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Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus
Winner of the 2009 Christianity Today Award for Biblical Studies, Stories with Intent offers pastors and students a comprehensive and accessible guide to Jesus' parables. Klyne Snodgrass explores in vivid detail the historical context in which these stories were told, the part they played in Jesus' overall message, and the ways in which they have been interpreted in the church and the academy. Snodgrass begins by surveying the primary issues in parables interpretation and providing an overview of other parables—often neglected in the discussion—from the Old Testament, Jewish writings, and the Greco-Roman world. He then groups the more important parables of Jesus thematically and offers a comprehensive treatment of each, exploring both background and significance for today. This tenth anniversary edition includes a substantial new chapter that surveys developments in the interpretation of parables since the book's original 2008 publication.
865 pages, Kindle Edition
First published January 1, 2008
206 people are currently reading
610 people want to read
About the author
Klyne R. Snodgrass
52 books6 followersKlyne Ryland Snodgrass (born 28 December 1944) is an American theologian, author and professor of New Testament Studies at the North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago, Illinois. His publication Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus garnered a 2009 Christianity Today Book Award.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 37 reviews
January 18, 2015
Definitely thorough. An academic treatment of Jesus' parables that will likely overwhelm non-seminary types but that provides a great deal of information not available in other resources.
Each parable discussion is divided into the following sections:
• parable type
• a list of issues requiring attention
• helpful primary source material
• comparison of accounts (if they appear in more than one source)
• textual features worth noting
• cultural information (very helpful)
• explanation of the parable (where most readers will want to go first)
• decisions on the issues (from the above list)
• adapting the parable
• further reading
Each parable discussion is divided into the following sections:
• parable type
• a list of issues requiring attention
• helpful primary source material
• comparison of accounts (if they appear in more than one source)
• textual features worth noting
• cultural information (very helpful)
• explanation of the parable (where most readers will want to go first)
• decisions on the issues (from the above list)
• adapting the parable
• further reading
March 22, 2012
While preaching a short series on The Parables of Jesus, I purchased and started reading Klyne Snodgrass's Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. Comprehensive it is. This book is 846 pages long (though over 300 pages of this are bibliography and notes)! But though it is comprehensive, it is written with preachers in mind. As Snodgrass admits in his preface, "This is unapologetically and quite consciously a selfishly motivated book. This is what I want when preparing to teach or preach on the parables" (p. xi). It's what I want, too, and I'm glad Snodgrass gave in to his selfish ambition!
Snodgrass begins, of course, with an "Introduction to the Parables of Jesus," in which he covers (these are the subheadings): Necessary History; What is a Parable?; How Should Parables Be Classified?; What about Allegory?; Characteristics of Jesus' Parables; Distribution of the Parables; How Should Parables Be Interpreted?; and NT Criticism - Assumptions and Hesitations, Method and Procedure.
He lists eleven characteristics of Jesus' parables:
1. Jesus' parables are first of all brief, even terse.
2. Parables are marked by simplicity and symmetry.
3. Jesus' parables focus mostly on humans.
4. The parables are fictional descriptions taken from everyday life.
5. Parables are engaging.
6. Since they frequently seek to reorient thought and behavior . . . parables often contain elements of reversal.
7. With their intent to bring about response and elements like reversal, the crucial matter of parables is usually at the end, which functions something like the punch line of a joke.
8. Parables are told into a context. This distinguishes the parables from Aesop's fables, which are stand alone morality tales. Jesus' parables, in contrast, are "not general storeis with universal truths" but "are addressed to quite specific contexts in the ministry of Jesus."
9. Jesus' parables are theocentric.
10. Parables frequently allude to OT texts.
11. Most parables appear in larger collections of parables.
And, in discussing how to interpret the parables, Snodgrass offers the following principles:
1. Analyze each parable thoroughly.
2. Listen to the parable without presupposition as to its form or meaning.
3. Remember that Jesus' parables were oral instruments in a largely oral culture.
4. If we are after the intent of Jesus, we must seek to hear a parable as Jesus' Palestinian hearers would have heard it.
