Tremper Longman III, The Book of Ecclesiastes, 2nd ed. (NICOT)

Longman III, Tremper. The Book of Ecclesiastes, 2nd ed. NICOT. Eerdmans, 2026. xxxix+320 pp. Hb. $46.99   Link to Eerdmans

The first edition of Tremper Longman’s NICOT commentary on Ecclesiastes was published in 1998. The first edition of this commentary ran xvi+283 pages. One reason for doubling the size of the preface is that the editors moved the bibliography from the body of the book to the “Roman numeral pages.” This means the length of the commentary is forty pages longer in this new edition. As is often the case with second editions of commentaries, a major update is literature published over the last 25 years, including major commentaries and journal articles, in both the bibliography and the footnotes. Longman has added references to Kruger (Hermeneia, 2004), Crenshaw (OTL, 1999), Provan (NIVAC, 2001), Bartholomew (BCOT, 2009), and Weeks (ICC, 2020).

Longman Ecclesiastes 2nd Ed

The introduction to this new edition is about nine pages longer than the 1998 edition. In the preface to the commentary, Longman says, “I have not changed my overall understanding of the book as containing two voices,” except at 12:10, “then only tentatively.”

This raises the question of the authorship of Ecclesiastes. Longman argues that Qohelet is not Solomon, but he adopts a “Solomonic persona” (7). The 2026 edition adds a line, “I believe that Qohelet is not the author of the book,” and “is a fictional or fictionalized character” (4). Longman expands the excursus, “Who was Qohelet?” with a full page interacting with Jennifer Barbour’s 2012 monograph and Michael Fox’s suggestion that Qohelet is a literary persona. Barbour “puts forth a strong, but not totally convincing case” (10) that Qohelet stand, stands for not Solomon, but all the kings of Israel.

Longman has greatly expanded the section on the date of Ecclesiastes, now considering C. L. Seow’s argument that the book was completed in the Persian period (AB, 1998). After summarizing the argument, Longman is not fully persuaded. He therefore adds paragraphs on the possibility of Hellenistic thought and the socioeconomic situation implied by the book. Longman thinks this data favors a Hellenistic date. He includes a new excursus on reading Ecclesiastes in the light of the Hellenistic period (16-17), dialoging with George Athas’s Story of God commentary (2020).

Since Longman is certain Ecclesiastes is non-Solomonic, it is also one of the last books written in the Hebrew Bible. Although he does not create a scenario or a complicated editorial process to explain the book’s creation, he says, “I lean toward the Hellenistic period” (14).  Under the heading “language,” Longman has expanded his discussion of Fredricks, who examined the Persian influence on the book, but argued that the linguistic evidence cannot speak against a preexilic date. Ultimately, Longman disagrees, language “is not a certain barometer of date” (22). The genre, literary style, and canon have only been edited recently, aside from a short paragraph on injustice in life (42).

In this new addition, the unit once entitled “theology of the book is a whole” is renamed “the frame narrator and the theology of the book is a whole (45). Little has changed since the first edition. Longman argues that 1:1-11 and 12:8-15 are a different voice than the pessimistic Qohelet (the rest of the book). This is like Job’s prologue and epilogue, although in Ecclesiastes God does not “speak out of the whirlwind.” Longman states that it is important to read the epilogue carefully to understand the book, as it is a second wise man’s summary of Qohelet’s teaching (46).

The body of the commentary follows the NICOT style. After a short introduction, the commentary begins with Longman’s new translation of the section, accompanied by extensive notes on lexical and tactical issues and occasional observations on textual criticism. These have been edited and expanded in this new addition. Following the translation and textual notes is a verse-by-verse commentary on the Hebrew text. All Hebrew appears in transliteration. Interaction with secondary literature is in the footnotes. These footnotes have been updated with a handful of references to commentaries published after 1998. Following the commentary is a summary of each chapter that draws a few conclusions. This is not “biblical theology” and does not even make Old Testament theological connections. It is solely focused on the text of Ecclesiastes.

Conclusion. As with other volumes of the NICOT series that have been updated, some readers will wonder whether they need to upgrade their commentary. In this case, Longman has not radically changed his views since 1998. However, for scholars, pastors, and students looking for an excellent commentary on the book of Ecclesiastes, Longman’s new edition will serve them well. This is a well-written and insightful commentary on one of the more difficult books of the Hebrew Bible.

