MIQRA Institute of Biblical Studies
Reading Scripture, Hearing God
Harris, Murray J. The Second Epistle to the Corinthians.
NIGTC. Eerdmans, 2005 (989 pp.). Perhaps the most technical of the
commentaries reviewed here. Although H does translate most of the terms and
phrases he examines, a knowledge of Greek is almost prerequisite, and
matters of grammar, syntax, and textual criticism are explored at length.
This does not mean that H is aloof from the important theological forays
that Paul makes in this second letter to the Corinthians. For example, in a
day when it is fashionable to see the both letters in fact as composites of
multiple letters Paul had written to the Christians in Corinth, H opts to
treat the canonical text as a unity with its own internal strategy. Though I
praised Hafeman for being eminently readable, H here fills full the genre
commentary, i.e., the most appropriate venue to explore technical matters
with regard to the text itself. So our sense is that this particular
contribution will be found extraordinarily useful by those who wish to
improve their exegetical skills. Be forewarned, and then be very pleased
with how instructive the read will be.
