THE answer to “Why bother with the Old Testament?”, says Alec Motyer, is “Because of Jesus.” He revered, treasured, and lived by the word of God. The longest section in Motyer’s Discovering the Old Testament is a guide to what is in the Old Testament. This is topped and tailed by an introductory section on why the OT is important, and by concluding chapters on biblical interpretation for today (Crossway Books, £4.99; 978-1-85684-226-6).

The Lord is my Shepherd: Divine consolation in times of abandonment is a reflection on what Psalm 23 has to say to people today. Its author, Leonardo Boff, takes fear as his starting-point, since he believes that it is a widespread phenomenon. The psalm, he says, will not take fear away, but will give those who pray it the strength necessary to confront fear, and to nourish their trust in God (Orbis/Alban, £8.99 (£8.10); 978-1-57075-643-6).

The Apollos Old Testament Commentary series has an in-depth approach. One of its latest volumes is Nobuyoshi Kiuchi’s Leviticus. His readership is likely to be those who preach, and those students who are at an advanced level (Apollos, £21.99 (£19.80); 978-1-84474-177-9).

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