Ezekiel, Daniel

Corrine L. Carvalho received her doctorate from Yale University and is professor of theology at the University of St. Thomas, St. Paul, Minnesota. She is the author of Encountering Ancient Voices: A Guide to Reading the Old Testament (Winona: St. Mary's Press, 2006).  Paul V. Niskanen teaches Old Testament at the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota.  His interests include an exploration of Hebrew poetry, along with prophetic and apocalyptic imagery. He has written a monograph and a commentary on the book of Daniel as well as articles on Daniel, Isaiah, and Genesis for the Catholic Biblical Quarterly and the Journal of Biblical Literature.

• CONTENTSAbbreviations    4THE BOOK OF EZEKIELCorrine L. CarvalhoIntroduction    5Text and Commentary    10Call of the Prophet (Ezekiel 1:1–3:15)    10Oracles of Destruction (Ezekiel 3:16–24:27)    16Oracles Against Foreign Nations (Ezekiel 25:1–32:32)    67Oracles of Restoration (Ezekiel 33:1–48:35)    85THE BOOK OF DANIELPaul V. NiskanenIntroduction    120Text and Commentary    122The Exiles of Judah and the Foreign King (Daniel 1:1–6:29)    122Visions of History (Daniel 7:1–12:13)    145Stories in Greek (Daniel 13:1–14:42)    162Review Aids and Discussion Questions    170Index of Citations from the Catechism of the Catholic Church    174Map    175

This volume in the NCBC series is a real gem. These two books, which both attract and puzzle many readers, appear in a single volume. Both Ezekiel and Daniel address times of crisis in Israel's life, and these commentaries skillfully portray the historical situation of the writers and tease out of the rich symbolism a theological message for those in distress. Each commentator brings a wealth of study and knowledge to the text and presents it so clearly and subtly that we readers can engage in an interpretation for our own time. Dark times can generate hope: promise of rebirth for the people experiencing the Babylonian Exile ("dry bones" in Ezekiel 37), and the first notion of resurrection of the dead for those suffering steadfastly around the time of the Maccabees (Daniel 12).John Endres, SJ, Professor of Sacred Scripture, Jesuit School of Theology of Santa Clara University