Bibles Bible Studies Books

This is extremely comprehensive. The DVD that comes with it is excellent for research -- especially good for writing papers.

Collins presents a rather interesting read. His book by book breakdown of the Hebrew Bible Scriptures is easy to read, and even enjoyable to parouse. A major pitfall of the book is that it provides deep doubts about the validity of Scripture without adequate information or data backing up such negative claims-- namely that a majority of the stories are folklorish in origin, solely for the purpose of explaining God's nature without fact, etc.-- and seems to be aimed more at disproving the Scripture's validity than studying the meaning behind Scripture. Many times Biblical scholars are able to state the intent of a Biblical passage without casting such deep shadows of doubt over how they should be read, their originality/validity, etc. Such a dark casting of the Scriptural sources seems hardly helpful to the student of these Scriptures. Yet it is also impossible to state that Collins fails to offer interesting information and historical background; this he achieves through several very well stated parallels to Ancient Middle Eastern lengends, stories, and other pieces of literature that clearly had an effect on the development of the Hebrew Bible. With plenty of delight but a bit too much doubt, this book is definitely an interesting and insightful read.

The author offers considerable information which illuminates the Old Testament. He makes points for supporting as well as refuting stories, details, which otherwise might well be taken for granite by the casual reader.

In my six years of study as a post-graduate Theology student,I have read many books introducing me to Hebrew Scripture. Many were excellent and scholarly yet none possessed the "flow and enticement" of Collins' research and presentation. I looked forward each night to resuming my study. Collins managed to tie all the information together, fill in all the gaps, present many perspectives and offer the latest assessment of the evidence thus far. I teach an Adult Bible Study - and ALWAYS have this book at my side. It's as pleasurable a read as it is informative!

The author presupposes that the Old Testament (the Hebrew Bible) is myth and builds all suppositions and arguments around that premise. Keep this in mind when you read.

The St. Mary's Press College Study Bible offers the New American Bible translation of Scripture treasured by our Conference of Catholic Bishops. The articles and support materials offer sound scholarship that supports the faith development and educational goals of students from Catholic, Ecumenical Christian Denominations and Inter-Religious heritages. I have used the SMP College Study Bible in parish, senior high school and university teaching. My students and I find it an excellence text. The use of BCE and CE rather than BC and AD to identify historical eras, is essential. Students need to recognize language that is in virtually all their college textbooks in the humanities. As a person of faith, I find that the designation of BCE and CE can equally mean Before the Christian Era and the Christian Era.
Respectfully,
Dr. Sheila O'Connell-Roussell,
Marylhust University Faculty Scripture and Pastoral Ministry

The college years are years of questioning and searching and seeking understanding to the deeper meaning of one's life. The College Study Bible from Saint Mary's Press is an excellent resource for these deep questions of faith, offering supportive and definitive articles, maps, illustrations, charts, art and photos to enhance the learning process. Young adults will find this Bible an important companion to their learning and relevent to their lives today. Still in doubt? Read the introduction by college students Brigitte Fischer and Carolyn Olson to catch a bit of their excitement about this new Bible...and then go and get your own!
Barbara Murray, D.Min.
Facilitator, Virtual Learning Community for Faith Formation, University of Dayton

Wow finally a Bible written to a college/High School student user friendly, wait a minuite, in the introduction of the text, in several places we see the use of the term BCE (Before Common Era) and CE (Common Era) what happened to BC and AD a term that has been in use for over oh I don't know hundreds of years, is this some kind of way to water down Catholic Christianity, some kind of way to be politically correct? This totally discouraged me about this Bible in the wrong hands this could cause confussion with people, I wish they (the publishers) would call it what it is. BC/AD

This bible is a treasure for the serious student. It gathers in one place much information required for unbiased scripture study. It has proven to be invaluable in my exegetical research, containing a scholastically-accepted scripture translation, as well as extensive notation to aide in understanding of the text. It is augmented with many maps and charts, as well as explanatory essays that aid in viewing the scriptures in light of the social and historical world in which they were composed and had early use. I have also found it valuable for my own personal spiritual use in interpretation of scripture. I would recommend it to students at high school level or above, as well as anyone seriously examining the meaning of bible scripture.

