Commentary on the New Testament Use of the Old Testament

Readers of the New Testament often encounter quotes or allusions to Old Testament stories and prophecies that are unfamiliar or obscure. In order to fully understand the teachings of Jesus and his followers, it is important to understand the large body of Scripture that preceded and informed their thinking. Leading evangelical scholars G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson have brought together a distinguished team of scholars to provide readers with a comprehensive commentary on every quotation, allusion, and echo of the Old Testament that appears from Matthew through Revelation.

Contributors: Craig Blomberg (Denver Seminary) on Matthew, Rikk E. Watts (Regent College) on Mark, David W. Pao (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) and Eckhard J. Schnabel (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on Luke, Andreas J. Kostenberger (Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary) on John, I. Howard Marshall (University of Aberdeen) on Acts, Mark A. Seifrid (Southern Baptist Theological Seminary) on Romans, Brian Rosner (Moore Theological College) and Roy Ciampa (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on 1 Corinthians, Peter Balla (Karoli Gaspar University, Budapest) on 2 Corinthians, Moises Silva (author of Philippians in BECNT) on Galatians and Philippians, Frank Thielman (Beeson Divinity School) on Ephesians, G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) on Colossians, Jeffrey A. D. Weima (Calvin Theological Seminary) on 1 and 2 Thessalonians, Philip Towner (United Bible Societies) on the Pastoral Epistles, George Guthrie (Union University) on Hebrews, D. A. Carson (Trinity Evangelical Divinity School) on the General Epistles, G. K. Beale (Wheaton College Graduate School) and Sean McDonough (Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary) on Revelation.

"This really is a new sort of commentary! For the first time we are given a continuous exegetical reading of the way each New Testament book quotes, alludes to, and evokes the Old Testament Scriptures. This volume will be an immensely useful resource for all kinds of study of the New Testament."--Richard Bauckham, professor of New Testament Studies and Bishop Wardlaw Professor, St. Mary's College, University of St. Andrews

"Finally a volume that surveys the use of the Old Testament in each book of the New Testament. Written by top-tier scholars with unsurpassed expertise in New Testament exegesis, these essays model sound engagement with Scripture that quotes Scripture. This excellent collection is a must-read for all who wish to understand how the New Testament writers understood and used their Bible. This long-awaited volume deserves to become a standard text that will hopefully launch a new stage of fresh work in biblical research."--Karen H. Jobes, Gerald F. Hawthorne Professor of New Testament Greek and Exegesis, Wheaton College

"More than a generation ago, C. H. Dodd and a few other scholars began sowing the seeds of a new and fruitful approach to reading Scripture, by studying the New Testament writers' use of Old Testament texts. The present commentary thus represents the harvest of decades of research into the relationship between the Old and New Testaments. By carefully observing various factors, ranging from the textual to the theological, each contributor shows how the New Testament writers were not only careful readers of the Old Testament but also profound theologians themselves. The scholars on this superb team assembled by Beale and Carson distill many new and remarkable insights for exegesis and theology, all of which serve to demonstrate the explanatory power of this approach for the present and the future. This landmark volume should prove to be an invaluable resource for both the church and the academy--for pastors, teachers, and students alike, whether Protestant or Catholic--and for anyone wanting to go deeper into the heart of sacred Scripture. Indeed, Beale and Carson are to be thanked and congratulated for a momentous accomplishment."--Scott Hahn, Pope Benedict XVI Chair of Biblical Theology and Liturgical Proclamation, St. Vincent Seminary; professor of scripture and theology, Franciscan University of Steubenville

"Every scholar would profit by having a copy of this thorough and judicious work on his or her desk. The authors have collected for us an immense amount of material and insight in a relatively short space, and many of us will be grateful for their efforts. This commentary is a profound witness to the unity of the Testaments in the mystery of Christ."--Francis Martin, Cardinal Adam Maida Chair of Biblical Studies, Sacred Heart Seminary

"Finally we have a work that examines the use of the Old Testament in the New Testament and covers the entirety of the New Testament in a single volume. Pastors, students, and scholars will profit from the careful attention to both the Old and New Testament contexts in which the citations occur, and they will be enriched by the theological depth represented in this important book."--Thomas R. Schreiner, James Buchanan Harrison Professor of New Testament Interpretation, Southern Baptist Theological Seminary

