recommended resources for OT word study esp. preaching on Pentateuch

Timothy Lovegrove said:

I am preaching through the Pentateuch, and have finished up through the Ten Commandments. As I move into the details of the Mosaic Covenant, I'm looking for a couple resources to beef up my library.

I have Scholars Gold plus IVP Reference collection, some journals, and all of the lexicons and grammars I need.

But I'm a bit frustrated in finding the help I need with some of the current study challenges, especially word studies.

What are your opinions?

Theological Lexicon of the OT?
IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch?
dream on that NIDOTTE was finished? (or order the printed version?)
Or just beef up my commentaries on those books with WBC? Anyone know how helpful the JPS Torah volumes are?

Thank you for any input you can give!

 

Will try my best. First, you said you have "all of the lexicons...I need" but then said your primary challenge right now is word studies and you asked about the Theological Lexicon of the OT. So I guess you don't actually have all the lexicons you need (or want). [;)]

The TLOT is an excellent resource.

The IVP Dictionary of the Old Testament: Pentateuch is not available yet (it's in pre-pub).

NIDOTTE is also a very useful resource but can be overwhelming at times. And as you know, it's not yet in Logos format.

So it looks like TLOT would be a good next purchase for you.

What commentary sets (or volumes covering the Pentateuch) do you have already?  I recently bought the JPS Tanakh commentary series and it looks good just browsing through it, but I haven't used it in depth yet. WBC would be a much bigger investment if you are considering that. (I'd never buy it in individual volumes e.g., just the Pentateuch vols.; the set is a much better deal, but it's pricey).

I taught a class on the Pentateuch & Biblical Narrative once, and a couple of the helpful books in my prep were:

• Sailhamer, John.  The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1992.
• Waltke, Bruce.  An Old Testament Theology.  Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2007.

It was a survey class, and I didn't have time to get into the level of word studies, though. Sometimes seeing the broader picture (biblical theology) can help you figure out what to do with the words, though. It's easy to get so focused on the trees that we miss the forest.

EDIT: I'd also suggest looking through Tremper Longman's Old Testament Commentary Survey (Baker Academic) -- unfortunately not yet in Logos format, though the corresponding New Testament Commentary Survey is, for recommended commentaries.  You can see his recommendations for the Pentateuch volumes by typing in the individual book names into "Search Inside this Book" and clicking through to look at some sample pages. The preview pages only go up through middle of the Leviticus section, but at least you can get some ideas. Also check out www.bestcommentaries.com.

I have enjoyed having the JPS commentary set in my library.  The scholarship is up-to-date and first-rate, albeit from a different point of view and a different tradition.  The authors are often most interested in literary and language aspects of the text.

I recommend exploring the tables of contents and the page samples that are on the Logos product page before you make up your mind.