The Old Testament is more than a religious history of the nation of Israel. It is more than a portrait gallery of heroes of the faith. It is even more than a theological and prophetic backdrop to the New Testament. Beyond these, the Old Testament is inspired revelation of the very nature, character, and works of God. As renowned Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes in the preface of this book, the Old Testament's every sentence is 'fraught with theology, worthy of reflection.' This book is the result of decades of reflection informed by an extensive knowledge of the Hebrew language, the best of critical scholarship, a deep understanding of both the content and spirit of the Old Testament, and a thoroughly evangelical conviction. Taking a narrative, chronological approach to the text, Waltke employs rhetorical criticism to illuminate the theologies of the biblical narrators. Through careful study, he shows that the unifying theme of the Old Testament is the 'breaking in of the kingdom of God.' This theme helps the reader better understand not only the Old Testament, but also the New Testament, the continuity of the entire Bible, and ultimately, God himself.
An Old Testament Theology
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About the Author
Bruce K. Waltke (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, Harvard Divinity School), acknowledged to be one of the outstanding contemporary Old Testament scholars, is professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and professor emeritus of biblical studies at Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored and coauthored numerous books, commentaries, and articles, and contributed to dictionaries and encyclopedias.
Charles Yu is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of Hebrew and Semitics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
Charles Yu is currently pursuing doctoral studies in the Department of Hebrew and Semitics at the University of Wisconsin in Madison.
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More About the Author
Bruce K. Waltke (PhD, Dallas Theological Seminary; PhD, Harvard Divinity School), acknowledged to be one of the outstanding contemporary Old Testament scholars, is professor of Old Testament at Reformed Theological Seminary in Orlando, Florida, and professor emeritus of biblical studies at Regent College in Vancouver. He has authored and coauthored numerous books, commentaries, and articles, and contributed to dictionaries and encyclopedias.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
84 of 88 people found the following review helpful
By FBRobertson
Format:Hardcover
As a seminary student I am quite familiar with a lot of books that act in teaching Old Testament history and theology. Mr. Waltke's book is just about the best book a teacher could ever use and a student could ever read. The book is not aimed at simply exploring God's actions in the text of the Old Testament. It begins by exploring what exactly is the Old Testament and how students (and teachers for that matter) can learn about Old Testament theology in order to give them a greater understanding of the OT in terms of overall Biblical theology. When the book finally begins to explore the books of the Old Testament, the reader has a wonderful foundation in order to not only understand what each book of the Bible has to say, but ultimately what God wants His people to understand. Whether we are talking about a student in seminary such as myself or the casual (but well read) everyday fellow. If there is a problem with the book it could be that the way the book looks, large and overbearing, one might feel that he could easily get lost in the text. Not true. Mr. Waltke's personality flows along the pages, you are getting less a textbook and more of a one-to-one classroom education, mindful, caring, and from the author to the reader. Take the first chapter that deals with the Creation account in Genesis. Too many times you see Old Earth vs. Young Earth vs. Theistic Evolution being tossed around in academics. Mr. Waltke reminds us to go beyond these debates though important in their points)and go into what the text actually says, word for word, meaning for meaning, toward what the ancient Hebrews of the Exodus would understand them all the way to how the first Christians and Christian communities would possibly understand the text. I would highly advise anyone who is interested in truly understanding God's important messages of the Old Testament and to use these messages in their everyday lives and in their ministries, pick up this book. You wont regret it. I would also suggest Tremper Longman's work as well.
29 of 30 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was really impressed with the richness of this book. Bruce Waltke's goal in writing this book is to help Christians understand the OT, understand God's plan for them, understand how the OT relates to the NT, and how it relates to their lives today. Bruce assumes the authority of the 66 books of the canonical Protestant Bible. He teaches that the Old Testament's main storyline is about the kingship of God, God's kingdom as it breaks into our world (I disagree, I think it's about God's plan to redeem the world).
Waltke adopts a Reformed, covenant approach to interpreting scripture, rejecting the dispensational approach of his youth. He divides the Bible into several blocks of writing: the Primary History (Genesis-2 Kings) Wisdom Literature, and prophetic literature.
There is a great chapter on narrative theology, addressing the different points of view in the text (God, the human characters, the narrator). I also loved the chapter on poetics and intertexuality. The beautiful symmetry and chiasm in Genesis 1-11 sheds much light on the interpretation of this passage. He also discusses typology and how some texts evoke and alude ot others within the canon.
In the Primary History section of the book, Waltke discusses the gift of the cosmos, how God overcame chaos and darkness to create a habitable world. He contends that Genesis 1 is designed to counter pagan ideas about the construction of the world. The world itself is not divine, God is.
He also discusses the literary form of Genesis 1-2:4a, contending that it is narrative history, not myth, and that it reflects an Ancient Near eastern Comogeny, an example of God's accomodation to the viewpoints held by the people of the time.
There is a discussion about the gift of Adam, or mankind. He believes that the "us" in 1:26 refers to the heavenly court, not to the second person of the Trinity. He mentions that Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:5-10 are reflections on Genesis 1:26-28. There is also a discussion of theological anthropology: the Hebrews words of body, soul, heart, spirit, and life.
Waltke also teaches that men and women are equal in creation, parenting, worship, prayer, and giftedness, but that the male is the hierarchical, government head, just as the Father as the governmental head of the Trinity.
