The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation [Paperback]

John H. Sailhamer (Author)

Book Description

Publication Date: October 15, 2009

The Pentateuch is the foundation for understanding the Old Testament and the Bible as a whole. Yet through the centuries it has been probed and dissected, weighed and examined, its text peeled back for its underlying history, its discourse analyzed and its words weighed. Could there be any stone in Sinai yet unturned? Surprisingly, there is. From a career of study, John Sailhamer sums up his perspective on the Pentateuch by first settling the hermeneutical question of where we should set our attention. Rather than focus on the history behind the text, Sailhamer is convinced that it is the text itself that should be our primary focus. Along the way he demonstrates that this was in fact the focus of many interpreters in the precritical era. Persuaded of the singular vision of the Pentateuch, Sailhamer searches out clues left by the author and the later editor of the Pentateuch that will disclose the meaning of this great work. By paying particular attention to the poetic seams in the text, he rediscovers a message that surprisingly brings us to the threshold of the New Testament gospel.

Editorial Reviews

Review

"For years John Sailhamer has been pressing toward a comprehensive work on the Pentateuch, preparing the way with such works as his The Pentateuch as Narrative and a host of periodical publications on the subject. At last the magnum opus has appeared under the title The Meaning of the Pentateuch: Revelation, Composition and Interpretation. In typical Sailhamer fashion, he has left no stones unturned in any language necessary to get to primary and secondary sources, while at the same time offering fresh insights into the biblical texts and compelling invitations to the reader to view them in more holistic and integrative ways. Careful reading of the book will inevitably call for a reexamination of the issue of the Pentateuch's antiquity and its deliberate compositional strategy, a reassessment that will help to rehabilitate Torah as not the end product of Judaism but as the foundation of Israelite faith and practice." (Eugene H. Merrill, Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary, and Distinguished Professor of Old Testament Interpretation, The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary )

Product Details

• Paperback: 632 pages
• Publisher: IVP Academic (October 15, 2009)
• Language: English
• ISBN-10: 0830838678
• ISBN-13: 978-0830838677
• Product Dimensions: 8.9 x 5.9 x 1.9 inches
• Shipping Weight: 2 pounds (View shipping rates and policies)
• Average Customer Review: 4.5 out of 5 stars  See all reviews (12 customer reviews)
• Amazon Best Sellers Rank: #546,565 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)

More About the Author

John H. Sailhamer is professor of Old Testament at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in Brea, California and was formerly senior professor of Old Testament and Hebrew at Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. His other works include An Introduction to Old Testament Theology and The NIIV Compact Bible Commentary.

Most Helpful Customer Reviews

78 of 78 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Magisterial but Tediously Long January 2, 2010

By William Varner

Format:Paperback|Amazon Verified Purchase

The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer (IVP, 2009, 632 pp.) is the most stimulating and insightful book on the Bible that I have read in the last decade. Sailhamer boldly goes where some fear to tread in his proposal about the textual composition of the Pentateuch and the entire Hebrew Bible - as well as their implications for a theology of the OT. He argues for a two stage composition of the Torah (styled Pentateuch and "Pentateuch 2.0"), with Moses the arranger/author of the vast part and an unnamed prophet/author at the end of the OT period who brings the Pentateuch into the realities of the time that had elapsed since Moses. This author provided the textual updating needed for some anachronistic place names ("Dan" in Gen. 14) but went further by the arranging key poems at significant seams in the Torah (Gen. 49; Deut. 33) which explain previous poems and make Messianic connections clear. Not only does Deut. 34 describe the end of Moses' life, but the later author acknowledges that the promise of a Messianic prophet in Deut.18:15-18 had not yet been fulfilled by the end of the "OT era" (Deut. 34:10-12).

Sailhamer argues that the three fold division of the Hebrew Bible into the Law, the Prophets and the Writings (Torah/Nevi'im/Ketuvim) was theologically intentional rather than simply reflecting a historic development. The author latched onto the references to meditating on the Torah day and night in Josh. 1:8 and Ps. 1:2 as appropriate locations in the seams between the first and second and between the second and third divisions. Furthermore, all three sections end on a Messianic note with the hope of a prophet unfulfilled in Deut. 34:10, the promise of the Messiah's forerunner Elijah in Mal. 4:5 and the lack of a final fulfillment of Cyrus' decree in 2Chron. 36:23. Readers should remember that the Hebrew Bible ends with Chronicles.