Absolutely fabulous study with absolutely fabulous biblical advice! I recommend it highly! You will truly learn how to pray God's Word!

Beth Moore's Bible Studies are always great. No matter which one you choose, it will be good. They are meaty, easy to do and make you think more than just a fill-in-the-blank study.

I have this and have bought it for others. I have actually written down prayers on index cards. When I am struggling with an area, like forgiveness, I carry the card with me to read / pray throughout the day. It is effective and helps me put my focus where it should be.

I have bought and recommended this incredible book to
my disciples, friends and relatives (as well as myself).
It enables people to pray Scripture prayers...and we
know they will always be answered.

I liked this book so well I ordered one for my mother, friend, and daughter-in-law. I'm not a avid reader, so this book was meant for me. You just read and pray the certain parts that you need from this book. You don't actually read the whole thing, unless you just wanted to. The author must have a direct link to God to know the things that she says in her prayers. Of course any of Beth Moore books are that way!

This is a text book, actually, but it is very well written and easy to understand. It is the perfect book for someone with an interest in the writings of the Hebrew Bible, but who is not a theologian. It puts the scriptures into the context of the time they were written and how the words are relevant today without being preachy.

This text is a thoughtful, informed overview of the Hebrew Scriptures. Useful for layperson or student. Easy reading.

I ordered this book for a Scripture course I will be taking. It is lavish and informative; like a small encyclopedia, actually.Coogan is known for readable work and in-depth scholarship. I heartily recommend this book.

Coogan has assembled in one place an easy read and fact filled guide to Hebrew Scriptures. The resource is well organized in its approach to Hebrew Scripture and contains historical background material not found else where. A must for any serious scholar interested in studying Hebrew Scripture and knowing more about the historical times of the Hebrew Scriptures.

I have used this book for my theological studies at the University of Utrecht in the Netherlands. The quality and readability of the book is excellent, it is easy to find your way in the book. Besides, it is handy to read, and also to use as a reference for later.
Actually that is why I bought the book: during the study of the particular exam, somebody lend me this book, so I did not need to buy it. Nevertheless, the sheer usability of the book made me decide to buy it after all, since I am sure I can use it later in my further studies!

Purchased this as a gift for my husband and found it to be a beautiful bible and very closly accurate to the original hebrew. He Loves It !

The Reader's Hebrew Bible has been on the market for only a few months and looks set to become a "must" for everyone who has covered the basics of the language and wishes to progress to "real" Hebrew. You need, though, to have a good working vocabulary for it to enable you to read in extenso with fluency. The grey-scale shading of proper names is a good idea. The price is also exceptionally cheap for a product of this quality.
What would be really helpful is a Grammatical Analysis of the Old Testament similar to "Max and Mary" for the New.

I've got both the first and second editions of the Reader's GNT companion volume. Either is a great value for the money, but neither comes close to the quality and usefulness of the Reader's GNT published by UBS -- the real deal. So I was a bit hesitant to purchase Zondervan's Reader's Hebrew Bible.

My hesitation was overcome by the fact that I use my UBS RGNT on a daily basis for devotional use, but don't read the Hebrew text in the same way as frequently because of the need for a lexicon nearby. A reader's lexicon helps, but it's still a clunky way to read, and because Hebrew vocabulary is so much larger than NT Greek, there are few of us who will ever be able to simply read with no lexicon around. So seeing what a reader's GNT did for me, I ordered this.

I'm very pleased. It hast the same cheap binding and paper as the companion RGNT, but the fact that it's duo-tone (basically PVC plastic) does mean that despite being flimsy, it should hold up for a long time. They seem to have overcome the typeface problems present in both editions of the RGNT. This font is very easy to read. I have not found the proper names being in gray instead of black to be a problem -- they're not that light and the purpose is to make proper names used less than 100 times stand out so that the newbie doesn't waste time trying to parse them. That's the whole point: to gloss the words so the reader doesn't have to. The more you read, the more you learn, and the more often you read and learn the more Hebrew sticks in your mind.

