How to Read and Understand the Biblical Prophets

Book Description:

The Prophetic Books of the Bible are full of symbolic speeches, dramatic metaphors, and lengthy allegories-a unique blend of literary styles that can make them hard to comprehend. How can we know if we are reading them the way God intended them to be read?

In this accessible guide, leading Old Testament scholar Peter Gentry identifies seven common characteristics of prophetic literature in the Bible that help us understand each book's message. With illustrations and clear examples, Gentry offers guidance for reading these challenging texts-teaching us practical strategies for deeper engagement with the biblical text as we seek to apply God's Word to our lives today.

Author:

Peter J. Gentry (PhD, University of Toronto) is professor of Old Testament interpretation at the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary and director of the Hexapla Institute.

Endorsements:

"When traveling to a foreign land, the experience is so much richer when you have an experienced guide to explain the unique customs, point out things you might have missed, and take you to places you would not dare traverse alone. For modern Western readers of the Bible, the Prophets are a foreign land, even if we do not initially realize it. Peter Gentry, with his decades of experience traveling in this difficult terrain, can be your expert guide to the biblical Prophets through reading this book. I'm overjoyed that Gentry is sharing in print for a wider audience what I first found so helpful as class lectures a dozen years ago. Pick up this travel guide and experience the biblical Prophets afresh." Richard Lucas, biblical and theological studies mentor, The NETS Center for Church Planting and Revitalization; associate pastor, Christ Memorial Church, Williston, Vermont

"Peter Gentry is a master exegete and theologian, and in this brief volume he supplies excellent guidance for those of us who desire to read and understand the Prophets with greater biblical faithfulness. With clear prose and numerous examples, he identifies how we should approach the prophetic genre--its grounding in the Mosaic covenant, its structure and use of repetition, its engagement of foreign nations, its use of typology and apocalyptic language, and its appropriation and already-but-not-yet fulfillment in the New Testament. Gentry helps us grasp how the prophets communicated their messages, and by doing so he empowers us to become better interpreters of God's Word. I highly recommend this book." Jason S. DeRouchie, Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology, Bethlehem College & Seminary

"Many people set out to read through the Bible but get bogged down in the Old Testament Prophets. Some push ahead anyway, others skip ahead-both missing out on the full counsel of God. But there's hope-everyone should read Peter Gentry's new book! Under seven key topics he asks the right questions, and his answers are the most insightful I've seen. Pastors and scholars: you'll benefit too." Brent Sandy, Former Professor and Chair of the Department of Religious Studies, Grace College, Winona Lake, Indiana; coeditor, Cracking Old Testament Codes; coauthor, The Lost World of Scripture

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