Designed for the pastor and Bible teacher, the Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament features today's top Old Testament scholars and brings together commentary features rarely gathered together in one volume. With careful discourse analysis and interpretation of the Hebrew text, the authors trace the flow of argument in each Old Testament book, showing that how a biblical author says something is just as important as what they say. Commentary on each passage follows a clear structure to help readers grasp the flow and meaning of the text: The Main Idea of the Passage: A one- or two-sentence summary of the key ideas the biblical author seeks to communicate. Literary Context: A brief discussion of the relationship of the specific text to the book as a whole and to its place within the broader argument. Translation and Exegetical Outline: Commentators provide their own translations of each text, formatted to highlight its discourse structure and accompanied by a coherent outline that reflects the flow and argument of the text. Structure and Literary Form: An overview of the literary structure and rhetorical style adopted by the biblical author, highlighting how these features contribute to the communication of the main idea of the passage. Explanation of the Text: A detailed commentary on the passage, paying particular attention to how the biblical authors select and arrange their materials and how they work with words, phrases, and syntax to communicate their messages. Canonical and Practical Significance: The commentary on each unit will conclude by building bridges between the world of the biblical author and other biblical authors and with reflections on the contribution made by this unit to the development of broader issues in biblical theology--particularly on how later Old Testament and New Testament authors have adapted and reused the motifs in question. The discussion also includes brief reflections on the significance of the message of the passage for readers today. The Zondervan Exegetical Commentary on the Old Testament series is the go-to resource for pastors and Bible teachers looking for deep but accessible study that equips them to connect the needs of Christians today with the biblical text.

Most studies of the history of interpretation of Song of Songs focus on its interpretation from late antiquity to modernity. In My Perfect One, Jonathan Kaplan examines earlier rabbinic interpretation of this work by investigating an underappreciated collection of works of rabbinic literature from the first few centuries of the Common Era, known as the tannaitic midrashim. In a departure from earlier scholarship that too quickly classified rabbinic interpretation of Song of Songs as allegorical, Kaplan advocates a more nuanced understanding of the approach of the early sages, who read Song of Songs employing typological interpretation in order to correlate Scripture with exemplary events in Israel's history. Throughout the book Kaplan explores ways in which this portrayal helped shape a model vision of rabbinic piety as well as an idealized portrayal of their beloved, God, in the wake of the destruction, dislocation, and loss the Jewish community experienced in the first two centuries of the Common Era. The archetypal language of Song of Songs provided, as Kaplan argues, a textual landscape in which to imagine an idyllic construction of Israel's relationship to her beloved, marked by mutual devotion and fidelity. Through this approach to Song of Songs, the Tannaim helped lay the foundations for later Jewish thought of a robust theology of intimacy in God's relationship with the Jewish people.

Today's biblical scholars and dogmaticians are giving a significant amount of attention to the topic of theological exegesis. A resource turned to for guidance and insight in this discussion is the history of interpretation, and Karl Barth's voice registers loudly as a helpful model for engaging Scripture and its subject matter. Most readers of Barth's theological exegesis encounter him on the level of his New Testament exegesis. This is understandable from several different vantage points. Unfortunately, Barth's theological exegesis of the Old Testament has not received the attention it deserves. This book seeks to fill this lacuna as it encounters Barth's theological exegesis of Isaiah in the Church Dogmatics. From the Church's inception, Isaiah has been understood as Christian Scripture. In the Church Dogmatics we find Barth reading Isaiah in multi-functional and multi-layered ways as he seeks to hear Isaiah as a living witness to God's triune revelation of himself in Jesus Christ.

Mark O'Brien is a member of the Australian province of the Dominican order, also known as the Order of Preachers (OP). He joined the Order in 1967 and was ordained to the priesthood in 1973; he completed post-graduate biblical studies at the Pontifical Biblical Institute, Rome and the Melbourne College of Divinity. He is the author of The Deuteronomistic History Hypothesis: A Reassessment and has co-authored several books on the Old Testament with Antony F. Campbell SJ. He is currently lecturing in Old Testament studies in the Melbourne College of Divinity. He has also lectured at the Catholic Institute of Sydney ain the Sydney College of Divinity, at Blackfriars, Oxford and at the National Catholic Institute of Theology in Karachi.

