Old Testament Books - Page 3

The Torah: A Modern Commentary, Revised Edition

David E. S. Stein

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 23 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

A Missed opportunity 3 out of 5 stars.
17 of 17 people found this review helpful.

The original 1981 edition of the Plaut commentary on the Torah marked a dramatic improvement over the fundamentalist Hertz Torah commentary (The Pentateuch and Haftorahs: Hebrew Text English Translation and Commentary by Joseph H. Hertz) which it replaced in Reform Jewish congregations. It attempted to give both a traditional Jewish and a modern historical view of the text. In this connection, the frequent references to the widely recognized sources (J, E, D, P) is particularly welcomed in a Jewish study Pentateuch. However, it did have a number of weaknesses only some of which have been addressed in this new edition. These weaknesses included:

1. It was informed throughout by the Albright-Wright/Biblical Archaeology view that the "essential historicity" of the Patriarchal stories in Genesis and the conquest narratives have been verified by archaeology. This view, which held sway in the USA and Israel roughly 1930-1965 started to be undermined by scholarship in the 1960s and had been totally demolished by 1975. (See, for example, Shifting Sands : The Rise and Fall of Biblical Archaeology by Thomas W. Davis). Since that time, few serious scholars would suggest that there is any retrievable historic information relating to the period before 1000 BCE, or even later, recoverable from the Pentateuch. Thus, much of the historical interpretive information in the commentary was known to be wrong or misleading well before the publication of the commentary.

2. Its occasional egregious errors such as transliteration of the divine name "YHVH" (see new edition p. 36) when the virtual universal scholarly opinion is, and has been for at least a century, that the third letter of the name was pronounced similarly to the English letter "w".

3. No attempt was made to make use of gender-neutral language where possible.

4. Its layout was suitable for study but not for synagogue liturgical use (subdivision of parashot into short chapters, placement of supplementary essays, placement of haftarot together at the end of each book of the Torah);

5. Its lack of commentaries on the haftarot.

6. The complete lack of drawings from Karaite (Jewish but not rabbinic) and Samaritan (Israelite but not Jewish) texts in the otherwise excellent "gleanings" sections which included abundant Christian and occasional Muslim, Babylonian etc. texts.

7. Positioning of the English translation below the Hebrew which made parallel reading of the Hebrew and English difficult.

8. Its very thin paper, small Hebrew type, lack of accent signs (te'amim) in the Hebrew text.

This new edition should have been an opportunity to correct these problems which, to a certain extent, has been done. Taking the above points item by item -

1. The reliance on the invalid Albright-Wright/Biblical Archaeology historic reconstruction is unchanged. In the original edition this reliance showed a lack of awareness of current research. Now, twenty four years later it is hard to understand why a serious revision has not been undertaken. One glance at the bibliography (pp. 1568-1569) pointedly shows the datedness of the materials. Of great importance is the lack of any reference of the great strides over the last decades in understanding the historic nature of early Israelite history and religion (e.g. the work of Smith, Zevit and Dever).

2. Its occasional egregious errors - uncorrected.

3. Gender-neutral language - this is one area where the new edition strikingly excels. The use of the term "Eternal" for the divine name is to be especially commended.

4. Layout - layout by parashah followed by haftarah improve its usability in synagogue while making it less easy to use as a tool for private study.

5. Haftaraot now include very basic commentary although I consider them inferior to that included in Etz Hayim: Torah and Commentary.

6. Lack of drawings from Karaite and Samaritan traditions - unchanged.

7. Positioning of the English translation below the Hebrew - now changed to the traditional, and useful, parallel layout

8. Its very thin paper, small Hebrew type, lack of accent signs (te'amim) in the Hebrew text - these problems have all been addressed.

I did notice one additional problem with this new edition. In the first edition the titles of the topical essays were included in the table of contents thus increasing their findability. The new edition does not do this thus effectively burying them in 1,600 pages of text.

Editorial Review:

Nearly twenty-five years after the groundbreaking publication of the first-ever English language liberal Torah commentary, we present The Torah: A Modern Commentary, Revised Edition. This volume features updated commentary and translations, including a gender-sensitive version of the JPS translation, with largely gender-neutral God language and a completely fresh translation of Genesis and of the haftarot by the late Rabbi Chaim Stern. In addition, the volume is reorganized by parashah and includes a helpful index and aliyot markers, improving upon the 1981 original. As Rabbi David Ellenson, President of the Hebrew Union College-Jewish Institute of Religion, states, "This book provide a dazzling compendium of sources both classical and modern, and a variety of voices that will enhance worship and study of everyone."