Waltke also defends the essential historicity of the events in the Garden of Eden, the life of Abraham and the Exodus, as well as the fall of Jericho. For Waltke, Genesis-2 Kings really lays out the central theme of the OT.
I loved this book. I gained a lot of insight from the text from Waltke's exegesis. I highly recommend it.
Waltke adopts a Reformed, covenant approach to interpreting scripture, rejecting the dispensational approach of his youth. He divides the Bible into several blocks of writing: the Primary History (Genesis-2 Kings) Wisdom Literature, and prophetic literature.
There is a great chapter on narrative theology, addressing the different points of view in the text (God, the human characters, the narrator). I also loved the chapter on poetics and intertexuality. The beautiful symmetry and chiasm in Genesis 1-11 sheds much light on the interpretation of this passage. He also discusses typology and how some texts evoke and alude ot others within the canon.
In the Primary History section of the book, Waltke discusses the gift of the cosmos, how God overcame chaos and darkness to create a habitable world. He contends that Genesis 1 is designed to counter pagan ideas about the construction of the world. The world itself is not divine, God is.
He also discusses the literary form of Genesis 1-2:4a, contending that it is narrative history, not myth, and that it reflects an Ancient Near eastern Comogeny, an example of God's accomodation to the viewpoints held by the people of the time.
There is a discussion about the gift of Adam, or mankind. He believes that the "us" in 1:26 refers to the heavenly court, not to the second person of the Trinity. He mentions that Psalm 8 and Hebrews 2:5-10 are reflections on Genesis 1:26-28. There is also a discussion of theological anthropology: the Hebrews words of body, soul, heart, spirit, and life.
Waltke also teaches that men and women are equal in creation, parenting, worship, prayer, and giftedness, but that the male is the hierarchical, government head, just as the Father as the governmental head of the Trinity.
Waltke also defends the essential historicity of the events in the Garden of Eden, the life of Abraham and the Exodus, as well as the fall of Jericho. For Waltke, Genesis-2 Kings really lays out the central theme of the OT.
I loved this book. I gained a lot of insight from the text from Waltke's exegesis. I highly recommend it.
71 of 80 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
Having known Bruce Waltke personally for over thirty years and valuing his scholarship as one of the finest OT scholars in the world, I find his OT Theology to be his premier work. Typical of Bruce's high standards, this volume displays decades of his rigorous exegesis and meticulous care for the accuracy of the Biblical texts along with his masterful development of the themes of the OT and how each of them find they find their fulfillment in the person and work of Christ in the New Testament. No difficulties are avoided and every theme is traced from its inception carefully through to its climax in a New Heavens and New Earth. Bruce is one of those rare individuals who gives us both "roots and wings," and as the Spanish poet Juan Ramon writes "the wings take root and the roots fly." Bruce's theology also includes an invaluable summary of the poetics of Hebrew narrative and poetry, so that readers will discern not only "what" the Bible says, but "how" it says it. The text is easy to read, clear, and insightful beyond measure. This magisterial work will serve as a beacon of doctrinal purity and light for many generations, and not merely because of it's supreme scholarship, but also because of Bruce's humble heart and passion for holiness that pervades the text itself.
Most Recent Customer Reviews
5.0 out of 5 stars
An Excellent Old Testament Theology
In offering theological reflections on the Old Testament, Waltke does not disappoint. He begins with an extended preface explaining first the book's title and then offering his 6... Read more
Published 5 months ago by Nathaniel Claiborne
3.0 out of 5 stars
Odd Distribution
Waltke, for all his legendary and loving attention to the Hebrew text, has a writing style that can be very imprecise and discursive. Read more
Published 12 months ago by Charles Twombly
2.0 out of 5 stars
Disappointing in many respects as an OT Theology text
Waltke's OT Theology is a painful and disappointing read. While there are some very good parts to the work (it being calvinistic, covenantal, scholarly and thought provoking in... Read more
Published 12 months ago by Pastor
5.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent and thorough survey of the OT
This is for those who want to benefit from a leading, evangelical OT scholar with his reflections on the Bible after a lifetime of study and want breadth but not sacrifice depth. Read more
Published on April 17, 2011 by Dean Chia
5.0 out of 5 stars
Well done Waltke
I used this book for a text in a college course and greatly appreciated its structure, its content, and its ability to provide facts in a well rounded easy to understand manner. Read more
Published on January 19, 2011 by Jason Groen
5.0 out of 5 stars
Scholarly, Passionate and Refreshing
Bruce Waltke has done a service to fellow Old Testament scholars, pastors, interested laypeople and the church at large. Read more
Published on February 12, 2010 by G. Kyle Essary
4.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Christian Understanding of the Old Testament
There are three main sections. In the "Introduction", Waltke describes both his approach and methodology in developing a theology of the Old Testament. Read more
Published on October 11, 2009 by Daniel J. Doleys
5.0 out of 5 stars
Magnificent
I have used this book, among others, in three Old Testament seminary courses in the last year. This book was by far the most valuable for all of those courses. Read more
Published on September 20, 2009 by Polymath-In-Training
4.0 out of 5 stars
Very good and deep
Bruce Waltke is very thorough in his approach to Old Testament theology. This book is a must read for anyone who wishes to know more about God's working with His children in Old... Read more
Published on August 10, 2009 by J. Blake Hall
5.0 out of 5 stars
Worth Every Penny!
This book is worth every cent that you pay for it. It is so thorough and so interconnected that it brings deep insight to the Old Testament. Read more
Published on June 9, 2009 by R. E. Tatina
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