Ezekiel (Understanding the Bible Commentary Series)

Book excerpt: Ezekiel is a transitional character writing in times of dramatic change. A priest without a temple, called to the prophetic office; an exile without a country, writing to his fellow exiles; a public figure for a while without a voice, Ezekiel composes a magnum opus that touched the hearts and minds of his generation and a work that continues to speak of the power and love of God more than two thousand years later. Steven Tuell has captured the breadth and depth of the man and his profound recognition of the power and grace of God for a disenfranchised community. He has provided clear understanding of a complex book of the Bible that many in the past have found confusing and murky. He clarifies the theological underpinnings of the text and brings the brilliance of this book into the light. His explanation of the visionary closing chapters of the book that center on a new nation and a new center of worship is cogent and clear. The New International Biblical Commentary offers the best of contemporary scholarship in a format that both general readers and serious students can use with profit. Based on the widely used New International Version translation, the NIBC presents careful section-by-section exposition with key terms and phrases highlighted and all Hebrew transliterated. A separate section of notes at the close of each chapter provides additional textual and technical comments. Each commentary also includes a selected bibliography as well as Scripture and subject indexes.