Review request: Witherington on Psalm and Isaiah

[lesterchua]

Hi,

 

There is a special on:

 

https://www.accordancebible.com/store/details/?pid=Isaiah%20Old%20%26amp%3B%20New

 

and 

 

https://www.accordancebible.com/store/details/?pid=Psalms%20Old%20%26amp%3B%20New

 

Which are commentaries on Psalm and Isaiah by Witherington. I'm not sure where Witherington stand doctrinally. Is anybody familiar with him?

[rwrobinson88]

Weslyian tradition. Professor at Asbury.

 

My understanding of these books is that they aren’t commentaries on Psalms and Isaiah but a look at the NT usage of those two books. Could be wrong though.

[lesterchua]

Thanks! The screenshots make it seem like a commentary. Don't really see the NT usages.

[ukfraser]

Isaiah isnt a complete verse by verse commentary, see index below to see some of the chapters not covered. It looks at the passage but is also very mindful of how it is used in nt. i find him quite "chatty" and it is not very detailed commentary so wbc is still my go to along with other commentaries first.

 

This is from isaiah 5 with lots of nt references.

 

Of course Isaiah 5 is not the end of the story, even in Isaiah. Already [p. 49] in Isaiah 27:2–5 we hear about what will happen “in that day” much later when there will be a properly fruitful vineyard which the Almighty will indeed watch over and water continually. The oft-repeated prophetic theme of redemption beyond judgment is announced in this later oracle. There will indeed be a new song (Isa 42:10) about a fruitful vineyard, but only after passing through the fiery trial of judgment. All this stands in the background of Jesus’s even more ominous parable in Mark 12. In the context of the historical Isaiah, the warning is given to Judah in particular that they are not immune to judgment, any more than the northern tribes have been. The warning is given against bad behavior, injustice, oppression, and iniquity. This song or oracle “intends to entrap the audience into condemning themselves, presumably with the hope of changing their behavior.” Isaiah is not complaining that the people of Judah have not given enough tithes to the Lord from their grape harvest, or have not worshiped God in a spiritual enough manner! No, the problem runs much deeper than that, as Jesus himself realized. At the beginning of the parable in Mark 12:1–12, Mark’s Greek is very close to the LXX/OG of Isaiah 5:1–2 and one should compare this to the simpler versions in Luke 20 and Gos. Thom. 65 where the echoes of Isaiah 5 are scarce (though see Luke 20:9). I would suggest this telltale sign shows the later character of both the Thomas and Lukan version of the parable, de-Judaizing it, perhaps to make it more user-friendly for a later more Gentile audience. Another rather clear clue that the Markan version of the parable is the most primitive version is the fact that the son is killed in the vineyard and then thrown outside of it, whereas in Luke and Matthew the son is first taken outside the vineyard walls and then killed, probably mirroring what actually happened to Jesus. Interestingly, the early Jewish treatment of Isaiah 5:1–2 saw the tower and the winepress as figures for the temple and the altar (cf. 4Q500; Tg. Ps.-J. and the Tosephta; see Meʿil. 1:16; Sukkah 3:15).

[lesterchua]

@ukfraser

 

Thanks! Looks like it's far too "chatty" for me. =)