The fact that this text is that of the Westminster edition of Leningradensis is great. They essentially cut and pasted from Bibleworks 4. There are minor variants between this and BHS/BHQ, but nothing significant and all differences are listed in the appendix. I also like the way they've dealt with Kethib-Qere readings -- something that should serve good training for the student just learning his way around the Hebrew Old Testament.

If Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft ever prints a readers edition of BHS or BHQ it will probably leave this in the dust just as the UBS RGNT leaves the Zondervan RGNT in the dust, but until then this is a great tool.

I received A Reader's Hebrew Bible with great anticipation and was not disappointed. I have found it to be a very well conceived and thoughtfully delivered Hebrew tool. It is perfect for someone like me who is trying to intergrate the Hebrew scriptures into my life in a practical manner. This tool has already allowed me greater ease of access and I recommend it to all.

Based on the success Zondervan had with A Reader's Greek New Testament, you knew it was only a matter of time before they'd put together a similar resource for the Hebrew Bible. To the delight of many, A Reader's Hebrew Bible was released this past March. I've been looking forward to writing this review and wanted to express a word of thanks to the folks at Zondervan for sending me a review copy. I'll be breaking this review into two parts. Part one will discuss the physical characteristics and also the packaging for this Bible. Part two will take a look at what's inside this Bible.

Let me start by talking about the physical characteristics of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It has a very appealing look about it; one might go so far as to say it's beautiful. The binding is a light brown Italian Duo-Tone. You will find the title stamped on the front cover and the spine in silver lettering. The page edges match the lettering as they are also gilded silver. This volume measures 7.2 in. wide by 9.9 in. high by 2.1 in. deep, which makes it a bit larger than the other Hebrew Bibles I am familiar with. The paper used for this Bible is a bit thinner than the paper used in some of the other Zondervan Bibles in my library. It is slightly transparent as you're able to make out some of the text on the other side of each page. However, this in no way hinders the readability of the Hebrew text. I felt that the decision to go with this paper was probably design-related as it lends to the overall elegant look and feel of the Bible. In addition to the great look and feel of this Bible, Zondervan went the extra mile by creating great packaging for it. This Bible comes in what I would consider a presentation quality box. The front of the box is windowed to show the front cover with the title in silver lettering. The back of the box has a well laid out list of information that will be important to someone who is looking to buy this Bible.

Next, I wanted to take a look at the inside of A Reader's Hebrew Bible. There are 28 pages of worthwhile introductory material at the front of the Bible. This includes the Author's Preface, a Quick User's Guide, an Introduction, and Abbreviations & Sigla. I am very excited to note that all of the introductory material is written in English. Many of the Hebrew and Greek Bibles available in the bookstores of Bible Colleges and seminaries come from the German Bible Society. The difficulty for many American students is that the introductory material is written in German. Since most of the students are not fluent in German, they miss out on the introductory information, which will help them to make the best possible use of their new Bible. Following the introductory material is the actual Hebrew text. I really appreciate that the Hebrew text goes across the entire page, with all of the notes appearing at the bottom. This serves to make the text more readable as you don't have any notes or references in the margins, breaking up the text as you're trying to read it. I think this will be especially useful to first year students who are working on their Hebrew reading as it will minimizes the distractions on the page. When the reader comes across a word they're not quite sure about, they can refer to the notes at the bottom of the page which contain glosses and definitions of Hebrew words occurring 100 times or less and Aramaic words occurring 25 times or less. These notes will prove very useful to the 1st year student as well as the more casual reader whose Hebrew skills may be a bit out of practice.

Let me summarize by saying that I think Zondervan did a great job with A Reader's Hebrew Bible. It's a very attractive and high quality Hebrew Bible at a reasonable price. The layout and notes will be invaluable for the 1st year student or the more casual reader. It will make a great gift for students, pastors, or the layperson interested in Biblical Hebrew.

When I decided to buy this book I wasn't sure about it's content Now I do recomend it to one intends to study theology or use it as a catechesis meterial. It contents is well done e very usefull.

