Updated American Standard Version
Giving Bible readers what God said not what translators think God meant
Please Support the Bible Translation Work of the Updated American Standard Version (UASV)$5.00Click here to purchase. The Book of Joshua Author: Joshua Place Written: Canaan When Written: c. 1450 B.C.E. CHAPTER 1 Jehovah Encourages Joshua 1 And it came about after the death of Moses the servant of Jehovah, Jehovah spoke to Joshua[1] the son of Nun, Moses' assistant,... Continue Reading →
The Book of Judges is the seventh book of the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Old Testament. In the narrative of the Hebrew Bible, it covers the time between the conquest described in the Book of Joshua, the entry of Israel into Canaan, and the start of the reign of Saul.
Book of Ruth, Old Testament book belonging to the third section of the biblical canon, known as the Ketuvim, or Writings. In most Christian canons it is treated as a history book and placed between Judges and 1 Samuel. After the death of her husband, Ruth moved to Judah with her mother-in-law, Naomi, instead of remaining with her own people.
The elders of the tribes approached Samuel and asked him to appoint a king to become their new leader (1 Sam. 8:5). The difficult process of moving from an old, established form of government to a new organization headed by a king brought disappointment to Samuel (1 Sam. 8:6). He described for the people what the new form of government would cost them (1 Sam. 8:10-18). But they were determined to have a king to provide military protection, so God instructed Samuel to “give them a king” (1 Sam. 8:22). The books of 1 and 2 Samuel describe this transition to a kingship under Saul and the eventual emergence of David as the ruler over a united Israel and the establishment of David's dynasty.
The people of Israel were feeling hopeless over the tragedy of Gilboa and the resulting incursions by the victorious Philistines. The commanders of Israel and its young men lay dead. In this environment, the young man, the “anointed of Jehovah,” David the son of Jesse, came completely onto the national picture. (2 Sam. 19:21) Thus begins the book of Second Samuel, which could very well be called a book of David and his God, Jehovah. Its account of that history is packed with action in every moment. We are taken from the depths of defeat to the summit of victory, from the troubles of a quarreling nation to the successful, victorious, prosperous united kingdom, from the power, strength, and intensity of youth to the wisdom of old age. Here is the personal story of David’s life as he attempted to follow Jehovah with all his heart.
"The book of Kings are so named because their chief subject is the kings of Israel and Judah. These books are a history of the kingdom from the time of Solomon to the time of the Babylonian exile and were written from a prophetic point of view." Geisler
"The two books of Kings were written originally as one book. Even though they describe events long ago and far away, they bring a message that is surprisingly current and relevant." - Max Anders
The Book of Chronicles is a Hebrew prose work constituting part of Jewish and Christian scripture. It contains a genealogy starting from Adam and a narrative of the history of ancient Judah and Israel until the proclamation of King Cyrus the Great (c. 537 BC). The time frame covered in 1 Chronicles mirrors parts of 2 Samuel and 1 Kings. The chronicler, Ezra, focused on David's reign in 1 Chronicles
The Book of Chronicles is a Hebrew prose work, constituting part of Jewish and Christian scripture. These books were designed to sustain the hopes and prayers of God's people as they wait for God to fulfill his ancient promises. "Chronicles was a book of hope for its time. We will call the message of 1 and 2 Chronicles the 'gospel according to Ezra.'" - Winfried Corduan; Max Anders.
"We are taken from ground level, with its distortions and limited vision, and given a view from above. At this clarifying distance, we see that life on earth is not directed by the whim of rulers or the might of armies, but by the determination of God. Viewpoint makes all the difference in the world. God's all-encompassing sovereignty and humanity's capacity for choice exist together. God—absolute and unrivalled in his actions and authority; man—free and responsible." - Max Anders, Knute Larson, Kathy Dahlen.