On the back cover, Eugene Merrill suggests that this is Sailhamer's magnum opus, and I would agree. Merrill states that this book calls "for a reexamination of the issue of the Pentateuch's antiquity and its deliberate compositional strategy." I am not sure that higher critics will be convinced by Sailhamer's literary evidence for Mosaic authorship, but his argument for an intentional compositional strategy by the "author-maker" of Pentateuch 2.0 will challenge any evangelical to come up with a better explanation of the textual phenomena.

Another of Sailhamer's contributions is his recognition of a creative intertextuality between the authors of the Prophets (Nevi'im)/Writings (Ketuvim) and the Pentatuech. He offers some very persuasive evidence that later Biblical authors engaged in serious reflection on the Pentateuch in their prophetic books and psalms. This is nothing new, but Sailhamer points out far more literary links than we often have recognized. He also points out the many innertexual links within the Pentateuch (some traced to Moses and others to that intentional later "author"). He also uses the term intextuality to indicate the links within an extended passage (30, 336, 444, 492, 499). The intertextual connections that he discovers between Balaam's poem (Num. 24) and Noah's poem (Gen. 9) leading to the Table of Nations (Gen. 10) is simply a brilliant analysis (337-41). The same can be said for his creative explanation of Matthew's (2:15) use of Hosea's (11:1) statement about God calling his son out of Egypt. He settles for neither an "out of context" explanation nor for a "typical" explanation, but defends the idea that Hosea intended to convey what Matthew saw him conveying - a Messianic meaning in the text. This is only one of Sailhamer's arguments for a thorough Messianic theology that also drove the Biblical authors in "making" their books (Eccl. 12:12).

In this regard, I personally was also very pleased that Sailhamer expounds such texts as Gen. 49:8-12; Num. 24:7-9; Psa. 2:2; 1Sam. 2:10, and Dan. 9:26 as undoubtedly Messianic and not just "Davidic" as is often the case with many modern evangelical scholars. Some study Bible notes authored by those who affirm the possibility of predictive prophecy often ignore or deny the Messianic significance of these passages. There is no hesitation in that regard with Sailhamer! He even shows how these Messianic texts reveal a compositional "Messianic strategy" by the authors.

Our author also stresses the priority of a textually based canonical reading of the Pentateuch over a historically based reading. This is one area where he will be misunderstood , but Sailhamer is not attempting to cast doubt on the historicity of the underlying events in the text. He is rather calling for more attention to how the Biblical author conveys that event, because that is what later authors are concerned about. We should not be as concerned with the history behind the text as with how the author conveys those events through his text. There are echoes of agreement here with Brevard Childs' canonical criticism, but Sailhamer advances Childs' arguments with an evangelical thrust. Sailhamer often identifies with pre-critical commentators in this regard. Many current evangelicals have surrendered to a rationalist and historicist methodology without their readers recognizing what was taking place!

It is Sailhamer's treatment of the role of the Mosaic law that will probably be his most lasting contribution. Although hinted at early on and explained over and over, he finally devotes an entire chapter (537-62) to this subject. He revives the view of Justin Martyr in his Dialogue with Trypho that Trypho's ancestors brought upon themselves the burden of the Mosaic law by their sin with the golden calf (Exo. 32). God's intent at Sinai was not to impose a set of laws, but to covenant together with His people on the basis of their Abrahamic faith (Gen. 15:6; Exo. 14:31; 19:8). When they at first hesitated in fear before the mount and later apostatized, He added the Book of the Law and the Law for the Tabernacle-Priests (Exo. 34 - Lev.16). When they sacrificed to goat demons (Lev. 17:7), He added the Holiness Code (Lev. 17-26). Deuteronomy actually anticipates the New Covenant. He makes much of Deut. 29:1: "These are the words of the covenant which the LORD commanded Moses to make with the sons of Israel in the land of Moab, besides the covenant which He had made with them at Horeb." He finds justification for this approach to the Mosaic Law in the theological thought of Justin, Irenaeus, John Calvin and Johann Coccejus. But his Biblical argument is based on later passages in the Prophets (Jer. 7:22-23 and Eze. 20:19-25) as well as in the NT, where he points to Gal. 3:19 ("the law was added because of transgressions") and Heb.12:18-25.

There is much more, especially some interesting comments on the significance of the two versions of Jeremiah reflected in the Masoretic text and in the shorter Hebrew vorlage of the LXX (162-71). Readers should also resonate with his proposal that the "Big Idea" in the Pentateuch is living by faith and not obeying codes of laws (563-601).

