Resources for Literary Structure Studies:
I will be adding to and editing this list periodically. The following books are available for purchase through Amazon.com. By ordering them from the links below, you help support Christview Ministries and this Website.
Read "Understanding the Bible's Literary Patterns."
Old Testament
David Dorsey, The Literary Structure of the Old Testament
Dorsey has useful insights into the literary structure of most books of the Old Testament. I find him especially helpful on Genesis, Judges, Ruth, Samuel, Kings, Chronicles, Ezra-Nehemiah, Esther, Job, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Amos, Micah, and Habakkuk. This is the single best source for learning about literary structure.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Gordon Wenham, Genesis, Word Biblical Commentary, Volumes 1 and 2
Detailed two-volume commentary. Not for beginners, but reports literary structures for a high percentage of the passages.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover Volume 1 Hardcover Volume 2
Genesis: A Commentary, Bruce Waltke with Cathi Fredricks,
Concise commentary with plentiful attention to literary structure. In contrast to Wenham's work above, Waltke and Fredricks have more covering the structure of broad sections of Genesis, but less covering the structure of smaller sections.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
Re-Thinking Genesis, Duane Garrett
Not a commentary, Garrett's book-length essay on the composition of Genesis takes Moses' role as wilderness author/editor seriously. Displays of literary structure play a large role in his argument.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Paperback
Numbers, New American Commentary, R. Dennis Cole
Thorough attention to literary structure pays off in this volume.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
Deuteronomy, New International Biblical Commentary, Christopher Wright
Concise, well-rounded commentary notes literary structure.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Paperback
Deuteronomy, Word Biblical Commentary, Volumes 6a and 6b, Duane Christensen
Critical consensus is that Christensen has forced some of his literary structure displays and that he offers too little meat for the preacher and teacher. This expensive and technical commentary is not for everyone. Nonetheless, his work is invaluable for a discerning reader interested in seriously considering literary structure. Even those who disagree with Christensen's displays will be stimulated to notice interesting parallels.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover Volume 6a Hardcover Volume 6b
Judges, Ruth, NIV Application Commentary, Lawson Younger, Jr.
Readable commentary with helpful literary structure displays.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
"1 and 2 Samuel," Ronald Youngblood, in Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 3 (bound with other commentators):
Frequent, convincing, and useful literary structure displays in Youngblood's portion of this volume.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover EBC 7-volume Old Testament
Hardcover EBC 5-volume New Testament
CD-ROM twelve-volume EBC set This is the clear bargain for those who can be satisfied withthe CD-ROM advantages and disadvantages.
1 Kings, Berit Olam, Jerome Walsh
Enough literary structure displays to merit consideration.
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1 and 2 Chronicles, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Volumes 10a and 10b, Martin Selman
Fine, concise commentaries with helpful literary structure displays.
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Paperback Volume 10a Paperback Volume 10b
Ezra-Nehemiah, Interpretation, Mark Throntveit
Slim volume with attention to literary structure.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
"Job," Elmer Smick, in Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 4 (bound with other commentators)
Useful commentary with good view of overall structure
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover EBC 7-volume Old Testament
Hardcover EBC 5-volume New Testament
CD-ROM twelve-volume EBC set This is the clear bargain for those who can be satisfied withthe CD-ROM advantages and disadvantages.
"Psalms," Willem VanGemeren, in Expositor's Bible Commentary, Vol. 5 (bound with other commentators)
Excellent commentary offers a structural display for each psalm.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover EBC 7-volume Old Testament
Hardcover EBC 5-volume New Testament
CD-ROM twelve-volume EBC set This is the clear bargain for those who can be satisfied withthe CD-ROM advantages and disadvantages.
"Psalms," J. Alec Motyer, in New Bible Commentary (bound in a one-volume commentary covering the whole Bible, with many authors, also including Motyer's literary structure work on Amos)
Motyer is outstanding in the use of literary pattern displays. On Psalms, NBC offers Motyer's useful, concise presentation with frequent reliance on literary structure.
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New Bible Commentary Hardcover
Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, New American Commentary, Duane Garrett
Garrett offers some help on the literary structure of Proverbs and much help on Song of Songs. His comments on Ecclesiastes do not benefit from literary structure analysis.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
"Songs of Songs," Duane Garrett, in Word Biblical Commentary, Volume 23B, (bound with "Lamentations" by Paul House). I have not yet seen this one, but it should be more detailed and technical than his New American Commentary volume.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover
The Prophecy of Isaiah, J. Alec Motyer,
Motyer is outstanding in the use of literary pattern displays. His best-known work is on Isaiah. He has two commentaries on Isaiah. This larger volume, although more detailed and technical, is much better for clearly displaying the literary patterns.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hardcover (used copies only, from re-sellers through Amazon)
Isaiah, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Vol. 18, J. Alec Motyer
Motyer is outstanding in the use of literary pattern displays. His best-known work is on Isaiah. He has two commentaries on Isaiah. This smaller volume has simpler vocabulary, but the literary structure insights are more often described than displayed in this volume.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
Hosea, Joel, New American Commentary, Duane Garrett
Garrett makes good use of literary structure in commenting on both books.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com: Hardcover [0805401199]
"Amos," J. Alec Motyer, in New Bible Commentary (a one-volume commentary covering the whole Bible, with many authors, also including Motyer's literary structure work on Amos)
Motyer is outstanding in the use of literary pattern displays. On Amos, NBC provides the literary structure to go with Motyer's own earlier little commentary on Amos (The Message of Amos, The Bible Speaks Today)
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
New Bible Commentary Hardcover
"Zephaniah," "Haggai" J. Alec Motyer, in The Minor Prophets, Volume 3 (bound with other commentators)
Motyer is outstanding in the use of literary pattern displays. These commentaries divide the comments between technical exegesis and easier-to-read exposition.
Click to view or buy on Amazon.com:
The Minor Prophets, Volume 3
The Minor Prophets, Three Volumes
New Testament: (coming soon)
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