In English

Fields of Interest

• Exegesis of the Old Testament (I have written commentaries on the books of Joshua [1994], Judges [2019], and Nahum [1997])
• Contextual Exegesis
• The history of the religion of Israel and the relations with Ugarit (I wrote my dissertation [1986] of conceptions of life after death)

Publications in English:

“Psalm 49: Two Unsolved Riddles and One New Proverb“, in: Athalya Brenner-Idan and Gale A. Yee (eds), My Psalm, My Context (Texts@Contexts), London etc.: T&T Clark 2024, 75-78.

(with Joep Dubbink), “­­­­­­Deuteronomy 17:2-7 within the Context of Tanakh”, in: Reitsma & Van Nes-Visscher (eds) – Religiously Exclusive, Socially Inclusive, Amsterdam 2023), 75-86.

Review of Paul K.-K. Cho, Willingness to Die and the Gift of Life: Suicide and Martyrdom in the Hebrew Bible, 2022, RBL 04/2023.

“Parallel Structures in Judges and the Formation of the Book”, JSOT 46 (2022), 306-318.

Review of Thomas Renz, The Books of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah (2021), RBL 02/2022.

“Can the Message of God as an Avenger Comfort us?” https://www.csbvbristol.org.uk/2021/10/04/god-as-an-avenger-comfort/ (published 4 october 2021).

Review of S.C. Russell, E.J. Hamori (eds), Mighty Baal. Essays in Honor of Mark S. Smith, 2020, BiOr 78 (2021), 732-735.

Review of D. Guest, YHWH and Israel in the Book of Judges, 2019, RBL (2021).

Review of Chris W. Lee, Death Warning in the Garden of Eden. The Early Reception History of Genesis 2:17, 2020, BN 192 (2022), 134-135.

“A Rehabilitation of tehom? Genesis 1:2 in the Discussion about Bible and Ecology”, in: F. Čapek, P. Sláma (eds), And God Saw That It Was Good (Gen 1:12) (Festschrift Martin Prudký; Beiträge zum Verstehen der Bibel 42), Wien/Zürich: Lit Verlag 2020, 131-138.

“Remembering and Forgetting in the Book of Judges”, in: M. Matthias, R. Roukema, G. van Klinken (eds), Erinnern und Vergessen – Remembering and Forgetting: Essays über zwei theologische Grundvollzüge. Festschrift für Hans-Martin Kirn, Leipzig: Evangelische Verlagsanstalt 2020, 13-16.“Generaties in het Oude Testament”, Woord & Dienst (augustus 2020), 28-29.

“Benjamin’s Brides: Different Forms of Violence in Judges 21”, in: J. van Ruiten, K. van Bekkum (eds), Violence in the Hebrew Bible: Between Text and Reception (OTS 79), Leiden: Brill 2020, 214-228.

“Samuel as the Paradigm of the Judges: The Use of the Verb טפשׁ in the Books of Judges and Samuel”, in: I. Kalimi (ed.), Writing and Rewriting History in Ancient Israel and Near Eastern Cultures, Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz 2020, 129-140.

Judges (Historical Commentary on the Old Testament), Leuven: Peeters 2019.

review of C. Berner & H. Samuel (eds), Book-Seams in the Hexateuch I: The Literary Transitions between the Books of Genesis/Exodus and Joshua/Judges, 2018, RBL 10 (2019).

review of R.X. Gauthier et al. (eds), Septuagint, Sages, and Scripture (Fs Johann Cook), 2016, JSJ 50 (2019).

review of H. Najman et al. (eds), Tracing Sapiential Traditions in Ancient Judaism, 2016, JSJ 50 (2019).

“Samson“, RAC 29 (2019), 491-499.

“Nomos and Violence in the Story of Samson“, in: Viktor Ber (ed.), Nomos and Violence: Dimensions in Bible and Theology (Beiträge zum Verstehen der Bible 35), Münster: Lit 2019, 97–105.

