Baker Books

Great book. I like that fact that it is laid out like a dictionary (By Topic) and not in commentary style.

Contains a wealth of solid and in-depth information aimed at scholars and educated lay persons. Articles are well written (and can be a bit dense), very informative, and contain a select bibliography for further study. An indispensible tool for any serious student of the Bible.

This is an awesome library. Jesus is everywhere in the OT. I hope to get the entire collection. Amazon is great and ships to military folk anywhere in the world with free shipping! This is a great buy.

This dictionary on the Pentateuch was very helpful in getting a historical perspective of these five books in the Old Testament. It added to my understanding of the books and individual passages, as well.

This would be an excellent resource for anyone engaging with the minimalists in regard to the historicity of Ancient Israel.

Here's the description and praises from the back of the book cover:

The first five books of the Old Testament lay the foundation on which the rest of Scripture stands. Its great themes, epochal events and towering figures set down vectors on which the biblical story is played out. The very shape of the rest of the Old Testament would collapse were the Penteteuch to be removed. The structure of New Testament thought would be barely intelligible without it.

Here we meet the great ancestral figures of Israel--Abraham, Isaac and Jacob--and the towering figure of Moses, whose presence dominates four of these five books. The creative act of God, the paradisal garden, the exile of Adam and Eve, the judgment of the great flood, the call of Abraham from among the nations, the covenant of Abraham, the exodus from Egypt, the giving of the law at Sinai, the plan of the tabernacle, the varied experiences of Israel in the wilderness, and the announcement of the covenant blassings and curses--all of these and more contribute to a work of world-formative power. This dictionary explores the major themes and contours of the Pentateuch.

Behind and beneath the grandeur of the Pentateuch, issues of historicity have both puzzled and beckoned. But wheras in the mid-twentieth century many English-speaking scholars were confident of archaeological support for the patriarchal accounts, the climate has now changed. In the most extreme cases, some contemporary scholars have radically challenged the antiquity of the ancestral stories, arguing for their final composition even as late as the Hellenistic era. This dictionary examines and weighs the historical issues and poses possible solutions.

The documentary hypothesis, the former reigning critical consensus, is now widely rumored to be on life support, with no heir apparent. Meanwhile, conservative scholars reconsider what indeed a claim to Mosaic authorship should entail. This dictionary offers an assessment of the array of questions surrounding these issues and considers some possible ways forward for evangelical scholarship.

At the same time, there has been a fruitful turning to the nature, message and art of the received text of the Pentateuch. Literary studies of brief episodes, sprawling sagas, complex narrative and even the fivefold composition of the Pentateuch itself have delivered promising and exciting results. This dictionary offers both appreciative panoramas and close-up assessments of these developments and their methods.

The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is the first in a four-volume series covering the text of the Old Testament. Following in the tradition of the four award-winning IVP dictionaries focused on the New Testament and its background, this encyclopedic work is characterized by close attention to the text of the Old Testament and the ongoing conversation of contemporary scholarship. In exploring the major themes and issues of the Pentateuch, editors T. Desmond Alexander and David W.Baker, with an international and expert group of scholars, inform and challenge through authoritative overviews, detailed examinations and new insights from the world of the ancient Near East.

"The Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch contains a wealth of important information for all students of this foundational portion of Scripture. The articles are all written by leading scholars in the field under the guidance of two preeminent Old Testament interpreters well known for their own work on the Pentateuch. This dictionary is not only informative but also readable. I highly recommend it."
Tremper Longman III, Westmont College

"I like the idea of a Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch, and the decision to focus on major topics is well judged. There is a great deal of very useful discussion and analysis in the volume. It should open up the study of the Pentateuch in new ways for many a reader, and I welcome the project most warmly."
Robert P. Gordon, University of Cambridge

"By focusing on a single main section of Scripture, the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch allows for greater scope and in-depth handling of individual topics. Well researched and comprehensive in treatment, it will be a good addition to the library of students, pastors, scholars and laypeople."
Christopher R. Seitz, University of St Andrews

This stimulating and somewhat surprising book. Not your usual devotional book, this is a volume which will inspire both those who have walked in faith for years, a pastor seeking renewal, and those who are just beginning.