Meaning is so commendable that I am hesitant to mention my one big criticism. The book is overlong, unbearably detailed, and highly repetitive. For example. 1. Six times Sailhamer quotes the same exact passage from the Jamieson-Fausett-Brown commentary (54-55, 196, 207, 280, 356, 464). 2. Twice he repeats the same long paragraph, word for word (51, 203). 3. If he mentioned once that the Pentateuch contains four long poems (Gen 49, Exodus 15, Numbers 24, Deuteronomy 33), he repeated it at least twenty times. I know that repetition is great for learning, but there is a danger of diminishing returns when an author repeats the same point over and over. Such repetition is evidence that this book is a pastiche of Sailhamer's numerous articles and books over the last twenty years. There is nothing wrong with this practice, but good editors (where were you, IVP?) could have smoothed out the tedious repetitions. Sadly this may discourage some readers from profiting from what Sailhamer writes, because he does have something very important to tell us. (I also found around a dozen examples of dittography, the duplication of words and phrases).

But let me affirm that in The Meaning of the Pentateuch, John Sailhamer has sounded a brilliant clarion call for a fresh approach not only to the Pentateuch but to the entire Hebrew Bible. I recommend that you read a book that will make you think and also re-think some traditional ideas about the Book. We will be better off if we heed his call rather than reject it out of hand simply because it is different.

32 of 33 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars Book Review: The Meaning of the Pentateuch January 23, 2010

By Alexandre Costa

Format:Paperback

The Meaning of the Pentateuch by John Sailhamer

Mark Driscoll said it was for "theological uber geeks." John Piper said "no, no, no," to Driscoll and said that it was easily readable. After making my way through over 600 pages, I lean slightly in Driscoll's direction. This review will be more of a reference for those who are around my age, and have a similar level of theological understanding. Feel free to compare and contrast to me.

About Me:
Age: 28
Education: Bachelors' Degree from a Liberal Arts College, not in seminary but I have taken 4 seminary classes
Christian Academic Books I Have Read in the Past: Not many, but I read 2-3 hours a day.

Difficult Aspects of the Book:
1) Each chapter begins with a brief introduction, followed by Sailhamer reviewing several points of view on each subject. Some names may be familiar, depending on one's level of education (i.e. Calvin, Vos, Schleiermacher), but most of the people mentioned in the book were people I had never heard of. This proved to be a disadvantageous to me because of the fact that I did not know anything about their theological backgrounds. I know that he quoted many conservative theologians (i.e. Calvin), but he also quoted several liberal theologians (i.e. Schleiermacher, Childs). For those who I didn't know much about, it all just blended in together. After reading the book, I cannot recall the views of most of these people.

2) Most of the chapters were like mini books in themselves. Ranging from around 50-75 pages (except for a few chapters), it was easy to get lost and to break my concentration. Since my aim was to read each chapter in one sitting, it would take me upwards of four hours to read one chapter, leaving me pretty exhausted at the end.

3) For me to understand each paragraph, I most likely had to read it at least twice, maybe three or more times. I know that this is usually the case when it comes to reading an academic book for people with a minimal level of a theological background like myself, but it is worth noting.

Overall, I would say that the book was just slightly over my head. With more education, or with somebody to guide me through the book, it would have proven to be much more profitable than it was (it was still very profitable for me).

Positive Aspects of the Book:
1) Really, the language is not too difficult to understand. Sailhamer does not go out of his way to flex his vocabulary muscles, for which I am very thankful. It is still highly academic, but it was understandable for me with my limited educational background.

2) I feel like the information that I was able to glean from the book will be treasured in my heart for a very long time. After going through the whole thing, I have a general feel for the lay of the land when it comes to exploring the Pentateuch. I know how to divide each section of the laws in Exodus and Leviticus, and I know where each major poem is in each book. The background information is extensive, and much of it actually stuck. I have previously blogged about some certain truths I will treasure from this book, and those blogs can be read at [...] (January 2010 entries).

3) Even though another review on Amazon said that the book could have been much shorter, I kinda disagree. I really believe that it could have been a lot longer. I believe that Sailhamer tried very hard at several places to shorten the book. Often, he makes mention of the fact that he could go on in much more detail, but he doesn't because he covered a lot of the material in other books he has written. This greatly helps the flow of the book, and it helps the author keep to the point, which I think he does well.

4) I appreciated his evangelical views, which seem to be absent from the academic world today. His version of the composition of the Pentateuch (Pentateuch 2.0) can be easily believed by those who hold to the Divine inspiration of the Bible.

If you are like me in your theological background, here are a few tips for reading this book:

1) Read it slowly and reread sections. Do not treat this as a book that you read just to say you read it. You'll greatly miss out.

