The Chronicler wrote as a pastoral theologian. The congregation he addressed was an Israel separated from its former days of blessing by a season of judgment. The books of 1 and 2 Chronicles bring a divine word of healing and reaffirm the hope of restoration to a nation that needed to regain its footing in God's promises and to reshape its life before God.
The Chronicler expounds the Bible as he knows it, skillfully weaving his commentary into the linear text of Israel's history. His theme is straightforward--the promises of God revealed in the Davidic covenant are as trustworthy and as effective as the God who first uttered them.
In two volumes Martin Selman provides an excellent interpretation of these sorely neglected yet profound books of the Old Testament. The first volume on 1 Chronicles provides a full introduction that surveys the Chronicler's method, summarizes major theological themes and serves as a valuable entrée into the heart of the work we now know as 1 & 2 Chronicles.
The Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries have long been a trusted resource for Bible study. The introduction to each volume gives a concise but thorough description of the authorship, date and historical background of the biblical book under consideration. The commentary itself examines the text section by section, drawing out its main themes. It also comments on individual verses and deals with problems of interpretation. Written by some of the world's most distinguished evangelical scholars, these volumes retain their original text now retypeset in a larger format. As always, they continue to aim at the true meaning of the Bible and to make its message plain to readers today.
Reviews
"The Tyndale volumes have long been the premier shorter-length commentary series on both Testaments throughout the English-speaking world." — Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary"Tyndale commentaries are always useful, not least because they focus so clearly on the text of Scripture, and do not fall into the trap of paying too much attention to other commentaries and not enough to the scriptural text they are intended to expound and explain. So they retain their usefulness for preachers, Bible study leaders and for all readers of the Bible." — Peter Adam, principal, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia
"Within its constraints, this series includes some outstanding volumes." — D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
"The evenness and quality of this series are remarkable." — Christianity Today
"There simply is no series of medium-length commentaries that approaches the excellence of the Tyndale commentaries." — Donald A. Hagner, Fuller Theological Seminary
Martin J. Selman (B.A., M.A., Ph.D.) is lecturer in Old Testament, director of postgraduate studies and deputy principal at Spurgeon's College, London.