That’s because at the time of Jonah, Assyria was focusing on internal security (different people were grabbing at power) than it was on expanding its territory. The one article I referenced says this in its conclusion: “The verse has nothing to do with sexual ethics, as important as they may be.” (p.860). at the time of Jonah, Assyria has not been a threat to Israel for a generation, and it would be no threat for a generation to come” (p.1504). Well when was the last time you made the sun rise? In the Old Testament, dates of writing and specific authorship for each book are less clear than in the New Testament, where such information is marginally less controversial, although still debated. If this interpretation is correct, then this verse is more about Job’s humility (he’s not seeking a status symbol of wealth or power) than his sexual integrity (which he defends in verse 9 of the same chapter). That means several of the entries challenge traditional conservative evangelical readings of Scripture. The NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theologi We often read this and see it as God going, “Hey, Job, you think you’re so smart? I am a research student in India and I am kinda getting tired of defending the Bible against Science among my peers. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible —winner of the American Book Fest’s International Book Award and ECPA’s 2017 Christian Book Award® for Bible of the Year—provides expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of Bible times to help readers see behind-the-scenes of the ancient world and discover new dimensions to even the most familiar Bible passages. These fascinating explanations will serve to clarify your study of the Scriptures, reinforcing your confidence and bringing difficult passages of … The article then says that we can’t really be sure of either dates. That chart is called “Hebrew to English Translation Chart.”. Instead of catching what the Scripture meant to its original audience, I’m catching what it means to a homeschooler in North Carolina! That's what the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. Oh, and I realize that Job is only a small sample size of the Bible to draw from. 2. Here we are reading about Israel’s history, and then all of a sudden we’re whisked away to the land of Uz (wherever that is) and told about this good guy named Job who undergoes just the worst of times. A number of Accordance users have requested these study Bible notes; and no doubt, they will be pleased to hear that we are making it available today for the Accordance Library. I will have to check this one out. (Like, two whole dollars!). Join our email list, and we’ll send you some of our best free resources—plus we’ll tell you whenever we make something new. by Jeffrey Kranz | Aug 22, 2016 | Article | 4 comments, TL;DR: Zondervan sent me a copy of the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible to check out, and I liked it enough to write about it. People often ask me where they can find a Bible that includes the cultural background that I write about, so I wanted to mention a brand new resource that is excellent: the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (Zondervan, 2016).. Nope. to more people who lived thousands of years ago and thousands of miles away. Now, any study Bible is expected to have abbreviated commentary notes that accompany the biblical text. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings to life the ancient world of Scripture for modern readers. The New Testament includes a reference feature entitled “Key New Testament Terms” that is designed to help clarify and further define the cultural contexts behind these terms. which is something I never would have picked up from that verse. The Bible is pretty large and heavy, but that is to be expected with so much extra content being added to it. You have in your hands a comprehensive, multiuse tool that has been designed specifically to enhance your understanding of and apprecia-tion for the cultural backgrounds that form the footings on which the foundation of God’s Word is built. This study Bible shows us the literature, customs, and commonly-held beliefs of Bible times. Huh?”. Does it have leanings towards any particular doctrine? . A few months ago, I told Zondervan I’d write a review of their new NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible on two conditions: they had to send me a free copy and tell me I look good in a fez. However, there’s great advantage to having a study Bible in Accordance because unlike a print copy where you’re stuck with the translation it came with, Accordance allows you to put any set of Bible study notes with any Bible you want—original language or translation. Please login to your account first; Need help? . But it doesn’t get hung up on time periods unnecessarily. