The book of Ecclesiastes speaks eloquently to the uncertainties and anxieties that people have experienced through the centuries. James Limburg brings this ancient book to life for readers in our probing, questioning twenty-first-century times. He illuminates the contemporary existential themes in Ecclesiastes -- the quest for meaning in life, the incompleteness of our knowledge, the place of work in human lives, and the need to discover God amid life's uncertainties. A fresh, relevant discussion, arising from Limburg's extensive teaching experience, Encountering Ecclesiastes is ideal for any reader seeking to understand the timeless wisdom of Ecclesiastes.
Encounter God through the Scriptures as you are guided by the wisdom and experience of the Blackaby family. The deepest need of every human heart is to encounter God. To meet with God, to be changed by Him, and to become more like Him as a result. For decades, the Blackaby family has dedicated their ministry to helping believers address this deepest need. Now you can learn from their insights to experience deeper encounters with God as you develop a regular routine of Bible reading and study in the Encountering God Study Bible. The Encountering God Study Bible is the crowning work of the Blackabys. Featuring their trusted approach to Bible study, explanatory notes, word studies, biblical character sketches, historical encounters with lives of exemplary faith, articles highlighting the creative nature of God, and other articles defending the faith, you will be encouraged to see that you can encounter God in His Word—and that He wants to encounter you through it. Features include: Encounter Notes highlighting how God might choose to encounter you in His Word Articles highlighting the creative nature of God by Daniel Blackaby Articles defending the lasting truths of the faith by Mike Blackaby Rich explanatory notes explaining ideas, events, people, and places in the text to make the meaning clear Word studies, character studies, and biographical sketches of church history figures all written by members of the Blackaby family Book introductions setting the scene for each biblical book and its importance for encountering God Timeline of the biblical narrative A succinct harmony of the Gospels Chart of the prophecies fulfilled by Jesus as Messiah Reading plans Center-column reference set Full NKJV concordance Index to word studies, character studies, historical encounters, apologetic, and aesthetic articles Clear and readable NKJV Comfort Print® in a 9-point print size
Ecclesiastes is the most surprising book in the Scriptures. It challenges its readers to reconsider what they think life is about and how far it is possible to understand God’s involvement in the world. This commentary seeks to help people enter the world of Ecclesiastes and see how it can increase their understanding of God and of themselves.
The book of Ecclesiastes is probably best known for its repeated refrain that "everything is meaningless," or "vanity." However, a thorough reading demonstrates that this is not its final conclusion. Knut Heim's Tyndale commentary shows that the book is intellectually sophisticated, theologically rich, emotionally deep—and full of humor.
Koheleth's powerful guidebook for living without certainty and security in a world of constant change can become a companion for your own spiritual journey. Twenty-three hundred years ago, an unnamed Hebrew sage known only as Koheleth, the Assembler of Wisdom, rocked the ancient Jewish world with a critique of society that shattered conventional notions of God, piety, politics, and power. Koheleth lived in a world of change and challenge not unlike our own. His teachings, known as the Book of Ecclesiastes, sought to empower people not unlike ourselves, which is why this book of the Hebrew Bible still speaks to us—people of all faiths—today. In this contemporary and accurate translation, Rami Shapiro presents the Book of Ecclesiastes as neither revelation nor prophecy but as a rational and inspirational guide to living well in the midst of uncertainty. Beginning with its opening broadside, "Havel havalim!"—not “futility” or “vanity” as most translations would have it, but “breath,” “vapor,” and “impermanence”—Shapiro opens up Koheleth’s approach to living in a world where nothing lasts and justice is illusory; a world devoted to accumulating power, wealth, pleasure, and even knowledge that leaves you drowning in anxiety and needless suffering. He shows how Koheleth’s God demands neither sacrifice nor adherence to commandments, offering instead a practical lifestyle rooted in moderation, meaningful work, and friendship. Now you can experience the Book of Ecclesiastes and understand Koheleth’s teachings with no previous knowledge of the Hebrew Bible. This SkyLight Illuminations edition presents insightful commentary that restores this ancient text to its timeless place as a guide to living sanely in an often insane world.
