What do you think?
Rate this book
The Rational Bible #2
The Rational Bible: Exodus
NATIONAL BESTSELLER
"Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show"
"Dennis Prager’s commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy
Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today’s issues, but completely consistent with rational thought.
Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won’t after reading this book.
Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book.
Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts.
The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.”
The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager’s forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life.
His to change your mind – and then change your life.
"Dennis Prager has put together one of the most stunning commentaries in modern times on the most profound document in human history. It's a must-read that every person, religious and non-religious, should buy and peruse every night before bed. It'll make you think harder, pray more ardently, and understand your civilization better." — Ben Shapiro, host of "The Ben Shapiro Show"
"Dennis Prager’s commentary on Exodus will rank among the greatest modern Torah commentaries. That is how important I think it is. And I am clearly not alone... It might well be on its way to becoming the most widely read Torah commentary of our time—and by non-Jews as well as by Jews." — Rabbi Joseph Telushkin, bestselling author of Jewish Literacy
Why do so many people think the Bible, the most influential book in world history, is outdated? Why do our friends and neighbors – and sometimes we ourselves – dismiss the Bible as irrelevant, irrational, immoral, or all of these things? This explanation of the Book of Exodus, the second book of the Bible, will demonstrate that the Bible is not only powerfully relevant to today’s issues, but completely consistent with rational thought.
Do you think the Bible permitted the trans-Atlantic slave trade? You won’t after reading this book.
Do you struggle to love your parents? If you do, you need this book.
Do you doubt the existence of God because belief in God is “irrational?” This book will give you reason after reason to rethink your doubts.
The title of this commentary is, “The Rational Bible” because its approach is entirely reason-based. The reader is never asked to accept anything on faith alone. As Prager says, “If something I write does not make rational sense, I have not done my job.”
The Rational Bible is the fruit of Dennis Prager’s forty years of teaching the Bible to people of every faith, and no faith. On virtually every page, you will discover how the text relates to the contemporary world and to your life.
His to change your mind – and then change your life.
560 pages, Hardcover
Published April 2, 2018
1380 people are currently reading
2027 people want to read
About the author
Dennis Prager
48 books467 followersDennis Prager is a best-selling author, columnist and nationally syndicated radio talk show host based in Los Angeles and heard on 150 stations across the country.
A Fellow at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, where he did graduate work at the Middle East and Russian Institutes, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the U.S. Delegation to the Vienna Review Conference on the Helsinki Accords, and by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. He holds an honorary doctorate of law from Pepperdine University.
A highly sought-after speaker and frequent cable news show guest, Dennis has lectured all over the world. His New York Times best-selling books include Think a Second Time, Happiness is a Serious Problem and Still the Best Hope: Why American Values Must Triumph. His newest book is The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code.
A Fellow at Columbia University’s School of International Affairs, where he did graduate work at the Middle East and Russian Institutes, he was appointed by President Ronald Reagan to the U.S. Delegation to the Vienna Review Conference on the Helsinki Accords, and by President George W. Bush to the U.S. Holocaust Memorial Council. He holds an honorary doctorate of law from Pepperdine University.
A highly sought-after speaker and frequent cable news show guest, Dennis has lectured all over the world. His New York Times best-selling books include Think a Second Time, Happiness is a Serious Problem and Still the Best Hope: Why American Values Must Triumph. His newest book is The Ten Commandments: Still the Best Moral Code.
Ratings & Reviews
Friends & Following
Create a free account to discover what your friends think of this book!
Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews
April 8, 2018
Increasingly, the modern American has no familiarity with the Bible. Many have tried to read it, only to bog down in early chapters of geneologies or rituals. The centrality of the Bible to the formation of our nation and our freedoms is not appreciated. We feel we have "progressed;" while in fact we have lost patience with the demands and disappointments of our common human condition, formerly learned through teachings and dialogues centered around Biblical narratives and instruction. For the person seeking an introduction to the Bible and an understanding of its relevance to our modern society, Dennis Prager's RATIONAL BIBLE is perfect--a blend of Biblical text, historic background, rabbinic commentary ancient and modern, all discussed from the perspective of our time. This makes the Bible narrative meaningful and understandable for new readers and provides fresh insights for those already familiar with its passages. Prager explains that "the modern world poses intellectual and moral challenges that did not exist when the classic Jewish commentaries...were written." (p.xix) His RATIONAL BIBLE commentary answers a need for analysis of the scriptures in response to the challenges of our times.
