Halley's Bible Handbook

A beloved and classic Bible companion, Halley's Bible Handbook makes the Bible's wisdom and message accessible to everyone.

This full color, revised and updated 25th edition is both comprehensive and inviting, including a concise Bible commentary, important discoveries in archaeology, related historical data, church history, historical geography, and more. It is the culmination of Dr. Halley's mission: that every Christian be enabled and encouraged to consistently and devotedly read and understand their Bible.

Ninety years after its initial publication, Halley's Bible Handbook remains a bestseller in its various editions, with millions of copies sold worldwide. This world-renowned Bible handbook has been consistently updated and revised to accurately provide even greater clarity, insight, and usefulness.

Whether you've read the Bible many times or are just starting, you'll find insights that give you a firm grasp of God's Word and an appreciation for the cultural, religious, and geographic settings in which the story of the Bible unfolds. The Deluxe edition features:

• Full-color maps, photographs, illustrations, tables, and charts on almost every page.
• Practical Bible reading programs.
• Helpful tips for deeper Bible study.
• Updated archaeological information.
• Easy-to-understand sections on how we got the Bible and on church history.
• Improved indexes, including a color-coded edge index to easily find your place.
• A contemporary design.


Binding Material: Cloth

ISBN-13: 9780310519416

Media Type: Hardcover

Publisher: Zondervan

Publication Date: 09-09-2014

Pages: 1056

Product Dimensions: 6.70(w) x 9.40(h) x 1.80(d)

Age Range: 18 Years

Dr. Henry H. Halley was a well-respected author, minister, and Bible lecturer, dedicating his life to spreading his passion for Bible study and memorization. The original "Halley's Bible Handbook" grew from small pamphlets about the Bible that he gave away to encourage churches and individuals in Bible study.

Read an Excerpt

Halley's Bible Handbook, Deluxe Edition

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By Henry H. Halley

ZONDERVAN

Copyright © 2007 Halley's Bible Handbook, Inc.
All rights reserved.
ISBN: 978-0-310-51941-6

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CHAPTER 1

Genesis 1–11

Creation; Adam and Eve Cain and Abel; Noah and the Flood Tower of Babel

God saw all that he had made, and it was very good. —Genesis 1:31

"I have set my rainbow in the clouds, and it will be the sign of the covenant between me and the earth.... Never again will the waters become a flood to destroy all life." —Genesis 9:13-15

Who Wrote Genesis?

Ancient Hebrew and Christian traditions say that Moses, guided by God, composed Genesis from ancient documents that were already in existence in his day. The book of Genesis ends about 300 years before Moses. Moses could have received this information only by direct revelation from God, or through such historical records as had been handed down from his forefathers.

How Genesis Is Organized.

The book begins with the "Creation Hymn," followed by 10 "accounts" (KJV, generations), which constitute the framework of Genesis. It seems that they were incorporated bodily by Moses, with such additions and explanations as he may have been guided by God to make. These 11 documents are as follows:

1. Creation Hymn (1:1 - 2:3).

2. The account of "the heavens and the earth when they were created" (2:4 - 4:26).

3. The account of Adam's line (5:1 - 6:8).

4. The account of Noah (6:9 - 9:28).

5. The account of "Shem, Ham and Japheth, Noah's sons" (10:1 - 11:9).

6. The account of Shem (11:10 - 26).

7. The account of Terah (11:27 - 25:11).

8. The account of "Abraham's son Ishmael, whom Sarah's maidservant, Hagar the Egyptian, bore to Abraham" (25:12 - 18).

9. The account of "Abraham's son Isaac" (25:19 - 35:29).

10. The account of "Esau (that is, Edom)" (36:1 - 43).

11. The account of Jacob (37:2 - 50:26).

These 11 documents form the book of Genesis.

• The first six accounts cover the period from creation until about 2000 B.C. (Genesis 1—11).

• The last five accounts cover the life of Abraham and the three generations after him, from about 2000 B.C. until about 1800 B.C.

The book begins with the creation and the first humans in the Garden of Eden. It ends with Abraham's descendants in Egypt.

Between the end of Genesis and the beginning of the next book, Exodus, is a gap of about 400 years.

1. The "Creation Hymn," Genesis 1:1 to 2:3

A poetic description, in measured, majestic movement, of the successive steps of creation, cast in the mold of the oft-recurring biblical number seven. In all literature, scientific or otherwise, there is no more sublime account of the origin of things.