Recent reviews of other commentaries in the NICOT Series:

NB: Thanks to Eerdmans for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Logos Free Book of the Month: Julian Bewer, Obadiah and Joel (ICC)

Logos Free Book of the Month

For the first half of April 2026, you can add Julius Bewer’s ICC  Commentary on Obadiah and Joel to your Logos Library for free.  The commentary was published in 1911, and early ICC commentaries tend to be focused on the Hebrew text. Nevertheless, it is a very good commentary on two less-studied minor prophets. And it’s free.

Logos has an eclectic mix of other deals this April:

  • Tim Shenton, Opening Up 1 Thessalonians, $2.99
  • Greg Gifford, Heart & Habits: How We Change for Good, $3.99
  • Richard Mouw, Called to the Life of the Mind: Some Advice for Evangelical Scholars, $4.99
  • John Rogerson, The Pentateuch (Sheffield Reader), $5.99
  • Ann Loades, David Brown, Jeff Astley, Eds. Problems in Theology 2: Evil, $7.99
  • Chris Shirley, Family Ministry and the Church: A Leader’s Guide for Ministry Through Families, $8.60
  • Paul Avis, Revelation and the Word of God (Theological Foundations of the Christian Church, vol. 2), $9.99
  • J. N. D. Kelly, The Pastoral Epistles (Black’s New Testament Commentary), $10.99
  • Jeremy R. Treat. The Crucified King: Atonement and Kingdom in Biblical and Systematic Theology, $11.56
  • Craig A. Evans and H. Daniel Zacharias, Eds., ‘What Does the Scripture Say?’ Studies in the Function of Scripture in Early Judaism and Christianity (2 vols.), $14.99

The highlight is the Evans and Zacharias two-volume set in the Library of New Testament Studies. From the blurb: “These essays shed light on how the founders of Christianity understood the older sacred tradition and sought new and creative ways to let it speak to their own times.” I have used a few of these essays in various papers in the past, and the two-volume set is well worth $15. As always, subscribers save another 5%.

There is a link on the Free Book page to an additional free book for Logos subscribers. Right now, you can add Mark Allan Powell, God with Us: A Pastoral Theology of Matthew’s Gospel (Fortress Press, 1995). There is also a link to Verbum free/cheap books (Verbum is the Catholic-oriented Logos). Verbum sales are often good for church history books.

There is always something on sale with Logos. Here is a link to their monthly sale so you can go spend that tax return on books. April’s publisher spotlight is on Crossway and Christian Focus. Lot sof good deals from those publishers until the end of the month.

What’s new with Logos? Starting with Logos 46, there is an AI assistant called Study Assistant. Before you think this is a Satanically inspired plot to ruin sermon preparation, read my review. It is really pretty good, and will refuse to write your sermon for you. It has been significantly updated since I wrote that review.

This Logos Free Book of the Month promotion runs through April 15. A new free book will be available on April 15 at 9:00 a.m. PST. As always, you can use the (free) basic edition or the inexpensive Fundamentals collection to use these free and discounted books.

All the links are Logos Affiliate links. If you plan to buy Logos books, use this link to support Reading Acts.

Greg Carey, Rereading Revelation: Theology, Ethics, and Resistance

Carey, Greg. Rereading Revelation: Theology, Ethics, and Resistance. Eerdmans, 2025. xviii+210 pp. Pb. $29.99   Link to Eerdmans

Greg Carey is Associate Dean and Professor of New Testament at Moravian University School of Theology. He has previously published Stories Jesus Told: How to Read a Parable (Abingdon2019), Using Our Outside Voice: Public Biblical Interpretation (Fortress, 2020), and Death, the End of History, and Beyond: Eschatology in the Bible in the Interpretation series (WJKP, 2023). He often contributes to Sojourners Magazine.

Theological Interpretation of Revelation

This new book on Revelation addresses the book topically and theologically. He says that his theological perspective is “without bias” (xi). This might be possible, but in his introduction, he goes on to describe his biases. “I aim to read Revelation in a way that fosters life, community, sustainability, dignity, and equity” (xii). His goal in this book is to reach a broad audience, so there is no intensive engagement with secondary literature and certainly no list of what commentaries say about Revelation. In many ways, this theological reading of Revelation engages in a kind of reception history emphasizing modern interpretive methodologies. Often, Carey engages various approaches to Revelation (feminist interpretation, queer readings, post-colonial readings).