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible is designed to help readers see richer meanings to familiar biblical stories and passages. But at the beginning of the very next article on the same chapter, we get this: “Job lists a catalog of crimes: lust (v.1)”. (It’s pretty hefty.). . But no! I’ll show you what I mean by taking a little tour through the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible features, and then looking a little closer at the study notes and articles. They focus on the land, the literature, and the political and cultural contexts that the Bible’s authors lived in, and emphasize how the people of Israel were both influenced by, as well as how they were called to be different from, their surrounding culture. One problem that I have to overcome every time I sit down to read the Bible is my cultural filter. Now, you might also ask, with all these great backgrounds commentaries available for the Accordance Library, why would I want to use the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible? “Something, something B.C.” just doesn’t cut it: there was so much more happening in the ancient world than what the Bible talks about. A text is ideas linked by threads of writing. =). Here I’d just been thinking Assyria was growing in power as the northern kingdom of Israel was growing in wickedness. . Are there better alternatives? We’re not weathering the same international political climates. In the notes you will find direct connections between ancient culture (s) … By way of example, we’ll be digging around in the book of Job. The Cultural Background Study Bible is a Bible that contains a lot of information about the times in which the various sections were written. Plus, that’s not really the point of the second article. . Is it more/less in-depth or helpful? Turns out there were several works of ancient Mesopotamian literature that deal with the concept of an “innocent sufferer.” In at least five other texts, terrible tragedies befall an upright figure for reasons unknown. Job was righteous, and he didn’t ogle anyone but Mrs. Job. Every page is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of Bible times. In the time of Job, having many wives was a status symbol. Spoiler alert: I like it, and I’ve been looking forward to getting my mitts/paws/talons on this sucker for a long tome . I think it may be my favorite study Bible since Kay Arthur’s New Inductive Study Bible. The commentary was edited by two evangelical scholars who are well-known for their expertise on historical context: John Walton (OT) and Craig Keener (NT). It’s included as a background feature to define and explain terms that often repeat in the New Testament notes. Thank God really. Of course, there’s much more than this. These fascinating explanations will serve to clarify your study of the Scriptures, reinforcing your confidence and bringing difficult passages of … Over 10,000 study notes have been placed close to the text that they amplify and explain. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Notes$39.90, [email protected] | Sometimes a little context is all you need to discover the rich meaning behind even the most familiar stories of Scripture. But is that a big deal? The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings to life the ancient world of Scripture for modern readers. That’s why the Old Testament introductions include “Key Concepts” and the New Testament Introductions include “Quick Glance” information to help readers orient themselves. You know what I think my biggest obstacle is when it comes to studying the Bible? If you don’t want to have descriptions of ancient pagan religious beliefs and practices in your Bible . That's what the NKJV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. As described in the already-mentioned “Quick Start Guide,” the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible includes the following features: Just as a reminder, in most cases when we release study Bibles for Accordance, the Bible translation itself is not included and sold separately. That’s what the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings to life the ancient world of Scripture for modern readers. Maybe we are arguing for the sake of arguing!! I’ve said before that background commentaries are my favorite kind of commentaries. Full-color in-text maps, charts and diagrams, along with some 320 essays, summarize and explain important background information and ideas from Scripture. Western culture can be a barrier to interpreting the Bible (i.e., I’m not used to thinking about polygamy as a totally normal thing). . These fascinating explanations will serve to clarify your study of the Scriptures, reinforcing your confidence and bringing difficult passages of Scripture into sharp focus. The Old Testament includes a helpful chart that explains the nuances of meaning contained in Hebrew words that don’t have exact equivalents in English. long(? These have been designed to provide the reader with a deep and rich understanding of the nuances that the original readers and hearers of the Bible would have intuitively understood. And I haven’t even bought it yet! Religion & Spirituality Kindle eBooks @ Amazon.com. For example: until I read an article in this study Bible on the book of Jonah, I had no idea that Assyria wasn’t really a threat to Israel during the reign of Jeroboam II (Jonah’s time period). Every page is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of Bible times. So for now, I’ll leave two main caveats for you here: For example, remember the “covenant eyes” verse? (Yeah, I am part of the minority in all the sense.) Job feels like a unique book of the Bible, right? In the “Quick Start Guide” to the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, there is a quote from one of the editors, Dr. John H. Walton, that reads “Even though the Bible was written for us, it wasn’t written to us. In the introduction to the book of Jonah, the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible says, “[. For a limited time, you can get introductory discounted pricing on the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible when you add it to