Good Aspire (Page 5)

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Exodus

Introduction to Exodus Title Exodus is the second of the first five books of the OT, which are referred to collectively as either “Torah” (“law,” “instruction” in Hb.) or “Pentateuch” (“five-volumed” in Gk.). The English title “Exodus” is taken from the Septuagint and the Greek noun exodos, “a going out”

Leviticus

ntroduction to Leviticus Author, Date, and Title The authorship of Leviticus is closely related to the larger question of who wrote the Pentateuch. As discussed in Introduction to the Pentateuch: Composition, the Pentateuch itself clearly presents Moses as the mediator between the Lord and Israel at this point in Israel’

Numbers

Introduction to Numbers Author, Date, and Title The composition of Numbers cannot be discussed just on its own, as it is an integral part of the Pentateuch, so for a fuller review see Introduction to the Pentateuch. The evidence for the authorship of Numbers itself fits in easily with the

Deuteronomy

Introduction to Deuteronomy Author and Title The name “Deuteronomy” derives from the Greek for “second law,” an early mistranslation of “copy of this law” in 17:18. In fact, Deuteronomy emphasizes that its laws are not a new law but rather the preaching of the original law given to Israel

Joshua

Introduction to Joshua Author and Title The book of Joshua is named for its leading character. (For more on Joshua, see note on 1:1.) The book’s author, however, is not explicitly mentioned. The Talmud—a collection of ancient writings by rabbis on Jewish law and tradition—ascribes the

Judges

Introduction to Judges Author and Title The name of the book of Judges comes from the title given to the 12 leaders (“judges,” whose temporary leadership was both civil and military) of Israel during the period between Joshua and Samuel. The book is anonymous; nowhere in Scripture is any author

Ruth

Introduction to Ruth Author and Title The book is named for its main character, Ruth, a Moabite widow who married the Bethlehemite Boaz. She became an ancestor of King David (4:17, 22) and thus an ancestor of the Messiah (Matt. 1:1, 5–6). The author of Ruth is

1 Samuel

Introduction to 1–2 Samuel Author and Title The Hebrew title “Samuel” refers to Samuel as the key figure in 1–2 Samuel, the one who established the monarchy in Israel by anointing first Saul and then David; Samuel was the kingmaker in the history of ancient Israel. In the

2 Samuel

Introduction to 2 Samuel Outline 1. Story of King David (1:1–20:26) 1. David and the death of Saul (1:1–27) 2. David becomes king (2:1–5:5) 3. Jerusalem, the city of David (5:6–25) 4. Zion, the place of worship (6:1–23)

1 Kings

Introduction to 1–2 Kings Author and Title As the titles of the books indicate, 1–2 Kings describe the period of the monarchy in ancient Israel (970–586 b.c.), excluding most of the reigns of King Saul and King David (which are mainly described in 1–2 Samuel,

2 Kings

Introduction to 2 Kings Outline 1. The Death of Ahaziah (1:1–18) 2. Elisha and Israel (2:1–10:36) 1. Elijah gives way to Elisha (2:1–25) 2. Elisha and the conquest of Moab (3:1–27) 3. Elisha’s miracles (4:1–44) 4. A Syrian

1 Chronicles

Introduction to 1–2 Chronicles Author and Title The text nowhere directly identifies its author (traditionally designated “the Chronicler”). Jewish tradition assigned the work to Ezra the scribe, who lived in the fifth century b.c., and some modern scholarship has supported this view. But the question of authorship is

2 Chronicles

Introduction to 2 Chronicles For an outline for 2 Chronicles, see Outline for 1–2 Chronicles. The beginning of what is today called 2 Chronicles comes midway in the second major section of Chronicles, on the united kingdom of David and Solomon (1 Chronicles 10–2 Chronicles 9). The Solomonic

Ezra

Introduction to Ezra Author and Title Ezra 1–6 recounts events long before Ezra’s time, and the book does not state who wrote this section. Ezra is the main figure in chapters 7–10; part of this section clearly comes from his own hand, since it is written in

Nehemiah

Introduction to Nehemiah Author and Title Nehemiah is the central figure in the book, and it contains some of his own records, but he is not the author of the whole book. The author is probably the same as the author of Ezra (see Introduction to Ezra). Date For the

Esther

Introduction to Esther Author and Title Like many OT books, Esther is an anonymous work. The only hints of its origin are the references it contains to some of the key events of the story being committed to writing in either official court records (2:23; 6:1) or edicts

Job

Introduction to Job Author While Job is one of the most profound books of the Bible, its anonymous author can be known only through reading between its lines. Certainly he can be numbered among “the wise” (cf. Prov. 24:23), given his fondness for proverbs, which he quotes to develop

Psalms

Introduction to The Psalms Title The book of Psalms, or Psalter, has supplied to believers some of their best-loved Bible passages. It is a collection of 150 poems that express a wide variety of emotions, including: love and adoration toward God, sorrow over sin, dependence on God in desperate circumstances,

Proverbs

Introduction to Proverbs Author and Date Proverbs itself mentions Solomon (reigned c. 971–931 b.c.) as author or collector of its contents (1:1; 10:1), including the proverbs copied by Hezekiah’s men (25:1). There are also two batches of sayings from a group called “the wise”

Ecclesiastes

Introduction to Ecclesiastes Author, Title, and Date The traditional English title comes from the book’s heading in the Latin Vulgate translation (Liber Ecclesiastes) and is an anglicized version of the Greek and Latin renderings of the speaker’s designation in Ecclesiastes 1:1 (Gk. ekklēsiastēs; Hb. Qoheleth). The Hebrew

Song of Solomon

Song of Solomon

Introduction to The Song of Solomon Author and Date The questions of who wrote the Song of Solomon, when it was written, how to read it properly, and what it means as part of Scripture are intertwined, and have occasioned many disagreements. Jews and Christians have traditionally taken 1:1

Isaiah

Introduction to Isaiah Author and Title The opening words of the book explain that this is “the vision of Isaiah the son of Amoz” (1:1). Unlike Jeremiah, who discloses aspects of his inner personal life (e.g., Jer. 20:7–12), Isaiah says little about himself. Isaiah 6 records

Jeremiah

Introduction to Jeremiah Author and Title Determining the authorship of the book of Jeremiah is complicated by several factors: the variety of types of literature found in the book, the differences between the Hebrew and Greek versions of the book, and the difficult lives Jeremiah and his scribe Baruch lived.

Lamentations

Introduction to Lamentations Author and Title In the Hebrew Bible, Lamentations is called Ekah (“How”), after the first word in the book. This word occurs in 1:1, 2:1, and 4:1 to emphasize how much Jerusalem has suffered. The book does not identify its author, which should keep

Ezekiel

Introduction to Ezekiel Author and Title Ezekiel is both the name of the sixth-century b.c. prophet and the title of the book that records his preaching. Ezekiel’s name (Hb. Yekhezqe’l) means “God strengthens” or “May God strengthen,” appropriate for a prophet called to proclaim a message of