Daily Study Bible: Old Testament (24 vols.)

by David Payne; A. Graeme Auld; J. Gordon McConville; John C. L. Gibson

and

8 more

Publishers:

Westminster John Knox; Westminster

, 1981–1986

Overview

The complete Daily Study Bible: Old Testament follows the brilliant pattern of William Barclay’s popular Daily Study Bible: New Testament. Written by accomplished interpreters of the Old Testament, these volumes combine the depth of scholarship, the critical style, and the grace that characterized Barclay’s writing.

Product Details

• Title: The Daily Study Bible: Old Testament
• General Editor: John C.L. Gibson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Volumes: 24
• Pages: 6,264
• Resource Type: Commentaries
• Topic: Biblical Studies

Genesis, vol. 1

• Author: John C.L. Gibson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1981
• Pages: 228

In this first of two volumes on the book of Genesis, John Gibson—Old Testament General Editor of the Daily Study Bible—offers a probing investigation of the first eleven chapters of Genesis. He provides a perceptive verse-by-verse and even word-by-word examination of the well-known Genesis stories of creation, the garden of Eden, Cain and Abel, Noah and the flood, and the Tower of Babel.

Genesis, vol. 2

• Author: John C.L. Gibson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1981
• Pages: 344

In this second of two volumes on the book of Genesis, John Gibson examines epics of faith as portrayed primarily by Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. He considers the dramatic stories of Genesis in their historical context, relates them to the New Testament, and shows their applicability to today’s church. Illustrated by maps, with suggestions for further reading, this companion to Genesis, Volume 1, also by Gibson, makes the happenings in Genesis as relevant to today’s men and women as they were to the people of ancient times.

Exodus

• Author: H.L. Ellison
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1982
• Pages: 204

“Exodus,” writes H. L. Ellison, “is in many ways one of the most important and spiritually interesting books in the Old Testament. It tells the story of how God freed his people from Egypt and bound them to himself by a covenant. We are given insight into how this link with God modified the people’s traditional law, how God’s grace reacted to a broken covenant, and how we should approach God in worship.”

Leviticus

• Author: George A.F. Knight
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1981
• Pages: 172

Do the ancient rules and regulations of Leviticus have anything to say to Christians today? In this compelling examination of Leviticus, George A.F. Knight demonstrates the validity and importance of this book for our faith.

Numbers

• Author: Walter Riggans
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1983
• Pages: 264

Although the name of the book of Numbers derives from the lists and census data contained therein, Walter Riggans shows that this biblical book, rich in content, is best understood in the context of the Pentateuch as a whole. In this incisive commentary, the author describes the people of Israel during their trials in the wilderness, throughout the period of adjustment, and into the time of settlement. He illustrates that the underlying theme of Numbers is the gracious providence of the Lord who cares for Israel in spite of constant rebellion by the people and their leaders.

Deuteronomy

• Author: David F. Payne
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1985
• Pages: 212

In his perceptive commentary, a part of the Daily Study Bible series, David F. Payne helps readers see the importance of this pivotal biblical book and guides them in applying its message to today’s world.

Joshua, Judges, and Ruth

• Author: A. Graeme Auld
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 296

The three books considered in this volume constitute the principal biblical witness to Israel’s early history. According to A. Graeme Auld, “they tell the story of how under Joshua the land was first taken by Israel and then apportioned to her various tribes. They tell how after Joshua there was a long period of ups and downs; of religious apostasy within the community and repeated harassment from abroad answered by a series of divinely impelled ‘Judges’ or ‘Deliverers.’ They offer some samples of life in Israel, ‘in the days when the Judges ruled’ or ‘when there was not yet a king in Israel.’”

I & II Samuel

• Author: David F. Payne
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1982
• Pages: 296

The books of Samuel present a drama in which the principal players are the God of Israel, the prophet Samuel, and the first kings of Israel, Saul and David. In his masterful commentary David F. Payne shows that this Old Testament book combines history and theology as it narrates Samuel’s virtues, Saul’s defeats, and David’s successes in relation to God’s activities during an important phase in the life of Israel.

I & II Kings

• Author: A. Graeme Auld
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1986
• Pages: 268

In this illuminating commentary, A. Graeme Auld helps readers understand the message—historical and theological—contained in the story of the Israelite monarchy. The message of the books of Kings remains relevant to today’s world. It concerns power and the constant need for remaining faithful to an authority that is superior to earthly rulers.

I & II Chronicles

• Author: J.G. McConville
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 280

Taking a look at the setting, form, and content of I and II Chronicles, J.G. McConville describes how these two often neglected books present God’s purpose for his people at a crucial time in their history—the period of restoration after the Exile.

Ezra, Nehemiah, and Esther

• Author: J.G. McConville
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1985
• Pages: 212

Set in the Persian Empire, one of the greatest kingdoms the world has ever known, the stories contained in the books of Ezra and Nehemiah provide the most comprehensive scriptural account of the restored Judean community after the Babylonian exile. The book of Esther is also set in the Persian period of Israel’s history, although the concern is for a different community.

Job

• Author: John C.L. Gibson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1985
• Pages: 296

One of the most exciting and challenging books of the Bible, Job is a literary work of great majesty and power. In this commentary, John C.L. Gibson helps contemporary readers explore the timeless story of the afflicted Job and its meaning for today.