your Accordance Library. I think I am going to settle for the taste of your sample for now. =), NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible Sampler by Zondervan on Scribd. I am extremely particular about my bibles, for studying. And that’s not even the worst part. The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible aims to help you understand the Bible writers, their audience, and their times. Understand how the text communicates. Front and end matter features include author information, an author’s introduction with helpful questions and answers about this Bible, more information on the NIV translation itself (in the NIV Preface), and many other helpful study tools. For example, on the first page of the book of Job, there’s an article entitled “Chronological Context of the Character Job.” In two paragraphs, it gives a brief explanation as to why people assume the story of Job takes place in the patriarchal period (i.e., the time of Abraham), and a few ways people have tried to estimate the date the story took place and the book was written. . Not really: “Even if we could provide such dates, it would make no difference in the interpretation of the book” (p.818). Long story short: I plan to use this Bible for years to come as a handy reference work for Bible study. Color maps at the end of this study Bible complement the color maps in the interior of the Bible to help readers to visualize the geographic context of what they are studying. Which brings up two interesting points to consider: One thing that I find fascinating is that God, who is eternal, engages mortals in their own cultural contexts. . Even Christian culture can be a barrier to interpreting the Bible (i.e., sometimes I’ve been taught to interpret passages in ways that the author may not have intended). Main NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture. Every page is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of Bible times. But the Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible doesn’t just stop at showing the similarities between biblical literature and other ancient works. Is it basically combining the commentary into a Bible volume or is it quite different? Excellent background commentaries such as the Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentaries and the IVP Background Commentaries are at the top of my Commentaries folder in Accordance, so that I can easily access them in the Accordance Info Pane. I’d be glad to share my impressions. then you’ll probably hate this study Bible. If this verse were about sexual purity, then the Hebrew writers probably would have used different words for “young woman.” He makes the case that Job is actually asking, “what interest would I have in arranging a marriage with an eligible young woman?”. I got this copy of the Cultural Backgrounds Bible in the mail a few days ago. We create research-based articles and handy infographics to help people understand the Bible. Year: 2016. So, here are seven really great reasons to study cultural backgrounds of the Bible. NIV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, eBook: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture HarperCollins Christian Publishing. And before getting back to the text of Scripture, it tops it off with yet another (very short) article listing the ways in which the character of Job thinks like an Israelite. In this case, it goes on a three-page article takeover of the book: listing 10 ways the book of Job stands in contrast to the pagan literature of the day. . . However, study Bibles often make an excellent “first stop” in researching a biblical passage because you can get a more distilled amount of information very quickly. NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible August 1, 2016 James F. McGrath Patheos Explore the world's faith through different perspectives on religion and spirituality! We’re not reading the same stories. NKJV, Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, Leathersoft, Brown, Red Letter Edition: Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture - Kindle edition by Keener, Craig S., Walton, John H., Keener, Craig S., Walton, John H.. I have been thinking of getting a study Bible for a while, when I stumbled across your article on how to choose the best one. So if you’d like my take on how it handles other books of the Bible, leave me a comment! ), Oh, and one last note. The NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings the ancient world of Scripture to life for modern readers. So, I would like to ask you something. I read a lot of reviews on Amazon, commenting that the font is too light and hard to read. That may be a fluke. (c) 2021 Oaktree Software, Zondervan Illustrated Bible Background Commentaries. “Every line and every word in the Bible comes from a context—historical, social, cultural, theological — and speaks into those contexts—sometimes against that culture, sometimes with that culture, and sometimes to expand that culture. Ancient Manners and Customs, Daily Life, Cultures, Bible Lands When we study the Bible we almost always come across references to the people, places, and things of the ancient Middle Eastern world. One of the better study Bibles to come along recently is the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. For example, Job 31 opens with Job saying, “I have made a covenant with my eyes not to look lustfully at a young woman.”