Loading…

Including the Stranger: Foreigners in the Former Prophets is unavailable, but you can change that!

The Old Testament, particularly the Former Prophets, has frequently been regarded as having a negative attitude towards foreigners. This has meant that these texts are often employed by those opposed to the Christian faith to attack the Bible; and such views can be echoed by Christians. While the story of David and Goliath is cherished, other episodes are seen to involve ‘ethnic cleansing’ or...

because this outcome was so unexpected that the narrator needed to break cover and provide guidance so that readers could understand how Yahweh was continuing to work for David despite the king’s earlier sin (2 Sam. 11). More generally, however, a narrator can provide details within the story that enable readers to recognize that which is commended, most notably through the characterization of a key figure or through things that a pivotal character says. Very rarely is this achieved through a direct
Pages 10–11