Dave lived in Lexington (KY) long enough to become a Wildcat fan (age 1), lived in Downers Grove (IL) long enough to become a Cubs fan (age 5), and lived in Ames (IA) long enough to learn how to walk beans and de-tassel corn (age 18).
As a young man, he went west to Stanford (CA), where he studied economics (BA), industrial engineering (MS), and Bible (in InterVarsity). He witnessed “The Play” where the Cardinal band came on the field after the Cal player’s knee hit the ground (before lateraling the ball). He served on staff with InterVarsity (1986-1999) at Claremont, Redlands (CA), and Penn (PA).
Against her better judgment, Shannon agreed to marry him (1991), and together they created Nathan and Noah. One can never have enough advanced degrees, so he got an MDiv (Fuller Seminary), an MPhil and DPhil (University of Oxford).
From 2006 to 2018, he taught Old Testament at Biblical Theological Seminary, but in October of 2018, he started teaching at Missio Seminary (because Biblical changed its name). He is now the Dean of the Faculty and the Allan A. MacRae Professor of Old Testament. He loves to give others a love for God’s word.
Dave has written six books:
The Emotions of God: Making Sense of a God Who Hates, Weeps, and Loves (Zondervan, 2022)
1-2 Kings in Story of God series (Zondervan, 2021). See also the audio and the video lecture series.
The Historical Writings: Introducing Israel’s Historical Literature (Fortress, 2016; co-authored with Mark Leuchter).
Prostitutes and Polygamists: A Look at Love, Old Testament Style (Zondervan, 2015).
God Behaving Badly: Is the God of the Old Testament Angry, Sexist and Racist?
Righteous Jehu and his Evil Heirs: The Deuteronomist’s Negative Perspective on Dynastic Succession
And contributed many articles to other books: click here.
Curriculum Vitae
Email: dlamb@missio.edu
Twitter: @davidtlamb
David T. Lamb 
I just read “God Behaving Badly”. I am 73 years old and this is the first time I have had the pleasure of having my questions answered.I started studying tthe New Testamen. Unfortunetly my uncle passed away before I started the Old Testament and these questions came up (he was the one I would seek when I was confused about God)
Thank you so much.I wish that I could study with you.
Please write more books that a highschool drop-ou such as I can understand.
Yours Truly,
Lucy Morningstar
.
I think you would like this TED talk, given your love of Old Testament!
Cindy, Thanks for the TED talk link. It’s great. I’ll use it in class.
Dave, thanks for your fantastic book! I noticed the issue with your heart. I heard Joel Fuhrman lecture yesterday in Denver on his new book Super Immunity. Health and blessing to you and yours!
David,
I live in Taiwan and bought your book recently while simultaneously doing a study in Joshua. After finishing it, I can say it’s an incredible book! The majority of the responses are concise and very sensitive to the issues. Some of the answers just blew my mind.
I’ve recommended you as a guest on the Unbelievable? radio program in the UK. Hope you don’t mind!
Joshua
David
Last fall, I had the privilege of reading God Behaving Badly, I really liked it. I have actually been using it as an aid to teach high schoolers about the complexity and character of God. Currently we are talking about violence vs peace and as I was re-reading chapter 5 of GBB I was curious as to what you thought about the story of Noah. Would you argue that God killing off all humans, save Noah and his family, was preserving peace, as Gen 6:13 says “…the earth is filled with violence…”? I guess it still doesn’t sit to well with me but as I am not a biblical scholar, I was curious of the context that I’m missing. Can you shed any light on this?
Thanks for your time
Zach
Hi David Lamb,
I am Ann (Brown) Ingraham, and when you lived in Ames, I stayed with you and Richard and ? while your parents went to Europe. I married a Foreign Service Officer in 1992, and have lived in Cuba, Romania, Bolivia, Turkey, Bosnia and Jordan, and we have a 14 year old son, Michael. We now live in Arlington, VA. Are your folks still living? I would love to re-connect with them. God has been good to us, and we are members of a new, evangelical Anglican church in DC, All Nations. Nice to see your blog, and will enjoy reading your book, too!
Cheers, ABC Ann Ingraham
God bless you! Good stuff. Greetings from London.
I have to admit that I haven’t had a chance to read any of your books yet. I have to ask you a question are you aware of the centuries of Midrash, Torah commentaries, Talmud and other Jewish writings that explain and interpret the “Old Testament”. For example, the Shulchan Aruch says that a man can have more than one wife only if he can treat them all equally, but that would be not be possible?
The Hebrew Bible says “an eye for an eye”, but it was reinterpreted almost immediately to mean monetary compensation for an eye. The Hebrew Bible also says “a life for a life”, but the rabbis in the Talmud put so many restrictions on that verse that it became virtually impossible to ever execute anyone.
Although, it has occurred to me that God seems like a surprised father whose children didn’t turn out the way he expceted.
Aren’t you confusing polygyny and polygamy in your book title?
Technically, you are correct. There aren’t really any good biblical examples of polyandry (multiple husbands for one wife), but the reality is that every knows that polygamy involves multiple spouses, very few people know what polygyny is. I went with the general term that is more familiar to people. Thanks for engaging.
https://www.torahclass.com/old-testament-studies-tc/51-old-testament-studies-ruth/3358-lesson-7-ruth-3-4
I appreciate your book re: biblical sexuality etc. However, I have added a, rather lengthy OT resource that would look at Ruth from a very different perspective. I struggled with your view of Ruth…so, needed more objectivity.
PS I will continue to read with an open mind.
Sincerely, Steven Rood