This is a new commentary volume looking at the theological and literary motivations of "Genesis" 1-11. Joseph Blenkinsopp provides a new commentary on "Genesis" 1-11, the so-called 'Primeval History' in which the account of creation is given. Blenkinsopp works with the conviction that, from a biblical point of view, creation cannot be restricted to a single event, nor to two versions of an event (as depicted in "Genesis" 1-3) but, rather, must take in the whole period of creation arranged in the sequence: creation - uncreation - recreation (as can be derived from "Genesis" 1-11). Through the course of the commentary, presented in continuous discussion rather than in a rigid verse-by-verse form, Blenkinsopp takes into account pre-modern interpretations of the texts, especially in the Jewish interpretative tradition, as well as modern, historical-critical interpretations. Blenkinsopp works from the perspective of acknowledging the text's literary integrity as an 'authored' work, rather than focusing simply on the its background in various sources (whilst of course paying due attention to those sources). This enables Blenkinsopp's engaging discussion to focus upon the literary and theological artistry of the material at hand.

The book of Jonah is arguably just as jarring for us as it was for the ancients. Ninevah's repentance, Jonah's estrangement from God and the book's bracing moral conclusion all pose unsettling questions for today's readers. For biblical theologians, Jonah also raises tough questions regarding mission and religious conversion. Here, Daniel Timmer embarks on a new reading of Jonah in order to secure its ongoing relevance for biblical theology. After an examination of the book's historical backgrounds (in both Israel and Assyria), Timmer discusses the biblical text in detail, paying special attention to redemptive history and its Christocentric orientation. Timmer then explores the relationship between Israel and the nations--including the question of mission--and the nature of religious conversion and spirituality in the Old Testament. This New Studies in Biblical Theology volume concludes with an injunction for scholars and lay readers to approach Jonah as a book written to facilitate spiritual change in the reader. 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.

Description: The themes of these stories are profoundly human themes, capturing the persistent interaction between God and humankind. These narratives invite us to witness the manner in which God enters human community in all of its complexities, struggles, challenges, fears, and ultimately hope. As the narratives unfold, not only is it clear that God will not be restricted by societal and cultural conventions, but the human journey will be generated by faith and doubt, fear and hope, promise and fulfillment. Hemchand Gossai not only explores the various themes within a variety of texts, but maintains a constant eye on the implications for the church and contemporary readers. In this regard, some of the literal and particular experiences such as barrenness, wilderness, and wrestling with God are examined as metaphors for our experiences. The richness and texture of metaphors allow us to embrace these stories in a way that makes them our stories. Endorsements: ""Hemchand Gossai has long been working on the stories of Abraham and Sarah with great clarity, literary sensitivity, and theological savvy.In this volume, he expands upon that journey with newstudiesregarding God, the human characters, and their interrelationships.Gathering the major themes from these narratives, Gossai presents them in such a waythat Israel's stories canspeak once again into the complexities of our interreligious world.Students and scholars alike will benefit from his many insights."" --Terence E. Fretheim, Elva B. Lovell Professor of Old Testament, Luther Theological Seminary; author of Abraham: Trials of Family and Faith About the Contributor(s): Hemchand Gossai is Director of Religious Studies at Georgia Southern University. He is also the author of Social Critique by Israel's Eighth-Century Prophets and River Crossings: Memories of a Journey--A Memoir.

Working from the conviction that Genesis can be read as a coherent whole, this commentary foregrounds the sophistication of Hebrew narrative art, in particular its depiction of plot and character, and the interpretative possibilities raised by its intertextuality. Apparently simple and independent episodes emerge as complex and interconnected, constantly challenging readers to readjust their assessments of characters and expectations of plot development. Approaching the text predominantly from the perspective of a 'first-time reader', this commentary underscores the narrative's surprises, ironies and innovations.

The historiography of Ancient Israel is much debated. The various approaches are never void of ideology and some reckon more with the available evidence than others. This volume consists of a set of case-studies that reveal the difficulties that arise when trying to write a history as honestly as possible. This implies that both the archaeology of Ancient Palestine - the finds and their interrogation - as well as the Philosophy of History - their models and their implications - are discussed. The outcome is a variety of approaches that inform the reader of current views on the history of Ancient Israel.