Who wrote the "Creation Hymn"? Used by Moses, but written, no doubt, long before. Writing was in common use long before the days of Moses. Furthermore, some of God's commands, decrees, and laws were in existence in the days of Abraham, 600 years before Moses (Genesis 26:5).

How did the writer know what happened before man appeared? No doubt God revealed the remote past, as later the distant future was made known to the prophets.

Who knows, perhaps God Himself may have taught this hymn to Adam? And it may have been recited by word of mouth, around the family circle, or sung as a ritual in primitive worship (hymns constituted a large part of the very earliest forms of literature), generation after generation, until writing was invented; God Himself then guarded its transmission until finally it found its intended place as the opening statement in the divine Book of the Ages.

If the Bible is God's Word, as we believe it is, and if God knew from the beginning that He was going to use the Bible as a main instrument in the redemption of humanity, why should it be difficult to believe that God Himself gave the germ and nucleus of that Word?

Gen. 1:1 THE CREATION OF THE UNIVERSE

"In the beginning" God created the universe. What follows, in the "seven days," is a description of the forming of substance already created in preparation for the creation of Adam.

Whether the seven days were days of 24 hours, or long, successive periods, we do not know. The word "day" has variable meanings. In 1:5 it is used as a term for light. In 1:8 and 1:13 it seems to mean a day of 24 hours. In 1:14 and 1:16 it seems to refer to a 12-hour day. In 2:4 it seems to cover the whole period of creation. In passages such as Joel 3:18, Acts 2:20, and John 16:23, "that day" seems to mean the whole Christian era. In passages such as 2 Timothy 1:12 the expression seems to refer to the era beyond the Lord's Second Coming. And in Psalm 90:4 and 2 Peter 3:8, "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years, and a thousand years are like a day."

Note that the six days form three pairs (days 1 and 4; 2 and 5; 3 and 6). In the first of each pair the realm is created that is later populated by the objects or beings that are created in the second.

First Day: Light, 1:2–5

The heavens and the earth were created by God in the beginning—sometime in the dateless past. All was dark, empty, and formless until God said, "Let there be light," and there was light. We see that God's creative power is manifested by simply speaking. His first creative word called forth light in the midst of darkness.

In John 1:1–2 we learn that the "Word" (Jesus) was in the beginning, and that the "Word" was with God and was God. John further tells us that "through him [the Word] all things were made; without him nothing was made that has been made" (1:3).

God did not just make a physical universe: "God saw all that he had made, and it was very good" (Genesis 1:31). Whatever God makes is very good indeed, because the Word through which He created all things is the very essence of goodness, beauty, and light: "In him [Jesus] was life, and that life was the light of all mankind. The light shines in the darkness" (John 1:4), now as it did at the very beginning of creation.

Second Day: The Expanse, 1:6–8

The expanse (KJV, firmament), called "sky," is the atmosphere, or layer of air between the water-covered earth and the clouds above, made possible by the cooling of the earth's waters.

Third Day: Land and Vegetation, 1:9–13

Up to this point, the earth's surface seems to have been entirely covered with water. God commanded the water to gather in one place that He called "seas." We envision that the earth's crust, as it became cooler and thicker, began to buckle, and islands and continents began to appear. There was as yet no rain, but dense mists watered the newly formed land, which was still warm by its own heat. A tropical climate was everywhere, and vegetation must have grown rapidly and in gigantic proportions.

Fourth Day: Sun, Moon, and Stars, 1:14–19

On the fourth day, God created the sun, moon, and stars. It is likely that seasons came when the earth's surface ceased to receive heat primarily from within and became dependent on the sun's heat.

In v. 16 we learn that the "greater light" rules the day and the "lesser light" rules the night. These sources of light have three primary functions (vv. 17—18): they give light to the earth, they govern the day and night, and they separate light from darkness.

These passages are beautiful examples of how God has manifested His image, His divine characteristics, in all of His creation.

Fifth Day: Sea Animals and Birds, 1:20–25

By God's blessing and with His command, "be fruitful and increase in number," the sea creatures and birds filled the waters and increased on the earth.

Note the progression: inanimate things on the first and second days, plant life on the third day, and animal life on the fifth day.

Sixth Day: Land Animals and Man, 1:24–31

The earth was at last ready for animals and, ultimately, man. God reveals that each living creature on the land is created "according to its kind." This refutes the notion that all species of animals evolved from a single, common, primeval organism. It supports the scientific evidence that living creatures have adapted over time to their environment, while there is no convincing evidence that one species of animal has evolved into another.