Leap over a Wall: Earthy Spirituality for Everday Christians

Eugene H. Peterson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 13 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Treasure in the attic... 4 out of 5 stars.
14 of 14 people found this review helpful.

I found a copy of this book in my in-law's attic. I looked through the contents and decided to read the chapter on Friendship - David and Jonathan. Peterson is profound in this chapter. His comments on friendship as an expression of spirituality were so insightful that I am viewing my relationships with others in a new way already. I was even convicted that my friendship with my wife was not sufficient by God's standard. Wow, what a difference one chapter can make. I can hardly wait to buy this book and read the all of Peterson's reflections on the life of David. I like this "earthy spirituality." Give it a try, you might like it too.

Thank You, Lord, For This Book! 5 out of 5 stars.
7 of 7 people found this review helpful.

If you have ever felt discouraged by your own imperfections in your Christian walk, read this book! David is about as earthy and real as a person gets. As another reviewer wrote, the chapter on the friendship between David and Jonathan is also insightful and valuable. Eugene Petersen explores the reality of David's life situations and choices, and how his relationship with God was affected by them. In so doing, he highlights how God grows us and walks beside us throughout all of the trials of life, even those we bring upon ourselves. Ultimately, despite everything, David remained "A man after God's own heart" proving the existence and endurance of God's grace and acceptance, and that there's hope for us all!

Editorial Review:

Using the stories written in the Bible about the life of David, tales that explore such key themes as friendship, grief, love, sin, and suffering, the author of The Message sheds light on how every person can have a vital spirituality.

Overcoming Life's Disappointments

Harold S. Kushner

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 20 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Editorial Review:

From Harold S. Kushner, the author of When Bad Things Happen to Good People, a book that shows us how to be our best selves even when things don’t turn out as we had hoped—that is, how we can overcome life’s disappointments.

Kushner turns to the experience of Moses to find the requisite lessons of strength and faith. Moses towers over all others in the Old Testament: he is the man on the mountaintop to whom God speaks with unparalleled intimacy, and he leads his people out of bondage. But he is also deeply human, someone whose soaring triumphs are offset by frustration and longing: his people ignore his teachings, he is denied entrance to the Promised Land, his family suffers. But he overcomes.

From the life of Moses, Kushner gleans principles that can help us deal with the problems we encounter. Through the example of Moses’ remarkable resilience, we learn how to weather the disillusionment of dreams unfulfilled, the pain of a lost job or promotion, a child’s failures, divorce or abandonment, and illness. We learn how to meet all disappointments with faith in ourselves and the future, and how to respond to heartbreak with understanding rather than bitterness and despair.

This is a book of spiritual wisdom—as practical as it is inspiring.

Esther Great Lives Series: Volume 2

Charles R. Swindoll

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 19 Average rating: 4.0 of 5

Ordinary girl to Queen 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Chuck Swindoll takes what is seemingly a fairytale story and opens one's heart and mind to see how God is in control of all. What valuable life lessons he teaches us through this inspiring Bible book. I highly recommend using this book as a study reference along with your Bible. I appreciated the way he brought the story to life and made it's messages relate to my life as it is today.

wonderful service 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

Just what I was looking for was found in this book for our Bible study

Editorial Review:

Everyone loves a transforming story. Rags to riches. Plain to beautiful. Weak to strong. Esther's story is that, and much more. It is a thought-provoking study of God's invisible hand, writing silently across the pages of human history. Perhaps most of all, it is an account of a godly woman with the courage, wisdom, and strength to block an evil plot, overthrow an arrogant killer, and replace with joy in thousands of Jewish homes. Through Esther's courageous struggle to help her people, Swindoll explains the power of divine providence in volume 2 of the best-selling "Great Lives" series.

Jon Courson's Application Commentary: Old Testament, Volume I (Genesis-Job) (Jon Courson's Application Commentary)

Jon Courson

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 11 Average rating: 5.0 of 5

Edifying, instructing and uplifting 5 out of 5 stars.
3 of 3 people found this review helpful.