"Few areas of New Testament study are as often discussed as the New Testament's use of the Old. There has long been a need for a careful case-by-case treatment, since the use we see in the New Testament is so varied and diverse. This commentary meets that need admirably. It is thorough yet concise, clear yet detailed. All will be led into helpful reflection on this important area of study. Well done to the editors and authors of this useful and unique commentary."--Darrell L. Bock, research professor of New Testament studies, Dallas Theological Seminary

"There has been a great need for a comprehensive study of the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. This arduous task has now been accomplished by very competent New Testament scholars, resulting in an excellent reference work. It is well thought out and the style makes it easy to use; a must for every serious student of the Bible."--Harold W. Hoehner, distinguished professor of New Testament, Dallas Theological Seminary

"Given the infinite riches of God's truth, no single commentary can do it all. Some commentaries choose to stress the theological themes of a text, while others focus on a text's literary features or significant archaeological background or the wider cultural context of first-century Judaism and Hellenism. While all this is valuable, no background information has proved to be more illuminating than the New Testament's own profound use of the Old Testament. This crucial background, however, is often tragically missed, misconstrued, or minimized in other commentaries. To address this need, the present volume provides a fresh, insightful, and judicious exposition of the most significant instances of the New Testament's use of the Old Testament. Under the expert editorial guidance of G. K. Beale and D. A. Carson, who are among the most respected authorities in the field, the contributors to this commentary have done scholars, pastors, and ordinary believers an enormous favor by sharing with them in a concise and accessible format some of the most useful and exciting discoveries that come from this approach."--Gordon P. Hugenberger, senior minister, Park Street Church, Boston, MA; adjunct professor of Old Testament, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary

"Beale and Carson have given us a volume that will certainly become a standard for all serious Bible readers, ministers, and scholars. We are in their debt. As a preacher, I would especially encourage other preachers to use this volume in honing their understanding of God's Word and in leading their congregations to better understand the Old Testament, the same Scriptures that Jesus taught his disciples. I'm even planning on using this to help select appropriate Scripture readings for public services."--Mark Dever, pastor, Capitol Hill Baptist Church, Washington, DC

"Beale and Carson have amassed a unique reference resource, focused on an area of perpetual importance to both biblical scholars and preachers: how did the writers of the New Testament 'read' their Bibles. The many contributions are held together by a commitment to explore the New Testament context of the quotation, the meaning of the excerpt in its original Old Testament context, the interpretation of this same passage in Second Temple Judaism, the textual tradition (Hebrew text, Septuagint, or mixed type) of the passage, and, finally, the New Testament writer's interpretation and application of the excerpt. As such, this volume will be of constant help as a starting point for a very specific, and very critical, facet of the exegetical task."--David A. deSilva, Trustees' Professor of New Testament and Greek, Ashland Theological Seminary

"Although this commentary was clearly written from an evangelical perspective, that does not detract from the level of scholarship in the individual studies. They are generally well informed on the secondary literature and are perceptive on the issues involved. . . . The work is well done and should prove to be a valuable resource for students and scholars alike. . . . Recommended. Lower-level undergraduates and above; general readers."--J. R. Asher, Choice

"A most helpful and innovative commentary."--R. Albert Mohler Jr., Preaching

"This is a commentary like no other on the New Testament, for it has as its special focus the use made by New Testament authors of Old Testament texts. . . . The contributors are all highly qualified evangelical scholars. . . . An index at the back of the volume efficiently leads the reader to discussions of any Old Testament or New Testament passage of particular interest. This book is sure to lead those who use it to a new appreciation of the unity of the Bible, the theological insight of the New Testament authors, and the propriety of their use of Old Testament texts and themes."--Gregory Goswell, New Life

"A very significant volume in helping expositors not only interpret NT quotations from the OT but how the two testaments of the Bible hold together, i.e. how we understand the unified message of the Bible."--Ray Van Neste, Preaching

