Zondervan NIV Study Bible
Zondervan
Copyright © 2008
Zondervan
All right reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-93896-5
Contents
Tributes.........................................................v
Quick Start Guide................................................vi
Contents: Maps...................................................ix
Contents: Charts.................................................x
Preface to the New International Version.........................xi
Introduction to the NIV Study Bible..............................xiv
Acknowledgments..................................................xviii
Contributors.....................................................xix
Abbreviations....................................................xx
Transliterations.................................................xxi
Ancient Texts Relating to the Old Testament......................xxii
THE OLD TESTAMENT
Introduction to Genesis..........................................1
Genesis..........................................................6
Introduction to Exodus...........................................85
Exodus...........................................................90
Introduction to Leviticus........................................146
Leviticus........................................................149
Introduction to Numbers..........................................186
Numbers..........................................................190
Introduction to Deuteronomy......................................241
Deuteronomy......................................................244
The Conquest and the Ethical Question of War.....................286
Introduction to Joshua...........................................287
Joshua...........................................................291
Introduction to Judges...........................................325
Judges...........................................................330
Introduction to Ruth.............................................364
Ruth.............................................................367
Introduction to 1 Samuel.........................................373
1 Samuel.........................................................378
Introduction to 2 Samuel.........................................424
2 Samuel.........................................................426
Introduction to 1 Kings..........................................466
1 Kings..........................................................473
Introduction to 2 Kings..........................................526
2 Kings..........................................................528
Introduction to 1 Chronicles.....................................579
1 Chronicles.....................................................585
Introduction to 2 Chronicles.....................................624
2 Chronicles.....................................................626
Introduction to Ezra.............................................669
Ezra.............................................................672
Introduction to Nehemiah.........................................691
Nehemiah.........................................................693
Introduction to Esther...........................................715
Esther...........................................................717
Wisdom Literature................................................727
Introduction to Job..............................................728
Job..............................................................734
Introduction to Psalms...........................................778
Psalms...........................................................790
Introduction to Proverbs.........................................952
Proverbs.........................................................958
Introduction to Ecclesiastes.....................................1003
Ecclesiastes.....................................................1007
Introduction to Song of Songs....................................1018
Song of Songs....................................................1021
Introduction to Isaiah...........................................1029
Isaiah...........................................................1034
Introduction to Jeremiah.........................................1128
Jeremiah.........................................................1133
Introduction to Lamentations.....................................1224
Lamentations.....................................................1227
Introduction to Ezekiel..........................................1237
Ezekiel..........................................................1243
Introduction to Daniel...........................................1311
Daniel...........................................................1313
The Book of the Twelve or the Minor Prophets.....................1333
Introduction to Hosea............................................1334
Hosea............................................................1337
Introduction to Joel.............................................1352
Joel.............................................................1354
Introduction to Amos.............................................1360
Amos.............................................................1363
Introduction to Obadiah..........................................1376
Obadiah..........................................................1378
Introduction to Jonah............................................1380
Jonah............................................................1383
Introduction to Micah............................................1387
Micah............................................................1390
Introduction to Nahum............................................1398
Nahum............................................................1400
Introduction to Habakkuk.........................................1404
Habakkuk.........................................................1406
Introduction to Zephaniah........................................1411
Zephaniah........................................................1413
Introduction to Haggai...........................................1418
Haggai...........................................................1421
Introduction to Zechariah........................................1424
Zechariah........................................................1428
Introduction to Malachi..........................................1443
Malachi..........................................................1446
The Time Between the Testaments..................................1451
THE NEW TESTAMENT
The Synoptic Gospels.............................................1457
Introduction to Matthew..........................................1459
Matthew..........................................................1462
