Journal: Emmaus Journal
Volume: EMJ 02:1 (Summer 1993)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

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Book Reviews

Editor
Kenneth Alan Daughters

Hebrews. By William L. Lane. Word Biblical Commentary, 2 vols. Dallas: Word Books, 1991. 617 pages. $24.99 each.

William L. Lane received his education in Biblical studies at Westminster Theological Seminary and Harvard University. He is Professor of Biblical Studies at Seattle Pacific University and served in similar capacities at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and Western Kentucky University. He is the author of a major commentary on Mark’s gospel in the New International Commentary on the New Testament. He also authored a shorter work on Hebrews (Call to Commitment [Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1985], 184 pp.), which was designed to stress the practical lessons of the epistle for Christians today.

Commentaries fall into a number of categories.1 First, there are technical, exegetical works based on the original Hebrew or Greek texts. In such works the authors seek to interact with the latest literature (commentaries, dissertations, and periodicals) on the book upon which they are commenting. Such works are designed for fellow scholars, seminary students, and others with a working knowledge of the original text. Examples of this first category are the International Critical Commentary, the New International Greek Testament Commentary, and the Word Biblical Commentary. Second, there are serious expositions of the text with all technical

EmJ 2:1 (Sum 93) p. 96

matters relegated to the footnotes. Such works are designed for the serious student of the Bible, including preachers and teachers. Examples of this second category are the New International Series, the Tyndale Series, and the Expositor’s Bible Commentary. Third, there are homiletical commentaries. The authors of these works are preachers writing for other preachers to help them prepare expository addresses. The better examples of this third category are works that make use of the best of the exegetical and expositional works, yet are written in a style (with quotes, illustrations, applications) that give help in communicating the Bible’s message to the man in the pew.

Professor Lane’s commentary belongs to the first category. It is a technical work in which the author’s great learning is on display. It is also a reverent work by an evangelical who writes, he says, as a labor of love for the Church. To gain some appreciation for the scope of the work I might mention that Lane not only comments at length on the Greek text of Hebrews, but he interacts with books and articles in eleven different modern languages!

He devotes 157 pages to introductory matters. He argues tha...

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