an Old Testament
Theology

an exegetical, canonical, and thematic approach

Bruce K. Waltke

with Charles Yu

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ZONDERVAN

An Old Testament Theology

Copyright © 2007 by Bruce K. Waltke

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Waltke, Bruce K.

An Old Testament theology: an exegetical, canonical, and thematic approach / Bruce K. Waltke with Charles Yu.—1st ed. p. cm.

Includes bibliographical references and index.

ISBN 978-0-310-21897-5

1. Bible. O.T.—Theology. I. Yu, Charles. II. Title.

BS1192.5.W35 2006

230′.0411—dc22 2005037179

Portions of chapter 31, “The Gift of Wisdom, Part 1: Proverbs,” are borrowed from B. K. Waltke, The Book of Proverbs: Chapters 1–15, NICOT (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2004), by permission of the publisher.

The author uses “I AM” in place of “Lord” in quoting the Bible and also, as indicated, uses his own translation elsewhere.

All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible, New International Version®, NIV®. Copyright © 1973, 1978, 1984 by Biblica, Inc.™ Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved worldwide.

Any Internet addresses (websites, blogs, etc.) and telephone numbers printed in this book are offered as a resource. They are not intended in any way to be or imply an endorsement by Zondervan, nor does Zondervan vouch for the content of these sites and numbers for the life of this book.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—electronic, mechanical, photocopy, recording, or any other—except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without the prior permission of the publisher.

In memory of

Henry George Waltke

1897–2001

“I have fought the good fight, I have finished the race, I have kept the faith. Now there is in store for me the crown of righteousness, which the Lord, the righteous Judge, will award to me on that day.” (2 Timothy 4:7–8)

Contents

Preface

Abbreviations

part one

Introduction

1. The Basis of Old Testament Theology

2. The Task of Old Testament Theology

3. The Method of Biblical Theology, Part 1: Hermeneutica Sacra

4. The Method of Biblical Theology, Part 2: Narrative Theology

5. The Method of Biblical Theology, Part 3: Poetics and Intertextuality

6. The Bible’s Center: An Overview of an Old Testament Theology

part two

Primary History

7. The Gift of the Cosmos

8. The Gift of ʾĀḏām

9. The Gift of the Bride

10. The Gift of the Garden: Humanity on Probation and the Fall

11. The Gift of the Noahic Covenant

12. The Gift of the Abrahamic Covenant: The Chosen Seed

13. The Gifts of Election and God’s Name

14. The Gift of God as Deliverer and Warrior

15. The Gift of the Old Covenant

16. The Gift of Liturgy

17. The Gift of I AM: Deuteronomy

18. The ...

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Waltke OTT

About An Old Testament Theology: An Exegetical, Canonical, and Thematic Approach

The Old Testament is more than a religious history of the nation of Israel. It is more than a portrait gallery of heroes of the faith. It is even more than a theological and prophetic backdrop to the New Testament. Beyond these, the Old Testament is inspired revelation of the very nature, character, and works of God. As renowned Old Testament scholar Bruce Waltke writes in the preface of this book, the Old Testament’s every sentence is “fraught with theology, worthy of reflection.”

This book is the result of decades of reflection informed by an extensive knowledge of the Hebrew language, the best of critical scholarship, a deep understanding of both the content and spirit of the Old Testament, and a thoroughly evangelical conviction. Taking a narrative, chronological approach to the text, Waltke employs rhetorical criticism to illuminate the theologies of the biblical narrators. Through careful study, he shows that the unifying theme of the Old Testament is the “breaking in of the kingdom of God.” This theme helps the reader better understand not only the Old Testament, but also the New Testament, the continuity of the entire Bible, and ultimately, God himself.

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Table of Contents