Explore new routes into the burgeoning field of biblical literature and film theory The present collection of essays is a sequel to the groundbreaking Semeia 74 issue, published in 1996, entitled Biblical Glamour and Hollywood Glitz. These new essays showcase the divergent approaches from film studies and cultural studies that can be used in the visual analysis of biblical and religious themes, narratives, and characters in cinema. It is the first volume that specifically addresses issues of methodology, theory, and analysis in the study between bible and film. As such, this collection is of interest to scholars in film studies and theology/religion/biblical studies, who are invested in doing interdisciplinary research in the expanding field of religion and film. Features Specific focus on methods of film analysis, rather than the more common focus on thematic analysis in the study of religion, Bible, and film. Visual analysis in the encounter between Bible and film Fourteen essays and an introduction by top scholars in the field
The Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The Old Testament and Apocrypha and Fortress Commentary on the Bible: The New Testament present a balanced synthesis of current scholarship on the Bible, enabling readers to interpret Scripture for a complex and pluralistic world. Introductory articles in each volume discuss the dramatic challenges that have shaped contemporary interpretation of the Bible. Commentary articles set each book of the Old and New Testaments and the Apocrypha in its historical and cultural context, discuss the themes in each book that have proven most important for the Christian interpretive tradition, and introduce the most pressing questions facing the responsible use of the Bible today. The writers are renowned authorities in the historical interpretation of the Old and New Testaments, sensitive to theological and cultural issues arising in our encounter with the text, richly diverse in social locations and vantage points, representing a broad array of theological commitment—Protestants, Catholics, Jews, and others, and alive to the ethical consequences of interpretation today. A team of six scholar editors and seventy contributors provide clear and concise commentary on key sense units in each book of the Old Testament, Apocrypha, and New Testament. Each unit is explored through the lenses of three levels of commentary based on these critical questions. The result is a commentary that is comprehensive and useful for gaining insights on the texts for preaching, teaching, and research. In addition to the commentary essays on each book, the volumes also contain major essays that introduce each section of Scripture and explore critical questions as well as up-to-date and comprehensive bibliographies for each book and essay.
This is the first full-length study of Ecclesiastes using methods of philosophical exegesis, specifically those of the modern French philosophers Levinas and Blanchot. T. A. Perry opens up new horizons in the philosophical understanding of the Hebrew Bible, offering a series of meditations on its general spiritual outlook. Perry breaks down Ecclesiastes's motto "all is vanity" and returns "vanity" to its original concrete meaning of "breath," the breath of life. This central and forgotten teaching of Ecclesiastes leads to new areas of breath research related both to environmentalism and breath control.
Respected Old Testament scholar Craig Bartholomew, coauthor of the well-received Drama of Scripture, provides a careful exegetical reading of Ecclesiastes in this addition to the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms series. Along with helpful translation and commentary, Ecclesiastes considers the theological implications of the text and its literary, historical, and grammatical dimensions. Footnotes deal with many of the technical matters, allowing readers of varying levels of interest and training to read and profit from the commentary and to engage the biblical text at an appropriate level. Pastors, teachers, and all serious students of the Bible will find here an accessible commentary that will serve as an excellent resource for their study.
The book of Ecclesiastes is, above all else, unflinchingly honest. Whether wrestling with the tedium of work, the injustices of life, the ravages of age, or the inevitability of death, this enigmatic Old Testament book takes a hard look at the way the world really is. And yet, as Phil Ryken points out in this instructive commentary, Ecclesiastes wisely teaches people to trust God in the midst of such struggles. Written with pastors and Bible teachers in mind, this commentary will equip readers to better understand, explain, and apply the message of Ecclesiastes, highlighting the book’s enduring relevance as a testament to the ultimate duty of all people: fearing God and keeping his commandments. The Psalms is one of the most widely loved books of the Bible. A source of instruction for our prayers, inspiration for our songs, and consolation for our tears, these biblical poems resound with the whole spectrum of human emotion and teach us to hope in God each and every day. In the first volume of a three-part commentary on the Psalms, pastor James Johnston walks readers through chapters 1–44, offering exegetical and pastoral insights along the way. In an age that prizes authenticity, this resource will help anyone interested in studying, teaching, or preaching the Bible to truly engage with God in a life-changing and heart-shaping way. Part of the Preaching the Word series.