A theological exploration of Genesis 2 which renews our vision of the purpose of marriage as the central drama within God's salvation plan. Marriage seems increasingly irrelevant to many people today. But is this a true understanding of marriage? Could it be that God may have expectations for marriage which are distinct from our own, and wholly unaffected by our feelings or debates? If God is the author and definer of marriage, then we must look to the Author to discern its meaning rather than ourselves. The Genesis of Marriage sets out a biblical theology of marriage, grounded in the Marriage Text of Genesis 2:18-25, and investigates how it fits in its own context of Genesis 1 - 3 and the whole of Scripture. Examining the Marriage Text exegetically and theologically, Shenk shows this as the climax and conclusion of the two creation accounts, and explores what this reveals about the nature and character of God. The doctrinal implications of this are then explored, answering such practical questions such as, 'What are the ethics of marriage?' and 'How do we approach the real-world concerns of separation, divorce, and remarriage?'. Shenk's exploration helps dispel our modern disillusionment with marriage, or at least our ideas and beliefs about marriage which may be at odds with God's, to reveal deep truth about the nature and character of God.

This book is a study of the various metaphors, figures, similes, and usages of water found in the book of Isaiah. It covers representations of water relating to: water as a blessing in nature; the sea as a symbol of the expanse of space; Yahweh, the rider of the clouds; water or absence of water as symbol of divine punishment, hardships, and affliction; water as a defense strategy in military circumstances; water as a means of dilution; rain and snow as symbols of Yahweh's word; various forms of water symbolizing arrogance; rain, streams, water, and snow as symbols of forgiveness; water as a metaphor for Yahweh's control over nations and triumph over enemies; calm water as a symbol of trust in Yahweh; Yahweh's knowledge as waters cover the sea; water, lack of water, and overcoming threatening water as metaphors or similes for restoration and help; the great river as a symbol of the influx of nations; tears as the manifestation of lament and mourning; dew as a symbol of serenity and life-giving power; the personification of water; troubled waters as a symbol of the wicked; swimming as desperate effort to survive; and cultic practices involving water. These themes emphasize important religious truths in the book of Isaiah. They include many concepts dealing with the nature and mighty acts of Yahweh; sin, punishment and forgiveness; Yahweh's work over and through nations; personal and corporate matters like trust and lament; and Yahweh's work in nature.

Journey through the world of the PSALMS, a source of spiritual inspiration, via 150 power verses. Embedded in the ancient Psalm verses are rich images that form a symbolic language. Whether you are searching for answers, insights, or spiritual teachings, pull a card from the deck and allow the image to offer its compelling, succinct message. Then turn to the companion guide for a fuller explanation. This deck and guide incorporate insights from a variety of sources, such as Christianity, Hinduism, Judaism (Tanakh, Talmud, Zohar), Jungian psychology, and Twelve-Step recovery, and offers useful spiritual tools, such as affirmations, breathing exercises, mantras, prayers, and visualizations.Written and illustrated by a rabbi who is also an intuitive and a psychotherapist, these messages will resonate with you on your pathway through life. Use this deck and guide as a tool for prayer and meditation or as an oracle.Includes cards and book.

This monograph on biblical linguistics is a highly specialized, pragmatic investigation of the controversial question of 'foregrounding' - the deviation from some norm or convention - in Old Testament narratives. The author presents and examines the two main sources of pragmatic foregrounding: events or states deviating from well-established schemata, structures of reader expectation that can be manipulated by the narrator to highlight specific 'chunks' of discourse; and evaluative devices, which are used by the narrator to indicate to the reader the point of the story and direct its interpretation. Cotrozzi critiques the particular evaluative device known as the 'historic present', a narrative strategy that employs the present tense to describe past event. He tests two main theories that support this device by using a cross-linguistic model of the historical present drawing upon a variety of languages. Cotrozzi ultimately refutes these theories with a thorough examination and detailed refutation. He concludes with a study of a particular Hebraic verb as a particular marker of represented perception, a technique whereby the character's perceptions are expressed directly from its point of view. Over the last 30 years this pioneering series has established an unrivaled reputation for cutting-edge international scholarship in Biblical Studies and has attracted leading authors and editors in the field. The series takes many original and creative approaches to its subjects, including innovative work from historical and theological perspectives, social-scientific and literary theory, and more recent developments in cultural studies and reception history.

