The King James Bible Word Book
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • not quite what i thought it should be..
  • I agree about this book being prejudiced!
  • Supplement with The Complete Guide to the Book of Proverbs.
  • Must have reference for KJV users
  • Covers a number of words, but the definitions prejudiced
The King James Bible Word Book
Nelson Reference
Manufacturer: Thomas Nelson
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0785280936

Book Description

English has changed dramatically since the introduction of the King James Bible. The original words often fail to make sense but the beauty of the poetic style reaffirms your love for the King James Bible. This Book will help you make sense of the often archaic language. A delightful and authoritative guide, this source book illuminates the 1611 text for the 1990's readers. Fascinating, brief articles explain over 800 terms of the KJV that have either fallen into disuse or have taken on a dramatically different meaning. Includes a comprehensive index of over 2600 entries.

Customer Reviews:

2 out of 5 stars not quite what i thought it should be.........2002-04-12

what did god say not man?? do i have my answers? no. sorry.

2 out of 5 stars I agree about this book being prejudiced!.......2000-08-15

So much caution needs to be exercised if this book is used as a resource, because of the subtle distortions of truth. After studying the issue of different bible versions for many years, I am now understanding how important it is to meditate upon the precise words God would have His children to remember. If this dictionary is not studied with discernment, it will have the effect of causing a person to have doubts about the integrity of the King James Bible. To give a balanced viewpoint of understanding the language used in the King James Version, I HIGHLY recommend a better dictionary with MANY more "archaic" words in it. It is written by Laurence M. Vance and is titled, "Archaic Words and the King James Bible." However, don't get duped into assuming everything he writes is trustworthy. "The Other Side of Calvinism," by Vance is extensively written but unfortunately a great example of what "itching ears" seeking self-gratification of the senses desires.

4 out of 5 stars Supplement with The Complete Guide to the Book of Proverbs........2000-01-12

This is a reprint of The Bible Word Book originally written in 1960. It gives interesting background on many Old English words and points out the many bloopers in the King James translation. Most famous of these is the "unicorn" which occurs 9 times and which is properly corrected to "wild ox" in modern versions. If you would like to compare the KJV to 5 contemporary versions, read THE COMPLETE GUIDE TO THE BOOK OF PROVERBS by Cody Jones. Besides an in-depth commentary, it features 6 translations of Proverbs side-by-side: New King James (1982), New Revised Standard (1990), New Century (1991), New International Version (1983), King James (1611) and New Living Translation (1996).

5 out of 5 stars Must have reference for KJV users.......1999-06-07

Many words used in the King James Version have a different meaning today than they had in 1611. It is important to know what the words meant then instead of what they mean now. If you read the KJV thinking the words have the same meaning, you will misinterpret many passages of scripture.

An earlier reviewer pointed out that this book does not cover Elizabethan grammar. I do not think that is a fair criticism. If you read Shakespeare in High School the grammar of the KJV should not be a problem.

3 out of 5 stars Covers a number of words, but the definitions prejudiced.......1999-01-08

This book covers many KJV words which are currently used but their meanings are changed. I wanted to know KJV in the positive way through this book. But, when I began to read this book, this book disappointed me. Because, the cover of this book said this book would give you clear understanding on the KJV, but through the contents of the book the author praised RSV or ASV. I think RSV is also a good translation, but, if the author prefers RSV to KJV, he must be sincere to choose the title of the book.
The Poisonwood Bible
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • Cut the last 100 pages & it's a masterpiece!
  • Blew me away!
  • Poisonwood Bible
  • One of my favorites...
  • Thank you Barbara.
The Poisonwood Bible
Barbara Kingsolver
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0060175400
Release Date: 1999-02-02

Amazon.com

Oprah Book Club® Selection, June 2000: As any reader of The Mosquito Coast knows, men who drag their families to far-off climes in pursuit of an Idea seldom come to any good, while those familiar with At Play in the Fields of the Lord or Kalimantaan understand that the minute a missionary sets foot on the fictional stage, all hell is about to break loose. So when Barbara Kingsolver sends missionary Nathan Price along with his wife and four daughters off to Africa in The Poisonwood Bible, you can be sure that salvation is the one thing they're not likely to find. The year is 1959 and the place is the Belgian Congo. Nathan, a Baptist preacher, has come to spread the Word in a remote village reachable only by airplane. To say that he and his family are woefully unprepared would be an understatement: "We came from Bethlehem, Georgia, bearing Betty Crocker cake mixes into the jungle," says Leah, one of Nathan's daughters. But of course it isn't long before they discover that the tremendous humidity has rendered the mixes unusable, their clothes are unsuitable, and they've arrived in the middle of political upheaval as the Congolese seek to wrest independence from Belgium. In addition to poisonous snakes, dangerous animals, and the hostility of the villagers to Nathan's fiery take-no-prisoners brand of Christianity, there are also rebels in the jungle and the threat of war in the air. Could things get any worse?

In fact they can and they do. The first part of The Poisonwood Bible revolves around Nathan's intransigent, bullying personality and his effect on both his family and the village they have come to. As political instability grows in the Congo, so does the local witch doctor's animus toward the Prices, and both seem to converge with tragic consequences about halfway through the novel. From that point on, the family is dispersed and the novel follows each member's fortune across a span of more than 30 years.

The Poisonwood Bible is arguably Barbara Kingsolver's most ambitious work, and it reveals both her great strengths and her weaknesses. As Nathan Price's wife and daughters tell their stories in alternating chapters, Kingsolver does a good job of differentiating the voices. But at times they can grate--teenage Rachel's tendency towards precious malapropisms is particularly annoying (students practice their "French congregations"; Nathan's refusal to take his family home is a "tapestry of justice"). More problematic is Kingsolver's tendency to wear her politics on her sleeve; this is particularly evident in the second half of the novel, in which she uses her characters as mouthpieces to explicate the complicated and tragic history of the Belgian Congo.

Despite these weaknesses, Kingsolver's fully realized, three-dimensional characters make The Poisonwood Bible compelling, especially in the first half, when Nathan Price is still at the center of the action. And in her treatment of Africa and the Africans she is at her best, exhibiting the acute perception, moral engagement, and lyrical prose that have made her previous novels so successful. --Alix Wilber

Book Description

The Poisonwood Bible is a story told by the wife and four daughters of Nathan Price, a fierce, evangelical Baptist who takes his family and mission to the Belgian Congo in 1959. They carry with them everything they believe they will need from home, but soon find that all of it—from garden seeds to Scripture—is calamitously transformed on African soil. What follows is a suspenseful epic of one family's tragic undoing and remarkable reconstruction over the course of three decades in postcolonial Africa.

