Reformation 21's End of Year Review of Books Preaching's Survey of Bibles and Bible Reference "Who shall ascend the mountain of the LORD?" --Psalm 24:3 In many ways, this is the fundamental question of Old Testament Israel's cult--and, indeed, of life itself. How can creatures made from dust become members of God's household "forever"? The question of ascending God's mountain to his house was likely recited by pilgrims on approaching the temple on Mount Zion during the annual festivals. This entrance liturgy runs as an undercurrent throughout the Pentateuch and is at the heart of its central book, Leviticus. Its dominating concern, as well as that of the rest of the Bible, is the way in which humanity may come to dwell with God. Israel's deepest hope was not merely a liturgical question, but a historical quest. Under the Mosaic covenant, the way opened up by God was through the Levitical cult of the tabernacle and later temple, its priesthood and rituals. The advent of Christ would open up a new and living way into the house of God--indeed, that was the goal of his taking our humanity upon himself, his suffering, his resurrection and ascension. In this stimulating volume in the New Studies in Biblical Theology, Michael Morales explores the narrative context, literary structure and theology of Leviticus. He follows its dramatic movement, examines the tabernacle cult and the Day of Atonement, and tracks the development from Sinai's tabernacle to Zion's temple--and from the earthly to the heavenly Mount Zion in the New Testament. He shows how life with God in the house of God was the original goal of the creation of the cosmos, and became the goal of redemption and the new creation. Addressing key issues in biblical theology, the works comprising New Studies in Biblical Theology are creative attempts to help Christians better understand their Bibles. The NSBT series is edited by D. A. Carson, aiming to simultaneously instruct and to edify, to interact with current scholarship and to point the way ahead.

Power and Politics in the Book of Judges studies political culture and behavior in premonarchic Israel, focusing on the protagonists in the book of Judges. Although the sixth-century BCE Deuteronomistic editor portrayed them as moral champions and called them "judges," the original bardic storytellers and the men and women of valor themselves were preoccupied with the problem of gaining and maintaining political power. John C. Yoder considers the variety of strategies the men and women of valor used to gain and consolidate their power, including the use of violence, the redistribution of patronage, and the control of the labor and reproductive capacity of subordinates. They relied heavily, however, on other strategies that did not deplete their wealth or require the constant exercise of force: mobilizing and dispensing indigenous knowledge, cultivating a reputation for reliability and honor, and positioning themselves as skillful mediators between the realms of earth and heaven, using their association with YHWH to advance their political, economic, or military agenda.

This volume is the latest addition to the Bible in Medieval Tradition series, which seeks to reconnect today's church with part of its rich history of biblical interpretation. Joy Schroeder here provides substantial excerpts - none previously available in English - from seven noteworthy medieval biblical interpreters who commented on Genesis between the ninth and the fifteenth centuries. Representing a chronological and geographical range of authors, these clear, readable translations illustrate the rich diversity of medieval approaches to biblical interpretation. This generous sampler of medieval writings is supplemented by an in-depth introduction that locates each of the medieval authors within his or her context. Covering the entire book of Genesis, this commentary offers modern readers a splendid opportunity to encounter the creative and reverent approaches to scripture practiced by medieval biblical scholars.

For almost 3000 years the story of Jonah has intrigued, amused, inspired, encouraged, a,d challenged people of faith. This timeless story about one imperfect, complex man and his difficult relationship with God continues to engage contemporary audiences. Jonah enjoys a unique place in salvation history. His life reprises the actions of key Old Testament figures and also points forward to the New Testament and the coming Messiah. Jonah's story is a beautiful, complex, artfully crafted, work of minimalist literature which speaks a profound and resounding message of grace that still captures the human heart. This book is designed to facilitate a 40 day, shared journey through the book of Jonah. The radical revelation of the book of Jonah is that God's grace is wild. It refuses all human attempts to tame, domesticate, or restrain it. This grace continually bursts forth, in the most unexpected of places, and reaches out to the most unlikely of people.

The Book of Job is one of the most celebrated pieces of biblical literature, probing profound questions about faith. It is a beautifully written work, combining two literary forms, framing forty chapters of verse between two and a half chapters of prose at the beginning and the end. The Book of Job is presented here in five different versions: The King James Version, Douay-Rheims Version, The American Standard Version, Bible in Basic English Version and the Webster Bible Version.

