Old Testament Book Recommendations

Looking for the best books to supplement your Old Testament studies?  Here are some book recommendations from Mark Dever, Paul Copan, Daniel Akin and others.

__________

9Marks

The following books on the OLD TESTAMENT are included in the 9Marks reading list for pastors:

The Authority of the Old Testament, John Bright

History of Israel, John Bright

Introduction to the Old Testament, Dillard and Longman

The Faith of Israel, William Dumbrell

The Goldsworthy Trilogy, Graeme Goldsworthy (see esp. Gospel and Kingdom in this volume)

Whoredom, Ray Ortlund, Jr.

__________

Paul Copan

The following are recommended for further reading in How Do You Know You’re Not Wrong?: Responding to Objections That Leave Christians Speechless Image may be NSFW.
Clik here to view., by Paul Copan.

Why Are Some Old Testament Laws Harsh And Oppressive?

Toward Old Testament Ethics (Walter Kaiser)

Slaves, Women, and Homosexuals: Exploring the Hermeneutics of Cultural Analysis (William J. Webb)

An Eye For An Eye (Christopher Wright)

Walking In The Ways of the Lord (Christopher Wright)

Leviticus [New International Commentary on the Old Testament] (Gordon Wenham)

Deuteronomy [New International Biblical Commentary, Old Testament Series 4] (Christopher Wright)

Does The Old Testament Condone Slavery?

The Bible In Politics: How To Read The Bible Politically (Richard Bauckham)

Toward Old Testament Ethics (Walter C. Kaiser)

God’s People in God’s Land: Family, Land, and Property in the Old Testament (Christopher J.H. Wright)

Are Old Testament Prophecies Taken Out Of Context In The New Testament?

Jesus and the Old Testament (R.T. France)

Matthew: Evangelist and Teacher (R.T. France)

Biblical Exegesis in the Apostolic Period (Richard Longenecker)

“The New Testament Use of the Old Testament: Text Form and Authority” by Moises Silva in Hermeneutics, Authority, and Canon (ed., D.a. Carson and John Woodbridge)

“The Use of the Old Testament in the New” by Klyne Snodgrass in New Testament Criticism and Interpretation (eds., David Alan Black and David Dockery)

__________

Westminster Theological Seminary

These Old Testament titles appear on Westminster Theological Seminary’s suggested reading list for those interested in becoming students at WTS.

Dillard, Raymond B. and Tremper Longman, III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2006.

Waltke, Bruce K., and Charles Yu. An Old Testament Theology: A Canonical and Thematic Approach. Zondervan, 2006.

Longman, Tremper III. How to Read the Psalms. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 1988.

Silva, Moises and Karen Jobes. Invitation to the Septuagint. Grand Rapids, MI: Baker, 2005

Armerding, Carl E. The Old Testament and Criticism. Spring Arbor Distributors.

Young, E.J. “The Authority of the Old Testament.” In The Infallible Word, Edited by Stonehouse, N.B., and Paul Wooley, 55-91. Phillipsburg, N. J.: Presbyterian and Reformed Publishing Co, 2002.

Kline, Meredith G. Kingdom Prologue. Overland Park, KS: Two Age Press, 2000.

Kline, Meredith G. Images of the Spirit. Grand Rapids, Michigan: Baker Book House, 1980.

Vos, Geerhardus. The Eschatology of the Old Testament. Phillipsburg, NJ: P&R Publishing, 2001.

__________

Daniel Akin

Danny Akin, President of Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, has recommended the following:

Introductions and Surveys of the Old Testament.

Archer, Gleason L., Jr. A Survey of Old Testament Introduction. Rev. ed. Chicago: Moody, 1994.

Dillard, Raymond B., and Tremper Longman III. An Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Harrison, R.K. Introduction to the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1969.

Hill, Andrew, and John Walton. A Survey of the Old Testament. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

Lasor, William, David A. Hubbard, and Frederick W. Bush. Old Testament Survey: The Message, Form and Background of the Old Testament. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1996.

Leithart, Peter. A House for My Name. Moscow: Canon, 2000.

Young, Edward J. An Introduction to the Old Testament. New rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1965.

Old Testament History and Background

de Vaux, R. Ancient Israel: Its Life and Institutions. 2 vols. New York: McGraw-Hill, 1961.

Easley, Kendall H. Holman Illustrated Guide to Biblical History. Nashville: Broadman, 2003.

Frank, Harry Thomas. Discovering the Biblical World. New York: Harper, 1975.

Harrison, R.K. Old Testament Times. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1970.

Hayes, John H., and J. Maxwell Miller, eds. Israelite and Judean History. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1977.

Kaiser, Walter C. A Survey of Israel’s History. Nashville: Broadman & Holman, 1997.

Long, V. Phillips, Tremper Longman, III, and Iain W. Provain. A Biblical History of Israel. Louisville: Westminster John Knox Press, 2003.

Merrill, Eugene H. Kingdom of Priests: A History of Old Testament Israel. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1996.

Walton, John H. Chronological Charts of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1994.

Old Testament Word Studies.

Brown, Francis. The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew-English Lexicon. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1979.

Harris, R. Laird, Gleason L. Archer, Jr., and Bruce K. Waltke, eds. Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Chicago: Moody, 1980.

Jenni, Ernst, and Claus Westermann, eds. Theological Lexicon of the Old Testament. Translated by M. E. Biddle. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson, 1997.

Koehler, Ludwig and Walter Baumgartner. The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament. 5 vols. New York: E. J. Brill, 1994-2000.

Old Testament Archaeology

Ben-Tor, Amnon, ed. The Archaeology of Ancient Israel. New Haven: Yale University Press, 1992.

Fagan, Brian M. The Oxford Companion to Archaeology. New York: Oxford, 1996.