The novel is set against one of the most dramatic political chronicles of the twentieth century: the Congo's fight for independence from Belgium, the murder of its first elected prime minister, the CIA coup to install his replacement, and the insidious progress of a world economic order that robs the fledgling African nation of its autonomy. Against this backdrop, Orleanna Price reconstructs the story of her evangelist husband's part in the Western assault on Africa, a tale indelibly darkened by her own losses and unanswerable questions about her own culpability. Also narrating the story, by turns, are her four daughters—the self-centered, teenaged Rachel; shrewd adolescent twins Leah and Adah; and Ruth May, a prescient five-year-old. These sharply observant girls, who arrive in the Congo with racial preconceptions forged in 1950s Georgia, will be marked in surprisingly different ways by their father's intractable mission, and by Africa itself. Ultimately each must strike her own separate path to salvation. Their passionately intertwined stories become a compelling exploration of moral risk and personal responsibility.

Dancing between the dark comedy of human failings and the breathtaking possibilities of human hope, The Poisonwood Bible possesses all that has distinguished Barbara Kingsolver's previous work, and extends this beloved writer's vision to an entirely new level. Taking its place alongside the classic works of postcolonial literature, this ambitious novel establishes Kingsolver as one of the most thoughtful and daring of modern writers.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Cut the last 100 pages & it's a masterpiece!.......2007-10-15

This is a fantastic book. More than anything else, Barbara Kingsolver's characterization is amazing. At first, I wasn't sure how effective her multiple first-person point-of-view account would be, but her characterization was so unique, detailed, and consistent that the characters felt like real people.

Kingsolver does a great job developing the plot, and really illustrating the culture clash between the Americans and the Congolese. She also does a great job developing the internal conflicts of the Price family. As time passes in the novel, the characters grow, change, and adapt, maintaining credibility.

I had only two real problems with this book:

1 - I felt like the novel truly ended when the Price women left Africa. The last hundred or so pages were tedious and unnecessary, and added nothing to the overall plot or message of the story. In fact, it seemed to undermine the story by sending the characters and the plotlines off in a ton of different directions.

2 - It grew too political at times. It didn't seem at the beginning this was Kingsolver's intention, but by those last few hundred pages, the writing was about 97% blatant political propaganda and 3% novel.

Other than that, a page-turning, enjoyable read. I highly recommend this book, as well as Kingsolver's other novels.

5 out of 5 stars Blew me away!.......2007-10-09

This is one of the handful of contempory fiction books that makes it to my top 10 list. I avoided this book for a while because the premise -- a missionary family from Georgia in the Belgian Congo -- just didn't appeal to me. I don't know what compelled me to pick the book up and give it a try, but I am so happy that I did. Once I picked this novel up I could barely put it down. This family's story is fascinating, tragic, and beautiful. If you are at all on the fence about this book I highly recommend you give it a chance!

5 out of 5 stars Poisonwood Bible.......2007-10-07

An excellent book that grips you from the start.As I am not religious I had a few reservations about reading it when I saw it was about missionaries, but the story is essentially about their family life in the Congo and the dangers they faced. It is written from the point of first the mother then each of her four daughters and is very skilfully done. I love this author and this is one of her best. It is entirely different from anything else she has written.

5 out of 5 stars One of my favorites..........2007-10-03

The Poisonwood Bible: A Novel (P.S.)
I've read this at least half a dozen times in the last several years & ALWAYS find nuances and plot points that are new. Kingsolver provides seamless transitions between the voices of the characters while managing to hold each one accountable for her own actions and the way their impact magnifies as it ripples outward through the family and into the community. I especially enjoyed Adah's biting wit & sarcasm from the perspective of her "diagnosis" and is a character I'd really like to meet in real life.

5 out of 5 stars Thank you Barbara........2007-09-27

What can I say, Barbara Kingsolver is one of my favorite writers. She's witty, inventive, and lyrical, to say the least. Just blew my mind with this one. It's amazing how every sentence is so poetic and so fascinating from start to finish. Great story. Beautifully written. A masterpiece.
Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, The
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Overall Useful Collection
  • Incomplete complete guide to the Bible.
  • A collection of essays showing the Bible's literary value.
Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, The
Dr. Leland Ryken , and Dr. Tremper Longman III
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310230780

Book Description

The aim of Complete Literary Guide to the Bible, edited by Leland Ryken and Tremper Longman III is to insure consistency in method and scope with a view to integrating literary and biblical studies. The book has four parts: The Bible as Literature, The Literature of the Old Testament, the Literature of the New Testament, the Literary Influence of the Bible.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Overall Useful Collection.......2006-08-03

This book is a collection of essays on how to read the Bible well from a literary perspective. Essays are very mixed in quality: some are extremely insightful, others trite (e.g., the essay on Ruth offers generalities from a quasi-feminist point of view while offering very little reflection on the actual text); most are true to the text, though a few ignore clear elements in the text to support a bias (e.g., the essay on Esther makes Vashdi and Haman's wife out to be heroines only by ignoring key literary elements). Some essays are dry and shed little real insight on how the literary elements of the text contribute to meaning. Yet with that said, the good essays (of which there are a fair number), make the book as a whole a worthwhile read. How does one read Biblical poetry well? What literary qualities guide us to understanding Ecclestiastes and Song of Songs? How does literary intent help us understand some of the differences in accounts in Kings and Chronicles? etc. I found the essays on Genesis, I & II Samuel, Ezra/Neh., Ecclestiastes, Song of Songs, Parables, and Revelation most useful: those at least, along with fragments elsewhere in the book, make it worthwhile for improved Biblical understanding.

3 out of 5 stars Incomplete complete guide to the Bible........2005-12-07

This book contains various essays about different aspects of literary structure of the Bible. Is this complete guide to the Bible? Not at all! The title of this book is too big for this item. It seems this book is like a collection of lectures from the Bible conference. Quality of essays are uneven. Some essays are excellent, but some are so so.

