Joshua, Judges, Ruth is prefaced by a substantial introduction that offers historical background important for understanding. Then readers are taken through the text, passage-by-passage, starting with the text of the New Living Translation. This is followed by a section of notes on the Greek and Hebrew behind the English translation of the New Living Translation. This section also interacts with scholars on important interpretive issues, and points readers to significant textual and contextual matters. The commentary on the passage presents a lucid interpretation, giving special attention to context and major theological themes. 

Key Features 

• Provides an introduction to the historical and cultural context, the literary style, and the major themes and theological concerns of each book 
• Includes exegetical and textual notes 
• Offers commentary that pays special attention to context and major theological themes 

Recommendations 

An enormously helpful series for the layperson and pastor alike because it centers on the theological message of each book and ties it directly to the text. This approach has been needed for some time and will be an invaluable supplement to other commentary series. 

—Grant Osborne, professor of New Testament, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School 

A treasure house of insight into the biblical text. Written by some of the best scholars working today, it is an essential tool for pastors, students, church leaders, and lay people who want to understand the text and know how it relates to our lives today. Like the New Living Translation text it uses as its base, this commentary series is extremely readable. 

—Tremper Longman, Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies, Westmont College 

About the Authors  

Joseph Coleson, (PhD, Brandeis University) is Professor of Old Testament at Nazarene Theological Seminary. He has published numerous articles and books. 

Lawson Stone (PhD, Yale University) has expertise in early Israelite History and Religion and Old Testament Theology. He teaches at Asbury Theological Seminary and has written a host of books and articles. 

Jason Driesbach (MA, Dallas Theological Seminary) is a co-author of The Many Gospels of Jesus and a contributor to the Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary. He is pursuing PhD studies in the field of Hebrew Bible. 

Series Introduction 

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides up-to-date, evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Each volume is designed to equip pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge to better understand and apply God’s Word by presenting the message of each passage as well as an overview of other issues surrounding the text. The commentary series has been structured to help readers understand the meaning of Scripture, passage-by-passage, through the entire Bible. 

The New Living Translation is an authoritative Bible translation, rendered faithfully into today’s English from the ancient texts by 90 leading Bible scholars. The NLT’s scholarship and clarity breathe life into even the most difficult-to-understand Bible passages—but even more powerful are stories of how people’s lives are changing as the words speak directly to their hearts. That’s why we call it “The Truth Made Clear.”