Urban Legends of the Old Testament: 40 Common Misconceptions.  By David A Croteau and Gary E. Yates.  Published by B&H Publishing Group (2019).

This book discussed 40 misinterpretations of Old Testament passages.

Here’s a list of contents.  Items marked with a *star are included in my own set of ‘legends’.

*1. In the “Gap” between Genesis 1:1 and 1:2, Satan Fell.  This would require the reading, ‘And the earth became formless and empty’.  What would then follow would be an account of re-creation.  The insertion of a satanic fall between verses 1 and 2 is merely speculative.

2. The Trinity Is Directly Taught in Genesis 1:26.  The use of ‘we’ and ‘our’ probably refers to God and his heavenly council.  ‘Elohim’ is a plural of majesty.  This text paves the way for Trinitarian theology, but does not teach it explicitly.

3. Women Were Created Inferior to Men, Genesis 2:18–20.

4. The Virgin Birth Was Prophesied in Genesis, Genesis 3:15.  It is argued that the mention of the ‘seed of the woman’ predicts the virgin birth of our Lord.  But this expression probalby refers to Eve as the mother of all living and the progenitor of the human race.

5. Radical Islam Has Inherited Ishmael’s Violent Spirit, Genesis 16:12.  The Bible appears to teach that the descendants of Ishmael were destined always to be violence, and this is apparent in radical Islam today.  But the description of Ishamel as a ‘wild donkey’ suggest freedom of spirit, rather than violence.  Even the reference to hostility in Gen 16:12 should be seen, in context, as having more to do with the same independance of spirit.

6. The Angel of the Lord Refers to the Preincarnate Jesus, Genesis 18:1–13.

7. Taking the Lord’s Name in Vain Refers to Using God’s Name as a Curse Word, Exodus 20:7

8. The Tabernacle Was an Elaborate Picture of Jesus, Exodus 25–40

9. Unintentional Sin Is Inconsequential, Leviticus 4–5

10. The Mosaic Food Laws Were about Healthy Living, Leviticus 11

11. The High Priest Wore a Rope around His Ankle on the Day of Atonement, Leviticus 16

12. Old Testament Saints Were Saved by Keeping the Mosaic Law, Leviticus 18:5

13. Using the Mosaic Law to Label Homosexuality as Sinful Is Logically Inconsistent, Leviticus 18:22 and 20:13

14. The Tithe in Ancient Israel Was 10 Percent of Income, Leviticus 27:30–33

15. The Old Testament Law Is Divided into Three Parts, Deuteronomy 6:1

16. God Never Expected Israel to Keep His Law, Deuteronomy 29:4

*17. NASA Found Joshua’s Long Day, Joshua 10:12–15.

*18. You Can Know God’s Will by Putting out the Proverbial Fleece, Judges 6

19. God Never Wanted Israel to Have a King, 1 Samuel 8–12

20. Christians Should Never Question the Authority of Church Leaders, 1 Samuel 24–26

21. If Americans Repent, God Promises to Fix Our Nation, 2 Chronicles 7:14

22. Behemoth and Leviathan Are Dinosaurs, Job 40–41

23. Psalm 22 Directly Predicts the Crucifixion of Jesus, Psalm 22:16

24. Imprecatory Psalms Are Horrible Models for Christian Prayer, Psalm 109

25. Psalm 116 Teaches How God Welcomes His Saints at Death, Psalm 116:15

*26. Proper Parenting Guarantees Godly Children, Proverbs 22:6

*27. Without Vision, People Perish, Proverbs 29:18

28. Proverbs 31: A Checklist for the Perfect Wife, Proverbs 31:10–31

29. “Under the Sun” in Ecclesiastes Refers to Life without God, Ecclesiastes 1:2–3

30. The Song of Songs Is a Biblical Model for Dating and Marriage, Song of Songs 3:6–5:1.  The Song of Songs is a highly poetic celebration of love and marriage.  It does not, however tell the story of a specific couple.

31. Isaiah 9 Contains a Prophecy against Post-9/11 America, Isaiah 9:10–11

*32. Isaiah 14 Portrays the Fall of Satan, Isaiah 14:12–15

33. God Created Evil, Isaiah 45:7

*34. God’s Word Will Never Return Void When We Preach and Evangelize, Isaiah 55:11

*35. God Has Promised You a Bright and Prosperous Future, Jeremiah 29:11

36. The City of Babylon Must Be Rebuilt to Fulfill Prophecy, Jeremiah 50–51

37. God Intended “Ezekiel Bread” to Be a Health Food, Ezekiel 4:9

38. Gog of Magog Refers to the Leader of Russia, Ezekiel 38–39

39. Jonah’s Preaching Produced the Greatest Revival Ever, Jonah 3

40. Christians Must Bring Their Whole Tithe into the Local Church, Malachi 3:8–10