"This commentary on the New Testament's use of the Old Testament is, without a doubt, the most useful reference tool that I have added to my collection since I acquired Kittel's Theological Dictionary of the New Testament some years back. Yet it would be a great shame if it were only used as a reference book. . . . The importance of a work like this commentary can in no way be overstated. If we want to understand the Gospel of Jesus we must understand it in the terms in which it is presented to us and those terms are almost exclusively drawn from the Old Testament. . . . This is a masterful and scholarly work that will not be soon surpassed. This commentary will, I'm afraid, usually be used merely as a reference book in helping pastors to prepare sermons. That is fine in its way, but it can be so much more. It is really a rather thorough examination of how the Bible does, and how we should, understand the Bible."--Doug P. Baker

"A virtual goldmine for those of us interested in studying [the New Testament's use of Old Testament texts and prophecies] and especially individual passages. . . . The index for this volume is of immense value. The index of OT verses provides a near exhaustive list of which OT passages show up in NT Scripture. . . . Conversely, when you get to the index of NT verses, you can tell immediately which passages depend most heavily on OT authority. I found it fascinating just browsing through the index and looking up the occasional, oft-used verse. I look forward to using this reference book as I study and prepare lessons in the future."--Andy Efting,

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Reviewed by Anthony Garrett (Evansville, IN), November 25, 2009

It was a gift to our son who is a pastor and he was looking forward to using it for reference very much as an added aid to teaching the Scripture more fully.

Reviewed by Lowell G Hancock (Canton, OH), November 09, 2009

This book is long (1152 pages). It can be read from beginning to end; but I suspect that most readers will not use the book in that way. It is reference book. Its best use is to trace the use of the Old Testament (OT) in a particular New Testament (NT) book. In other words, how did a particular NT writer make use of the OT in his NT book? The answer to this question is a continual fascination, especially for modern Bible readers who have forgotten that for first-century Christians, "the Scriptures" were the books of the OT. For example, look at how this book documents the use of the OT in the NT book of Revelation. This chapter alone makes this book worthy of purchase. This book opens a door into the mind of the first-century Christians, and how they interpreted the OT. For many Christians, this will be an eye-opening experience. The book is well documented with an extensive bibliography. Not many books have even attempted what this book has accomplished well. I recommend the book highly. Clear your calendar, and get ready for some serious Bible study.

Reviewed by Steve (USA), May 18, 2009

This commentary is an outstanding reference work and does an amazing job of relating how the NT uses, or put to use, the OT. On the whole the authors of each entry explain where the quote or allusion comes from, comments upon its meaning in both its OT & NT context, and then closes by pulling it all together, often with great insight. If you are a layman as I am, the writing can be a bit challenging in a few places, but looking up a word or two here and there can pay huge dividends in the end. This is a unique reference work and a wonderful commentary that can enrich your personal study, liven up any Bible study, add substantially to any teaching or papers students would write. Though I am not a Pastor, I would think it could also help with sermon preparation.

Reviewed by Bill Royland (Springfield, MA), February 23, 2009

There is no doubt that this is a great resource and is well worth it.The list of scholars who recommend this product says it all.

Reviewed by Ernest Wiles (Seward, NE), January 09, 2009

The commentary was a Christmas gift for our son who recently received his Masters Degree from Grace University in Biblical Studies and is an Associate Pastor in his church for the Grand Generation. He indicated to us that he used the commentary the Sunday after Christmas in preparation for his teaching class. He said that it was a great assist and easy to use. The ability to make the connection between the New Testament words and phrases to the Old Testament vital in correct interpretation and presentation to lay folks.

Reviewed by Abigail Mcfarland (Keller, TX), November 03, 2008

This a very detailed research tool. I have not used it extensively yet, but I am pleased to have added this to my references.

Reviewed by Donald Reniker (Annandale, VA), August 22, 2008

You can never know too much about how connected the Old and New Testaments are to one another. It is a key evidence of inspiration and the unity of the Bible message.

Reviewed by Debra Pugh (Clinton, TN), May 10, 2008

I'm very pleased with this book.It is very informative.I appreciate the wide range of books that you have to choose from.

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