4 out of 5 stars A collection of essays showing the Bible's literary value........1999-03-30

Each book of the Bible is examined for its literary value by different contributers who are scholars (Biblical and literary) in their respective field. Although the two main genres contained in the Bible- poetry and narrative- are emphasized, other genres are also examined. Layman or expert, student or teacher will all benefit from reading this literary exposition of the Bible. I recommend Ryken's and Longman's book to anyone wishing to expand his knowledge of various literary genres and also willing to have his present view of the Bible challenged. A Christian may be startled by the literary freedom displayed through the writings of each Biblical author and the non-Christian can appreciate the beauty of the Bible as a literary work.
A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Great Syntax Resource
  • Yet another mixed bag of Biblical Grammar: a bit too taxonomic
  • A Simple and Comprehensive Guide
  • A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax
  • the best handbook for beginner BH syntax
A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax
Bill T. Arnold , and John H. Choi
Manufacturer: Cambridge University Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0521533481

Book Description

At the heart of biblical interpretation is the need to read the Bible's "syntax" (the way words, clauses, and sentences relate to each other). The growing demands on theological education have made it difficult for students of the Hebrew Bible (or Old Testament) to master the intermediate-level skills required to interpret the syntax of the Bible's original language. A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax defines the fundamental syntactical features of the Hebrew Bible, and illustrates each feature with at least one example, extracted from the Bible itself and accompanied with English translation.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Great Syntax Resource.......2007-02-14

This is a book I've been looking for. It's nice to have a reference book with all the syntax rules organized and structured. I've used a number of grammars for Biblical Hebrew and some of them deal with syntax to one degree or another, but no one has a summary of syntax rules. This is a great complement to one's study of Biblical Hebrew -- it's not a substitute for a grammar book. I highly recommend it before moving on to Waltke and O'Connor.

3 out of 5 stars Yet another mixed bag of Biblical Grammar: a bit too taxonomic.......2006-12-11

It's stunning that after years of Biblical authorship, we still don't have a good guide to Biblical grammar for beginning or intermediate level students. Biblical grammar is a tricky thing: it is the product of modern scholarship's attempt to reconstruct a Biblical grammar. Arnold and Choi's contribution is helpful in many ways: it allows someone with only basic grammatical knowledge to penetrate and learn Biblical grammar, someone who would otherwise be lost by the concision of Moshe Greenberg or overwhelmed by Gesenius. It will explain to you that there are no tenses in Hebrew, only "aspects" (perfect and imperfect), and it will run down long taxonomical lists of grammatical "uses", such as pages and pages and pages of the various "meanings" of the lamed. (For what it's worth, there is increasing scholarship today that Biblical Hebrew in fact is a tensed language, not an aspected language, though, not surprisingly, Arnold and Choi do not point out that there is an opposing opinion to theirs.)

The problem, and it is a major one, is that Arnold and Choi make no effort to present to the reader which meanings and uses are relatively established and which are speculative. When I went over many of the uses with a professor of Biblical grammar, I learned that they establish entire categories for uses that occur once in the whole Bible. This is their downfall: if they can make another use or "case," then they will (the astronomical number of special uses of the construct form is absurd), and then they'll tell us that we have to put certain examples in those categories. We are told, for example, that the causative hifil of "see" is the permissive hifil, as in "God let him see" when in fact there is no reason not to translate it "God showed him."

In a pedagogical sense, this has a negative effect on the reader, since we are led to believe that there are dozens and dozens of uses and cases we must memorize, when in fact they could have saved everyone a lot of trouble by simple estimating frequency next to each of their entries, so a student could know what to concentrate on. Furthermore, their hyper-scholarly approach requires that the reader know lots of grammatical terms, which few students today know.

Is it helpful at all? Yes, particularly with verb forms. Most students, even those with significant modern Hebrew under their belts, do not understand the verb form uses in the Bible, such as that Nifal is rarely a passive, and is most often a reflexive and sometimes a reciprocal. That's very important when translating the Bible. Similarly, if you don't understand what it means that Pi'el is used causally for statives, then you can't understand Biblical Hebrew, and this book will explain to you what that means (though you will have to look up "stative" in a dictionary), or what a "putative pi'el" is, which is vital. Read those sections of their book five or six times and you'll eventually "get it."

Still, I personally prefer Moshe Greenberg's Introduction to Hebrew, though that's very short and very dense and assumes you have a basic grounding in Hebrew and grammatical terms.

5 out of 5 stars A Simple and Comprehensive Guide.......2006-11-14

I have used this book extensively as I have exegeted the Hebrew text and it is fantastic. This guide is snap to use for about 95% of the questions I have regarding the text. The other 5% I use Walkte and O'Connor.

5 out of 5 stars A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax.......2006-08-22

This Book is easy to understand, designed very well and offers good explanations. It is not, however, a reference grammar. It offers alot of footnotes that refer to the bigger grammars for further study. I wish I had used it instead of Waltke and O'Conner for second year Hebrew, but still there is no getting around the need for a more indepth Grammar. Read this book, then buy Waltke and O'Conner.

5 out of 5 stars the best handbook for beginner BH syntax.......2004-06-12

One can easily memorize word lists but know very little of how Biblical Hebrew words come together to create meaning. This is a great little handbook for beginner Hebrew syntax and usage. There are other more robust guides for Hebrew syntax (Lambdin, Gesenius, Waltke & O'Connor, etc.), but this book excels in its structural presentation and compact size. Each syntactical definition is accompanied by a simple example from the actual text of the OT to illuminate the principle that is taught. It is a must for taking the next step beyond vocabulary memorization.
The New Testament Cliffs Notes
Average customer rating: 3 out of 5 stars
  • Are you serious?
  • Great historical background
  • Good secular summary. Great launching point.
  • Cliff, how you disappoint me
The New Testament Cliffs Notes
Charles H. Patterson
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
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ASIN: 0822008807

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background.

In CliffsNotes on The New Testament , you follow along what's often called "The Greatest Story Ever Told" as it recounts the teachings of the prophet Jesus of Nazareth, who lived 2,000 years ago. It is a rich source of poetry and knowledge and is the rock upon which Christianity stands.

This study guide carries you along on Jesus' incredible journey by providing summaries and commentaries on The New Testament of the Bible. Other features that help you study include

Classic literature or modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Download Description

Often called "The Greatest Story Ever Told," this collection of writings recounts the teachings of the prophet Jesus of Nazareth, who lived 2,000 years ago. It is a rich source of poetry and knowledge and is the rock upon which Christianity stands.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars Are you serious?.......2005-09-12

If you need Cliff notes for the Bible, you have a problem. It is that simple.

4 out of 5 stars Great historical background.......2005-02-19

I never thought I'd review Cliff Notes! However, I really like this one.