5. Note how each parable and its redactional shaping fit with the purpose and plan of each Evangelist.
6. Determine specifically the function of the story in the teaching of Jesus.
7. Interpret what is given, not what is omitted. Any attempt to interpret a parable based on what is not there is almost certainly wrong.
8. Do not impose real time on parable time.
9. Pay particular attention to the rule of end stress.
10. Note where the teaching of the parables intersects with the teaching of Jesus elsewhere.
11. Determine the theological intent and significance of each parable.
Some of these principles, admittedly, need a bit more explanation and fleshing out than I am choosing to do in this review, but many of the principles are self-evident. This list at least gives you an idea of how Snodgrass approaches the task of interpretation.
The next section covers Parables in the Ancient World, looking specifically at parables in the Old Testament, Early Jewish Writings, Greco-Roman Writings, The Early Church, and Later Jewish Writings. After that, Snodgrass jumps in to the actual parables themselves, dividing thirty-two parables into nine sections. These sections are entitled:
* Grace and Responsibility
* Parables of Lostness
* The Parable of the Sower and the Purpose of Parables
* Parables of the Present Kingdom in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 13
* Parables Specifically about Israel
* Parables about Discipleship
* Parables about Money
* Parables concerning God and Prayer, and
* Parables of Future Eschatology
As Snodgrass takes up each parable, he discusses the parable type, raises issues requiring attention, looks at helpful primary source material, does a comparison of the different accounts of the parable in the gospels, discusses textual issues worth noting, highlights helpful cultural information, then gives an explanation of the parable, talks about adapting the parable for our own context, and suggests further reading (as if he were not comprehensive enough for most people!). This really is a well organized book, designed to function more like a manual for ongoing reference, than to read straight through (which I'm not doing).
Finally, the book ends with an epilogue, six appendices, over one hundred pages of notes and almost fifty pages of bibliography, and then two indices. I expect to use this book not only in my current sermon series, but for many years to come and heartily recommend it to others.
Snodgrass begins, of course, with an "Introduction to the Parables of Jesus," in which he covers (these are the subheadings): Necessary History; What is a Parable?; How Should Parables Be Classified?; What about Allegory?; Characteristics of Jesus' Parables; Distribution of the Parables; How Should Parables Be Interpreted?; and NT Criticism - Assumptions and Hesitations, Method and Procedure.
He lists eleven characteristics of Jesus' parables:
1. Jesus' parables are first of all brief, even terse.
2. Parables are marked by simplicity and symmetry.
3. Jesus' parables focus mostly on humans.
4. The parables are fictional descriptions taken from everyday life.
5. Parables are engaging.
6. Since they frequently seek to reorient thought and behavior . . . parables often contain elements of reversal.
7. With their intent to bring about response and elements like reversal, the crucial matter of parables is usually at the end, which functions something like the punch line of a joke.
8. Parables are told into a context. This distinguishes the parables from Aesop's fables, which are stand alone morality tales. Jesus' parables, in contrast, are "not general storeis with universal truths" but "are addressed to quite specific contexts in the ministry of Jesus."
9. Jesus' parables are theocentric.
10. Parables frequently allude to OT texts.
11. Most parables appear in larger collections of parables.
And, in discussing how to interpret the parables, Snodgrass offers the following principles:
1. Analyze each parable thoroughly.
2. Listen to the parable without presupposition as to its form or meaning.
3. Remember that Jesus' parables were oral instruments in a largely oral culture.
4. If we are after the intent of Jesus, we must seek to hear a parable as Jesus' Palestinian hearers would have heard it.
5. Note how each parable and its redactional shaping fit with the purpose and plan of each Evangelist.
6. Determine specifically the function of the story in the teaching of Jesus.
7. Interpret what is given, not what is omitted. Any attempt to interpret a parable based on what is not there is almost certainly wrong.
