Nihil Obstat: Reverend Robert Harren, J.C.L., Censor deputatus. Imprimatur: Most Reverend Donald J. Kettler, J.C.L., Bishop of St. Cloud, October 13, 2017. Maps created by Robert Cronan of Lucidity Information Design, LLC. Unless otherwise noted, scripture texts in this work are taken from the New American Bible, revised edition © 2010, 1991, 1986, 1970 Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Washington, D.C., and are used by permission of the copyright owner. All Rights Reserved. No part of the New American Bible may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the copyright owner. Other scripture texts in this work are taken from the New Revised Standard Version Bible: Catholic Edition © 1989, 1993, Division of Christian Education of the National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. Used by permission. All rights reserved. © 2017 by Order of Saint Benedict, Collegeville, Minnesota. All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form, by print, microfilm, microfiche, mechanical recording, photocopying, translation, or by any other means, known or yet unknown, for any purpose except brief quotations in reviews, without the previous written permission of Liturgical Press, Saint John’s Abbey, PO Box 7500, Collegeville, Minnesota 56321-7500. Printed in the United States of America. Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Durken, Daniel, series editor. Title: The new Collegeville Bible commentary : in one volume / Daniel Durken, O.S.B. Description: Collegeville, Minnesota : Liturgical Press, 2017. Identifiers: LCCN 2016008113 (print) | LCCN 2016020010 (ebook) | ISBN 9780814646595 (hardcover) | ISBN 9780814646830 (ebook) Subjects: LCSH: Bible—Commentaries. Classification: LCC BS491.3 .D87 2017 (print) | LCC BS491.3 (ebook) | DDC 220.7—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2016008113 CONTENTS PREFACE Peter Dwyer ABBREVIATIONS Introduction to the Bible Gregory W. Dawes The Origins of the Bible The Interpretation of the Bible OLD TESTAMENT Genesis Joan E. Cook, S.C. Exodus Mark S. Smith Leviticus J. Edward Owens, O.SS.T. Numbers Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Deuteronomy J. Edward Owens, O.SS.T. Joshua Roland J. Faley, T.O.R. Judges Roland J. Faley, T.O.R. Ruth Irene Nowell, O.S.B. 1 and 2 Samuel Feidhlimidh T. Magennis 1 and 2 Kings Alice L. Laffey, S.S.D. 1 and 2 Chronicles John C. Endres, S.J. Ezra and Nehemiah Thomas M. Bolin Tobit Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Judith Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Esther Irene Nowell, O.S.B. 1 and 2 Maccabees Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. Job Kathleen M. O’Connor Psalms Dianne Bergant, C.S.A. Proverbs Katherine M. Hayes Ecclesiastes Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Song of Songs Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Wisdom Richard J. Clifford, S.J. Sirach Jeremy Corley Isaiah Leslie J. Hoppe, O.F.M. Jeremiah Pauline A. Viviano Lamentations Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Baruch Pauline A. Viviano Ezekiel Corrine L. Carvalho Daniel Paul V. Niskanen Hosea Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Joel John J. Collins Amos Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Obadiah John J. Collins Jonah Irene Nowell, O.S.B. Micah Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Nahum Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Habakkuk Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Zephaniah Carol J. Dempsey, O.P. Haggai John J. Collins Zechariah John J. Collins Malachi John J. Collins NEW TESTAMENT The Gospel According to Matthew Barbara E. Reid, O.P. The Gospel According to Mark Marie Noonan Sabin The Gospel According to Luke Michael F. Patella, O.S.B. The Gospel According to John Scott M. Lewis, S.J. The Acts of the Apostles Dennis Hamm, S.J. THE PAULINE LETTERS Vincent M. Smiles The Letter to the Romans Robert J. Karris, O.F.M. The Letters to the Corinthians Maria A. Pascuzzi, C.S.J. The First Letter to the Corinthians Maria A. Pascuzzi, C.S.J. The Second Letter to the Corinthians Maria A. Pascuzzi, C.S.J. The Letter to the Galatians Robert J. Karris, O.F.M. The Letter to the Ephesians Vincent M. Smiles The Letter to the Philippians Vincent M. Smiles The Letter to the Colossians Vincent M. Smiles The First Letter to the Thessalonians Vincent M. Smiles The Second Letter to the Thessalonians Vincent M. Smiles The First Letter to Timothy Terence J. Keegan, O.P. The Second Letter to Timothy Terence J. Keegan, O.P. The Letter to Titus Terence J. Keegan, O.P. The Letter to Philemon Terence J. Keegan, O.P. The Letter to the Hebrews Daniel J. Harrington, S.J. THE GENERAL LETTERS Patrick J. Hartin The Letter of James Patrick J. Hartin The First Letter of Peter Patrick J. Hartin The Second Letter of Peter Patrick J. Hartin THE LETTERS OF JOHN Scott M. Lewis, S.J. The First Letter of John Scott M. Lewis, S.J. The Second Letter of John Scott M. Lewis, S.J. The Third Letter of John Scott M. Lewis, S.J. The Letter of Jude Patrick J. Hartin The Book of Revelation Catherine A. Cory CONTRIBUTORS MAPS Preface A little more than fifty years after the