by John H. Walton (Author), Victor H. Matthews (Author), Mark W. Chavalas (Author)
Preaching's Preacher's Guide to the Best Bible Reference for 2014 (General Reference)
How can we account for the "Book of the Law"
suddenly being discovered during Josiah's renovation of the temple (2 Chron
34:14)? We know from Egypt and Mesopotamia that it was
common to seal important documents--including theological documents--in the
masonry or foundations of a palace or temple in order to inform a future king
who might undertake restoration of the building. What might the
psalmist have had in mind when praising God for removing our transgressions
"as far as the east is from the west" (Ps 103:12)? In an
Egyptian hymn to Amun-Re, the deity is praised for his judgment of the guilty.
As a result of the god's discernment the guilty are assigned to the east and
the righteous to the west. What is meant by God "weighing the
heart" (Prov 21:2)? In Egyptian religious tradition we find the
notion of the dead being judged before the gods. As the soul is examined, the
dead person's heart is weighed in a scale against a feather symbolizing Truth.
If the answers are correct and the heart does not outweigh the feather, the
soul may enter the realm of everlasting life. The narratives, genealogies,
laws, poetry, proverbs and prophecies of the Old Testament are deeply rooted in
history. Archaeologists, historians and social scientists have greatly advanced
our knowledge of the ancient world of the Bible. When we illuminate the stories
of Abraham or David, the imagery of the Psalms or Proverbs, or the prophecies
of Isaiah or Jeremiah with this backlight of culture and history, these texts
spring to new life. The unique commentary joins The IVP Bible
Background Commentary: New Testament in providing historical, social
and cultural background for each passage of the Old Testament. From Genesis
through Malachi, this single volume gathers and condenses an abundance of
specialized knowledge--making it available and accessible to ordinary readers
of the Old Testament. Expert scholars John Walton, Victor Matthews and Mark
Chavalas have included along with the fruits of their research and
collaboration
a
glossary of historical terms, ancient peoples, texts and inscriptions
maps
and charts of important historical resources
expanded
explanations of significant background issues
introductory
essays on each book of the Old Testament
The IVP Bible Background Commentary: Old Testament will
enrich your experience of the Old Testament--and your teaching and preaching
from Scripture--in a way that no other commentary can do.