Faculty Profiles

After a season of rebellion in his late teens, Dr. Abernethy experienced God’s mercy in Christ in a radical way and transferred to a liberal arts Christian college. A major surprise arose at his new college; though he thought the Bible was boring before, he now loved reading it, even the Old Testament. He was not naïve, however, about the challenges of understanding these ancient Scriptures. By the end of his college years, Dr. Abernethy sensed God directing him to devote his life to studying and teaching God’s word. He went on to seminary, and after a few years in pastoral ministry, undertook further study in the Old Testament.

Prior to joining the faculty at Wheaton, Dr. Abernethy was a Lecturer in Old Testament at Ridley College (Melbourne), where he benefited greatly from teaching and living with fellow Christians in a cross-cultural and post-Christian context. At Wheaton, he is excited to see students enjoy getting to know God more through the Old Testament and grow as faithful interpreters of Scripture. Dr. Abernethy's primary research area is the book of Isaiah, though Psalms, the Latter Prophets, biblical theology, and the topic of eating attract his attention too. He has written numerous articles and is also the author of several books: Eating in Isaiah (Brill, 2014), The Book of Isaiah and God’s Kingdom (IVP, 2016), God’s Messiah in the Old Testament (Baker, 2020), Discovering Isaiah (Eerdmans/SPCK, 2021), and Savoring Scripture: A Six-Step Guide to Studying the Bible (IVP Academic, 2022). Dr. Abernethy is accepting applications for Ph.D. students in the area of Old Testament.

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
Ph.D., Old Testament, 2012

Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
M.Div. (Summa Cum Laude), 2006

Bethel College (IN)
B.A. (Magna Cum Laude), Liberal Studies, 2002

• Isaiah, Psalms, and the Prophets
• Theological/Canonical Interpretation
• Literary-thematic approaches to the Old Testament
• Old Testament Theology
• integration of ancient context, literary analysis, and reception

• Society of Biblical Literature: member
• Institute for Biblical Research: member
• Evangelical Theological Society: member

• Department of Biblical and Theological Studies
• M.A. in Biblical Exegesis

Discovering Isaiah: Context, Interpretation, Reception. Discovering Biblical Texts Series. 2020. Grand Rapids/London: Eerdmans/SPCK.

The Messiah in the Old Testament. 2019. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.

The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach. New Studies in Biblical Theology 40. 2016. Nottingham/Downers Grove: IVP.

Eating in Isaiah: Approaching Food and Drink in Isaiah's Structure and Message. Biblical Interpretation Series 131. 2014. Leiden: Brill.

Isaiah and Imperial context: The Book of Isaiah in Times of Empire. Edited by Andrew T. Abernethy, Mark G. Brett, Tim Bulkeley, and Tim Meadowcroft. 2013. Eugene, OR: Pickwick.

*** Additional Presentations and Appearances
See CV Link Above for Details

• Old Testament Literature
• Hermeneutics and Biblical Interpretation
• Hebrew Grammar

Books

Savoring Scripture: A Six-Step Guide to Studying the Bible. Downers Grove: IVP Academic, 2022.

Discovering Isaiah: Context, Interpretation, Reception. Discovering Biblical Texts Series. Grand Rapids/London: Eerdmans/SPCK, 2021.

God's Messiah in the Old Testament: Expectations of a Coming King. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 2020. (with Gregory Goswell)

Eating in Isaiah: Approaching the Role of Food and Drink in Isaiah's Structure and Message (Biblical Interpretation). Biblical Interpretation Series 131. Leiden: Brill, 2014.

“All in all, Abernethy has presented a valuable, erudite, and profound work in reading the book of Isaiah. Its research is up-to-date and well-balanced, rich with ancient resources, recent scholarly discussions, and interpretive acumen. Thanks to Abernethy’s fine contribution, Isaiah readers cannot afford to glance over the theme of eating and drinking but instead will want to analyze and appreciate this theme more carefully and holistically as an essential key thread, or menu, in the cuisine of interpretive tasks.” (H. C. P. Kim, Biblical Interpretation, 2016)

The Book of Isaiah and God's Kingdom: A Thematic-Theological Approach (New Studies in Biblical Theology). New Studies in Biblical Theology 40. Nottingham/Downers Grove: IVP, 2016. 

