New Testament scholar David Turner offers a substantive yet highly accessible commentary on Matthew in this latest addition to the BECNT series. With extensive research and thoughtful chapter-by-chapter exegesis, Turner leads readers through all aspects of the Gospel of Matthew--sociological, historical, and theological--to help them better understand and explain this key New Testament book. As the first Gospel in the canon, Matthew has received a great deal of attention through the centuries from both scholars and preachers. Turner attempts to stand between the two groups and offer a commentary that is fresh, accessible, and insightful. He emphasizes Matthew as a literary work in its own right (rather than in relation to Mark and Luke) and includes important insights into the Jewish background of this Gospel, explaining Matthew in the context of Second Temple Judaism as a book for Christian Jews living among non-believing Jews. As with all BECNT volumes, Matthew features the author's own translation of, and detailed interaction with, the original Greek text. The user-friendly interior design includes shaded-text chapter introductions summarizing the key themes of each thought unit and their connection to what precedes and follows. This commentary admirably achieves the dual aims of the series--academic sophistication with pastoral sensitivity and accessibility--making it a useful tool for students, professors, and pastors. - Publisher.