Old Testament Books Suggestions

Dr. Tiberius Rata was kind enough to send a list of Old Testament books suggestions for studying the Old Testament portion of The Bible. This was from our interview with him in episode 131. Remember not to let them collect too must dust or e-dust if you get them electronically.

Genesis

Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis by Allen Ross

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3ygZzG6

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3hpxtBK

According to the author, his purpose is to “help the reader appreciate the major literary and theological motifs that form the theological ideas in the narratives, and to demonstrate how these theological ideas can be developed into clear and accurate expository ideas.” To accomplish this goal, he divides Genesis into more than sixty units, discussing each unit’s theological ideas and describing its structure.

Paradise to Prison: Studies in Genesis by John J. Davis

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3hvgxd8

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3xbjXZ4

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3AshRGb

Paradise to Prison is a commentary, textbook and complete study guide to the book of Genesis. In very readable fashion the author explores the lives of the patriarchs as well as important doctrinal themes. Each chapter is carefully documented and sources from archaeology and ancient Near Eastern history are freely used. The writer’s premise is that no other ancient literature surviving the ravages of time can rightly be compared to Genesis with its unsurpassed theological perspectives and vivid profiles of early man.

The JPS Torah Commentary: Genesis by Nahum M. Sarna

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3xfPwB4

The JPS Torah Commentary series guides readers through the words and ideas of the Torah. Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field. Every page contains the complete traditional Hebrew text, with cantillation notes, the JPS translation of the Holy Scriptures, aliyot breaks, Masoretic notes, and commentary by a distinguished Hebrew Bible scholar, integrating classical and modern sources. Each volume also contains supplementary essays that elaborate upon key words and themes, a glossary of commentators and sources, extensive bibliographic notes, and maps.

Exodus

Moses and the Gods of Egypt; Studies in Exodus by John J. Davis

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3jG4jAV

This commentary has established itself in evangelical schools as one of the most academically sound and pedagogically useful studies of the Book of Exodus. Dr. Davis guides the reader through understandable, in-depth examinations of Exodus, illustrated with more than 30 charts, maps, drawings, and photographs. It illuminates the biblical text in light of recent archaeological studies along with Egyptian religious and political customs.

Exodus – An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture by Douglas K. Stuart

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3AsKSBO

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include:

* commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;

* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;

* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;

* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole; * readable and applicable exposition.

Leviticus

Holiness to the Lord by Allen Ross

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3jIq0AC

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/2TxPGFi

At first glance, the Book of Leviticus seems like barren material for lively preaching. Most expositors merely skim the surface for messages on tithing or sabbath-keeping. Yet Leviticus is one of the most important books of the Old Testament; it not only describes the complete religious system of ancient Israel, it also lays the theological foundation for the Christian gospel. In Holiness to the Lord, Allen P. Ross enables preachers and teachers to mine the riches of Leviticus and deliver them to a contemporary audience. Following the same practical method he used in the acclaimed Creation and Blessing, Ross first carefully sites Leviticus within its context in the ancient world. Then he traces the development of God’s plan of salvation-how Leviticus’ laws, rituals, symbols, and events prepared for the complete revelation in Jesus Christ. Finally, unlike traditional commentaries, Ross offers helpful ideas for correlating Leviticus to New Testament teachings (particularly Romans, Hebrews, and Peter) and for applying the material in relevant expository form. Holiness to the Lord is every expositor’s indispensable guide for interpreting the Law for the church and for elucidating Leviticus in practical, biblical messages about worship, sanctification, and obedience.

Numbers

Numbers by Gordon J. Wenham

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3yzwfLl

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3yzwfLl

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3AmllKB

“Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah” is one of the best-known hymns in the world. Yet the book of numbers, whose story that hymn summarizes, is seldom read. Why? “Its very title puts the modern reader off,” writes Gordon Wenham. “In ancient time numbers were seen as mysterious and symbolic, a key to reality and the mind of God himself. Today they are associated with computers and the depersonalization that threatens our society.” In his effort to bridge the great gulf between the book and our age, Wenham first explains the background of Numbers, discussing its structure, sources, date and authorship as well as its theology and Christian use. A passage-by-passage analysis follows, which draws useful insights on Old Testament ritual from modern social anthropology. The original, unrevised text of this volume has been completely re-typeset and printed in a larger, more attractive format with the new cover design for the series..

