Bibles Bible Studies Books

Exodus (The New American Commentary) I found this book to be extremely informative and helpful in leading a small group study of the book of Exodus.

I am very pleased with the book and the time that it took that i got it. Not to mention if you are interested in the Book of Exodus this is a good commentary to look through. he (Stuart) is very interested in the event of the exodus.

This is a wonderful commentary. He writes in an easily understandable style. The commentary is very thorough. A good evangelical commentary.

The thing that most impressed me about Douglas Stuart's commentary on Exodus for the New American commentary series (Broadman & Holman) is the easy proficiency with which Dr. Stuart exegetes how a particular Hebrew word or phrase should be taken in context, weaves in the ANE background, and demonstrates the way the theology not only relates to Exodus and the rest of the Pentateuch, but to entire biblical corpus. Those familiar with Dr. Stuart's prior work will not be surprised by the depth of scholarship undergirding his insights here. For a conservative commentary that is sufficiently meaty but still easy on the eyes, one could do no better.

Exodus is a pivotal book, a key volume not only in the Pentateuch but in the whole of the Hebrew bible. And Douglas Stuart is a first rate evangelical Old Testament scholar (who has already penned commentaries on Ezekiel and some of the Minor Prophets). Put the two together and you have an important and powerful combination.

There have been a number of good commentaries on the book of Exodus. Many consider the 1974 volume by Brevard Childs (Old Testament Library) to be the best written, albeit by a non-evangelical. Good volumes of a somewhat more conservative and evangelical variety have been penned by Enns (NIV Application Commentary, 2000) and Durham (Word Biblical Commentary, 1987). But this is the newest and perhaps best treatment of the book. Part of the New American Commentary series, this just released volume will long serve as the first port of call for evangelical assessments of this important Old Testament book.

Good commentaries offer a balance of two things: the technical, grammatical, cultural and other background material, along with sound theological analysis. Both exegesis and exposition are required. This volume fulfils both requirements nicely.

Stuart has clearly done his homework. (He says he consulted over 1700 items, not all of which are featured in the bibliography.) He is up on all the relevant literature, and is aware of the current debates. He also writes well, and is able to provide the theological sense of the book, and individuals passages throughout.

Given the constraints of the series, his introductory remarks do not occupy much space (only 50 pages out of an 800 page work). But more detailed discussions of important points are scattered throughout the commentary. Thus a number of excurses into various disputed issues, difficult topics, or theological hot potatoes are interspersed in these pages. Surprisingly however one such item, the Divine name YHWH as revealed in Exodus 3:14, receives no separate excursus, but just a half page discussion (along with a half page footnote, leading the reader to further study).

While acknowledging that extra-biblical evidence for Exodus is thin, he is more optimistic than writers like Durham about the book's historicity. He also ascribes Mosaic authorship to the book.

His thematic approach to this book is to highlight the servant theme: Israel's' exodus from Egyptian servitude is replaced by servitude to Yahweh. The transition from being servants of a bad king to being servants of a good king is the overriding motif of the book, although Stuart lists eight other key themes, including the necessity of law, the promised land, and covenant relationship.

The commentary itself is a nice blend of giving the sense of the text along with the various technical considerations that need to be addressed. More scholarly discussion is reserved for the footnotes, which are plenteous and lengthy. Thus the main body of the text can be easily followed, but the numerous excurses and footnotes take the reader to more advanced levels, when deeper considerations are called for.

All in all this is a very fine commentary indeed, which should serve both student and scholar for many years to come.

~The Macarthur Bible Handbook~ is not a commentary, but rather a handy reference guide for evangelical Christians to the Bible. The outlines are a touch nice as are the historical backgrounds. There is a handy comparative harmony of the Gospel outline. Every book of the Bible features a comprehensive overview. With regards to John MacArthur's theology, he is an adherent of dispensationalism, and it shows in areas dealing with eschatology (i.e. doctrine of last things, prophecy.) Although, MacArthur is also a 5 point Calvinist in his soteriology (i.e. doctrine of salvation). Overall, it makes for a handy reference tool, though it is not too in-depth, but valuable for getting Bible backgrounds on various books and eras of redemptive history.

