Esther & Ruth (Reformed Expository Commentary)

I love to teach the books of Esther and Ruth. They are fast paced, full of surprises, lots of intrigue and even a good dose of romance (Ruth specifically). I have so many commentaries on these two books and have my outlines already done and prepared for whenever any group wants to study the books.Soooo, why did I buy another book on Esther and Ruth? That's easy, our senior Pastor is preaching through Esther this summer. He purchased some commentaries on Esther and just to make shipping costs reasonable he had the warehouse throw in this copy of Esther by Iain Duguid. He told me this was the greatest surprise of his life.He said this book was worth the price of all the others combined. Well, it got my attention because I have never even heard of Iain Duguid.I previewed the other Pastor's copy and was hooked from the opening chapter. I had to have my own copy. I ordered it and impatiently waited for it to arrive. I devoured the book as soon as I got it. I'm now and Iain Duguid fan.He took a subject that I am familiar with and gave me new insights, new provoking thoughts to consider and shook some of my beliefs about the books to their roots. I will now be looking over my lesson plans and readdressing some areas, shoring up some thoughts and making huge improvements.Thank you Iain for a very well done commentary. I enjoyed it so much I eagerly ordered Iain's commentary on Daniel.If you are going to do a serious study of Esther or Ruth this book IS A MUST!Enjoy!

The book starts out with a story that drew me and later used a doctor Who reference. Some of the stories are superficial, but the book does well in explaining Esther in a readable way.

I've come to find that Duguid has releases many commentaries. This was my introductory commentary into his many. I was pleased. I used it for a college Biblical exegesis, and I found that I agreed with Duguid's findings more than any of the other sources or commentaries I used.I would highly recommend it for any pastor who plans on spending time in a book of Esther, or a Bible student who needs to exegete for a class. I'm sure I'll find myself buying more of Duguid's commentaries in the future.Just an FYI: Duguid's notes and commentary read more like a sermon manuscript than most commentaries. This may make the more researching-styled students read little more to get the notes he or she needs, but it doesn't hinder from the true expertise and well-researched notes that Duguid makes. While Duguid does keep his notes on a certain passage of a text down to a minimum, he isn't like most commentators who style their commentary very easily as in, "Verses 1 -3; Commentary.".

Mr Duguid makes some very good practical applications of these ancient books of the Bible for modern day Christians. I personally feel, however, that he takes too much liberty in the text and asserts the thoughts and motives of the characters in the stories (Esther, King Ahaseuras, Naomi, Ruth) as fact, where I feel they can only be guessed at. I would be much move likely to read another book in this series by a different author.

I just finished Ch 1:1-5. I was so surprised to find that the author wrote of Naomi with a complete absence of Hebrew culture during this time. He teaches that Naomi was complicit with her husband, Elimelech, in their travels to Moab; that she had to swallow her pride in order to return to Judah (neccesitating her delay in returning right after her husband died and an unknown amount of time after her sons’ death); enjoins Elimelech and Naomi as prodigals (which actually means ‘reckless spender‘, not a run away); and speaks of Elimelech and Naomi as exiles (which actually means banished-from the Latin ‘exhilium’), instead of having voluntarily vacated Judah (under the authority of Elimelech) and being free to return to Judah at Elimelech’s bidding.Actually, every Hebrew wife had no option but to obey her husband. We have no info on whether Elimelech discussed this w Naomi or not; either way, it was his decision and only his. As a Hebrew wife, she finds herself in Moab, through no decision of her own. She has committed no wrong nor has she had a horrible abdication of good judgement. Regarding the option to return to Judah following her husbands death, Naomi now turns to her older son for family decisions. We are not given the time frame between the father’s and the sons’ death, but during that time, Naomi is again turning to a male relative for her instructions. Both sons have married Moabite women and apparently decided not to return to Judah.It is not until Naomi’s two sons die that she is free to make her own decision. It is then that she returns to Bethlehem.Even then, Naomi and Ruth are dependent on traveling with a caravan(s), as women would not have traveled alone on the open road (most likely resulting in being enslaved, abandoned or murdered).Having gotten no further than 1:1-5, I can’t speak to the remaining chapters, but so far I am sadly disappointed. I expected more from an OT professor at Westminster.

Iain Duguid is one of my favorite authors. His understanding of the Old Testament, coupled with his ability articulate it in such an accessible manner, makes his books a pleasure to read. He also is masterful at drawing implications for believers today from Old Testament passages. His writings on Ruth and Esther have added a new dimension to my understanding of the Old Testament, of these two women, and of Jesus' work among His people both then and now.

I love reading this commentary. It is challenging and yet written with humor. Seeing the irony of the situation of the Book of Esther catches one off guard, while at the same time the author makes application of biblical principles to the lives of believers today. I will enjoy having it as a resource for our bible study.

I've only read the commentary on Esther so far, but it is excellent: clear, mature exposition; Christ-centred; well applied. A model of Old Testament preaching.

relevant discussion of often overlooked books

I read through this I'm my devotional time. It's a awesome book for any that's unfamiliar with Ruth & Esther. I would recommend this to anyone, simple, easy and engaging. (No introduction is a bit of a downfall)

Não foi apenas por lirismo que o poeta John Keats citou a estória de Ruth em um de seus poemas; o simples anúncio do nome Ruth é capaz de provocar um largo sorriso na maioria das pessoas, pois sua estória poderia ser a de qualquer um de nós. A narrativa gira em torno de duas grandes personagens femininas: Naomi – considerada o Jó de saias – uma mulher idosa, que perde tudo na vida; e mesmo assim segue lutando, sem perder as esperanças; e Rute – uma jovem que troca sua casa, seu povo, sua cidade, por um futuro incerto na terra estrangeira. Ruth ao buscar uma nova vida longe do aconchego familiar lembra a saga de Eneias – em “Eneida” – de Virgílio. A força lírica e suave do discurso pode ser notada logo no primeiro diálogo de Rute com Naomi, e é uma das características que nos atrai neste pequeno grande livro. As resposta de Rute são sempre para perto da poesia: “Para aonde quer que tu vás, irei eu/ Para onde quer que pouse, ali pousarei eu/ O teu povo será o meu povo/ O seu Deus será o meu Deus”. Estes gestos em direção a poesia continuam a marcar o discurso das personagens até o final do último capítulo. Em suma, o equilíbrio rítmico com suas simetrias imponentes da língua são manifestações apropriadas no mundo harmonioso do livro; as personagens expressam um tipo de confiança moral, que, numa análise mais profunda, são decorrentes da lisura do valores tradicionais como lealdade, amor e caridade, que se sustentam como força da providencia diante da adversidade. Tudo isso em conjunto, consumada com a arte finamente gerenciada, torna o livro de Rute um marco na literatura com final feliz. A maneira como Iain Duguid aborda aqui o livro de Rute é muita prática e de fácil compreensão; pode assim ser utilizada para quem tem a intenção de menciona-la em cultos ou em reuniões literárias.

It is a short read but a comprehensive overview and exposition of the two beautiful books of the Bible. I have used it for devotion and I would highly recommend it for such purpose. If you are looking to read Esther and Ruth and want to under it chapter by chapter in short time but without missing much exposition, this is a book worth investing!