The volume brings together eight new essays on Amos, which focus on a range of issues within the book. They represent a number of different approaches to the text from the text-critical to teh psychoanalytical, and from composition to reception. Arising out of a symposium to honour John Barton for his 60th birthday, the essays all respond, either directly or indirectly, to his Amos's Oracles Against the Nations, and to his lifelong concern with both ethics and method in biblical study.

Victor Matthews, a veteran teacher and expert on the world of ancient Israel, introduces students to the Hebrew prophets and their social world. Drawing on archaeology and ancient Near Eastern texts, Matthews examines the prophets chronologically, placing them and their message into historical context. He explores pertinent aspects of historical geography, economic conditions, and social forces that influenced a prophet's life and message and explains why prophets served an integral purpose in the development of ancient Israelite religion. He also explores how prophets addressed their audience and employed rhetorical methods, images, and metaphors to communicate effectively. Logically organized, clearly written, and classroom friendly, this book meets the needs of beginning as well as advanced students. It is a substantially revised and expanded edition of the successful text "Social World of the Hebrew Prophets."

Although Wolfgang Schneider's Grammatik des biblischen Hebraisch: Ein Lehrbuch serves primarily as an introductory textbook to biblical Hebrew, it makes an invaluable contribution to the text-linguistic study of Hebrew Bible. Schneider's understanding of narrative syntax and discourse linguistics continues to influence such grammarians as Niccacci and Talstra, through whom his work is validated. His discussion of clauses and text syntax remains pertinent to Hebrew students and professors alike. With this English translation, Schneider's work may now make a worldwide contribution to biblical studies by clarifying for the student the contribution of text grammar to the reading of the biblical text.

The Canon of the Bible and the Apocrypha in the Churches of the East features essays reflecting the latest scholarly research in the field of the canon of the Bible and related apocryphal books, with special attention given to the early Christian literature of Eastern churches. These essays study and examine issues and concepts related to the biblical canon as well as non-canonical books that circulated in the early centuries of Christianity among Christian and non-Christian communities, claiming to be authored by biblical characters, such as the prophets and kings of the Old Testament and the apostles of the New Testament.

Commentators have long set the book of Daniel within the context of world history and the genre of apocalyptic literature. The present volume argues that the primary context for the book is the composition of the Hebrew Bible as a whole. Daniel in the Context of the Hebrew Bible has implications for every major hermeneutical issue in Daniel including the four kingdoms, the son of man, and the prophecy of seventy sevens. In the final analysis, the Hebrew Bible and the book of Daniel are decidedly messianic, eschatological, and faith-oriented.

Through a distinguished career of critical scholarship and translation, Robert Alter has equipped us to read the Hebrew Bible as a powerful, cohesive work of literature. In this landmark work, Alter's masterly translation and probing commentary combine to give contemporary readers the definitive edition of The Five Books. Winner of the PEN Center USA Literary Award for Translation and the Koret Jewish Book Award for Translation, a Newsweek Top 15 Book, Los Angeles Times Favorite Book, and San Francisco Chronicle Best Book.

This title was first published in 2003. The book bearing the title of 'Zechariah' is, in its present form, an amalgam of oracles and prophecies stemming from Zechariah himself as well as others. It became part of Jewish scripture, was revered and valued, and was a partiuclar favourite of a number of early Christian writers. Often cited by New Testament writers, this book of one of the most important of the 'minor prophets' is itself deeply indebted to earlier Jewish prophetic texts and has been an important resource for later writers, Jewish and Christian, as they sought to tap their own 'Biblical' material. The amalgam of oracles and prophecies presented in the book of Zechariah offers an ideal thematic focus for the leading scholars in this volume who explore areas of the Hebrew Bible, post-Biblical Jewish literature, and early Christian literature and history (in the New Testament and beyond). The essays examine the book of Zechariah itself as well as its subsequent interpretation by a number of other writers, Jewish and Christian. The essays raise important issues in relation to the influence of biblical texts in subsequent literature and also the broad area of 'intertextuality'' and the way in which later texts relate to and use earlier texts in their sacred tradition.

