Book O'Mine ~ The Bible Illustrated by Marc Chagall

The men took me out for my birthday a while back and after a yummy dinner at the Bonefish Grill, we stopped in at Barnes & Noble because though it was my resolution not to buy myself any books this year, Stan is still allowed to. I happened upon this volume in the Bible section. I was immediately drawn to the cover. The artwork of Marc Chagall always calls to me.

Inside this cover, it reads:

Marc Chagall began illustrating the Bible in 1931, and it became his
lifelong passion. Over the next thirty-five years, he produced more than
100 etchings, lithographs, and paintings that embodied his deep religious faith
and passionate exploration of biblical themes.

I had no idea, so I thought I'd share this neat book and some of the pages.


It seems he finished Genesis, Exodus and Song of Solomon. I think this alone is amazing and wonderful.

Here is Chagall's Paradise

Noah releasing the dove

Noah and the rainbow God sent as a promise

I love this lithograph of Abraham and Sarah

This is Moses being taken from the reeds

and Moses holding the tablets

The dance of Miriam, Moses' sister


If you haven't read the Song of Solomon, you're missing out on quite a love story.

Let him kiss me with the kisses of his mouth: for thy love is better than wine.

By night on my bed I sought him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. I will rise now, and go about the city in the streets, and in the broad ways I will seek him whom my soul loveth: I sought him, but I found him not. The watchmen that go about the city found me: to whom I said, Saw ye him whom my soul loveth? It was but a little that I passed from them, but I found whom my soul loveth: I held him, and would not let him go, until I had brought him into my mother's house, and into the chamber of her that conceived me.

Set me as a seal upon thine heart, as a seal upon thine arm: for love is strong as death; jealousy is cruel as the grave: the coals thereof are coals of fire, which hath a most vehement flame. Many waters cannot quench love, neither can the floods drown it: if a man would give all the substance of his house for love, it would utterly be contemned.


I love these illustrated volumes of Chagall's. His personal expression of the Word he loved reminds me to feel big things about the power in the Bible and man's response to it.