This study guide introduces students to the Book of Proverbs from the Old Testament. Zoltán Schwáb examines the book's structure and characteristics; covers the latest Biblical scholarship, including historical and interpretive issues; and considers a range of scholarly approaches from historical-critical through feminist to theological. The guide encourages existential engagement with Proverbs, and uses diverse tools in order to achieve this. A brief chapter by chapter commentary on Proverbs will highlight the major themes of each of its sections. The playful ambiguity and poetry of the proverbs is also discussed. A special emphasis will be placed on how different historical, literary, or performance contexts can influence a proverb’s meaning. Finally, the guide presents an overview of the rich heritage of African interpretation of proverbs. With suggestions of further reading at the end of each chapter, this guide will be an essential accompaniment to the study of the Book of Proverbs.

This study considers the relationship of Deuteronomy 28 to the curse traditions of the ancient Near East. It focuses on the linguistic and cultural means of the transmission of these traditions to the book of Deuteronomy. Laura Quick examines a broad range of materials, including Old Aramaic inscriptions, attempting to show the value of these Northwest Semitic texts as primary sources to reorient our view of an ancient world usually seen through a biblical or Mesopotamian lens. By studying these inscriptions alongside the biblical text, Deuteronomy 28 and the Aramaic Curse Tradition increases our knowledge of the early history and function of the curses in Deuteronomy 28. This has implications for our understanding of the date of the composition of the book of Deuteronomy, and the reasons behind its production. The ritual realm which stands behind the use of curses and the formation of covenants in the biblical world is also explored, arguing that the interplay between orality and literacy is essential to understanding the function and form of the curses in Deuteronomy. This book contributes to our understanding of the book of Deuteronomy and its place within the literary history of ancient Israel and Judah, with implications for the composition of the Pentateuch or Torah as a whole.

Through this 10-week study, Lydia Brownback examines the twelve judges and how they exemplify the persistent grace of God in the face of human rebellion.

An accessible, full-color OT survey textbook focusing on the message of each book

Written from an irenic, evangelical perspective, this Old Testament survey is designed to unpack what the biblical authors most intended to communicate in the Scripture that Jesus read. As the corresponding volume to the previously published What the New Testament Authors Really Cared About (Kregel Academic, 2008), it is well-suited for use in a college, seminary, or church context Students of the Bible will find this full-color textbook accessible and engaging.

What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About is gospel-centered, portraying the Old Testament as the foundation for a fulfillment found in the New Testament. Each chapter is written by an Old Testament scholar who is a skilled teacher at one of the finest evangelical schools across North America and specializes in the biblical book covered.

Readers will find: - Introductory issues (who, when, where, why) condensed to one-page snapshots of essential information atthe beginning of each chapter- The clarity of the biblical message enhanced through nearly two hundred high-resolution photographs, overeighty charts and tables, and twelve color maps- Very readable text, appropriate for broad audiences- A format simpler and intentionally shorter than many other surveys, making it a very manageable textbook for a single semester Old Testament survey course or a useful guide to accompany devotional reading of Scripture

Interview with Jason DeRouchie: part 1 part 2

This guide to Ezra and Nehemiah showcases the latest developments and most up-to-date scholarship on these important texts. Ezra and Nehemiah tell the story of the people in Yehud in the 6th and the 5th centuries BCE. This was a time of economic hardship. The people living in and around Jerusalem were scratching out a living in a land that had been devastated by war. It was also a time of soul searching. Having lost their political autonomy and national identity, the people in Yehud had to find new ways of understanding and shaping their identity. Ezra and Nehemiah provide glimpses of these issues by way of an assortment of narratives, lists, letters, and other types of records. The readers encounter different voices and different opinions. Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer provides an overview of the various texts and the topics, concerns, and disputes that they reflect. The guide also zooms in on select key issues pertaining to the development of the text, its historical background(s), the quest for identity, and its afterlife in Jewish and Christian traditions.

