2013 Reprint of 1963 Edition. Full facsimile of the original edition, not reproduced with Optical Recognition Software. K. C. Pillai (1900-1970) was a Bishop-at-large of the Indian Orthodox Church in Madras India. He spent the last twenty years of his life in the United States of America on a special mission to acquaint Christians with the orientalisms and customs of the Bible. He wrote books and worked with western Christians to help clarify what he believed were difficult Scriptural passages through an understanding of the eastern manners and customs. During his time in the United States, he became associated with Victor Paul Wierwille, with whom he worked through every orientalism in the Bible from Genesis through Revelation over a six-week period in 1953.

King Solomon, the wisest man who ever lived, called this his 'Song of Songs.' But through the centuries many have struggled to make sense of it. Who is the mysterious woman with whom the king is so in love? What is her story - and why is it in the Bible? In this devotional exposition and modern English translation, we follow the heart-searching highs and lows of their relationship as we unravel the answers to these questions. We see how lovingly and patiently Solomon wins her heart and confidence until finally, freed from her past, she becomes the magnificent queen that he first saw her to be. But what of Solomon himself? He is not what we would expect: at heart a shepherd, an adventurer, a lover of wild, open spaces. And as the story progresses we come to understand the prophetic significance of Solomon's vision of the 'shepherd king' - and why his attempts to fulfill it himself caused his downfall. Yet, more importantly, we see how perfectly it is fulfilled, and all out deepest needs met, in the ultimate 'Good Shepherd' and 'King of Love, ' Jesus Christ.

The Peshitta is the Syriac translation of the Old Testament made on the basis of the Hebrew text during the second century CE. Much like the Greek translations of the Old Testament, this document is an important source for our knowledge of the text of the Old Testament. Its language is also of great interest to linguists. Moreover, as Bible of the Syriac Churches it is used in sermons, commentaries, poetry, prayers, and hymns. Many terms specific to the spirituality of the Syriac Churches have their origins in this ancient and reliable version of the Old Testament. The present edition, published by the Peshitta Institute in Leiden on behalf of the International Organization for the Study of the Old Testament, is the first scholarly one of this text. It presents the evidence of all known ancient manuscripts and gives full introductions to the individual books. This volume contains Ezra, Nehemiah, and 1-2 Maccabees.

Job is a brief yet complete guide to the Hebrew Scriptures' Book of Job. In an accessible way, Whitfield invites readers to ponder such questions as: What is God really like?, why should we worship God?, why do the righteous suffer?, will our relationship with God improve if we are critical of traditional religious beliefs?, and is the "quid pro quo" idea of the God-human relationship still alive and healthy?Insights: Bible Studies for Growing Faith is a fresh and timely Bible study series. In these short-term, thematically based resources, individuals and groups are invited to find meaning and direction for their lives by exploring the Scriptures in a way that is both thoughtful and thought-provoking.

About the Contributor(s): Rabbi Edward Feld is the senior editor of Mahzor Lev Shalem (2010) and the author of The Spirit of Renewal: Finding Faith after the Holocaust (1994). He has served as Rabbi-in-Residence at the Jewish Theological Seminary and as Hillel Director and Chaplain to the College at Princeton University and Smith and Amherst Colleges. As the Educational Director of Rabbis for Human Rights he developed a curriculum for teaching "Judaism and Human Rights."

This volume in the Old Testament for Everyone series covers one of the most popular books of the Old Testament, a book known for its themes of suffering and doubt. Taking the form of a play, with different characters relating different themes, the book of Job tells the story of one man whose life fell apart, who went to the depths and questioned God, and whose life was eventually rebuilt. Goldingay's careful and compelling commentary explores the book of Job's enduring message and is perfect for daily devotion, Sunday school preparation, or brief visits with the Bible.

The Vital Issues Series draws upon the insights and study of numerous evangelical scholars and writers to address the practical questions and issues of contemporary life. Chosen from past issues of Bibliotheca Sacra, these volumes address questions faced by every believer who sincerely desires to please God and to be more Christ-like.

This volume contains 20 articles by leading scholars on the king and Messiah, mostly in the Old Testament, but also in the ancient Near East and post-biblical Judaism and New Testament. This volume is a major contribution to the study of kingship and messianism in the Old Testament in particular, but also in the ancient Near East more generally, and in post-biblical Judaism and the New Testament. It contains contributions by 20 scholars originally presented to the Oxford Old Testament Seminar. Part I, on the ancient Near East, has contributions by John Baines and W.G. Lambert. Part II, on the Old Testament, has essays by John Day, Gary Knoppers, Alison Salvesen, Carol Smith, Katharine Dell, Deborah Rooke, S.E. Gillingham, H.G.M. Williamson, J.G. McConville, Knut Heim, Paul Joyce, Rex Mason, John Barton and David Reimer. Part III, on post-biblical Judaism and the New Testament, is by William Horbury, George Brooke, Philip Alexander and Christopher Rowland. This noteworthy volume has many fresh insights and is essential reading for all concerned with kingship and messianism.