He observes that Revelation is a “dangerous and necessary part of the canon” (xii), which some Christians reject because of its violent imagery or the interpretations that it has fostered over the years. Perhaps the book is too esoteric? Is the book impossible to understand? For many readers, the answer is yes, and the book of Revelation is easily pushed aside. Carey’s book is an example of theological interpretation. It is a series of related essays on the book of Revelation without any sustained exegesis or historical research. Certainly, Carey has done that work, but this book stands on the grammatical-historical method, intertextual studies, and the socio-historical study of Asian Rome in the first century.

For Carey, the primary challenge of Revelation involves loyalty. Followers of Jesus are called to resist imperial culture and the worship of emperors and imperial gods. As such, the book is resistance literature (xv). The book is written to real churches in Roman Asia Minor who genuinely struggled to resist imperial ideology. Readers were experiencing pressure regarding their exclusive witness, and some hostility from both outsiders (the “inhabitants of the Earth”) and some unfaithful insiders (the “synagogue of Satan”). The author of Revelation allows no compromise with culture. Carey states that “Revelation is the only New Testament document to condemn Roman power in an overt way” (23).

The first chapter of the book is programmatic. He wants to reread Revelation as apocalyptic, prophecy, and a letter. This is often observed: Revelation is an apocalypse, or represents apocalyptic literature, yet it claims to be a prophecy and has features of a letter. As an apocalypse, Revelation participates in the literary traditions set forth by Daniel and 1 Enoch (5). Apocalyptic unveiled. More specifically, it unveils Rome through symbols such as a beast, a prostitute, or a dragon. “Revelation’s unveiling actively mocks Roman rulers, commerce, and piety by means of parody and satire” (21). Ancient Apocalypses have a scribal quality. They are intense conversations with other texts. He observes that Revelation alludes to 250–1000 Old Testament texts (depending on who is doing the counting).

As a prophecy, John does not see a boundary between prophecy and apocalyptic (as some scholars do today). He states that theological interpretation of revelation requires us to acknowledge John’s perspective (revelation is prophecy) but not necessarily to adopt it. For Carey, prophecy is a “contested category” (9).  As a letter, Carey’s focus is on the embedded letters to churches in Roman Asia Minor in Revelation 2-3. Historians use these letters to reconstruct the circumstances of these seven churches, focusing on the conflicting teachers in Ephesus, Pergamum, and Thyatira (Balaam and Jezebel). Carey warns his readers about making too much of small clues in these letters (14).

There are two key challenges for Christian readers. First, how exclusive is loyalty to Jesus? What potential allegiance is threatened by this loyalty? Second, what is the relationship between the followers of Jesus and the state? These two questions have currency in the first century and make four interesting theological and cultural applications in the twenty-first century. Carey’s focus in this book is on Western Christianity, but it could easily be applied to other cultural contexts.

In chapter 4, Carey asks whether Revelation has an eschatology. He suggests “not in the popular sense” that many modern prophecy teachers used to read the book. Certainly, the book has something to say about “the end,” but it does not have anything to say about the rapture, the tribulation period, or any kind of literal judgments on earth. For Carye, this is not demythologizing because he does not think those elements were present in Revelation in the first place. Eschatology is not a sequence of future events, but a description of how we view reality, or cosmology. Maybe, eschatology is “what’s really going on.” If readers pay attention to the apocalyptic elements of the book and discern how they function in their own culture, they will not fall into the sorts of interpretations popular among premillennial or dispensational interpreters of Revelation (69).

Carey argues that Revelation provides the cosmological framework, with pervasive evil in this world and salvation coming from heaven. This is all based on a Jewish worldview of the first century. I don’t have a problem with this; Carey is certainly correct as far as he goes. However, it seems to me that the “Jewish world view of the first century” included quite a bit of fiery judgment on this world that at least some Jews took quite literally. If Revelation participates in the same literary world as Daniel and Enoch, why would it not also share literal eschatological expectations with that literature?

Nevertheless, he does recognize some eschatology in the book. There is an into history: the lamb defeats Satan and the beast, and the whole supernatural drama comes to an end (76). How all that happens is not what Revelation is about.

