Robert L Hubbard

An award-winning commentary on the book of Ruth by a renowned scholar of the Old Testament Winner of the 1989 Best Commentary Book Award from Christianity Today, Robert L. Hubbard Jr.'s The Book of Ruth has helped scholars, students, and pastors interpret one of the most beloved books of the Bible for decades. The classic commentary, now available in paperback, remains one of the best explications of the story of Ruth and Naomi and its relevance to Christians today. In his introduction Hubbard discusses the issues of text, canonicity, literary criticism, authorship, date, purpose, setting, genre, legal background, themes, and theology, concluding with an outline of the book and a thorough bibliography. The commentary proper is based on Hubbard's own translation and is annotated by footnotes on textual, philological, and literary matters. Gleaning the best from respected contemporary research on Ruth, Hubbard rigorously treats the book's rich literary, grammatical, and theological dimensions. He allows for the possibility that the anonymous author was a woman and argues that the narrative itself aims to counter opposition to the Davidic monarchy in Israel and Judah during Solomon's reign. Throughout, Hubbard's sensitivity to the literary qualities of the text and his coherent explication of its theological themes make this volume an invaluable tool for anyone desiring to explore the intriguing story of Ruth in depth.

The newest and best Old Testament intro for university and seminary studentsIn this up-to-date, student-friendly text, Robert Hubbard and J. Andrew Dearman bring decades of scholarly study and classroom experience to bear as they introduce readers to the context, composition, and message of the Old Testament. Each chapter orients readers to the Old Testament book or books under consideration, outlining historical and cultural back­ground, literary features, main characters, and structure. Throughout these discussions--of the Torah, the historical books, the prophets, and the poetry--Hubbard and Dearman also identify and trace key theological themes. Replete with maps, illustrations, sidebars, discussion questions, and suggestions for further reading, Introducing the Old Testament will equip students to read, wrestle with, and personally engage these ancient sacred texts.

God is counting on his daughters to build his kingdom. This isn’t the Ruth you thought you knew. Award-winning author, Carolyn Custis James has unearthed startling new insights from a well-worn story that have life-changing implications for us today. Through careful and dynamic biblical scholarship, rediscover the story of Ruth and its characters. Naomi is no longer regarded as a bitter, complaining woman, but as a courageous overcomer. Ruth, typically admired for her devotion to Naomi, is seen as a gutsy risk-taker and a powerful agent for change among God’s people. Boaz, the Kinsman Redeemer, is repeatedly caught off-guard by Ruth’s initiatives. His partnership with her models the kind of relationships that the gospel intends for all who follow Jesus. Carolyn Custis James drills down deeper into the story where she uncovers in the Old Testament the same passionate, counter-cultural, rule-breaking gospel that Jesus modeled and taught his followers to pursue. Within this age-old story is a map to radical levels of love and sacrifice. The Gospel of Ruth vests every woman’s life with kingdom purposes and frees us to embrace wholeheartedly God’s calling. This story of two women who have lost everything contains a profound message: God created women not to live in the shadowy margins of men or of the past, but to emerge as courageous activists for his kingdom.

By the waters of Babylon, in the sixth century B. C., the Jewish people felt like permanent refugees in a foreign land. Israel had undergone captivity once before, in Egypt. This time the people were in exile because of disobedience. The books of 1 and 2 Kings were meant as an antidote for the sorrow of heart that afflicted their souls. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. guides you through the maze of kings and empires, prophets and priests, that are the subjects of those two Old Testament historical books. In those books, Hubbard says, are "peaks of unbelievable glory and valleys of unforgettable despair." His study of 1 and 2 Kings and of the chaotic time chronicled in those books is written in a comfortable style but with scholarly care. Hubbard applies to our lives today the lessons learned through years of pain. Scholar and layman alike will appreciate the combination of readability and scholarly investigation that marks this book.