“The Avenging God of Nahum as Comforter of the Traumatized“, in: L. Sutton (ed.), Festschrift S.D. (Fanie) Snyman (Acta Theologica Supplementum 26), 2018, 237-250.

“Dealing with Death: Reading Qoheleth in Different Contexts,” in: A. Brenner-Idan a.o. (eds), The Five Scrolls (Texts @ Contexts 6), London: Bloomsbury T&T Clark, 2018, 145-155.

“An Uncommon Book of Prayer: The Theology of the Book of Judges,” in: Jaap Dekker & Gert Kwakkel  (eds), Reading and Listening: Meeting One God in Many Texts. Festschrift for Eric Peels on the occasion of his 25th jubilee as professor of Old Testament Studies (ACEBT Sup 16), Bergambacht 2018, 53-60.

“Jephthah and Saul: An Intertextual Reading of Judges 11:29-40 in Comparison with Rabbinic Exegesis”, in: Klaas Spronk & Eveline van Staalduine-Sulman (eds), Hebrew Texts in Jewish, Christian and Muslim Surroundings (Studia Semitica Neerlandica 69), Leiden: Brill 2018, 23-35.

(with Stefan Royé), “An New Catalogue of Byzantine Manuscripts of the Bible in their Liturgical Context”, in Paola Degni et al. (eds), Greek Manuscripts Cataloguing. Past, Present, and Future (Bibliologia 48), Turnhout: Brepols 2018, 137-144.

Review of SOTS at 100, 2017, JThS (2018).

Review of K. Koenen, Klagelieder (BKAT), 2015, BN 175 (2017), 149-150.

Review of F.E. Focken, M.R. Ott (eds), Metatexte. Erzählungen von schrifttragenden Artefakten in der altttestamentlichen und mittelalterlichen Literatur, 2016, BN 176 (2018), 153-154.

Review of J.-M. Durand a.o. (eds), Tabou et transgressions, 2015, BiOr 74 (2017).

“Aged Jacob: Jacob’s Final Years as the Biblical Ideal of Old Age”, Communio Viatorum 58 (2016), 279-291.

“Introduction: Fifteen Joint Meetings and the Sixteenth“, in: K. Spronk, H. Barstad (eds), Torah and Tradition. Papers Read at the Sixteenth Joint Meeting of the Society for Old Testament Study and the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap, Edinburgh 2015 (OTS 70), Leiden 2017, 1-9.

“Shamgar ben Anat (Judg 3:31) – a Meaningful Name”, ZAW 128 (2016), 684-687.

“Seventy-Five Years Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap: The Study of the Old Testament in the Netherlands and Belgium”, in: K. Spronk (ed.), The Present State of Old Testament Studies in the Low Countries: A Collection of Old Testament Studies Published on the Occasion of the Seventy-Fifth Anniversary of the Oudtestamentisch Werkgezelschap (OTS 69), Leiden 2016, 1-12

“The Unsolved Riddle of the Structure of Psalm 49”, in: L. Hiepel & M.-Th. Wacker (eds), Zwischen Zion und Zaphon: Studien im Gedenken an den Theologen Oswalt Loretz (14.01.1928-12.04.2014) (AOAT 438), “Münster 2016, 243-258.

“There is a Crack in Everything: Biblical Texts Questioning the Legitimation of Violence in the Name of the One God”, Exchange 45 (2016), 130-140 [translated in Indonesian: “Ada Celah dalam Segala Hal: Teks-Teks Alkitab Mempertanyakan Legitimasi Kekerasan atas Nama Allah Yang tunggal” in: Suhadi (ed.), Costly Tolerance: Tantangan Bau Dialog Muslim-Kristen di Indonesia da Belanda, Yogyakarta 2018, 97-112].

Review of W. Dietrich, Nahum Habakuk Zefanja, 2014, RBL 03/2016.

Review M.S. Smith, Poetic Heroes. Literary Commemorations of Warriors and Warrior culture in the early Biblical World, 2014, BiOr 72 (2015), 740-2.

