Must read books to greatly understand the Old Testament?

[ReformedFisher]

I just finished reading the OT along with RTS' OT Introduction and Hendriksen's Bible Survey. I'm going through it again with Longman/Dillard's Intro. I've also started The Shadow of Christ in the Law of Moses book.

What are some other must reads that really open up an understanding of the Old Testament? I have Kingdom of Priests by Merrill but I hear he is a dispensationist? Is it worth the read? I want to focus my time wisely on material that will give me a greater understanding and not waste my time or money.

Thanks!

 

[JP Wallace]

Kingdom of Priests is a good read, I wouldnt be too concerned about the Dispensationalism, as it is about the cultural history and archaelogical and other background matters as much as anything else.

I'd reccomend the three O. Palmer Robertson volimes: The Christ of the Covenants, The Christ of the Prophets and the Christ of the Wisdom.

Gleason Archer's A Survey of New Testament History is fairly good too.

 

[No Other Name]

Hendriksen's Bible Survey

Does that go into cultural-historical detail in any great depth?

Kingdom of Priests is a good read, I wouldnt be too concerned about the Dispensationalism, as it is about the cultural history and archaelogical and other background matters as much as anything else.

^ Now this sounds intriguing. As someone who is primarily interested in cultural history/ archeaological/ background matters, can you possibly comment on how much more or less it goes into detail than International Standard Bible Enyclopedia? If not, I understand.

Also, author please?

 

[Polanus1561]

Paradise to Promised Land

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the LORD?

Biblical Theology by Vos

 

[greenbaggins]

The single most important book for understanding the OT (apart from the OT itself) is Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology. After that, the Robertson books are excellent, as is the Van Pelt edited volume A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. For the Pentateuch, read Alexander's From Paradise to the Promised Land as well as Poythress's book already mentioned. For the historical books, read Provan/Long/Longman's A Biblical History of Israel, and Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament. For the poetic books, read Estes Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (and the Robertson book already mentioned). For the prophets, I like Van Gemeren's Interpreting the Prophetic Word, as well as the Robertson volume.

 

[JTB.SDG]

Calvin's institutes are also very good (of course). And somehow easier to understand than Vos. Lots of helpful sections in there that loosen/open up knots in understanding the OT, and very devotional as well.

 

[retroGRAD3]

Calvin's institutes are also very good (of course). And somehow easier to understand than Vos. Lots of helpful sections in there that loosen/open up knots in understanding the OT, and very devotional as well.

I have always found Calvin very straight forward and much easier to understand than some of his contemporaries.

 

[ReformedFisher]

Does that go into cultural-historical detail in any great depth?


^ Now this sounds intriguing. As someone who is primarily interested in cultural history/ archeaological/ background matters, can you possibly comment on how much more or less it goes into detail than International Standard Bible Enyclopedia? If not, I understand.

Also, author please?

Hendriksen touches on some cultural-historical detail but before he gets too detailed he points the reader to one of his commentaries. It is a nice fly-by though and points out a lot of history quickly. Some of it goes by so fast it is hard to retain but his book was written with memorization in mind and gives a lot of tips for memorizing what he is addressing.

Kingdom of Priests seems to be exactly what you are looking for.. I didn't like the first chapter but it appears to get better after that.. it is almost too focused on extra-biblical material for me, or so I thought with the first chapter. After skimming other chapters it seems to get more interesting for my perspective.

 

[ReformedFisher]

Kingdom of Priests is a good read, I wouldnt be too concerned about the Dispensationalism, as it is about the cultural history and archaelogical and other background matters as much as anything else.

I'd reccomend the three O. Palmer Robertson volimes: The Christ of the Covenants, The Christ of the Prophets and the Christ of the Wisdom.

Gleason Archer's A Survey of New Testament History is fairly good too.

From what I have read so far in Kingdom of Priests, he sounds like a Covenant Theologian.. can't believe he seems this solid and is a dispensationalist.

Thanks for the other recommends.

 

[ReformedFisher]

Calvin's institutes are also very good (of course). And somehow easier to understand than Vos. Lots of helpful sections in there that loosen/open up knots in understanding the OT, and very devotional as well.

Paradise to Promised Land

Who Shall Ascend the Mountain of the LORD?