Introduction to Mark.............................................1518
Mark.............................................................1521
Introduction to Luke.............................................1559
Luke.............................................................1563
Introduction to John.............................................1618
John.............................................................1621
A Harmony of the Gospels.........................................1668
Introduction to Acts.............................................1674
Acts.............................................................1678
Introduction to Romans...........................................1736
Romans...........................................................1739
Introduction to 1 Corinthians....................................1765
1 Corinthians....................................................1769
Introduction to 2 Corinthians....................................1794
2 Corinthians....................................................1797
Introduction to Galatians........................................1811
Galatians........................................................1813
Introduction to Ephesians........................................1822
Ephesians........................................................1825
Introduction to Philippians......................................1835
Philippians......................................................1838
Introduction to Colossians.......................................1845
Colossians.......................................................1848
Introduction to 1 Thessalonians..................................1854
1 Thessalonians..................................................1856
Introduction to 2 Thessalonians..................................1862
2 Thessalonians..................................................1864
The Pastoral Letters.............................................1867
Introduction to 1 Timothy........................................1868
1 Timothy........................................................1870
Introduction to 2 Timothy........................................1878
2 Timothy........................................................1880
Introduction to Titus............................................1885
Titus............................................................1887
Introduction to Philemon.........................................1890
Philemon.........................................................1891
Introduction to Hebrews..........................................1892
Hebrews..........................................................1895
The General Letters..............................................1914
Introduction to James............................................1915
James............................................................1917
Introduction to 1 Peter..........................................1923
1 Peter..........................................................1926
Introduction to 2 Peter..........................................1934
2 Peter..........................................................1937
Introduction to 1 John...........................................1942
1 John...........................................................1945
Introduction to 2 John...........................................1951
2 John...........................................................1952
Introduction to 3 John...........................................1953
3 John...........................................................1954
Introduction to Jude.............................................1955
Jude.............................................................1958
Introduction to Revelation.......................................1961
Revelation.......................................................1965
STUDY HELPS
Table of Weights and Measures....................................1993
Index to Topics..................................................1994
Index to Notes...................................................2148
Index to Maps....................................................2188
Concordance......................................................2192
Index to Color Maps..............................................2337
Chapter One
Genesis
INTRODUCTION
A Quick Look
Author:
Moses
Audience:
God's chosen people, the
Israelites
Date:
Between 1446 and 1406 B.C.
Theme:
Genesis is a book of
beginnings that introduces
central themes of the
Bible, such as creation and
redemption.
Title
The first phrase in the Hebrew text of 1:1 is bereshith ("in [the] beginning"), which is also the
Hebrew title of the book (books in ancient times customarily were named after their first word
or two). The English title, Genesis, is Greek in origin and comes from the word geneseos, which
appears in the pre-Christian Greek translation (Septuagint) of 2:4; 5:1. Depending on its context,
the word can mean "birth," "genealogy," or "history of origin." In
both its Hebrew and Greek forms, then, the traditional title of
Genesis appropriately describes its contents, since it is primarily
a book of beginnings.
Background
Chs. 1 - 38 reflect a great deal of what we know from other
sources about ancient Mesopotamian life and culture.
Creation, genealogies, destructive floods, geography and mapmaking,
construction techniques, migrations of peoples, sale
and purchase of land, legal customs and procedures, sheep-herding
and cattle-raising - all these subjects and many others
were matters of vital concern to the peoples of Mesopotamia
during this time. They were also of interest to the individuals,
families and tribes of whom we read in the first 38 chapters of
Genesis. The author appears to locate Eden, humankind's first
home, in or near Mesopotamia; the tower of Babel was built
there; Abram was born there; Isaac took a wife from there; and
Jacob lived there for 20 years. Although these patriarchs settled
in Canaan, their original homeland was Mesopotamia.
The closest ancient literary parallels to Ge 1 - 38 also come from Mesopotamia. Enuma elish,
the story of the god Marduk's rise to supremacy in the Babylonian pantheon, is similar in some
respects (though thoroughly mythical and polytheistic) to the Ge 1 creation account. Some of the
features of certain king lists from Sumer bear striking resemblance to the genealogy in Ge 5. The
11th tablet of the Gilgamesh epic is quite similar in outline to the flood narrative in Ge 6 - 8. Several
of the major events of Ge 1 - 8 are narrated in the same order as similar events in the Atrahasis epic.
In fact, the latter features the same basic motif of creation-alienation-flood as the Biblical account.
Clay tablets found in 1974 at the ancient (c. 2500 - 2300 B.C.) site of Ebla (modern Tell Mardikh) in
northern Syria may also contain some intriguing parallels (see chart, p. xxii).