“Judging Samson: Judges 16 in Intercultural Reading and the Arts after 9/11”, in: D.S. Schipani a.o. (eds), New Perspectives on Intercultural Reading of the Bible. Hermeneutical Explorations in Honor of Hans de Wit, Amsterdam / Elkhart 2015, 315-325.

“Comparing the Book of Judges to Greek Literature”, in: M.C.A. Korpel, L.L. Grabbe (eds), Open-Mindedness in the Bible and Beyond. A Volume of Studies in Honour of Bob Becking (Library of Hebrew Bible / Old Testament Studies 616), London 2015, 261-271.

“The Book of Judges on Kingship and the Greek peri basileias Literature”, in: M. Oeming, P Sláma (eds), A King like All the Nations? Kingdoms of Israel and Judah in the Bible and History (Beiträge zum Verstehen der Bibel 28), Münster 2015, 119-126.

“Web-Based Resources in the Field of Old Testament Studies”, BiOr 71 no 3-4 (2014), 361-370.

“The Looks of a Hero: Some Aspects of Samson in Fine Arts”, in: E. Eynikel, T. Nicklas (eds), Samson: Hero or Fool? The Many Faces of Samson (Themes in Biblical Literature 17), Leiden 2014, 197-209

“The Story of a Gang Rape as a Means of Liberation. A Contextual Reading of Judges 19”, in: R. Ganzevoort a.o. (eds), Religious Stories We Live By: Narrative Approaches in Theology and Religious Studies, Leiden 2014, 109-116.

Review of D. Volgger, Und dann wirst du gewiss sterben; Zu den Todesbildern im Pentateuch, 2010, JSS 59 (2014), 211-213.

“The Prophetologion and the Book of Judges“, Journal of the Orthodox Center for the Advancement of Biblical Studies 6/1 (2013).

Review of M. Görg, Mythos und Mythologie, 2010, BiOr 70 (2013), 768-771.

Review of C. Bonnet, H. Niehr, Religionen in der Umwelt des ATs II, 2010, BiOr 70 (2013), 643-644.

Review of J. Bembry, Yahweh’s Coming of Age, 2011, BiOr  70 (2013), 179-181.

(with Lucien van Liere) “Introduction”, in: Lucien van Liere & Klaas Spronk (eds), Images of Enmity and Hope: The Transformative Power of Religions in Conflicts, Lit Verlag: Münster 2013, 7-11.

“The Transformative Power of Old Testament Texts about Violence“, a.w., 15-27.

“The Study of the Historical-Liturgical Context of the Bible; A Bridge Between ‘East’ and ‘West’?”, in: K. Spronk, G. Rouwhorst, S. Royé (eds), Challenges and Perspectives (Catalogue of Byzantine Manuscripts in their Liturgical Context. Subsidia 1), Brepols: Leuven 2013, 15-23.

“A Response to Hendrik Bosman’s ‘Figuring God and Humankind: The Imago Dei in View of Anthropologies in the Old Testament”, in: J.L. Claassens, K. Spronk (eds), Fragile Dignity: Intercontextual Conversations on Scriptures, Family and Violence (Semeia Studies 72), SBL: Atlanta 2013, 57-64.

Review of Matthew J. Suriano, The Politics of Dead Kings, 2010, in: JAOS 132 (2012), 127-128.

Review of Marty Alan Michelson, Reconciling Violence and Kingship: A Study of Judges and 1 Samuel, Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2012)

“Judging Jephthah: The Contribution of Syntactic Analysis to the Interpretation of Judges 11:29-40”, in: W.Th. van Peursen, J.W. Dyk (eds), Tradition and Innovation in Biblical Interpretation. Studies Presented to Professor Eep Talstra on the Occasion of this Sixty-Fifth Birthday (SSN 57), Leiden 2011, 299-315.

Review of E. Lipinski, Reshef, 2009, in: BiOr 68 (2011), 612-614.

