ESV® Study Bible
Table of Contents

List of Charts

List of Maps

List of Diagrams

List of Illustrations

ESV Study Bible

Copyright

Introduction: A User’s Guide to the ESV Study Bible

Purpose and Vision

Divine Words and Merely Human Words

The Purpose of the ESV Study Bible Notes

The Understanding and Teaching of God’s Word

Doctrinal Perspective

Additional Content: Introductions and Articles

Other Unique Features

The esv Online Study Bible

The esv Bible and the ESV Study Bible

Goal and Vision

Contributors

Editorial Oversight Committee

Study Note Contributors

Article Contributors

Other Contributors

Consultants

Preface

The Bible

Translation Legacy

Translation Philosophy

Translation Principles and Style

The Translation of Specialized Terms

Textual Basis and Resources

Textual Footnotes

Publishing Team

To God’s Honor and Praise

Overview of the Bible: A Survey of the History of Salvation

God’s Plan for History

Christ in the Old Testament

The Promises of God

Warnings and Curses

Covenants

Offspring

Christ as the Last Adam

Shadows, Prefigures, and “Types”

Christ the Mediator

The Theology of the Old Testament

The Components of the Story

The Parts of the OT in Relation to the Story

The OT as Christian Scripture

The Date of the Exodus

Arguments for an Early Date of the Exodus

Arguments for a Later Date of the Exodus

Conclusion

Introduction to the Pentateuch

The Name of the Pentateuch

The Pentateuch as Foundational to the Whole Bible

Content

Time Span

Composition

Theme

Introduction to the Historical Books

Unity

Themes

Distinctives

Notes on Critical Scholarship

Introduction to the Poetic and Wisdom Literature

“Poets” in Ancient Israel?

What Is Hebrew “Poetry”?

Where Is Poetry Found in the OT?

What Is Hebrew “Wisdom”?

Contexts for Wisdom and Poetry

Unifying Themes

Introduction to the Prophetic Books

Introduction

The Prophets in Israel’s History

Prophetic Books

Unifying Themes in the Prophetic Books

Scholarly Issues and the Prophetic Books

Pronouns in the Prophets

The Time between the Testaments

Sources of Information

History

Adjustment after 586 b.c.

