The Bible is both a divine and a human book. It is the inspired word of God for his people, whether in biblical times or for the church today. It is also a fully human book, written by different people in a variety of cultural settings. Knowledge of biblical language and society is essential if the meaning of the human writer is to be grasped fully.<BR><BR>The Apollos Old Testament Commentary aims to take with equal seriousness the divine and human aspects of Seripture. It expounds the books of the Old Testament in a scholarly manner accessible to non-experts, and shows the relevance of the Old Testament to modern readers.<BR><BR>Written by an international team of scholars, the commentaries are intended primarily to serve the needs of those who preach from the Old Testament. They are equally suitable for use by scholars and all serious students of the Bible.<BR><BR>Each commentary begins with an Introduction, which gives an overview of the issues of date, authorship, sources and so on, but which also ourlines more fully than usual the theology of the book, and provides pointers towards its interpretation and contemporary application.<BR><BR>The annotated Translation of the Hebrew text by the author forms the basis for the subsequent commentary.<BR><BR>The Form and Structure section examines the context of the passage, its use of therorical devices, and source and form-critical issues.<BR><BR>The Comment Section is a thorough, detailed exegesis of the historical and theological meaning of the passage.<BR><BR>The Explanation - the goal of the commentary - offers a full exposition of the theological message within the framework of biblical theology, and a commitment to the inspiration and authority of the Old Testament<BR><BR>For Daniel Fredericks, allowing the thematic words and phrases of Ecclesiastes to speak with their Hebrew voices demonstrates its affinity with the breadth of Old Testament legal, poetic, wisdom and prophetic writings as well as the teachings of Christ and the apostles. Ecclesiastes is found in the canon of Scripture because it plays a significant role in a cumulative theology of the Old and New Testaments.<BR><BR>The beautiful and mysterious lyrics of The Song of Songs have prompted a wide range of interpretations. Daniel Estes reads the ancient song cycle in terms of its literary genre as Hebrew poetry, By attending carefully to the literary features of the text, he seeks to remain sensitive to the emotions that the poet desired to express and to reproduce in the reader. At the same time, be endeavours to hear the echoes of the Song as they resonate within the larger context of the biblical canon, and to suggest how its prominent theme of the nurture of intimacy can be applied to life today.<BR><BR>`This series rightly insists on rigorous scholarship but always in the service of the theology and message of the books of the Old Testament. Some outstanding scholars are signed up for this series and I look forward very much to having these commentaries on my shelves as they appear.`<BR><BR>`At last! A commentary series that combines the best of biblical scholarship with a passion for the message of the text. This series by the finest evangelical scholars is designed for students and pastors who are serious about understanding the Old Testament in its context and translating its message for the church in the twenty-first century.`<BR><BR>`What every preacher and student needs is a commentary which makes positive use of the results of scholarly research while at the same time integrating them sympathetically into a contemporary Christian theological worldview. Many series have set out to achieve this, but few have succeeded. Now at last the Apollos series looks set to do so.`