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The books of Kings view Israel’s history through the theological lens of ‘action’. Actions have consequences that are determined by the people’s faithfulness or unfaithfulness to their God and the covenant, and the editors’ purpose is to demonstrate that the monarchy stands or falls on its faithfulness to its God.
The books of Kings, though in real ways foreign to the twenty-first century, contain content that resonates with our contemporary experience. They raise an array of questions: In the relationships between and among individuals and between and among nations, what constitutes loyalty? What behaviors exact justice? What are the demands of being in a covenant relationship with God? What does it mean to be faithful to that relationship? What risks are we willing to take? How do we pray? Where do we look for the power of God? The insights gleaned from engaging these questions can shed a unique light on our contemporary lives.
Comprehensive and understandable, the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series brings the timeless messages and relevance of the Old Testament to today’s readers. With recent scholarship, this series provides vital background and addresses important questions such as authorship and cultural context.
Alice L. Laffey (1944-2023) taught the Old Testament for thirty-five years at the College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, Massachusetts, before retiring in May 2016. She was the author of many articles as well as Introduction to the Old Testament: A Feminist Perspective (1988), Appreciating God’s Creation through Scripture (1997), The Pentateuch: A Liberation-Critical Reading (1998), and 1-2 Kings in the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series (2012).
