This new volume in the Old Testament Library (OTL) series replaces the old volume by J. Alberto Soggin. Niditch has improved on that older entry. I always turn to this series to grasp the critical viewpoint and to get some theology that you just don’t get in other places. This volume generally falls within the expectations of the series yet would not necessarily be my favorite. In the plus column, the book is well-written and it’s easy to follow the author’s train of thought, but on the negative side it pushes the envelope too far in some places and is too brief in others.
There’s a lengthy bibliography provided at the beginning of the book. The commentary section is substandard and only lists seven titles. On the other hand, the rest of the bibliography is quite thorough.
The Introduction begins by describing the Book of Judges as epic-style literature. There’s…
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