Dictionary of the Old Testament Wisdom, Poetry

and Writings. A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical
Scholarship.
The Old Testament books of wisdom and poetry carry
themselves differently from those of the Pentateuch, the histories or the
prophets. The divine voice does not peal from Sinai, there are no narratives
carried along by prophetic interpretation nor are oracles declaimed by a
prophet. Here Scripture often speaks in the words of human response to God and
God's world. The hymns, laments and thanksgivings of Israel, the dirge of
Lamentations, the questionings of Qohelet, the love poetry of the Song of
Songs, the bold drama of Job and the proverbial wisdom of Israel all offer
their textures to this great body of biblical literature. Then too there are
the finely crafted stories of Ruth and Esther that narrate the silent
providence of God in the course of Israelite and Jewish lives.
This third
Old Testament volume in InterVarsity Press's celebrated 'Black Dictionary'
series offers nearly 150 articles covering all the important aspects of Job,
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Psalms, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther.
Over ninety contributors, many of them experts in this literature, have
contributed to the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and
Writings. This volume maintains the quality of scholarship that students,
scholars and pastors have come to expect from this series.
Coverage of
each biblical book includes an introduction to the book itself as well as
separate articles on its ancient Near Eastern background and its history of
interpretation. Additional articles amply explore the literary dimensions of
Hebrew poetry and prose, including acrostic, ellipsis, inclusio,
intertextuality, parallelism and rhyme. And there are well-rounded treatments
of Israelite wisdom and wisdom literature, including wisdom poems, sources and
theology. In addition, a wide range of interpretive approaches is canvassed in
articles on hermeneutics, feminist interpretation, form criticism, historical
criticism, rhetorical criticism and social-scientific approaches. The
Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry and Writings is
sure to command shelf space within arm's reach of any student, teacher or
preacher working in this portion of biblical literature. (= 0830817832 /
9780830817832)
Editors: Tremper Longman and Peter Enns.
'This
volume in the acclaimed InterVarsity Press Bible dictionaries will serve to
further enhance the reputation of the series. Longman and Enns have brought
together a great team of authors to cover wisdom, poetry and writings of the
Old Testament. This volume is comprehensive and up to date as, for example, the
articles on history of interpretation and intertextuality indicate. This volume
will be an invaluable resource for students, pastors and scholars as they seek
to hear God's address through these biblical books. The Wisdom and poetic books
have not always received the attention they deserve, and this volume will play
a significant role in addressing that imbalance. Highly recommended!' -
Craig Bartholomew
'A stellar cast of younger and senior scholars has
put together a handbook for the study of the writings of the Old Testament.
While one will find easy access to the expected and necessary basic information
on the various books of wisdom and poetry, there will be some interesting
surprises for readers as the authors take up theological, rhetorical,
metaphorical and sociological dimensions of this literature. An important sigh
of the times is the fact that for each biblical book major attention is give to
the history of its interpretation.' - Patrick D. Miller
Recommended
€ 59,90