Biblical Theology by Vos

The single most important book for understanding the OT (apart from the OT itself) is Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology. After that, the Robertson books are excellent, as is the Van Pelt edited volume A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. For the Pentateuch, read Alexander's From Paradise to the Promised Land as well as Poythress's book already mentioned. For the historical books, read Provan/Long/Longman's A Biblical History of Israel, and Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament. For the poetic books, read Estes Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (and the Robertson book already mentioned). For the prophets, I like Van Gemeren's Interpreting the Prophetic Word, as well as the Robertson volume.

Thank you all! Great suggestions! Several I've never heard of.

@greenbaggins that RTS OT Intro I mentioned in my OP is the Van Pelt one. Great read.. I read their New Testament Intro as well and it was excellent. I'm only to Leviticus this time around in the Bible and in Longman/Dillard's OT Intro and I think I like it better but it might just be because I am currently reading it. They are both great.

 

[No Other Name]

Thank you very much! God bless you and your family

Hendriksen touches on some cultural-historical detail but before he gets too detailed he points the reader to one of his commentaries. It is a nice fly-by though and points out a lot of history quickly. Some of it goes by so fast it is hard to retain but his book was written with memorization in mind and gives a lot of tips for memorizing what he is addressing.

Kingdom of Priests seems to be exactly what you are looking for.. I didn't like the first chapter but it appears to get better after that.. it is almost too focused on extra-biblical material for me, or so I thought with the first chapter. After skimming other chapters it seems to get more interesting for my perspective.

 

[Polanus1561]

The single most important book for understanding the OT (apart from the OT itself) is Geerhardus Vos's Biblical Theology. After that, the Robertson books are excellent, as is the Van Pelt edited volume A Biblical-Theological Introduction to the Old Testament. For the Pentateuch, read Alexander's From Paradise to the Promised Land as well as Poythress's book already mentioned. For the historical books, read Provan/Long/Longman's A Biblical History of Israel, and Kenneth Kitchen's On the Reliability of the Old Testament. For the poetic books, read Estes Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms (and the Robertson book already mentioned). For the prophets, I like Van Gemeren's Interpreting the Prophetic Word, as well as the Robertson volume.

The Provan book looks good. I have the Baker Handbook on the Historical books by Victor Hamilton. How does it compare?

 

[Jerusalem Blade]

I have found the Homer C. Hoeksema (Herman H.'s son) series, Unfolding Covenant History: Volumes 1-6, An Exposition of the Old Testament, utterly remarkable (David J. Engelsma did Volumes 5 and 6, and is currently working on Vol 7 - even at 83 years old). I loved the set, and breezed through them. I purchased some of the individual books from various used book outlets at much cheaper prices. I have a review of Vol 1, if anyone is interested.

 

[MDR]

Here's my best list:

OT Introductions

Introduction to the Hebrew Bible and Deutero-Canonical Books (OT) - Collins
Introduction to OT - Steinmann, Eschelbach, Giese & Puffe
Introduction to OT - Longman & Dillard
Meaning of the Pentateuch - Sailhamer
From Paradise to the Promised Land (OT) - Alexander

OT 'Theological' Introductions

Biblical-Theological Introduction to the OT - Van Pelt
Theological Messages of the OT Books - Bell
Theological Survey of OT - Dumbrell

OT 'Historical' Introductions

Kingdom of Priests (History of OT Israel) - Merrill
The World around the OT: The People and Places of the Ancient Near East (2016)

OT Surveys

Epic of Eden - Richter (yes, I dare to mention an outstanding survey by a female OT Scholar)
Survey of the OT - Hill & Walton
What the OT Authors Really Cared about - DeRouchie
How to Read the Bible Book by Book - Fee & Stuart
Encountering the OT - Arnold & Beyer
Surveying the Pentateuch - Weaver

 

[greenbaggins]

The Provan book looks good. I have the Baker Handbook on the Historical books by Victor Hamilton. How does it compare?

They are very different types of books. Provan is is historical. Hamilton is introductory of the books themselves.

 

[py3ak]

Alec Motyer's The Story of the Old Testament (republished as Roots, I believe) is a good starting place. Noel Weeks also has Gateway to the Old Testament. Although E.J. Young's An Introduction to the Old Testament can be rather dry, his My Servants the Prophets is very good.