Conclusion

The Roman Empire and the Greco-Roman World at the Time of the New Testament

History

Social Structure, Economics, Politics, and Law

Education and Philosophy

Religion and Magic

Jewish Groups at the Time of the New Testament

The Sadducees

The Essenes

The Pharisees

The Theology of the New Testament

Already but Not Yet

Fulfillment through Jesus Christ, the Son of God

The Promise of the Holy Spirit

The Human Response

The People of God

The Date of Jesus’ Crucifixion

John the Baptist’s Ministry Begins: The 15th Year of Tiberius Caesar

Jesus Is Crucified on the Day of Preparation: Friday, Nisan 14, in a.d. 30 or 33

Arguments for a.d. 30

Evidence for a.d. 33

Conclusion

Reading the Gospels and Acts

Genre

Perspectives

Distinctives of Matthew

Distinctives of Mark

Distinctives of Luke

Distinctives of John

Distinctives of Acts

Reading the Epistles

Introduction and Timeline

Unity

Themes

The Circumstances behind the Letters

Pseudonymity

God’s Plan of Salvation

An Overview

Filling in the Details

Result

Biblical Doctrine: An Overview

True Theology: Knowing and Loving God

Theological Method

The Theological Process

Major Categories of Study in Systematic Theology

Essential vs. Peripheral Doctrine

The Bible and Revelation

General Revelation

Special Revelation

Jesus’ View of Scripture

What It Means to Know God

The Incomprehensibility of God

The Knowability of God

The Character of God

Ways in Which God Reveals Himself

The Unity of God

Examples of Application to Life

God’s Attributes Are Seen Most Clearly in Christ

The Trinity

God Is One God: Monotheism

God Is Three Persons: The Tri-unity of God

Historical Misunderstandings of the Trinity

Practical Implications of the Trinity

The Person of Christ

The Deity of Christ

The Humanity of Christ

Historical Misunderstandings of the Unity of Christ’s Natures

The Holy Spirit

The Personality of the Holy Spirit

The Deity of the Holy Spirit

The Work of the Holy Spirit

The Work of Christ

The Offices of Christ

The Stages of Christ’s Work

Mankind

God as Creator

Implications of Being Created in God’s Image for His Glory

Man Made in the Image of God

The Constitutional Make-up of Human Beings

Humanity as Male and Female

God’s Relationship with Creation

Transcendence and Immanence

The Providence of God

God’s Relationship to Evil

Sin

Biblical Terms for Sin

The Definition of Sin

The Origin of Sin

The Consequences and Condition of the Fall

Salvation

The Church

The Visible Church and the Invisible Church

Images of the Church

Last Things

The Return of Christ

The Millennial Reign of Christ

The Final Judgment and Hell

The New Heavens and New Earth

Biblical Ethics: An Overview

Biblical Ethics: An Introduction

An Overview of Ethical Instruction and Example in the Bible

Justification by Faith and the Importance of Moral Obedience

God’s Holy Character as the Source of His Moral Standards

How Can People Discover God’s Moral Standards?

Developing a Framework for Ethical Decision Making

The Beginning of Life and Abortion

The Image of God

OT Texts

Extrabiblical Jewish Literature

Early Christian Literature

Ethical Conclusions

Bioethics

The Ethics of Western Medicine and the Hippocratic Oath

Contemporary Medical Ethics

Science and Ethics within a Christian Worldview

The End of Life

The Origin of Death

Why Do Christians Die?

What Happens When People Die?

Funerals and Burial

Euthanasia

Suicide

Christ’s Victory over Death

Marriage and Sexual Morality

What Is Marriage?

Some Will Not Be Married

Polygamy

Sexual Intimacy and Moral Standards for Marriage

Differing Roles in Marriage

Divorce and Remarriage

God’s Original Plan

But What If One Spouse Is Unfaithful?

Jesus’ Teachings on Divorce

Does Paul Add a Second Reason for Divorce?

Are There Other Grounds for Divorce?

Homosexuality

God’s Original Design

Prohibited Sexual Relations

The Bible’s Solution regarding Homosexuality

Objections

Same-sex Marriage?

Conclusion

Civil Government

God Established Civil Government

Christian Influence on Governments

When Obedience to Government Is Wrong

Is Revolution or a War of Independence Ever Right?

Methods of Selecting Leaders for Government

Capital Punishment

The Covenant with Noah

The Sixth Commandment

The NT on Capital Punishment

Justice and the Role of Government

War

Definition of War

Biblical Justifications for Some Wars

Crusade

Just War

Pacifism

Lying and Telling the Truth

The Sanctity of Truth and the Condemnation of Lying

Does Scripture Sometimes Approve of Lying?

Is Lying Ever Permissible?

Is It Permissible to Conceal Truth in Order to Mislead?

Charitable Truthfulness

Racial Discrimination

The Unity of the Human Race: Evidence from Scripture

The Unity of the Human Race: Evidence from Genetic Science

Interracial Marriage in the Bible

The Curse of Canaan

NT Teaching

Stewardship

The Concept of Stewardship

Stewardship and the Environment

Stewardship in All of Life

Stewardship and Ownership of Property

Stewardship and Various Uses of Possessions

Stewardship and the Poor

Interpreting the Bible

Interpreting the Bible: An Introduction

The Requirements for Interpretation

Knowing the Context

Interpreting Narratives

Interpreting Discourse

Tracing Specific Themes Throughout the Bible

Applying God’s Word

Interpreting the Bible: A Historical Overview

Marcion

Justin Martyr and Irenaeus

Clement and Origen

Theodore, Jerome, and Augustine

Medieval Churchmen

The Reformers

The Enlightenment

The Heirs of the Reformation: Evangelical Protestantism

Conclusion

Reading the Bible

Reading the Bible Theologically

The Bible: The Church’s Instruction Book

The Bible Is Canonical

The Bible Is Inspired

The Bible Is Unified

Theological Reading of the Bible: A Quest for God

Theological Reading of the Bible: The Quest for Godliness

Reading the Bible as Literature

The Bible as Literature

Literary Genres

Literary Subject Matter

Archetypes and Motifs

Stylistics and Rhetoric

Artistry

Reading and Interpreting the Bible as Literature

Reading the Bible in Prayer and Communion with God

For Our Joy

To God’s Glory

Because of the Gospel

The Gospel: The Bible’s Central Message

The Bible Reveals God

Fellowship with the Triune God

Humble, Bold Prayer

God Gets the Glory; We Get the Joy

Reading the Bible for Personal Application

1. Consolidate What You Have Already Learned

2. Look for the Directly Applicable Passages

3. Recognize the Sorts of Passages where Personal Application Is Less Direct

4. Tackle the Application of Less-direct Passages

Conclusion

The Bible’s Use in Preaching

The Bible’s Use in Public Worship

The Canon of Scripture

The Canon of the Old Testament

The Causes of Uncertainty about the OT Canon

Did the Hebrew Bible Contain the Same Books as Today’s Bible?