April 11, 2021
I’ve been a Dennis Prager fan for more than two decades. I enjoy his articles, his books, as well as his You Tube videos. He has such wisdom and a knack for explaining things ever so clearly. This book is a commentary on the Book of Exodus, as well as its importance and relevance today. I can’t say that I loved this book as much as his other books. The structure was different here. Although his other books are ones that I hope to read again and again, this one which I liked just fine, will most likely not be a re-read.
It was challenging for me to pick my favorite quotes. I’ve included a few here. Other quotes are shown below my review.
“A rabbi challenged his followers one day: 'Where does God exist?' Puzzled by what almost seemed to be a heretical question, they answered: 'God exists everywhere.' 'No,' the rabbi responded: 'God exists wherever man lets Him in.'
“That’s the great question: Who sees the miracles of daily life? And the answer is: Whoever chooses to see.”
“Gratitude takes effort; resentment is effortless.”
“Fear of God is a liberating emotion, freeing one from a disabling fear of evil, powerful people. This needs to be emphasized because many people see fear of God as onerous rather than liberating.”
It was challenging for me to pick my favorite quotes. I’ve included a few here. Other quotes are shown below my review.
“A rabbi challenged his followers one day: 'Where does God exist?' Puzzled by what almost seemed to be a heretical question, they answered: 'God exists everywhere.' 'No,' the rabbi responded: 'God exists wherever man lets Him in.'
“That’s the great question: Who sees the miracles of daily life? And the answer is: Whoever chooses to see.”
“Gratitude takes effort; resentment is effortless.”
“Fear of God is a liberating emotion, freeing one from a disabling fear of evil, powerful people. This needs to be emphasized because many people see fear of God as onerous rather than liberating.”
April 10, 2018
Awesome book! Dennis Prager is always enlightening, and its a pleasure to follow his work!
August 21, 2018
I feel like this book sold something that wasn't exactly delivered on. Between the rants about how evil Communism is and why African nations shouldn't be given foreign aid Prager delivers a not exactly rational Bible study. Admittedly, he comes out of the gate with it, mixing normative with positive and telling the reader that everyone should follow the Torah, that atheists are essentially nihilists, and that God actually wrote the Torah, and weakly answering some of the solid arguments against issues. The arguments he makes are sometimes kinda ... slippery, as one can imagine when one has to come to terms with some of the more uncomfortable issues within it (being out to death for carrying wood on the Sabbath, slavery, G-d almost breaking a promise, etc.) I learned a lot but I think there are a lot of alternate readings of the Book of Exodus that are equally as useful, especially since they begin from simpler premises. What I found most useful were Prager's essays, which were usually interesting.
And, oh, the repetition. I don't know how many times it was mentioned that Acacia trees aren't fruit trees, and why that's so important
The first half is definitely better than the second half, since the second half of Exodus is essentially IKEA instructions on how to build the Tabernacle, and it's during this period the author largely goes silent.
And, oh, the repetition. I don't know how many times it was mentioned that Acacia trees aren't fruit trees, and why that's so important
The first half is definitely better than the second half, since the second half of Exodus is essentially IKEA instructions on how to build the Tabernacle, and it's during this period the author largely goes silent.
September 18, 2020
Not sure what strain of Judaism Dennis Prager is representative of - his wiki says he left Orthodox Judaism - but I really don't care to find out after his disgusting endorsement of collective guilt where he openly talks of Japanese civilians deserving of everything from atomic bombs to internment because their government allied with Nazi Germany and didn't "put up enough resistance" to Mr. Prager's liking. Of course he dresses it up as God endorsing it, not him (which is even worse), but it's not surprising considering how much of modern politics he has seeping into this supposed biblical commentary.
For a Jew to be signing onto the idea of national blood guilt is tragicomedy gold. If you want to learn about how this idea of collective blood guilt was washed away and abrogated by Christ's passion on the cross, I highly recommend Pope Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
If you want a real biblical commentary on the Book of Exodus, go somewhere else, preferably an actual theologian that's not addled with neo-conservative talking points trying to justify their worldview of total war outside their immediate tribe.
