Listening to the Language of the Bible by Lois Tverberg

Listening to the Language of the Bible: by Lois Tverberg with Bruce Okkema ISBN-13: 9780974948201 Trade Paperback: 192 pages Publisher: En-Gedi Resource Center Released: 2004, 2006

Source: Bought through Half.com. Also available at a good price from En-Gedi Resource Center.

Book Description from Publisher Website:
Listening to the Language of the Bible is a guide for discovering the richness of the Scriptures in their Hebraic setting. From seemingly odd phrases, it shares important insights from Hebrew and Jewish culture that clarify reading and deepen Bible study. It also looks at the powerful sayings of Jesus in light of the Jewish culture of his time. The book contains more than 60 brief, illustrated devotional articles that unpack the meaning of a biblical word or phrase for our lives. It is intended both for personal reflection or group discussion.


My Review:
Listening to the Language of the Bible is a Bible study that can be used as a devotional. There are 61 chapters that are each 2 pages long. Each chapter focused on a different Hebrew word that doesn't translate easily into English due to cultural differences or that can be better understood with some background context.

There were different sections that focused on different types of things: Hebrew words that have a wider or slightly different meaning than we get from the English word, a different cultural way of at looking at things, Jewish word imagery and figures of speech, family relationships, Jewish prayer and Jesus' prayers, and what the Jews expected from their Messiah.

Lois Tverberg took some of these ideas and made them into a longer, more detailed book (Walking in the Dust of Rabbi Jesus). If you found that book interesting, then you'll probably also enjoy this one despite some overlap in the information. I'd also recommend this book for use as an interesting and insightful devotional.


If you've read this book, what do you think about it? I'd be honored if you wrote your own opinion of the book in the comments.


Excerpt: Read an excerpt using Amazon's Look Inside.