You will experience more in your spiritual quest for God and more faith by reading this book. The stories of Biblical characters and examples of people of faith will not only encourage but transform lives. It is a must read that you can't put down.

If you are facing any trials or storms in your life, this book is one that will lift your spirits and remind you of the "faithful" that have gone before us. Reading about the Biblical characters and people of faith today give encouragement to "hang in there" facing the storms of life. This book makes you think about the life choices you make today and how those choices will effect those around you for generations. The book helps to reflect on what kind of faith goes the distance and is it worth it. Once you begin reading, it's one of those books you can't put down. You will not look at life the same after reading this book.

The personal stories that Wilhite uses throughout the book are inspiring to me in my daily life. We can learn so much through the personal trials and triumphs of others. I loved the book and have already read it a couple of times -- each time new things have come to light for me to apply in my own life. I have and will continue to recomend it to others!

I have just finished reading Jud's new book, "Faith That Goes The Distance" and found it to be a wonderful experience of faith.
Jud invites us to accompany him on his journey from "no faith"
to "found faith" to "exhilarating faith." It was an enjoyable
and exciting trip and I recommend that you make it with him.

I have bought this book for my mother, because Frank Homerun Baker is her uncle. She has told me alot of stories about how amazing he was playing baseball. Also, I wanted to find out more information on him and his life during that time.

I have not read the book yet. By reading all the other reviews I've assumed that it is a great book to own. I cannot wait until I am able to read it for myself and see where the author got some of his information.

It is interesting to know that so many people knew who he was. I think it is wonderful that I have someone in my family as great as he was.

Barry Sparks brings Frank "Home Run" Baker back into baseball's limelight in this biography of the Hall-of-Famer. Barry managed to unearth much about Baker's personal life despite the fact Frank has been deceased since 1963 at age 76, and few folks still were living who knew Baker during the author's years of research. This book is more about Baker's life and baseball career than about baseball in his era---the preferred mix of information in a biography. Too many biographies of players from baseball's deadball era emphasize the game as played then, its stars and the winning teams, but provide too little about the player himself. Not so, with Sparks' biography on Baker. Baker's work ethic helped him become a star player, but his personal life interrupted his playing career several times. Find out more about Baker's World Series heroics, the reason for his nickname, and the reasons he had to stop playing in the major leagues on more than one occasion. Read Barry's detailed and informative biography about baseball's first home run hitting hero in the World Series.

Barry Sparks's book about Frank "Home Run" Baker is an insightful story of the Major League Baseball home run leader from the early 20th century. Tracing Baker's life from his hometown of Trappe, MD, to the Major Leagues and into retirement, Mr. Sparks tells of Baker's career with the Philadelphia A's and New York Yankees, and of the two seasons during which he stepped away from the majors to play with a semi-pro team.

This book does a superb job of taking the reader back to the days of daytime-only baseball. Particular attention is paid to the World Series games in which Baker played, where he earned his sobriquet "Home Run" Baker for blasting two homers in a single World Series game in 1911.

Extensive chapter notes and bibliography supplement the story and reveal the amount of research done to create the book. Yet, the book is not written to read like a college term paper. Mr. Sparks's writing style is quite enjoyable and makes this book a pleasurable experience for baseball fans of all ages.

This book is more than an intimate biography of a baseball legend. It is also a look back at a nascent sport as it was just beginning to capture a nation's heart. This was an era when entire towns emptied out to watch the local boys play at the ballfield, and when people relied on newspapers to bring them glorious tales of big-league action. It was a time when the highest-paid player made $12,000, and performance-enhancing drugs did not yet exist. In short, it was a time when baseball was still a sport, and not yet an industry.

Author Barry Sparks does an excellent job of placing the reader inside the Deadball Era (1900-1920) as he tells the tale of Frank "Home Run" Baker. According to the preface, Sparks hails from Baker's home region of eastern Maryland, and as a boy he had an opportunity to meet the aging baseball legend. The book's lively prose suggests that the thrill of that encounter still remains with Sparks today. He reveals Baker as a polite, hard-working man who eschewed the limelight and, above all, loved playing baseball. The research is impeccable and well documented, with detailed notes, indexing, and bibliography.