“[T]his volume is a stunning achievement...” (Seulgi Byun, Themelios, 2017)

Edited Books

Isaiah and Intertextuality. Forschungen zum Alten Testament, 2. Ed. Wilson de Angelo Cunha and Andrew T. Abernethy. Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2024.

The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness: Reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel as Christian Scripture. Ed. Andrew T. Abernethy, William R. Osborne, and Paul Wegner. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2023.

Interpreting the Old Testament Theologically: Essays in Honor of Willem A. Vangemeren. Ed. Andrew T. Abernethy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018.

Isaiah and Imperial Context: The Book of Isaiah in the Times of Empire. Edited by Andrew T. Abernethy, Mark G. Brett, Tim Bulkeley, and Tim Meadowcroft. Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013.  

Future Books Under Contract

Micah. Pillar Old Testament Commentary. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans. Under contract for 2031.

Psalms. Evangelical Exegetical Commentary. Bellingham, OR: Lexham, under contract for 2027, 2029. With Elizabeth Backfish.

Obadiah. Reformed Exegetical Commentary Series. Wheaton: Crossway, under contract for 2025.

New Handbook on the Prophetic Books. Grand Rapids, Baker. Under contract for Dec 2025.

Peer-Reviewed Articles

“The Shape and Shaping of Psalms and Isaiah in the Zion Tradition.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly (accepted; forthcoming)

“Centralization and Decentralization at the Table: Esther, Isaiah, and COVID-19 Religious Feasts in Dialogue.” Biblische Notizen 198 (2023): 39–54.

“Canonical Imagination, COVID-19, and Communion: Illumination from Isaiah’s Banquet and Purim in Esther.” Journal of Theological Interpretation 16, no. 2 (2022): 149–67.

“A Tale of Modern Scholarship on Isaiah: Humpty’s Fall and Resurrection.” Didaktikos 5.3 (2022): 14–18.

“The Spirit of God in Haggai 2:5: Prophecy as a Sign of God’s Spirit.” Vetus Testamentum 70 (2020): 511–20.

“‘Mountains Moved into the Sea’: The Western Reception of Psalm 46:1 and 3 [45:1 and 3 LXX] from the Septuagint to Luther.” Journal of Theological Studies 70.2 (2019): 523–45.

“Influential Old Testament Theologies.” Unio Cum Christo: International Journal of Reformed Theology and Life 5.1 (2019): 219–222.

“The Ruined Vineyard Motif in Isaiah 1–39: Insights from Cognitive Linguistics.” Biblica 99.3 (2018): 334–350.

“Feasts and Taboo Eating in Isaiah: Anthropology as a Stimulant for the Exegete’s Imagination.” Catholic Biblical Quarterly 80.3 (2018): 393–408.

“Is Psalm 8 a Messianic Psalm? Reading Psalm 8 as Christian Scripture.” Reformed Faith and Practice 2.3 (2017): 5–17.

“God as Teacher in Psalm 25.” Vetus Testamentum 65.3 (2015): 339–51.

“The People of God in Isaiah: Trembling at God’s Word.” Reflections 16–17 (2015): 27–36. [Festschrift for Eugene Carpenter]

“‘Right Paths’ and/or ‘Paths of Righteousness’? Examining Psalm 23.3b within the Psalter.” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 39.3 (2015): 299–318.

“Theological Patterning in Jeremiah: A Vital Word through an Ancient Book.” Bulletin for Biblical Research 24.2 (2014): 149–61.

“Jonathan Edwards as Multi-Dimensional Bible Interpreter: A Case Study from Isaiah 40–55.” Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society 56.4 (2013): 815–30.

