TOP PICKS OF OLD TESTAMENT RESOURCES By Owen Smiley Featuring the Recommendations of the Faculty of Talbot School of Theology, viz. Ken Way, Tom Finley, John Hutchison, and Ron Pierce Copyright ©2011 by Owen Smiley. All rights reserved. ii . To Molly & Ella iii Acknowledgments: This work would not have come to pass without the aid and grace of several people. Ken Way provided faculty supervision of the project, giving valuable insights, helpful feedback, encouragement, and lots of source suggestions. Other faculty of Talbot School of Theology, most notably John Hutchison and Tom Finley, answered the call to recommend sources. The Biola University Library circulation, Link+, and Interlibrary Loan departments helped track down innumerable sources. Deserved recognition also goes to my students in Biblical Studies Research Seminar, who took my requests for editing help seriously. Finally, the Talbot Associated Students printed the final copy for editing. Molly, my bride, displayed grace upon grace as at least six hundred volumes passed through our living room over ten months. I am indebted to her patience and support. Ella, my daughter, was born a little more than two months into this project, and is more beautiful than my work will ever be. iv TABLE OF CONTENTS I. Introduction ........................................................................................................1 a. Surveying The Field: Tips on Evaluating OT Scholarship ..........................1 b. Notes on Using This Guide ..........................................................................1 c. Unique Features of This Survey ..................................................................2 II. Primary Sources .................................................................................................4 a. Ancient Works & Collected Works of Ancient Literature ..........................4 b. Archaeology .................................................................................................5 III. Reference Works Covering All or Multiple OT Books .....................................7 a. Background Commentaries & Studies .........................................................7 i. Background Commentaries ..............................................................7 ii. Israelite History ................................................................................7 iii. Other Background Studies ...............................................................8 b. Atlases ..........................................................................................................9 c. Dictionaries & Encyclopedias ....................................................................10 d. OT Survey Textbooks ................................................................................11 e. Surveys of Portions of the OT ...................................................................12 i. Pentateuch ......................................................................................12 ii. Historical Books.............................................................................13 iii. Wisdom Literature .........................................................................14 iv. The Prophets ..................................................................................15 f. OT Hermeneutics & Interpretation ............................................................16 g. OT Theologies ...........................................................................................18 h. Important OT Journals ...............................................................................20 i. Whole Bible ...................................................................................20 ii. OT Only .........................................................................................21 iii. Languages, Philology, & Semitics .................................................21 iv. Archaeology ...................................................................................21 IV. Language Aids .................................................................................................23 a. Hebrew Bibles ............................................................................................23 v b. Other Ancient Versions..............................................................................24 c. Lexicons .....................................................................................................24 d. Wordbooks & Word Studies ......................................................................26 e. Concordances .............................................................................................27 f. Linguistics ..................................................................................................27 g. Textual Criticism .......................................................................................28 h. Grammars ...................................................................................................29 i. Practical Guides .............................................................................29 ii. Elementary Grammars ...................................................................29 iii. Advanced Grammars .....................................................................30 V. Top Picks of the Old Testament.......................................................................32 a. Genesis .......................................................................................................32 b. Exodus........................................................................................................34 c. Leviticus .....................................................................................................36 d. Numbers .....................................................................................................38 e. Deuteronomy..............................................................................................40 f. Joshua .........................................................................................................42 g. Judges .........................................................................................................44 h. Ruth ............................................................................................................46 i. Samuel........................................................................................................48 j. Kings ..........................................................................................................51 k. Chronicles ..................................................................................................53 l. Ezra-Nehemiah ..........................................................................................55 m. Esther .........................................................................................................57 n. Job ..............................................................................................................59 o. Psalms ........................................................................................................61 p. Proverbs .....................................................................................................63 q. Ecclesiastes ................................................................................................65 r. Song of Songs ............................................................................................67 s. Isaiah ..........................................................................................................69 t. Jeremiah .....................................................................................................71 vi u. Lamentations ..............................................................................................73 v. Ezekiel........................................................................................................75 w. Daniel .........................................................................................................77 x. The Twelve (All The Minor Prophets) ......................................................79 y. Hosea..........................................................................................................81 z. Joel .............................................................................................................83 aa. Amos ..........................................................................................................84 bb. Obadiah ......................................................................................................87 cc. Jonah ..........................................................................................................88 dd. Micah .........................................................................................................90 ee. Nahum ........................................................................................................91 ff. Habakkuk ...................................................................................................93 gg. Zephaniah ...................................................................................................94 hh. Haggai ........................................................................................................96 ii. Zechariah....................................................................................................97 jj. Malachi ....................................................................................................100