This book gives great historical and cultural information, which has really helped my understanding of the New Testament. I realized, when reading this, that there is a lot more to understanding the New Testament than I had gotten from just reading the Bible. Without the historical background, some things just didn't make so much sense. And the entire story was sort of flat for me before.

I really appreciated the comparative look at the books of the New Testament, and the perspective given on the authors and the intended audience.

Of course this in no way replaces the Bible. But it gave me an understanding I NEVER could have gotten by studying the Bible alone!

4 out of 5 stars Good secular summary. Great launching point........2003-08-14

Sadly, most self-professed CHRISTIANS I've met have only heard bits and pieces of the NT - and mostly reruns. (Old Testament? Do old movies count?) NON-CHRISTIANS would like to get some Christian basics on short notice: new Christian friends, mid-life crisis, etc. Giving even a well-indexed Bible is counter-productive. If you're looking to help them discover Christianity, you failed.

WHAT THIS BOOK DOES: Summaries and commentaries - yeah, yeah - CF's bread and butter. Additionally, Patterson tells you why each letter/book was written, for whom it was intended and the world-situation in which it was written. Stop. Think about it. That's huge. Want to know about the life of Jesus and only want to read (the summaries and) one gospel, which one and what are the rammifications? What does it means to live a Christian life, which book tells you? Don't care about 1st century circumcision, which books can you skip?

POTENTIAL SHORTCOMINGS: 1) All Cliff's Notes come with their generic disclaimer: "If you really want to know, read it, not these notes." Really want to know about Jesus? Read all four Gospels, followed by the best commentaries (plural!), read the Gospels again, then beat on your mind. 2) Patterson manages to be secular (non-religious) in the extreme. Personally, I was amazed someone could review the NT in such secular terms. If you have Christian faith, you may find this angle of observation downright painful but the historic context will (probably) still be new. I'm a Catholic-raised Agnostic, so I didn't experience the pain. 3) It's really old: 1965. Granted, Christianity isn't Computer Technology but the presentation isn't exactly Gen-X and several Bible versions have undergone major revisions since this baby was written.

I liked it.

3 out of 5 stars Cliff, how you disappoint me.......2002-09-23

I hate to give bad reviews, but let's just say that I was being generous with the 3. I recently got these notes to use as a quick review of the new testament. And I know that you really can't compile such a massive book into such a tiny book. However, it just didn't seem like Cliff even read the Bible. Ther notes were kind of loose and very uninformative. I have seen much better versions. And this goes for more than just the Cliff Notes on the Bible. On every note I look at, I am just disappointed. Sparknotes are much better. They give a more in-depth summary and have everything Cliff has. I am not sure if they have notes on the Bible yet, but everything else is good. In all honesty, don't spend your money on this set of Cliff Notes. It's not worth it. You're better off buying a student Bible with an index in the back. I suggest THE STUDENT BIBLE-THE NEW INTERNATIONAL VERSION. That one is easy to read and wonderful in so many ways. If you are looking for something that can be used as a quick review, this Bible is great. The index is amazing. Amazon sells it; I wrote a review on it if you want more info on it.
The Old Testament (Cliffs Notes)
Average customer rating: 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • Condensation of Current Views of OT
  • The decline of modern man
  • The Bible is FAR more fascinating than you probably think
The Old Testament (Cliffs Notes)
Charles H. Patterson
Manufacturer: Cliffs Notes
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0822009498

Book Description

The original CliffsNotes study guides offer expert commentary on major themes, plots, characters, literary devices, and historical background. The latest generation of titles in the series also feature glossaries and visual elements that complement the classic, familiar format.

In CliffsNotes on the Old Testament, you’ll dig into the first half of the best-selling book of all time. These texts, stories, and poetry of the Bible have shaped the lives and philosophies of more than half the planet for over 2,000 years. Its timeless message is always fascinating, relevant, and open to interpretation. In addition to summaries and commentaries, you’ll also find

Classic literature or modern modern-day treasure — you'll understand it all with expert information and insight from CliffsNotes study guides.

Customer Reviews:

4 out of 5 stars Condensation of Current Views of OT.......1999-11-02

The Cliffs notes for the Bible is hardly an attempt to "condense the entire 39 books of the Old Testament into a little yellow book." I would not be so condesending, it does a very good job at condensing many scholars' perspectives on who's writing is included in it and the times the texts were written during; even touching on *some* pop Bible stories and the "great questions" they analyze. It introduces Bible newbies (and some oldies) to the notion the Bible wasn't written like a movie, by a few people in the span of a few months or even years; the Old Testament includes work by many people over the span of hundreds of years. Such a long time, that original documents wore out or decayed, thus needed to be copied down to a new hard copy...he briefly mentions instances of editorial modifications, he does not discuss language conversions however. I believe an overview of a very complicated piece of literature is great, before or after sitting down to read it in vast quantities. He does a good job at staying in an objective tone, not rambling on to preaching tangents. Again, this is not an attempt to condense the OT, but provide insight into who the current studied folks consider the authors and when the manuscripts were brought together.

2 out of 5 stars The decline of modern man.......1999-04-19

Well, well, well, it looks like "Cliff" has done it again. This fabulous entity has actually managed to create a cheatbook for The Holy Bible. Amazing. What's more amazing is that people pay money for it. Honestly, does anyone actually believe that a person can condense the entire 39 books of the Old Testament into a little yellow, book, published in a series known for its inaccuracies. And this in regards a book so involved and requirous of absolute accuracy. Hmm, perhaps I too may waste my money on this psuedo-tome...maybe not. I could take some more time and thought and actually read the book, but that would require too much effort. Oh well, back to my Comic Book Classics. It's like Cliff's Notes, but with cool pictures!

4 out of 5 stars The Bible is FAR more fascinating than you probably think.......1998-10-21

This little, straightforward text helps one appreciate one reason why the Bible is probably the most widely read book in world history: it contains the wisdom of a people who faced radically varying circumstances over hundreds and hundreds of years. Cliffs also introduces beginners the idea that the Bible is FAR more fascinating than a religious monolith...it contains the gradually and sometimes radically changing thought of a people throughout the ages.
New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • An Eisegesis Text
  • Awesome Book, great shopping experience.
  • Helpful, but not "big Zerwick" as I've heard some people call it
  • A unique tool
  • Illuminating!
New Linguistic and Exegetical Key to the Greek New Testament, The
Jr., Dr. Cleon L. Rogers , and Cleon L. Rogers III
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0310201756

Book Description

This verse by verse analysis of unusual forms and grammatical and exegetical difficulties in the Greek New Testament is expanded and revised, improving on the acclaimed original version.