Essays in Edited Volumes

“Interpreting the Bible Faithfully.” Hard Sayings of the New Testament. Ed. Nijay Gupta and Amy Peeler. Downers Grove, IVP (due in Jan 2026)

“Isaiah.” Wine and Fermented Beverages in the Bible. Edited by John Dunne. London: T & T Clark, due in Dec 2025 (5-7k words)

“Isaiah 1–39.” Commentary on the Old Testament’s Use of the Old Testament. Edited by Mark Boda and Wilson de Angelo Cunha. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, forthcoming in 2025.

“Wilderness in Isaiah.” Wilderness as a Theme in Biblical Theology. Edited by Brian Rosner and T. D. Alexander. Grand Rapids: Kregel, forthcoming in 2024.

“Isaiah 12 as a Test Case for a Reader-Oriented Approach.” Pages 55–72 in The Role of the Reader in the Formation and the Reception of the Book of Isaiah. Studies in Cultural Contexts of the Bible 9. Edited by Archibald L.H.M van Wieringen and Sehoon Jang. Leiden: Brill, 2024.

“Seeing the King in Isaiah: Disruptive Metaphor in Isaiah 6 and 33,” in Prophets and Poetry: Performance, Voicing, and Metaphor in the Hebrew Bible, eds. Beth Stovell, Elizabeth Hayes, and Carol Dempsey. LHBOTS. New York: Bloomsbury, Submitted; Forthcoming.

“Emulating the Apostles: Reading Isaiah as Christian Scripture in the Footsteps of the Apostles.” Pages 51–69 in The Prophets and the Apostolic Witness: Reading Isaiah, Jeremiah, and Ezekiel as Christian Scripture, eds. Andrew T. Abernethy, William R. Osborne, and Paul Wegner. Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2023.

“Divine Warrior.” Pages 193–97 in Dictionary of the New Testament’s Use of the Old Testament, eds. Benjamin Gladd, D. A. Carson, G. K. Beale, and Andrew Naselli. Grand Rapids: Baker, 2023.

“At the Table: Esther in Dialogue with Isaiah.” Pages 71­-82 in Reading Esther Intertextually, eds. David Firth and Brittany Melton. LHBOTS 752. New York: Bloomsbury, 2022.

“Honoring the Wise King: The Solomonic Ideal in 1–2 Kings and Beyond.” Pages 39–49 in Honoring the Wise: Wisdom in Scripture, Ministry, and Life; Celebrating Lindsay Wilson’s Thirty Years at Ridley. Ed. Jill Firth and Paul A. Barker. Eugene: Wipf and Stock, 2022.

“Eating in the Latter Prophets.” Pages 529–44 in T&T Clark Handbook of Food in the Hebrew Bible and Ancient Israel, eds. Janling Fu, Cynthia Shafer-Elliott, and Carol Meyers. New York: Bloomsbury.

“Wisdom and Isaiah.” Oxford Handbook of Isaiah. Edited by Lena-Sofia Tiemeyer. New York/Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2020, 334–51.

“Introduction.” Interpreting the Old Testament Theologically: Essays in Honor of Willem VanGemeren. Ed. Andrew T. Abernethy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018, 17–21.

“Genre and Theological Vision.” Interpreting the Old Testament Theologically: Essays in Honor of Willem VanGemeren. Ed. Andrew T. Abernethy. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2018, 43–56.

“Eating, Assyrian Imperialism, and God’s Kingdom in Isaiah.” Pages 35–50 in Isaiah and Imperial Context:  The Book of Isaiah in the Times of Empire. Edited by Andrew Abernethy, Mark Brett, Tim Bulkeley, and Tim Meadowcroft.  Eugene, OR: Pickwick, 2013.

“Spirit and Future: A Canonical Approach.” Pages 321–45 in Presence, Power and Promise: The Role of the Spirit of God in the Old Testament. Edited by David G. Firth and Paul D. Wegner. Nottingham: Apollos, 2011. With Willem A. VanGemeren.