Zechariah 1-6 is unlike most of the prophets in the Hebrew Bible. He is pro-establishment and he conveys his message mostly with visions. These observations have led to scholarly disagreements as to how one should understand his role. Antonios Finitsis mediates this disagreement by triangulating the relationship of Zechariah's visionary mode of expression, his message and his function. Zechariah has often been seen as a link between prophecy and apocalypticism. However, Finitsis argues again assuming the presence of this link - warning against the potential for reductionist thinking. Furthermore, Proto-Zechariah's viewpoint is particular to the post-exilic social setting. His visions are influenced by the social circumstances in which they are expressed. Proto-Zechariah refers to the near future using elements from the community's present. Therefore, Finitsis defines the message of Proto-Zechariah one of restoration eschatology, suggesting that the text is addressed to a small province plagued by inner-community conflicts. The text succeeds in alleviating social discord by empowering the people to rebuild their community. This presents a unique and challenging understand of Zechariah's prophetic role.

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.

Abasciano builds upon his previous LNTS volume, Paul's Use of the Old Testament in Romans 9.1-9, continuing the project begun in that volume and its intertextual methodology. This method incorporates a thorough traditional exegesis into a comprehensive analysis of Paul's use of Scripture, set against the background of interpretive traditions which surround the texts alluded to. Great emphasis is placed on analyzing the original contexts of Paul's citations and allusions. Such an intertextual exegesis is conducted in Romans 9:10-18, with an awareness of the broader unit of chapters 9-11 especially, and the epistle as a whole. Conclusions for the meaning of these passages and their theological significance are thence drawn.

Imagine a life of true happiness, a life of complete honesty with God. Through this study of the Scriptures, you learn how to live a life of gratitude while producing actions that honor God. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. This eight-week volume is part of the Immersion Bible Studies series. Inspired by a fresh translation, the Common English Bible (CEB), Immersion stands firmly on Scripture and helps you explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of your personal faith. Whether you are using the CEB or another translation, Immersion will offer new insights into God s Word, your own life, and your life with God. Psalms features eight sessions."

Jacob Milgrom was a man of deep faith and deep learning. As teacher and scholar he is best known for his work on ancient Israel's religion, especially its cultic expression in tabernacle and temple. His command of this subject is evident in his massive, three-volume commentary on Leviticus (Anchor Bible Commentary) and his commentary on Numbers (JPS Torah Commentary). This provides perfect background for one who seeks to instruct us on the final chapters of Ezekiel. In this volume Milgrom guides us engagingly through Ezekiel's oracle against Gog (chs. 38-39) and his final vision of Israel's physical and spiritual restoration (chs. 40-48). Regrettably Professor Milgrom did not live to see his work on Ezekiel appear in print. Given his influence on biblical scholarship far beyond his native Jewish world, it is fitting that this final form of this project be cast as an interfaith dialogue with Daniel Block, who has himself written a major two-volume commentary on Ezekiel (NICOT). This volume offers a window into how one Jewish scholar engaged with the work of a Christian scholar. It invites readers to listen in on their conversation, in the course of which they will also hear the voices of medieval Jewish rabbis, particularly R. Eliezer of Beaugency and R. Joseph Kara. While Block and Milgrom are free to disagree in their reading of particular texts, readers will find this dialogue illuminating for their own understanding of the last chapters of Ezekiel. "According to rabbinic tradition, rabbi Hananiah ben Hezekiah burned three hundred barrels of oil in his lamp before being able to harmonize the laws of Moses with those given in Ezekiel. In a similar way, Jacob Milgrom's lifetime of scholarly study of the Pentateuch ideally equipped him to write a commentary on Ezekiel 38-48. This volume will be an indispensable reference point for all future work on the prophet." --Iain Duguid, Professor of Old Testament, Grove City College "The late Jacob Milgrom was the leading expert on biblical cult and ritual in his generation. His commentaries on Leviticus, for which he is best known, reflect the meticulous, holistic approach to biblical texts that became the hallmark of his life's work. In this, his last major publication, Milgrom brings this approach to bear on the final chapters of Ezekiel. Never shy of new ideas, his bold proposals will challenge Ezekiel scholarship for years to come." --William A. Tooman, University of St. Andrews "Seldom has such a spirited written discussion taken place between a Jewish and an evangelical scholar as is found in this study. Even more fascinating is the direct way in which the most difficult portion of the prophecy of Ezekiel (chapters 38-48) is engaged--with respect for each other and with a commitment to the text. It is a joy to recommend this book both for the stimulating way it handles Scripture and for the promise it holds for additional joint ventures between the two scholarly traditions." --Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary Jacob Milgrom (1923-2010), an esteemed rabbi in Conservative Judaism, was Professor Emeritus of Near Eastern Studies at University of California, Berkeley. He was the author of many books, most notably The JPS Torah Commentary: Numbers (1966) and the three-volume Anchor Bible Commentary of Leviticus (1991-2001).