As others have clarified, this review is for the English-only version of Aland's synopsis. I just went through this book for a seminary class on the Gospels, and it is truly an amazing resource.

Aland aligns the four gospels in parallel with each other, so that every time the reader encounters a particular story from one Gospel account, the analogous portion of the same story from any of the other Gospels appears alongside it in another column. And if a story is unique to one Gospel, then the other three columns are blank.

My study of this book has shed amazing light on the life of Jesus, as I have previously only read about Him from one Gospel or another. But reading these stories in parallel with each other provides a fullness to our understanding that is simply impossible when read in isolation.

My only critique is that some of the formatting seemed unnecessarily cumbersome. The footnotes are so prominent as to be almost overwhelming, and some of the spacing was strangely irregular.

Of course, when used for its presumed purpose as a reference book, those logistical issues become less problematic. Ultimately, this is not written to provide devotional readings, and I would not recommend anyone to simply sit down and plow through this entire book. However, for anyone with the task of preaching and teaching from the Gospels or for anyone who simply wants to understand the life of Jesus more fully, I cannot imagine a book that would provide a better way to compare the four Gospels than this.

This book was recommended by someone who already completed their theology studies. They indicated that this is the best synopsis available, and I'd have to agree. While it may not have the original Greek text, the price is right, and it's a great resource to have for study.

If you're in need to see how ALL of the Gospels tie together, this is a MUST. GREAT for Study Groups!!!

Excellent book for anyone who wishes to study the bible and get a better understanding

I have read this book multiple times in the past few years since I was introduced to it. I have also given it away multiple times. Anytime I start to feel confusion or doubts or just weary on the walk with God, second to the Bible, this book is an infusion of faith. Beth outlines 5 key faith statements that infuse your belief system. Grasping these and holding on to them changes the way you live...

I also read and experienced the video sessions by the same name. The book is a great reminder, as well as a first introduction for folks.

God is who He says He is.
God can do what He says He can do.
I am who God says I am.
God's word is alive and active in me.
I can do all things in Christ.

I'm Believing God...blue bracelet and all.

I am enjoying and being very challenged by this book. It was recommended to me by a friend who did a DVD study with it.

This book is not just a book. God has expanded my faith and changed my view point of day to day life. There is not another Christian book out there that can impact your life like this one did me. READ IT TODAY!

I can't say enough good things about Beth Moore.
Great work, it brings your faith to a new level.

Beth Moore is a Christian Bible teacher who makes no bones about her own frailty and struggles with faith. I find her Bible studies all the more powerful because of her humility and constant redirection of the reader from herself to her Lord. The basis of the book is the life changing difference between believing IN God and believing God- when He says He loves you, says who He is and what He has done and will do and when He says who you are as His child. I found this book profoundly helpful on a day-to-day basis, and its principles have stayed with me long after it went onto my shelf.

My class uses it as the main textbook. Overall, it's a good book. A big chunk in each chapter discusses the contents of each book in the New Testament, which is NOT what we want. But it's worth reading.

Great overview of the New Testament. Gundry looks at many different issues and gives little tidbits that help in understanding the Bible.Survey of the New Testament, A (4th Edition)

I am using this book for a college course and I have found this book very interesting. I am not a big reader by any means. However, I have enjoyed reading this book and learning about the history behind the New Testament writers. It gives me a new perspective when I read my bible and a greater understanding of what's going on in within each of the books of the bible. This is a keeper for future reference and to use in my personal studies.

Very good presentation of various viewpoints. Pictorial and written illustrations are outstanding. Occasionally the author's personal viewpoint is presented as an undisputed fact.

I believe that Robert Gundry has written the best introduction to the New Testament for several reasons:

1. easy to read, but not lacking in content
2. not intimidating, yet still academic
3. wonderful pictures! :)

I read the 3rd edition when I was in college. However, I like the 4th edition much better. Compared to other surveys... this one is an over-all superb treatment of the New Testament. There are plenty of illustrations, maps, timelines, and charts. The fourth edition has updated bibliographies, maps, pictures, and pronuciations of important terms. This introduction will help the reader to enter into the context of the New Testament and will strengthen your knowledge of the situations and circumstances of the original biblical author.

