An image rich, passage-by-passage commentary that integrates textual and artifactual context from the ancient Near East to inform our understanding and interpretation of the Hebrew Bible—while remaining respectful to the inerrancy of Scripture.

Without a deep knowledge of the ancient cultures the Old Testament was born from, we can be tempted to impose our own culture on the text, potentially distorting it. This unique Bible backgrounds commentary examines:

• The history of the ancient Near East as a means of recovering knowledge of the events that shaped the lives of the people.
• The archaeology as a means of recovering the lifestyle reflected in the material cultures.
• The literature of the ancient Near East as a means of understanding the heart and soul of the people who inhabited the ancient world that Israel shared.

Detailed exegetical notes are combined with comparative discussions of the cultural settings that help scholars interpret the remaining historical/narrative books: 1 & 2 Kings, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther.

This volume of the celebrated Zondervan Illustrated Bible Backgrounds Commentary series brings these seven books of the Bible into sharper focus—enabling scholars, pastors, and laity to access rich data from over one hundred and seventy years of explorations and excavations in the Near East.