Chapters 6-9 discuss specific issues in Revelation (wealth, feminist approaches to the book (“A Queer Book”), violence (how can a pacifist read Revelation?), and resistance. With respect to violence, Carrie says, “Many readers, myself among them, find the lake of fire repulsive for moral and theological reasons (83). Revelation has an active hope for an afterlife for the righteous, but the punishment of the wicked is repulsive. But this violence is repulsive from a modern perspective (no one in the ancient world would see anything wrong with the lake of fire, and there are many antecedents in Revelation’s dialogue partners, the Hebrew Bible, Daniel, and 1 Enoch. Carey observes that “Revelation celebrates and endorses violence, even though it never calls its audience to violent action” (152). If Revelation is resistance literature, then the violence is expected.

For Carey, it is best to emphasize the book’s hopeful passages. For example, “Christian hope is not the same as empty optimism” (78). Revelation grounds its future in the shape of what God has already accomplished in creation, Israel, and the church (79).

Conclusion. Carey’s Rereading Revelation is a helpful contribution to theological readings of Revelation. By rereading Revelation through a thoroughly modern lens, Carey offers insight into this difficult book that other approaches overlook.

 

NB: Thanks to Eerdmans for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

Sara M. Koenig, The Ten Commandments through the Ages

Koenig, Sara M. The Ten Commandments through the Ages. Eerdmans, 2025. x+269 pp. Hb. $35.99   Link to Eerdmans

Sara Koenig is professor of biblical studies at Seattle Pacific University. She previously published two books on Bathsheba: Isn’t This Bathsheba? A Study in Characterization (Princeton Theological Monograph; Pickwick 2011) and Bathsheba Survives (USC Press, 2018). She co-edited the Robert Wall festschrift, The Usefulness of Scripture (Eisenbrauns, 2018).

Koenig, Ten Commandments

In the thirty-six-page introduction to the book, Koenig suggests that the brevity of the Ten Commandments invites discussion in application. This begins in the Hebrew Bible itself, as well as in the Christian New Testament, early Judaism, and church history. This book is therefore a reception history of the Ten Commandments. It is certainly not exhaustive (239), reception history can rarely cover every time a text is used in other times and places. But she does manage to highlight how commandments grow over the centuries. Readers are invited to consider how they would receive these Commandments today.

Using “honor your father and mother” (Exod 20:12) as an example, she observes that Exodus 21:15-17 immediately expands on this commandment, and 1 Kings 15:11 demonstrates the commandment (David is honored as a father). In Luke 14:26, Jesus challenges the command (“hate your father?”), and in Ephesians 6:1, Paul briefly discusses what it means to “honor.” She then tracks how the commandment is interpreted in rabbinic literature and later Christian interpretation. Her main question is, “What does it mean to ‘honor your father and mother’ at different times and in different places?”

The introduction also asks, “Why Ten Commandments?” Citing one of the most significant theological voices of the twentieth century, George Carlin, it just sounds official to have Ten Commandments (11). She explains the variation in the Ten Commandments between the Jewish, Roman Catholic/Lutheran, Eastern Orthodox, and most Protestant lists in a helpful chart (7). Her introduction also offers a brief overview of modern reactions to the Ten Commandments today. Ted Turner, for example, publicly stated that the Ten Commandments were outdated and offered his own version. Some in the media will point out that these Commandments are not even unique. They’re quite comparable to other ancient law codes or religious systems. In America, the Ten Commandments have been particularly controversial as some of them posted in public courts or schools.

Koenig follows her introduction with ten chapters on each of the Ten Commandments. After a short introduction and explanation of the Commandment, she offers several sections that expand the Commandment. Focusing on the sixth Commandment as an example, she asks, Is the commandment “do not murder,” or “do not kill”? Does the commandment refer to only killing humans? What about war? Capital punishment? Modern gun violence? Suicide, euthanasia, abortion? She covers New Testament applications, such as Jesus’s extension of the commandment to include controlling one’s anger. Koenig then surveys the rabbinic literature, historical Christian interpretation (Luther, Calvin, Aquinas), modern commentaries, and popular authors.

In her commentary on each commandment, she avoids too much prescription or legalism 243. She’s rarely dogmatic about application. Nevertheless, she does offer some method for applying the Ten Commandments in a modern context. She suggests a positive formulation of the Commandments. So, for example, “do not commit adultery” becomes something like “preserve marriage.” Do things that protect the family (179).

