Apocrypha

While the canonical status of the Greek and Latin Old Testament texts commented upon within this volume has been understood differently within Protestant, Roman Catholic and Orthodox traditions, their longstanding use within the Christian churches makes them worthy of careful study and reflection. As noted in the Anglican Thirty-Nine Articles of Religion, Jerome says that the church reads them "for example of life and instruction of manners." As a result their influence extends well beyond ecclesiastical use to literature, hymnody, music and art. Their questioned authority has nevertheless affected the choice of books included here, not by a priori judgment but by the paucity of comment from which to choose. None of the early fathers dedicated commentaries to these texts as a whole. Despite the length of 1 and 2 Maccabees and the model they presented for Christian martyrdom, they were rarely cited or commented upon. The Wisdom books received the most comment and are those best represented here. In particular, readers will find ample comment here on Tobit, Wisdom of Solomon, Sirach, Baruch, the Letter of Jeremiah, the Prayer of Azariah and the Song of the Three Young Men, Susanna, a