Genesis

by Gerhard von Rad, John H. Marks (translator)

This volume, a part of the Old Testament Library series, explores the book of Genesis.

The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

Genres: Biblical Studies, Theology, Reference, Old Testament, Religion, Biblical

434 pages, Hardcover

Published January 1, 1973

About the author

Gerhard von Rad was Professor of Old Testament at the University of Heidelberg in Germany until his death in 1971. He is the author of several books, including Wisdom in Israel and Holy War in Ancient Israel.

Reviews

[Greg]

This is an important commentary to engage when studying Genesis. It follows on Gunkel's important commentary. Both should be added to any scholar's library.

[Timothy Decker]

Other than a few gold nuggets, mostly VR is taken up w source criticism.

[Leviticus Ferris]

Commentaries are on going reading projcts

[Reinhardt]

A now dated commentary in the JEDP tradition.

Given its reputation, I had high expectations for this commentary. There may have been a day when this was the leading commentary on Genesis, but that day has long passed. Although it does have occasional flashes of insight, it is now superseded. The recent Anchor Bible commentary on Genesis by Ronald Handel, that also closely followed the JEDP sources, has superseded von Rad in nearly every way.

One can see how Child’s canonical approach was a reaction to the von Rad style commentaries. He constantly mangles the canonical text, and his primary source of insight is the sources. He can’t see any overall unity in the text. This, to me, is its fatal flaw.

Von Rad is a better theologian (see his excellent OT Theology) than commentator.

Useful now primarily for historical interest.

[Steve Gambino]

A fine work in the tradition of historical biblical criticism.