Jon really knows how to reveal the hidden thing of the Word. Much better than McGee ever could. Just phenomenal insight in this book.

AMAZING INSIGHT 5 out of 5 stars.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful.

Jon Courson's commentary on the entire Bible (old and new testament)is
uplifting and inspiring. He takes each verse and brings it to "life"
with historic references and application to our everyday life. It's a
great read and a great reference.

Excellent for Daily Study or Reference 5 out of 5 stars.
1 of 1 people found this review helpful.

I have not finished this book yet; however, I cannot seem to put it down. I love it and plan on getting the others when I finish Volume 1. Jon Courson brings up so many details as you read through the Bible that are unique and insightful, yet solidly backed with Scripture. I am learning so much. I love John Macarthur and R.C. Sproul for exegetical studies of the Bible. This, theologically, seems to be in line with them. The difference, however, is that it is soo easy to read, and you can pick it up almost like you would a favorite book and feel you've just listened to an excellent sermon. The book goes verse by verse through the Bible, printing the passages in bold (usually 1/2 to 2 verses). Below each passage, Jon comments and gives insight into the Hebrew meaning, explains the scripture and consistently shows how the Old Testament verses all point to Christ. He always backs up what he "says" with Scripture references. He writes as if he is simply talking to you, so again, it is quite easy to read even though it is full of deep truth.

Editorial Review:

Jon Courson is one of the most exhilarating ministers today.  In his unique style, Pastor Jon has written an Old Testament commentary that is a scholarly work, but is easy to read and makes practical applications for us in our daily walk with Jesus.  This volume begins Jon Courson's verse-by-verse commentary on the Old Testament.  It is your opportunity to study the Bible with one of the great Bible teachers of our time.

Psalms (Expositor's Bible Commentary, The)

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Editorial Review:

The award-winning Expositor’s Bible Commentary—now completely revised. The original work has earned its reputation with students, professors, and pastors the world over. Now this thirteen-volume set builds upon the foundation of its predecessor with the most current scholarship and resources.

Psalms, vol. 3: Psalms 90-150 (Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms)

John Goldingay

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Editorial Review:

John Goldingay's three-volume commentary on the book of Psalms is now complete with this third volume. This work combines literary, historical, grammatical, and theological insights in a widely accessible manner. One of today's foremost experts on biblical theology, Goldingay covers Psalms 90-150 with his own translation of each passage, followed by interpretive comments and discussion of the theological implications. "The book of Psalms is the literary sanctuary; a holy place where humans share their joys and struggles with brutal honesty in God's presence," writes Tremper Longman III, editor of the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms series. Pastors, seminary students, scholars, and Bible study leaders will enjoy this enriching volume. Goldingay's Psalms commentary is also available as a three-volume set.

Genesis Record, The: A Scientific and Devotional Commentary on the Book of Beginnings

Henry M. Morris

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 28 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Outstanding 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

A great resource for small group teachers and pastors. Dr. Morris takes complex scientific and theological issues and makes it understandable and applicable to the layman!
A wonderful value and well worth the investment in your spirit!

Literal and Challenging 5 out of 5 stars.
4 of 4 people found this review helpful.

The Genesis Record is possibly the most challenging commentary on Genesis you could find. I mean this in terms of it's literal approach. It goes out of its way to determine the importance of plenary verbal inspiration. Most commentaries on Genesis have to ignore certain things to make a general summary that the whole point of the book was simply to get the reader to understand that the God of Abraham was also the creator. The Layman's Bible Commentary is a good example of this. Henry Morris, however, can soundly argue the truth of Genesis from the words themsleves. He backs his claims with scripture from an internal and external authenticity. He is also quite knoledgeable in extrabiblical writing to help from a historical standpoint. Another good trait of this commentary is that it has each section of commented scripture there to read so you are able to check for yourself. It is also, in part, an apologetic book, as commentaries should be. Studying the Bible goes hand in hand with defending the Bible. If you have a collection of Genesis commentaries, this would definitely be one to add to the collection.

Editorial Review:

Massive and scholarly, but written for scientific and theological lay persons, this book combines the findings of many disciplines.