Customer Reviews:

1 out of 5 stars An Eisegesis Text.......2007-10-01

My Webster's Collegiate Dictionary defines eisegesis as "the interpretation of a text (as of the Bible) by reading into it one's own ideas." If I had known that the Rogers & Rogers text was of this nature, I would not have purchased it. The book claims to be "exegetical" (critical interpretation) of the New Testament. As a doctoral student, this particular book cannot be used as a representable citation. Why not? One look at it's "Abbreviation and Bibliography" section includes that of Bible Commentators and general theology books. That is a red flag. The second red flag is that of the book's explanation of baptism as stated in Matthew 28:19, Mark 16:16, Acts 2:38, Romans 6:3-6, Galatians 3:27, and 1 Peter 3:21. As suspected, the Rogers family decided to utilize commentary and Mantey's flawed "A Manual Grammar of the Greek New Testament" (1950) in order to try and "prove" that baptism is unnecessary for slavation, opting instead to "show" that baptism is nothing more than a "sign" of one already saved before submitting to being baptized [note page 233 "because of"]. The one bright side: I bought Rogers' book used and not brand new! Hope this explanation helps you the readers. Peace.

5 out of 5 stars Awesome Book, great shopping experience........2007-07-07

This book was a suggested resource by my Homiletics Prof. What an awesome book. It is precise, concise and has many refrences to further research and linguistic works.

Would suggest this book to any seminary student or young pastor who struggles with original languages. This is a great sermon prep resource.

5 out of 5 stars Helpful, but not "big Zerwick" as I've heard some people call it.......2006-10-04

I have found this volume to be extremely useful in two areas: 1)When I am still having difficulty parsing a difficult verb form; and 2)For directing me to a plethora of additional articles and resources from which I can glean exegetical information. The book itself, as the title indicates, provides some exegetical insight, but it is at its best when it combines Rogers' own comments with a list of articles to consult for further research.

One or two other reviewers have mentioned using this book in conjunction with Max Zerwick's "A Grammatical Analysis of the Greek New Testament," and I do the same. I have heard some people call Rogers' work "big Zerwick," but that is not an accurate comparison of the two works. Rogers' book, while certainly providing some grammatical/linguistic information, emphasizes the exegetical aspect of words and passages far more, while Zerwick's volume is far more useful for learning the grammatical minutae and quirks of Koine Greek (though, at times, he also provides some exegetical comments).

The bottom line: don't substitute Rogers for Zerwick, or vice versa. Make use of both volumes and your studies of the GNT will be greatly enriched.

5 out of 5 stars A unique tool.......2003-09-05

If, like me, you are not an expert in Koine Greek, then this is an excellent tool. I have found that having this work has served a twofold purpose: 1) it has revealed a great deal regarding the background of several words and phrases of which I was unaware, 2) it has served as a very effective reference to other more in depth articles and background material on the topics I am researching. I have found this work remarkably free of traditional bias. An example would be the handling of "the Word was God" phrase of John 1:1, with some reference material not often found in other Greek reference works. I would highly recommend this to anyone who loves the Scriptures but has not yet mastered their original languages.

5 out of 5 stars Illuminating!.......2003-01-30

This work is a great help to those wanting to study the grammar and syntax of the Greek New Testament, relying on a variety of scholarship condensed into one volume. An extensive bibliography, attractive format, and durable binding augment the wealth of information this volume offers.

In order to use this volume, one must be able to read Greek in Greek characters. The only apparent drawback to this volume is that it does not draw attention to variant readings and their impact on the meaning and translation of the text as a whole.
All in all, you get a comprehensive walk-through of the Greek New Testament, according to the text of UBS.
One Man's Bible
Average customer rating: 4 out of 5 stars
  • A very personal story within the Cultural Revolution
  • beautiful, accomplished work
  • Isolated In a Crowd
  • Engrossing
  • Cultural Drift
One Man's Bible
Gao Xingjian
Manufacturer: HarperCollins
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Hardcover

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ASIN: 0066211328
Release Date: 2002-09-03

Amazon.com

In the same circling, ruminative vein as his Nobel Prize-winning debut novel Soul Mountain, Chinese expatriate Gao Xingjian's fictionalized memoir of his youth, One Man's Bible, is an attempt to capture the Kafkaesque anxieties of the Cultural Revolution. As a budding writer, and the son of a white-collar worker, the unnamed narrator soon realizes that, no matter what useful friends he makes at school, he is vulnerable to investigation by the restless, politically unstable Red Guard: "Enemies had to be found; without enemies, how could the political authorities sustain their dictatorship?" Punishment for real or imagined "mistakes" of thought and behavior would have been death, imprisonment, or banishment to a labor farm. The only answer, he came to believe, was to blend in with the masses and to construct a mask of bland agreement with whoever appeared to be in charge at the time.

The bulk of Xingjian's absorbing narrative takes place in this bleak world of exposure, hysteria, and reprisals, and from an appropriately distant third-person point of view. But the act of recollection is spurred by a four-day-long affair with a near-stranger in the mid-1990s. The narrator, long exiled from China, has been brought to Hong Kong to help stage one of his plays. Here he runs into a German-Jewish woman, Margarethe, whom he knew slightly from his final years in China. For Margarethe, survival hinges on memory. It is she who persuades the narrator to let his painful, rigorously suppressed memories begin to thaw, and if not to drop his mask, at least to remember that he is wearing one. --Regina Marler

Book Description

One Man's Bible is the second novel by Nobel Prize-winning author Gao Xingjian to appear in English. Following on the heels of his highly praised Soul Mountain, this later work is as candid as the first, and written with the same grace and beauty.

In a Hong Kong hotel room in 1996, Gao Xingjian's lover, Marguerite, stirs up his memories of childhood and early adult life under the shadow of Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution. Gao has been living in self-imposed exile in France and has traveled to this Western-influenced Chinese city-state, so close to his homeland, for the staging of one of his plays.

What follows is a fictionalized account of Gao Xingjian's life under the Communist regime. Whether in "beehive" offices in Beijing or in isolated rural towns, daily life is riddled with paranoia and fear, as revolutionaries, counterrevolutionaries, reactionaries, counterreactionaries, and government propaganda turn citizens against one another. It is a place where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can make one an enemy of the state. Gao evokes the spiritual torture of political and intellectual repression in graphic detail, including the heartbreaking betrayals he suffers in his relationships with women and men alike.

