Handbook on the Wisdom Books and Psalms

"Countless quotations of other commentators on various passages give readers ready access to the views of many authors, thus saving readers hours of research. This element stands as a somewhat unique feature of this outstanding handbook on five of the most intriguing books of the Old Testament. Every Christian reader and leader will find this book a valuable asset for studying these often-overlooked Bible books."

"Each chapter ends with a lengthy bibliography. . . . The extensive list of essays, articles, and monographs (alphabetically by author) offers more than an introduction--they will guide even upper-level masters students well into the contemporary literature on each book. . . . Estes's Handbook represents an enormous amount of time and labor well spent, for which teachers and students will be grateful. The scholarly conversation around many issues is summarized and described, current research well represented, and the biblical materials themselves discussed, so that this work should prove accessible to and useful for beginning students, and especially those already somewhat familiar with the biblical text. . . . Estes's Handbook should prove useful to advanced students who want to explore the literature for potential thesis topics and to pastors who wish to preach these biblical books."

"Estes here provides the advanced student with an overview of the contents and theological message of the poetic books of the Bible and with some of their current interpretation. His insights reflect the best findings of contemporary scholarship. Without resorting to critical technicalities, he decodes many of the secrets of the biblical text and uncovers cultural realities that throw light on otherwise obscure sayings. Though faithful to the ancient biblical message, he always has his modern readers in mind as he plumbs the depths of that message. The bibliographies that follow each chapter will only enhance the study of this often overlooked segment of the biblical tradition."

"In this handbook Estes takes his readers by the hand to guide them through some of the more difficult books of the Old Testament. The introductory sections provide excellent orientation to their contents and to appropriate reading strategies, while the commentary explains the thought flow of the biblical writers and, importantly, the sometimes apparent breaks in thought flow. Estes writes lucidly and informs his discussion from his acquaintance with a wide range of current biblical scholarship. This is a first-class study aid that anyone could read with profit."

"This is an eminently readable and useful book for the study of the wisdom books and Psalms. The Psalms are very popular among Christians, and this work opens up ways of studying and understanding them that will take most Christians much farther in their appreciation of these compositions and of the Psalter in which they are found. Estes also skillfully leads readers into a new appreciation for the wisdom books, which are often misunderstood and underappreciated. Students, pastors, and even highly motivated laypeople will find much to treasure in this book."

"This introduction to the biblical books on godly piety and wisdom represents a model of balanced and judicious study. While taking advantage of the most recent scholarship on the Psalms and the wisdom writings, Estes is able to distill this information and present it in a form that is accessible to laypersons and helpful to any involved in the serious study of Scripture. He invites readers to an even greater delight in reading the Bible than they have had before."