Two other important sets of documents demonstrate the reflection of Mesopotamia in the first
38 chapters of Genesis. From the Mari letters (see chart, p. xxiii), dating from the patriarchal period,
we learn that the names of the patriarchs (including especially Abram, Jacob and Job) were typical
of that time. The letters also clearly illustrate the freedom of travel that was possible between
various parts of the Amorite world in which the patriarchs lived. The Nuzi tablets (see chart, p.
xxiii), though a few centuries later than the patriarchal period, shed light on patriarchal customs,
which tended to survive virtually intact for many centuries. The inheritance right of an adopted
household member or slave (see 15:1 - 4), the obligation of a barren wife to furnish her husband
with sons through a servant girl (see 16:2 - 4), strictures against expelling such a servant girl and
her son (see 21:10 - 11), the authority of oral statements in ancient Near Eastern law, such as the
deathbed bequest (see 27:1 - 4,22 - 23,33) - these and other legal customs, social contracts and
provisions are graphically illustrated in Mesopotamian documents.
As Ge 1 - 38 is Mesopotamian in character and background, so chs. 39 - 50 reflect Egyptian
influence - though in not quite so direct a way. Examples of such influence are: Egyptian
grape cultivation (40:9 - 11), the riverside scene (ch. 41), Egypt as Canaan's breadbasket (ch. 42),
Canaan as the source of numerous products for Egyptian consumption (ch. 43), Egyptian religious
and social customs (the end of chs. 43; 46), Egyptian administrative procedures (ch. 47), Egyptian
funerary practices (ch. 50) and several Egyptian words and names used throughout these chapters.
The closest specific literary parallel from Egypt is the Tale of Two Brothers, which bears some
resemblance to the story of Joseph and Potiphar's wife (ch. 39). Egyptian autobiographical narratives
(such as the Story of Sinuhe and the Report of Wenamun) and certain historical legends offer
more general literary parallels.
Author and Date of Writing
Historically, Jews and Christians alike have held that Moses was the author/compiler of the first
five books of the OT. These books, known also as the Pentateuch (meaning "five-volumed book"),
were referred to in Jewish tradition as the five fifths of the law (of Moses). The Bible itself suggests
Mosaic authorship of Genesis, since Ac 15:1 refers to circumcision as "the custom taught by Moses,"
an allusion to Ge 17. However, a certain amount of later editorial updating does appear to be
indicated (see, e.g., notes on 14:14; 36:31; 47:11).
The historical period during which Moses lived seems to be fixed with a fair degree of accuracy
by 1 Kings. We are told that "the fourth year of Solomon's reign over Israel" was the same as "the
four hundred and eightieth year after the Israelites had come out of Egypt" (1Ki 6:1). Since the former
was c. 966 B.C., the latter - and thus the date of the exodus - was c. 1446 (assuming that the
480 in 1Ki 6:1 is to be taken literally; see Introduction to Judges: Background). The 40-year period
of Israel's wanderings in the desert, which lasted from c. 1446 to c. 1406, would have been the
most likely time for Moses to write the bulk of what is today known as the Pentateuch.
During the last three centuries many interpreters have claimed to find in the Pentateuch four
underlying sources. The presumed documents, allegedly dating from the tenth to the fifth
centuries B.C., are called J (for Jahweh/Yahweh, the personal OT name for God), E (for Elohim, a generic
name for God), D (for Deuteronomic) and P (for Priestly). Each of these documents is claimed
to have its own characteristics and its own theology, which often contradicts that of the other documents.
The Pentateuch is thus depicted as a patchwork of stories, poems and laws. However, this
view is not supported by conclusive evidence, and intensive archaeological and literary research
has tended to undercut many of the arguments used to challenge Mosaic authorship.
Theological Theme and Message
Genesis speaks of beginnings - of the heavens and the earth, of light and darkness, of seas
and skies, of land and vegetation, of sun and moon and stars, of sea and air and land animals,
of human beings (made in God's own image, the climax of his creative activity), of marriage and
family, of society and civilization, of sin and redemption. The list could go on and on. A key word
in Genesis is "account," which also serves to divide the book into its ten major parts (see Literary
Features and Literary Outline) and which includes such concepts as birth, genealogy and history.
The book of Genesis is foundational to the understanding of the rest of the Bible. Its message
is rich and complex, and listing its main elements gives a succinct outline of the Biblical message
as a whole. It is supremely a book that speaks about relationships, highlighting those between
God and his creation, between God and humankind, and between human beings. It is thoroughly
monotheistic, taking for granted that there is only one God worthy of the name and opposing the
ideas that there are many gods (polytheism), that there is no god at all (atheism) and that everything
is divine (pantheism). It clearly teaches that the one true God is sovereign over all that exists
(i.e., his entire creation), and that he often exercises his unlimited freedom to overturn human customs,
traditions and plans. It introduces us to the way in which God initiates and makes covenants
with his chosen people, pledging his love and faithfulness to them and calling them to promise
theirs to him. It establishes sacrifice as the substitution of life for life (ch. 22). It gives us the first hint
of God's provision for redemption from the forces of evil (compare 3:15 with Ro 16:17 - 20) and
contains the oldest and most profound statement concerning the significance of faith (15:6; see
note there). More than half of Heb 11 - a NT list of the faithful - refers to characters in Genesis.