One Man's Bible is a profound meditation on the essence of writing, on exile, on the effects of political oppression on the human spirit, and on how the human spirit can triumph.

Download Description

"PerfectBound e-book extras: "No-isms": A Conversation with Gao Xingjian and Translating Gao: Mabel Lee on Gao Xingjian In a Hong Kong hotel room, in 1996, Gao Xingjian's lover, Marguerite, stirs up his memories of childhood and early adult life under the shadow of Mao Zedong and the Cultural Revolution. Gao has been living in self imposed exile in France and has traveled to this Western influenced Chinese city-state, so close to his homeland, for the staging of one his own plays. What follows is a fictionalized account of Gao Xingjian's life under the communist regime: whether in the `beehive' offices in Beijing or in isolated rural towns, everywhere daily life is riddled with paranoia and fear, as revolutionaries, counter-revolutionaries, reactionaries, counter-reactionaries and government propaganda turn citizens against one another, where a single sentence spoken ten years earlier can make one an enemy of the state. Gao evokes the spiritual torture of political and intellectual repression in graphic detail, including the heartbreaking betrayals he suffers in his relationships with women and men alike. ONE MAN'S BIBLE is a profound meditation on the essence of writing, on exile and on the effects of political oppression on the human spirit, and how the human spirit can triumph."

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars A very personal story within the Cultural Revolution.......2006-12-26

One Man's Bible conveys the life and death choices the narrator had to make every day during a period of extreme social turbulence.This book excels in communicating the tension between the desire to survive and thrive in society and a personal desire (in this case to keep writing)that is forbidden by "society". The narrator is certainly not a hero and does not judge what his happening around him.

I also found the book very good in being able to paint a picture of daily life, at the collective and individual level, in the period where the book is set.

5 out of 5 stars beautiful, accomplished work.......2006-11-01

Gao Xingjian's second novel, "One Man's Bible" contains partially autobiographical life story of a Chinese writer, who tries to find his own place, peace of mind and right to writing and publishing in the Communist China.

The writer, living in permanent exile from China, goes to Hong Kong to attend a premiere of one of his theater plays. There, he meets Margarethe, one of the women who had an impact on his life. Margarethe, a German Jew, who stayed in Germant despite many doubts and reservations, is enquiring about the writer's past and this triggers and avalanche of memories. In fact, it is not a novel compositional trick, but because of Gao's dream-like style, similar to "The Soul Mountain", it seems still fresh and original here.

The chapters, which describe the Chinese past of the main character during the Cultural Revolution are separated by the ones closer to the present. The difference is stressed by the changes in narration between second and third person.

Among enemies and friends, career wolves and people desperately trying to preserve their individuality and self-respect, the young writer tries to figure out his own place, which requires a lot of time and effort, many schemes and being always a step ahead of the others. To write and publish in the capital, one must escape the Party purges, must have a job, a right to lodging in a tiny room in the communal apartment, an impeccable past and a perspective of a career within the Party.

Initially, the protagonist manages quite well. He becomes a leader of young rebels in yet another uprising, labeling the former previous party officials as "The Snake Spirits" (name given to all enemies of the system). He is also a lover of one of the Party leader's wife. Thanks to her warning (apparently the proofs of his disloyalty have been found (in the form of the information that in the remote past, just after the war with Japan, his father was in the illegal possession of weapons), the writer finally realizes that he will never be able to find for himself a safe place in the communist structures, allowing him creative freedom. Only then he decides to escape, initially hiding n the far away, mountain village, under the pretenses of rehabilitation through physical labor. After a long period of creative hibernation and waiting, he manages to leave China and stay abroad permanently, getting the status of the political refugee.

This seemingly realistic plot is spiked with the descriptions of events from emigrant times, the weird dreams pestering the protagonist and the masterful portraits of people who he met in China (the whole gallery of human types, from small cheaters, through people using their professional positions to the good and bad purpose, to intellectuals broken by the system) and outside (especially interesting are the female characters - already mentioned Margarethe and Sylvie, a person whose personal experience separates her like a chasm from the protagonist; it is interesting to notice, how her character is the opposite to the writer's). Various motivations and life attitudes are shown very clearly and convincingly, so that the reader can rest assured, that in each regime everyone has their own free will and our life choices depend on our will only.

The parallels to Gao's life come to mind automatically during reading. The protagonist is not from the working class (his father, like Gao's, works in a bank), he is educated, writes and then destroys his writings, afraid that they can be discovered and used against him (Gao had burned all his manuscripts before leaving China), during his years in exile he cannot visit China... It is hard not to wonder whether "One Man's Bible" is a kind of the catharsis, as the writer is shown as a person who to reach his goal - to write and publish - does not hesitate to become an opportunist. Although he is trying to live in agreement with his conscience, he makes mistakes, which he later regrets and which affect other people's lives. If Gao writes here about himself, he definitely does not try to excuse his actions or to show himself in the best light...

The autobiographical style makes "One Man's Bible" less contemplative and looking more like a "traditional" novel than "The Soul Mountain", but here again comes back the motif of integration with the rural people and respect for the antique Chinese traditions - for example, the scene of conversation with the old doctor and description of his handbook are beautiful).

This novel is worth recommendation, especially, because the access to the Chinese writers who describe the country's reality well and at the same time their books present the high level of artistic achievement, is limited, and Gao's works are banned in China (apparently, they are available on the black market, but not published officially), therefore it is very likely that they contain accurate observations (like the Polish, Soviet or other emigrant writers, to which I can relate).

4 out of 5 stars Isolated In a Crowd.......2006-09-06

Part of why Gao Xingjian's book "One Man's Bible" has such an impact for the Western audience is that many of us who have heard of the Cultural Revolution in China still have no adequate experience that helps us understand it or its impact on the Chinese people. Xingjian's detached style may be the only way to deal with this and not go crazy. So many of the details are startling. When he relates how his father's ownership of a gun some 30 years previously is held against him so that he's threatened by the dreaded "reactionary" & "counter-revolutionary" labels is amazing to the Western mind. To hear of families split apart as educated parents are sent for 8 years of "re-education" in rural labor camps is shocking. When those in political disfavor become ill, the hospital becomes the ideal method for assassination. I believe it's because of this subject matter that the book has such an impact.

