The Old Testament Handbook – Book Review

The Bible is a complex book. If we try to study it by merely reading it, we can get overwhelmed trying to figure it all out. That’s why we need Bible reference books to help us out. The Old Testament Handbook is a brand new reference book that will help change the way you do Bible study.

Up until I started All God’s Women, I didn’t appreciate the usefulness of Bible helps. My idea of Bible study was using a concordance to look up topics or themes of interest and try to find related scripture. As you can imagine, it was a rather shallow style of study, and taught me little.

Once I discovered commentaries and Bible encyclopedias and Bible handbooks, it revolutionized my understanding of the Bible. I used books like All the Women of the Bible by Herbert Lockyear and other women of the Bible books to further my understanding. Then I discovered Bible Hub and Bible Gateway and read commentary on Bible women stories. I acquired a library of Bible reference books and handbooks.

Bible handbooks help to put the Bible information in context. It can be overwhelming trying to understand the history, the culture, the family relations, all the details that can bog down your Bible reading. But by organizing the information and putting it in context, you can read with a new layer of understanding. That’s what The Old Testament Handbook does.

The Old Testament Handbook Features

The Old Testament Handbook covers each book of the Old Testament, introducing the author, background, message and purpose, summary, and structure. Next, is an outline of the book followed by word studies of words unique to that book.

What really makes this book shine, however, are the charts and tables and timelines that follow. These are different for each book but highlight the material covered in that book.

The Genesis chapter includes a timeline, creation day by day breakdown, early covenants, directives to Adam and Noah, Noah to Jesus, salvation through judgment, Abraham’s migration, birthright and blessing, family of Abraham, dreams in Genesis, path to reconciliation, promise of Genesis, seeing Jesus in Genesis, the Lord’s provision, and Joseph’s life.

Other features include:

High-quality, foil-stamped cloth cover materials and Smyth-sewn binding
Elegant full-color interior design, including maps, charts, illustrations, and other visual helps for every book of the Old Testament
More than 75 in-depth word studies of keywords found in each Old Testament book
Ribbon marker for easy referencing between pages
Highly readable, highly reliable text of the Christian Standard Bible.

The Old Testament Handbook Review

Bible study can be overwhelming, but Tbe Old Testament Handbook puts everything in context and shows the big picture of how everything fits together. It’s concise and easy to understand.

So often Bible reference books are thick and heavy. This book, however, packs a lot of information in a mere 245 pages. Though it’s hardback, it’s still a lightweight book that’s easy to carry around.

I love the way the information is organized in tables and charts. It makes for easy searching but also includes information you might have never thought to study such as a comparison of the different wisdom literature books of the Bible or allusions to Jeremiah in Revelation. Many of the books have a chart showing prophesies or connections to Jesus.

If you’re looking for a one-stop reference book for the Old Testament, The Old Testament Handbook would be a great choice. Even if you have a library of reference books, this would be a great addition to fill it out. And good news, word is, there will be a New Testament Handbook coming out in the future!