Psalms, vol. 1

• Author: George A.F. Knight
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1982
• Pages: 352

For George A.F. Knight, reading the Psalms is a “glorious and exciting experience.” Writing in this spirit, he captures the beauty of these timeless hymns of praise and conveys both their original meaning and their application for today. Knight show how these songs of salvation speak as eloquently for today’s men and women as they did for the first of God’s Chosen People.

Psalms, vol. 2

• Author: George A.F. Knight
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1982
• Pages: 365

In presenting the last half of the Psalter, George A.F. Knight discusses the meaning of the Psalms in the Old Testament, their application in the New Testament, and their challenge for today’s readers. Psalms 73 to 150 belong to the later period of Israel’s experience of God’s steadfast love, recalling the story of how ordinary, sinful people responded in both faith and denial to God’s actions. Now, reflecting on the Psalms with the help of this exciting commentary, the reader can glimpse the total pattern of God’s redemptive plan as it unfolded and as it has continued throughout history.

Proverbs

• Author: Kenneth T. Aitken
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1986
• Pages: 280

“Where there is no vision, the people perish.” In this perceptive commentary familiar sayings from the book of Proverbs, such as this one, are seen in a new light. Kenneth T. Aitken deepens our understanding of the collection of popular sayings and folk wisdom of ancient Israel.

Ecclesiastes and the Song of Solomon

• Author: Robert Davidson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1986
• Pages: 176

Fascinating, surprising, challenging—these are among the words used by Robert Davidson to describe the two books covered in this commentary. The book of Ecclesiastes concerns the ultimate meaning of life itself and reminds us that we can be happy even amid uncertainty. The Song of Solomon invites us to an exploration of love that reminds us of God’s unending care for the world.

Isaiah, vol. 1

• Author: John F.A. Sawyer
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 280

This prophetic Old Testament book begins by telling the reader that it is the “vision” of Isaiah. The use of the word “vision,” John F.A. Sawyer explains, conveys to the reader that regardless of when the prophet lived, “his ‘words’ go beyond the immediate historical circumstances of his day.” Sawyer argues that we as modern readers also are being addressed.

Isaiah, vol. 2

• Author: John F.A. Sawyer
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1986
• Pages: 240

One of the most important and cherished books in the Old Testament, Isaiah contains a message of vibrant spirituality. It reveals an exalted view of God and speaks in soaring poetry of joy and hope in the kingdom. Throughout his two-volume commentary, John F.A. Sawyer seeks to present the meaning of the text of the book of Isaiah with compelling clarity and, at the same time, lead the reader to a deeper understanding of familiar passages.

Jeremiah, vol. 1

• Author: Robert Davidson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1983
• Pages: 180

More than any other prophet, Jeremiah struggled to understand God’s will for him and for the people of God. This volume on the first twenty chapters of Jeremiah recounts the story of this poet-prophet and opens up for the reader one of the most personal books of the Old Testament.

Jeremiah, vol. 2 and Lamentations

• Author: Robert Davidson
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1985
• Pages: 224

In this volume Robert Davidson examines Jeremiah’s uncomfortable relationship with the political and religious establishments of his day. He guides us through the prophecies given in the last years of Jerusalem, the account of the fall of Jerusalem, the oracles against foreign nations, and a final historical appendix. In discussing Lamentations, Davidson states that in this biblical book are found “not only moving and passionate expressions of grief and sorrow, but also of faith. Such faith was only possible for those who took seriously what Jeremiah had all along said about the inevitable working out of God’s judgment upon Jerusalem.”

Ezekiel

• Author: Peter S. Craigie
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1983
• Pages: 336

This illuminating study enables the reader to better understand the vocation and message of an extraordinary prophet. The message Ezekiel delivered to the people of Babylon centered on the holiness of God. Even though he foretold doom and judgement, the prophet held out the promise of hope, based on the continuing mercy and forgiveness of God.

Daniel

• Author: D.S. Russell
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1981
• Pages: 248

“Daniel,” writes D.S. Russell, “is a fascinating book which speaks as profoundly to our day as it did to the day it was first written. Its message declared unequivocally that the sovereign Lord God was in control not only of history but also of the end of history.” An exciting demonstration of trust and devotion, Daniel offers a positive message of hope and reassurance for the people of God in every age.

Twelve Prophets, vol. 1

• Author: Peter S. Craigie
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 239

Taken together, the Twelve Prophets offer a panoramic view of Israel’s religion during one of the most critical periods in the Israelites’ history. Hosea, Joel, Amos, Obadiah, and Jonah are the figures considered in this first of Peter C. Craigie’s two-volume work. Although differing in substance as well as style, these prophetic books are united in their common purpose: the declaration of the word of God to the people of God.

Twelve Prophets, vol. 2

• Author: Peter S. Craigie
• Series: Daily Study Bible
• Publisher: Westminster John Knox
• Publication Date: 1984
• Pages: 272

The author of Twelve Prophets, Volume 1 completes his study with a commentary on Micah, a contemporary of Isaiah, who foretold the birth of the Messiah; Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah, prophets who spoke for God in the last days of the Kingdom of Judah; and Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, whose messages were directed to those reforming the community of God’s people after the Babylonian Exile. Individuals who proclaimed different messages according to the times in which they lived, these prophets nevertheless have in common the task of speaking the Word of God to the people of God. Through his insightful commentary, Peter C. Craigie shows the persistent meaning of this Word through the ages.