Dale Patrick examines the first five books of the Bible--the Pentateuch--the Law.He provides an effective method for studying and understanding this vital part of the canon. His introduction concentrates on the exposition of the major thrust of Old Testament Law: the Ten Commandments, the Book of the Covenant, the Deuteronomic Law, the Holiness Code, and the Priestly Law.Law--rules and regulations, concepts and principles, legal codes--written and unwritten. Patrick tackles important questions surrounding the formation of the Law. What is the Law? How was it formulated? What implications does the Law of the Israelites have for Christians today? Patrick's deft handling and answering of these questions results in a book that provides a means to understand the specific rules governing the concepts and principles of the written law so that we may grasp the unwritten law; i.e., the justice, righteousness, and holiness required by God.Patrick offers critical exposition in a format that makes a seemingly difficult and esoteric part of the Bible accessible to the reader. This introductory text serves as a springboard to further study.

So resounding is its message that echoes of the Exodus are heard throughout the Old and New Testaments and the present. Exodus names and terms permeate our biblical and liturgical vocabularies: Pharaoh, Moses, Aaron, burning bush, I AM," plagues, Passover, manna, Ten Commandments, forty days and forty nights, Ark of the Covenant. The Exodus experience, indeed, is central to both Jewish and Christian traditions. Exodus is, as Mark Smith reminds us, not only an ancient text but also "today's story, calling readers to work against oppression and to participate in a covenant relationship with one another and God." With Smith as their experienced guide, readers are able to march through this basic book of the Bible with textual difficulties solved and stacked up like a wall to their right and left, just as the Israelites "marched on dry land through the midst of the sea with the water like a wall to their right and to their left" (14:29). Undoubtedly, when finished, readers will be closer to the Promised Land than when they started.

"Mark S. Smith is Skirbal Professor of Bible and Ancient Near Eastern Studies at New York University. He has served as visiting professor at the University of Pennsylvania, the Hebrew University in Jerusalem, and the Pontifical Biblical Institute in Rome. Smith was elected vice president of the Catholic Biblical Association in 2009.""

Comprehensive and understandable, the New Collegeville Bible Commentary series brings the timeless messages and relevance of the Old Testament to todays readers. With recent scholarship, this series provides vital background and addresses important questions such as authorship and cultural context. The New Collegeville Bible Commentary books use the New American Bible translation and will appeal to preachers, teachers, Bible study groups, and all readers of the Bible. First and Second Samuel tell the story of the beginnings of monarchy in ancient Israel. These two powerful narratives present many great figures of biblical historySamuel, Saul, and Davidand explore the complex interaction of historical developments and human fidelity under God. In the books of Samuel, characters interact to influence and persuade, to express motivation and desire, and to shape the readers understanding of the issues that faced the Israelites as they responded to Gods invitation to covenant. Through the medium of story, the reader shares in the perennial struggle to discover, in the midst of personal and political conflict, God's ways for humanity.

Synopsis: Although the book of Psalms is a collection of ancient hymns and poems originally written in Hebrew, it continues to be a source of fascination and inspiration. The psalms live on because they reflect a profound belief in a God who was involved with people and with human affairs-a God who had done wonderful things in the past, for which he should be praised and held in awe; a God to whom complaints could be addressed because of apparent inactivity on behalf of those loyal to him in the present; a God who, despite the distresses and difficulties of those who called upon him, could be trusted to ensure justice in the future. The Psalter contains some very human responses to a God who was sometimes very real to those who addressed him and who sometimes seemed deaf to their cries. Adrian Curtis invites his readers to enter into the world of the Psalms and to find there, sometimes surprisingly, experiences and emotions that resonate with their own. Author Biography: Adrian Curtis is Honorary Research Fellow in the Department for Religions and Theology at the University of Manchester.

How does someone obtain wisdom, knowledge, and understanding? How do they apply them to their lives? This volume of Immersion Bible Studies focuses on touchstone Scriptures that reveal the essence of wisdom as found in Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, and Song of Solomon. Written in a conversational tone, this study engages readers in the virtues shared while deepening their love of the Bible. Easy-to-follow, step-by-step suggestions for leading a group are provided, as well as questions to facilitate class discussion. Immersion, inspired by a fresh translation--the Common English Bible--stands firmly on Scripture and helps readers explore the emotional, spiritual, and intellectual needs of their personal faith. More importantly, they ll be able to discover God s revelation through readings and reflections."

The evangelical community should welcome the appearance of this fine commentary . A thoroughly evangelical work characterized by insightful exegetical and theological observations. It is clearly the best commentary available on Isaiah, one that should be in the library of every serious student of Isaiah's prophecy.
Bibliotheca Sacra
This second installment in John Oswalt's two-volume treatment of the Book of Isaiah should quickly become the standard American evangelical exposition of Isaiah 40-66. As expected of a major commentary, it features extensive attention to textual issues and substantive conversation with leading critical commentators . Those who would like to see an exemplary representative of American evangelical biblical scholarship need look no further than this volume.
Princeton Seminary Bulletin
The finest commentary on Isaiah to date.
Stone Campbell Journal
An excellent introduction for interpreting and a stimulus for preaching Scripture. This must rank as one of the best commentaries available.
Themelios