Deuteronomy

Deuteronomy – An Introduction and Commentary by John Arthur Thompson

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3yjJEGV

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/369tjZl

Thousands camped east of the Jordan, ready to cross it, eradicate a decadent culture and establish their own nation. Their remarkable leader Moses, soon to die, stood and spoke to them. He reminded them of their covenant relation to Yahweh their Lord, of Yahweh’s mighty acts on their behalf, of the practical differences their loyalty to Yahweh should make. He implored them to be totally devoted to their Sovereign God.The book of Deuteronomy records these speeches. “The sympathetic reader,” writes J. A. Thompson, “cannot fail to be challenged by the persistent demands throughout the book that he should acknowledge the complete and sole sovereignty of God in his life. Nor can he fail to be touched by the noble concept of God that underlies the whole book.”

Joshua

Joshua – An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture by David Howard

Kindle – https://amzn.to/2TwmO00

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3wh0NQb

The book of Joshua forms the logical end point for much of the Pentateuch. It shows how Israel came to possess the land God had promised centuries before to Abraham and how God was faithful to his promises. It also portrays God’s demands that his covenant people forsake all other allegiances and follow him only and completely.

Judges/Ruth

Judges, Ruth – An Exegetical and Theological Exposition of Holy Scripture by Daniel I. Block

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3AplpsQ

THE NEW AMERICAN COMMENTARY is for the minister or Bible student who wants to understand and expound the Scriptures. Notable features include:* commentary based on THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION;* the NIV text printed in the body of the commentary;* sound scholarly methodology that reflects capable research in the original languages;* interpretation that emphasizes the theological unity of each book and of Scripture as a whole;* readable and applicable exposition.

Samuel

1 and 2 Samuel by Ronald F. Youngblood

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3dIZzHb

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/2Ukoaer

Continuing a Gold Medallion Award-winning legacy, this completely revised edition of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary series puts world-class biblical scholarship in your hands. Based on the original twelve-volume set that has become a staple in college and seminary libraries and pastors’ studies worldwide, this new thirteen-volume edition marshals the most current evangelical scholarship and resources. The thoroughly revised features consist of: • Comprehensive introductions • Short and precise bibliographies • Detailed outlines • Insightful expositions of passages and verses • Overviews of sections of Scripture to illuminate the big picture • Occasional reflections to give more detail on important issues • Notes on textual questions and special problems, placed close to the texts in question • Transliterations and translations of Hebrew and Greek words, enabling readers to understand even the more technical notes • A balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion

Kings

1 and 2 Kings by Iain W. Provan

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3hfJNpb

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3waTTMx

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/2Tro4So

Provan’s commentary on Kings in the NIBC series may be the best individual contribution to that series. The format of the series limits the amount of space the author has, but Provan uses it wisely. He explores the theological themes of the book within its larger redemptive-historical context. Very readable and useful for pastors and teachers.

Chronicles

I and II Chronicles by J. G. McConville

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3AAxATZ

Taking a look at the setting, form, and content of I and II Chronicles, J. G. McConville describes how these two often neglected books present God’s purpose for his people at a crucial time in their history–the period of restoration after the Exile.

Carrying forward brilliantly the pattern established by Barclay’s New Testament series, the Daily Study Bible has been extended to cover the entire Old Testament as well. Invaluable for individual devotional study, for group discussion, and for classroom use, the Daily Study Bible provides a useful, reliable, and eminently readable way to discover what the Scriptures were saying then and what God is saying today.

Ezra/Nehemiah

Ezra & Nehemiah: A Mentor Commentary by Tiberius Rata

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3dFIhdN

Tiberius Rata, an Old Testament scholar, considers the narrative of the restoration of the Jewish people to its homeland. At the center of these two books of Ezra and Nehemiah are the decrees of two Persian kings, Cyrus and Artaxerxes. We discover a God who is in control of history and the hearts of his people. Yahweh can even work through the lives of secular kings.

Ruth/Esther

Ruth-Esther by Frederic W. Bush

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3dZyQ9x

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/2TCfKyZ

Engage the challenging books of Ruth and Esther utilizing the dynamic expertise of Frederic Bush. Study the narratives of these books by drawing on Bush’s knowledge of ancient Near Eastern customs, languages, and Hebrew narrative and poetry to illuminate the meaning of these books, and the development and transmission of each book’s textual witnesses. Organized for easy reference, Word Biblical commentaries make an ideal Bible study companion whether you are studying a single passage or a complete biblical book.

Job

The Book of Job by John E. Hartley

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3ymSUtW

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/369VSpN

This commentary on Job follows in the tradition of the NICOT series by providing an up-to-date evangelical commentary based on thorough scholarship. John E. Hartley deals carefully with this book whose language, text, and theology are not only among the most intriguing in the Old Testament but also among the most difficult to grasp.