8. Do not impose real time on parable time.
9. Pay particular attention to the rule of end stress.
10. Note where the teaching of the parables intersects with the teaching of Jesus elsewhere.
11. Determine the theological intent and significance of each parable.
Some of these principles, admittedly, need a bit more explanation and fleshing out than I am choosing to do in this review, but many of the principles are self-evident. This list at least gives you an idea of how Snodgrass approaches the task of interpretation.
The next section covers Parables in the Ancient World, looking specifically at parables in the Old Testament, Early Jewish Writings, Greco-Roman Writings, The Early Church, and Later Jewish Writings. After that, Snodgrass jumps in to the actual parables themselves, dividing thirty-two parables into nine sections. These sections are entitled:
* Grace and Responsibility
* Parables of Lostness
* The Parable of the Sower and the Purpose of Parables
* Parables of the Present Kingdom in Matthew 13, Mark 4, and Luke 13
* Parables Specifically about Israel
* Parables about Discipleship
* Parables about Money
* Parables concerning God and Prayer, and
* Parables of Future Eschatology
As Snodgrass takes up each parable, he discusses the parable type, raises issues requiring attention, looks at helpful primary source material, does a comparison of the different accounts of the parable in the gospels, discusses textual issues worth noting, highlights helpful cultural information, then gives an explanation of the parable, talks about adapting the parable for our own context, and suggests further reading (as if he were not comprehensive enough for most people!). This really is a well organized book, designed to function more like a manual for ongoing reference, than to read straight through (which I'm not doing).
Finally, the book ends with an epilogue, six appendices, over one hundred pages of notes and almost fifty pages of bibliography, and then two indices. I expect to use this book not only in my current sermon series, but for many years to come and heartily recommend it to others.
April 14, 2021
This is a long, complex book -- essentially a text book.
The first two chapters (on background) were long and dull. Rarely did they include the texts they were discussing.
Chapter 3, where the parables begin to be described is a change of pace. My interest perked up with this discussion.
Intermingled with the technical detail associated with the parables, one occasionally encounters a beautiful rendering of what Christianity is about. One example is the section "Adapting the Parable" for the Good Samaritan (pp 359 - 361). One learns a great deal about true Christianity in this discussion; all by itself, this makes the book worthwhile.
Having now finished the book, I view it as a reference for those who study the parables for a living. It has a wonderful bibliography that identifies references for each parable. It also describes the background and research associated with each individual parable. I'm not certain it would be all that useful to someone preparing a homily (too much information).
Each parable has an "Adapting the Parable" section. This is perhaps the most useful part of the book for the layman. Thus roughly 40 of the 600 pages will brighten your day.
The first two chapters (on background) were long and dull. Rarely did they include the texts they were discussing.
Chapter 3, where the parables begin to be described is a change of pace. My interest perked up with this discussion.
Intermingled with the technical detail associated with the parables, one occasionally encounters a beautiful rendering of what Christianity is about. One example is the section "Adapting the Parable" for the Good Samaritan (pp 359 - 361). One learns a great deal about true Christianity in this discussion; all by itself, this makes the book worthwhile.
Having now finished the book, I view it as a reference for those who study the parables for a living. It has a wonderful bibliography that identifies references for each parable. It also describes the background and research associated with each individual parable. I'm not certain it would be all that useful to someone preparing a homily (too much information).
Each parable has an "Adapting the Parable" section. This is perhaps the most useful part of the book for the layman. Thus roughly 40 of the 600 pages will brighten your day.
May 22, 2020
If you are interested in solid academic research about the Parables this is absolutely the book. Snodgrass does the work for you and presents various groupings of interpretations on each parable. Well written, easy to follow, seriously well researched, and appropriately documented - as fas as I am concerned best book on the Parables on the market.
December 2, 2008
This book is simply incredible.