This collection of leading scholars presents reflections on both wisdom as a general concept throughout history and cultures, as well as the contested nature of the category of Wisdom Literature. The first half of the collection explores wisdom more generally with essays on its relationship to skill, epistemology, virtue, theology, and order. Wisdom is examined in a number of different contexts, such as historically in the Hebrew Bible and its related cultures, in Egypt and Mesopotamia, as well as in Patristic and Rabbinic interpretation. Additionally, wisdom is examined in its continuing relevance in Islamic, Jewish, and Christian thought, as well as from feminist, environmental, and other contextual perspectives. The second half of the volume considers "Wisdom Literature" as a category. Scholars address its relation to the Solomonic Collection, its social setting, literary genres, chronological development, and theology. Wisdom Literature's relation to other biblical literature (law, history, prophecy, apocalyptic, and the broad question of "Wisdom influence") is then discussed before separate chapters on the texts commonly associated with the category. Contributors take a variety of approaches to the current debates surrounding the viability and value of Wisdom Literature as a category and its proper relationship to the concept of wisdom in the Hebrew Bible. Though the organization of the volume highlights the independence of wisdom as concept from "Wisdom Literature" as a category, seeking to counter the lack of attention given to this question in the traditional approach, the inclusion of both topics together in the same volume reflects their continued interconnection. As such, this handbook both represents the current state of Wisdom scholarship and sets the stage for future developments.

Ezra and the Second Wilderness addresses the relationship between Ezra, the Ezra Memoir, and the Pentateuch. Tracing the growth of the Ezra Memoir and its incorporation into Ezra-Nehemiah, Philip Y. Yoo discusses the literary strategies utilized by some of the composers and redactors operating in the post-exilic period. After the strata in Ezra 7-10 and Nehemiah 8-10 are identified, what emerges as the base Ezra Memoir is a coherent account of Ezra's leadership of the exiles from Babylon over the course of a single year, one that is intricately modelled on the multiple presentations of Moses and the Israelite wilderness preserved in the Pentateuch. Through discussion of the detected influences, allusions, and omissions between the Pentateuch and the Ezra Memoir, Yoo shows that the Ezra Memoir demonstrates a close understanding of its source materials and received traditions as it constructs the Babylonian returnees as the inheritors of torah and, in turn, the true and unparalleled successors of the Israelite cult. This study presents the Ezra Memoir as a sophisticated example of 'biblical' interpretation in the Second Temple period. It also suggests that the Ezra Memoir has access to the Pentateuch in only its constituent parts. Acknowledging not only the antiquity but also efficacy of its prototypes, the Ezra Memoir employs a variety of hermeneutical strategies in order to harmonize the competing claims of its authoritative sources. In closing the temporal gap between these sources and its own contemporary time, the Ezra Memoir grants authority to the utopic past yet also projects its own vision for the proper worship of Israel's deity.

For thousands of years, the Book of Psalms has been one of God's people's richest resources for expression of worship and development of the spiritual life. At the same time it is one of the more complex and challenging sections of the Bible for expositors. Pastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find this commentary invaluable for developing their understanding of the Psalms and for improving their ability to expound it with precision and depth.

For each psalm, Dr. Allen Ross guides the reader through a detailed exegetical outline, proposes a homiletical outline, and offers a summary expository idea of the message of the whole psalm.

The commentary includes discussion throughout of three primary challenges to understanding the Psalms: Textual issues: Every major textual difficulty is addressed in order to help the expositor understand the interpretive issues and make decisions when there are multiple available readings.Poetic language: The Psalms are full of poetic imagery, devices and structures. Ross discusses this "language" of Hebrew poetry in its context with each psalm, specifying the precise devices being used and how they work in the psalm.The Psalms' Hebrew grammar and syntax pose a challenge to many expositors, whether they are familiar with Hebrew or not. This commentary illuminates Hebrew constructions word meanings in a way that is helpful both to readers who are comfortable with Hebrew and those who are not.

The Mudil Codex from the late 4th century contains the Biblical Psalms in Coptic. However, the text differs significantly from familiar versions of the Psalms, giving rise to the question of whether we are dealing with an original form of the text. The comprehensive analysis presented here demonstrates the tradition in which this fascinating text is located, how it arose, and what significance it has for research into the Psalms generally and the Coptic Bible manuscripts in particular.

