The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Author Response
Michael S. Moore responds to a review of his WealthWarn: A Study of Socioeconomic Conflict in Hebrew Prophecy

Richard Bauckham, Who Is God? Key Moments of Biblical Revelation
Reviewed by J. Michael Thigpen

Eva Elm and Nicole Hartmann, eds., Demons in Late Antiquity: Their Perception and Transformation in Different Literary Genres
Reviewed by Brandon R. Grafius

Stefan Fischer and Gavin Fernandes, eds., The Song of Songs Afresh: Perspectives on a Biblical Love Poem
Reviewed by Laura S. Lieber

Bonifatia Gesche, Christian Lustig, and Gabriel Rabo, eds., Theology and Anthropology in the Book of Sirach
Reviewed by Jeremy Corley

Justin King, Speech-in-Character, Diatribe, and Romans 3:1–9: Who’s Speaking When and Why It Matters
Reviewed by Max J. Lee

Andreas J. Köstenberger, Handbook on Hebrews through Revelation
Reviewed by Timothy B. Cargal

Joachim J. Krause, Die Bedingungen des Bundes: Studien zur konditionalen Struktur alttestamentlicher Bundeskonzeptionen
Reviewed by William S. Morrow

Manolis Papoutsakis, Vicarious Kingship: A Theme in Syriac Political Theology in Late Antiquity
Reviewed by Jacob A. Lollar

Dana Robinson, Food, Virtue, and the Shaping of Early Christianity
Reviewed by Meredith J. C. Warren

Johann Tischler, Hethitische Texte in Transkription KUB 49
Reviewed by Livio Warbinek

Albert Vanhoye (1923–2021)

Albert Vanhoye, a French New Testament scholar has passed away. See this article. Although not well known outside of academic circles, I found his work on the book of Hebrews helpful.

The Superscriptions in the Psalms

Peter Gentry has a good discussion here on the superscriptions in the Psalms. I happen to agree with his view that these should be considered part of the text.

The Presentation of the Promised Land in the Old Testament

David Frankel has a very interesting discussion here concerning the Old Testament's presentation of the Promised Land.

Psalm 48 Links

I have been working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 48 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

The Text this Week: http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm48.htm

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps048.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_048.pdf

Psalm 48 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/59

Biblical Wisdom Literature

The material in the books that are identified as wisdom (e.g., Prov) tends to be be characterized by the following.

• Literature that is related to the Hebrew root hkm (~kx). This root occurs over 180x in Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes (or about 55% of all the occurrences in the OT).
• Literature that is concerned with the basic issues of life.
• Literature than prefers the experiential (what happens).
• Literature that is universal (transcends ethnic lines).
• Literature that emphasizes the rule rather than the exceptions.
• Literature where the theology is generally more implicit than explicit.

The Latest Issue of the Review of Biblical Literature

The latest issue of Review of Biblical Literature is out. Reviews can be accessed by clicking the links below but unfortunately you must be a SBL member to read them.

Helen K. Bond, The First Biography of Jesus: Genre and Meaning in Mark’s Gospel
Reviewed by Elizabeth E. Shively

John D. Currid, The Case for Biblical Archaeology: Uncovering the Historical Record of God’s Old Testament People
Reviewed by Joe D. Seger

Françoise Ernst-Pradal, Scribes d’Ougarit et paléographie akkadienne: Les textes juridiques signés
Reviewed by Juan-Pablo Vita

Nijay K. Gupta, 1 and 2 Thessalonians
Reviewed by Najeeb T. Haddad

Michael Langlois, ed., The Samaritan Pentateuch and the Dead Sea Scrolls
Reviewed by Marcel Krusche

Chris W. Lee, Death Warning in the Garden of Eden: The Early Reception History of Genesis 2:17
Reviewed by Almond Ka Kwan Sin

Petra Schmidtkunz, Das Moselied des Deuteronomiums: Untersuchungen zu Text und Theologie von Dtn 32,1–43
Reviewed by Richard D. Nelson

William M. Schniedewind, The Finger of the Scribe: How Scribes Learned to Write the Bible
Reviewed by Sidnie White Crawford

Carlos Raúl Sosa Siliezar, Savior of the World: A Theology of the Universal Gospel
Reviewed by Rodolfo Galvan Estrada III

Daniel L. Smith and Loren T. Stuckenbruck, eds., Testing and Temptation in Second Temple Jewish and Early Christian Texts
Reviewed by Malka Z. Simkovich

Sermon Planning

Aaron Earls summarizes some Lifeway research here related to how pastors plan their sermons.

Psalm 47 Links

I have been working on a commentary on the Psalms. I have decided to compile some helpful links that I discovered during my research. It includes a mix of exegetical and sermonic links. Here is what I have for Psalm 47 (in no particular order). Feel free to mention any that you find helpful in the comments section.

The Text this Week: http://www.textweek.com/writings/psalm47.htm

Jerome Creach: https://www.workingpreacher.org/preaching.aspx?commentary_id=3652

Into the Word with Paul Carter: https://ca.thegospelcoalition.org/into-the-word/psalms-46-47

Analysis by C. J. Labuschagne: https://www.labuschagne.nl/ps047.pdf

William Barrick’s notes: https://drbarrick.org/files/studynotes/Psalms/Ps_047.pdf Psalm 47 devotional: https://www.generations.org/devotionals/58

Where Is Ur?

Dave Armstrong has a pretty good discussion here related to the city of Ur mentioned in the book of Genesis (11:28, 31). He interacts with both the traditional southern location and an alternative location farther north. I remain a bit agnostic on the issue but the alternative view is argued well by Barry Beitzel in The New Moody Atlas of the Bible (pp. 98-100).

Handwriting and a Wall

Todd Bolen at the BiblePlaces blog has some careful and helpful assessments of two recent archaeological discoveries in Israel. You can read about the so-called "Jerubbaal inscription" here and the section of a second temple wall here.

Reading Lamentations Intertextually

Reuven Kimelman has a good post here showing intertextual links in Lamentations to other books in the Old Testament.