Bible
The Lord Bless You Numbers 6 for the Life of the Church Stephen B. Chapman TOUCHSTONE TEXTS Stephen B. Chapman, series editor
The Priestly Blessing in Numbers 6, “The Lord bless you,” is one of the most familiar and widely used liturgical texts in Christianity. Although often recited, it is not usually a subject of in-depth study. In this addition to the Touchstone Texts series, Old Testament scholar Stephen Chapman provides a detailed, engagingly written exposition of the Priestly Blessing as well as a broader exploration of blessing in the Old Testament. He explores the historical and liturgical use of the Priestly Blessing in the Jewish and Christian traditions and discusses key issues related to the practice of blessing within contemporary Christianity. His interpretation of the Priestly Blessing highlights the importance of the divine name and the way the blessing offers a vision of religious faith as “name bearing.” Chapman’s volume will be a helpful resource for pastors and seminarians and an important reminder to all Christians of the centrality of blessing to the life of faith. The Touchstone Texts series addresses key Bible passages, making high-quality biblical scholarship accessible to the church. FROM THE SERIES PREFACE Each volume in this series seeks to articulate the plain sense of a well-known biblical text by what Aquinas called “attending to the way the words go” ( salva litterae circumstantia ). Careful exegesis is pursued either phrase by phrase or section by section (depending on the biblical text’s length and genre). Authors discuss exegetical, theological, and pastoral concerns in combination rather than as discrete moves or units. They offer constructive interpretations that aim to transcend denominational boundaries. They consider the use of these biblical texts in current church practice (including the lectionary) as well as church history. The goal of the series is to model expositional interpretation and thereby equip Christian pastors and teachers to employ biblical texts knowledgeably and effectively within an ecclesial setting.
AUGUST 2025 • 224 pp. • cloth • $24.99 • 9781540960610
Stephen B. Chapman (PhD, Yale University) is associate professor of Old Testament at Duke Divinity School. He is the editor in chief of the Journal of Theological Interpretation and the author of The Law and the Prophets and 1 Samuel as Christian Scripture: A Theological Commentary.
ALSO IN THE SERIES THE SUFFERING SERVANT 9781540960634 • $24.99c “A feast of exegetical insight, theological erudition, and seasoned spiritual wisdom. . . . Pastors, preachers, teachers, and seminary students will find much to be stirred up by here.” —Olga Y. Fabrjkant-Burke , Expository Times
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