Hartley begins with a thorough introduction that treats matters of title and place in the canon, text, language, parallel literature in the ancient Near East and Old Testament, author, date, literary features, poetry, structure and genres, and message. In the commentary proper, Hartley uses his knowledge of the cognate ancient Near Eastern languages and displays extensive research in offering a detailed, verse-by-verse exposition that relates each section of the text to the overall message of the book.

Psalms

Psalms by Willem A. VanGemeren

Kindle – https://amzn.to/2TB8q6T

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3AsrWmr

Continuing a Gold Medallion Award-winning legacy, this completely revised edition of The Expositor’s Bible Commentary series puts world-class biblical scholarship in your hands. Based on the original twelve-volume set that has become a staple in college and seminary libraries and pastors’ studies worldwide, this new thirteen-volume edition marshals the most current evangelical scholarship and resources.The thoroughly revised features consist of:• Comprehensive introductions• Short and precise bibliographies• Detailed outlines• Insightful expositions of passages and verses• Overviews of sections of Scripture to illuminate the big picture• Occasional reflections to give more detail on important issues• Notes on textual questions and special problems, placed close to the texts in question• Transliterations and translations of Hebrew and Greek words, enabling readers to understand even the more technical notes• A balanced and respectful approach toward marked differences of opinion

Proverbs

Proverbs by Tremper Longman III

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3yfFuzU

Paperback – https://amzn.to/2V5P4Hr

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3dEG0Q6

With Proverbs, veteran Old Testament scholar Tremper Longman III offers an accessible commentary on one of Scripture’s most frequently quoted and visited books. With his deft exegetical and expositional skill, the resulting work is full of fresh insight into the meaning of the text.

In addition to the helpful translation and commentary, Proverbs considers theological implications of these wisdom texts, as well as their literary, historical, and grammatical dimensions. Footnotes deal with many of the technical matters, allowing readers of varying interest and training levels to read and profit from the commentary and to engage the biblical text at an appropriate level. This built-in versatility has application for both pastors and teachers.

Ecclesiastes

Fear God and Keep His Commandments: A Practical Exposition of Ecclesiastes by Tiberius Rata & Kevin Roberts

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3An4R4I

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3wosk2t

Solomon, the wisest man in history, was Israel’s third king. While his name does not appear as the author of Ecclesiastes, his fingerprints are all over the book. His words challenge and encourage the reader to live as if his or her time were short and to fear God in all things. This interdisciplinary commentary is written for serious students of the Bible, including professors, Sunday School teachers, and laypeople who want both a theological and psychological perspective on this much beloved and fascinating Old Testament book.

Song of Songs

Song of Songs by Tremper Longman III

Kindle – https://amzn.to/36b5wID

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3xjbwuG

Relationships are a wonderful, mysterious, often elusive, sometimes painful part of the human experience. The most intimate of all human relationships, according to the Bible, is that between a husband and a wife. It is no surprise, therefore, that there is a book of the Bible, the Song of Songs, that focuses on this relationship. What is surprising is how little attention is given to the Song of Songs by scholars, by the church, and by readers of the Bible. With this volume Tremper Longman III unpacks for modern people what this ancient love poem says about the male-female relationship — and, by analogy, about God’s love for his people.

Longman’s superb study begins with a thorough introduction to the Song of Songs and its background. Longman discusses the book’s title, authorship, date, literary style, language, structure, cultural milieu, and theological content. He also canvasses the long history of interpretation of the Song of Songs, a history too often characterized by repression of the text. In the commentary itself, Longman structures the Song of Songs according to its twenty-three poetic units and explains its message verse by verse. The exposition is made clearer by Longman’s adoption of an anthropological approach to the text and by his frequent comparisons of the Song of Songs with other ancient Near Eastern literature.

Isaiah

The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 1–39 by John N. Oswalt

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3AuWGDI

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3qSwEG0

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3yl82rL

The first of John N. Oswalt’s two-part study of the book of Isaiah for the NICOT series, this commentary on chapters 1û39 combines theological acumen, literary sensitivity, philological expertise, and historical knowledge to present a faithful and accurate reading of one of the Old Testament’s most important books.

