This 12-week study invites us to take an honest look at the agony and pain experienced by Job, which are immediately relevant in many ways to the suffering we all experience while on earth.

C. L. Crouch provides a clear and concise introduction to the complex text of Jeremiah. Readers are introduced to the diverse approaches to the book, with attention paid to the way that these approaches differ from but also relate to one another. After a brief introduction, Crouch addresses the formation of the book, especially in relation to its Hebrew and Greek versions; the theological interests of the book and the challenges posed by attempts to link these to an actual man 'Jeremiah'; and the relationship of Jeremiah to other biblical prophets. Crouch focuses clearly on method and on approaches to the text, as is the mark of this series. This makes the book especially useful for students in the quest to navigate the diverse body of scholarly literature that surrounds this troublesome biblical book.

A collection of essays, lectures and printed materials that address the issue of the proper use of the Old Testament in the church.

An introduction to the Old Testament prophetic book of Zechariah is followed by a verse-by-verse commentary on the text.

For many years, scholars have noted that post-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic may have influenced some of the renderings in the ancient Greek versions of the Hebrew Bible, but examination of this has usually been done only in passing with little or no discussion and scant evidence. Seulgi L. Byun examines the ancient Greek version of Isaiah, commonly referred to as LXX (Septuagint) Isaiah, and examines a number of possible cases in depth in order to determine the degree to which semantic change within Hebrew, as well as the spread of Aramaic already in the Second Temple period, may have influenced the translator. The book begins with an overview of key issues (semantic change; the development (or non-development) of the Hebrew language; previous scholarship; issues in the study of LXX Isaiah; and methodological considerations). This is followed by four larger sections representing various categories of examples where post-biblical Hebrew or Aramaic may have influenced renderings in the text, each offering specific examples. The first section contains examples where post-biblical Hebrew may have influenced LXX Isaiah; the second section offers examples of Aramaic influence; the third section addresses examples where the influence is not clear (possibly both post-biblical Hebrew and Aramaic); and the fourth section discusses the possibility of word manipulation - cases where the translator of LXX Isaiah 'manipulated' the Hebrew with a post-biblical Hebrew or Aramaic meaning/word in mind.

The Pentateuch (or the Torah) consists of the first five books of the Bible and is a foundational scripture for millions of people, both Jews and Christians. In this book Paula Gooder and Brad Anderson provide a clear and accessible introduction for those beginning Bible study. Key themes such as creation and the flood, exodus and liberation, as well as covenant and law are presented and analyzed. These themes are explored in their ancient context and from the standpoint of contemporary concerns such as liberation theology, gender issues and ecology. For this new edition introductory sections on the five books of the Pentateuch have been expanded and supplemented, while recent developments in the quest for the origins of the Pentateuch have also been updated. A new chapter on academic approaches to the study of the Pentateuch has been added, along with a section on the 'afterlife' of the Pentateuch which focuses on its place in the history of interpretation, as well as in the arts and culture. Reading lists and references have been updated throughout to take account of the most recent scholarship.

During the second invasion of Jerusalem(597 B.C.), Nebuchadnezzar deported an even larger group of Judah's upper and middle class citizens to Babylon, and among this group was a young twenty-six year old priest in training named, Ezekiel. This group of Jewish captives was placed in the region of Tel Aviv, along a wide canal that links two branches of the Euphrates known as the Kebar River. There, they were treated more as colonists than slaves and enjoyed many privileges. It was there on the banks of the Kebar River, that, in 593 B.C., a now thirty old Ezekiel received his calling from GOD (Ezekiel 1 & 2). Thirty years old is the minimum age that priests are actually allowed to begin serving in the temple (Numbers 4:1-3). And so, as the LORD would have it, it was from that place, that Ezekiel first served the LORD by delivering his first prophetic message to his fellow captives in Babylon.

God never gives up. When we stray or make a mistake, God continues to pursue us with a relentless love. In Hosea's unfailing love for his wayward wife, he lived out the way God loves his people. His story is a reminder that God will never abandon us. The top-selling LifeBuilder Bible Studies have helped millions of people dig deeper into the Bible, individually and in groups.

In this volume, Max Rogland provides a foundational analysis of the Hebrew text of Haggai and Zechariah 1a8. Distinguished by the detailed yet comprehensive attention paid to the Hebrew text, Haggai and Zechariah 1a8 is a convenient pedagogical and reference tool that explains the form and syntax of the biblical text, offers guidance for deciding between competing semantic analyses, engages important text-critical debates, and addresses questions relating to the Hebrew text that are frequently overlooked or ignored by standard commentaries. Beyond serving as a succinct and accessible analytic key, Haggai and Zechariah 1a8 also reflects the most recent advances in scholarship on Hebrew grammar and linguistics. By filling the gap between popular and technical commentaries, the handbook becomes an indispensable tool for anyone committed to a deep reading of the biblical text.

