Finding the great themes of the books of the Bible is essential to the study of God's Word and to the preaching and teaching of its truths. These themes and ideas are often like precious gems: they lie beneath the surface and can only be discovered with some difficulty. While commentaries are useful for helping readers understand the content of a verse or chapter, they are not usually designed to help the reader to trace important subjects systematically within a given book a Scripture.
The Word Biblical Themes series helps readers discover the important themes of a book of the Bible. This series distills the theological essence of a given book of Scripture and serves it up in ways that enrich the preaching, teaching, worship, and discipleship of God's people. Volumes in this series:
Dr. Ralph L. Smith is professor of Old Testament at Southwestern Baptist Theological Seminary in Ft. Worth, Texas. He has the Th.M. and Th.D. degrees from Southwestern, and has done post-doctoral studies at Harvard Divinity School and The University of Chicago. His previous books include Job: A Study of Providence and Faith, and Amos in The Broadman Bible Commentary.