There is also another underlying theme of human isolation. Surrounded by people, the main character cannot let anyone get close to his heart and emotion. He interprets freedom as an absence of love; and this is perhaps the saddest aspect of the book. Xingjian's series of lovers from the German Marguerite to his first love Lin and the many other casual affairs reflect the satisfaction of the basic hormonal drives, but leave an emotional detachment that precludes real intimacy. On a purely human level, this clinical self-examination is put under a harsh light.

The novel's construction uses some of the techniques that made "Soul Mountain" also seem fresh & "un-Western." The alternation of time periods, flashing back and forth from past eras in China to the present detachment works to produce a tension in the novel. Use of various persons (e.g. I, he/she) including second person (you) narration adds a variety; whereas more accepted Western standards would look for consistency. People may react negatively to the book because we're used to a plot line where a story is told. Xingjian's story is told here, but it's in more of a travelogue format than the traditional structure that builds to a climax. Xingjian's tale seems to travel to anti-climax, much as life often can seem mundane or routine.

Some of the philosophical chapters near the end did not connect with me as well. The book does seem to end simply because the author put down the pen. But all in all, this is an important book. My family watched the film "Balzac & the Little Chinese Seamstress" the other night. I found myself using Xingjian's book to fill in many of the details about the re-education camps for my family. Translated works may lose some of the original nuance and impact, but Mabel Lee did a good job with the translation. I often would ponder an unusual image. This is an excellent mind-stretching book. Enjoy!

5 out of 5 stars Engrossing.......2006-06-04

This is a fantastic autobiographical novel about the author's experiences under Mao's China and how it affected him and others. The subject matter itself is enough to reccomend this book because we rarely get insights into this closed world and must strive to understand it as it emerges as a world economic power.

The author uses an interesting techinque of detachment where the main character is also the narrator who speeks most often in the third person. Irme Kertesz in his novel "fatelessness" beautifully dscribes how people can survive even the worst suffering, such as the holocaust, by detachment of soul from body. In "Fatelessness", the protagonist survives the concentration camps by escaping outside himself and comes to not only view his suffering and surroundings in the third person but becomes so detached that the physical pain, wounds, illness and suffering of his own body are described and experienced as a thiid person. This mode of escape was subconcious and persisted after the war, leaving a permanent scar of detachment that leaves the reader wondering how the protagonist will relate in peacetime.

Gao has evidently experienced a similar form of coping mechanism that is evident in the sections of the novel that take place in the present, during his expatriat years. It becomes manifest by his casual serial sexual encounters with women who also have similar problems of forming lasting bonds and attachments because of trauma (rape etc). Gao's inability to form a lasting personal bond extends to his lack of attachment to China, his people and his new home, career and friends. Though his insights are [rofound, Gao's emotions and actions are superficial and dream-like.

The most brilliant technique is his use of the word "you." The detached narrator (Gao)uses this word to refer to the subject (Gao)as if he is writing for and talking to himself. I have only seen this technique used in Gao's other novel translated into English "Soul Moutain." Later in the novel, when describing the past he uses "him" to describe the subject "Gao" living in Mao's China. The Narrator uses "you" to refer to the Gao in the present, expatriat state.

The use of "you" and "him" has a multilevel effect on the text and the reader. "Him" Gao of the past becomes "You" Gao of the present - a different level of detachment. "Him" Gao is the Gao of the present describing the Gao of the past as if from a distance, as if that person no longer exists and is dead or lost. The "You" Gao is more familiar, closer, intimate yet detached, a different, mature Gao of the present who is having these relationships, having his plays performed and struggling with the present novel and his past. If a man is the sum of his experiences we are left still wondering who the real Gao is and if he knows himself. It is as much a discovery of Mao's oppressive China as an effort of self descovery -- both painful.

The other effect of the use of "You" used by the narrator to describe Gao in the present is the author subtly drawing in the reader, to place him or herself in Gao's place, to become Gao. "You" also refers to the reader. We are invited to become Gao in our imagination as we read the text. The simplicity of one word creating so many layers of meaning and effect on the text and reader is on par with Jose Saramago's penchant for a lack of puntuation in many of his works.

This book is indeed something special, ingenious, and genuine. You may walk away haunted and disoriented, angry, frustrated, helpless and questioning your security. But as Gao makes clear at the begining, the experience of a Chinese mind under Mao can only be compared to the Holocaust under Hitler. Here East and West share a commonality of humanity at its best and worst, a common suffering and experience and a place to begin a dialog of understanding. Evil takes on many forms but it's effects on the human soul are universal.

5 out of 5 stars Cultural Drift.......2006-05-16

To this day, the bizarre, cult-like events of the Cultural Revolution remain a prime focal point for Chinese novelists and, especially, memoirists. Writers from Adeline Yen-Mah, Jung Chang, Jan Wong, and Anchee Min to Yu Hua, Mo Yan, Dai Sijie, and Yan Geling have plumbed the depths of political capriciousness, human debasement, and the sheer will to survive in their own lives or in those of their fictional characters. Yet few if any Chinese writers have dared examine the effects of the Cultural Revolution on their later, post-Tiananmen Square massacre (1989) lives. Gao Xingjian's semi-autobiographical novel, ONE MAN'S BIBLE, is the first I have encountered, and the results are hauntingly devastating.

The story opens in a Hong Kong hotel in 1996 with the unnamed Chinese narrator (an internationally successful playwright) and his temporary paramour, a white Jewish woman of German descent named Margarethe. Theirs is an affair of mutual convenience and simple animal lust, but it is also a continuation of two largely hopeless searches for human closeness and warmth even as both characters deny that they seek such a thing. Margarethe works insistently to draw out the narrator's past, asking him to tell his life's story and suggesting that he turn it into a book. The narrator for his part insists that such a thing is not possible, that "things in China can not be explained by language alone," yet the book of his life unfolds before us in chapters that alternate (for the first half of the book) between his present-day encounter with Margarethe and his autobiography.

What emerges from this approach is a haunting tale of a rational, intelligent man trying desperately to cope with the utter irrationality of the Cultural Revolution. At first a nonpolitical citizen of Beijing, the narrator decides that he can best survive by becoming a faction leader. Having established his revolutionary bona fides, he then lays low and chooses his moves carefully, ultimately realizing that his next move is to the countryside, to keep his head down as a peasant farmer and teacher for perhaps the rest of his life. To maintain his sanity, he secretly writes about his feelings and experiences, keeping his papers well-hidden from nosy neighbors. Over time, he discovers that survival under Mao requires repeated acts of selfishness and disregard for the feelings of others, particularly the women who pass through his life, offering sexual temptation coupled with the threat of personal ruin. Ultimately, Margarethe returns to Europe and disappears from the alternating scenes, leaving Gao to examine ever more intensely his own past, his failings and regrets and lost relationships. He never shares with us the manner in which he "escapes" from China, partly because it doesn't really matter and partly because, in a psychological sense, he will never escape.

