How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology

My favorite part of this book is its focus of its content and the layout with which it teaches. It’s very school-like, with questions and definitions for the reader. Also he actually gives you in each chapter recommended reading and TELLS you exactly which ones he thinks are the best. That’s invaluable on its own! Can’t wait to get started on its twin book made for the New Testament.

DeRouchie does a great job covering the exegetical steps and processes. He also provides three levels of learning depending on the reader's desire for how deep they wish to go into the original Hebrew language. He applies the his techniques and insights to the same passage at the end of every chapter so that you can see how he actually carries out his own exegesis. If you wish to grow and understand your knowledge of the OT and how to apply it then this is an excellent resource to utilize.

I bought both books. Both on the OLD and NEW testament. EXCELLENT! Also, a great resource to use as you divide God's word. Thanks!

This is a great book. DeRouchie does a great job of simply presenting an easy way to study the Bible the book helpfully divides into sections for advanced students and non-advanced students so that a Hebrew scholar and a layman may gain information at their own level.

Anyone wanting to get more out of the Hebrew Bible, read this!

Good!!!

Jason S. DeRouchie is Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary. DeRouchie received an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as additional studies at Jerusalem University College and Harvard Divinity School. DeRouchie is the author of a number of books, including A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (coauthored with Duane A. Garrett; B&H Academic, 2009) and What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About: A Survey if Jesus’ Bible (Kregel, 2013). Most recently, DeRouchie has written a user-friendly and comprehensive hermeneutical exploration of the Old Testament that is certain to dethrone many predecessors as a standard classroom textbook. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology is truly a tour de force par excellence. DeRouchie not only uncovers and illuminates every corner of the hermeneutical process of the Old Testament, but he helpfully offers numerous examples for readers to reflect upon while working through the TOCMA (Text > Observation > Context > Meaning > Application) model. The book is divided into five major parts (TOCMA) comprised of twelve foundational steps: Text — [1] Genre, [2] Literary Units, [3] Text Criticism, and [4] Translation; Observation — [5] Grammar, [6] Argument-Tracing, and [7] Word and Concept Studies; Context — [8] Historical Context and [9] Literary Context; Meaning — [10] Biblical Theology and [11] Systematic Theology; and Application — [12] Practical Theology. Readers will appreciate the level of care that DeRouchie has taken throughout the volume to bring the overall implications of the TOCMA model to life and ministry. The organization and structure of How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament is also a noteworthy aspect of the volume. DeRouchie has provided a detailed analytical outline for reference and each chapter opens with an overview of the content, including a designation of the contents difficulty level (easy, moderate, or challenging). Readers are able to quickly determine how deep they wish to dive into each chapter and can skip around as desired. Another way to look at it is that DeRouchie has effectively written a three-level hermeneutical exploration that offers the beginning student room to grow and the advanced student a reliable source of review. Each chapter incudes numerous tables and charts with relevant information, and conclude with a list of keywords and concepts for review, questions for further reflection, and a resources list for further study. DeRouchie does indicate suggested resources for beginning and advanced students, but it would have been beneficial if these resource lists were annotated with comments about the usefulness of the book for the reader. It’s difficult to say anything about this volume that hasn’t been said by other reviewers. I mean, the book opens with over fifteen pages of endorsement from respected Old Testament scholars and pastors, such as William D. Barrick, C. John Collins, Lee M. Fields, Peter J. Gentry, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Tremper Longman III, Eugene H. Merrill, Gary D. Pratico, Bruce K. Waltke, and many more. Prior to DeRouchie, I was regularly using Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students by Douglas Stuart (4th edition; WJK, 2009), which is a standard textbook used around the world and an excellent volume that remains useful. DeRouchie has functionally replaced this volume on my shelf, and I imagine others will have the same feeling. The TOCMA model that is put forth in How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament offers twelve steps worth taking if you desire to properly understand, apply, and communicate the Old Testament. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Jason S. DeRouchie is unparalleled in scope and usefulness. There is simply no other book on the market better positioned to help readers understand and apply the Old Testament. It is informative, accessible, and thoroughly engaging. It is certain to become a classroom standard and should be on the bookshelf of anyone seeking to seriously understand the Old Testament as a faithful follower of Jesus. It comes highly recommended!