This wonderful resource is an in-depth, book-by-book examination of the entire Bible. Each book is given its own chapter, and is explained with such information as why it is titled as it is, its author and date, background and setting, key people in the book, historical and theological themes, key doctrines, and interpretive challenges. Also included for each boo is an outline, and several "tough questions" and their answers.

I hope that the above description shows that this is an excellent resource for any serious Bible student, because it definitely is. As with all of Dr. MacArthur's works, this book is a work of Biblical exposition excellence, and is a worthwhile addition to any Christian's library. I refer to this book often, in my studies, and would not want to be without it. I give this book my highest recommendations!

THE BEST.
As with all of Dr. John Macarthur's works, this is excellent. I highly recommend.

This text has been very valuable in my studies. It has created a detailed construct that has allowed me to understand the Bible as a united story rather than a collection of books... it has helped me to understand the entire context of the Bible. This handbook even helps to facilitate deeper book-by-book studies as well. The book is well-worth the cost!

I am pleasantly surprised by this handbook. John MacArthur did a masterfully wonderful job researching and combining his sermons together to write this great book.

This is not your typical Bible handbook like "Nave's". Instead the MacArthur "Handbook" is like what you would find in a study Bible at the beginning of each book of the Bible. BUT the MacArthur "Handbook" goes into far more detail.

This indepth MacArthur Bible handbook gives you an "Introduction to the Bible", "How We Got The Bible", and "How to Study the Bible". It also gives you an indepth book-by-book examination of all 66 books of the Bible.

Not only that, this MacArthur handbook also has much to offer by examining each of the 66 books by its author, the date approximately written, the meaning of each book, background and settings, key people, key words, key doctrines, interpretive challenges, God's Character, book outline, answers to tough questions, and how to further study each book. As well as there is "A Harmony of The Gospels", "Introduction to the Intertestamental Period", "Overview of Theology", and too much more to state here.

This is an excellent resource for anyone studying the Bible and is a must have in any library.

My Sunday School class decided they wanted to study a New Testament book with Old Testament references and so we going through Hebrews verse-by-verse. This turned out to be very difficult until I obtained "Hebrews" (Macarthur New Testament Commentary). Because Hebrews is directed toward the Jewish community using language and references that are unknown or misunderstood by modern Christians, teaching such a class was not possible without the excellent support of "Hebrews." I fully recommend this commentary to folks who wish to understand the book of Hebrews.

John MacArthur's commentaries on the New Testament (and how I long for him to do the same with the Old) are one of my favorite sets. This work on Hebrews has proven to be his best in the series.

Many commentaries on the Bible often give theological meaning and offer insights into the passages but Dr. MacArthur does both and gives us a devotional commentary as well. He maintains this in Hebrews. Dr. MacArthur explains the text, draws key theological insights and even dissagreements (such as Hebrews 6:4-9), and yet combines evangelical scholarship with easy to read and grasp language. All Greek words are transliterated for those who have a limited knowledge of Greek (which is most of us).

Further, Dr. MacArthur's outlines are great. Any preacher would value the expository outlines of each chapter and subject that Dr. MacArthur is dealing with in all these commentaries. I urge you to buy them all if possible.

I recommend this text for any woman wanting practical guidance on becoming what God wants her to be: Virtuous!!
The women of my church have recently created a book club, and BEAUTIFUL IN GOD'S EYES is our first.

Oh how I wish I could afford to purchase these books for every lady I love, whether married or single! Elizabeth George has become my sister/friend who meets with me and Jesus every morning over coffee and God's Word! How amazing it is that Father uses an author of a book to minister in such a real way! I and my dear family have been thoroughly blessed (and I have been eternally CHANGED) by the impact this challenging book has had on my life! Always before, I have shied away from Prov. 31 material as it PLAGUES me with guilt because of my short comings, not so with Elizabeth's George's material! PLEASE get this book and be BLESSED! (I HIGHLY recommend the study guide that comes with it!)