Review of A. Berlejung, B. Janowski (eds), Tod und Jenseits im alten Israel und seiner Umwelt, 2009, BiOr 68 (2011), 152-156.

“The Ancestors in the Religion of Ancient Israel and in Christian Theology: A Contribution to the Intercultural Reading of the Bible”, Gema Teologi 34/1 (2010), 24-34 (+ response by Gerrit Singgih, pp. 35-40)

“The Violent God of the Bible: A Study on he Historical Background and its Impact on the Discussion on Human Dignity”, Scriptura 102 (2009), 463-470.

“The Ancestors in the Religion of Ancient Israel and in Christian Theology: a Contribution to the Intercultural Reading of the Bible”, Gema telogi: Jurnal fakultas theologia 34/1 (April 2010), 24-34.

‘The Book of Judges as a Late Construct‘, in: L. Jonker (ed.), Historiography and Identity: (Re)formulation in Second Temple Historiographic Literature (The Library of the Bible / Old Testament Studies 534), New York 2010, 15-28.

‘History and Prophecy in the Book of Judges‘, in: B. Becking, L. Grabbe (eds), Between Evidence and Ideology: Essays on the History of Ancient Israel Read at the Joint Meeting of the SOTS and OTW, Lincoln july 2009 (OTS 59), Leiden 2010, 185-198.

‘The Discussion about the Ecological Crisis from the Perspective of the Old Testament’, in: S. Fischer, M. Grohmann (eds), Weisheit und Schöpfung. Festschrift für James Alfred Loader zum 65. Geburtstag (Wiener Alttestamentliche Studien 7), Frankfurt am Main 2010, 231-243.

review of A. Lemaire, The Birth of Monotheism, 2007, BiOr 67 (2010), 387.

review of Duane L. Christensen, Nahum: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary, Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2010).

Review of C.L. Echols, “Tell me o Muse”: The Song of Deborah (Judges 5) in the Light of Heroic Poetry, 2008, Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2010).

“From Joshua to Samuel: Some Remarks on the Origin of the Book of Judges”, in: J. van Ruiten, J.C. de Vos (eds), The Land of Israel in Bible, History, and Theology. Studies in Honour of Ed Noort (VTS 124), Brill: Leiden 2009, 137-149.

“On Scribes and the Canonization of the Old Testament” (review of K. van der Toorn, Scribal Culture), Communio Viatorum 51 (2009), 250-254.

Review of G.A. Klingbeil, Bridging the Gap. Ritual and Ritual Texts in the Bible, 2007, Bibliotheca Orientalis 66 (2009), 646-648.

Review of L.M. McDonald, The Biblical Canon: Its Origin, Transmission, and Authority, Peabody 2007, JSJ 40 (2009), 124-5.

Review of J.-M. Michaud (ed.), La Bible et l’héritage d’Ougarit, Montreal 2005, Bibliotheca Orientalis 65 (2008), 727-8.

“Jonah, Nahum, and the Book of the Twelve: A Response to Jakob Wöhrle”, Journal of Hebrew Scriptures 9 (2009), article 8.

“Perverse Delight: Some Observations on an Unpleasant Theme in the Old Testament”, in: Bob Becking, Dirk Human (eds.), Exile and Suffering: A Selection of Papers Read at the 50th Anniversary Meeting of the Old Testament Society of South Africa OTSWA / OTSSA, Pretoria August 2007 (OTS 50), Leiden: Brill 2009, 147-160.

“The Line-Acrostic in Nahum 1: New Evidence from Ancient Greek Manuscripts and from the Literary Analysis of the Hebrew Text”, in: R. de Hoop a.o. (eds), The Impact of Unit Delimitation on Exegesis (Pericope 7), Leiden 2009, 228-240.

“Sanctioning Samson: Do Old Testament Stories about Violence Make Sense Today? Some Answers from the Perspective of Redaction Criticism and History of Research,” in: H. de Wit and G.A. West (eds), African and European Readers of the Bible in Dialogue: In Quest of a Shared Meaning, Leiden: Brill, 2008, 169-180.

