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Genesis: Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching

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If you are searching for a commentary on the book of Genesis to help in private study, or for preparation of teaching, then you have probably been frustrated by the blizzard of books on the subject which are either too lightweight, too evangelical, or too technical. Dr. Brueggemann's learned book delivers where the others fail. His prose is lively with penetrating insights into the text of Genesis that make you sit up, and say "Oh yeah! I never thought of that before!" The author is internationally recognized as one of the leading authorities on the Old Testament, so you don't have to worry about buying a book with bad scholorship. And thankfully, the good professor keeps the lay audience in mind and does not indulge the academic penchant of catalogueing each verse as being composed by one of the "JEPD" schools. In summary, this is a very good book (although the section on Joseph is a little weak on insight) for the person who is seeking a readable, enjoyable, and illuminating commentary designed to help the layperson apply the book of Genesis to their own lives, and to prepare lessons in that regard.

I am a lay Sunday school teacher of adult classes, and I was searching for a commentary that was balanced yet understandable. This book met my needs and helped me convey some of the difficult passages to a diverse audience. One of the best elements of the book is the structural overview of each major section of Genesis and the increasingly more focused analysis thereafter. All in all this was a great guide on my spiritual journey.

This is one of the best commentaries I have ever read and by far the best I have read on Genesis. Like all the commentaries in the series, this is a preaching commentary and I find his handing of the creation narrative as a proclamation of sovereignty to be excellent. I wish I had found this commentary much earlier in my journey.

I used this book as a key reference when preparing a sermon on the life of Abraham. Brueggmann provides plenty of fascinating insight and details that can help make the biblical story come to life, touching the heart as well as the mind.

This book is an excellent, in-depth commentary on the Book of Genesis. Dr. Brueggemann is particularly helpful in bringing new insights into very familiar stories. This book is an invaluable aid for anyone teaching a class or just studying on his own.

No other commentary I have read on Genesis has caused me to spontaneously want to praise God upon reading it.
Although some of Walter Brueggemann's positions on textual integrity are a bit more liberal than I would be comfortable with (example: doubting Mosaic authorship for the book of Genesis), he nevertheless has an incredibly sound exposition of the text as it stands in its canonical form.

The exegetical insights are keen, the theological and practical implications are sharp and invigorating, and his writing style is lively and creative.

The one thing I appreciate most about Brueggemann's treatment of Genesis is that he allows the text to speak without softening its edges. When he comes across a passage that is problematic or difficult to interpret in our "civilized" Western culture, he does not excuse the Scriptures with a milder interpretation. He instead assumes the Scriptures have a reason for why they are written the way they are, and that we must grapple with these difficulties, not as problems to fix, but most likely as the entry point into our way of thinking which God wants to change and redeem.

As said in the title, this is a MUST for any expositor of the book of Genesis.

If you are looking for a thought provoking commentary on Genesis then this is easily the one. There is not a better Old Testament Scholar than Walter Brueggemann. He is a dynamic writer and speaker that does not get bogged down in non-essentials. If you are looking for someone that is going to argue Genesis as a science book then this one is not for you, but if you are looking to get at the real meaning of Genesis then this stop here and order this book. Brueggemann gets at the underlying theme of blessing and cursing (which is linked always to children) and a God who watches over and keeps promise in the midst of impossible human situations. The good news for those who do not know Hebrew is that this commentary is not overly technical. There is simply no way not to get some good stuff for preaching out of this commentary.

This is a fabulous commentary -- one of the very best I've ever used. Brueggemann is careful to do the "critical-historical" work, but he also brings a narrative sense -- and a preacher's sense -- to the interpretation of the text. His goal is to enable today's church to access the book of Genesis for its proclamation and ministry. (I'm amazed and disappointed that Doulos couldn't do that! Some people really are blinded by philosophy!)

Would that all biblical commentaries were as well-done, as relevant, as powerful as this! High recommended.

Firstly, I am glad I opted for a theological commentary over an exegetical for my first take at reading Genesis seriously. I cannot begin to imagine reading footnote after footnote about this particular word and this particular source and the dating the of the book of Genesis. Secondly, I am glad I did not choose a author who would try to convince of an early dating for Genesis or the historical-scientific proofs for a six day creation. I honestly didn't know where Brueggemann stood on such issues, but I was prepared to disagree with him.

It may seem obvious to those who studied Genesis in detail or who had more than a cursory reading when trying desperately to finish reading the Bible in a year, but to those of us finally coming into our studies, the names of each of these books is so important to how one studies them. As Brueggemann points out, Genesis is about the genesis of a world and a family. It is about giving a history for a people in exile. That being said, Brueggemann does get into some historical-critical discussions, but these are never the focus of his writing. He'll often mention sources that we are familiar with like J, E and P but this is usually in passing as if the reader already assumes such sources.

Genesis, according to Brueggemann, can be taken into two halves: the cosmological genesis and the anthropological genesis. The latter genesis can then be broken into four sections: the Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph cycles. Chief among them is the promise of Abraham which pervades the three remaining cycles is the also that which propels the other cycles into the book of Exodus. Brueggemann argues that we must follow the title Genesis even along to the end which is really not an ending, but really is a beginning that takes us to the Exodus story.

Brueggemann's writing style is clearly homiletical as he often gives cross-reference to the gospels or Paul, and often makes connection between the ancient communities of Genesis and how these should or shouldn't shape the Christian communities of the present. Certainly this is not a commentary that should be used on its own for research or scholarly purposes, but it is certainly a beginning place for theological interpretation of Scripture.

The new paperback editions make for affordability but lack the former durability.

Brueggemann's work on Genesis in the Interpretation series is the best work on Genesis I have come across. It is simple, streight foreward but contains some deep revelation and concepts I have never thought of on the life of Abraham, even though I have taught on the passage for 25 yrs.
It may not be satisfactory for a Hebrew scholar but any pastor or preacher should get some gold out of it.