For many Christians, the First or Old Testament is unknown territory, even among preachers. Cutting out two-thirds of the Bible by not reading and searching for meaning and application it, would leave us with many clueless stories and phrases in the New Testament. Jason S. DeRouchie offers help in How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament. In this book, he examines twelve steps from exegesis to theology to travel through Text to Observation to Context to Meaning to Application. DeRouchie presents his findings on multiple levels, to facilitate readers without any knowledge of Hebrew and Greek as well as theology students capable of reading and understanding these biblical languages. The author highlights the importance of genre, literary units, the original wording, translation, and grammar. He explores the arguments or inner logic of the texts, word and concept studies, and historical context. Reading the Bible itself instead of relying on all kinds of external sources will help you to come to unearth the grand story of the Bible and its key concepts. As a final step, you're challenged to apply the text to yourself, the church, and the world. Jesus Christ is central in both Old and New Testament. DeRouchie spends many pages in revealing the prophecies pointing to Christ, and the way Jesus Christ actually fulfills the prophecies, the various roles of e.g. priest, prophet, shepherd, and savior. A wealth of information and food for thought and practice.

One of the most important tasks for any believer is to know how to understand and apply the Bible to his or her life. False interpretations and false teachings abound in our world today — as it has for all of history. How are we, as God’s people, going to stand firm for God’s truth and not waver in the midst of such false teaching. The only way is if we accurately understand, interpret, and apply God’s Word to our life. This is the primary task of the preacher, but it is not the preacher’s job alone. While God has certainly given us gifted men to teach and shepherd us, He has given each and every one of us the ability and the access to open God’s Word and read it, understand it, and apply it for ourselves. But that can be a daunting task for many of us, can’t it? Where do we start? How do we ensure that we’re doing it correctly? That’s where two incredibly helpful new books come in to play: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Jason DeRouchie and How to Understand and Apply the New Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Andrew Naselli. Neither of these books are “quick reads” or books that you would want to sit down and just leisurely read on a rainy day (thought I’m sure you would certainly benefit from doing that). Rather, these are detailed textbook-type-books, meant to help the reader systematically work through the topic of hermeneutics, or how to accurately read, understand, and apply the Bible. Though the 12 steps are similar in each volume, they do differ slightly in their specifics and in their arrangement. The Old Testament In DeRouchie’s volume on the Old Testament, his 12 steps are separated into 5 parts: Part 1: “Text — What is the makeup of the passage?” includes (1) Genre, (2) Literary Units and Text Hierarchy, (3) Text Criticism, and (4) Translation. Part 2: “Observation — How is the passage communicated?” includes (5) Clause and Text Grammar, (6) Argument-Tracing, and (7) Word and Concept Studies. Part 3: “Context — Where does the passage fit?” includes (8) Historical Context and (9) Literary Context Part 4: “Meaning — What does the passage mean?” includes (10) Biblical Theology and (11) Systematic Theology. Part 5: “Application — Why does the passage matter?” includes (12) Practical Theology. The New Testament In Naselli’s volume on the New Testament, they are not grouped into any parts, but rather listed with a brief description of each: 1. Genre — Establish guidelines for interpreting a passage’s style of literature 2. Textual Criticism — Establish the original wording 3. Translation — Compare translations 4. Greek Grammar — Understand how sentences communicate by words, phrases, and clauses 5. Argument Diagram — Trace the logical argument by arcing, bracketing, or phrasing 6. Historical-Cultural Context — Understand the situation in which the author composed the literature and any historical-cultural details that the author mentions or probably assumes 7. Literary Context — Understand the role that a passage plays in its whole book 8. Word Studies — Unpack key words, phrases, and concepts 9. Biblical Theology — Study how the whole Bible progresses, integrates, and climaxes in Christ 10. Historical Theology — Survey and evaluate how significant exegetes and theologians have understood the Bible and theology 11. Systematic Theology — Discern how a passage theologically coheres with the whole Bible 12. Practical Theology — Apply the text to yourself, the church, and the world Conclusion I remember going through Hermeneutics classes in both college and seminary. I remember the books that we used for each class being excellent and helpful. However, I do wish that we would have had these books for those classes. Each of these volumes are excellent, scholarly, thorough, practical, applicable, and readable as they help equip the reader to accurately and faithfully understand and apply the Bible. Though I’m sure they will primarily be used for college and seminary hermeneutics classes, I firmly believe that every single member of our churches would benefit greatly from taking some extended time of study to go through these books. No matter where you are in your walk with Christ, each of us can benefit from sharpening our skills in rightly understanding and applying God’s Word to our lives and the lives of those we minister to. I know that I will be turning back to these books in the months and years to come. I would recommend you buy a copy for yourself and do the same. In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank P&R Publishers for providing me with a review copy of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

