The Book of Esther is one of two books of the Bible to be set entirely outside of the Promised Land, and the only book which does not mention God at all. In this cogent, readable study, David Firth explores The Message of Esther, to help us better understand this paradoxically important book and its implications for our own contemporary context. With clear insight, he lay out how the reality of God's presence is experienced against a backdrop of God's relative anonymity and seeming absence, and shows us how that speaks into the lives of Christians today. A revised volume in the trusted Bible Speaks Today series of commentaries, The Message of Esther offers an accessible and thought-provoking exposition of Esther's story, that considers its meaning for both its original audience and for Christians in the twenty-first century. Used by Bible students and teachers around the world, The Bible Speaks Today commentaries are ideal for students and preachers who want to deepen their understanding of Scripture as it was first written as well as its continued relevance today. This beautifully redesigned edition has been sensitively updated to include modern references and use the NIV Bible text. The Message of Esther is perfect for anyone looking for a stimulating, accessible commentary on Esther that will help them apply its lessons to their everyday life.

Classic IVP series now rejacketed and retypeset

Is it possible to develop such a thing as a biblical theology of mental health? How might we develop a helpful and pastoral use of scripture to explore questions of mental health within a Christian framework? This timely and important book integrates the highest levels of biblical scholarship with theological and pastoral concerns to consider how we use scripture when dealing with mental health issues. Chapters include: *Paula Gooder on Healing and wholeness *Joanna Collicutt on Jesus and mental health *Isabelle Hamley on Job *David Firth on Anxiety in Scripture *John Swinton on The Bible in Pastoral Care *Walter Brueggemann on Psalms and lament With a foreword from Archbishop Justin Welby

New collection of studies in the Old Testament wisdom literature

An adulterous woman repeatedly spurns the love of her youth, while her betrayed husband offers forgiveness and seeks to win her back. With this bold and uncomfortable imagery, Hosea tells the story of God and his people. God calls the prophet to embody this divine suffering and redeeming forgiveness in his own marriage, thereby setting the stage for his message of God's faithful and enduring love, his righteous judgment, and his continuing offer of reconciliation and restoration. This Tyndale commentary from Robin Routledge explores the historical, cultural, literary, and theological dimensions of the book of Hosea. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

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. In this Tyndale Old Testament commentary, the texts of these minor but important prophets receive a fresh analysis as S. D. Snyman considers each book's historical setting, structure, and literary features as well as important theological themes. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

Synopsis: This book explores the little-regarded phenomenon of the tricolon in biblical Hebrew poetry, that is, those poetic lines that appear to have a tripartite form rather than the more common bipartite form. Taking the Psalms of Ascents as a sample corpus of poetic texts, it identifies tricola on an explicit and consistent basis. It draws on the rhythmical-accentual approach of Eduard Sievers, and in so doing highlights an important but neglected aspect of his method. The concept of a "para-tricolon" is developed, designating a line that is tripartite, yet rhythmically equivalent to a conventional bicolon. Analyses of psalm structures and of the syntactic and semantic structures of each tripartite line facilitate an assessment of the function of, and characterization of, tripartite lines. The significance of enjambment is explored as a distinguishing factor between different line-forms and as a means of uniting non-parallel cola. The study demonstrates clear differences between the form and function of para-tricola and those of tricola, and so will facilitate a more nuanced and realistic appraisal of the functional significance of Hebrew poetic line-forms. Endorsements: "While many of the basic elements of Hebrew poetry have long been established, there remain features which have not been adequately analyzed, and intricacies and subtleties which merit further investigation. Stocks's study provides a fine example of a careful structural and colometric analysis, which provides the foundation for his proposals concerning the significance of the tricolon and his proposed 'para-tricolon.' A welcome contribution to the study of Hebrew poetry " --Adrian Curtis, University of Manchester "This detailed analysis of the colometric structure of the Psalms of Ascents points to some drawbacks in previous research. To overcome these shortcomings, Stocks introduces--alongside the bicolon and the tricolon--the 'para-tricolon.' This type of verse line, he argues, is colometrically equivalent to the tricolon, but rhythmically equivalent to the bicolon. His well-balanced approach also takes into account the recent results of strophic and rhetorico-structural analysis." --Pieter van der Lugt, author of Cantos and Strophes in Biblical Hebrew Poetry "Stocks's careful study of the occurrences of tricola in the Psalms of Ascents greatly advances our understanding of this unusual phenomenon. Rather than simply saying 'Well, some parallelisms are just like that, ' scholars of Hebrew poetry have now been given greater insight into what tricola do and how they do it. In short, this is a study that every student of Hebrew poetics should take and read." --Jamie Grant, Highland Theological College UHI "Stocks brings methodological rigor and clarity to this complex area, providing a means of understanding the tricolon while at the same time opening up new vistas on how the poetic line can be formed and function . . . This clear and insightful study provides us with a way forward in understanding this important area of biblical poetics." --David G. Firth, St John's College, From the Foreword Author Biography: Simon Stocks is Tutor for Biblical Studies and Lay Ministry at the South East Institute for Theological Education, UK.

