Milton Horne has produced a commentary that treats both Proverbs and Ecclesiastes from historical, theological, and historical perspectives. It is readable, even conversational in tone, and at the same time is learned and critically aware. The reader gets the feeling that the authors of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are old friends of Horne, whom he wishes to introduce.
--Paul L. Redditt, Ph, D.
Chair, Department of Religion
Georgetown College
As the most recent addition to the Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary Series,
Proverbs-Ecclesiastes is informative and well-written, crafted for both the biblical scholar and the interested layperson. Horne tackles the contentious aspects of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes with keen sensitivity. He carefully interprets a voluminous body of scholarship without overwhelming the reader. A grand guerdon awaits those who enter within.
--Wayne Ballard
Associate Professor of Religion
Carson-Newman College
Milton Horne's introduction to
Proverbs-Ecclesiastes is truly remarkable. He transforms the best of contemporary Wisdom scholarship into a language and format that is accessible for general readers. The writing is clear and enjoyable, while his interpretive insights are sensitive and compelling. The book truly shines, though, as a point of entry into academic approaches to the Bible. Horne demonstrates how the questions and methods employed by scholars can strengthen and enrich faithful exegesis in the church. For teachers and students in church and university settings, this introduction will provide a firm basis for learning, and serve as an inspiring model for serious inquiry into the Bible's meaning.
--Bryan D. Bibb
Instructor of Religion
Furman University
The books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes are wondrous reflections on wisdom and the life of faith, and Milton Horne, in the new Smyth & Helwys commentary on
Proverbs-Ecclesiastes, has brought these books alive for the reader. Professor Horne's introductory essays provide readers with the background and information to thoroughly read and study these two very different wisdom writings. The commentary on the text of books is lively and engaging. And the illustrations, sidebars, and tools are, as has become the standard in the Smyth & Helwys commentary series, outstanding. With this commentary, I believe that readers will come to a new appreciation of the importance of the books of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes to the life of faith.
--Nancy L. deClaissé-Walford
Associate Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Languages
McAfee School of Theology
This commentary of Proverbs and Ecclesiastes provides a balanced examination of two of the primary collections of wisdom from ancient Israel and early Judaism. What is especially helpful are the succinct introductions to each of these two books that examines the various options for viewing them within the sapiential and historical contexts of the larger Israelite and Jewish communities. Thus, Horne avoids the pitfall of simply providing a literary treatment that points to ideas and the peculiarities of the moral understandings and language of these two books. In addition, his work demonstrates the theological richness of wisdom in general and these two books in particular. This commentary undoubtedly will earn a place among the best treatments of Proverbs and Ecclesiasties in recent scholarship.
Leo G. Perdue
Gast Professor of Old Testament
Heidelberg University
