Summary
David Toshio Tsumura’s Second Samuel in the NICOT series is a deeply learned, text-driven exposition of one of the Old Testament’s most gripping and theologically charged narratives. We find it a commentary shaped by rigorous linguistic expertise, steady evangelical commitments, and a clear desire to help readers understand the canonical form of the text. Tsumura works patiently through the book’s structure, characters, and historical setting, giving pastors and students a strong foundation for responsible interpretation.
This volume pays careful attention to the Hebrew text while remaining accessible to those who are willing to read slowly. It offers clarity on difficult passages, avoids speculative reconstructions, and highlights the theological currents—sin, judgement, mercy, kingship, and covenant faithfulness—that run through the life of David and the life of Israel.
Why Should I Own This Commentary?
The great strength of Tsumura’s work lies in its precision. His analysis of Hebrew narrative, idioms, and structure helps preachers avoid common missteps and handle the text with integrity. Whether addressing David’s triumphs, moral failures, or the complexities of court politics, Tsumura consistently draws attention to what the text says rather than what later assumptions impose upon it.
He engages scholarship with balance, interacting with critical views without allowing them to dictate the shape of his exposition. The result is a commentary that is academically trustworthy yet pastorally grounded. His thematic sensitivity—particularly around divine sovereignty, human frailty, and the unfolding of God’s purposes—provides rich material for preaching.
Although this is a technical commentary at heart, Tsumura writes with clarity, giving readers confidence as they move through some of the most difficult and emotionally charged narratives in the Old Testament. It is a volume that rewards careful study and strengthens the preacher’s grasp of the text’s message.
Closing Recommendation
We commend Second Samuel by Tsumura as a substantial and reliable guide for anyone preaching or studying this book. Its depth, steadiness, and refusal to sensationalise the text make it especially valuable for ministers who want to handle these narratives with theological maturity and pastoral care.
For those seeking a commentary that combines scholarly rigour with reverent exposition, this NICOT volume is a strong and enriching companion.
David Toshio Tsumura
David Toshio Tsumura is a Japanese evangelical Old Testament scholar of the late twentieth and twenty-first centuries, known for linguistic expertise and a high view of Scripture.
Tsumura has contributed significantly through detailed commentaries on historical books, especially Samuel, and through work on Hebrew and related Semitic languages. His writing is marked by meticulous attention to textual issues, syntax, and philology, set within a broadly conservative, evangelical framework. While technically informed, his commentaries aim to serve pastors and students as they wrestle with difficult texts.
He is valued for combining rigorous scholarship with a commitment to the Bible’s trustworthiness, offering careful reasoning where the text is contested or obscure. His work gives preachers confidence that serious academic study need not undercut a reverent reading of the Old Testament.
Key volumes include his substantial commentaries on 1 Samuel and 2 Samuel in respected evangelical series.