For those interested in a very detailed study of Jesus' parables, this is the book. The author lists interpretations from ancient, medieval, and modern writers, and then gives his own conclusions. The book is thick (probably 800+ pages), and--if anything else-- is a wonderful reference book to be sure.
For those interested in a very detailed study of Jesus' parables, this is the book. The author lists interpretations from ancient, medieval, and modern writers, and then gives his own conclusions. The book is thick (probably 800+ pages), and--if anything else-- is a wonderful reference book to be sure.
August 21, 2015
Remarkably good. Snodgrass interprets the parables with restraint, sensitivity to contexts of all kinds, and an eye to how they speak to the Church today. No better book on the parables exists.
February 8, 2019
Jefferson Vann reviews a guide to the interpretation of parables, and is impressed with the book’s explanation of The Rich Man & Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31).
When Stephen Wright reviewed Klyne R. Snodgrass’ Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus in 2009, he said the book was “as close to an authoritative reference work on the parables as we shall see for years to come.”1 It has been ten years since it was initially published, and a new second edition2 has just now been placed on the JETS “books received” list. It contains a new chapter which addresses recent scholarship. The book as a whole is a healthy treatment of parables in general.
Particular intent
Snodgrass views the parables of Jesus as stories that he told with a particular intent, hence, the title. He laments that people “have commandeered the parables to express whatever agenda (they) have.”3 They have manipulated the stories “for all kinds of theological, political and social purposes.”4 When we look at parables, we need to keep in mind why Jesus told them, the audience he was speaking to, and his reason for teaching that particular audience via parables. Anything else we teach using parables that does not correspond to his communicative intent is a “rewriting of the parables.”5
Imaginary world
To understand parables, one has to realise that they do not depict reality as it is. They project stories from “an imaginary world that reflects reality.”6 While “a few may draw on historical events, … they do not depict true stories.”7 They “often contain hyperbole, and tend to be pseudo-realistic.”8 Due to this disconnection, Snodgrass warns that “if you cannot validate the teaching you think is in the parable from nonparabolic material elsewhere in the Gospels, you are almost certainly wrong.”9
Nimshal
Many of the parables – both biblical and extra-biblical – contain what is technically termed a nimshal, “an explanation that hammers home the intent.”10 When this explanation is included by the Gospel writer, it helps readers understand Jesus’ primary intent in giving the parable.
On The Rich Man & Lazarus
Snodgrass’ treatment of the Rich Man & Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is worth reading. He categorises the parable as “a single indirect two-stage narrative parable that serves as a warning.”11 It is a single narrative that is told in two stages. The first is the two characters before death; the second after death. The warning is against the rich who fail to use their wealth to help the poor and needy. In this parable, a reversal has occurred. The rich man, who perhaps thought himself blessed by God discovers that he is in torment after death. Poor Lazarus has been exalted to Abraham’s side instead. The nimshal, however, is Luke 16:31.
“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'”(CSB).
Snodgrass concludes that the warning implicit in the parable is twofold. It warns of judgment for the use of wealth and the sufficiency of scriptures. The rich are warned that they are responsible for the poor. They are their brother’s keeper, even when that brother is begging at their door. They are also warned that there is no excuse for neglecting the poor, since the whole of the scriptures teach that those who are blessed should be generous toward those who have need.
Eschatology?
I was particularly interested in how Snodgrass would view the apparent eschatological factors of the parable. He argues against the notion that it was a historical account by showing that Luke certainly depicted it as a parable.12 He argued against associating the parable with the events depicted in John 11. And he said that “the nature of the story does not allow it to be taken as an actual description of the future life.”13 But he stopped short of saying that the parable had no eschatological significance. I agree. The imaginary world that the parable shows us depicts an intermediate state where people are conscious of punishment. When Jesus gave nonparabolic instruction to his disciples about the intermediate state, he taught that those in that state are “sleeping” indicating lack of consciousness.14 He is not contradicting that teaching with this parable. Instead, he uses this parable to teach us all that there will be a judgment day, and those who are financially blessed in this life will be condemned if they never use those blessings to bless others.
