Engaging the Old Testament

“This is a creative introduction to how to read the Old Testament well as an ancient text for today. To engage this literature properly, Hernández explains that we need appropriate attitudes and informed literary sensibilities. He then works carefully through multiple texts across the Old Testament canon to demonstrate the payoff of his exhortations. Not overly technical, this helpful tool by an important Latino Old Testament scholar should serve a wide audience.”

“In this creative and helpful book, Hernández encourages us to approach the Old Testament as an honored conversation partner, listening carefully to what it has to say. Hernández explains that engaging the Old Testament well means reading humbly, not arrogantly assuming we already know its message or meaning. It means reading successively, not believing a single section of the Old Testament contains all the information about God and God’s plans. It means reading entirely, not skipping the disturbing or confusing sections. And it means reading deliberately, not hastily or distractedly. With chapters covering much of the content of the Old Testament and analogies drawn from literature, this book demonstrates what riches we can gain through genuine engagement of the Old Testament.”

“What a delightful book! In Engaging the Old Testament, Hernández invites readers into a virtuous and careful reading of the Scriptures. Well-written, honest, and approachable, the volume both forms and informs its readers, so that they may engage Old Testament texts in all of their literary artistry and theological depth. Hernández meets beginning students where they are and provides all the tools necessary to begin reading—really reading—the Old Testament.”

“This book is exemplary not only because it consists of a number of examples of how to read the Old Testament but also because those readings demonstrate the humble, successive, entire, and deliberate engagement with Israel’s Scripture that Hernández rightly claims is required if we are to hear it speak. Hernández combines clear and careful exegesis with an infectious enthusiasm for reading the Old Testament, conveyed in fresh and lively prose peppered with literary and cultural references.”

"Reading and interpreting the Old Testament is a daunting task since the writings are over two thousand years old and since they come from a culture dramatically different from ours. Hernández provides expert guidance in understanding narrative, poetry, and prophecy. Hernández wisely admonishes us to read the biblical text slowly, and the book is stocked with examples where the author has clearly followed his own dictum. This is not an ordinary textbook because it not only provides wise guidance for beginners but also offers bold interpretations that will provoke the most experienced reader to reflect anew on the biblical text. This is an ideal textbook both for new students and for those who want something fresh and challenging."

“The first word in the title of Hernández’s book, Engaging the Old Testament, says it all. This book is truly an engaging introduction to the Old Testament as inspired Scripture. Hernández’s use of classic and modern literature outside the Bible to illustrate his points is a creative and effective way to stimulate one’s appetite to read the Bible more and to appreciate its message better in our modern context. This book will become a standard for introductions of the Bible for years to come.”

“Dominick Hernández has given us a tremendous resource for interpreting the Old Testament that is as accessible as it is wide-ranging! Contrary to the modern proclivity for rapid results, Hernández invites readers to slow down and listen carefully to the biblical text, all for the purpose of fellowship with God. Hernández patiently walks readers through every major genre of the Old Testament with sage counsel and practical examples of how to listen to an ancient text that is living and active. This book should be read by all interpreters who wish to take the Old Testament seriously.”