Wisdom from Women in the Bible [Hardcover]

Edith Deen (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: June 1978

Get wisdom, get understanding ... Forsake her not, and she shall preserve thee: love her, and she shall keep thee. Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom.
-- Proverbs 4:5-7

In this new edition of a classic of women's Bible study, beloved Christian author Edith Deen brings to life the stories of more than fifty biblical women and shows the lessons contemporary women can learn from each one. The culmination of a quarter century of study, Wisdom from Women in the Bible provides firsthand insight on how the women of the Bible dealt with both the everyday topics of marriage, home, possessions, children, and widowhood; and the eternal themes of spiritual awareness, love, worship, and faith.

Represented here are the women whose wisdom shines like a beacon down through the ages: Mary, Ruth, Esther, and Deborah. But we can also learn from the wicked and the foolish -- Eve, Delilah, Jezebel, and Lot's wife -- the ones whose faults lead all too often to destruction.

In engaging and perceptive portraits, Deen reintroduces us to women who reflect our own weaknesses and potential for greatness, our petty jealousies and soaring prayers. She then applies each story to modern life, firmly outlining its meaning for our time. The result is a book both classic and contemporary, inspirational and practical.

"So I send this book forth with the hope that it will inspire a deeper study of the Bible and that it will help others gain a new wisdom and understanding in handling their daily problems. This is one of the wonders of the Bible. Any theme one chooses turns out to be contemporary."
-- from the Preface

--This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Editorial Reviews

From Publishers Weekly

Originally published in 1978, this classic Bible study companion presents the stories of more than 50 biblical figures. Deen (1905-1994) published six Bible study books in her lifetime, including All of the Women in the Bible and The Bible's Legacy for Womanhood. In this volume, she sought to emphasize the Bible's function as a "pragmatic" guide to contemporary behavior. Reading the Bible, she suggests, reveals "the sameness of all women's problems, both in primitive days and now," and the "advice, first given long ago, can be passed on from one generation to another." Though less traditional readers may be put off by parts of Deen's exegesis (one chapter compares Delilah to modern "prostitute-spies trying to trap influential men"), many are likely to find inspiration in her succinct retellings of Deborah's heroism, Esther's self-denial and Pricilla's faith.
Copyright 2003 Reed Business Information, Inc. --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

Review

“A pioneer in bringing women from the biblical backwaters into the mainstream of our consciousness” (Virginia Stem Owens, author of Daughters of Eve )

“[A]n intelligent, balanced view of 52 women from Scripture, applying their ancient truths to our modern challenges.” (Liz Curtis Higgs, best-selling author of Bad Girls of the Bible )

“[M]any are likely to find inspiration in [Deen’s] succinct retellings. . .” (Publishers Weekly )

“Through [Deen’s] thoughtful presentation ... we learn from this unseen community, and gain greater insight into our own lives.” (Frederica Mathewes-Green, author of Facing East and The Illumined Heart ) --This text refers to an out of print or unavailable edition of this title.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Hardcover: 148 pages
• Publisher: Harpercollins; 1st edition (June 1978)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0060618515
• ISBN-13: 978-0060618513
• Product Dimensions: 8 x 5.4 x 0.7 inches
• Shipping Weight: 9.6 ounces
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #4,370,534 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Discover books, learn about writers, read author blogs, and more.

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

3 of 4 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars As good as a house party, July 19, 2004

By 

Kevin Killian (San Francisco, CA United States) - See all my reviews
(HALL OF FAME REVIEWER)    (TOP 1000 REVIEWER)    (REAL NAME)   

This review is from: Wisdom from Women in the Bible (Hardcover)

Edith Deen packs in a whole passel of learning and yet makes it fun in a scholarly way. The women she cites are drawn from her history-making book ALL THE WOMEN IN THE BIBLE, which pinned down approximately 310 women named and un-named in the Bible. In the WISDOM book, Miss Deen picked about 50 of them, usually the wiser ones but not entirely. Deborah, who is one of my favorites as well as being the inspiration for film star Deborah Kerr's first name, comes off the best.

Speaking of films, I wonder if Miss Deen had any acquaintance with the late Margaret Mitchell, because many of Deen's pithier recaps of Bible heroines might have come right from the pages of GONE WITH THE WIND. The two authors have a lot in common, and I'm sure the people at HarperCollins are happy about that fact. Prospective mothers also might find this book a source of some interesting and neglected names for their blessed events to be.

If you like a Texas twang served up with your theological speculations, this is the book for you. It's a classic in the way that Ann Landers gives good advice--by the ladle-full.