Dr. Richard S. Hess

Old Testament Questions from the desk of Dr. Richard S. Hess

About Dr. Richard S. Hess

Rick is the Distinguished Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Denver Seminary. Having studied at both Jewish and Christian seminaries, he earned a PhD from Hebrew Union College, an MDiv and a ThM from Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, and a BA from Wheaton College.  He has completed postdoctoral studies and research in Chicago, Jerusalem, Cambridge, Münster, and Sheffield; and taught in Glasgow and London before moving to Denver.

Rick and his wife Jean have two sons and a daughter who are all married.  They have been blessed with an extended family of eight grandchildren. Two families live in the Denver area, while the middle child and his family live in Cedar Springs, MI, where he is a worship pastor. Jean and Rick are ordained in the Cumberland Presbyterian Church and co-pastor 316, a Celtic Christian church in the Denver area. Besides spending time with their children and grandchildren, they enjoy walking and playing with their Wheaten Terrier, O’Malley.

Rick has preached and taught at a variety of churches and universities in America, Great Britain, Korea, China, Israel, and India, to name a few.

Dr. Hess loves to answer your questions, especially about the Old Testament!

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Bible Publications

Dr. Hess has written many books, articles, papers and more.

All Publications Dr. Hess on Amazon

Dr. Hess is a member of the New International Version’s Committee on Bible Translation, and was an editor for the NIV Biblical Theology Study Bible. He is editor of the Denver Journal, and formerly the editor of the Bulletin for Biblical Research. He’s authored a dozen books, including commentaries and studies on Genesis, Leviticus, Joshua, and the Song of Solomon. He also co-edits the Septuagint Commentary Series. Rick has worked as a translator for the New American Bible, the Holman Standard Christian Bible,  the English Standard Version, and The Common English Bible translations of the Old Testament. Rick has edited about 70 academic books on various biblical topics and has published well over 100 scholarly and peer-reviewed papers on the Bible, as well as hundreds of reviews and commissioned dictionary articles.

Having completed his massive The Old Testament: A Historical, Critical, and Theological Introduction, Rick is currently working on commentaries of Genesis (popular) and Kings (academic), as well as research papers on the study of ancient Near Eastern texts related to the Old Testament.

Additional research interests include Old Testament exegesis and theology, Hebrew and ancient Near Eastern languages, biblical archaeology, and topics such as the transcendent value of human life and healing in biblical times. Dr. Hess is consultant to the postdoctoral research project on Old Testament and Ancient Near Eastern Onomastics, Tyndale House, Cambridge, England. He also serves on the Evangelical Theological Society’s Hebrew Bible / Old Testament Archaeology Planning Committee and on the Exploring the Composition of the Pentateuch Group.