Literary Features
The message of a book is often enhanced by its literary structure and characteristics. Genesis
is divided into ten main sections, each beginning with the word "account" (see 2:4; 5:1; 6:9; 10:1;
11:10; 11:27; 25:12; 25:19; 36:1 - repeated for emphasis at 36:9 - and 37:2). The first five sections
can be grouped together and, along with the introduction to the book as a whole (1:1 - 2:3),
can be appropriately called "primeval history" (1:1 - 11:26). This introduction to the main story
sketches the period from Adam to Abraham and tells about the ways of God with the human
race as a whole. The last five sections constitute a much longer (but equally unified) account, and
relate the story of God's dealings with the ancestors of his
chosen people Israel (Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph and
their families) - a section often called "patriarchal history"
(11:27 - 50:26). This section is in turn composed of three
narrative cycles (Abraham-Isaac, 11:27 - 25:11; Isaac-Jacob,
25:19 - 35:29; 37:1; Jacob-Joseph, 37:2 - 50:26), interspersed
by the genealogies of Ishmael (25:12 - 18) and Esau
(ch. 36).
The narrative frequently concentrates on the life of a
later son in preference to the firstborn: Seth over Cain,
Shem over Japheth (but see NIV text note on 10:21), Isaac
over Ishmael, Jacob over Esau, Judah and Joseph over their brothers, and Ephraim over Manasseh.
Such emphasis on divinely chosen men and their families is perhaps the most obvious literary and
theological characteristic of the book of Genesis as a whole. It strikingly underscores the fact that
the people of God are not the product of natural human developments, but are the result of God's
sovereign and gracious intrusion in human history. He brings out of the fallen human race a new
humanity consecrated to himself, called and destined to be the people of his kingdom and the
channel of his blessing to the whole earth.
Numbers with symbolic significance figure prominently in Genesis. The number ten, in addition
to being the number of sections into which Genesis is divided, is also the number of names
appearing in the genealogies of chs. 5 and 11 (see note on 5:5). The number seven also occurs
frequently. The Hebrew text of 1:1 consists of exactly seven words and that of 1:2 of exactly 14
(twice seven). There are seven days of creation, seven names in the genealogy of ch. 4 (see note
on 4:17 - 18; see also 4:15,24; 5:31), various sevens in the flood story, 70 descendants of Noah's
sons (ch. 10), a sevenfold promise to Abram (12:2 - 3), seven years of abundance and then seven of
famine in Egypt (ch. 41), and 70 descendants of Jacob (ch. 46). Other significant numbers, such as
12 and 40, are used with similar frequency.
The book of Genesis is basically prose narrative, punctuated here and there by brief poems (the
longest is the so-called Blessing of Jacob in 49:2 - 27). Much of the prose has a lyrical quality and
uses the full range of figures of speech and other devices that characterize the world's finest epic
literature. Vertical and horizontal parallelism between the two sets of three days in the creation
account (see note on 1:11); the ebb and flow of sin and judgment in ch. 3 (the serpent and woman
and man sin successively; then God questions them in reverse order; then he judges them in the
original order); the powerful monotony of "and then he died" at the end of paragraphs in ch. 5;
the climactic hinge effect of the phrase "But God remembered Noah" (8:1) at the midpoint of the
flood story; the hourglass structure of the account of the tower of Babel in 11:1 - 9 (narrative in
vv. 1 - 2,8 - 9; discourse in vv. 3 - 4,6 - 7; v. 5 acting as transition); the macabre pun in 40:19 (see
40:13); the alternation between brief accounts about firstborn sons and lengthy accounts about
younger sons - these and numerous other literary devices add interest to the narrative and provide
interpretive signals to which the reader should pay close attention.
It is no coincidence that many of the subjects and themes of the first three chapters of Genesis
are reflected in the last three chapters of Revelation. We can only marvel at the superintending
influence of the Lord himself, who assures us that "all Scripture is God-breathed" (2Ti 3:16) and that
its authors "spoke from God as they were carried along by the Holy Spirit" (2Pe 1:21).
