The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary – Volume 2: Prophets

by Robert Alter

[ Box Set | Volume 1 | Volume 2 | Volume 3 ]

A masterpiece of deep learning and fine sensibility, Robert Alter’s translation of the Hebrew Bible, now complete, reanimates one of the formative works of our culture. Capturing its brilliantly compact poetry and finely wrought, purposeful prose, Alter renews the Old Testament as a source of literary power and spiritual inspiration. From the family frictions of Genesis and King David’s flawed humanity to the serene wisdom of Psalms and Job’s incendiary questioning of God’s ways, these magnificent works of world literature resonate with a startling immediacy. Featuring Alter’s generous commentary, which quietly alerts readers to the literary and historical dimensions of the text, this is the definitive edition of the Hebrew Bible.

Genres: Christian

1394 pages, Hardcover

Published December 18, 2018

About the author

Robert Bernard Alter is an American professor of Hebrew and comparative literature at the University of California, Berkeley, where he has taught since 1967, and has published many acclaimed works on the Bible, literary modernism, and contemporary Hebrew literature.

Reviews

[Russell Fox · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was the volume of Alter's translation and commentary upon the Hebrew Bible that I was most interested in reading, because I hadn't seen his approach to this material before: he'd completed the Torah, the whole story of Saul, David, and Solomon through the former Prophets, and many of the Writings, but the major Prophets--Isaiah, Jeremiah, and more--he hadn't completed at the time I did my read-through of the complete Old Testament years ago. Now, having read Alter's translation of all The Prophets, I can check this off, and also reflect on what I learned. The story of the establishment of the Davidic line, and the ultimate collapse of that unified kingdom into the states of Israel and Judah, both of which were eventually conquered and destroyed--that I already knew. What I hadn't exposed myself to was Alter's treatment of the prophet-poets who called the people of Israel and Judah to repentance, the different approaches they took, the personalities conveyed by their writings (or by the editorial insertions and corrections which, in some cases, greatly define what we know of these distant authors, or collections of authors in the case of the Isaian text), and most of all the degree to which their poetic visions either partook of the apocalyptic or stayed rigorously political...or--again, in the case of Isaiah--remain, even in the hands of a secular Jew like Alter, sometimes bordered on the messianic in ways that, in his footnotes, Alter himself couldn't completely deny. I won't pretend that I loved all of it; working my way through the Twelve Minor Prophets that make up the conclusion of the book was sometimes a repetitive slog. But in Isaiah, I found myself surprised, and that made all the difference.

[Chris Halverson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm reading through Alter with breakfast, a thought provoking practice, an impressive translation!

[wrader2001 · Rating 4 out of 5]

This translation of the Hebrew Bible is an incredible work for one person to have undertaken. Alter provides painstaking notes pointing out literary tropes, wordplay, possible alternative translations, historical context, and his reasoning for tough calls. I have never read a more transparent translation of the Hebrew Bible, and it was wonderful.

Be aware that Alter's footnotes and his translations are undertaken from a completely secular perspective. The Bible, to him, is a fascinating and beautiful cultural artifact completely devoid of any divine intervention or inspiration. "Prophecy" is the product of fits and hallucinations. Prophetic predictions are either educated guesses or are produced after the fact and backdated. Temple rituals are ancient "cultic" practices mimicking those of surrounding Canaanite religions, having no actual relationship to God. If you are a believer, as I am, this may rub you the wrong way from time to time.

Additionally, some of his footnotes do a better job than others at providing the reasoning behind his translations. Sometimes he lays it out very well. Other times he does nothing more than say, in essence, "other translators are wrong, and I'm right" without providing any reasoning. When he does this, it is disappointing. When he offers his reasoning, it is often very helpful and insightful.

The good and bad of this translation are, I think, reflective of the costs and benefits of having an entire Hebrew Bible translated solo, rather than by committee. Translations by committee tend to do a better job of outlining differing points of view, but are also pretty conservative and less likely to offer interesting insights that go too far out on a limb. Solo translations, like this one, will be more likely to go out on a limb, but less likely be fair to other points of view.

A final, unfortunate thing with this translation is that it at times does not have very good copyediting in the footnotes. Many odd errors in grammar, missing words and lines, etc.

[John · Rating 5 out of 5]

Part Two of Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible is Nevi'im or Prophets. It contains in addition to the major prophets such as Isaiah, Jeremiah, Ezekiel, Hosea and Amos, as well as the tales of King David, King Solomon and their less positive successors within the books of Kings and Chronicles.

Overall, this is a masterpiece of deep learning and fine sensibility, this translation animates one of the formative works of our culture and is accompanied by a generous commentary that alerts readers to the historical and literary dimensions of the text.

Comprised of both purposeful prose and compact poetry, this translations captures the spiritual inspiration and literary power of the text and can be enjoyed by the religious, non-religious and everything in between.

[Carl · Rating 5 out of 5]

This year (2022) my Church is studying the Old Testament, and I decided to read Robert Alter's translation of the Hebrew Bible for my own personal study. I cannot recommend this translation enough. It is eminently readable, occasionally challenging, and deeply insightful. The footnotes do a good job of both detailing various translation choices and yet are comprehensive enough to also qualify as a low-level commentary. A wonderful translation to read, whatever your religious persuasion or literary bent.

[Ron Willoughby · Rating 5 out of 5]

A beautiful translation! All translations require interpretation. Alter succeeds in avoiding ‘explanations in the translation’ as much as is possible in my estimation. Alter is a gift to our generation and to our sons and daughters.

[Erik Rostad · Rating 5 out of 5]

I've really appreciated how Robert Alter calls out the differences in the prose and poetic writing. It's something I've never focused on before with the Bible, but Robert Alter calls each format out with these prophets. Alter's notes are so very helpful in reading through the Hebrew Bible.

[John Adams · Rating 4 out of 5]

As with the first volume, an engaging translation with excellent commentary.

[Jonathan Schneiderman · Rating 5 out of 5]

It's a masterpiece, I say. A beautiful translation, with fascinating and informative notes.

I do wish it had been further proofread--there are a number of obvious typos.