"Frank 'Home Run' Baker: Hall of Famer and World Series Hero" is ideal for the avid baseball fan, and for anyone interested in the origins of America's pastime.

Mr. Sparks has fulfilled a life long ambition with this work. It is an easy read and for a sports enthusiast, opens a window into a closed chapter of our nation's pastime. In following the life, career and character of a player few know much about but who is very highly rated by Bill James (the father of sabremetrics), Mr. Sparks shows the career of the dead ball era's "Babe" in a good but honest light. The sparing with Connie Mack to be paid is an interesting sidelight, as is seeing Baker in his final years with the Yankees playing along side the real "Babe". This a very worthwhile book to own and read in depth. My copy is autographed and I do cherish it.

I found this book when I went to Haiti while a student in the Dominican Republic. I have given all my copies away as gift. It is such a great book! There are wonderful prayers inside!

This book really got to me. It makes you feel the simple yet honest sentiments expressed in the prayers. A definite buy!

A secret pal gave me this book in 1976. I am so happy to see that it is still in print. The prayers in this book touched my heart, because the messages in the poems are so relevant to my life, even though I am in another culture. The words are simple, but the meanings are deep. Here is one poem:
"Lord, Suffering is the Potter's wheel
Which turns us in the Potter's hand
of love and affection."
For each poem, there is a well-chosen photograph that adds even more life.

Whether you are interested in Haiti or Christianity or not, this book is an absolute MUST reading. It provides a very unique insight into simple mountain people and their day to day living and thinking and sincerity. There just isn't enough of it.

This is a prayer book that could be found on missionaries of all faiths tables and night stands. I was first introduced to this work as a missionary on a short term mission trip outside the City of Cap-Haitain, a missionary who had been in Haiti for more than 25 years had them on her front table for guests to take home with them.

They give a very simple look at the simple christain life. The prayers which are common among the mountain churchs and peoples are so true to their faith, they give such simple but direct meanings when explaining thier belief in God.

The picture history the book contains can depect the poverty of a third world country, however, it shows the hope of the Haitain Christain in his or her "child like" faith. Many of these pictures are a testament to a people who are encouraged that thier faith in God keeps them strong day after day.

I was first introduced to this book in a graduate seminar in Old Testament Theology where it got panned by a fellow student. I said to myself, "It can't be that bad," and read it myself. Not only is the book not "that bad," but quite good. It takes what is definitely a key text, Exodus 5:22-6:6 (I believe), and uses that as an organizing principle for the rest of the Old Testament, as it encapsulates God's Design for Israel. In many cases the book works, and even in the sections where it really doesn't, such when discussing quite a bit of the Wisdom Literature, it still has good insight. It is from an evangelical perspective, which I appreciate.

Recommended reading on the Old Testament sacrificial system. I stumbled across this in a syllabus and decided to read the footnotes at the library---once I started reading, it was tough to put down. In a concise (though sometimes rather too concise) manner, he addresses a number of difficult-to-abstract topics and digs out helpful observations from the OT text. I liked it enough that I decided to get my own copy.

Dr. Elmer A. Martens' book is my first choice when students wish to understand the messages of the Hebrew Scriptures. Martens writes from a positive, constructive viewpoint. The Old Testament will become "new" for you as you read and contemplate the message of this splendid book.

Anyone interested in OT theology should start here. As a beginner-level book it should give seminary students and laypeople no problems while it is still academic enough for the scholar as reference. Martens uses Exodous 5:22-6:8 as the center of OT theology (or "God's design" in redemptive history). He argues that the OT and the story of Israel are to show God as the Saviour and Redeemer of mankind and creation. He uses four themes to argue his thesis: deliverance, community, knowledge of God, and land. Martens shows that God's design goes through the three major periods of OT history (the Pre-Monarchy era, the Monarchy era, and the Post-Monarchy era) and up to the New Testament period (God's design being fulfilled in Christ for Jews and Gentiles). The structure of the book is well organized and each theme is discussed in each period of Biblical history. With so many OT theology books written by liberal/criticalist/modernist scholars it is very refreshing to see an OT theology book written from an evangelical and conservative viewpoint. This book is a must read and will give peace of mind to many who are looking for an OT theology book that sees the Bible as God's divinely inspired Word.

