Mark A Awabdy, Bill Arnold (Series Editor)
Mark A. Awabdy is likely a new name to those who read biblical commentaries. He received his PhD from Asbury Theological Seminary and is a professor of Old Testament and biblical languages in the Arabian Gulf and South Asia. He is the author of Immigrants and Innovative Law and a commentary on LXX Leviticus. The reader though will quickly realize the competency of this author especially since Bill Arnold oversaw this entry in the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Pentateuch series.
To get readers acclimated and ready for his commentary, Awabdy states in his Preface: “Some are repelled especially by Numbers because it seems pedantic and redundant in its censuses (chaps. 1, 26), layout of the wilderness camps (chap. 2), dedication of the altar (chap. 7), and sacrificial calendar (chaps. 28–29), to name a few texts. It is precisely this scrupulous repetition, however, that reveals how contextual Yahweh is—resolved to make himself known to people embedded in culture—by using ANE conventions of literary repetition to stress the authors’ theological convictions.”
It can be argued that Awabdy employs this method of relating to his audience in his commentary. He goes on to state: I have approached each dimension of this commentary as an evangelical and critical student of Numbers. My translation style vacillates between formal-equivalence (“Yahweh said to Moses”) and dynamic-equivalence (“the ark containing the witness”) to communicate the form and function of the Hebrew text in perspicuous, contemporary English. He uses tools of grammar/syntax, the global church present and past, and whatever at this disposal to add value to make Numbers less of an often-neglected book for English speakers.
Ultimately his heart goal is to get Christians excited to read and to be impacted by Numbers like those before him like John Calvin and John Wesley.
For, just as no healing was conveyed from the serpent to any who did not turn their eyes towards it, when set up on high, so the look of faith only causes the death of Christ to bring salvation to us. (John Calvin)
That hereby he may purchase salvation for all believers: all those who look to him by faith recover spiritual health, even as all that looked at that serpent recovered bodily health. (John Wesley)
A sampling of the way he connects readers to Chris is when we explores 35:22–29: The theological message of this unit reverberates throughout both Testaments: just as God, by this law, protects those who faithfully remain in a town of refuge, he protects his covenant people who remain under his protection,3039 and he ultimately protects those who faithfully remain in his Son, Jesus the Messiah (John 10:1–18; Jude 21–25).
This commentary may become one of the top Numbers commentaries for English speaking Christian Church no matter the denomination or tribe; be it Arminian or Calvinist, high church or low church. Well done to Mr. Awabdy as this is a strong entry in the Baker Seriers.
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