Our New Commentary

Perhaps the most far-reaching group of volumes in the history of our pub­lishing work are those comprising the new Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commen­tary. When this publication was first pro­jected it was so large an undertaking that some feared it was too pretentious for so small a denomination. But more important than the prospect of limited sales was the question as to whether we had in our ranks the scholarship commensurate with the task. But as these excellent books have come from the press, many of these fears have subsided. Now Volume IV is in our hands, and with this the work on the Old Testa­ment is concluded. The 1,184 pages of this volume cover the books from Isaiah to Malachi, including, of course, the book of Daniel, a section particularly important to our ministers and teachers.

We are confident that our readers around the world would like to know how this Commentary is regarded by leaders and scholars outside of our ranks. We therefore publish from two outstanding reviews.

Prof. H. H. Rowley of Manchester Uni­versity, England, perhaps the most out­standing scholar in his field in the English-speaking world, critically examined the first three volumes. His review appears on pages 36 and 37 of The Society for Old Testament Study, Book List 1955. Commenting on these volumes he says:

"Its point of view is very conservative and literal­istic. The Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch is maintained, and the story of a world-wide Flood is accepted. Any evolutionary theory is vigorously re­sisted. The seven days of creation are believed to have consisted of twenty-four hours each. . . . It would be a mistake, however, to dismiss this com­mentary as useless or unscholarly. Some of the gen­eral articles will be read with profit by those who do not share their viewpoint, and the verse by verse commentary is full and, of course, much is not marked by the special point of view of the sponsors of the publication. . . . Chronology is given special attention, and here the fifteenth century date of the Exodus is adopted. .. . The writers are familiar with the work of modern archaeology, and alto­gether represent a scholarly conservatism which will enable their work to be consulted with profit at many points.

"The contributors are well acquainted with mod­ern work, and the commentary is up-to-date in its information.... There are careful notes on a num­ber of questions, such as the chronological order of Ezra and Nehemiah—where the traditional order is maintained. . . . The usefulness of the commen­tary is by no means limited to the readers who share its positions."

To receive an evaluation from one so ably qualified as Professor Rowley is in­deed heartening.

But even more significant is this review by Dr. Viliam Pavlovski, S. J., an outstanding Roman Catholic scholar. This appears in Verbum Domini, vol. 33 (1955), pp- 175-177, a periodical published in Rome by the Pontifical Biblical Institute, which is recognized as the highest school of Biblical studies in the Roman Catholic Church. Knowing this review will be read with particular interest, we therefore publish it in full:

Catholic Review of Commentary

"The Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary, in seven volumes. Vol. I: Genesis to Deuteronomy (P. 1120). Vol. II: Joshua to 2 Kings (P. 1040). Vol. III: 1 Chronicles to Song of Solomon (P. 1166). Review and Herald Publishing Associa­tion, Washington, D.C., 1953-54.

"The highest Adventist administration, which is located in Takoma Park, Washington [D.C.], has begun to publish a full Commentary on the entire Holy Scripture (that is, on the proto-canonical books [i.e., not including the Apocrypha]). The Com­mentary embraces '7 volumes with more than 7,000 pages. It is proposed by the editors that the work will be ready in the year 1956. In this place we pre­sent the first three volumes.

"The edition is superbly produced with the best maps, clear printing, intelligible division of mate­rial, artistic and sturdy binding. An ample series of collaborators have contributed to the completion of the Commentary. These are named in the begin­ning of the volume, but the Commentary itself is anonymous.

"The work is intended for their own coreligionists, primarily for Bible teachers, preachers, seminary students and also well-informed laymen. The object of the editors is to furnish their own coreligionists, on the one hand, with a Commentary consonant with their faith; on the other hand, to throw light on the Biblical text from all the conclusions of modern archeological and historical knowledge. Everything is set forth without speculation, in lan­guage accessible to any well-informed person. The use of terms technical in the strictly theological sense is carefully avoided.

"Each volume consists of three parts.

"In the first part there are presented general sub­jects which serve for the better understanding of the sacred text found in the respective volumes. In the comment the reader is often referred to this part. In the first volume, further, are presented subjects that pertain to Holy Scripture as a whole; accordingly they are: a brief treatise on the lan­guages in which the books of the Old Testament were written (Hebrew and Aramaic), on the Canon of the books of the Old Testament, on the text and its transmission, on weights and measures, on the calendar. That which is called 'higher criticism' is rejected without discussion, because contrary to the sacred text. Sober textual criticism, which is intended to restore the original meaning of the text, is allowed.

"After these general matters Volume I sets forth what pertains to the Pentateuch. Principally his­torical questions are dealt with. The treatment of the history that underlies the Pentateuch is, in the nature of the case, divided into two parts,

'On the question of the six days, a verbal explan­ation of the Biblical text concerning the creation of the world, that is, six days of 24 hours, is vigor­ously defended, with the repudiation of the whole evolutionary theory, which alleges periods of mil­lions of years for the evolution of the matter of the world and also of living things. Difficulties that seem to arise from geology and paleontology are said by no means to prove this long evolution, for they are to be explained rather as the effects of a universal deluge. The assertions of geology and paleontology are 'infidelity in its most insidious and hence dangerous form' (p. 75).

 "In the second volume the general part explains the history of the ancient Orient from about 1400 B.C. to the destruction of Jerusalem (586). The care with which the history of this period is treated is apparent from the fact that 150 pages are given to it. Since chronology is 'the soul of history,' par­ticular attention is paid to it. This part of the work is truly outstanding, so that it is in no way inferior to the better treatises on the history of the Old Testament.

"Finally, the third volume sets forth history from the year 586 to the year 400 (pp. 43-110). Since this volume contains the collection of songs (Psalms) and the poetical books, there is prefixed a short exposition of the poetic art of the Hebrews, and also an explanation of musical instruments (with illustrations). The general part of this volume in­deed contains excellent things but it can hardly be said to attain perfection.

"The second part of each volume contains the text with commentary. It does not present a new translation of the original text, but prints the "King James Version." In the comment however, the printed text is explained according to the original text.