Great basic OT book which looks at themes, such as land, covenant, prophet, etc.

I especially like his treatment of Yahweh as warrior, which is often so misunderstood due to translation of "sabaoth" as "hosts."

Excellent sections on deliverance, salvation, promise, etc. Serious students and seminarians will profit from reading this as well as keeping it in their libraries where they will turn and find valuable inputs for their ministries.

The Golden Booklet of the True Christian Life is a separate printing of Chapters 6 through 10 of Book III of John Calvin's magnum opus Institutes of the Christian Religion. As these chapters were considered to be among the more practical of Calvin's texts on the Christian life, they were printed separately as early as 1550. They consist mostly of short, pithy sayings on the Christian life. (Calvin at one point even says that brevity is his stock in trade!)

Calvin had a gift for writing short, often hard-hitting, and almost invariably profitable maxims that are also very quotable. To cite just three: "A sincere repentance from the heart does not guarantee that we shall not wander from the straight path and sometimes become bewildered"; "Everyone flatters himself and carries a kingdom in his breast"; and "The cross of Christ triumphs only in the hearts of believers over the devil and the flesh, over sin and wickedness, when they lift their eyes to behold the power of the resurrection."

If Calvin's brevity is a virtue, it's unfortunately also true that the chapters do not always hang together successfully. Occasionally, Calvin makes a jump from one topic to another with little-to-no transition. Modern-day editors have tried to soften this blow by adding section headings and even numeration to indicate changes in focus, but they do not entirely solve the problem. Readers, as well, may find themselves wanting more on a given topic than Calvin provides.

Another weak point is that Calvin tacks back and forth between asking Christians to look to the next life and consider this life of little account, and counseling Christians that they should thank God for this life. Admittedly, this tension dates back at minimum to the apostle Paul, but Calvin seems to be deeply conflicted on this matter. He counsels Christians that they should never hate their earthly lives, which God uses to sanctify and bless them, but he also calls this life "nothing but misery" and counsels Christians to long for death. There's a balance to be obtained here that's not quite in evidence in the Golden Booklet, despite Calvin's valuable instruction.

But such weaknesses do little to diminish the luster of this powerful collection. The Golden Booklet takes Christians on a journey to holiness as expressed through obedience, self-denial, taking up one's cross, living in light of eternity, and rightly living this earthly life. It does not pretend to offer a complete examination of these topics, but what Calvin does do, he does very well. Calvin's classic text -- whether read within the Institutes or as this separate printing -- is highly recommended for all Christians.

This book is written with sincerety and is heavily weighted in Biblical truth. It weaves together solid intellectual thought with a wholehearted drive for practicality.

Besides being worth its weight in gold, it is actually quite an easy read! This is a true gem pulled out of the period of the Reformation, and highly recommended for Christians of our era!

This thin little book is no lightweight. It's a Trojan horse that delivers timeless substance from the Scriptures on how to think about and live the Christian life. It reaches head and heart, and so is extremely practical--without being a simplistic "how-to" book. I have used it in a number of one-on-one discipling relationships; its small size makes it manageable and appealing to busy people, but God uses its substantive and convicting teaching to affect lives. Buy a copy for yourself and another for someone you care about, and get ready for sharpening discussions.

How do you review a book such as this one? When I first read this book several years ago, it changed the way I thought and lived the Christian life. Now, rereading it some years later, it reminds me of just how foundational it was in my way of thinking of "the Christian life". Especially in the way it taught me (and others through me who I teach) how important and "normal" is suffering in the true Christian life. It is through suffering God conforms us to the image of Christ.