The Rich Man & Lazarus is consistently used as a proof-text for the theological doctrines of innate immortality and a conscious intermediate state. It is often used to refute the conditionalist doctrines of the exclusive immortality of God, conditional immortality and the unconscious intermediate state. It is comforting that this current, comprehensive scholarly treatment of the parables refuses to join that bandwagon.
1Wright, Stephen I. “Book Review: Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus”. The Journal of Theological Studies. 60, no. 1: 243-245. (2009).
2Snodgrass, Klyne. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. 2018. Kindle edition.
3Snodgrass, location 106.
4Snodgrass, location 451.
5Snodgrass, location 354.
6Snodgrass, location 476.
7Snodgrass, location 725.
8Snodgrass, location 1798.
9Snodgrass, location 999.
10Snodgrass, location 816.
11Snodgrass, location 9524.
12Snodgrass, location 9669.
13Snodgrass, location 9822.
14Luke 8:52.
When Stephen Wright reviewed Klyne R. Snodgrass’ Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus in 2009, he said the book was “as close to an authoritative reference work on the parables as we shall see for years to come.”1 It has been ten years since it was initially published, and a new second edition2 has just now been placed on the JETS “books received” list. It contains a new chapter which addresses recent scholarship. The book as a whole is a healthy treatment of parables in general.
Particular intent
Snodgrass views the parables of Jesus as stories that he told with a particular intent, hence, the title. He laments that people “have commandeered the parables to express whatever agenda (they) have.”3 They have manipulated the stories “for all kinds of theological, political and social purposes.”4 When we look at parables, we need to keep in mind why Jesus told them, the audience he was speaking to, and his reason for teaching that particular audience via parables. Anything else we teach using parables that does not correspond to his communicative intent is a “rewriting of the parables.”5
Imaginary world
To understand parables, one has to realise that they do not depict reality as it is. They project stories from “an imaginary world that reflects reality.”6 While “a few may draw on historical events, … they do not depict true stories.”7 They “often contain hyperbole, and tend to be pseudo-realistic.”8 Due to this disconnection, Snodgrass warns that “if you cannot validate the teaching you think is in the parable from nonparabolic material elsewhere in the Gospels, you are almost certainly wrong.”9
Nimshal
Many of the parables – both biblical and extra-biblical – contain what is technically termed a nimshal, “an explanation that hammers home the intent.”10 When this explanation is included by the Gospel writer, it helps readers understand Jesus’ primary intent in giving the parable.
On The Rich Man & Lazarus
Snodgrass’ treatment of the Rich Man & Lazarus (Luke 16:19-31) is worth reading. He categorises the parable as “a single indirect two-stage narrative parable that serves as a warning.”11 It is a single narrative that is told in two stages. The first is the two characters before death; the second after death. The warning is against the rich who fail to use their wealth to help the poor and needy. In this parable, a reversal has occurred. The rich man, who perhaps thought himself blessed by God discovers that he is in torment after death. Poor Lazarus has been exalted to Abraham’s side instead. The nimshal, however, is Luke 16:31.
“But he told him, ‘If they don’t listen to Moses and the prophets, they will not be persuaded if someone rises from the dead.'”(CSB).
Snodgrass concludes that the warning implicit in the parable is twofold. It warns of judgment for the use of wealth and the sufficiency of scriptures. The rich are warned that they are responsible for the poor. They are their brother’s keeper, even when that brother is begging at their door. They are also warned that there is no excuse for neglecting the poor, since the whole of the scriptures teach that those who are blessed should be generous toward those who have need.
Eschatology?