REVIEW OF HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND APPL.Y THE OLD TESTAMENT; (12 Steps From Exegesis to Theology) by Jason DeRouchie; P & R; 2017 All conservative Bible students believe the Bible to be the very Word of God written. What does this infallible book teach? Too often in the past, professional and amateur Bible students have agreed upon the infallibility of the text without agreeing upon what the text is actually saying. That is the realm of hermeneutics—how to interpret a book of the Bible along with the rest of the Bible. Some have argued that biblical interpretation is just a matter of the “science” of hermeneutics; others have argued that biblical understanding is more a matter of the “art” of interpretation. Still others would argue that all one needs is the Spirit and your interpretation will be just fine. Dr. DeRouchie shows us the way through the maze to properly read the Bible and come away with its meaning and application. What are his twelve steps from exegesis of the text to under- standing the theology of the text? Without being boring or pedantic, DeRouchie takes us by the hand and shows us how to read, understand and apply the Word of God . What are the12 steps? PART 1: TEXT—WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF THE PASSAGE? 1. Genre 2. Literary Units and Text Hierarchy 3. Text Criticism 4. Translation PART 2: OBSERVATION—HOW IS THE PASSAGE COMMUNICATED ? 5. Clause and Text Grammar 6. Argument Tracing 7. Word and Concept Studies PART 3: CONTEXT—WHERE DOES THE PASSAGE FIT ? 8. Historical Context 9. Literary Context PART 4: MEANING—WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE MEAN ? 10. Biblical Theology 11. Systematic Theology PART 5: APPLICATION—WHY DOES THE PASSAGE MATTER ? 12. Practical Theology With an excellent bibliography for studying the Old Testament in general and comprehensive coverage of the details of faithful, rigorous Biblical study, this book is sure to be a standard textbook for students and faithful pastors for a generation. Steve Martin (31 years a pastor in Atlanta) Dean of Students, IRBS Theological Seminary in Texas

My favorite part of this book is its focus of its content and the layout with which it teaches. It’s very school-like, with questions and definitions for the reader. Also he actually gives you in each chapter recommended reading and TELLS you exactly which ones he thinks are the best. That’s invaluable on its own! Can’t wait to get started on its twin book made for the New Testament.

DeRouchie does a great job covering the exegetical steps and processes. He also provides three levels of learning depending on the reader's desire for how deep they wish to go into the original Hebrew language. He applies the his techniques and insights to the same passage at the end of every chapter so that you can see how he actually carries out his own exegesis. If you wish to grow and understand your knowledge of the OT and how to apply it then this is an excellent resource to utilize.

I bought both books. Both on the OLD and NEW testament. EXCELLENT! Also, a great resource to use as you divide God's word. Thanks!

This is a great book. DeRouchie does a great job of simply presenting an easy way to study the Bible the book helpfully divides into sections for advanced students and non-advanced students so that a Hebrew scholar and a layman may gain information at their own level.

Anyone wanting to get more out of the Hebrew Bible, read this!

Good!!!