This is a volume taken from the third volume of 'Calvin's Institutes' and has been incredibly helpful for Christians for over 400 years! One of the things you will find about this book is how extremely easy it is to understand it, as well as practical (in fact it is almost like it was written yesterday). Oftentimes, it is easy to think that a book written originally in the 16th century would be both difficult and impractical! However, this book is biblically crystal clear as well as useful! I have given this book away often and I have only seen growth in those to whom I have given it! May it be a new book for you, or one you buy again for a friend.

This section from Calvin's Institutes of the Christian Religion makes one hungry for more. Modern writers cannot hold a candle to the depth of Christ-knowledge that our older brothers had. Indeed, we are in a time of spiritual declension. But Calvin, Knox, Spurgeon, A.W. Pink, Asahel Nettleton, and others were "meat", whereas almost all of the latest titles available at the local "Christian" bookstore are mere "dessert"- sweet (sounding), but in the end empty, and unable to satisfy. No substance to them. I will say this as politely as possible: Put away your Max Lucado and your "Left Behind" (false eschatology) and get into God's Word, and then go and see how God taught the ancients. These men were not focused on making men "feel" good about themselves. No Arminian lightweights were they. If you read this booklet, and its content does not resonate within your soul, then you will have reason to fear that you have not learned Christ aright. This booklet is required reading for all in my household. Read it and see why.

May I also recommend www.graceonlinelibrary.org

This book was an awesome presentation of our responibility in Advancing God's kingdom. McQuilken is great at choosing his words carefully for impact. It is a great book for anyone intersted in developing ministry leaders, especially for communicating God's heart for worldwide mission. Don't let the small size of the book minimize its impact-potential in your ministry.

This book is a must read for every believer! It is NOT out of print but is available through OM Literature, PO Box 1047, Waynesboro, GA 30830.

It's a real shame this is out of print. This is a must read for anyone interested or involved in missions. It is extremely well written and based on sound biblical principals and data. McQuilkin is a gifted communicator who really will challenge the reader. It is a short book, filled with great information.

Dr. McQuilkin make a strong case for American Christians to get beyond selfishness and on to obedience of Christ's marching orders for His Church. Christ gave us the Great Commission five times after His resurrection. What was His priority for us before He returned to heaven? He told us five time in different words. We should understand by this that we are to "Go and Tell." But where should the church be going? We must go where the light is absent and where the area is darkest. When 90% of the workers focus on 5% of the people on the earth, it seems we are missing the mark of "every ethnic group" (ethnos) of the Great Commission in Mat. 28. We are not obeying Jesus. This book will help bring the priority of Missions into a clear perspective. Read this book and consider the Scriptures that it explains. The truth here will change your life.

The Great Omission was reminder of how important it is to remember the command of Christ to disciple all the nations of the world. It challenged me to remember how important it is to deny ourselves and serve the LORD sacrificially as we carry our own crosses. There were two things that particularily struck me about this book. The first thing was the danger of emphasizing the tent-maker as the means of reaching the world. Although the tent-maker is needed and may be the only access into the closed countries of the world we still need many who like Apostle Paul will still be willing to go out and be a full time evangelist and church planter. Secondly, we must guard our minds and hearts against incorrect theology such as universalism. The necessity of sharing the gospel must never be put on the back shelf. We must obey the call. Finally, I really liked the appendix in the back of the book. He answers some basic objections that many people have today concerning missions that are just as true today.

This is a must-read for anyone who thinks that all sacred books are alike; it demonstrates conclusively, in less than 200 beautifully illustrated pages, that the Bible stands alone. Consider this chilling quote: "Some people were so committed to the belief that [the Bible] is God's book that they were even willing to die for that proposition. And strangely, others have been willing to put them to death..." Read it and weep. Literally.

"Kings and emperors could not stop it. War and revolution could not destroy it. The Indestructible Book tells the story of the Bible from its beginnings to its translation into English, a story filled with heroes ..."