I was particularly interested in how Snodgrass would view the apparent eschatological factors of the parable. He argues against the notion that it was a historical account by showing that Luke certainly depicted it as a parable.12 He argued against associating the parable with the events depicted in John 11. And he said that “the nature of the story does not allow it to be taken as an actual description of the future life.”13 But he stopped short of saying that the parable had no eschatological significance. I agree. The imaginary world that the parable shows us depicts an intermediate state where people are conscious of punishment. When Jesus gave nonparabolic instruction to his disciples about the intermediate state, he taught that those in that state are “sleeping” indicating lack of consciousness.14 He is not contradicting that teaching with this parable. Instead, he uses this parable to teach us all that there will be a judgment day, and those who are financially blessed in this life will be condemned if they never use those blessings to bless others.
The Rich Man & Lazarus is consistently used as a proof-text for the theological doctrines of innate immortality and a conscious intermediate state. It is often used to refute the conditionalist doctrines of the exclusive immortality of God, conditional immortality and the unconscious intermediate state. It is comforting that this current, comprehensive scholarly treatment of the parables refuses to join that bandwagon.
1Wright, Stephen I. “Book Review: Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus”. The Journal of Theological Studies. 60, no. 1: 243-245. (2009).
2Snodgrass, Klyne. Stories with Intent: A Comprehensive Guide to the Parables of Jesus. 2018. Kindle edition.
3Snodgrass, location 106.
4Snodgrass, location 451.
5Snodgrass, location 354.
6Snodgrass, location 476.
7Snodgrass, location 725.
8Snodgrass, location 1798.
9Snodgrass, location 999.
10Snodgrass, location 816.
11Snodgrass, location 9524.
12Snodgrass, location 9669.
13Snodgrass, location 9822.
14Luke 8:52.
May 8, 2025
Monumental. Not afraid to push back on common interpretations. It’s academic but very suggestive and a great aid for studying the Gospels.
December 9, 2019
Did a review for Review & Expositor: https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/abs/...
September 4, 2014
Stories with Intent can best be classified as a resource manual, comprehensive guide, or handbook on the parables of Jesus. Klyne Snodgrass explores the context in which these stories were told, their purpose, and the ways they have been interpreted by the church and modern scholarship. Snodgrass begins with an introduction to the parables that includes a history of parables, a definition of a parable, the classification of parables, allegorization, characteristics of Jesus’ parables, and the interpretation of parables. He also provides an overview of other parables from the Old Testament, Jewish writings, and the Greco-Roman world.
As Snodgrass takes up each parable (categorized thematically), he provides an introduction, discusses the parable type, lists issues requiring attention, looks at helpful source material, offers a comparison of the various accounts of the parable, discusses textual features worthy of attention, highlights relevant cultural information, and offers an explanation of the parable. Finally, he includes a section on adapting the parable for today. He deals throughout with a wide spectrum of opinions and interpretations, readily admitting when the answers to questions are open to interpretation. He thoughtfully deals with the question of historical reconstructions of the life of Jesus. He wisely questions a number of dubious assumptions behind much previous work on the parables.
This is a well-organized, incredibly well-researched book written that shows immersion in a vast variety of sources. Snodgrass is usually clear, but the discussion at times bogs down in discussions that are ponderous. A frequent complaint is the use of endnotes instead of footnotes. In many ways, Snodgrass represents evangelical scholarship at its best: mature, thoughtful, and balanced. His book, Stories with Intent, ranks with prominent evangelical works by such authors such as Arland J. Hultgren. In terms of its research, it has no rivals. Stories with Intent is a tremendous resource for pastors, scholars, and students.
As Snodgrass takes up each parable (categorized thematically), he provides an introduction, discusses the parable type, lists issues requiring attention, looks at helpful source material, offers a comparison of the various accounts of the parable, discusses textual features worthy of attention, highlights relevant cultural information, and offers an explanation of the parable. Finally, he includes a section on adapting the parable for today. He deals throughout with a wide spectrum of opinions and interpretations, readily admitting when the answers to questions are open to interpretation. He thoughtfully deals with the question of historical reconstructions of the life of Jesus. He wisely questions a number of dubious assumptions behind much previous work on the parables.