2010 Reprint of 1919 Edition. Profusely Illustrated. This work is the result of 25 years of study of the Book of Revelation. It is illustrated with over 30 charts, maps [three of which are double paged] and diagrams. Numerous cuts of symbols, beasts, etc., spoken of in the Book of Revelation are illustrated through out the book. Considerable care has been taken with this reprint to reproduce the illustrations. Larkin's purpose is to show that the book of Revelation is to be taken literally, and that it is written in chronological order. Larkin is best known for his classic work, Dispensational Truth.

Description: Reading Daniel as a Text in Theological Hermeneutics sets out to read the book of Daniel as a narrative textbook in the field of theological hermeneutics. Employing such disciplines as historical criticism, literary criticism, narrative theology, and hermeneutics, this work seeks to maintain an interdisciplinary outlook on the book of Daniel. Two inherently linked perspectives are utilized in this reading of Daniel. First is the perception that the character of Daniel is the paradigm of the good theological hermeneut; theology and hermeneutics are inseparable and converge in the character of Daniel. Readers must recognize in Daniel certain qualities, attitudes, abilities, and convictions well worth emulating. Essentially, readers must aspire to become a ""Daniel."" Second is the standpoint that the book of Daniel on the whole should be read as a hermeneutics textbook. Readers are led through a series of theories and exercises meant to be instilled into their theological, intellectual, and practical lives. Attention to readers is a constant endeavor throughout this thesis. The concern is fundamentally upon contemporary readers and their communities, yet with sensible consideration given to the historical readerly community with which contemporary readers find continuity. Greater concentration is placed on what the book of Daniel means for contemporary readers than on what the book of Daniel meant in its historical setting. In the end, readers are left with difficult challenges, a sobering awareness of the volatility of the business of hermeneutics, and serious implications for readers to implement both theologically and hermeneutically. Endorsements: ""Aaron Hebbard's new book is a genuinely interdisciplinary exercise that will be of immense help to scholars in literature, theology, and biblical studies. It offers a wholly new perspective on hermeneutics through a highly creative reading of the book of Daniel that introduces Daniel himself into the company of interpreters as relevant and immediate as Paul Ricoeur and Hans-Georg Gadamer. This is scholarship of the highest quality and sharpest imagination."" --David Jasper, Professor of Literature and Theology, University of Glasgow ""A noteworthy student of Daniel once wearily commented that it is hard to say anything new about Daniel. Aaron Hebbard claims to have done so, and he soon persuaded me that he has. Anyone interested in Daniel or in hermeneutics (whether or not they like that word prefaced by the word 'theological') will be intrigued by this book."" --John Goldingay, David Allen Hubbard Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Thological Seminary About the Contributor(s): Aaron B. Hebbard is Associate Professor of Theology and the Arts at Community Christian College in Southern California. He earned his PhD in literature, theology, and the arts at the University of Glasgow.

The Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries provide compact, critical commentaries on the books of the Old Testament for the use of theological students and pastors. The commentaries are also useful for upper-level college or university students and for those responsible for teaching in congregational settings. In addition to providing basic information and insights into the Old Testament writings, these commentaries exemplify the tasks and procedures of careful interpretation, to assist students of the Old Testament in coming to an informed and critical engagement with the biblical texts themselves.

From the book, "The effects of the Judean refugees' trauma would be far reaching. Certainly an individual named Ezekiel might have experienced persistent reactions to trauma for the length of time covered by the book. Moreover, the experience and effects of exile were not limited to Ezekiel, nor even to his generation. The book's existence attests that others in the exilic community, and beyond, found their experiences reflected in its words."

The second release in a major new series of guides to the books of the Old Testament written in an accessible and anecdotal style. The series is suitable for personal or group use and the format is also appropriate for daily study.

Traditional scholarly commentaries aspire to open up biblical texts in the light of their ancient social and cultural contexts. In this commentary Robin Parry seeks to take the insights of such works seriously yet also move far beyond them by considering Lamentations within ever-expanding canonical and contemporary contexts. How do the words of Lamentations resonate when read in the context of Jeremiah? Or in the contexts of Isaiah 40-55, the New Testament, the history of Christian anti-Semitism, or the suffering of victims today? The question at the heart of this unusual engagement with the text is -How can Lamentations function as Christian scripture?- Parry argues that the key to answering this question is to follow the ancient liturgical tradition of the church and to see the text in the light of the death and resurrection of Israel's Messiah -- Jesus. According to Parry, Lamentations is Israel's Holy Saturday literature -- the cries of those caught between the death of Jerusalem and its resurrection. In this context Christians are able to make connections between this anguished Israelite poetry, the sufferings of Jesus, and the sufferings of the world. These biblical-theological links have the potential to open up fresh and imaginative theological, doxological, and pastoral encounters with a sadly neglected biblical book.

