Abishai, Joab, and Asahel live in the shadow of both shame and glory, from their uncle David's battlefield exploits and their mother's disgraceful past. When given the opportunity, will they prove themselves worthy to be called the nephews of Israel's greatest hero? Or will their misdeeds doom them forever to be remembered as the sons of Zeruiah?Drawing from Biblical, historical, and cultural sources, Brian Lee Meyer brings relatively unknown figures to life. Sons of Zeruiah: The Mighty Men of King David is an epic tale which takes its readers from the caves at Adullum to the siege of Jerusalem, as seen by the men who fought and bled there.
Pastor and Bible teacher Randy McCracken offers an intimate look at lesser-known members of 1 and 2 Samuel's four main families--those of Samuel, Eli, Saul, and David. Examining characters unfamiliar to many Bible readers, he reveals important lessons for today.
This book is the first scholarly English translation of the Ze’enah U-Re’enah, a Jewish classic originally published in the beginning of the seventeenth century, and was the first significant anthological commentary on the Torah, Haftorot and five Megillot. The Ze’enah U-Re’enah is a major text that was talked about but has not adequately studied, although it has been published in two hundred and seventy-four editions, including the Yiddish text and partial translation into several languages. Many generations of Jewish men and women have studied the Torah through the Rabbinic and medieval commentaries that the author of the Ze’enah U-Re’enah collected and translated in his work. It shaped their understanding of Jewish traditions and the lives of Biblical heroes and heroines. The Ze’enah U-Re’enah can teach us much about the influence of biblical commentaries, popular Jewish theology, folkways, and religious practices. This translation is based on the earliest editions of the Ze’enah U-Re’enah, and the notes annotate the primary sources utilized by the author.
"A masterpiece of contemporary Bible translation and commentary."—Los Angeles Times Book Review, Best Books of 1999 Acclaimed for its masterful new translation and insightful commentary, The David Story is a fresh, vivid rendition of one of the great works in Western literature. Robert Alter's brilliant translation gives us David, the beautiful, musical hero who slays Goliath and, through his struggles with Saul, advances to the kingship of Israel. But this David is also fully human: an ambitious, calculating man who navigates his life's course with a flawed moral vision. The consequences for him, his family, and his nation are tragic and bloody. Historical personage and full-blooded imagining, David is the creation of a literary artist comparable to the Shakespeare of the history plays.
Sons of Zadok—The Prequel to the Remnant Rescue Series is the story of a fictional brotherhood of Israelites (male descendants of Kohath from the tribe of Levi) who have sworn to guard the sacred Ark of the Covenant with their lives. In 944 B.C., Zadok, the High Priest of Israel, commissions loyal followers to build an intricate mechanism deep under King Solomon’s Temple in Jerusalem to protect the Ark from harm. They fulfilled their sacred duty for over 400 years, during which time civil wars, ungodly kings, corrupt priests, national apostasy, and invasions from Syria, Assyria, and Egypt destroy the nation’s long history of faithfulness to their One True God. The Ark of the Covenant will remain hidden until Israel repents and turns back to the LORD. In 586 B.C., a massive Babylonian army is poised at Jerusalem’s gates intent on leveling the fortress-city and King Solomon’s Temple to their foundations. With no salvation in sight, the last Kohathites remove the Ark from its hiding place and carry it to a distant land for safekeeping. It will remain there until the Temple is rebuilt, Israelites regather from exile, and Messiah comes to establish His Kingdom. Sons of Zadok is the fictional background to Remnant Rescue—The Tapez Scroll in the Remnant Rescue series which is a modern-day thriller trilogy that takes place in a future seven-year period called the Tribulation, during which time God pours out His divine judgment on planet Earth and Satan wreaks havoc using the Antichrist whom the world knows as Constantine, Prince of Rome. The Antichrist demands that every human being on the planet worship him and his image in a rebuilt Temple in Jerusalem. Anticipating the coming holocaust that the Bible calls the Great Tribulation, or the Time of Jacob’s Trouble, a brave group of Christians dare to risk their lives to rescue a remnant of Jews who look forward to their coming Messiah.
The Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible gathers nearly 5,000 alphabetically ordered articles that thoroughly yet clearly explain all the books, persons, places, and significant terms found in the Bible. The Dictionary also explores the background of each biblical book and related writings and discusses cultural, natural, geographical, and literary phenomenae matters that Bible students at all levels may encounter in reading or discussion. Nearly 600 first-rate Bible authorities have contributed to the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible. Intended as a tool for practical Bible use, this illustrated dictionary reflects recent archaeological discoveries and the breadth of current biblical scholarship, including insights from critical analysis of literary, historical, sociological, and other methodological issues. The editorial team has also incorporated articles that explore and interpret important focuses of biblical theology, text and transmission, Near Eastern archaeology, extrabiblical writings, and pertinent ecclesiastical traditions - all of which help make the Eerdmans Dictionary of the Bible the most comprehensive and up-to-date one-volume Bible dictionary on the market today.
Much-Afraid had been in the service of the Chief Shepherd, whose great flocks were pastured down in the Valley of Humiliation. She lived with her friends and fellow workers Mercy and Peace in a tranquil little white cottage in the village of Much-Trembling. She loved her work and desired intensely to please the Chief Shepherd, but happy as she was in most ways, she was conscious of several things which hindered her in her work and caused her much secret distress and shame. Here is the allegorical tale of Much-Afraid, an every-woman searching for guidance from God to lead her to a higher place.
The power of story as God's word to the community of faith is never more clear than in the books of Samuel. Emotion, drama, complexity of character, and mystery fill the pages of these two biblical books. Eugene Peterson's commentary emphasizes the resonance and interplay between these stories of kings and prophets and the social and cultural issues that concern us today. Books in the Westminster Bible Companion series assist laity in their study of the Bible as a guide to Christian faith and practice. Each volume explains the biblical book in its original historical context and explores its significance for faithful living today. These books are ideal for individual study and for Bible study classes and groups.