This is a well-organized, incredibly well-researched book written that shows immersion in a vast variety of sources. Snodgrass is usually clear, but the discussion at times bogs down in discussions that are ponderous. A frequent complaint is the use of endnotes instead of footnotes. In many ways, Snodgrass represents evangelical scholarship at its best: mature, thoughtful, and balanced. His book, Stories with Intent, ranks with prominent evangelical works by such authors such as Arland J. Hultgren. In terms of its research, it has no rivals. Stories with Intent is a tremendous resource for pastors, scholars, and students.
April 4, 2019
This book will probably most appeal to pastors or academics as it goes into more detail the most people will be interested in. He doesn't look at every single parable, but looks at different categories of parables and explores the main ones. For each parable, he looked into the main ways that people have interpreted the parable throughout history. He also looked at cultural background information, including quoting sources from around that time period that relate to the topic (like references to procedures for inheritance if the father has not yet died, when studying the Prodigal Son parable). He gets into Greek words and tenses and how this may change how a sentence is interpreted. He talked about if the parable is the same as a similar one in another gospel or if it is not. He favored the more obvious interpretations and the assumption that the parables were really spoken by Jesus. I read the entire thing and, overall, I agreed with his analysis and his reasoning. I'd recommend this book to those who want extensive study on parables or simply want this as a reference book.
August 2, 2011
The most thorough study of the parables I've ever seen or read. This is a fantastic volume and indispensable if you are studying or preaching the parables. The background work that Snodgrass puts into this is incredible. His interpretations are well founded on solid scholarship and very insightful for pastors trying to preach well the stories of Jesus. If I were only going to buy one book on the parables, this would be it!
December 4, 2010
This is a sensational resource for preaching the parables. Snodgrass has a thorough familiarity with the vast wealth of literature on the parables. I particularly appreciated the organization of each chapter/section. Made it very easy to skip parts you weren't all that interested in at the moment and find help with specific issues you were focusing on.
March 26, 2014
Stories with Intent by Klyne Snodgrass is the best book on the parables of Jesus on the market. You will not find a more thorough and erudite treatment of the subject as manageable and serviceable practical to a spectrum of readers. Scholars and serious students and pastors should find Stories of Intent a treasure trove and essential resource.
March 15, 2012
Certainly not the only book out there on parables, but one of the most comprehensive and important. If you work with the parables, you can't ignore Snodgrass. This book is a wonderful reference work on the parabolic material.
December 14, 2012
As the title of the book implies, Snodgrass takes a very in-depth look at the parables. I appreciate his take on many of the parables and find his sections on interpretation and adaptation to be quite a helpful starting point.
January 29, 2016
The most extensive exegetical book concerning the parables of Jesus. Written in an understandable way, this book is truly a resource for theologians and those who wish to study the parables on a deeper level.
November 19, 2013
Such a definitive work on the parables from a gracious, godly scholar!
November 5, 2018
Far too scholarly for me! I tried, really hard. Excellent for someone who wants to dig really deep, with excessive verbosity ;)
December 22, 2018
If you’re looking to do some in depth study of the parables of Jesus, look no further than this book. Simply outstanding.
Currently reading
May 18, 2021This is a marvellous resource! I wanted to get it because I've been teaching The Parables in some of my religion classes. And I'm thrilled to have discovered it.
November 10, 2020
The most comprehensive treatment of the Parables to date (with the 2nd edition that came out).
November 28, 2023
Scholarly. No way around it. When the subtitle tells you that this book is a "comprehensive guide" it really means to be accurate.
Because of that, there ended up being plenty of times where the amount of information was much more than was needed. But that could be a case-by-case determinant, where it was unhelpful or useless to me but would be exactly what someone else was looking for. Either way, it's all here!