Replete with some of the most familiar and beloved stories from the Bible (Adam and Eve, Noah and the Flood, Sodom and Gomorrah, and Abraham and Isaac), Genesis also tells the story of God's creation of the universe. It is about beginnings-and thus is the perfect book to begin the expanded Bible from Scratch series. Includes seven sessions.

The Book of Psalms is often seen as an anthology of prayers and hymns from which the reader may extract a selection as need or interest dictates. However, a recent development in Psalms scholarship has been a discussion of whether the collection of psalms has some overall structure. Is the whole of the Book of Psalms greater than the sum of its individual parts? This commentary argues that it is and presents a continuous reading of the Book of Psalms. Moreover, the long-standing tradition, found within both Judaism and Christianity, of associating the psalms with David is used as a reading strategy. In this volume, the Psalms are presented sequentially. Each has its place in the collection but thirty-five are treated at greater length. They are read, at least in the first two books (Psalms 1-72), as if they were David's words. Beyond that a more complex and developed association between David and the Psalms is demanded. David becomes a figure of hope for a different future and a new royal reign reflecting the reign of Yahweh. Throughout, David remains a model of piety for all who seek to communicate with God in prayer. It is in light of this that later disasters in the life of Israel, especially the Babylonian Exile, can be faced. In the Book of Psalms, the past, in terms of both David's life and the history of Israel, is the key to future well-being and faithfulness.

"The Bible is the most important cultural and religious document in the Western world. Te three monotheistic faiths-Judaism, Christianity, and Islam-have all grown out of the traditions that we find in the Old Testament, or Hebrew Bible. The Bible therefore has a natural place in a liberal arts curriculum."

-from the introduction

So begins Barstad in this comprehensive, student-friendly introductory textbook outlining the contours of the Old Testament literature in simple and straightforward prose. This text is an excellent primer as well as an invaluable reference book to which students will turn throughout their education.

In a world where No one tells me what to do and I am my own authority, the Ten Commandments quickly find their way to the trash heap. For most of us, the words surrounding law--rule, restriction, regulation, requirement, code, commandment, covenant, must, ought, shall, will--are simply not our favorite words to hear. They are parental words, court words, conflict words. We use them only when we have to; otherwise, we willingly hold them at a distance. But the Old Testament people of God had a different take on law. They took their copy of the law their God had given them, clutched it to their chests, and danced with it. They observed it daily in their relationships and required their young to memorize it. And when a copy of the law had grown ragged and old, they had a special ceremony to retire it. They buried it with all the dignity of a beloved grandparent's body. In Dancing with the Law, author Dan Boone challenges us to, like the ancient people of God, look at law as a sacred gift that points the way to the life God intended. Through his earnest exploration of the Ten Commandments, he offers us a new perspective on law--one that makes us dance with freedom, liberty, and the gift of life.

Widely praised as a seminal contribution to the study of the Old Testament when it first appeared, Michael V. Fox's Character and Ideology in the Book of Esther is now available in a second edition, complete with an up-to-date critical review of recent Esther scholarship. Fox's commentary, based on his own translation of the Hebrew text, captures the meaning and artistry of Esther's inspiring story. After laying out the background information essential for properly reading Esther, Fox offers commentary on the text that clearly unpacks its message and relevance. Fox also looks in depth at each character in the story of Esther, showing how they were carefully shaped by the book's author to teach readers a new view of how to live as Jews in foreign lands.

How can humans ever attain the knowledge required to administer and implement divine law and render perfect justice in this world? Contrary to the belief that religious law is infallible, Chaya T. Halberstam shows that early rabbinic jurisprudence is characterized by fundamental uncertainty. She argues that while the Hebrew Bible created a sense of confidence and transparency before the law, the rabbis complicated the paths to knowledge and undermined the stability of personal status and ownership, and notions of guilt or innocence. Examining the facts of legal judgments through midrashic discussions of the law and evidence, Halberstam discovers that rabbinic understandings of the law were riddled with doubt and challenged the possibility of true justice. This book thoroughly engages law, narrative, and theology to explicate rabbinic legal authority and its limits.