? As long as the TUAT has not been completed and remains hardly affordable for students, this continues to be a useful collection for instruction purposes. Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Christoph Markschies"

A fundamental part of understanding one's ancestors is knowing when they were born, how long they lived, and when they died. Here in The Genesis Genealogies lies that crucial core information about the forebears of Christianity. Rev. Abraham Park has meticulously analyzed the information in The Book of Genesis. Taking the explicit date references in Genesis and performing math calculations forward and backward in time, he builds a complete chronological Biblical timeline from Adam to the Exodus, including the duration of construction of Noah's ark. With this Bible study of the cornerstone text of The Old Testament, we can more deeply understand the layers of meanings that Genesis offers. The Genesis Genealogies is a must-have for every Church Library. This title is part of The History of Redemption series which includes: Book 1: The Genesis Genealogies Book 2: The Covenant of the Torch Book 3: The Unquenchable Lamp of the Covenant Book 4: God's Profound and Mysterious Providence Book 5: The Promise of the Eternal Covenant

Nahum's prophecy of Nineveh's coming destruction. Habakkuk's probing dialogue with the Lord of Israel. Zephaniah's warning to Jerusalem's last great king. The texts of these minor but important prophets receive a fresh analysis in this introduction and commentary. Fanie Snyman considers each book's historical setting, structure and literary features as well as important theological themes.

Ben Sira is properly regarded as one of the most significant representatives of Jewish wisdom literature. Georg Sauer, the renowned Viennese Old Testament scholar, addresses the many sides of these scriptural writings in the present volume. He explores text-immanent questions regarding the structure, content, and theological meaning of Ben Sira s book in consideration of evidence from Hebrew and Greek texts. In addition, this study illuminates the historical background and context for Ben Sira s work as well as explores questions about the history of its interpretation in Judaism and Christianity.

This book explores the story of the Israelites' worship of the Golden Calf in its Jewish, Christian, and Muslim contexts, from ancient Israel to the emergence of Islam. It focuses in particular on the Qur'an's presentation of the narrative and its background in Jewish and Christian retellings of the episode from Late Antiquity. Across the centuries, the interpretation of the Calf episode underwent major changes reflecting the varying cultural, religious, and ideological contexts in which various communities used the story to legitimate their own tradition, challenge the claims of others, and delineate the boundaries between self and other. The book contributes to the ongoing reevaluation of the relationship between Bible and Qur'an, arguing for the necessity of understanding the Qur'an and Islamic interpretations of the history and narratives of ancient Israel as part of the broader biblical tradition. The Calf narrative in the Qur'an, central to the qur'anic conception of the legacy of Israel and the status of the Jews of its own time, reflects a profound engagement with the biblical account in Exodus, as well as being informed by exegetical and parascriptural traditions in circulation in the Qur'an's milieu in Late Antiquity. The book also addresses the issue of Western approaches to the Qur'an, arguing that the historical reliance of scholars and translators on classical Muslim exegesis of scripture has led to misleading conclusions about the meaning of qur'anic episodes.

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.

Das Buch befasst sich mit bedeutenden Dolmetschern und UEbersetzern aus 5000 Jahren auf der Basis umfangreicher Recherchen in Archiven und Bibliotheken. Aus der Geschichte der Translation sind erstmals aufgearbeitet: die Dolmetscher im Alten Testament, die Rolle der Pfortendolmetscher im Osmanischen Reich, die Dolmetschermemoiren uber die Kriegserklarung Deutschlands an die Sowjetunion am 22. Juni 1941 in der Gegenuberstellung mit neuen Dokumenten aus Archiven in Moskau und Washington sowie die Geschichte des Simultandolmetschens in der DDR. Grundlich beleuchten die Autorinnen die Tatigkeit der Russisch-Dolmetscher auf dem Nurnberger Prozess anhand schriftlicher und mundlicher Erinnerungen. Den Abschluss bilden Leben und Wirken der UEbersetzer der ersten russischen Ausgabe des Kapitals von Karl Marx.