Jason S. DeRouchie is Professor of Old Testament and Biblical Theology at Bethlehem College and Seminary. DeRouchie received an M.Div. from Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary and a Ph.D. from Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, as well as additional studies at Jerusalem University College and Harvard Divinity School. DeRouchie is the author of a number of books, including A Modern Grammar for Biblical Hebrew (coauthored with Duane A. Garrett; B&H Academic, 2009) and What the Old Testament Authors Really Cared About: A Survey if Jesus’ Bible (Kregel, 2013). Most recently, DeRouchie has written a user-friendly and comprehensive hermeneutical exploration of the Old Testament that is certain to dethrone many predecessors as a standard classroom textbook. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology is truly a tour de force par excellence. DeRouchie not only uncovers and illuminates every corner of the hermeneutical process of the Old Testament, but he helpfully offers numerous examples for readers to reflect upon while working through the TOCMA (Text > Observation > Context > Meaning > Application) model. The book is divided into five major parts (TOCMA) comprised of twelve foundational steps: Text — [1] Genre, [2] Literary Units, [3] Text Criticism, and [4] Translation; Observation — [5] Grammar, [6] Argument-Tracing, and [7] Word and Concept Studies; Context — [8] Historical Context and [9] Literary Context; Meaning — [10] Biblical Theology and [11] Systematic Theology; and Application — [12] Practical Theology. Readers will appreciate the level of care that DeRouchie has taken throughout the volume to bring the overall implications of the TOCMA model to life and ministry. The organization and structure of How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament is also a noteworthy aspect of the volume. DeRouchie has provided a detailed analytical outline for reference and each chapter opens with an overview of the content, including a designation of the contents difficulty level (easy, moderate, or challenging). Readers are able to quickly determine how deep they wish to dive into each chapter and can skip around as desired. Another way to look at it is that DeRouchie has effectively written a three-level hermeneutical exploration that offers the beginning student room to grow and the advanced student a reliable source of review. Each chapter incudes numerous tables and charts with relevant information, and conclude with a list of keywords and concepts for review, questions for further reflection, and a resources list for further study. DeRouchie does indicate suggested resources for beginning and advanced students, but it would have been beneficial if these resource lists were annotated with comments about the usefulness of the book for the reader. It’s difficult to say anything about this volume that hasn’t been said by other reviewers. I mean, the book opens with over fifteen pages of endorsement from respected Old Testament scholars and pastors, such as William D. Barrick, C. John Collins, Lee M. Fields, Peter J. Gentry, Walter C. Kaiser Jr., Tremper Longman III, Eugene H. Merrill, Gary D. Pratico, Bruce K. Waltke, and many more. Prior to DeRouchie, I was regularly using Old Testament Exegesis: A Handbook for Students by Douglas Stuart (4th edition; WJK, 2009), which is a standard textbook used around the world and an excellent volume that remains useful. DeRouchie has functionally replaced this volume on my shelf, and I imagine others will have the same feeling. The TOCMA model that is put forth in How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament offers twelve steps worth taking if you desire to properly understand, apply, and communicate the Old Testament. How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Jason S. DeRouchie is unparalleled in scope and usefulness. There is simply no other book on the market better positioned to help readers understand and apply the Old Testament. It is informative, accessible, and thoroughly engaging. It is certain to become a classroom standard and should be on the bookshelf of anyone seeking to seriously understand the Old Testament as a faithful follower of Jesus. It comes highly recommended!

For many Christians, the First or Old Testament is unknown territory, even among preachers. Cutting out two-thirds of the Bible by not reading and searching for meaning and application it, would leave us with many clueless stories and phrases in the New Testament. Jason S. DeRouchie offers help in How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament. In this book, he examines twelve steps from exegesis to theology to travel through Text to Observation to Context to Meaning to Application. DeRouchie presents his findings on multiple levels, to facilitate readers without any knowledge of Hebrew and Greek as well as theology students capable of reading and understanding these biblical languages. The author highlights the importance of genre, literary units, the original wording, translation, and grammar. He explores the arguments or inner logic of the texts, word and concept studies, and historical context. Reading the Bible itself instead of relying on all kinds of external sources will help you to come to unearth the grand story of the Bible and its key concepts. As a final step, you're challenged to apply the text to yourself, the church, and the world. Jesus Christ is central in both Old and New Testament. DeRouchie spends many pages in revealing the prophecies pointing to Christ, and the way Jesus Christ actually fulfills the prophecies, the various roles of e.g. priest, prophet, shepherd, and savior. A wealth of information and food for thought and practice.

