1 and 2 Kings

Rating:
Summary: Sadly too brief
Review: Provan has crafted a masterful and readable commentary on the book of Kings within the unfortunate size restraints of the NIBC series. Provan blends a nuanced and refined approach to the biblical text with a lively and engaging writing style that compels the reader to read on in both the commentary and Kings itself. The commentary employs historical and literary analysis in a successful synthesis that leaves the reader confident in the history described and yet impressed by the theology crafted from the ordering and telling of events.

Provan consistently manages to cull fresh insights and original readings from familiar narratives. His treatment of Solomon, for example, is perhaps the ablest and most profound portion of the commentary. Provan interacts with the themes of law and grace as embodied in the conditional/unconditional elements of the Davidic covenants. His treatment is helpful. The "Additional Notes" provide space for some more technical discussions; these are profitable to the reader and should not skipped over.

Readers seeking more detailed and discussions of historiagraphical issues from Provan's perspective can consult A Biblical History of Israel coauthored by Provan, Longman and Long. More lengthy and technical commentaries can fill in the details, but Provan's commentary captures the flow and meaning of Kings superbly and creatively.