Destroying Scripture:
Since the rise of Christianity, Scriptures were banned, burned and ridiculed by rulers of every age, from Roman emperors to Moslem Caliphs. Many who dared to read and share the Word met horrible deaths, defending the word of God, the Good News of the Gospels. Yet God's truth could not be crushed by the greatest powers of the pagan world, who pursued the eradication of the written word. Apostles, Apologists, Catechists, translators, reformers, preachers and printers were dedicated to it. Christians committed to the belief that the Bible is God's book that they were jailed but willing to die for that proposition, against those who have been willing to put them to death. Church martyrs have been hung, burned, boiled and beheaded, in defence of the Bible.
"When the Christian Gospel was preached to the Greeks, it was confronted with a culture that was not only different from, but one could say, deeply opposed to, the one that has produced historically the Gospel -namely the Semitic culture. ... a study of the Patristic period reveals that the inculturation of the Gospel in the Greco-Roman world of antiquity was by no means an easy task." John Zizioulas, Bp of Pergamos

Telling the Story:
The Bible is the most remarkable piece of literature this world has ever experienced. How do we classify the Bible, making up our own mind about this amazing collection of inspired books? Why have so many faithful sacrificed up to their lives that others could later read the Bible?
During his ministry on earth, Jesus reinterpreted the Scriptures validating the Hebrew Bible, He taught and inspired those disciples to spread the good news, the New Testament to be, prophesied by Jeremiah 31:33. For thousands of years, the indestructible word has instructed and gave hope his faithful. But it was his faithful who held the pen that inked the words, making sure that the scripture we read today is indeed without error.
Even still, in the twentieth century, men and women in some countries, have been imprisoned and tortured for reading this forbidden book. Communist governments plotting to destroy Christianity, tore down churches, burned Bibles, jailed Christians, and made legislation against teaching children on Christianity or telling them stories about Jesus. It is in the telling of these same stories that Connolly truly excels, chronicling the composition of the books of the Bible, its canonization, translations, spreading in preaching, the toil and sacrifices its servants and defenders made to preserve and perpetuate it.

The Indestructible Book:
'The Indestructible Book' is as pleasing to visually examine as to read. Connolly's composed a book so beautifully crafted, with vivid photos of places and ancient bible pages, as the Rylands papyrus fragment, illustrations, drawings and paintings of the people and historical locations as they look today. He shows how the Hebrew Bible writings were preserved, and later canonized. The Jewish scribes who copied them had to wipe their quills and wash themselves prior to writing the name of the Lord whenever they did.
Connolly discusses how lengthy and amazing was the story of New Testament development, from Origen in 230 AD until Athanasius, first to use the word 'canon', amid persecution and battling heresy to defend and finally define what would become the completed Bible, in his Pascal letter to the churches of 367 AD. Connolly gives insightful biographies of the people who shaped the church, and explains how the social and political milieu of their day influenced their life and mission.

I have been checking this book out at the local library constantly for a period of time. I finally found a bookseller that has a new copy and it is being shipped to me. The first time I checked it out at the library I knew I had to have a copy of my own. It is quite possibly the best book written about the Bible. It also sheds light on why the Bible is still the best seller of all time. It will also give you a renewed meaning for the words, indestructible and sacrifice.

This wonderful book is about the history of the Bible in general, and about the Bible in the English language in particular. Chock-full of brightly colored pictures, the book begins with a quick look at the Jewish scriptures and their collection into the Septuagint, and then launches into the history of Christianity and the birth of the Christian New Testament. The history of Christianity is followed, and with the coming of the Reformation, the book focuses in on England and the translation work the occurred there. At the end of the book, there is a quick look at later Bible translations, including the British Revised Version and the American Standard Version.

As might be expected with such a small book covering such a potentially huge subject, this book is rather narrow in its scope. Also, Catholic readers will doubtlessly find the book's sympathetic look at the Protestant Reformation to be irritating. But, bearing in mind those limitations, this is a wonderful book! I found it very readable and highly informative, and I do not hesitate to recommend it to you.

I remember walking into the Christian bookstore and seeing this title. I figureit was worth reading. Not only did I love it, I recommend it every chance I get. I think the publishers should send out a second printing. It was very nice to see a book with full color pictures and written so anyone could understand it.

Allthough I am a history buff this book taught me a few things. Look for it at used booksales and auctions.