One of the most important tasks for any believer is to know how to understand and apply the Bible to his or her life. False interpretations and false teachings abound in our world today — as it has for all of history. How are we, as God’s people, going to stand firm for God’s truth and not waver in the midst of such false teaching. The only way is if we accurately understand, interpret, and apply God’s Word to our life. This is the primary task of the preacher, but it is not the preacher’s job alone. While God has certainly given us gifted men to teach and shepherd us, He has given each and every one of us the ability and the access to open God’s Word and read it, understand it, and apply it for ourselves. But that can be a daunting task for many of us, can’t it? Where do we start? How do we ensure that we’re doing it correctly? That’s where two incredibly helpful new books come in to play: How to Understand and Apply the Old Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Jason DeRouchie and How to Understand and Apply the New Testament: Twelve Steps from Exegesis to Theology by Andrew Naselli. Neither of these books are “quick reads” or books that you would want to sit down and just leisurely read on a rainy day (thought I’m sure you would certainly benefit from doing that). Rather, these are detailed textbook-type-books, meant to help the reader systematically work through the topic of hermeneutics, or how to accurately read, understand, and apply the Bible. Though the 12 steps are similar in each volume, they do differ slightly in their specifics and in their arrangement. The Old Testament In DeRouchie’s volume on the Old Testament, his 12 steps are separated into 5 parts: Part 1: “Text — What is the makeup of the passage?” includes (1) Genre, (2) Literary Units and Text Hierarchy, (3) Text Criticism, and (4) Translation. Part 2: “Observation — How is the passage communicated?” includes (5) Clause and Text Grammar, (6) Argument-Tracing, and (7) Word and Concept Studies. Part 3: “Context — Where does the passage fit?” includes (8) Historical Context and (9) Literary Context Part 4: “Meaning — What does the passage mean?” includes (10) Biblical Theology and (11) Systematic Theology. Part 5: “Application — Why does the passage matter?” includes (12) Practical Theology. The New Testament In Naselli’s volume on the New Testament, they are not grouped into any parts, but rather listed with a brief description of each: 1. Genre — Establish guidelines for interpreting a passage’s style of literature 2. Textual Criticism — Establish the original wording 3. Translation — Compare translations 4. Greek Grammar — Understand how sentences communicate by words, phrases, and clauses 5. Argument Diagram — Trace the logical argument by arcing, bracketing, or phrasing 6. Historical-Cultural Context — Understand the situation in which the author composed the literature and any historical-cultural details that the author mentions or probably assumes 7. Literary Context — Understand the role that a passage plays in its whole book 8. Word Studies — Unpack key words, phrases, and concepts 9. Biblical Theology — Study how the whole Bible progresses, integrates, and climaxes in Christ 10. Historical Theology — Survey and evaluate how significant exegetes and theologians have understood the Bible and theology 11. Systematic Theology — Discern how a passage theologically coheres with the whole Bible 12. Practical Theology — Apply the text to yourself, the church, and the world Conclusion I remember going through Hermeneutics classes in both college and seminary. I remember the books that we used for each class being excellent and helpful. However, I do wish that we would have had these books for those classes. Each of these volumes are excellent, scholarly, thorough, practical, applicable, and readable as they help equip the reader to accurately and faithfully understand and apply the Bible. Though I’m sure they will primarily be used for college and seminary hermeneutics classes, I firmly believe that every single member of our churches would benefit greatly from taking some extended time of study to go through these books. No matter where you are in your walk with Christ, each of us can benefit from sharpening our skills in rightly understanding and applying God’s Word to our lives and the lives of those we minister to. I know that I will be turning back to these books in the months and years to come. I would recommend you buy a copy for yourself and do the same. In accordance with FTC regulations, I would like to thank P&R Publishers for providing me with a review copy of these books in exchange for a fair and honest review.