Conclusion. Koenig’s book is an excellent introduction to the reception history of the Ten Commandments. Like Eerdmans’s Illuminations commentary series (see this review, for example), she draws together a wide range of rabbis, pastors, scholars, and pop culture which discuss each commandment. Koenig’s book will serve pastors and teachers preparing to teach the Ten Commandments in both the church and the academy. But more than that, this is an entertaining and challenging book that will appeal to any reader interested in thinking more deeply about the Ten Commandments and their application in new contexts.

 

NB: Thanks to Eerdmans for kindly providing me with a review copy of this book. This did not influence my thoughts regarding the work.

 

 

New Logos Libraries for 2026

Logos Libraries 2026

Every few years, Logos Bible Software re-shuffles its library options. These are curated libraries that customize your library for your personal needs. Some are “standard” (gold, platinum, diamond). Others are theological traditions (Baptist, Reformed, Charismatic, Messianic Jew, SDA, and many more). This time around, Logos has added four new categories: learner, leader, preacher, and researcher. These new libraries can be purchased at various levels (bronze, gold, etc.) to better fit your budget. Based on what you have purchased in the past, you might find the cost to upgrade is not as high as you thought. With the discounts, you might be able to add books for just a few dollars each, compared to buying them individually at full price. Why buy a 2026 Library if you have a 2020 library? I find this is a great time to expand my library and take full advantage of discounts and previous purchases. Logos is constantly adding new material from a wide range of publishers. This is a chance to catch up on the latest and take advantage of some good discounts.

You do not need to subscribe to the new version of Logos (although they really want you to). If you purchased Logos 8, 9, or 10 in the past, all these books are still available to you and are “yours forever.” Some Logos users are deadset against paying for a subscription, and that is OK. It seems like all software has turned to the subscription model, and it is annoying. I have been subscribing since they began to offer the model, and I do see the advantages for the Faithlife company. They get a steady income stream rather than a bunch of upgrades every two years. But there are tangible benefits for the end user in subscribing. Rather than waiting two years for a batch of cool new features, there are smaller upgrades and new features added every six weeks. These are not bug fixes or patches (you still get those, too), but real feature upgrades that (in the past) waited until Logos rolled out a new version. If you do the math, it does not cost any more than upgrading every few years. There are a slew of other benefits for subscribers, including additional free books and discounts.

Logos offers three subscription levels based on your needs, and you do not need to upgrade to a subscription package or upgrade your library if you do not want to. Resist consumerism!  Or indulge your book-buying demons. Whichever works out best for you.

For some users, the “new features” might not be very attractive. One of the latest add-ins is an AI Study Assistant. This is an upgrade to the already AI-enabled smart search. I have been using it for a little while now, and I am glad it is minimally invasive and can be easily turned off. It is not as though Logos requires you to embrace the AI overlords. If you think of Study Assistant as an interactive search engine for just the books you own in Logos, it works well. I have used it to discover resources I own. Here is my review of Logos 46. Since I wrote that, Logos has been updated several times (I now use Logos 48), and the Study Assistant has steadily improved, and new features have been added. One of the AI features I use the most is the translate tool, both on my laptop and my iPad. When a commentary slips in a German or French commentary, I can highlight the text and get a quick translation within the Logos reading environment. I have used the Study Assistant to create bibliographies from essay collections.

Here are some tips for navigating the library page. First, when browsing the bundles, be sure to click the “hide books I own” option, so you see only the new-to-you books in the library. There is a menu across the top for the Standard, Traditions, Learner, Leader, Pastor, and Researcher. Once there, you can choose between small, medium, and large collections. If you already own the book, you will not be charged again. Logos calls this “dynamic pricing,” and the result is a lower cost for a bundle.  If you bought a Gold library ten years ago, you still own those books, and they are removed from the cost of a new bundle in whatever flavor you choose.

There is always something on sale at Logos. For the first half of February 2026, you can add Justo L. González, Knowing Our Faith: A Guide for Believers, Seekers, and Christian Communities (Eerdmans 2019) to your Logos Library for free. There are some great deals on the free book of the month from Eerdmans, so go load up before you spend too much money on a new Logos Library. This link will get you some great deals on books published by Bloomsbury and IVP USA

If the big bundles are too overwhelming, try a mini bundle. These are curated commentary sets that might just scratch the itch.

All the links are Logos Affiliate links. If you are indulging your book-buying demons, use this link to support Reading Acts. In fact, try the code SAVEMORE at checkout and save more.