Dr. Bruce Waltke taught Old Testament at Dallas Seminary when I was a student there. I thank the Lord for him.
Dr. Waltke drew me into the world of biblical thought. He showed me how I could explore that world through accredited exegetical method. Sitting cross-legged on the desk at the front of the classroom, with nothing but his Hebrew Bible open before him, he asked us questions about the text for the day. Analyzing it word by word, he showed us how to see what needs clarification:
1. Is there a textual problem here?
2. Is there a lexical problem here?
3. Is there a syntactical problem here?
4. Is there an exegetical problem here?
5. Is there a theological problem here?
Then, at the end of the verse, he guided us into asking the synthetic questions: What is the author talking about? What is he saying about what he is talking about? He taught us to notice the obvious and to express it with precision.
Dr. Waltke made biblical exegesis at the level of the original text do-able for me in my weekly routine as a busy pastor for the rest of my life.
Thank you, Dr. Waltke. I owe you a life-long debt of gratitude.
