Making Sense of the Old Testament for the Church
In short, our vision is making sense of the Hebrew Bible (Old Testament). We engage in the study of the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern context and original languages to promote good and reasonable interpretation of scripture, so that the church might live more faithfully in the present.
We want our content to be a resource that adds value to you and saves you years of study so you can spend more time on your specific ministry and calling. For those whom Bible reading plays a pivotal role in your personal or professional life, we want to show beginners a holistic interpretive framework and give experts a place to feel at home with some fellow Bible exegetes.
Yes, we are Christians, and we are totally for the New Testament. We are simply focusing on the Hebrew Bible since it is our area of expertise and passion. We are all about the “Big C” Church. Ecumenical, orthodox Christianity is our place, although we welcome all people of any background to our conversations.
Matthew Delaney, M.A.
Founder and Lead Communicator
Matthew is passionate about making complex biblical material understandable and meaningful for non-experts. His ultimate goal is not merely to impart information but to edify people with formative Biblical wisdom.
After developing a strong proficiency in Modern Hebrew, he went on to study Biblical Hebrew. It was reading the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in its primary original Hebrew language that brought the text to life for him. Ever since, he has dedicated himself to closely reading it in Hebrew and sharing insights with others.
While Matthew is academically trained in Biblical Literature and Semitic languages (especially Hebrew), his passion is not just academic—he wants Scripture to be lived and prayed in ways that actually shape our lives. Scripture is not just something to study but a way to encounter God. We should not only study Scripture, but also live the message of Scripture in our real lives.
Matthew takes the original ancient Near Eastern context of the Old Testament seriously, while seeing Jesus as the center and culmination of all Scripture. His work is shaped by the historic Christian tradition—especially the way Scripture has been read, prayed, and preached across the centuries. Matthew engages with the Church Fathers, the liturgical calendar, and practices like the Daily Office in his personal life as a Christian in the Anglican tradition.
In short, Matthew reads the Old Testament in Hebrew, in light of the New Testament, with the Church fathers, for the purpose of edifying the Church with engaging and meaningful insights that impact the lives of people today.
Some of Matthew’s interests with the Old Testament are Hebrew language, literary and rhetorical analysis, canonicity and the development of the Old Testament canon, patristic exegesis, and historical interpretation of Scripture.
Regarding the books of the Old Testament, Matthew has a wide range of interests. Matthew’s current top 10 favorite books are Psalms, Proverbs, Job, Isaiah, Joel, Habakkuk, Judges, Genesis, Exodus, and Jonah. Matthew also enjoys the Apocrypha/ Deuterocanon, especially Sirach, Wisdom, Tobit, Judith, and Baruch.
Matthew currently teaches Modern Hebrew and Wisdom of the Ancient World, although his greatest passion is seeing his students take their next step in healthy, holistic living. Matthew, his wife Shannon (who is a pediatrician), and their three children live in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
M.A. Biblical Literature and Semitic Languages
B.A. Communication and Modern Hebrew
Hebrew Ulpan at Hebrew University of Jerusalem
Nathan French, Ph.D.
Scholar in Residence
Nathan French has spent many years in deep study of the Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East. Both his graduate and postgraduate degrees in this field allowed him to study outside of the United States, living two years in Jerusalem and three and a half years in northeast Scotland. His passion in the classroom is to inspire his students to engage in the study of the Hebrew Bible in its ancient Near Eastern context to promote good and reasonable interpretation of scripture, so that the church might live more faithfully in the present. Nathan continues to research, to write, and to publish in his field. He enjoys traveling, astrophotography, and everything related to cryptocurrencies at the moment. He currently lives with his wife, Haley, and their two sons, Ezra and Boaz, in Tulsa, Oklahoma.
Ph.D. Hebrew Bible and the ancient Near East
M.A. Hebrew Bible and the Near East
B.A. Theological and Historical Studies
Vision
Support and Contact
Want to support what we do? Check out our Patreon page. Want us to guest speak at your church, in your classroom, or on your podcast? Email us at matthew@hebrewbibleinsights.com