Mazar, Amihai. Archaeology of the Land of the Bible—10,000-586 B.C.E. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

Millard, Alan. Treasures from Bible Times. Tring, England: Lion, 1985.

Schoville, K. N. Biblical Archaeology in Focus. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978.

Thompson, John A. The Bible and Archaeology. Rev. ed. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1972.

Yamauchi, Edwin. The Stones and the Scriptures: An Introduction to Biblical Archaeology. Repr. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1981.

Old Testament Theology

Dempster, Stephen. Dominion and Dynasty: A Biblical Theology of the Hebrew Bible. Downers Grove: IVP, 2003.

Dumbrell, William J. The Faith of Israel: A Theological Survey of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2001.

Eichrodt, Walther. Theology of the Old Testament. 2 vols. Translated by J.A. Baker. Philadelphia: Westminster, 1961-67.

Fuller, Daniel. The Unity of the Bible: Unfolding God’s Plan for Humanity. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2000.

Goldingay, John. Old Testament Theology: Israel’s Gospel. Downers Grove: IVP, 2003.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. According to Plan: The Unfolding Revelation of God in the Bible. Downers Grove: IVP, 2002.

Goldsworthy, Graeme. The Goldsworthy Trilogy. Waynesboro, GA: Send the Light, 2000.

House, Paul. Old Testament Theology. Downers Grove: IVP, 1998.

Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. Toward an Old Testament Theology. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1978.

Longman, Tremper, III. Immanual in Our Place: Seeing Christ In Israel’s Worship. New Jersey: P & R, 2001.

__________. Making Sense of the Old Testament: Three Crucial Questions. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1999.

Martens, Elmer A. God’s Design: A Focus on Old Testament Theology. 2d ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1994.

Ortlund, Raymond C. God’s Unfaithful Wife: A Biblical Theology of Spiritual Adultery. Downers Grove, IVP, 2003.

Sailhammer, John H. Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1995.

Von Rad, Gerhard. Old Testament Theology. 2 vols. Translated by D.M.G. Stalker. New York: Harper & Row, 1962-1965.

Vos, Gerhardus. Biblical Theology: Old and New Testaments. Edinburgh: Banner of Truth, 1996.

Old Testament Special Studies

Alter, Robert. The Art of Biblical Poetry. New York: Basic Books, 1985.

Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction to the Pentateuch, 2nd ed. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.

Armerding, Carl E. The Old Testament and Criticism. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Blenkinsopp, Joseph. A History of Prophecy in Israel. Rev. ed. Louisville: Westminster/John Knox, 1996.

Botterweck, G. Johannes, and H. Ringgren, eds. Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament. 11 vols. to date. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1974-1998.

Bullock, C. Hassell. An Introduction to the Old Testament Prophetic Books. Chicago: Moody, 1986.

________ . An Introduction to the Old Testament Poetic Books. Chicago: Moody, 1979.

Chisolm, Robert B., Jr. Handbook on the Prophets. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2002.

Collins, John J., ed. The Encyclopedia of Apocalypticism. New York: Continuum, 1998.

Duguid, Iain M. Living in the Grip of Relentless Grace: The Gospel in the Lives of Isaac and Jacob. New Jersey: P & R Press, 2002.

Fyall, Robert. Now My Eyes Have Seen You: Images of Creation and Evil in the Book of Job. Downers Grove: IVP, 2002.

Goldingay, John. Approaches to Old Testament Interpretation. Downers Grove: IVP, 1981.

Howard, David M. An Introduction to the Old Testament Historical Books. Chicago: Moody, 1993.

Jobes, Karen H. and Moisés Silva. Invitation to the Septuagint. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2000.

Kaiser, Walter C., Jr. Toward Rediscovering the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1987.

McConville, Gordon. A Guide to the Prophets. Vol. 4 of Exploring the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP, 2003.

Millar, J. Gary. Now Choose Life: Theology and Ethics In Deuteronomy. Downers Grove: IVP, 2000.

Murphy, Roland K. The Tree of Life: An Exploration of Biblical Wisdom Literature. New York: Doubleday, 1990.

Stuart, Douglas. Old Testament Exegesis: A Primer for Students and Pastors. 2d ed. Philadelphia: Westminister, 1984.

VanGemeren, Wilhelm A., ed. New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis. 5 vols. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1997.

Webb, Barry C. Five Festal Garments: Christian Reflections on the Song of Songs, Ruth, Lamentations, Ecclesiastes, Esther. Downers Grove: IVP, 2001.

Wenham, Gordon. A Guide to the Pentateuch. Vol. 1 of Exploring the Old Testament. Downers Grove: IVP, 2003.

Whybray, Robert N. The Making of the Pentateuch: A Methodological Study. Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1994.

Youngblood, Ronald. The Heart of the Old Testament. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1971. __________

More Recommendations:

• Old Testament Comprehensive Bibliography – Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary

• Denver Seminary’s Annotated Old Testament Bibliography

• The Master’s Seminary – 850 Books for Bible Expositors

• Calvin Theological Seminary’s Center For Excellence in Preaching – Recommended Commentaries

• Ralph Klein’s Old Testament and Ancient Near East book recommendations

• RECOMMENDED HEBREW BIBLE COMMENTARIES by Dr. Brooks Schramm, Lutheran Theological Seminary at Gettysburg

• Daniel Akin – Building a Theological Library

• Commentaries for the Pastor’s Study, by John F. Brag

• Tim Challies – Best Commentaries on Each Book of the Bible

• Princeton Theological Seminary – Recommended Old Testament Commentaries

• Gordon Conwell – Old Testament Recommended Resources

• Professor V. Philips Long’s Lectures on Old Testament History

• Dallas Theological Seminary’s Online Lectures