Exodus: A Commentary

by Brevard S. Childs

The commentary by Professor B. S. Childs of Yale on the book of Exodus represents a major attempt to break new ground, both in its understanding of the biblical book itself and also in its conception of the purpose of the commentary writer . It is readily evident that the task Professor Childs has set himself is a mammoth one, and everywhere the reader becomes impressed with the thoroughness and care with which the task has been carried out. in consequence a vast store of biblical and theological learning is compressed into the book making it an invaluable guide to the book of Exodus in its contents and in the way they have been understood by Jews and Christians. The preacher will find a rich collection of comment to provoke further thought and reflection. However, the more traditionally critical biblical scholar will also find a great deal that is fresh here regarding the modem understanding of the book of Exodus. in particular the amount of attention given to tradilio-historical and redaction-critical aspects of the text provides a welcome supplementation to the information already available in other commentariesThe final evaluation of its success as a new form of commentary will no doubt lie in its value to the teacher and preacher. However, it has much to say to the scholar, and it will undoubtedly command a wide readership and make a very durable contribution to Old Testament scholarship' (The Expository Times). This remarkable book, the product of nearly twenty years of research, study, and reflection, inaugurates a new age in the exegesis of biblical literature . Here is a complete commentary in which each and every important critical and theological problem is considered. Its redaction-criticism is fresh, but the author's insistance that redaction-criticism influences exegesis is even newer. It is in the setting of disciplined learning and well-argued scholarly discourse that the theological work is developed. That, too, is an innovation, as anyone familiar with what passes for theological writing, biblical or otherwise, knows. In a word, Childs now has set a new standard for future commentaries' (Journal of Jewish Studies).

Genres: Theology, Old Testament, Biblical Studies, Reference, Nonfiction, History

659 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1974

About the author

Brevard Springs Childs was Professor of Old Testament at Yale University from 1958 until 1999 (and Sterling Professor after 1992), and one of the most influential biblical scholars of the 20th century. Childs is particularly noted for pioneering canonical criticism, a way of interpreting the Bible that focuses on the text of the biblical canon itself as a finished product. In fact, Childs disliked the term, believing his work to represent an entirely new departure, replacing the entire historical-critical method. Childs set out his canonical approach in his Biblical Theology in Crisis (1970) and applied it in Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture (1979). This latter book has been described as "one of the most discussed books of the 1980s".

Reviews

[Corey Sharpe · Rating 4 out of 5]

There are two things that really set Childs’ commentary apart. For each section of text, he discusses 1) the New Testament use of the Old Testament text, 2) the history of its interpretation, and any related theological issues. He takes a critical stance, which I have difficulty with. Still, an excellent commentary for those wanting to dig deeper in the most important book of the Old Testament. Every pastor should have this.

[Brett Johnson · Rating 5 out of 5]

I appreciate the structure of the commentary (textual notes, historical-critical problems, Old Testament context, New Testament context, history of exegesis, theological reflection). Childs provides a good balance of historical-critical/form-critical analysis while being ultimately grounded on the final form of the text at hand. My only con is that Childs will occasionally acknowledge that other commentaries look at certain themes or interpretations so he does not feel the need to cover it. While he cannot cover every single exegetical problem in the book of Exodus, this occasional move does take away from its one-stop-shop nature as a commentary. I’d recommend Childs to anyone who wants to see how biblical scholarship and theology intertwine!

[Caleb · Rating 4 out of 5]

Really helpful commentary on several levels. One should be warned that Childs is still somewhat invested in the source critical method here. He reviews the critical scholarship of the 19th and 20th centuries (these sections are dense, but helpful for one seeking an awareness of the critical methods of Exodus research) but then turns ultimately to exegeting the text in its final form while garnering various insights from ancient Jewish and Christian interpretation. Will consult in the future.

[Robert D. Cornwall · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this book many years ago for my seminary class in the Book of Exodus. An excellent, indepth, exploration of this seminal book of the Hebrew Bible

[Nat · Rating 4 out of 5]

A very impressive commentary that has an incredible amount of content: including for almost every section of Exodus detailed discussions on the sources used, the history of redaction, tradition, then using these insights to gain a fuller understanding of how the text functions in its present form. There are also discussions on the New Testament interpretations and uses of the passage, the history of Jewish and Christian exegesis of the passage, and taking all of this into account theological reflections on what we today can learn from it.
There was a heavy focus on speculative source and redaction criticism which, I felt, took space away from discussion on the present form of the text and so aspects more conservative exegetes would note were not mentioned. There was also very little space to understand the relationship between Exodus and history which I thought was another weakness. The history of exegesis too, though very interesting, did not always obviously add to the understanding of the actual text.
On the other hand, the theological reflections at the end of all the other discussions were particularly helpful and the book was worth reading even just for those.

[Jacob O'connor · Rating 3 out of 5]

Childs is as respected an Old Testament scholar as they come, but I found this volume almost too academic to be useful.

[Maliha]

A student cannot rate a religious text .

[Leviticus Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Commentaries are on going reading projcts

[Leviticus Ferris · Rating 4 out of 5]

Commentaries are on going reading projcts

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i wanna read

[John · Rating 4 out of 5]

nonfiction,theology