God created Adam and Eve in His own image. God's divine blessing and benediction for male and female together was to flourish and multiply so as to fill the earth and exercise rulership (stewardship) over all creation. God's universal reign is reflected in the rulership that He commissions humanity to carry out over all earthly creation. In a sense, God has created the earth as man's training camp, where He is preparing us for our eternal destiny where we will rule and reign with Christ over all the universe (2 Timothy 2:12; Revelation 3:21).

God saw everything that He had made, and it was "good" (1:4, 10, 12, 18, 21, 25, 31). But soon the picture darkened. God must have known beforehand that it would, and He must have regarded his whole work of the creation of humanity as but a step toward the glorious world that will yet emerge from it, as is told in the closing chapters of the book of Revelation.

It is interesting to note that God declared all that he had made on the sixth day "very good" perhaps to stress the relative significance of this day in comparison to the prior days.

Seventh Day: God Rested, 2:1–3

God did not rest in an absolute sense (John 5:17), but from this particular creative work. This was the basis of the Sabbath (Exodus 20:11). The "Sabbath-rest" is also an image of heaven (Hebrews 4:4, 9).

ARCHAEOLOGICAL NOTE: Babylonian Creation Stories. Various epics of creation have been found in the ruins of Babylon, Nineveh, Nippur, and Ashur which are strikingly similar to the "Creation Hymn" of Genesis. These epics were written on clay tablets from before the time of Abraham.

These Babylonian and Assyrian (as well as the Egyptian) creation stories are all grossly polytheistic. They usually argue for the preeminence of one of the gods and often reflect conflict or war among the gods. The creation account in Genesis stands in stark contrast to these stories by its simplicity and clarity: "In the beginning God created ..."

There are points of similarity between the Babylonian and Assyrian creation stories and the Genesis account—for example, the sequence of the creative acts: expanse (firmament), dry land, celestial lights, humans. But the similarities do not prove dependence, although the simplicity of the Genesis account could argue for the Babylonian and Assyrian stories' being corrupted traditions based on the simple, divine original.

2. The Account of the Heavens and Earth, Genesis 2:4 to 4:26

This is sometimes called the "second creation story." It starts with a reference to the desolate condition of the earth (2:5—6), which corresponds to the early part of the third day in the first account (1:9—10), and then gives some details omitted from the first account. From there it proceeds with the story of the Fall. It is supplemental to, not in contradiction with, the first account.

Who was the original author of this document? It carries the story down to the sixth generation of Cain's descendants (4:17—22) and closes while Adam was still alive. (He lived to the eighth generation of Seth's descendants, 5:4—25.) So everything in this account happened in Adam's lifetime. If writing was not invented while Adam was yet alive, may it not be that Adam told these things over and over in his family circle, so that at least their substance took a sort of fixed form until writing was invented?

Gen. 2:4-17 THE GARDEN OF EDEN

In chapter 1 the Creator is called "God" (Elohim), the "generic" name of the Supreme Being. Here it is "the LORD God" (Yahweh Elohim), His personal name. It is the first step in God's revelation of Himself.

No rain, but "streams" (vv. 5—6). The translation "mist" (KJV, NASB) would seem preferable. It would mean that for a while, the earth was watered by heavy fogs, because the earth's surface was so warm, and consequent vapors so dense, that cooling raindrops on the far outer fringes of the clouds would turn to vapor again before they reached the earth.

The tree of life (v. 9; 3:22) indicates that immortality is dependent on something outside ourselves. This tree will again be accessible to those who belong to Christ at the end (Revelation 2:7; 22:2, 14).

The tree of the knowledge of good and evil (vv. 9, 17) was "good for food," "pleasing to the eye," and "desirable for gaining wisdom" (3:6). Whatever the exact nature of this tree—literal, figurative, or symbolic—the essence of Adam and Eve's sin was this: they wanted to transfer control of their lives from God to themselves. God had, in substance, told them they could do anything they wanted to, except for that one thing. As long as they were in right relationship with God—in other words, as long as they recognized God as their creator and master—they experienced life as God had intended it to be, and they were truly the crown of God's creation. They were completely satisfied with this life until Satan, in the form of a serpent, deceived them into thinking that if they were like God and knew what He knows, life would be even better. Once this seed of deception had been planted, they became dissatisfied. They wanted to "be like God." They wanted to be their own master and sole master of God's creation. Is that not the essence of human sin? From the beginning, God designed humans to live forever; the one condition was obedience to God. Adam and Eve allowed themselves to be deceived by the enemy and in turn disobeyed God. Then began the long, slow process of redemption, by a Savior through whom we may regain our lost estate.