Outlines
Literary Outline:
I. Introduction (1:1 - 2:3)
II. Body (2:4 - 50:26)
A. "The account of the heavens and the earth" (2:4 - 4:26)
B. "The written account of Adam's line" (5:1 - 6:8)
C. "The account of Noah" (6:9 - 9:29)
D. "The account of Shem, Ham and Japheth" (10:1 - 11:9)
E. "The account of Shem" (11:10 - 26)
F. "The account of Terah" (11:27 - 25:11)
G. "The account of Abraham's son Ishmael" (25:12 - 18)
H. "The account of Abraham's son Isaac" (25:19 - 35:29)
I. "The account of Esau" (36:1 - 37:1)
J. "The account of Jacob" (37:2 - 50:26)
Thematic Outline:
I. Creation (1:1 - 2:3)
II. Primeval History (2:4 - 11:26)
A. Adam and Eve in Eden (2:4 - 25)
B. The Fall and Its Consequences (ch. 3)
C. Sin's Progression (4:1 - 16)
D. The Genealogy of Cain (4:17 - 26)
E. The Genealogy of Seth (ch. 5)
F. God's Response to Human Depravity (6:1 - 8)
G. The Great Flood (6:9 - 9:29)
1. Preparing for the flood (6:9 - 7:10)
2. Judgment and redemption (7:11 - 8:19)
a. The rising of the waters (7:11 - 24)
b. The receding of the waters (8:1 - 19)
3. The flood's aftermath (8:20 - 9:29)
a. A new promise (8:20 - 22)
b. Renewed benediction and new ordinances (9:1 - 7)
c. A new relationship (9:8 - 17)
d. A new temptation (9:18 - 23)
e. A final word (9:24 - 29)
H. The Spread of the Nations (10:1 - 11:26)
1. The diffusion of nations (ch. 10)
2. The confusion of languages (11:1 - 9)
3. The first Semitic genealogy (11:10 - 26)
III. Patriarchal History (11:27 - 50:26)
A. The Life of Abraham (11:27 - 25:11)
1. Abraham's background (11:27 - 32)
2. Abraham's call and response (chs. 12 - 14)
3. Abraham's faith and God's covenant (chs. 15 - 22)
4. Abraham's final acts (23:1 - 25:11)
B. The Descendants of Ishmael (25:12 - 18)
C. The Life of Jacob (25:19 - 35:29)
1. Jacob at home (25:19 - 27:46)
2. Jacob abroad (chs. 28 - 30)
3. Jacob at home again (chs. 31 - 35)
D. The Descendants of Esau (36:1 - 37:1)
E. The Life of Joseph (37:2 - 50:26)
1. Joseph's career (37:2 - 41:57)
2. Jacob's migration (chs. 42 - 47)
3. Jacob's final days (48:1 - 50:14)
4. Joseph's final days (50:15 - 26)
The Beginning
1 In the beginning God created
the heavens and the earth. 2 Now
the earth was form less and empty,
dark ness was over the surface of
the deep, and the Spirit of God was
hovering over the waters.
3 And God said, "Let there be light," and
there was light. 4 God saw that the
light was good, and he sep a rat ed the
light from the dark ness. 5 God called
the light "day," and the dark ness he
called "night." And there was evening,
and there was morning - the
first day.
6 And God said, "Let there be an expanse
between the waters to sep a rate water
from water." 7 So God made the expanse
and sep a rat ed the water under
the expanse from the water above it.
And it was so. 8 God called the expanse
"sky." And there was evening,
and there was morning - the second
day.
9 And God said, "Let the water under the
sky be gathered to one place, and let
dry ground appear." And it was so.
10 God called the dry ground "land,"
and the gathered waters he called
"seas." And God saw that it was
good.
11 Then God said, "Let the land produce
vegetation: seed-bearing plants
and trees on the land that bear fruit
with seed in it, according to their various
kinds." And it was so. 12 The
land produced vegetation: plants
bearing seed according to their kinds
and trees bearing fruit with seed in
it according to their kinds. And God
saw that it was good. 13 And there
was evening, and there was morning
- the third day.
(Continues...)
Excerpted from Zondervan NIV Study Bible
Copyright © 2008 by Zondervan.
Excerpted by permission.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.