While there are many textbooks about the prophetic literature, most have taken either a historical or literary approach to studying the prophets. A Chorus of Prophetic Voices, by contrast, draws on both historical and literary approaches by paying careful attention to the prophets as narrative characters. It considers each unique prophetic voice in the canon, in its fully developed literary form, while also listening to what these voices say together about a particular experience in Israel's story. It presents these four scrollsaEURO"Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, and the Book of the TwelveaEURO"as works produced in the aftermath of destruction, works that employ prophetic characters, and as the words uttered during the crises. The prophetic literature became for Israel, living in a context of dispersion and imperial domination, a portable and adaptable resource at once both challenging and comforting. This book provides the fullest picture available for introducing students to the prophetic literature by valuing the role of the original prophetic characters, the finished state of the books that bear their names, the separate historical crises in the life of Israel they address, and the aEUROoechorus of prophetic voicesaEURO one hears when reading them as part of a coherent literary corpus.

Reflections on the Psalms provides insightful commentary on each of the Psalms from the same experienced team of writers that have made Reflections for Daily Prayer so popular. It offers inspiring and undated reflections on all 150 psalms, with longer psalms split into parts in accordance with the Lectionary. Each reflection is accompanied by its corresponding Psalm refrain and prayer from the Common Worship Psalter, making this a valuable resource for personal or devotional use. Specially written introductions by Paula Gooder and Steven Croft explore the Psalms and the Bible and the Psalms in the life of the Church.

The Body As Property indicates that physical disfigurement functioned in biblical law to verify legal property acquisition, when changes in the status of dependents were formalized. It is based on the reality the cuneiform script, in particular, was developed in Sumer and Mesopotamia for the purpose of record keeping: to provide legal proof of ownership where the inscription of a tablet evidenced the sale, or transfer, of property. Legitimate property acquisition was as important in biblical law, where physical disfigurements marked dependents, in a similar way that the veil or the head covering identified a wife or concubine in ancient Assyrian and Judean societies. This is primarily substantiated in the accounts of prescriptive disfigurements: namely circumcision and the piercing of a slave's ear, both of which were required only when a son, or slave, was acquired permanently. It is further argued that legal entitlement was relevant also to the punitive disfigurements recorded in Exodus 21:22-24, and Deuteronomy 25:11-12, where the physical violation of women was of concern solely as an infringement of male property rights.

"What an incredibly unique and creative Bible study! It's multilayered, dimensional, theologically rich, touching the senses-enlightening the mind, capturing the heart." -Kay Arthur, cofounder of Precept Ministries International "I love the encouragement, inspiration, and delightful details woven throughout." -Darlene Schacht, Time-Warp Wife and bestselling author of Messy Beautiful Love This Isn't Your Average Bible Study Explore God's Word on a deeper level and engage with his truth in fresh ways! This study of 10 psalms of hope invites you to discover the incredible design and purpose of inspired Hebrew poetry. Perfect for group discussion or personal reflection, Discovering Hope in the Psalms offers compelling teachings, motivating devotions, and plenty of creative options for interacting with the psalms-including beautiful artwork to color. This discovery book will show you how to... rejoice in God's mercy when sin knocks you down request help with hope when troubles surround respond with thanksgiving for each answered prayer Immerse your mind, heart, and soul in the hope flowing through the psalms.

The prophetic books are some of the most captivating and fascinating texts of the Old Testament, but they are also some of the most misunderstood. Interpreting the Prophets equips the reader with the knowledge and skills they need to interpret the Prophets in a faithful and accurate fashion. Beginning with the nature of the prophetic role and prophetic books in Israel, Old Testament scholar Aaron Chalmers leads the reader through the various "worlds" of Israel's prophets--historical, social, theological and rhetorical-- providing the basic contextual and background information needed both for sound and sensible exegesis, and for sensitive interpretation and application for today. He concludes with a helpful chapter giving guidelines for preaching from the Prophets--including advice on choosing the texts, making appropriate analogies, and the potential problems and common pitfalls to avoid.

Love the Psalms? Struggle with them? Here are 36 brand new translations for you to enjoy, freshly translated from the original Hebrew. Betty Bracha Stone's translations of thirty-six Biblical psalms are innovative in their freshness, and yet deeply conservative in their faithfulness to the original Hebrew. Constructed in eloquent contemporary language, these interpretations give voice to the deepest sentiments in the human heart. Stone accomplishes the difficult task of renegotiating the passages that can plague the modern reader. For example, the concept of "enemy" is reinterpreted, as are allusions to ancient practices for which we have no meaningful reference. And yet, Stone's offerings bring forward the vibrant piety of the original supplicants. These translations carry the reader into the heart of the psalmists' service as we imagine it was practiced thousands of years ago. We are invited to join them and each other in gratitude, supplication and praise. Well voiced and well executed, this is an excellent companion volume for the personal and deeply felt spiritual journey. "Remarkable " "Bracha Stone's remarkable versions of thirty-six biblical psalms carry the reader into the hearts of religious poets who lived and wrote thousands of years ago. She has fashioned an eloquent contemporary language that reveals the spiritual experiences of these ancient worshipful writers." -- Rabbi Burt Jacobson, Founding Rabbi, Kehilla Community Synagogue "Innovative, fresh and yet deeply conservative" "Innovative in their contemporary freshness, and yet deeply conservative ... these re-voicings carry the prayerful reader to a place where all those who have prayed or sung these psalms join in one chorus." -- J. Gerald Janzen, Professor Emeritus, Christian Theological Seminary "To be savored" "Bracha Stone's offerings are to be savored by those new to the treasure of the Psalms and those who know them in the Hebrew. The words of each psalm take hold of her heart and demand her honest and fresh interpretation, and help us deepen to our own relationship with the Mystery we call God." -- Rabbi Chaya Gusfield, Chaplain, Kaiser Hospital, Oakland CA A perfect gift for yourself or your loved ones Order a copy now.