For a Jew to be signing onto the idea of national blood guilt is tragicomedy gold. If you want to learn about how this idea of collective blood guilt was washed away and abrogated by Christ's passion on the cross, I highly recommend Pope Benedict XVI's Jesus of Nazareth: Holy Week https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/9...
If you want a real biblical commentary on the Book of Exodus, go somewhere else, preferably an actual theologian that's not addled with neo-conservative talking points trying to justify their worldview of total war outside their immediate tribe.
June 20, 2018
I loved this explanation of Exodus. Prager’s crucial understanding of the language and the cultural references are extremely enlightening. He centers on why God must exist but also why we must frame our relationship with him on morality. Beyond that, you simply must read it.
January 29, 2021
In Prager's view, the purpose of the Torah is to teach ethical monotheism, that is, there is one God (the God of the Torah) and he wants people to be good. So the Torah, especially the 10 Commandments, is given to teach people how to be good. "The Torah view is the purpose of the Chosen People is to bring the world to God and His moral laws." (456). Given that, what Prager gives us is a summary of traditional Jewish interpretation of Exodus, along with brief essays on various moral issues. For those purposes, it is useful. For an accessible Christian treatment of Exodus I would recommend either The Message of Exodus, by J. Alec Motyer, or Exodus, by John Currid in the Evangelical Press Study Commentary.
May 8, 2018
To the modern reader, much of the book of Exodus comes off irrational and primitive. Verse by verse, Prager eloquently explains the rational and reason behind the actions of God, Moses, and the Israelites. He is able to do this for about 98% of his commentary. The other 2% he remains intellectually honest when he is unable to provide sound reasoning.
Overall, it’s an excellent read. Regardless of your belief, it is a well thought out commentary that you’ll benefit from. The biggest take away for me personally was seeing how similar the core of our modern day justice system is to the one the Israelites walked away with at Mt. Sinai.
Edit: I purchased the hard copy.
Overall, it’s an excellent read. Regardless of your belief, it is a well thought out commentary that you’ll benefit from. The biggest take away for me personally was seeing how similar the core of our modern day justice system is to the one the Israelites walked away with at Mt. Sinai.
Edit: I purchased the hard copy.
April 26, 2018
LOVED this book. Every page taught me something and this is a book I will continue to reference and reflex on. Should be required reading regardless of your faith.
Read
February 16, 2024Onestamente? 7/10😐.
Aveva il potenziale per essere un 10/10 con tutta la simbologia iconica dell'arca dell'alleanza n shit, e also le avventure di Mosè e Dio i besties <3 ma dopo la seconda ripetizione di quanti cubiti è un'asse di legno ha un po' stancato ngl
Aveva il potenziale per essere un 10/10 con tutta la simbologia iconica dell'arca dell'alleanza n shit, e also le avventure di Mosè e Dio i besties <3 ma dopo la seconda ripetizione di quanti cubiti è un'asse di legno ha un po' stancato ngl
December 12, 2018
This is a book to read over and over. I read it straight through, whereas some folks said they can only read pieces here and there. Sometimes, more questions were instigated. Will have to read again, write down questions and send to Mr. Prager. Highly recommend for any open-minded person.
April 16, 2019
Author feels a bit biased. He starts off the book criticizing social institutions and stating that the bible is literally true, G-d is just and so on. It's not that those views are wrong but to state so strongly right out of the gate throws out all objectivity
July 20, 2020
I am not a Jew, but Prager is my Rabbi. His interpretation of scripture is insightful and practical. Although he views the Biblical text as inspired by God, and I don't believe that, he is a brilliant moral thinker and his applications to wisdom literature are incredibly insightful and helpful.
May 26, 2018
An in depth study of the Exodus and mostly in understandable terms.
February 2, 2019
I enjoyed reading this commentary due to the author presenting various viewpoints, background information, research, and modern day application. I learned about intended meanings behind the simple laws, such as do not steal and do not kill. It was truly a fascinating read that changed the perspective of Exodus.
I have giving his book a four star due to the structure of the read. The author breaks down each chapter by its verses. At moments, I felt I was reading the bible instead of a commentary. Nonetheless, the information presented is spot on and supported by thorough research.
I have giving his book a four star due to the structure of the read. The author breaks down each chapter by its verses. At moments, I felt I was reading the bible instead of a commentary. Nonetheless, the information presented is spot on and supported by thorough research.