Genesis is a book of origins: of the world, of sin, of God's promise of redemption, and of the people of Israel. It traces God's pledge of a Savior through Abraham's line down to his great-grandson Judah. It serves as a foundation for the New Testament and its teaching that Jesus is the fulfillment of God's promise to save humankind from sin and death. In this Tyndale Commentary, Andrew Steinmann offers a thorough exegetical commentary on Genesis, including a reconstructed timeline of events from Abraham's life through to the death of Joseph. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.

In popular perception, Wisdom literature is a "self-help" or "philosophy" section of the Old Testament library--the odd and interesting bits of canonical mortar between History and Prophets. Themes that are prominent elsewhere in the Old Testament receive only scant attention in the wisdom books. Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes focus on everyday life rather than on God's special dealings with the nation of Israel. But Old Testament scholarship has come to see the wisdom of the wise as reflecting an aspect of the Israelite worldview, not something totally foreign. The covenant beliefs are presupposed, even if rarely rising to the surface. Wisdom must be learned from parents, teachers, and friends, but it is ultimately a gift from God--not primarily intellectual but intensely practical. The issues addressed--justice, faith, wealth, suffering, meaning, sexuality--are highly relevant today. The focus of this volume is on both wisdom books and wisdom ideas. The first section surveys recent developments in the field of Old Testament wisdom, and the second section discusses some issues that have arisen in Proverbs, Job, and Ecclesiastes, and examines the Song of Songs as a wisdom text. The final section explores wisdom in Ruth, in some Psalms, and in the broader field of Old Testament narrative (from Joshua to Esther), while also examining wisdom, biblical theology, the concept of retribution in wisdom, and the vexed issue of divine absence. The following contributors are featured: Christopher B. Ansberry Craig G. Bartholomew Lennart Bostroem Ros Clarke Katharine J. Dell David G. Firth Gregory Goswell Ernest C. Lucas Brittany N. Melton Simon Stocks Lindsay Wilson

The book of Deuteronomy has been immensely influential, not least within the Old Testament itself. It is found among the most frequently occurring manuscripts at Qumran, and it is also one of the Old Testament books most frequently cited in the New Testament. In Matthew's Gospel, it is Deuteronomy which Jesus cites in rejecting temptation. As with so many other Old Testament books, study of Deuteronomy is in the midst of significant change. While for many scholars the Documentary Hypothesis has continued to provide a framework for interpretation, it no longer commands the status of an "assured result." Instead, fresh approaches have been developed, engendering their own debates. Recent as well as older study affirms that Deuteronomy represents a distinctive theological voice within the Pentateuch. While many excellent resources are now available, these tend to be either introductory or highly specialized; there are fewer that bridge the gap between the two. This volume contributes to that need: it assumes some foundational knowledge and guides readers through current issues and approaches. Here is evangelical scholarship that will inform, stimulate and reward diligent teachers and preachers of the Old Testament. The contributors are Paul Barker, Jenny Corcoran, David G. Firth, Greg Goswell, Christian Hofreiter, Philip S. Johnston, James Robson, Csilla Saysell, Heath Thomas, Peter T. Vogt and John H. Walton.

It is generally recognized that scholarly study of the Bible has taken a 'literary turn' over the past two decades. The contributors to this volume are united in their belief that a proper understanding of different aspects of literary theory can make a significant contribution to biblical interpretation. These informative and stimulating essays survey some general issues and a selection of specific approaches, filling a gap between simpler introductions and the primary texts of major theorists. Literary theory is not the only conversation partner for biblical interpretation in our day, but this volume demonstrates that it is also an important one if we are to continue to hear and understand the living Word of God in the words of the Bible.

Daniel asserts that the meaning of history is that God's kingdom is coming. As it does, faithful people persevere in their work for God. Believers can rely on the certainties the book proclaims: God is sovereign over human affairs and is effectively bringing in his eternal kingdom, which will encompass all nations. In this Tyndale commentary, Paul House shows how Daniel rewards readers who embrace its historical, literary, and theological features as key means of personal and community formation. The Tyndale Commentaries are designed to help the reader of the Bible understand what the text says and what it means. The Introduction to each book gives a concise but thorough treatment of its authorship, date, original setting, and purpose. Following a structural Analysis, the Commentary takes the book section by section, drawing out its main themes, and also comments on individual verses and problems of interpretation. Additional Notes provide fuller discussion of particular difficulties. In the new Old Testament volumes, the commentary on each section of the text is structured under three headings: Context, Comment, and Meaning. The goal is to explain the true meaning of the Bible and make its message plain.