The Truth about the OT Canon

The Canon of the New Testament

The OT Authorization

The Commission of Jesus

The Recognition of New Covenant Scriptures

The Apocrypha

How Jerome’s Vulgate Came to Contain the Apocrypha

How the Greek and Latin Translations Came to Contain the Apocrypha

Acceptance and Rejection of the Apocrypha

The Contents of the Apocrypha

The Development of Religious Thought in the Apocrypha

The Reliability of Bible Manuscripts

The Reliability of the Old Testament Manuscripts

Introduction

Transmission of the OT

OT Textual Criticism

Primary OT Sources

Conclusion

The Reliability of the New Testament Manuscripts

The Number and Antiquity of NT Manuscripts Compared with Other Ancient Literature

The Number and Nature of the Wording Differences

What Is at Stake?

Archaeology and the Bible

Archaeology and the Reliability of the Old Testament

Definition of Archaeology

The Purpose and Aim of Archaeology

The Relationship of Archaeology to the Biblical Disciplines

Archaeology and the Reliability of the New Testament

Archaeological Methodology

Interpreting Archaeological Finds

Archaeology and the Historicity of the NT

Archaeology and NT Cultural Contexts

The Original Languages of the Bible

Hebrew and Aramaic, and How They Work

Introduction

Semitic Languages

Alphabet

Matres Lectionis

Roots

Masoretic Pointing

Verbal System

The Waw Particle

Prepositions

Articles

Gender and Number

Diversity

Aramaic

Conclusion

Greek, and How It Works

Background

Koine Greek

Styles of Greek in the NT

Greek Linguistics

Greek as an Inflected Language

The Importance of Studying Greek Today

The Septuagint

The Motivation for the Translation

The Origin of the Septuagint

Different Translation Approaches within the Septuagint

Revisions of the Septuagint

The Importance of the Septuagint

How the New Testament Quotes and Interprets the Old Testament

A Variety of Kinds of “Uses”

Text Form

NT Reflection on the Use of the OT

Basic Catalog of NT Uses of the OT

The Bible in Christianity

Roman Catholicism

The Canon of Scripture

The Interpretation of Scripture

The Sufficiency and Authority of Scripture

The Doctrine of Salvation

The Doctrine of Eschatology

The Role of Mary

The Role of the Church

Conclusion

Eastern Orthodoxy

Historical Background of Orthodoxy

Positive Elements of Orthodoxy That Evangelicals Can Learn From

Agreements between Evangelicalism and Orthodoxy

Significant Misunderstandings

Substantive Disagreement

Compared with Rome, How Far Away from Protestantism Is Orthodoxy?

Liberal Protestantism

Immanuel Kant

Friederich Schleiermacher

The Effect of Liberalism on the Doctrine of Scripture

Albrecht Ritschl

Adolf von Harnack

The Effect of Liberalism on Other Doctrines

A Blow to the Optimism of Liberalism

Conclusion

Evangelical Protestantism

Reformation (16th Century)

Protestantism (17th–18th Centuries)

Protestant Liberalism (19th Century)

Fundamentalism (19th–20th Centuries)

Evangelicalism (20th Century)

Evangelical Protestantism Today

Evangelical Protestantism and Global Christianity

The Bible and World Religions

The Bible and Contemporary Judaism

Early History (c. 2100 b.c.–586 b.c.)

Second Temple Judaism (c. 516 b.c.a.d. 70)

Judaism after a.d. 70 (c. a.d. 70–c. 1750)

Contemporary Judaism (c. a.d. 1750–present)

Contemporary Branches or Movements

Judaism and Evangelicalism

The Bible and Other World Religions

Hinduism

Buddhism

Confucianism

Islam

Biblical Themes and Other Religions

The Bible and Islam

The Revelations of the Qur’an

The Qur’an and the OT

The Qur’an and Christian Theology

The Bible and Religious Cults

The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (Mormonism)

Jehovah’s Witnesses

Christian Science

New Age Movement

History of Salvation in the Old Testament: Preparing the Way for Christ

Concordance

Abbreviations

Old Testament Abbreviations

New Testament Abbreviations

Colophon

The Crossway ESV Study Bible Publishing Team

Acknowledgments

ESV Study Bible Specifications and Production

Daily Bible Reading Plan

Maps