To celebrate the end of a great semester, I am giving away a new copy of John A. Beck’s Zondervan Dictionary of Biblical Imagery. To enter, leave a comment and I will pick a winner at random from the comments. I will close the contest on May 9 and announce the winner then.
This 282 page book is a handy guide to historical and cultural background used for poetic imagery in the Bible. Entries are diverse, ranging from nations and peoples, key geographical locations, animals, foods, or other elements of culture. Beck gives a short overview for each entry then attempts to show how the entry is used as a figure of speech. For example, For Mount Carmel, Beck provides some basic data on the location and then treats a number of texts such as Amos 9:3, which describes “the beauty of Carmel.” For the entry “Staff,” there is a brief note on the use of staffs in the ancient world and an explanation of the use of “staff” to describe political leadership. This imagery is then extended to God (Psalm 23) and the Messiah (Gen 49:10).
This book is a handy reference for busy students and pastors who want to explore biblical imagery. There are other similar books available which have far more detail, but this book has the advantage of including enough information to illustrate a metaphor but not so much that the reader is overwhelmed with details. I would have like a short bibliography for each entry so that readers who were interested in more could dig a bit deeper, but the target audience for this book will not find this to be a problem.
Zondervan posted a two-minute video featuring John Beck to YouTube discussing biblical imagery, and another on the importance of background studies for reading the Bible.
Free Stuff!!
Hello, I’d love to be entered in the contest!
Always on the look out for good material.
Sounds like a great aid to studying the Bible!
Oooh! I could use that! Can I bribe you with a cup of coffee?
Looks amazing! Thanks for passing on the gift of discovering the bible.
Book. Free. Want.
Count me in.
It would be great to win this book.
Sounds like a volume worth having
Thanks for this giveaway! I’d love it.
Oh, that looks terrifically useful! Thanks for letting us know about it – and what a fun way to celebrate the end of a semester! (I’m still crunching away on my final paper, myself. Back to work…
Bingo
Thanks for the give-away.
Hi Phil, I would like the book because I feel it would benefit my knowledge of the Bible and further my educational knowledge in sharing the message of Jesus Christ. Hope you are doing well.
Count me in please!
brtucker89(at)gmail(dot)com
Dibs!
If i make some reference to Dr. Who, good coffee, or Bob Dylan does that increase my chances?!?!?! I’m in!!
Since you didn’t, no, it will not help.
Is there an entry for Stairway to Heaven, Book of Page, chapter 4, verse 4 of 1 on LP I think?
I think that it is zoso.
The one from Israel 2007? Anyhoo, if I win, give it to the runner-up, but instead have coffee with Matt and I sometime!
Free book? I like free books. Can you throw in a cup of La Minta as well?
If I had a cup of la Minta, I would certainly share it with you. Jamaican, no. La Minta, sure.