“The Delicate Balance Between Life and Death: Some Remarks on the Place of Mot in the Religion of Ugarit,” in: R.J. van der Spek (ed.), Studies in Ancient Near Eastern World View and Society (FS Marten Stol), Bethesda: CDL Press, 2008, 121-126.

Review of Martin Beck and Ulrike Schorn (eds), Auf dem Weg zur Endgestalt von Genesis bis II Regum: Festschrift Hans-Christoph Schmitt zum 65. Geburtstag, Review of Biblical Literature [http://www.bookreviews.org] (2008).

Review of G. Baumann, Gottes Gewalt im Wandel (2005), Theologische Literaturzeitung 133 (2008), 37-39.

“The Human Being as the Image of God and Human Beings Slaughtered in the Name of God: A Biblical Subversion of Ancient and Modern Concepts of Human Dignity”, Scriptura 95 (2007), 195-201.

Recensie van D. Tsumura, Creation and Destruction, 2005, BiOr 64 (2007), 690-692.

(mit C. Houtman), Jefta und Seine Tochter: Rezeptionsgeschichtliche Studien zu Richter, 11, 29-40 (Altes Testament und Moderne, Band 21), Berlin 2007.

Review of Gregory Wong, Compositional Strategy of the Book of Judges: An Inductive, Rhetorical Study, Review of Biblical Literature 2007.

Review of A. Laato, J.C. de Moor (eds), Theodicy in the World of the Bible (2003), BiOr 63 (2006), 353-356.

“The Picture of Moses in the History of Interpretation”, in: R. Roukema e.a. (eds), The Interpretation of Exodus (Festschrift C. Houtman; CBET 44), Leuven 2006, 253-264.

“Good Death and Bad Death in Ancient Israel According to Biblical Lore”, Social Science and Medicine 58 (2004), 987-995.

(mit C. Houtman) Ein Held des Glaubens? Rezeptionsgeschichtliche Studien zu den Simson-Erzählungen, Leuven 2004 (283 blz.).

“The Daughter of Jephtah: Changing Views on God, Man, And Violence in Plays and Oratorios since George Buchanan”, in: J. Bekkenkamp, Y. Sherwood (eds.), Sanctified Aggression. Legacies of Biblical and Post Biblical Vocabularies of Violence, London 2003, 10-21

Review of J.S. Burnett, A Reassessment of Biblical Elohim, 2001, BiOr 60 (2003), 680-682

Review of Z. Zevit, The Religions of Ancient Israel, 2001, BiOr 60 (2003), 672-675

Review of D. Kinet, Geschichte Israels, Würzburg 2001, BiOr 60 (2003), 416-418

Review of R.M. Shipp, Of Dead Kings and Dirges. Myth and Meaning in Isaiah 14:4b-21, 2002, in Review of Biblical Literature 06/2003

Review of M. Arneth, Sonne der Gerechtigkeit. Studien zur Solarisierung der Jahwe-Religion im Lichte von Psalm 72, 2000, BiOr 59 (2002), 122-124

“Samson as the Suffering Servant: Some Remarks on a Painting by Lovis Corinth”, in: F. Postma et al. (eds) The New Things: Eschatology in Old Testament Prophecy (Feestbundel H. Leene; ACEBT Sup 3), Maastricht 2002, 219-224

“Deborah: a Prophetess: the Meaning and Background of Judges 4:4-5”, OTS 45 (2001), 232-242

“A Story to Weep at: Some Remarks on Judges 2:1-5 and its Context”, in: J. Dyk e.a. (eds), ‘Unless Someone Guide Me…’ (ACEBT Sup. 2; Feestbundel K.A. Deurloo), Maastricht 2001, 87-94

