Customer Reviews

Dictionary of the Old Testament: Wisdom, Poetry & Writings (The IVP Bible Dictionary Series)

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This is the third volume in the Dictionary of the Old Testament series put out by IVP, and covers Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations, Ruth and Esther in 148 articles and nearly 1,000 pages.

Bible college and Seminary students in particular may find the following articles of use/importance: Ernest Lucas's discussion of Wisdom theology (p. 901-12); Marvin Sweeney's survey of form-critical approaches to the Wisdom literature (p. 227-41); Peter Enns' entry on the Book of Ecclesiastes, with its firm insistence that Qohelet's thought cannot be aligned with any conventional biblical teaching (p. 121-32); and an article on "Chaos and Death" by Frederick J. Mabie (p. 41-54).

An essential volume for bible college students, seminary students, professors, and theological and church libraries. Recommended!

Any work of this type will necessarily have strengths and weaknesses, and, for the most part, this dictionary is strong. It contains a wealth of knowledge, presents multiple viewpoints in the articles, and contains very helpful bibliographies for further studies. However, the positions are often lop-sided, both because many of the authors often present their own positions uncritically and because the vast majority of contributors could be considered conservative Evangelicals. This is great if one is a conservative Evangelical (such as myself) but it is disheartening for students and scholars wishing to engage with a broader academic setting. That is not say that other viewpoints are ignored or misrepresented - to the contrary, the presentations are often balanced and as comprehensive as space allows - but that the conclusions are generally given before the argument and some important questions are left unasked. Overall, though, this is an excellent resource and certainly worth adding to a personal library for ready reference.

I am very pleased with this purchase. As a seminary student it is an excellent reference book.

An addition to personal library, do not know when chance will arise to read as seminary still requires another year of reading, no time for personal pursuits at this time.

This brand new book is fantastic and a great source for anyone in Biblical studies.