David L Petersen – författare

Unraveling creation, covenant, and family in a foundational biblical narrative.In this thought-provoking addition to the Old Testament Library, David L. Petersen offers a fresh reading of the book of Genesis, understanding it to address the creation of the universe, the beginnings of human culture, and the origins of Israel, all of which are anchored in the central motif of family. Petersen traces the intricate lives and relationships of the ancestral families—from the story of Adam and Eve to the captivating narrative of Joseph. Accordingly, he illuminates the ways in which the stories and genealogies in Genesis portray diverse familial structures, values, conflicts, and religious behaviors.Employing a rich array of critical approaches—source, form, and redaction criticism, along with literary and social-scientific analysis—Petersen explores the cultural and theological dimensions of Genesis. He highlights the way in which the book’s narrative arc transforms Abraham and Sarah’s family into a people, a foundational identity that shapes Israel’s self-understanding. This volume also engages contemporary scholarship on the formation of the Pentateuch, reassessing traditional theories about the origins of Genesis. Petersen reveals how the book emerged out of theological debates, integrating originally distinct literary traditions into a narrative through the unifying motif of family.Both accessible and rich with scholarly insight, Genesis: A Commentary provides readers with a fresh translation and a comprehensive lens to understand the book of Genesis as a literary and religious masterpiece. This book is an essential resource for students, scholars, and others seeking to explore the profound themes of creation, covenant, family, identity, and theological dynamics in this foundational biblical text.About the Old Testament LibraryThe Old Testament Library series provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing. The editorial board consists of William P. Brown, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary; Brent A. Strawn, Professor of Old Testament and Professor of Law, Duke University; and C. L. Crouch, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism, Radboud University.

This book, a volume in the Old Testament Library series, explores the books of Haggai and Zechariah.The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

Respected scholar David Petersen provides a systematic and comprehensive introduction to the prophetic literature. Petersen takes into account the major advances in current research as he examines both the literature of the latter prophets (Isaiah-Malachi) as well as the Hebrew texts that describe the work and words of Israel's earlier prophets (e.g., Elijah and Elisha in 1 & 2 Kings).

Most one-volume Bible commentaries focus on standard scholarly issues, answering questions such as, who wrote the book? who was addressed? and how is the book structured? In contrast, this is the first one-volume commentary to emphasize theological questions: what does each biblical book say about God? how does the book describe God and portray God's actions? and who is God in these biblical books? This volume meets the need for a resource that puts the best of scholarship in conversation with the theological claims of the biblical text.

Written by leading experts in the field, The Book of Genesis: Composition, Reception, and Interpretation offers a wide-ranging treatment of the main aspects of Genesis study. Its twenty-nine essays fall under four main sections. The first section contains studies of a more general nature, including the history of Genesis in critical study, Genesis in literary and historical study, as well as the function of Genesis in the Pentateuch. In the second portion, scholars present commentary on or interpretation of specific passages (or sections) of Genesis, as well as essays on its formation, genres, and themes. The third part includes essays on the textual history and reception of Genesis in Judaism, Christianity, and Islam. The final section explores the theologies of the book of Genesis, including essays on Genesis and ecology and Genesis in the context of Jewish thought.