Review of H. Niehr, Religionen in Israels Unwelt, 1998, BiOr 57 (2000), 142-144

Review of G. Del Olmo Lete, Canaanite Religion, 1999; Mitos, leyendas y rituales de los semitas occidentales, 1998; El continuum cultural Cananeo, 1996, BiOr 57 (2000), 134-135

“The Incantations,” in: W.G.E. Watson, N. Wyatt (eds), Handbook of Ugaritic Studies (Handbuch der Orientalistik I,39), Leiden 1999, 270-286

Review of G. del Olmo Lete, Diccionaria de la lengua ugarítica, I, 1996, BiOr 55 (1998), 230-232

“Down With Helel. The Assumed Mythological Background of Isa. 14:12,” in: M. Dietrich, I. Kottsieper (eds.), “Und Mose schrieb dieses Lied auf”: Studien zum Alten Testament und zum Alten Orient (Fs O. Loretz; AOAT 250), Münster 1998, 717-726

“Acrostics in the Book of Nahum,” ZAW 110 (1998), 209-222

Nahum (Historical Commentary on the Old Testament), Kampen 1997

Review of B.B. Schmidt, Israel’s Benificent Dead, 1994, BiOr 53 (1996), 508-510

Review of S.A. Wiggins, A Reassessment of Asherah, 1993, BiOr 52 (1995), 762-764 

“Baal of Peor, Dedan, Lord, Noble Ones, Rahab, Travelers,” in: K. van der Toorn et al. (eds), Dictionary of Deities and Demons, Leiden 1995 (revised edition in 1999)

“Synchronic and Diachronic Approaches to the Book of Nahum”, in: J.C. de Moor (ed.), Synchronic or Diachronic. A Debate on Method in Old Testament Exegesis (OTS 34), Leiden 1995, 159-186

Review of G. del Olmo Lete, La religión Cananea, 1992, BiOr 51 (1994), 611-613

Review of E. Bloch-Smith, Judahite Burial Practices and Beliefs about the Dead, 1992, BiOr 51 (1994), 141-143

Review of R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Poetry, 1990, BiOr 50 (1993), 203-205

“The Structure of Joshua 23 and 24. An Evaluation of William T. Koopmans’ Search for Poetic Prose,” in: J.C. de Moor & W.G.E. Watson (eds), Verse in Ancient Near Eastern Prose (AOAT 42), Neukirchen-Vluyn 1993, 251-261

Review of O. Loretz, Ugarit und die Bibel, 1990, BiOr 49 (1992), 458-461

Review of J. Day, Molech, 1989, BiOr 49(1992), 207-210

Review of D. Pardee, Les texts para-mythologiques, 1988, BiOr 48(1991), 601-605

Review of A. Caquot et al., Textes Ougaritiques, II, 1989, BiOr 48(1991), 606-608

Review of Th.J. Lewis, Cults of the Dead in Ancient Israël and Ugarit,1989, BiOr 48 (1991), 234-240

Review of D. Pardee, Ugaritic and Hebrew Poetic Parallelism. A Trial Cut, 1988, BiOr 47 (1990), 446-449

“The Legend of Kirtu (KTU 1.14-16). A Study of the Structure and its Consequences for Interpretation,” in W. van der Meer, J.C. de Moor (eds.), The Structural Analysis of Biblical and Canaanite Poetry (JSOT Suppl. 74), Sheffield 1988, blz. 62-82

(with J.C. de Moor) A Cuneiform Anthology of Religious Texts From Ugarit (Semitic Study Series 6), Leiden 1987

Beatific Afterlife in Ancient Israel and in the Ancient Near East (AOAT 219), Neukirchen-Vluyn 1986

(with J.C. de Moor) “More on Demons in Ugarit (KTU 1.82)”, UF 16 (1984), 237-250

(with J.C. de Moor) “Problematical Passages in the Legend of Kirtu”, UF 14(1982), 153-190

(with M. Dijkstra en J.C. de Moor) review of M. Dietrich e.a., Die Keilalphabetische Texte aus Ugarit, 1967, BiOr 38 (1981), 371-380.