Figures of speech

Figures of speech are found in prose as well as poetry, but are generally more frequent and intense in Hebrew poetry. 1. Similes A simile is a direct comparison between two things. Example – Amos 5:24 Let justice roll on like a river, righteousness like a never-failing stream. 2. Metaphors A metaphor is a stronger comparison, using […]

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Hebrew Poetry

Some fundamental aspects of how Hebrew poetry works in the Old Testament

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Genres within the prophets

A ‘genre’ is a type or style of writing – a group of texts which share similar characteristics. Contemporary examples would include novels, scientific text books, fairy tales, insurance documents, poems, tweets, and so on. There are several main genres with the Bible, including historical narrative, poetry, letters, law/instruction, and prophecy. For helpful guidance on […]

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Key questions about texts in the prophets

If we want to understand and interpret a passage from the biblical prophetic literature, there are a few key questions we need to ask. Most of these are not specific to the  prophets of the Old Testament/Hebrew Bible, but are basic matters of handling any Bible passage responsibly. Most people find they need to work harder […]

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Old Testament Timelines

My Old Testament timelines are now available in five languages on Slideshare. If you spot any errors, please let me know! The two different chronologies for the patriarchs are because there are two significantly different ways of dating the Exodus. You'll need to look at the evidence and draw your own conclusions! Note that these are […]

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Is God a moral monster?

The Old Testament raises some tricky questions of morality for people living in the contemporary world, at least in the west. The alleged 'genocide' of the Canaanites is one that I hear frequently. It isn't only people who are not Christians who have questions about it; Christians often feel embarrassed about these parts of the Old Testament. However, I am am convinced that there are some very good responses to these issues. I tried to outline a few responses in the first of a series of four sessions tackling difficult questions during Above Bar Church's Discipleship School in the autumn of 2014.

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Introducing the Old Testament prophets

At Above Bar Church, Southampton, we've just started our five-week-long 2012 Bible School on Sunday evenings. I'm leading the track on the Old Testament prophets. In the first session, I introduced some important aspects of a framework for thinking about the prophetic literature, and we began to look at the first two chapters of Amos. Over […]

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The Day of Judgement (Malachi 1:1 – 4:6)

I first wrote this post for the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. It was first published on the E100 blog in 2011. ‘See, I will send my messenger, who will prepare the way before me. Then suddenly the Lord you are seeking will come to his temple; the messenger of the covenant, whom you desire, will come,’ says the LORD Almighty. - […]

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Daniel in the Lion’s Den (Daniel 6:1 – 6:28)

I first wrote this post for the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. It was first published on the E100 blog in 2011. Now when Daniel learned that the decree had been published, he went home to his upstairs room where the windows opened toward Jerusalem. Three times a day he got down on his knees and prayed, giving thanks […]

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The Story of Jonah (Jonah 1:1 – 4:11)

I first wrote this post for the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. It was first published on the E100 blog in 2011. Those who cling to worthless idols forfeit the grace that could be theirs. - Jonah 2:8 God told Jonah to take a message far beyond the borders of Israel, to Nineveh, one of the greatest cities of […]

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Jeremiah’s Call and Message (Jeremiah 1:1 – 3:5)

I first wrote this post for the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. It was first published on the E100 blog in 2011. My people have committed two sins: They have forsaken me, the spring of living water, and have dug their own cisterns, broken cisterns that cannot hold water. - Jeremiah 2:13 God called Jeremiah to be […]

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The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 51:1 – 53:12)

I first wrote this post for the E100 Bible Reading Challenge. It was first published on the E100 blog in 2011. We all, like sheep, have gone astray, each of us has turned to our own way; and the LORD has laid on him the iniquity of us all. - Isaiah 53:6 By the eighth century BC, Judah […]

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Ezekiel part 2

The final session of my course on the Old Testament prophets at Bible & Culture 2010. This is the second part of the material on Ezekiel and his promises of restoration. BC6. Ezekiel part 2 View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Ezekiel part 1 Understanding the Prophets: Restoration (Ezekiel part 3) 7th Century […]