Offers an in depth comparative look at the Epic of Gilgamesh and the Primeval History, which allows students to view the Genesis within its Near Eastern context. Offers a fresh model for approaching this comparative task, which has at times been stifled by religious dogmatism, on the one hand, or disciplinary insularity on the other. Written in a lucid style with explanation of all key terms and themes, this book is suitable for students with no background in the subjects.

How do the wilderness years between Egypt and the land of promise connect with believers in today's world? The message of God's covenant love gives Numbers a distinctive quality and a direct relevance for believers in our uncertain world.

This volume contains the proceedings of a Symposium "Prophecy in the Book of Jeremiah", arranged by the Edinburgh Prophecy Network in the School of Divinity at the University of Edinburgh, 11-12 May 2007. Prophetic studies are undergoing radical changes at the moment, following the breakdown of a methodological consensus in humanities and biblical studies. One of the challenges today concerns the question how to deal with history in a "post-modern" age. The French Annales School and narrative theory have contributed toward changing the intellectual climate of biblical studies dramatically. Whereas the "historical Jeremiah" was formerly believed to be hidden under countless additions and interpretations, and changed beyond recognition, it was still assumed that it would be possible to recover the "real" prophet with the tools of historical critical methods. However, according to a majority of scholars today, the recovery of the historical Jeremiah is no longer possible. For this reason, we have to seek new and multimethodological approaches to the study of prophecy, including diachronic and synchronic methods. The Meeting in Edinburgh in 2007 gathered specialists in prophetic studies from Denmark, Finland, Germany, the Netherlands, United Kingdom and the USA, focusing on different aspects of the prophet Jeremiah. Prophetic texts from the whole Hebrew Bible and ancient Near Eastern prophecy are taken into consideration.

Discover what the Bible says--not what someone else thinks it says--and develop the skills and desire to dig even deeper into God's Word. With this book, readers will gain an in-depth understanding of the books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, Jonah, and Micah. The book also contains study notes and questions for insight and reflection.

Centering on the first extant martyr story (2 Maccabees 7), this study explores the "autonomous value" of martyrdom. The story of a mother and her seven sons who die under the torture of the Greek king Antiochus displaces the long-problematic Temple sacrificial cult with new cultic practices, and presents a new family romance that encodes unconscious fantasies of child-bearing fathers and eternal mergers with mothers. This study places the martyr story in the historical context of the Hasmonean struggle for legitimacy in the face of Jewish civil wars, and uses psychoanalytic theories to analyze the unconscious meaning of the martyr-family story.

The Book of Judges has typically been treated either as a historical account of the conquest of Israel and the rise of the monarch, or as an ancient Israelite work of literary fiction. In this new approach, Brettler contends that Judges is essentially a political tract, which argues for the legitimacy of Davidic kingship. He skilfully and accessibly shows the tension between the stories in their original forms, and how they were altered and reused to create a book with a very different meaning. Important reading for all those studying this part of the Bible.

Thomas Merton led numerous conferences during his decade (1955-1965) as novice master at the Cistercian Abbey of Gethsemani. In A Monastic Introduction to Sacred Scripture, Patrick F. O'Connell presents one of these, a wide-ranging introduction to biblical studies. Drawing on church tradition, teaching of recent papal documents, and scholarly resources of the time, Merton reveals the central importance of the Scriptures for the spiritual growth of his listeners. For Merton, at the heart of any meaningful reading of the Scriptures, not only for monks but for all Christians, is the invitation to respond not just intellectually but with the whole self, to recognize the gospel as 'good news', as a saving, liberating, consoling, challenging word, reflecting his fundamental belief that 'the Holy Spirit enlightens us, in our reading, to see how our own lives are part of these great mysteries - how we are one with Jesus in them'. O'Connell's extensive introduction situates this reflection in the context of Merton's evolving engagement with the Bible from his own days as a student monk through the mature reflections from his final years on the biblical renewal in the wake of the Second Vatican Council.