Presents the complete text of the New Revised Standard Version Bible, with the Aprocryphal/Deuterocanonical books; and features annotations in a single column across the page bottom, in-text background essays on the major divisions of the biblical text, and other reference tools.
The Strangest Books in the Bible presents for the general reader and the Christian pulpit the five biblical books: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. These books are among the most neglected literature in the Bible for Christians. In the Hebrew Bible, they are gathered in a minor canonical collection known as the Megilloth ("scrolls") because each book figures liturgically in one of the annual Jewish festivals. Readers will find background information (date, occasion, theological message, etc.) necessary to preparing sermons based on each book. Brief sermon "starters" follow, suggesting approaches for preaching on each book as a whole, as well as individual passages within the book, including passages found in the Revised Common Lectionary, used by more than twenty denominations. The complete text of a sample sermon from the book rounds out the discussion. Chapters close with a brief annotated bibliography of additional resources the minister may wish to consult while preparing a sermon for that book. A general introduction to the Megilloth stands at the beginning of the monograph. The Strangest Books in the Bible is designed particularly for ordained and lay ministers, priests, seminarians, and others who preach in churches and religious gatherings, as well as for faculty who teach in seminary or in Christian educational programs. It is also especially informative for the general reader who is interested in this strange, biblical literature. The Strangest Books in the Bible assist those who desire to explore in homiletic mode this neglected side of biblical faith. Pastors, priests, seminarians, and lay ministers will find in The Strangest Books in the Bible a surefooted, contemporary guide to preaching the neglected books of the Megilloth: Song of Solomon, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, and Esther. No other guide to preaching the Megilloth is currently available.
Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies is your one-stop guide to once-hidden works that add a new dimension to Biblical teachings. Most people have heard about the discovery of strange ancient religious writings that are not part the Hebrew Bible or the New Testament, such as the Gnostic Gospels. Now, you will find new insights and a fresh perspective on long-lost works that may have once been in the running for Biblical inclusion, but didn't make the final cut. This easy-to-understand guide examines the sometimes weird, provocative, and profoundly moving texts that have been "lost" as well as those hotly debated works that are in some Bibles and not others. You will come away with a clearer understanding of the Judeo-Christian religion and the development of the Biblical canon. You’ll learn about the origins of the Bible, explore early scriptures, and understand why translations affect the meanings of texts. You’ll even learn how the Greek influenced early Biblical writing. Find out how to: Explain what the term “lost books” means Understand the definition of “canon” Take translation differences into consideration Divide early writings into style categories Take another look at scripture with the Dead Sea Scrolls See how the Greeks influenced early scripture Decode apocalyptic visions Complete with a list of ten of the weirdest Jewish lost books, ten of the weirdest Christian lost books, ten sayings of Jesus NOT in the Bible, and ten “lost books that every student of the Bible should read, Lost Books of the Bible For Dummies is your one-stop guide to understanding and reading the Biblical lost books.
The neglected contexts for biblical interpretation Context is king, so the maxim goes. Sensitivity to context—of a verse, chapter, or book—is essential for proper biblical interpretation. Yet the Bible contains another set of key clues that readers rarely consider. In Text and Paratext, Gregory Goswell explores paratext and its implications for biblical interpretation. Paratextual features are the parts of a text that surround the main text itself, such as a book's canonical location, title, and internal divisions. These features have been intentionally added to support the text and direct readers. Different arrangements of the Old and New Testaments reveal connections and associations. A book's title announces the focus of its content. Book divisions create breaks and form units of text. Commentary is baked into paratextual features, making every Bible a study Bible. Rather than veiling the text's meaning, paratext highlights interpretive possibilities both ancient and fresh. While often overlooked, paratextual features guided interpretation throughout church history and should inform our study of Scripture today. With the help of glossaries and study questions, Goswell's study equips readers to understand paratext and its implications and become better interpreters of the Bible.
For over 50 years students, professors, clergy, and general readers have relied on The New Oxford Annotated Bible as an unparalleled authority in Study Bibles. This fifth edition of the Annotated, thumb-indexed and in a protective two-piece box, remains the best way to study and understand the Bible at home or in the classroom. This thoroughly revised and substantially updated edition contains the best scholarship informed by recent discoveries and anchored in the solid Study Bible tradition. · Introductions and extensive annotations for each book by acknowledged experts in the field provide context and guidance. · Introductory essays on major groups of biblical writings - Pentateuch, Prophets, Gospels, and other sections - give readers an overview that guides more intensive study. · General essays on history, translation matters, different canons in use today, and issues of daily life in biblical times inform the reader of important aspects of biblical study. · Maps and diagrams within the text contextualize where events took place and how to understand them. · Color maps give readers the geographical orientation they need for understanding historical accounts throughout the Bible. · Timelines, parallel texts, weights and measures, calendars, and other helpful tables help navigate the biblical world. · An extensive glossary of technical terms demystifies the language of biblical scholarship. · An index to the study materials eases the way to the quick location of information. The New Oxford Annotated Bible, with twenty new essays and introductions and others--as well as annotations--fully revised, offers the reader flexibility for any learning style. Beginning with a specific passage or a significant concept, finding information for meditation, sermon preparation, or academic study is straightforward and intuitive. A volume that users will want to keep for continued reference, The New Oxford Annotated Bible continues the Oxford University Press tradition of providing excellence in scholarship for the general reader. Generations of users attest to its status as the best one-volume Bible reference tool for any home, library, or classroom.
Despite the welcome revival of scholarly interest in Biblical Wisdom, the Book of Proverbs remains neglected. It continues to be seen as a disorganised repository of traditional banalities, while Job and Qohelet are viewed as more exciting texts, in revolt against Proverbs' conventional wisdom. This book argues that this misleading consensus owes more to scholarly presuppositions than to the content of Proverbs; it sees Proverbs as a challenging work, one that aims to provoke a critical appropriation of wisdom and in which diverse sources have been skilfully brought together by a creative final editor to form a complex unity. Many divergences from the Hebrew in the Greek witness to the translator's discomfort with his spikey, provocative original. Peter Hatton challenges many existing scholarly assumptions and calls for a re-evaluation of the role and significance of Proverbs in relation to the other biblical wisdom books and the whole canon.
This volume of the Navarre Bible commentaries sheds light on the simple beauty of the Psalms and Song of Solomon (Song of Songs). The Catechism teaches that the Psalms, whether hymns or prayers of lamentation or thanksgiving, whether individual or communal, whether royal chants, songs of pilgrimage or wisdom-meditations are a mirror of God's marvelous deeds in the history of his people, as well as reflections of the human experiences of the Psalmist. Even though they often reflect events of the past, the Psalms still possess such direct simplicity and depth that they can be prayed sincerely in all times and conditions. This edition with its illuminating commentary will help make these prayers an important part of your life. This sturdy hardcover contains the complete Latin and English texts of each book; commentary based on the writings of the great saints and doctors of the Church; and material on each book's historical and Biblical context.