I recommend this book to the common man on the street... as well as the student who is able to give his time and energy to the study of the wonderful world of the New Testament.

I also recommend reading:
Grasping God's Word: A Hands-On Approach to Reading, Interpreting, and Applying the Bible
Apostle of the Crucified Lord: A Theological Introduction to Paul and His Letters
Holman Illustrated Bible Dictionary
Theology for the Community of God
The New Testament Documents: Are They Reliable?

I have used Holladay for several years. This lexicon is definitely easier for quick reference than the old standard, Brown-Driver-Briggs. It is convenient to take to class or to use at home when reading the Hebrew Scriptures. A particularly handy feature are the lists of the forms of each verb that occur in the Hebrew text, which appear at the beginning of each verb entry.

The only feature that I dislike is that Holladay chose to use transliteration for the Hebrew words within the entries. I realize that he was trying to save space, but I would have preferred Hebrew rather than romanization for the purpose. As it is, one's mind has to continually switch back and forth between the familiar Hebrew alphabet and the alien romanized forms.

This review is for 4 Hebrew lexicons in common use: Brown-Driver-Briggs, Koehler-Baumgartner, Holladay, and Langenscheidt.

The sizeable Brown-Driver-Briggs lexicon is a development of Gesenius' historic work, and a long-time standard in English speaking countries. However, it has become dated, and now is used mostly because Hendrickson put out a cheaply constructed version keyed to Strong's concordance. Oxford's Clarendon Press edition is superior if you are required to get BDB. In addition, organizing entries by verbal root rather than alphabetically makes it difficult to use "BDB" for those without intimate knowledge of Hebrew. Fortunately, there is an alternative.

The Koehler-Baumgartner lexicon is superb and thorough, and based on the latest Hebrew and Aramaic scholarship. The authors also took into account cognates from Ugaritic and Akkadian, so users of this massive work have a goldmine of information to draw from. By massive, I mean it is over 2000 pages in 2 large volumes. This plus its $190 asking price means it might be better to let the university or seminary library bear the brunt of purchasing and housing it unless you are an Old Testament specialist.

Most readers will be best served by the work of William Holladay, a reasonably sized 426 pp lexicon based on the latest scholarship. Holladay abridged K-B by removing bibliographic references and other information most needed by specialists. It is well organized (alphabetically), and the font is clear. Entries also have references (not exhaustive) to use within the Old Testament, meaning it can be used as a poor man's OT concordance. While Holladay is manageably sized enough (9.75" x 6.875" x 1.25") to be pleasant to read and easily portable in a bookbag, it is not the smallest resource available.

Some may be tempted to go a step further for the ultimate in compactness with the Langenscheidt pocket dictionary. This item is 6" x 4" x 1" and quite lightweight - in its 1959 iteration anyway. Its definitions are limited in scope and scholarly foundation, but still, what else fits in your coat pocket?

My overall recommendation: Holladay for everyone, supplemented by Koehler-Baumgartner for those who need and can afford it.

BDB: 3 stars
K-B: 5 stars
Holladay: 5 stars
Langenscheidt: 4 stars

This book delivers what it promises; "an up-to-date working tool of modest price and compass for the student of biblical Hebrew and Aramaic."

The book quality is superb and two years on is still in excellent condition considered the amount of use. The print quality is excellent and very usable. The Hebrew words are bolded, including their various forms. The basic meaning of each word is also bolded. This makes looking up words and their meanings especially efficient. I've found this excellent for translating biblical texts.

One of the most useful features is that each Hebrew word includes its various forms. As a beginner I've found this useful when parsing Hebrew text.

Proper names do not have their English rendering included. This has caused me to have to refer back to my BDB occasionally. This has been the one major flaw I've found in this work. There are transliterations included for specific usages of the Hebrew words. I found this feature a bit annoying sometimes. I would have found the actual Hebrew text to be much more useful.

This is an ideal book for use in translating biblical texts and its size and format make it extremely usable. However, I would not recommend it for in depth word studies or for those who do not read Hebrew.