. But they just wanna go on the collision course. (I include some notable examples from other books of the Bible, too. A review of the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible (ISBN 9780310452683). Every page of this NRSV Bible is packed with expert insight into the customs, culture, and literature of biblical times. I certainly look at cultural backgrounds before I look at any kind of interpretive or theological approach. This one will be extremely useful. Or should I wait for the next one coming up this year?”. It’s not the cryptic language in the prophets. The Beginner’s Guide. Your marriage is a covenant with your eyes, so don’t look at any girls you’re not married to.”. The NIV Center-column Cross Reference system aids in deeper study of the Bible’s themes, language and concepts by leading readers to related passages on the same or similar themes. (If you own the NIV Application Commentary, this might sound familiar.). But that information can also lead you on to the kind of content that is more in depth—such as the other commentaries we offer. In the Logos edition, this volume is enhanced by amazing functionality. If you can’t tolerate the idea of the Genesis creation accounts being compared to other creation myths of the ancient Near East . er, time. Have you used the IVP Bible Background Commentary? Book Introductions answer questions about who wrote the books of the Bible, to whom, and when, as well as informing readers about the larger cultural and political context in which a book was written. But there’s a parallel here to an ancient form of communicating wisdom. I am an Amazon associate, so if you should happen to purchase this Bible by clicking a link in this post, I’ll get a tiny kickback. Moses: The Old Testament’s Greatest Prophet, Who Was King Solomon? To make a long story . The Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings to life the ancient world of Scripture for modern readers. It’s kind of like name-dropping, but with pieces of the natural world. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings to life the ancient world of Scripture for modern readers. Language: english. fantastic resource to those wanting to study their Bible with an understanding of the cultural context When we take our Western, modern culture and impose it on the text, we’re putting in meaning that wasn’t there, and we’re missing the meaning that the text has.” Thus, we often make assumptions about the Bible because we read it through the lens of our culture and experience. Because I love the “Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible: New International Version, Bringing to Life the Ancient World of Scripture”. Wait… There Were How Many Herods?! Send-to-Kindle or Email . . Publisher: Zondervan. Actually, it’s worse than that. It’s better to try to understand the message as closely as we can through the eyes of the original audiences. That means if one of the Bible’s authors drops a reference to some other famous work of literature in his day, it’s lost on me. Grasping the original audience’s perspective helps us understand the setting to which the inspired authors communicated their message. .] With all that IQ these guys have, you would think they favor a simple but beautiful, harmonious solution where God and Science go hand in hand. Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV) 2017 ECPA Bible of the Year … The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings the ancient world of Scripture to life for modern readers. This site uses cookies to analyze traffic and ensure you get the best experience. I have almost nothing in common with these people when it comes to culture. If so, how does thus compare? Features: Complete text of the accurate, readable, and clear New International Version (NIV)2017 ECPA Bible of the Year … One of the better study Bibles to come along recently is the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. The NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible, with notes from Dr. John H. Walton (Wheaton College) in the Old Testament and Dr. Craig S. Keener (Asbury Theological Seminary) in the New Testament, brings the ancient world of Scripture to life for modern readers. Welcome to the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible. On a different note, what do you think about Halley’s Bible Handbook? Who Was Herod? It has many pictures, maps and diagrams, and of course, commentary. That’s what the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. Words and names are listed alphabetically, along with their more significant verse references. I’m not just a modern Westerner: I’m a modern Westerner who grew up in the evangelical “Bible Belt” (read: raised in a socially conservative Protestant community). Sometimes a little context is all you need to discover the rich meaning behind even the most familiar stories of Scripture. If an author gives a nod to a common custom of the ancient world, it’s lost on me. It’s the fact that the Bible was written by people who lived thousands of years ago and thousands of miles away . Logos Bible Software 9 review: Do you REALLY need it? But just had to let you know about it—these notes are wildly helpful, but they’re not always consistent. That’s what the NRSV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible provides. The worst part is that I don’t even know what I’m missing. Bible for years to come along recently is the NIV Cultural Backgrounds Study Bible,:... Ll be digging around in the New Testament notes Job, you think about the context — by. 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