Preaching and Reading the Old Testament Lessons

Writing in a homiletical style, prominent Bible scholar Elizabeth Achtemeier provides expositions on all of the Old Testament texts contained in Cycle B of the Revised Common and Lutheran Lectionaries. Infused with her customary insight into the Hebrew scriptures, this collection of Achtemeier's contributions to the preaching journal Emphasis furnishes a plethora of fruitful starting points for preparing sermons rooted in the Bible yet connected to modern life. But as the book's title suggests, this volume is not just for preachers and homiletics students -- it is also a powerful commentary for study groups and personal devotional reading. Achtemeier's unrelenting focus on the promises of God appearing in the Old Testament and fulfilled in the New Testament, combined with her outstanding scholarship, make these essays a priceless resource that will enrich anyone looking for a clearer understanding of the scriptures.



Elizabeth Achtemeier has spent her interpretive life at the interface between critical exegesis and the task of proclamation. In this series of brief expositions, she exhibits her interpretive agility, her passion for the church, and her subtle judgments on a number of theological issues. Those faced with the weekly task of preaching will find rich and suggestive clues for letting the text have its say in the church.

Walter Brueggemann

William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament

Columbia Theological Seminary



We preachers have learned that there are few better interpreters of the Old Testament than Elizabeth Achtemeier. Her homiletical interpretation is sure to strike fire in our imaginations and serve as a wonderful catalyst for great sermons from these passages. She really does enable us to preach texts from the Hebrew Bible in a new and delightful way.

William H. Willimon

Dean of the Chapel and Professor of Christian Ministry

Duke University



A renowned Old Testament scholar who is familiar throughout the United States and Canada as a preacher, teacher, and writer, Elizabeth Achtemeier is the author of 25 books, including the acclaimed Preaching From The Old Testament and her autobiography, Not Til I Have Done: A Personal Testimony. Achtemeier is an ordained Presbyterian minister, and is now retired following forty years of teaching. Until 1997, she was adjunct professor of Bible and Homiletics at Union Theological Seminary in Richmond, Virginia. She speaks at universities, congregations, and church conferences all across the country.