close of the Second Vatican Council, with the publication of this one-volume edition of the New Collegeville Bible Commentary, Liturgical Press continues to respond to the call of the Dogmatic Constitution on Divine Revelation that “access to sacred Scripture ought to be open wide to the Christian faithful” (Dei Verbum 22). The New Collegeville Bible Commentary draws richly on the expanding field of scholars who are opening up the sacred Scriptures to ever-new generations of Catholics. Following the time-tested criteria of the Collegeville Commentary these scholars offer accessible and up-to-date interpretation of the Scripture for preachers, teachers, Bible study participants, and all readers of the Bible who seek a deeper understanding of what Dei Verbum so beautifully describes as “the speech of God as it is put down in writing under the breath of the Holy Spirit” (9). The New Collegeville Bible Commentary traces its form and purpose back to 1960 with the publication of the Old and New Testament Reading Guides by Liturgical Press. In the 1980s the original series was replaced with the Collegeville Bible Commentary, and for the first time the series was offered in both individual booklets and in collected Old and New Testament volumes. The first two editions have sold more than 2 million copies combined, amply demonstrating their effectiveness and appeal. The third edition—the New Collegeville Bible Commentary—is now complete, and we are pleased to offer this one-volume edition. As the late Fr. Daniel Durken, O.S.B., editor of this third edition, said in concluding his preface to the New Testament volume in 2009: “May these commentaries, together with frequent reading of Scripture, inspire you and lead you to greater knowledge and love of Jesus Christ.” Peter Dwyer Director Liturgical Press ABBREVIATIONS Books of the Bible Acts—Acts of the Apostles Amos—Amos Bar—Baruch 1 Chr—1 Chronicles 2 Chr—2 Chronicles Col—Colossians 1 Cor—1 Corinthians 2 Cor—2 Corinthians Dan—Daniel Deut—Deuteronomy Eccl (or Qoh)—Ecclesiastes Eph—Ephesians Esth—Esther Exod—Exodus Ezek—Ezekiel Ezra—Ezra Gal—Galatians Gen—Genesis Hab—Habakkuk Hag—Haggai Heb—Hebrews Hos—Hosea Isa—Isaiah Jas—James Jdt—Judith Jer—Jeremiah Job—Job Joel—Joel John—John 1 John—1 John 2 John—2 John 3 John—3 John Jonah—Jonah Josh—Joshua Jude—Jude Judg—Judges 1 Kgs—1 Kings 2 Kgs—2 Kings Lam—Lamentations Lev—Leviticus Luke—Luke 1 Macc—1 Maccabees 2 Macc—2 Maccabees Mal—Malachi Mark—Mark Matt—Matthew Mic—Micah Nah—Nahum Neh—Nehemiah Num—Numbers Obad—Obadiah 1 Pet—1 Peter 2 Pet—2 Peter Phil—Philippians Phlm—Philemon Prov—Proverbs Ps(s)—Psalms Rev—Revelation Rom—Romans Ruth—Ruth 1 Sam—1 Samuel 2 Sam—2 Samuel Sir—Sirach Song—Song of Songs 1 Thess—1 Thessalonians 2 Thess—2 Thessalonians 1 Tim—1 Timothy 2 Tim—2 Timothy Titus—Titus Tob—Tobit Wis—Wisdom Zech—Zechariah Zeph—Zephaniah Other Abbreviations Ant.—Antiquities of the Jews Apoc. Bar.—Syriac Greek Apocalypse of Baruch H.E.—Eusebius, Historia Ecclesiastica KJV—King James Version LXX—Septuagint NAB—New American Bible T. Moses—Testament of Moses INTRODUCTION TO THE BIBLE Gregory W. Dawes INTRODUCTION The book we know as the Bible is not so much a single book as a library. It is a collection of books, written by different authors, at different times, and dealing with a wide range of concerns. We recognize this fact when we refer to the Bible as “the Scriptures,” a term that implies we are not dealing with one book but with many. Even our English word “Bible” was originally not a singular noun but a plural one, for it comes from the Greek term ta biblia, which means simply “the books.” Only very late in its history did the corresponding Latin word biblia come to be treated as a singular noun. Imagine that you were to walk into your local public library and pick up a book entirely at random off the shelves. As you opened the book, there would be a number of questions that would immediately spring to mind. First of all, you might ask yourself, “What sort of book is this? Is it a ‘how-to’ book, such as a car repair manual, or a work on home decorating? Is it a work of fiction, such as a novel? Is it a history book, telling what purports to be a true story of a person or place? Or is it a textbook, setting out the fundamental ideas of some field of study?” If you were not able to answer these questions, you would hardly know what to do with the book you were holding. What use would it be to you? How could you begin to understand it? As you continued turning the pages, other questions might occur to you. You might ask, for instance, “Who wrote this book? When was it written? For what purpose was it written? How is it set out? Does it, for example, tell a story with a beginning, a middle, and an end?” These questions, too, would help you to understand the book better and to use it more intelligently. Each volume in the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series will deal with one or more of the books that form the biblical library. In studying that book, it will ask precisely these questions. What sort of book is this? When was it written? By whom was it written and for what purpose? How does it organize