Recent Blogs and Podcasts

Nauka & Teologija with Nemanja Jurisic

  1. Why Believe in the God of the Bible? | https://youtu.be/XYZYYfa1wsY
  2. Who is the suffering servant in Isaiah 53? | https://youtu.be/-J5KupsDRLE
  3. Why Did God Give ‘Bad Laws’? | https://youtu.be/DId2kRjRA74
  4. Did Chemosh really defeat YHWH? | https://youtu.be/9Px0V42uGCY
  5. Is ‘You shall not murder’ a Mistranslation? | https://youtu.be/eS9RFHlX-8E
  6. Was There Really a Deity Named Molech? | https://youtu.be/2A-wPqL_oeY
  7. What the Bible Says About God’s Father? | https://youtu.be/66dIUcI7OIk
  8. Does Genesis 1:1 Say ‘In a Beginning’? | https://youtu.be/IEffHxFPtbQ
  9. Archaeological Evidence for the Book of Judges | https://youtu.be/7uTw2q6KYbg
  10. Have We Found Sodom and Gomorrah? | https://youtu.be/oAYPS9aAsTA
  11. Was Lilith really Adam’s first wife? | https://youtu.be/Qqq87quUJmc
  12. Did Moses really exist? | https://youtu.be/lU6tPW-Q8p4
  13. Who were the Nephilim? | https://youtu.be/Ot2u4c-fMj4
  14. There is no monotheism in the Hebrew Bible? | https://youtu.be/_O1qUKDiWfw
  15. Was Asherah the Wife of God? | https://youtu.be/WV1Sr7oJuSU
  16. When Did the Exodus Really Happen? | https://youtu.be/FqFRZXgRjUQ
  17. Did the Exodus Really Happen? Examining the Evidence | https://youtu.be/UtBUIsg8cFk
  18. Unveiling Jericho: What Archaeology Reveals | https://youtu.be/sPRGd3Li0e8
  19. Joshua’s Conquest and The Mystery of Ai | https://youtu.be/A9jPB6R–3M
  20. The Day the Sun Stood Still! – The Miracle of Joshua 10:13 | https://youtu.be/VnQoPV_e2cc
  21. JEDP Theory: Understanding the Composition of the Pentateuch  |   https://youtu.be/H4DwJVrXKcc
  22. Were There Really 2 Million Israelites in the Exodus?  |   https://youtu.be/jFm0vRNzPFw
  23. Is the God of the Bible Cruel? | https://youtu.be/hIzkjHd5low
  24. Were El Shaddai and Yahweh the Same God? | https://youtu.be/eg_-AL8Ne1Y
  25. What the Names in Genesis 5 Really Mean | https://youtu.be/mkJoztjhQ90
  26. Is There Any Fulfilled Prophecy in the Old Testament? | https://youtu.be/34H-33MgzN8
  27. Does the Bible Teach a Flat Earth? | https://youtu.be/nFFyNdCFfls
  28. What Is the Best Translation of the Bible? | https://youtu.be/5RLlYtchSHk
  29. What Is the Most Beautiful Verse in the Bible? | https://youtu.be/7uDpplidphY
  30. Is Psalm 22 About Jesus? | https://youtu.be/dzy_XVki1O4
  31. Did Micah 5:2 Predict the Birth of the Messiah in Bethlehem? | https://youtu.be/2yCveA74vYY
  32. The Prophecy of Immanuel: Did Jesus Fulfill Isaiah 7:14? | https://youtu.be/NfVvDdGpTrc
  33. Did Jesus Really Fulfill Over 300 Prophecies? | https://youtu.be/5-mv5EBoOR0
  34. Is Numbers 31 an Example of God’s Violence? | https://youtu.be/TAPOY9zcrEM
  35. Who Were the Anakim and Rephaim? | https://youtu.be/1Rqyx_belJ0
  36. SONG OF SONGS: Exploring the Bible’s Most Romantic Book | https://youtu.be/9ws6cuYbtKs
  37. The Case for Historical Abraham: Archaeological Evidence & Ancient Context | https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MrA_-PkZyNQ
  38. Do Biblical Festivals Have Pagan Origins? | https://youtu.be/5_kjTJVI7oM?si=QYifNYZYDIGDigLQ
  39. Was Jonah Really Swallowed by a Fish? | https://youtu.be/nTcjgEYsDhc?si=5YBT0oM7gPyYaCxb
  40. Did Abraham Actually Sacrifice Isaac? | https://youtu.be/KBRX0aq7PHc?si=OdVIyVLDOCtS_sbY
  41. Does God Command Child Sacrifice in Exodus 22:29-30? | https://youtu.be/aAdghqLgr5c?si=pxoF0uY6K4zdzwA4
  42. JUDGES 11: What Happened to Jephthah’s Daughter? | https://youtu.be/A0yQI-AtPZI?si=za2Z_Uojb4YXKM47
  43. Ur of the Chaldees: An Anachronism in the Bible? | https://youtu.be/_MqK3Y6pkZ0?si=TV61vYdDZfvk7MZ-
  44. No, Ebla Doesn’t Prove the Bible | https://youtu.be/62kg7-T2g1I?si=2h_AX2Wt6CksHku1
  • Did Esther Really Exist?  https://youtu.be/SzxyNk6bLvc  December 15, 2024.
  • “Joshua,” Doable Discipleship, Jason Wieland, Saddleback Church, October 22, 2024.
  • “A Biblical Scholar’s Journey: From Hierarchy to Mutuality,” CBE Denver’s Mutuality Minded, May 8, 2024: LINK 1 or LINK 2
  • “Was King David Mythical or Historical?” February 10, 2024: LINK 1

Recent and Upcoming Speaking Engagements

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