This is a "lexicon" due to its references, but it's organized like a dictionary. If you're translating the Hebrew Bible, this is an awesome resource as a Biblical dictionary, but I thought I'd let y'all know that it's very different from the Armstrong Lexicon which organizes by chapter, in order. Thus, if you're working through a few chapters of Bible, in a class or on one's own, then the Armstrong will list the infrequently-used words (i.e. "the hard words!") in order by chapter, so you don't have to look up the words in a dictionary like this one.

In other words, I use both this and the Armstrong. The Holladay I use as a dictionary for a few words here and there, but when working through chapters of Hebrew Bible, the Armstrong Lexicon is more of a time-saving cheat sheet.

I had high hopes that A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament (CHALOT) would be a helpful Bible study tool. However, for me, this book is practically useless.

The words are in order according to the Hebrew alphabet. The words are written in Hebrew ONLY. It's so hard to find a word because I don't recognize the Hebrew alphabet. I search and search just trying to find the word that I'm looking for. Once I find a word, the definition isn't any clearer or more detailed than the definition in Abingdon's Strong's Exhaustive Concordance of the Bible (ASECB) -- usually, it's less detailed. Also, CHALOT (this book being reviewed) only gives a few examples of scriptures; I had hoped for all listings of where the word may be scripturally found. I find myself referring back to the ASECB to find all the word's listings (for comparison of meaning).

If you don't already read and write Hebrew, I propose that you will find this book as frustrating as I do. It is not handy for people who don't read and write Hebrew. To me, the definitions are not worth the effort and time spent searching for them.

For English-speaking Bible students, I still haven't found any better study tools than the ASECB (mentioned above) and The Interlinear Bible-Hebrew, Greek, English (IB). If you're interested in researching the earliest-known languages of the Bible, the use of these two books, together, is very thorough (exhaustive) and well organized for EASY reference. I don't know what the price differences are between the CHALOT and the ASECB (to be used with the IB), but if you're serious about Bible study and appreciate excellent referencing, the ASECB and IB are worth the money.

As for the CHALOT, I regret the money that I spent for it. I feel the on-line customer reviews that I read before buying this book were misleading.

Kay Arthur has a marvalous peice of work in the "How To Study The Bible". This book is designed for people that want to study on their own rather then a group, but make no mistake about it it can be used in group as well.

Great step by step instructions on how to break down each book of the bible and utilize the 5 W's and the H. I found it helpful because I needed something that could simplify the bible on my own so that I may seek the word of God by myself and geat a great appreciation for it.

I recommend this study guide to anyone that wants to get deeper into God's word and what he is speaking to your heart.

Awesome study tool! It helped me as soon as I began reading it. This book helps you to organize information you already know and put it into perspective. Easy to apply to studying material!

They sent the book right away and I got sooner than was expected. They did a great job packaging it, nothing was bent or anything.

This is a very good book to aid new Christians, and older Christians who have never been at a seminary or have never had a Biblical interpretation class. If Christians are to rightly divide the Word of Truth, they must be more than just willing to learn; they must have some help along the way that is effective, efficient, and simple. This book is like a mini introduction to hermeneutics and exegesis though the exegesis is very light. Kay Arthur's emphasis on Observation, Interpretation, and Application components of the Inductive Bible study are essential tools for those who are willing to learn and have a teachable spirit. Asking the 5Ws and the H through Bible studying are also mentioned here and these questions greatly help the Bible student in avoiding bringing into the text what the text is not stating or saying. I very much recommend this book and it should be one of the first books, after the Bible, of course, Bible students should buy to guide them in the challenging, arduous, and time consuming yet rewarding task of discovering the everlasting reaches found in the written Word of God.

The most basic of biblical interpretation rules is that the Bible is best interpreted with the Bible itself. This book is a primer in the most effective way to study the Bible using the Bible. The inductive method of bible study is one of many ways to study the Bible, but it is one of the most effective.

Many have read the Bible devotionally and have never actually studied its words. This book will provide a growing Christian with what they need to put their growth into high gear. The book and its methods in use are a joy to experience, and the methods are far from the idea that many might have from the book's title. This is not dry bible study.