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Biography
Dr. Michelle Knight joins the Wheaton faculty after serving as Assistant and Associate Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages at Trinity Evangelical Divinity School (2018–2026).
Dr. Knight grew up surrounded by the cornfields of central Illinois, where she learned to love wide open spaces, down to earth people, and the way God speaks through Scripture. Her initial interest in studying the Old Testament and biblical languages grew out of a desire to strengthen the local church's capacity to interpret the Bible for dynamic preaching. She became captivated by the Old Testament’s gritty realism and complex characters, as well as the unique avenues for theological and ethical reflection offered by Hebrew narratives. Her work centers in Judges and the Former Prophets, but touches on violence, embedded poems, and narrative technique throughout the Old Testament. These interests are reflected in her first book, The Prophet’s Anthem: The Song of Deborah and Barak in the Narrative of Judges (BUP, 2024).
Dr. Knight also serves as Senior Reviewer for the Historical Books for the New Living Translation. She and her husband, Kenyon, have a son, Oliver. Outside of school, she enjoys a good latte, purring cats on her lap, and strolls in the prairie near her home.
Education
Wheaton College
Ph.D., Old Testament, 2018
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
M.Div., 2013
Lincoln Christian University
B.A., Biblical Exposition, 2008
Areas of Expertise
- Joshua
- Judges
- Narrative Criticism
- Embedded Poetry
Professional Memberships
- Institute for Biblical Research
- Society of Biblical Literature
- Evangelical Theological Society
- Steering Committee Chair, “Old Testament Theology”
- Steering Committee Member, “Warfare and Violence”
Books
The Prophet's Anthem: The Song of Deborah and Barak in the Narrative of Judges (BUP, 2024)
Books Under Contract
The Historical Books. Reading Christian Scripture. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Judges and Ruth. Co-authored with Brittany N. Melton. Baker Commentary on the Old Testament: Historical Books. Series edited by David Firth and Lissa Wray Beal. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic.
Joshua. The Bible in God’s World Commentary. Series edited by M. Daniel Carroll R. and Lissa Wray Beal. Eugene, OR: Cascade.
Select Publications
“The Prophet’s Song of Victory: Judges 5 within a Trajectory of Theological Training in the Book of Judges.” Bulletin for Biblical Research 33.4 (2023): 287–303.
“Geometry and Psalmody: Characterization and the Role of Deborah’s Song (Judges 5)” in “Now These Records are Ancient”: Studies in Ancient Near Eastern and Biblical History, Language and Culture in Honor of K. Lawson Younger, Jr. Edited by James K. Hoffmeier, Richard E. Averbeck, J. Caleb Howard, and Wolfgang Zwinckel. Ägypten und Altes Testament 114. Münster: Zaphon, 2022.
“Judges” in Lexham Context Commentary: Old Testament. Edited by Douglas Mangum and Steven E. Runge. Billingham, WA: Lexham Press, 2020.
Select Academic Lectures
“Heeding the Prophetic Interpreter: How Deborah’s Song (Judg 5) Trains Us to Read Hebrew Battle Narratives” Jan 30, 2025, Forester Lecture (Endowed), Huntington University, Huntington, IN.
“Theological Reflections on the Migration Experiences of God’s People in the Old Testament” June 18, 2024, TICI Youth Leadership Forum, Deerfield, IL Thriving Immigrant Congregations Initiative.
“Deborah the Interpreter: How Deborah’s Song Teaches Us to Read Hebrew Battle Narratives” Nov 5, 2020, Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary, Wake Forest, NC Evangelical Voices in the Academy Lecture.