In "Walking In the Dark" Daniel Fuller guides us step by step while he examines and expounds the text and the message of the biblical book of Job. As Professor of Hermeneutics at Fuller Seminary, Dr. Fuller wrestled with this text for many years in the context of teaching future pastors and theologians how to understand the original author's intended meaning. Today's serious students of Scripture can now benefit from his work as they engage with his methods and with the meaning he exposes as he unfolds the language and layers of this classic story. "Walking In the Dark" helps readers, appreciate the scope of God's righteousness, realize the complexity of God's providence, and acknowledge the limits of human wisdom. Don't miss this opportunity to shed some light on why God sometimes consigns us to suffer without explanation.

Some of the best-known biblical episodes are found in the story of David s rise to kingship in First and Second Samuel. Why was this series of stories included in the Bible?

An answer that has become increasingly popular is that this narrative should be interpreted as the apology of David, that is, the personal justification of King David against charges that he illegitimately usurped Saul s throne. Comparisons between the History of David s Rise and the Hittite Apology of Hattu ili, in particular, appear to support this view that the biblical account belongs to the genre of ancient Near Eastern royal apology.

Having presented this approach, Randall Short argues that the biblical account has less in common with the Hittite apology than scholars have asserted, and he demonstrates how interpretive assumptions about the historical reality behind the text inform the meaning that these scholars discern in the text. His central contention is that this story should not be interpreted as the personal exoneration of David composed to win over suspicious readers. Rather, composed for faithful readers represented by David, the story depicts the dramatic confirmation of David s surprising election through his gradual emergence as the beloved son of Jesse, Saul, all Israel, and yhwh Himself.

To be human means to resist dehumanization. In the darkest periods of human history, men and women have risen up and in many different voices said this one thing: "Do not treat me like this. Treat me like the human being that I am." Claiming Her Dignity explores a number of stories from the Old Testament in which women in a variety of creative ways resist the violence of war, rape, heterarchy, and poverty. Amid the life-denying circumstances that seek to attack, violate, and destroy the bodies and psyches of women, men, and children, the women featured in this book absolutely refuse to succumb to the explicit, and at times subtle but no less harmful, manifestations of violence that they face.

The Book of Job presents the story of the sufferings of a man of God at the hands of the devil. God allowed it! In fact, God put Job forth to the devil as a wonderful servant of God! The Book of Job teaches how God operates in this world. As a servant of God, Job thought he knew God...but not nearly as well as he thought he did. The book contrasts the knowledge of the world, represented in the words of Job's three friends, to Job's confusion concerning the ways of God, to the truth of God explained by the Lord! Hopefully, by studying the details of Job's experiences, each of us will learn to turn our attention and trust to God - without the need to personally endure affliction and suffering like Job!

How and when did Jesus and the Spirit come to be regarded as fully God? The Birth of the Trinity offers a new historical approach by exploring the way in which first- and second-century Christians read the Old Testament in order to differentiate the One God as multiple persons. The earliest Christians felt they could metaphorically "overhear" divine conversations between the Father, Son, and Spirit when reading the Old Testament. When these snatches of dialogue are connected and joined, they form a narrative about the unfolding interior divine life as understood by the nascent church. What emerges is not a static portrait of the triune God, but a developing story of divine persons enacting mutual esteem, voiced praise, collaborative strategy, and self-sacrificial love. The presence of divine dialogue in the New Testament and early Christian literature shows that, contrary to the claims of James Dunn and Bart Ehrman (among others), the earliest Christology was the highest Christology, as Jesus was identified as a divine person through Old Testament interpretation. The result is a Trinitarian biblical and early Christian theology.

This Companion offers a concise and engaging introduction to the Hebrew Bible or Old Testament. Providing an up-to-date 'snapshot' of scholarship, it includes essays, specially commissioned for this volume, by twenty-three leading scholars. The volume examines a range of topics, including the historical and religious contexts for the contents of the biblical canon, and critical approaches and methods, as well as newer topics such as the Hebrew Bible in Islam, Western art and literature, and contemporary politics. This Companion is an excellent resource for students at university and graduate level, as well as for laypeople and scholars in other fields who would like to gain an understanding of the current state of the academic discussion. The book does not presume prior knowledge, nor does it engage in highly technical discussions, but it does go into greater detail than a typical introductory textbook.

Isaiah 40-66, by Marvin A. Sweeney, is the nineteenth published volume in The Forms of the Old Testament Literature (FOTL), a series that provides a form-critical analysis of the books and units in the Hebrew Bible. Building on his earlier FOTL volume, Isaiah 1-39, Sweeney here presents his analysis of Isaiah 40-66 within both the synchronic literary form of Isaiah and the diachronic history of its composition. In keeping with the methodology and goals of the FOTL series, Sweeney's Isaiah 40-66 offers detailed examinations of the formal structure of the chapters covered; the genres that function within these chapters; the literary, historical, and social settings of the text; and the overall interpretation of Isaiah 40-66 and its constituent textual units. Including a glossary of the genres and formulas discussed, this commentary will be a useful resource to anyone wishing to engage more deeply with this central book in the Hebrew Bible.