An Introduction to the Old Testament
Overview
An Introduction to the Old Testament has served Old Testament students for well over fifty years. This classic, scholarly, conservative text concentrates on the literary characteristics of the Old Testament books, arguing for their inner harmony and underlying unity. Young follows a basic pattern in his discourse of each biblical book, focusing mostly on its authorship and purpose and then providing an analysis of the text. He includes a bibliography and indices for persons, places, and subjects.
Top Highlights
“The term ‘Enlightenment’, however, when judged from the Christian point of view, is utterly erroneous. If man is the creature of God, it follows that he can be free and enlightened only when he acts in accordance with the revelation which God has given him. To reject external revelation and to regard the human mind as a law unto itself is not to become enlightened but is to fall into the grossest of deceptions. Since man is created by God, he cannot live without God. To exalt the human reason, as though it in itself were the final arbiter of all things, is in reality to substitute the creature for the Creator.” (Page 21)
“Indeed, it is impossible for the finite mind to speak of God without using anthropomorphic language.” (Page 51)
“The viewpoint adopted in this present work is that the Old Testament is the very Word of the God of truth. It is also the work of men. ‘Holy men of God spake as they were moved by the Holy Ghost’ (2 Pet. 1:21b). In His inscrutable wisdom God chose and prepared for the task of writing those human agents whom He desired to speak His will. Then in mysterious fashion His Spirit wrought upon them, so that what they wrote, although in a very true sense their own, was nevertheless precisely what the Spirit of God desired. The Bible, therefore, in one sense may be regarded as a human book. Basically, however, it is divine, and God Himself is its Author.” (Page 27)
“We are not to regard the chapter as the reworking by the Priestly School of a myth that was common to ancient tradition. Rather, the chapter is sober history. Although Genesis does not purport to be a textbook of science, nevertheless, when it touches upon scientific subjects, it is accurate. Science has never discovered any facts which are in conflict with the statements of Genesis 1.” (Page 49)
The author of this full-scale Introduction is well known as a conservative scholar who is widely read and who is at pains to give his readers a fair account of the views he is unable to share. All of these qualities are well exemplified here….Of the conservative books on this subject this is easily the best and the most enlightened in its treatment of others….
—Dr. H. H. Rowley in Bulletin of the Society for Old Testament Study
We believe this work of Dr. Young’s will hold the field for years to come. There is no introduction to the Old Testament to equal it….One of the finest features of the book is the history given of the literary criticism of the Old Testament Scriptures….This book surely embodies the results of a tremendous amount of work.
—The Irish Evangelical
We shall now be at no loss for an answer if we are asked to recommend an Old Testament Introduction which on the one hand is up to date and on the other presents and upholds the most conservative case for the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch, the unity of Isaiah and of Zechariah, the historicity of Jonah and Esther, the exilic date of Daniel, the Davidic authorship of many of the Psalms, and the like. For here is the very book.
—Evangelical Quarterly
- Title: An Introduction to the Old Testament
- Author: Edward J. Young
- Publisher: Eerdmans
- Publication Date: 1977
- Pages: 423