And wow was this book helpful! Since Snodgrass tells you in the introduction that he wrote this book to be the kind of book he wished that he had when preparing to preach on the parables, it was no surprise that it was exactly the book that I was elated to have as I prepared a sermon series on Jesus' parables!
There were various times when the insights on culture, language, various interpretations, etc. proved to be completely invaluable! For instance, there are parables that I had largely (and unknowingly) misunderstood until reading this book. (It never ceases to amaze me how easy it can be to "read into" a portion of Scripture what we already have come to believe.) So I am immensely grateful that I had this book to help illuminate so much of why Jesus told parables, how they existed culturally in Jewish and Roman civilizations, the variety of ways that these parables have been interpreted, and what is most likely the best actual understanding of each of them.
This dense scholarly resource will be one I return to or recommend to others whenever the topic of parables comes up.
Because of that, there ended up being plenty of times where the amount of information was much more than was needed. But that could be a case-by-case determinant, where it was unhelpful or useless to me but would be exactly what someone else was looking for. Either way, it's all here!
And wow was this book helpful! Since Snodgrass tells you in the introduction that he wrote this book to be the kind of book he wished that he had when preparing to preach on the parables, it was no surprise that it was exactly the book that I was elated to have as I prepared a sermon series on Jesus' parables!
There were various times when the insights on culture, language, various interpretations, etc. proved to be completely invaluable! For instance, there are parables that I had largely (and unknowingly) misunderstood until reading this book. (It never ceases to amaze me how easy it can be to "read into" a portion of Scripture what we already have come to believe.) So I am immensely grateful that I had this book to help illuminate so much of why Jesus told parables, how they existed culturally in Jewish and Roman civilizations, the variety of ways that these parables have been interpreted, and what is most likely the best actual understanding of each of them.
This dense scholarly resource will be one I return to or recommend to others whenever the topic of parables comes up.
August 25, 2021
Snodgrass weaves together interpretations from 2000 years of writings for each parable with applications facing readers today.
This book has not only a level of research and citation that will appeal to academics, but also a depth of care that will appeal to parable readers looking to deepen their understanding.
So, this book is great as both a resource and a guide for small group study. Glad to have it on my shelf.
This book has not only a level of research and citation that will appeal to academics, but also a depth of care that will appeal to parable readers looking to deepen their understanding.
So, this book is great as both a resource and a guide for small group study. Glad to have it on my shelf.
March 23, 2024
To call this a comprehensive study of the parables of Jesus doesn't do justice to the word "comprehensive." It is a meticulous study of what each parable means, with extensive bibliographies and lists of primary source material an advanced students could use to track down and respond to. I am using this in an upper-level undergraduate class and I am glad to be able to share it with my students. This book came highly recommended from two academics I greatly respect and it was worthwhile.
July 31, 2024
An excellent reference book to have on hand if you're teaching the parables. Snodgrass analyses each parable textually, culturally and exegetically, and then reflects on its contemporary relevance. There is also a bibliography for each parable, as well as a list of biblical and extrabiblical parallels. The analytical question-and-answer approach is not always particularly inspiring, but the contents are helpful, and that's the main thing.
July 16, 2020
This book contained much more information than I personally needed. It was incredibly researched and the author is about as thorough as can be.
Having said that, the book was very helpful and the summaries and applications for each parable were GREAT!
Having said that, the book was very helpful and the summaries and applications for each parable were GREAT!
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February 16, 2023It is a difficult read because of the wealth of information and deep dive into Jesus' parables, nevertheless, I loved it. Having read it, my next read through of the Gospels will be much richer, plus I will have the book to look things up as I go.
November 7, 2023
Excellent book for a deep-dive into understanding the parables of Jesus. We often miss their meaning with our modern assumptions but Snodgrass gives well-researched structure for re-reading the parables and appreciating their beauty and meaning.
March 4, 2017
Amazing work on the Parables!
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