By using the alternating chapters, the author establishes a clear divide between history and the present while simultaneously illustrating how that history impinges on the narrator's current life. Gao takes this structure even further by bifurcating the narrator himself, referring to his present-day self in the second person (you) and to his pre-escape self in the third person (he). Yet they are clearly just variations of the same person; the narrator's past is an inescapable part of his present. He is scarred for life by the Cultural Revolution, and the lonely, distant, untrusting person he has become is a direct reflection of the persona he was forced to adopt in order to survive those times. He has learned to be a soulless user of others, and little else.

This is a dark and haunting examination of life and survival during the unimaginable events of the Cultural Revolution and its aftermath. Timed and placed in 1996 Hong Kong just before the British turnover over that island to the Communist government in Beijing, it is also a fascinating metaphorical contemplation of modern China, a nation of soulless users lusting after money the same way his narrator lusts after women. Gao Xingjian emerged from relative obscurity (at least outside of China) to become his country's surprise first Nobel Prize winner for Literature. In ONE MAN'S BIBLE, Western readers can get a sense of why he was chosen. Deservedly so, it would seem.
The Literary Guide to the Bible
Average customer rating: 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • Massive, insightful and a little daring
  • About what I wanted
The Literary Guide to the Bible

Manufacturer: Belknap Press
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0674875311

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars Massive, insightful and a little daring.......2005-03-09

It's a major task "analysing" a book with so many variations and long historical scope. Limiting the parameters to "literary" aspects is hardly a pruning - even when historical elements are essentially stripped away. Alter and Kermode saved themselves some of the labour by farming out much of the analysis required for this job. The result is a collection of essays readable only in selected bits. The variety of approaches will perplex the reader experienced in biblical analysis. The newcomer, however, who perseveres with patience and a willingness to consult other resources, will find the full scope of the collection a worthwhile investment.

Selecting authors for these essays must have been daunting. They should each be familiar with the books and with the essentials of literary criticism. It's said that "anyone can be a critic", but approaching books held in such awe and reverence by large segments of the population takes a certain level of finesse. Most of these authors exhibit that capability. Alter and Kermode note that they don't demand "uniformity of style" in the entries, but the approach is uniformly constrained, but not narrow. The essays are not buried in arcane literary movements, such as structuralism, feminism or post-modernism, which were prevalent when this book was published. Alter and Kermode, in their introductory essays, acknowledge these movements, but they and most of the authors return to more a classical framework in their analyses. This approach is likely motivated by the use of the King James Version, with which most of their readers have at least passing familiarity.

The KJV foundation, however, restricts much of the appeal of this collection to Protestant Christianity. Anything else would be chaotic, but the reader may find a few authors use circular reasoning as they attempt to retrieve literary elements. It becomes "what is said, was said". The KJV, at a midpoint between biblical events and modern times, presents an atmosphere out of joint with the subjects dealt with. The editors caution the reader about this, but once past their introductory comments the individual authors strive, sometimes successfully, to place occurrences in a proper frame of reference. Omitting the historical environment tends to make the literary analyses fragile and incomplete. It limits "literary" aspects to what the modern reader can understand and utterly omits what a reader of the times might perceive. How would people of that era have viewed the various stories and the characters they portray?

The editors make a final attempt to preserve the historical framework in a half-dozen general essays that conclude the book. These writings address the issues of assembling the books into a "canon" - the establishment of the books into a voice of authority - biblical poetry and the impact of Greco-Roman writing techniques and use of accepted mythologies in that world. A serious and scholarly collection, the volume provides an excellent foundation for understanding biblical literary aspects. [stephen a. haines - Ottawa, Canada]

4 out of 5 stars About what I wanted.......2002-08-13

I haven't read the bible for 40 years. I decided to reread it, and found that even the new jazzy translations are often undecipherable. Most it them sound stupid, to be blunt.

I asked my pastor about a Bible Commentary. He suggested the Harper, which I found at a local bookstore. You need a truck for that one.

I simply wanted to know things such as "Who was Matthew?" and other minor, but interesting questions. And I didn't want to ruin my abdominal muscles carrying a Concordance or Commentary.

I find this took to be just about what I wanted. It's superficial, but good lord, to get all the material in the bible, with depth, you need a huge book.

In short, this is just right for me. It doesn't appear to be biased, it isn't filled with cloying hosannas to God. By the way the paperback version is a[lot less expensive.] [$].

Jerry O'Dell
Revelation
Average customer rating: 5 out of 5 stars
  • To Be Forewarned Is To Be Forearmed!
  • The Excellence of Dr. Barnhouse
Revelation
Donald G. Barnhouse
Manufacturer: Zondervan
ProductGroup: Book
Binding: Paperback

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ASIN: 0310204917

Book Description

The hallmark of this commentary on Revelation is not simply its clear explanation of the text, but its applicability to Christian living.

Customer Reviews:

5 out of 5 stars To Be Forewarned Is To Be Forearmed!.......2006-03-17

If a special blessing is bestowed upon those who read the Bible Book of Revelation, how much more to those who study God's final Word to mankind. This Expositional Commentary is so full of detailed, eye-opening truth, it is impossible to do it justice by a review...you will have to read it for yourself!!!

5 out of 5 stars The Excellence of Dr. Barnhouse.......2000-04-01

There are several commentaries I have read on the book of Revelation. However, none of them is as clear and thorough as this. Dr. Barnhouse has handled a difficult and often misunderstood book, in such manner that his exposition is welcomed by students, scholars and lay persons alike.

As an M.Div. student, it is necessary for me to read a great deal of material, much of which is written in technical language. It was a welcome relief to approach a book which is clear, concise, and for which the reader need not be accompanied by a dictionary in order to gain understanding. Dr. Barnhouse employs a format which removes all apprehension and misgivings one might bring to a study of Revelation. All angst is lost as one reads this clear, scholarly, and thought provoking exposition of Revelation.

Thank you Dr. Barnhouse for providing us with an excellent approach to the study of Revelation.

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