Richard S. Hess is professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Denver Seminary. Formerly he taught at Roehampton Institute in London. He earned his PhD in West Semitic Languages and Literature at Hebrew Union College in Cincinnati, Ohio, and he has done postdoctoral study at the University of Chicago, the University of Cambridge, the Albright Institute of Archaeological Research in Jerusalem, the University of Sheffield, and the University of Münster.

He is the author of Armana Personal Names, Studies in the Personal Names of Genesis 1-11, and a commentary on Song of Songs (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms), as well as research articles, dictionary entries, and book reviews. Hess serves as editor of the Bulletin for Biblical Research.