River bible institute reviews5/9/2023 ![]() ![]() Concerning Cain’s murder of Abel and what follows (Gen 4:1–16), Goldingay brings up some potentially complex aspects of the text, such as who Cain’s executioners might be, for instance, but then, regrettably, sidesteps the issue(s) by claiming that these chapters are (merely) “historical parables” and that “in a parable one does not press the details” (p. Three examples to this end should suffice. These assertions, of course, have certain implications that may trouble some readers. ![]() Whereas some readers of Genesis have seen it as simple story, others as pure fiction, it looks more like something in between, like the Greek histories or like movies ‘based on fact’ that use imagination to bring out the significance of events” (p. Concerning this last point, specifically, Goldingay states: “One of the trickiest tasks in interpretation is determining whether an author was seeking to write history or fiction. For instance, the sparse introduction (eleven pages) covers such matters as the overarching schema of the book of Genesis (genealogies), the origin, text, and language of Genesis, how to understand narrative, and the relationship between story and history. That being said, however, this commentary is not above reproach, and not a few readers will almost undoubtedly find reason(s) to nitpick and/or take umbrage with various aspects of Goldingay’s work. Goldingay’s capacity to effectively bridge the divide between the pulpit and the ivory tower is highly commendable and provides tremendous insight for the church’s ministry. To be clear, throughout the text, aside from the “interpretation” sections, Goldingay also includes a number of “implications.” Racism, injustice, sexuality, the world scene, even taxes, are all addressed in these brief snippets. Goldingay too has an exceptional knack for keeping the concerns of the “person in the pew” at the forefront of the discussion. The commentary also uses informed nomenclature, such as w əqātal and yiqtol, pays close attention to various aspects of Hebrew syntax, and makes extensive reference to many standard reference grammars, such as IBHS, GKC, JM, and DG. He judiciously cites the standard lexicons and avoids many of the all-too-common exegetical fallacies (etymologizing, semantic overload, etc.). The differences between these two works, however, are (mostly) negligible.Īlthough some readers may quibble with the fact that all references to Hebrew are in transliteration, Goldingay’s actual engagement with the language is par excellence. Regrettably, there is no Hebrew word index.Ĭoncerning the translation that is used throughout this volume, Goldingay makes clear that he utilized an earlier version of his The First Testament: A New Translation (Downers Grove, IL: IVP Academic, 2018), which was then reworked as he wrote the commentary itself (p. The book rounds off with an impressive forty-page bibliography and three indices–author, subject, and scripture/other ancient writings. Part 4: The lines of descent of Jacob, through Joseph (Gen 36:1–50:26).Part 3: The lines of descent of Isaac and Rebekah, through Jacob (Gen 25:12–35:29).Part 2: The lines of descent of Terah, through Abraham and Sarah (Gen 11:27–25:11).Part 1: The lines of descent of the heavens and the earth, through Noah (Gen 1:1–11:26).Goldingay’s work is divided into four roughly equal sections: John Goldingay’s commentary on Genesis marks the first entry of this exciting new series. That is, the commentaries consider not merely what God originally said through the authors of the Torah but also what God is saying today through these ancient books” (p. The BCOT volumes are “critically informed and respect the original discourse as well as the theological dimensions of the text. Enter the Baker Commentary on the Old Testament (BCOT): Pentateuch. ![]() As such, it behooves all Christians to ensure that they have ready access to reliable resources for reading such important texts. As the first book of the Pentateuch, it is “the fountainhead from which the Bible’s ‘Torah’ (its teaching) flows” (p. Few canonical writings are as formative to the shape of Scripture as the book of Genesis.
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