FUN BOOK BUT WRONGLY UNREALISTIC AS IS THE BEE MOVIE. BOY BEES HAVE no ROLE IN THE HIVE OTHER THAN MATING AND DYING,

Besides being a fun and easy read, this book provides a wonderful platform to begin the discussion of moral, ethical, and very emotional dilemmas with school age children. It has a charming story with likable characters and discussion topics that children will readily engage in.

Kendal the Baker Bee is a most unusual bee book. As a beekeeper I found it to be very enjoyable with an important emphasis on values. John A. Hartigan did a suburb job creating an interesting and thought invoking read for all ages!

Peg Brady, wife of the president of the American Honey Producers Assocaiton has read the book saying, "it was a wonderful book, presented through fictional characters which tells the story of the life and duties of honey bees in a honey bee hive. I would recommend this book for reading pleasure and can be used as an informative tool for children and adults as well."

A wonderful book for everyone one. I read it in one go, could not put it down. The characters are real and the knowledge that one can gain is wonderful. I am looking forward to more books by John Hartigan. It would make a great gift for any occasion for any age.

The delivery issue is the main thing I would comment on. We could have had the paperback version mailed direct to NZ but due to weight restrictions the hardcover version could not. As a result we had it mailed to friends in the States who then mailed it on to us. This seems to me to be a "no-brainer" causing us to probably only choose Amazon as a last resort for any book purchase. Apart from that the service was really great!
Thanks & regards
Tim Marsh

When doing any study of the Old Testament, this reference puts together the ideas and flow like no other book I have read. Seeing the bible through the patterns of understanding is the only way to truly see "The Big Picture" broken down into bite size pieces.

Dorsey does an excellent job within the limits of a 'flyover" approach to the literary structures of the Hebrew Scriptures. The introduction and first chapter is a great primer on the types and purposes of literary style. The brief overviews of literary structure are akin to a satellite image that allows a "from the top" view of a neighborhood that gives a "lay of the land" concept - and helps at the "street" level of moving through texts, connecting them into a more comprehensive array.

The potential to see harmonies and purposes where before scholars have only seen "cut and paste" approaches to editing, or have discounted the throughtfulness and intentionality of the text is encouraging. It is accessible to the lay reader while also serving those who desire a more scholarly resource.

I believe this to be a very important and necessary work.

The Literary Structure of the Old Testament gives a great overview of the use of literary patterns found to be common in the OT. It also covers each book of the OT in some detail.

Why should we care about the literary patterns in the OT? The ancient Hebrew author used them to communicate meaning. And if you want to know what an OT author was saying then you need to understand these patterns and how he would have used them. David Dorsey helps us see this in this wonderful book.

If you are a serious student of the Hebrew text.. then I encourage to get this book. You will be enlightened by it.

I personally keep 5-10 copies of this book to give to those who I know would appreciate it.

Many thanks to Dr. Dorsey for his time and effort.

This book is valuable to help students of Scripture see the pattern of each Old Testament book. The author provides us with symmetrical outlines, typically providing a "Center Point" which is th emphasis or "pinnacle" of the section. But the arrangement is not just his creation: it really fits the organization of the book under study. This outline exemplifies an orderly arrangement called chiasmus (or chiasm). It looks something like this: A B C Center Point C' B' A' And most of the Old Testament typically does indeed (naturally) flow into this pattern.

This work is useful in two ways:
(1) hermeneutically (interpretationally), it shows us where the climax of the section is located and how the symmetrical pattern before and after it modifies that climax;
(2) instructionally (for preaching or teaching) it directs us to a concentration point. This is useful in many ways, but it is particularly helpful when we are addressing highlights from the various books of the Old Testament.

This is not the type of book one would read through, but it is a reference book to pull off the shelf when a person is preparing to study a particular book of the Old Testament. I would include this volume under the label of "introductory material." Although it is subtitled as a "commentary" it is not a verse by verse work, but rather a commentary on the main structure (and outline) of the books involved. The book is slightly more than 300 pages long.

The average laymen would probably not find this book very useful, but folks interested and active in Bible teaching (particuarly at an adult level) would probably enjoy this work.