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Ezekiel part 1

The fourth session of my course on the Old Testament prophets at Bible & Culture 2010. This is the first part of the material on Ezekiel and his promises of judgement. Bc5. ezekiel part 1 View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Ezekiel part 2 Understanding the prophets: Ezekiel part 2 7th Century Judah […]

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Biblical poetry

A summary of some of the key aspects of biblical poetry for my course on the Old Testament prophets at Bible & Culture 2010 Biblical poetry View more documents from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Handling the prophetic literature in the Old Testament Introduction to the prophets Introducing the Old Testament prophets Outline of Ezekiel Understanding […]

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Outline of Ezekiel

My outline of the structure of Ezekiel prepared for my course on the Old Testament prophets at Bible & Culture 2010. This is, of course, partly derived from other outlines in various commentaries. Outline of Ezekiel View more documents from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Ezekiel part 2 Ezekiel part 1 7th Century Judah and Ezekiel […]

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7th Century Judah and Ezekiel

The third of five sessions on the OT prophets at Bible & Culture 2010. BC4. 7th century and Ezekiel View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Ezekiel part 2 Ezekiel part 1 Understanding the prophets: Ezekiel part 2 Outline of Ezekiel Understanding the prophets: Ezekiel

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Handling the prophetic literature in the Old Testament

A handout for the second half of the second of five sessions on the prophets in the Old Testament at Bible & Culture 2010. BC2. Handling the OT prophets View more documents from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Understanding the Old Testament prophets 1 Introduction to the prophets Prophets 2a - Overview of Old Testament history […]

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Isaiah 34-35 - The Joy of Salvation

My slot in a short series on Isaiah 1–39 at Above Bar Church, Southampton, UK. It's a whistlestop tour - this is the 10th in a series of 11 sermons. Isaiah 34-35 View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: The Suffering Servant (Isaiah 51:1 – 53:12) Shaped by suffering - 1 Peter 4:1–11 Understanding […]

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Prophets 2a - Overview of Old Testament history (1050 - 722 BC)

The first half of the second of five sessions on the prophets in the Old Testament at Bible & Culture 2010. This session introduces five key questions to ask when studying the prophets, and then gives an overview of the history of Israel and Judah from the beginning of the monarchy in 1050 BC, through […]

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Outline of Old Testament history – monarchy onwards

A timeline of the Old Testament from the beginning of monarchy in Israel. A couple of the prophets' dates are very uncertain, notably Joel and Obadiah. Outline of Old Testament history - monarchy onwards View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Old Testament history – a timeline Prophets 2a - Overview of Old Testament […]

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Old Testament history – a timeline

Outline of Old Testament history View more presentations from Tony Watkins. Related posts: Outline of Old Testament history – monarchy onwards Outline of Ezekiel Introducing the Old Testament prophets Prophets 2a - Overview of Old Testament history (1050 - 722 BC) Understanding the Old Testament prophets 1

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Introduction to the prophets

The first of five sessions on the prophets in the Old Testament at Bible & Culture 2010. This session highlights the prophets' central purpose and begins to introduce their historical context. In particular, it centres on the covenants of the Old Testament, which form an essential background for understanding the prophets' messages. BC1. Introduction to […]

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Understanding the Prophets: Restoration (Ezekiel part 3)

This morning's lectures were about the prophetic promises of restoration, particularly focusing on the final part of Ezekiel, from chapter 34 on. This is the fifth of five lectures given on the Bible and Culture course at Schloss Mittersill, Austria (a course run jointly by Schloss Mittersill and IFES). 5. Restoration View more presentations from […]

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© Tony Watkins, 2020
The Tony and Jane Watkins Trust oversees and supports the ministries of Tony and Jane Watkins in Christian training, education, and communication. It is a charity registered in England and Wales, no. 1062254.
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