This is a great book for women! A friend of mine told me to read it and I'm so glad I did. It has truly helped me become a better wife...and mom!

No harping, no munipulation, just good clean examples of that Proverbs 31 woman that we look up to. The author brings it together and makes a beautiful thing.

I absolutely love Elizabeth George's "Loving God with all your Mind" and want every woman to read it. I started reading "A Woman After God's Own Heart" (then lost it when I moved) and loved what I read. Excellent material for a biblestudy. I can't believe its the same author who wrote "Beautiful in God's Eyes". My biblestudy read the first half and we had to stop. We've talked to other women who have done the same. DON'T READ THIS BOOK. I am a very conservative Christian and this book threw me back to the 50s in a bad way. If you want to learn about obedience to God through serving your husband tea and cutting out coupons, this is the book for you. If a non-christian read this, she would think Christian women are "Stepford Wives". What a turn-off! Sorry, Elizabeth!

What is textual criticism? Why is it necessary? How should it be done? At eighty pages (of large type), Black's introduction to New Testament textual criticism can be read in a single sitting and provides answers to these questions.

Black introduces the reader (any reader) to the various manuscripts underlying the New Testament and presents the different perspectives on textual criticism. As stated in the preface, "this volume attempts to make the findings of scholarship accessible to a wide readership. Nothing in this book is taken for granted. Every term, every problem, is explained clearly, concisely, and 'from scratch'." I certainly found this to be true. The first two chapters discuss the need for textual criticism and the different approaches to the task. The final chapter provides a few examples to help the reader understand some of the issues faced by textual critics as they try to determine the original Greek text behind the New Testament. The bibliography gives you a number of additional reading suggestions to move beyond "A Concise Guide".

If you are simply a lay person as I am, reading this book will allow you to have a better understanding of why some Bibles occassionally offer footnotes containing alternate translations. Black's book will also give you a better understanding of the history behind the New Testament scriptures and how they have been preserved from the apostles' time to our own. If there is a drawback to the book, it would probably be that you may find the price to be a bit high for such a short book.

If you don't want to go any further than an introductory understanding of textual criticism, then this is probably a great book for you. (The author also suggests that it could be useful as a "refresher" for those already familiar with textual criticism.) If you are looking to get involved in a more thorough understanding of the debated approaches to textual criticism, there are likely other books out there that would better satisfy that desire - though they are probably not concise introductions.

New Testament Textual Criticism: A Concise Guide, written by David Alan Black, is indeed what the title details. Written compactly and with little frivolous information, David Black gives not only the experienced, but also the novice greek student a solid foundation upon which to base a practice of textual criticism. A unique feature in this remarkably short work, the material given is contained as much in appendixed form and bibliographical information as in traditional text. A wonderful guide for further scholarship, the author entices the reader to further explore the original text of the New Testament.

**** Reading the Bible is at once simple and complex. To help you understand the structure of the Bible, having a book like this one can be useful and facilitate your reading plan, especially if you have signed onto a speed Bible reading program, ie, The Bible In Ninety Days or similar plans. However, this book can also be a useful tool for those who are already quite comfortable with the Holy Word. Detailed charts and outlines breaking down the books of the Bible and clarifying where things fit on a timeline are almost worth the price of this volume alone. ****

The IVP Introduction to the Bible is an anthology of essays by learned biblical studies teachers written to help Christian readers of all walks of life better understand both the Old and New Testaments. Offering historical and other background information for each Testament and the Bible as a whole, plus a thoughtful introduction of each biblical book in turn, The IVP Introduction to the Bible will prove especially valuable to novice to intermediate biblical students and scholars. Highly recommended as a solid religious studies reference for public and college library shelves.

