Jeremiah: Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary

Great for the library

Great

Terence Fretheim is known in theological circles as an open theist, Hebrew Bible scholar (a rare combo!). He does a masterful job of demonstrating how one could read Jeremiah and deal with issues such as sovreignty, the prophet's uneasiness, and the suffering of God. Fretheim points out that the God of Jeremiah is full of both ethos and pathos; this is a God who does not glibly pass on judgment, but feels immense heartache at the people's disregard for YHWH.The issue that I most had with this commentary is that Fretheim seems to be constantly trying to argue why other commentators are wrong. Nearly every single chapter includes a footnote that includes the words "Contrary to..." His most frequent victim is Walter Brueggemann. This is not an issue that should deter someone from utilizing the commentary, but it's good to be aware that you are going to experience a great deal of commentary-on-commentary dialogue (sure sounds exciting, huh?)As with all of the other volumes in the Smyth & Helwys series, this commentary is full of helpful illustrations, sidebars, and indexes. While the volume is very pricey, it's worth it, folks.This should be your commentary on Jeremiah.