Berit Olam Leviticus Numbers Deuteronomy

Many good intentions to read the entire Bible have foundered on the rocks of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Do these books have literary qualities? How does the storyteller tell the story? In Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Stephen Sherwood, C.M.F., applies the tools of narrative criticism to look for the literary qualities of these three biblical books. Sherwood identifies the narrative art of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy not only in such colorful stories as the Sabbath breaker, the threat from Sihon and Og, the deaths of Nadab and Abihu, the story of Balaam, the bronze serpent, Aaron's rod, Miriam's leprosy, and the water from the rock, but also through the extended discourses made by characters in the story. Sherwood studies the voices of several of these characters: the narrator, the Lord, Moses, Aaron, the Israelites, Balaam and Barak, and others, to see how each is characterized" by their words and actions. In Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, Sherwood also shows how each of the three books has its own characteristics as part of a larger story. Leviticus deals mainly with divine speech. Numbers also contains divine speech but the voices of Moses and the narrator are more recurrent. Deuteronomy is presented in the form of a farewell speech of Moses before his death. The story is then retold from Moses' point of view, with different emphases and even some changes. Chapters are *General Introduction, - *Leviticus, - *Numbers, - and *Deuteronomy. - Each chapter contains a general introduction to a biblical book which is followed by notes which make observations on the literary qualities of smaller units of each book.

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides students, pastors, and laypeople with up-to-date, accessible evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Presenting the message for each passage, as well as an overview of other issues relevant to the text, each volume equips pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge so they can better understand and apply God's Word. This volume includes the entire NLT text of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Other features: Provides pastors, teachers, and students with up-to-date evangelical scholarship. Both exegetical and translation commentary. Part of an 18-volume collection. Features New Living Translation Text. David Baker, Ph.D., University of London, is professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. He serves as editor for the Evangelical Theological Society's Dissertation series and Studies series. He has authored several articles/books, including the NIV Application Commentary on Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi and The Face of Old Testament Studies: A Survey of Contemporary Approaches. Dr. Baker served as a Leviticus reviewer for the New Living Translation. Dale Brueggemann, Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary, pastored in Idaho throughout the 1970s. He has taught at Valley Forge Christian College in Philadelphia, and at Central Bible College in Missouri. Eugene H. Merrill, Ph.D., Columbia University, is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas and Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He is currently director of Eurasia education services for Assemblies of God World Missions, and he has been heavily involved in ministry in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He is the author of several articles/books, including a commentary on Deuteronomy in the New American Commentary series and the Deuteronomy study notes for the NLT Study Bible. He also served as a Deuteronomy reviewer for the New Living Translation.

The Cornerstone Biblical Commentary series provides students, pastors, and laypeople with up-to-date, accessible evangelical scholarship on the Old and New Testaments. Presenting the message for each passage, as well as an overview of other issues relevant to the text, each volume equips pastors and Christian leaders with exegetical and theological knowledge so they can better understand and apply God's Word. This volume includes the entire NLT text of Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Other features: Provides pastors, teachers, and students with up-to-date evangelical scholarship. Both exegetical and translation commentary. Part of an 18-volume collection. Features New Living Translation Text. David Baker, Ph.D., University of London, is professor of Old Testament and Semitic languages at Ashland Theological Seminary in Ohio. He serves as editor for the Evangelical Theological Society's Dissertation series and Studies series. He has authored several articles/books, including the NIV Application Commentary on Joel, Obadiah, and Malachi and The Face of Old Testament Studies: A Survey of Contemporary Approaches. Dr. Baker served as a Leviticus reviewer for the New Living Translation. Dale Brueggemann, Ph.D., Westminster Theological Seminary, pastored in Idaho throughout the 1970s. He has taught at Valley Forge Christian College in Philadelphia, and at Central Bible College in Missouri. Eugene H. Merrill, Ph.D., Columbia University, is Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies at Dallas Theological Seminary in Texas and Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Kentucky. He is currently director of Eurasia education services for Assemblies of God World Missions, and he has been heavily involved in ministry in Europe, Asia, and the Middle East. He is the author of several articles/books, including a commentary on Deuteronomy in the New American Commentary series and the Deuteronomy study notes for the NLT Study Bible. He also served as a Deuteronomy reviewer for the New Living Translation.

This extract from the Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible provides Rogerson’s introduction to and concise commentary on Deuteronomy. The Eerdmans Commentary on the Bible presents, in nontechnical language, the best of modern scholarship on each book of the Bible, including the Apocrypha. Reader-friendly commentary complements succinct summaries of each section of the text and will be valuable to scholars, students, and general readers. Rather than attempt a verse-by-verse analysis, these volumes work from larger sense units, highlighting the place of each passage within the overarching biblical story. Commentators focus on the genre of each text—parable, prophetic oracle, legal code, and so on—interpreting within the historical and literary context. The volumes also address major issues within each biblical book—including the range of possible interpretations—and refer readers to the best resources for further discussions.

The narratives of Solomon and Jeroboam, of Elijah and Ahab, have fascinated readers for millennia. Even apart from questions of historical authenticity, they are gripping stories of richly drawn characters caught up in the complex tale of God's dealings with Israel. This study explores the narrative world created by 1 Kings' ancient Israelite author: the people who inhabit it, the lives they live, the deeds they do, and the face of God who is revealed in their stories. An introduction explains the significance of 1 Kings as a historical narrative. Originally intended as a literal history, after centuries of writing and rewriting it is now as much a literary work as a historical one: The views of those who formed it can be discerned and studied. Walsh also explains how the rich traditions of Hebrew prose narrative and the Hebrew language itself affect our reading of 1 Kings.

Individuals and groups reading the Scriptures for their own enrichment can find appropriate guides for Genesis and Exodus. Numbers is another matter. The complexities of ritual laws, holy days, moral codes, and conflicts experienced by Moses and the people during their forty years in the wilderness form a daunting maze. Average readers, especially Christians, are often unsure of the inner logic of the regulations or of how to apply the sound theology found therein. This compact study starts with Numbers, following the story from exodus to the wilderness. The format is Socratic, asking as many step-by-step questions as seems reasonable and providing the answers at the back to encourage note taking and discussion beforehand. The forty years of strife depict the deep spiritual stresses experienced by the Chosen People (and by God), and can serve our own understanding for surviving challenges as a people called by God. Another lesson is the significant role of ancient Jewish laypeople within their system of ritual and prayer. They did much more than simply watch priests handle altar sacrifices and incense. A better understanding of that ancient teamwork in worship can aid our own modern worship customs.

In this introduction to the first five books of the Old Testament, Victor Hamilton moves chapter by chapter through the Pentateuch, examining the content, structure, and theology. Hamilton surveys each major thematic unit of the Pentateuch and offers useful commentary on overarching themes and connections between Old Testament texts.