The Westminster Theological Wordbook of the Bible
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Great reference tool
I purchased it a sale price and it was worth every penny, but for my purposes I'm not sure full price would have been as full as value. It all depends on why you are getting it in the first place. No doubt, it is comprehensive and well done. I think it is great.
May 22, 2012
Good To Have, But Not a Must
I must be honest. I was very disappointed in this product. The book examines words in the Bible, but there is no exposition and no identification of the actual words used. For instance, the text will look at the word "Lord" but will not tell you that the word in Greek is "kyrios" and will not tell you about the usage of "kyrios." I was expecting this book to give detailed information concerning Greek and Hebrew words used in the Bible. The work gave usages of words and how they were applied, but did not give the kind of detail I expected. There also appears to be an agenda in the text. The evangelical Christian will have to consume this work much like one who eats fish; eat the meat and spit out the bones. In the author's treatment of Jesus, several references to John Dominick Crossan, a scholar who opposes the literal resurrection of Jesus, was used. So, if you are looking for a reference work to help you understand words in the Bible, I would look elsewhere. If you want an overall treatment of words in the Bible and already own a good reference, this is good to have as a cross-reference.
April 23, 2012
Another arrow for the quiver....
The book is the combined work of thirty contributors representing a refreshing mix of denominations. This is probably why one of the earlier reviewers found the contents to be unbiased. "UNBIASED" is, in my opinion, what we should be seeking in a reference work. I really don't need to pay to have scholars reinforce my own biases and, believe me, I have a gang of them. The next point is that The Westminster Theological Wordbook of the Bible is NOT competition for Kittel nor is it meant to be. I find the text to be most accessible with all Hebrew and Greek mercifully transliterated. In the preface, Donald E. Gowan, the editor, explains the theory of selection applied to the words chosen and readily admits that the book is intended to be a middle ground serving both the theologically trained student as well as the interested bible reader. I am blessed with a good personal library, but another arrow for the quiver doesn't hurt a bit.
January 19, 2011
Very limited reference.
12/21/10
The "Westminister Theological Wordbook" contain a limited number of words and is quite general in context. There does not seem to be an bias in the subject matter, and is rather blah-se` overall.
Not a good 'meat & potatoes' reference work at all.
WLB
December 21, 2010