The Genesis flood account has been probed and analyzed for centuries. But what might the biblical author have been saying to his ancient audience? In order to rediscover the biblical flood, we must set aside our own cultural and interpretive assumptions and visit the distant world of the ancient Near East. Walton and Longman lead us on this enlightening journey toward a more responsible reading of a timeless biblical narrative.
Most Bible translations bend the text toward us, making the rough bits more palatable to our modern sensibilities. In this Old Testament translation, John Goldingay sets our expectations off balance by inviting us to hear the strange accent of the Hebrew text unbaptized in pious religiosity. Translating consistently, word by word, this unique interpretation allows us to read the sacred text through fresh eyes.
Proverbs—a book full of wisdom, and yet a book demanding all one's wisdom to understand. Derek Kidner has not only provided a running commentary on the whole of Proverbs, but has also included two helpful study aids: a set of subject guides that bring together the book's teaching and a short concordance that helps locate lost sayings and encourages further subject studies.
In this replacement Tyndale Commentary on the book of Proverbs, Lindsay Wilson shows how the first nine chapters provide a reading guide for the many proverbs in subsequent chapters; and how the fear of the Lord, choosing wisdom not folly, and having our characters formed by wisdom are crucial for understanding Proverbs as Christian Scripture and living out our faith in daily life.
The Old Testament was written for us, but not to us. Inviting us to leave our modern Christian preconceptions behind, John Walton contends that we will only grasp the Old Testament’s theology when we are immersed in its Ancient Near Eastern context, being guided by what the ancient authors intended as they wrote within their cognitive environment.
Perhaps no biblical episode is more troubling than the conquest of Canaan. But do the so-called holy war texts of the Old Testament portray a divinely inspired genocide? John Walton and J. Harvey Walton take us on an archaeological dig, reframing our questions and excavating the layers of translation and interpretation that cloud our perception of these difficult texts.
Approaching the Bible for the first time can be intimidating. Where should you begin? John Goldingay’s reliable and clear guide to exploring the Bible places the biblical books in their times and settings, and then lays out a memorable pattern for understanding the Bible as the story of God and his people, the word of God to his people, and the people’s response to God.
Israel’s exodus from Egypt is the Bible’s enduring emblem of deliverance. But more than just an epic moment, the exodus shapes the telling of Israel’s and the church’s gospel. In this guide for biblical theologians, preachers, and teachers, Bryan Estelle traces the exodus motif as it weaves through the canon of Scripture, wedding literary readings with biblical-theological insights.
How does the Old Testament Law fits into the arc of the Bible, and how it relevant to the church today? Exploring how God intended the Law to work in its original context as well as the New Testament perspective on the Law, Richard Averbeck argues that the whole Law applies to Christians—our task is to discern how it applies in the light of Christ.
Up to date, reliable, balanced and clearly organized, Gordon Wenham's introductory textbook makes scholarship on Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy accessible to contemporary students and readers.