REVIEW OF HOW TO UNDERSTAND AND APPL.Y THE OLD TESTAMENT; (12 Steps From Exegesis to Theology) by Jason DeRouchie; P & R; 2017 All conservative Bible students believe the Bible to be the very Word of God written. What does this infallible book teach? Too often in the past, professional and amateur Bible students have agreed upon the infallibility of the text without agreeing upon what the text is actually saying. That is the realm of hermeneutics—how to interpret a book of the Bible along with the rest of the Bible. Some have argued that biblical interpretation is just a matter of the “science” of hermeneutics; others have argued that biblical understanding is more a matter of the “art” of interpretation. Still others would argue that all one needs is the Spirit and your interpretation will be just fine. Dr. DeRouchie shows us the way through the maze to properly read the Bible and come away with its meaning and application. What are his twelve steps from exegesis of the text to under- standing the theology of the text? Without being boring or pedantic, DeRouchie takes us by the hand and shows us how to read, understand and apply the Word of God . What are the12 steps? PART 1: TEXT—WHAT IS THE MAKEUP OF THE PASSAGE? 1. Genre 2. Literary Units and Text Hierarchy 3. Text Criticism 4. Translation PART 2: OBSERVATION—HOW IS THE PASSAGE COMMUNICATED ? 5. Clause and Text Grammar 6. Argument Tracing 7. Word and Concept Studies PART 3: CONTEXT—WHERE DOES THE PASSAGE FIT ? 8. Historical Context 9. Literary Context PART 4: MEANING—WHAT DOES THE PASSAGE MEAN ? 10. Biblical Theology 11. Systematic Theology PART 5: APPLICATION—WHY DOES THE PASSAGE MATTER ? 12. Practical Theology With an excellent bibliography for studying the Old Testament in general and comprehensive coverage of the details of faithful, rigorous Biblical study, this book is sure to be a standard textbook for students and faithful pastors for a generation. Steve Martin (31 years a pastor in Atlanta) Dean of Students, IRBS Theological Seminary in Texas

The first thing you’ll notice when you open the book is 16 pages of recommendations from other OT scholars, and their comments are striking: “HUAOT surpasses all previous works”; “DeRouchie’s work will likely become the standard for the next generation”; “Magisterial in depth and scope”; “nothing less than a gold mine!”; “perhaps the most comprehensive and complete practice guide to OT hermeneutics and exegesis available today”; “the most thoughtful and well-developed guidebook on how to do exegesis the I have encountered”; “In over fifty-two years of teaching in the classrooms of higher education, I have seen nothing comparable to this magnificent work by DeRouchie—destined to be the classic in its field.” I’m always a bit skeptical about book blurbs, and was on high alert after that introduction, but after working through all 500+ pages of this book, I honestly can’t argue with it. I don’t have fifty-two years of teaching to compare with (I have zero), but I can say that I don’t know of another resource like this. This is a book I could give to my grandmother to learn some basics about reading her OT, or to someone well-versed in Hebrew to dig deep into the latest developments in Hebrew discourse analysis. The book has three “levels” — beginner, intermediate, and advanced. Beginners can skip the harder sections, and focus on what they can grasp. Advanced readers should read the whole thing. Here are my favorite parts of this book: —rigorous Hebrew exegesis using the best insights of discourse analysis to understand the flow of a passage, Dr. DeRouchie’s “Text Hierarchy.” —seeing Christ in all of Scripture, rooted firmly in robust Biblical Theology. —extended examples drawn from OT passages, with insights that are as good as any commentary. —The Christological “lens” through which we interpret OT laws, promises, and prophecies. —helpful diagrams and charts. —a thorough list of additional recommended resources organized for each chapter. For seminary professors, students, or any motivated church-member who wants to dig deeper into the Old Testament (“Jesus’s Bible”), I can’t think of a better one-stop shop than this book.