This book is a nice addition to the body of tools for BH and biblical/textual criticism. It is a dictionary of TERMS, not a dictionary of Hebrew words as another reviewer pointed out. It defines over 2,000 terms dealing with the grammar, syntax, linguistics, textual criticism and OT criticism -- as they relate to Biblical Hebrew, very handy. To my knowledge, there isn't anything like this on the market and it definitely fills the void. Given the price, you can't go wrong with this book. I would recommend this to the beginners and advanced students alike.


There are things that would like to see changed in future editions of the book -- I do hope that they are forthcoming. Here are some specific examples of suggestions that I believe would further enhance the value of the book:

1. There are terms that could use examples. For example, the term "oath formula" has a brief discussion of the term and a reference to Jouon's book, but no example. The same goes for prophetic perfect and other terms, which would deserve an example. There are other terms that list examples, but it would be nice to have them all covered even briefly. Another simple example is "kaph veritatis", which does not provide any example of what this means, it just says "The kaph preposition when it is employed pleonastically." Obviously, I'm not referring to an exhaustive list of examples, just a one or two per term would do for an illustration. It's a matter of consistency of the use of examples.

2. Inconsistency of inclusion/exclusion of terms. For example "tD stem" and "G stem" are defined terms, but not "N", "H", etc. stems using the same nomenclature. Instead, it's a mix and match. It would be helpful to list them and discuss different nomenclatures under either "stem" and "verbal stem", which are defined terms but with little detail. Similarly, "Midrash" and "Pesher" are defined separately, but biblical interpretation as a discipline encompassing them and other methods is not. Another example is the inclusion of Qoheleth, but the omission of Threni or Canticum....

3. I'd like to see indexes at the end of the book. Since the book claims to cover the fields/topics of "grammar, syntax, linguistics, textual criticism and OT criticism", it would be nice to have lists of terms with page references for each topic, i.e. all the technical terms pertaining to textual criticism, etc. at the back of the book.

Compact and concise ... I take it with me as I study away from home.

This book is a gem, and one I would recommend for all levels of readers of biblical Hebrew. Virtually every term utilized in teaching and learning Biblical Hebrew goes by various names, most of which don't make sense until explained to us in a concise way. This little pocket dictionary does just that; it clarifies many of the synonyms employed in teaching and learning the terminology of Biblical Hebrew. The definitions are erudite, up-to-date, and easily navigable. The dictionary also contains terms employed by text-level critics of the Hebrew OT. I recommend it to all students of the Hebrew OT.

First, a word of caution: This is NOT a Hebrew dictionary. I ordered it thinking that it was a dictionary of Biblical Hebrew words; but that's not what it is. It is actually a dictionary of terminology used in the study of Biblical Hebrew. In other words, it is a dictionary of technical terms from the fields of linguistics, textual criticism, and exegesical method. Fortunately, this dictionary makes a useful addition to the linguistics section of my library. I've only glanced through it a few times; but it appears to be a good reference work for students of linguistics and textual criticism. But it's not what I was looking for when I bought it. If you're looking for a Hebrew dictionary, look elsewhere.

This book took about 10 days longer than the rest of the books that I ordered. Iwas still in good shape and packaged well though--just slow.

I've read part way through this book at this point, reading it together with a friend. It provides plenty material for discussion. It seems to me to be aimed at a seminary audience, as there are some theological and Greek grammatical terms used, but not fully explained. It's not quick reading, but it makes up for that in the unique content.

The content is to take a dozen key passages whose interpretation has varied over the last couple thousand years, and show exactly how these interpretations have varied. The title of the book, "...in Full Circle" refers to the idea that some contemporary interpretations have more in common with the most ancient church fathers than they do with their immediate predecessors over the last four or five hundred years.

All in all, it's a fascinating way of looking at scripture - through the eyes of influential authors over the course of almost twenty centuries.