Gen. 2:18-25 THE CREATION OF WOMAN

It was already stated in 1:27 that man was created "male and female." Here the way in which woman was created is more fully told. And here, at the start of the human race, is also found the divine origin and sanctity of marriage: one man, one woman, one flesh (v. 24).

Scripture represents marriage as an earthly counterpart to the relationship between Christ and the church (Ephesians 5:25—32; Revelation 19:7; 21:2, 9). The church is called the "bride" of Christ. Adam's bride was made from his side, while he was asleep (vv. 21—22). This may be a primeval picture of the church, the bride of Christ, who receives its life from Him.

Naked but without shame (v. 25). It may be that they were "clothed" in the ethereal light of God, as Jesus was when He was transfigured (Mark 9:3), and that that light vanished when sin entered—but it will one day again clothe the redeemed (Revelation 3:4; 21:23). Of all God's creatures, as far as we know, humanity alone wears clothing, a badge of our sinful nature and a symbol of our need for God's redemptive covering.

Gen. 3 THE FALL OF MAN

It was effected through the subtlety of the serpent. The serpent is represented as speaking itself. But later Scripture indicates that it was Satan speaking through the serpent (2 Corinthians 11:3, 14; Revelation 12:9; 20:2). He managed to get Adam and Eve to disobey their Creator. The dreadful work was done. And the pall of sin and pain and death fell on a world that God had made beautiful and had pronounced good.

Why Did God Make Humans So That They Could Sin?

Is there any other way He could have made them? Could there be a moral creature without the power to choose? Freedom is God's gift to humanity: freedom to think, freedom of conscience—even freedom to disobey God.

In a train wreck, the engineer, who could have saved his life by jumping, stuck to his post and thereby saved the passengers, but lost his own life. They erected a monument, not to the train—it did only what its machinery forced it to do—but to the engineer, who, of his own volition, chose to give his life to save the passengers.

What virtue is there in obeying God if in our nature there is no inclination to do otherwise? But if, of our own choice, and against the steady urge of our nature, we obey God, we find our true humanity.

(Continues...)

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Excerpted from Halley's Bible Handbook, Deluxe Edition by Henry H. Halley. Copyright © 2007 Halley's Bible Handbook, Inc.. Excerpted by permission of ZONDERVAN.
All rights reserved. No part of this excerpt may be reproduced or reprinted without permission in writing from the publisher.
Excerpts are provided by Dial-A-Book Inc. solely for the personal use of visitors to this web site.

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Table of Contents

Contents

Foreword, 9,
Sources, 11,
The Heart of the Bible,
Note to the Reader, 14,
The Heart of the Bible, 15,
The Habit of Bible Reading, 18,
Going to Church As an Act of Worship, 22,
Notable Sayings About the Bible, 23,
Bible Backgrounds,
What the Bible Is, 27,
How the Bible Is Organized, 29,
What the Bible Is About, 33,
The Main Thought of Each Bible Book, 43,
The Setting of the Bible, 45,
Writing, Books, and the Bible, 65,
The Old Testament,
In the Beginning Genesis 1—11, 81,
The Time of the Patriarchs Genesis 12—50, 103,
The Exodus from Egypt Exodus—Deuteronomy, 127,
The Conquest and Settlement of Canaan Joshua—Ruth, 175,
The Monarchy: David, Solomon, and the Divided Kingdom 1 Samuel—2 Chronicles, 199,
The Babylonian Exile and the Return from Exile Ezra—Esther, 267,
Poetry and Wisdom Job—Song of Songs, 285,
The Prophets Isaiah—Malachi, 335,
The Messiah in the Old Testament, 453,
The 400 Years Between the Testaments, 471,
The New Testament,
The Life of Jesus: An Overview, 493,
Was Jesus the Son of God?, 505,
What Was Jesus Like?, 509,
The 12 Disciples, 513,
The Four Gospels,
A Harmony of the Gospels, 520,
Matthew—John, 529,
The Early Church,
Acts—Jude, 645,
The Age to Come,
Revelation, 823,
After the New Testament,
A Brief History of the Western Church, 893,
A Brief History of the Holy Land and the Jews Since the Time of Christ, 937,
Reading and Studying the Bible,
Reading Through the Bible, 959,
Basic Bible Study Tools, 965,
Prayers, 977,
Supplemental Materials,
How We Got the Bible, 987,
Rediscovering the Biblical Past, 1009,
The House of Herod, 1019,
Distance Charts, 1021,
Jewish Calendar, 1025,
Henry H. Halley—A Memoir, 1029,
Index, 1039,

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