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Rating: 
Summary: First choice commentary on Philippians.
Review: Professor Hawthorne's commentary on Philippians has been a constant companion for many years. Every time I pick it up I marvel at its insight, balance and sheer usability. I have been in the business for some time, and I own what many would regard as the definitive collection of biblical commentaries. This stands in the tradition of truly "great" commentaries on the New Testament like that of Bultmann on John or Cranfield on Romans. In a word, the work is special. Hawthorne's greatest strength is being able to deal with critical issues without ever losing sight of the basic flow of the Apostle's argument. In addition, although it is a critical commentary, I have been able to use it for my preaching. Hawthorne proves that great commentaries do not have to be long commentaries. What made me buy the commentary in the first place was a causal look at the interpretation of the words "at the name OF Jesus" (pages 92ff.). I had always wondered how to understand those words in light of the assumption that LORD and not JESUS is "the name above every name". As a former master in Greek and Latin, I appreciated Hawthorne's suggestion that "Iesou" is genitive and NOT dative and should be read: "at the name that Jesus bears, every knee might bow..."
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