Genesis (New Cambridge Bible Commentary) [Paperback]

Bill T. Arnold (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 6, 2008 | Series: New Cambridge Bible Commentary

This commentary is an innovative interpretation of one of the most profound texts of world literature: the book of Genesis. The first book of the Bible has been studied, debated, and expounded as much as any text in history, yet because it addresses the weightiest questions of life and faith, it continues to demand our attention. The author of this new commentary combines older critical approaches with the latest rhetorical methodologies to yield fresh interpretations accessible to scholars, clergy, teachers, seminarians, and interested laypeople. It explains important concepts and terms as expressed in the Hebrew original so that both people who know Hebrew and those who do not will be able to follow the discussion. "Closer Look" sections examine Genesis in the context of cultures of the Ancient Near East. "Bridging the Horizons" sections enable the reader to see the enduring relevance of the book in the twenty-first century.

Editorial Reviews

Review

Advance quote: "Arnold's commentary is a welcome addition to the current proliferation of Genesis commentaries. Because of the care, depth, scope, and interpretive sensibility of the author, it is sure to become a major and definitive work for subsequent interpretation. Arnold moves easily between synchronic and diachronic questions and makes his way knowingly from Ancient Near Eastern materials to contemporary theological concerns. The several topical studies amid the commentary are judicious and illuminating. The commentary is well researched with ready appeal to the vast literature on the texts. This book is of particular interest because it exhibits for us the working processes of an interpreter who brings his readers along in the venture." - Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

Advance quote: "Arnold succeeds brilliantly in drawing together in an accessible manner the best of previous scholarship on Genesis in order to inform his fresh, positive and theologically insightful commentary. This work will quickly become a first port of call for busy readers who require a sure guide to the range of responsible interpretations of this seminal biblical book." H.G.M. Williamson, Regius Professor of Hebrew University of Oxford

Book Description

This commentary is an innovative interpretation of the book of Genesis. The author combines older critical approaches with the latest rhetorical methodologies to yield fresh interpretations accessible to scholars, clergy, teachers, seminarians, and interested laypeople.

See all Editorial Reviews

Product Details

• Paperback: 432 pages
• Publisher: Cambridge University Press; 1 edition (October 6, 2008)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 052100067X
• ISBN-13: 978-0521000673
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 6 x 0.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 1.2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.0 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (1 customer review)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #621,956 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

Bill T. Arnold (Ph.D., Hebrew Union College - Jewish Institute of Religion) is the Paul S. Amos Professor of Old Testament Interpretation at Asbury Theological Seminary. Among his publications are Genesis: The New Cambridge Bible Commentary (Cambridge, 2009), Who Were the Babylonians? (Atlanta, 2004), A Guide to Biblical Hebrew Syntax (with John H. Choi; Cambridge, 2003), 1 and 2 Samuel: NIV Application Commentary (Grand Rapids, Mich., 2003), and Encountering the Old Testament (with Bryan E. Beyer; Grand Rapids, Mich.: 1999 [second edition, 2008]). He has also edited The Face of Old Testament Studies (with David W. Baker; Grand Rapids, 1999 [paperback, 2005), and the Dictionary of the Old Testament: Historical Books (with H. G. M. Williamson; Downers Grove, Ill.: 2005).

Customer Reviews

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

14 of 14 people found the following review helpful:

4.0 out of 5 stars Great for Reading Cover to Cover Rather Than Consulting on Particular Verses, February 25, 2009

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This review is from: Genesis (New Cambridge Bible Commentary) (Paperback)

This is a very learned and interesting book. Bill Arnold was my Hebrew professor 15 years ago at Ashland Seminary, and I was looking forward to this book. Dr. Arnold believes that Genesis should be read as proto-history and as Israel's national epic. Generally speaking, the commentary has more exegesis and reflection on chapters 1-22, thinner comments on chapters 23-36 (summing up the Jacob-Laban narrative in one section), and a fuller discussion of the Joseph Novel (Genesis 37-50).

He makes some shrewd insights based on the Hebrew text. He notes that Adam and Eve ate of the forbidden fruit because they wanted to become shrewd, but instead, they became aware that they were nude (shrewd and nude are very similar words in Hebrew). Arnold also mentions that the shorter and shorter lifespans leading up to Abraham could be because of the consequences of sin.

There is a full discussion of Abraham's life. He notes that Lot based his decision on choosing the land east of the Jordan based on what he saw, but that Abraham based his future on what God wanted him to see.

Arnold believes in something like the JEDP theory of Pentateuchal composition, but he does his level best to interpret the text as we have it. He does show that the repetitions in Genesis 6-9 are strong evidence for a multitextual tradition behind the narrative.

He also believes that Genesis 37-50 were composed independently of the rest of Genesis (though we see many of the same themes), and that this section could be the finest narrative in the Old Testament.

I think that this is a good, fast reading book. You should read it to get a feel for the ebbs and flows of Genesis. I thoroughly enjoyed it in this way. But it is not the best source for sermon preparation because many individual verses are not commented on, and it is often hard to find exegetical information on a given verse. Read Waltke or Sailhamer or Westermann or Mathews for sermon prep. Read this for personal enrichment and understanding of the whole.