2) Have a Bible handy. The author makes reference to several verses, and sometimes does not include the actual verse in the book. It would benefit you to check out the verses he's talking about so that you can gain an understanding of where he is going.

3) If time is your friend, do a quick Google search on some of the names mentioned with which you are unfamiliar. Most of them should have at least a little information available.

4) Read it with an older, more knowledgeable person who can guide you through difficult parts.

Overall, I am very thankful that my wife got me this book for Christmas. Even though I would have benefitted more from this a few years down the road, I'm thankful for what God taught me, and I'm happy to be able to say that I made it through the book with as much effort as possible. I would highly recommend this work.

13 of 13 people found the following review helpful

4.0 out of 5 stars Brilliant, but Frustrating July 28, 2010

By G. Kyle Essary

Format:Paperback

I hate to be the first non five-star review, but I cannot honestly give this book a perfect score. Considering that it was the insights in Sailhamer's Pentateuch as Narrative, The that inspired me to pursue post-graduate degrees in Old Testament theology, it should be understandable that my expectations for this book were high. Let me begin with the positives and then move to my critiques.

First, Sailhamer excels in his analysis of the theological trajectories in the compositional strategy of the Pentateuch. This book merges the ideas in Pentateuch as Narrative, The and Introduction to Old Testament Theology: A Canonical Approach. Whereas I do not feel that Sailhamer treads new ground in this regard, it does bring the key ideas in both of these previous works into one work. This is beneficial to those who teach Old Testament from an evangelical, canonical approach and formerly would have suggested purchasing both volumes.

Second, the discussion on divine revelation (both historically and within the pages of Scripture) was excellent. The discussion of the scriptural text as revelation in and of itself as opposed to serving merely as a pointer to historical referents highlighted many of the errors inherent in contemporary Old Testament theologies.

Third, the content of Chapter 9 "Is There a 'Biblical Jesus' of the Pentateuch" alone justifies the purchase of the book. The insights in this chapter show why evangelicals can gain so much from canonical readings of the theology in the Pentateuch. I will not summarize his arguments here, leaving that for your reading, but will give you this tasty quote;

"The two entities, Israel and the church, are distinct from each other, yet are united in the one individual 'seed of Abraham' (Gal. 3:28) by virtue of the common experience of faith and blessing 'in him' (cf. Jer. 4:2). Abraham, as an example of all believers, 'trusted in the Lord, and he counted it to him as righteousness (Gen. 15:6)."

And now to the critiques.

First, the book maddeningly repeats the same discussion and makes the same arguments over and over and over again. There are sections that are word for word identical to previous discussions in the book and if some entire sections are not word for word identical, they are so similar that you will often be thinking, "Have I already read this?" The book will give you plenty of deja vu experiences. This could be the fault of the editors. It may be that this work serves to compile various previously written works by Sailhamer and editorial oversight missed the repetition when placing the pieces together. Maybe Sailhamer decided to illustrate his arguments for a compositional understanding of the Pentateuch through the actual composition of this book? I'm not sure, but the repetition adds an unnecessary amount of tediousness.

Second, the conclusion was disappointing. After a nearly 60 page introduction and 530 additional pages of argument you would expect a stunning conclusion that moves the discussion forward and leaves the reader convinced. After the ending of "The Theme of Salvation in the Pentateuch," Sailhamer leaves the reader in just the right position to drive the argument home. Unfortunately, the conclusion goes back through the entire book and simply summarizes each section offering nothing new. Instead of concluding with one final convincing point, the reader is taken back yet again through the same points that have already been made.

To conclude, you should not let these critiques dissuade you from purchasing the book if you are unfamiliar with Sailhamer or at least finding a way to borrow a copy or read it at a theological library. As I stated at the beginning, Sailhamer's work has influenced my own thinking greatly and continues to inspire me. Unfortunately, if one is already familiar with Sailhamer and already owns the previously mentioned volumes, I'm not sure that this book will move the arguments forward. It does make some very good insights, and as I mentioned before has one spellbinding chapter (Is There a "Biblical Jesus" of the Pentateuch?). In retrospect, I do not think if I were reading the book again that i would have read every word on every page as the repetition makes such focused reading unnecessary.

John Piper suggested that you sell your John Piper books and buy this volume. Would I agree? Yes, if you do not own Sailhamer's previous work, because his work inspires a better understanding of Old Testament theology. But if you already own Sailhamer's other books, then maybe you should just leave Desiring God: Meditations of a Christian Hedonist on your shelf and check this book out at the library instead.