Published originally in 1926, Rost's Die UEberlieferung von der Thronnachfolge Davids is fundamental to the study of Samuel and Kings. The story of the ark, the account of the Ammonite war, Nathan's prophecy concerning David's dynasty, and, above all, the succession narrative or 'court history' are singled out for thorough examination, with questions of style, theme and religious viewpoint dominating the discussion. His thesis is brilliantly argued and has sustained a remarkable measure of agreement over many decades, though criticism has grown in recent years. It remains mandatory reading for the study of Samuel and Kings, Hebrew narrative art, and history writing in ancient Israel. There is an extensive introduction by the late Edward Ball.

Gunkel's classic work of 1917 is a systematic investigation of the Old Testament in the light of the then emerging principles of folktale scholarship; he makes use, for example, not only of the contributions of the Grimm brothers but is aware of the research into classifications of tale types represented by the ground-breaking work of A. Aarne in 1910 and subsequently.

The books of the Bible covered in "Historical Books II" share a common emphasis centered on the need for the people to remain faithful to the covenant established between God and the Israelites. If the nation remains faithful to God's covenant, God will protect Israel and lead it to be victorious in battles, but if the nation abandons the covenant, God will abandon Israel and allow other nations to plunder and conquer this nation established by God.

Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel share much in common. They address the pivotal times and topics associated with the last stages of the monarchical history of Israel, and with the development of new forms of communal and religious life through exile and beyond. One important structural component of all three books is a substantial section which concerns itself with a range of foreign nations, commonly called the "Oracles against the Nations", which form the focus of this book. These chapters together present the most up-to-date scholarship on the oracles - an oft-neglected but significant area in the study of the prophetic literature. The particular characteristics of Isaiah, Jeremiah (both Masoretic Text and Septuagint versions), and Ezekiel, are discussed showcasing the unique issues pertinent to each book and the diverse methods used to address them. These evident differences aside, the Oracles Against the Nations are employed as a springboard in order to begin the work of tracing similarities between the texts. By focusing on these unique yet common sections, a range of interrelated themes and issues of both content and method become noticeable: for example, though not exhaustively, pattern, structure, language, comparative history, archaeology, sociology, politics, literature, imagery, theme, theology, and hermeneutical issues related to today's context. As a result this collection presents a range of cutting-edge approaches on these key prophetic books, and will provide a basis for further comparative study and reflection.

In this study, Andrew J. Niggemann provides a comprehensive account of Martin Luther's Hebrew translation in his academic mid-career. Apart from the Psalms, no book of the Hebrew Bible has yet been examined in any comprehensive manner in terms of Luther's Hebrew translation. Andrew J. Niggemann furthers the scholarly understanding of Luther's Hebrew by examining his Minor Prophets translation, one of the final pieces of his first complete translation of the Hebrew Bible. As part of the analysis, he investigates the relationship between philology and theology in his Hebrew translation, focusing specifically on one of the themes that dominated his interpretation of the Prophets: his concept of Anfechtung. He thus shows that by mid-career, the impact of Hebrew on Luther's Bible translation was immense and very diverse, more so than has been appreciated. He expands the frame of reference with which scholars can understand Luther's Hebrew. He provides detailed analyses of many examples of his Hebrew translation which have never before been discussed or examined in any depth, and hundreds of examples of his methodological handling of Hebrew translation issues. He also includes one of the most exhaustive analyses to date of three key philological challenges that confronted Luther in translating the Bible: Hebrew figures of speech, the Hebrew trope of repetition, and Hebrew transliteration. Likewise included as an appendix is a substantial body of refined data from Luther's Hebrew translation, which further illuminates the examples in this study, and facilitates additional analysis for future research. The PhD dissertation this book is based on was awarded the Coventry Prize for the PhD dissertation in Theology with the highest mark and recommendation, University of Cambridge, St. Edmund's College in 2018.