a commentary series intended primarily for pastors rather than professional scholars, their discussion majors on the exposition of the text of each book. To this end introductory issues are treated with relative brevity: Eleven pages are assigned to Amos, six to Obadiah, and twenty to Jonah.

While their discussion of the text is markedly conservative-Page, for example, argues that the book of Jonah reports historical events-it is not obscurantist. Both writers are clearly aware of alternative approaches to these books, although they limit their interaction with other scholars in order to concentrate on exegeting the received text. Their commentary is reasonably detailed and up-to-date, drawing on the best insights of recent scholarly writings in English to order to clarify the meaning of the Biblical text. Little attempt, however, is made to interact with those who discuss at length and in considerable detail the process by which the books of Amos, Obadiah and Jonah were composed. Rather, Smith and Page accept the unity of the books they discuss and interpret each section of the text in the light of the whole. Such an approach is methodologically sound, avoiding the dangers inherent in assuming that modern scholars can recover with some certainty the different phases thought to underlie the composition of a Biblical text. Many readers will be relieved that both authors focus on these books in their final form, rather than on hypothetical stages of composition.

Although Smith and Page offer brief observations regarding the application of the Biblical text to contemporary readers, the commentaries in this volume are much stronger on exegesis than application. Given the intended readership it is perhaps regrettable that further guidance was not supplied in order to help pastors and preachers expound the relevance of these ancient books to modern believers.

While this volume is generally very readable, it is somewhat unfortunate that the opening section on Amos, "The Historical Setting," should prove to be the exception. I hope that prospective readers will not be put off too quickly. As regards their discussion of the books of Amos, Obadiah and Jonah, only rarely did I feel that the treatment was inadequate or failed to give sufficient emphasis to some particular aspect of the text.

In a series designed to enable the Christian minister or Bible student to understand and expound the Scriptures the present volume must be judged an excellent contribution. While professional Biblical scholars are likely to look for much more from a commentary, for the busy pastor the overall depth of treatment is probably about right. Smith and Page are to be warmly commended for providing a volume that will clearly give interested readers a deeper understanding and appreciation of these Biblical books.

T. D. Alexander

The Queens University of Belfast, Northern Ireland