In the introduction to this work, Oswalt considers Isaiah’s background, unity of composition, date and authorship, canonicity, Hebrew text, theology, and problems of interpretation, and he offers a select bibliography for further research. Oswalt also provides substantial discussions of several issues crucial to the book of Isaiah. He notes, for example, that scholars often divide Isaiah into three divisions, with chapters 1–39 addressing Isaiah’s contemporaries in the eighth century B.C., chapters 40–55 presupposing the exile of the sixth century, and chapters 56–66 presupposing the eventual return from exile. While taking this scholarship into account Oswalt defends the unity of the prophetic book and argues convincingly that the whole book can be attributed to the Isaiah of the eighth century. The commentary proper, based on Oswalt’s own translation of the Hebrew text, provides pastors, scholars, and students with a lucid interpretation of the book of Isaiah in its ancient context as well as an exposition of its message for today.

The Book of Isaiah, Chapters 40-66 by John N. Oswalt

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3wkUAmd

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3hfMs29

This long-anticipated work completes John Oswalt’s two-volume commentary on the book of Isaiah. After opening with a valuable discussion on the state of Isaiah studies today, Oswalt provides an insightful verse-by-verse explanation of Isaiah 40-66, giving special attention to the message of the prophet not only for his own time but also for modern readers.

Jeremiah

Walking the Ancient Paths: A Commentary on Jeremiah by Tiberius Rata & Walter Kaiser

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3xgHMP5

In Walking the Ancient Path, distinguished Old Testament scholar Walter C. Kaiser, Jr. draws on a lifetime of study to illuminate the book of Jeremiah for a contemporary audience. Following an introduction that surveys the historical and literary background of Jeremiah along with its theological emphases, Kaiser examines each verse of the text, explaining its meaning and significance.

Lamentations

Song of Songs/Lamentations by Duane A. Garrett and Paul R. House

Kindle – https://amzn.to/36dS6Ma

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3yl8RRn

Join Duane Garrett and Paul House as they examine two of the Bible’s most unusual and compelling books. They examine the textual history, historical context, literary structure, and authorship, of each book, providing extensive notes and bibliographic references.

Ezekiel

The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 1–24 by Daniel I. Block

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3dIzHLr

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3hCiEvN

To most modern readers the book of Ezekiel is a mystery. Few can handle Ezekiel’s relentless denunciations, his unconventional antics, his repetitive style, and his bewildering array of topics. This excellent commentary by Daniel I. Block makes sense of this obscure and often misunderstood prophet and demonstrates the relevance of Ezekiel’s message for the church today.

The Book of Ezekiel, Chapters 25-48 by Daniel I. Block

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3jGXM9a

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/3yp144X

This work completes Daniel Block’s two-volume commentary on the book of Ezekiel. The result of twelve years of studying this difficult section of Scripture, this volume, like the one on chapters 1-24, provides an excellent discussion of the background of Ezekiel and offers a verse-by-verse exposition that makes clear the message of this obscure and often misunderstood prophet. Block also shows that Ezekiel’s ancient wisdom and vision are still very much needed as we enter the twenty-first century.

Daniel

The Message of Daniel – The Lord Is King by Ronald S. Wallace

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3qItq7U

Hosea-Jonah

Hosea-Jonah by Douglas K. Stuart

Kindle – https://amzn.to/3jHvGdS

Hardcover – https://amzn.to/369dORr

Study the books of Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah, with pioneering Old Testament scholar Douglas Stuart. Heart breaking, strange, and hopeful stories these books are among the Bible’s most misunderstood and Stuart illuminates their meaning by examining their historical context, and unlocking their mysterious stories and prophecies.

The Minor Prophets (Hosea-Malachi)

Minor Prophets Volume 1 – Thomas McComiskey

Paperback – https://amzn.to/36bMstL

Brings noted evangelical scholars together to offer an authoritative, evangelical treatment of the minor prophets. Volume one features commentary by Thomas McComiskey (Hosea), Raymond Dillard (Joel), and Jeffrey Niehaus (Amos).

Minor Prophets Volume 2 – Thomas McComiskey

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3xha38m

Brings noted evangelical scholars together to offer an authoritative, evangelical treatment of the minor prophets. Volume two features commentary by Jeffrey Niehaus (Obadiah), Joyce Baldwin (Jonah), Bruce Waltke (Micah), Tremper Longman III (Nahum), and F. F. Bruce (Habakkuk).

Minor Prophets Volume 3 – Thomas McComiskey

Paperback – https://amzn.to/3ymOcN2

Brings noted evangelical scholars together to offer an authoritative, evangelical treatment of the minor prophets. Volume three features commentary by J. Alec Motyer (Zephaniah and Haggai), Thomas McComiskey (Zechariah), and Douglas Stuart (Malachi).