DeRouchie wants to move us from seeing words on a page to singing over the truths revealed in the text. This book is for those who want to delight in God as they study his word. This book is not for the laid-back bathroom reader though. Learning how to mine these riches will take work. To help in this excavation, DeRouchie has made the process as straightforward as possible by recapping keywords and concepts at the end of each chapter, along with questions for further reflection and a section listing additional resources. He has tried to make this book available to as many readers as possible. He does this by giving a trail guide that lists three different paths to explore—a “choose your own adventure” theology book. Path one is labeled “easy” and does not meander into Biblical Hebrew. The second option, moderate, does not require any Hebrew but will interact with the biblical languages. The final option takes the reader into Hebrew Exegesis. If you opt for this section, you will enter into some rich, technical discussions of Biblical Hebrew. I firmly believe anyone can benefit from reading this book. DeRouchie wants this book to serve not only Hebrew students but the whole church by equipping them to be readers. Here’s how he says it in his introduction: “As we set out on our journey into biblical interpretation, may God the Father, by his Spirit, stir your affections for Christ and awaken your mind to think deeply. May you increase your skill at handling the whole Bible for the glory of God and the good of his church among the nations” (xxv).

All cards on the table, I've sat under Jason DeRouchie's teaching for three years now. That being said, I can say with confidence that the devotional, God-centered tone of this exegesis book is far from an artificial veneer. This man truly wants all Christians to see and savor the glory of Christ in the Old Testament. This desire sets Dr. DeRouchie apart from many Old Testament scholars who deal with the Old Testament while excluding the New Testament. Jason is not interested in this kind of truncated exegesis. Because of this, his exegesis book differs from other exegesis books geared towards the Old Testament in ways that will equip Christians for worshipful exegesis which applies to the whole of their Christian life. Specifically standing out in this regard are his sections on how to apply the Old Testament through the "lens" of Christ. Although I differ in the way I would relate biblical and systematic theologies, I appreciate the way that Jason approaches asking questions of the Bible. I can wholeheartedly recommend this book for Christians of all levels of education not because it is perfect but because it is a genuine, humble, scholarly, pastorally-sensitive book on exegesis which pushes many conversations forward and starts others.

Jason DeRouchie has written a terrific resource for the study of the Old Testament. We might dare say this is a unique resource (per the recommendation of eminent Old Testament scholar Eugene Merrill). There is much to like about this resource. The writing is crisp and engaging, several charts are provided, terrific bibliographies are given, and there is a devotional tone throughout. DeRouchie clearly knows and loves his subject matter. For those who do not have any background in Hebrew (like yours truly), there are some sections that will not easily offer their riches, but thankfully these sections are few in number. Highly recommended!

Really is 4.5 stars. This is a comprehensive resource on English and Hebrew hermeneutics. Covers all the bases. Helpful in thinking through contextual, grammatical, and theological spheres of interpretation. DeRouchie's sections on textual criticism, literary context, and biblical theology are excellent. The one area I thought could have used further development is the practical theology section. DeRouchie answered his own key question, “Why does the passage matter” in the section. But I left the chapter thinking it was still a bit abstract for a chapter on practical theology. Perhaps I just come at practical theology with a different question than, “Why does the passage matter.” Also, its worthwhile to know that for biblical interpreters who have not learned biblical Hebrew, much of the book will be rather technical and perhaps confusing at points. This is an intermediate textbook, and at many points requires some knowledge of biblical Hebrew.