The Bible Knowledge Commentary (Old Testament:)

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Total reviews: 14 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Editorial Review:

HELP FROM EXPERT SCHOLARS IN UNDERSTANDING THE SCRIPTURES

• What does That verse mean?
• How should I interpret this passage?
• What is the significance of this word or phrase in Hebrew or Aramaic?
• How do Bible-time customs help me understand the meaning of this passage?
• How does the information on the author, historical background, and features of a Bible book help interpret that book?

The Bible Knowledge Commentary answers these and other questions about the Scriptures, discussing all the Bible verse by verse and often phrase by phrase. In addition, maps, charts, and diagrams help you grasp the meanings of the biblical text. Unlike most others this commentary is by authors from one school - Dallas Theological Seminary. The Bible Knowledge Commentary - popular in style and scholarly in content - will deepen your understanding of God's written Word.

John F. Walvoord is Chancellor and Professor systematic Theology, Emeritus, Dallas (Texas) Theological Seminary. He has served on the faculty since 1936 and was inaugurated as its second president in 1953. Known worldwide for his evangelical scholarship, Dr. Walvoord has written or edited 26 books and dozens of articles for magazines and scholarly journals. He holds two master's degrees (M.A. and Th.M.) and Dallas' Doctor of Theology (Th.D.) degree. In 1960 Wheaton College awarded him the honorary Doctor of divinity (D.D.) degree and in 1984 Liberty University awarded him the honorary Doctor of Letters (Litt.D.) degree.

Roy B. Zuck is Department Chairman and Professor of Bible Exposition at Dallas Theological Seminary. After holding editorial and administrative positions at Scripture Press for 14 years, he joined the Dallas faculty in 1973. He has written or edited 20 books in Christian education and biblical studies, and has authored numerous magazine and journal articles. Dr. Zuck also serves as Bibliotheca Sacra's editor. He has earned degrees from Biola University (A.B.) and Dallas Seminary (Th.M.) and Th.D) and has done post doctoral studies at two universities.

Both Dr. Walvoord and Dr. Zuck maintain an active Bible conference speaking ministry, both are experienced editors, and both serve well in the seminary classroom. These qualities make them an ideal team for co-editing a commentary on the entire Scriptures.Dallas Theological Seminary, one of the world's largest, is recognized for its commitment to the inerrancy of the Scriptures, premillennial theology, and biblical preaching and teaching. Founded in 1924 by Dr. Lewis Sperry Chafer, the Seminary has more than 7,000 alumni serving the Lord as Christian leaders and workers in all 50 states and in 70 foreign countries.

The Stone Edition Tanach: The Torah / Prophets / Writings the 24 Books of the Bible Newly Translated and Annotated Full Size Edition Maroon Leather

Nosson Scherman

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Customer Reviews:
Total reviews: 43 Average rating: 4.5 of 5

Tanach: Exceptional! 5 out of 5 stars.
0 of 0 people found this review helpful.

The Tanach (Old Testament in both Hebrew and literal English translation), Stone Edition, makes the Jewish scriptures even more useable with the added feature of commentary from various scholars. Its compact size allows for conservation of space and ease of use. While visiting a worship service at a local synagogue shortly after this purchase, my assistant and I showed the rabbi a Tanach. Before we could ask his opinion, he said, "Oh, excellent! Superb!" I couldn't say it any better. For those interested in in-depth study, but who are not proficient in Hebrew, the Tanach will be a marvelous aid. Highly recommended.

Editorial Review:

All 24 books of the Torah, Prophets, and Writings are now at your fingertips in one magnificent volume, as interpreted by the classic sages of Talmudic and Rabbinic literature. This is a remarkable achievement. It enables everyone to obtain a basic knowledge of the entire Tanach from "In the beginning" to the return to Eretz Yisrael. For home, for office, for synagogue, for gifts this is an indispensable Book for the People of the Book. Edited by Rabbi Nosson Scherman in collaboration with an international team of scholars.

Newly set, accurate, carefully researched Hebrew text
Crisp, clear introductions
New English translation, based on the research of an international team of Torah scholars
Illuminating notes and comments
All Haftarahs clearly indicated
Explanatory charts, illustrations and maps
Full index of topics
Stunningly beautiful page layout
Specially-milled bible paper
Reinforced binding; ribbon place-markers