“Jesus loved the Old Testament. Indeed, it was his only Bible, and he believed that it pointed to him. I wrote this book to help believers better study, practice, and teach the Old Testament as Christian Scripture…I want to help Christian understand and apply the Old Testament in a way that nurtures hope in the gospel and magnifies our Messiah in faithful ways” (DeRouchie, HUAOT, xxiii). This was DeRouchie’s burden and goal, and I think his work absolutely accomplished this. The layout and structure, in my opinion, is user friendly, because it offers the visual “Guide to Using the Book” so readers are able to navigate to what sections are most suitable and edifying for them without getting bogged down. Further, DeRouchie returns to the same passage of Scripture throughout every chapter of the book, in order to illustrate and apply whatever that particular chapter focused on. This tied the entire work together quite nicely. DeRouchie also offers a treasure trove of resources. Moreover, he categorizes and labels these resources to help point readers in the right direction with regard to the nature of their search. Finally, DeRouchie makes it a point to drive to the gospel of Jesus and include devotional, Christ exalting application. I foresee turning to this book again and again in the future as a valuable resource.

This is my one-stop-shop book for OT exegesis. Jason does not merely teach people how to fish, but how to "taste" too! The book combines top-notch exegesis and Christ-centered delight. The level of accessibility is not elementary, but not insurmountable for the motivated student. The work invested into gaining these skills will pay enormous dividends in their bible reading and teaching. I'm unaware of anything like it!

I am a seminary student and just finished a year of Hebrew exegesis classes with Dr. DeRouchie. We used this book as our text over the last two semesters. As a student, I loved reading and learning from this book. It is enjoyable to read, well-organized, clear, and practical. It is full of examples that helped me understand what DeRouchie talked about in each chapter. As an aspiring pastor, this book gave me the skills I need to spend a lifetime ministering, teaching, and preaching from the OT in Hebrew. I feel even more excited and equipped to minister from the OT than the NT. As a Christian, this book opened up the OT to me as Christian Scriptures. This book clearly taught me how to know and delight in Jesus through the OT. I highly recommend it.

This text gives good basics and how-to's for analyzing a text and approaching different types of texts. It gives great examples of how Dr. DeRouchie has personally wrestled through the text as examples to his readers. Overall, it's a good text to work through as a guide for understanding and analyzing not only the grammar and argument of the text, but also how one might think through it's greater significance in the Bible as a whole.

Whether you are just beginning to read the Bible or have already been through seminary, this book serves as a worshipful, Christ-centered, guide to better understanding the OT. I would say it is most useful for someone who knows some Hebrew, but those who do not know any Hebrew can still benefit greatly from the book and I would still recommend it. One can use it as a reference or read straight through it. If you want to be inspired to look deeper into the pages of the OT, this book would be a great addition to your shelf.

This book is unique in its design: each distinct question is classified according to difficulty. DeRouchie hopes to help anyone who can read the english language, and in the same book to help those who have a proficient knowledge of biblical Hebrew. I can't give a first-hand review of the effectiveness of this book for those who don't know Hebrew--someone else will have to establish just how useful the book is for its least advanced audiences.. However, I can attest to care and the thoroughness used throughout. DeRouchie models careful study and takes you from A to Z in biblical exegesis. A wonderful work.

This textbook is extremely helpful for going deep into the Massoretic Text. Other reviews here highlight the great aspects of DeRouchie's work. I just want to give those who are thinking of choosing kindle a heads up: the figures (which are very frequent) are very poor quality and hinder the reading. For that reason, you should definitely choose the hardcover, since it has clear images.

This book is exemplary in its ability to tutor Christians on a difficult subject (esp. how to apply the Old Testament to our modern setting). Any book on this subject would be a worthwhile read given the size of the Old Testament in proportion to the whole Bible. DeRouchie's book, in particular, is a cherished resource that I reference frequently as I interact with Old Testament passages. This book is rich with practical, exegetical steps that anyone from a lay congregant to a scholar could utilize to more fully understand the Bible.

DeRouchie does a superb job mapping out an evangelical exegetical approach to the OT. He is deeply affected by the OT (and the NT) and it is evident througout this text. Some chapters are so good that they make the price of the book worth it alone--especially the chapter on how Christians should understand the promises in the OT. The book endeavors to take on a ton of material, but it is well worth wading through--whether a student, scholar, pastor, or layman--he makes it accessible to all!