August 1, 2018
This Exodus commentary is well worth reading. The Christian reader gets a fresh perspective because the book is written by a well-known Jewish Bible teacher. The book contains many gold nuggets about the superiority of ethical monotheism over the pagan religions pervasive at the time the Tora was written. The book contains insights about Moses, slavery, the plagues, the Ten Commandments, among many other subjects.
November 27, 2019
Dennis is a believing practicing Jew. He has written a very readable commentary on the book of Exodus that includes some excellent essays ... my favorites being on the subject of the 10 Commandments and his essays on family.
December 28, 2019
Prager's title, The Rational Bible, is appropriate. His references to the Hebrew roots and ancient and contemporary scholars' writings give the commentaries credence. I've read Exodus many times and found much wisdom in reading this, too.
March 7, 2024
Dennis makes everything clear. I love his common sense thinking!
May 8, 2023
Great book for anyone studying Gods word. It is explained by a Torah scholar ( the first five books of the Bible make up the Torah) it makes a sometimes difficult to understand text much clearer.
May 23, 2018
I likely would have read this book much later had it not been recommended to me by a friend of mine. I have read and enjoyed books by Prager in the past, and I am no stranger to commentaries on the Exodus [1]. Although this book was an exceedingly long one at 500 pages, and required some fairly close reading as the book combined a serious-minded approach that mirrors my own to the text along with a great deal of interest in Jewish commentators and the Talmud that I find less worthwhile, on the whole I think this is a book that will greatly enrich its readers. The book is based on the author's own notes on the complete text of Exodus (mostly following the text that one will find if one gets a Tanakh) and is the first volume of what promises to be a long and very worthwhile series of books which I will be paying attention to for the next few years, I imagine, even if they will take up a considerable amount of my limited space. These are worthwhile problems to have, tough, and this commentary is definitely one that a great many people will appreciate adding to their shelves.
For the most part, the book is not designed in a particularly complicated way. The author takes the text of Exodus in sequential order, and the book is organized by chapter and verse. At some points a particularly striking passage or verse or even section of a verse will trigger the author to make a longer essay that seeks to put the text in a greater context and point out some of its implications for the rest of the Bible as well as for believers today. By and large the book is aimed at Jews, Christians, and fair-minded people of other faiths, although the author's perspective is resolutely that of a conservative Jew. The author makes no concessions to bogus views of source criticism and higher textual criticism and demonstrates that the approach of the book taken as a whole matches with and serves a polemic relating to the ancient extant writings of the time. Likewise, Prager himself is not afraid of stepping into contentious issues that spring from the text of Exodus, wrestling with questions of free will and responsibility and having a high view of the justice of God.
And it is the author's seriousness towards the text that ultimately makes this such a worthwhile read. There were certainly aspects of this commentary that I personally disagreed with, and the author clearly lacks a genuinely Christian understanding of Exodus, or sees the way that the Sabbath can simultaneously point back to creation while also pointing forwards to future prophetic fulfillment. Even so, this book is definitely one that contains a lot of thought-provoking material and the author's correct insistence on eternal future judgment having always been an aspect of God's workings with man, even if the Bible takes an evolutionary approach towards dealing with entrenched social evils, strikes the right note. To be sure, not everyone will agree with the author's approach and certainly the Jewish perspective is here that many Christian readers will be unfamiliar with. If you read this book you had best be prepared to hear plenty about Rashi, Maimonides, Sarna, and other commentators on the Bible. For some readers, that will be a good thing as it will at least expand the potential meanings that a given text can have that they may not have considered before, but this approach will not be to everyone's liking even if it generally is to my liking.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
For the most part, the book is not designed in a particularly complicated way. The author takes the text of Exodus in sequential order, and the book is organized by chapter and verse. At some points a particularly striking passage or verse or even section of a verse will trigger the author to make a longer essay that seeks to put the text in a greater context and point out some of its implications for the rest of the Bible as well as for believers today. By and large the book is aimed at Jews, Christians, and fair-minded people of other faiths, although the author's perspective is resolutely that of a conservative Jew. The author makes no concessions to bogus views of source criticism and higher textual criticism and demonstrates that the approach of the book taken as a whole matches with and serves a polemic relating to the ancient extant writings of the time. Likewise, Prager himself is not afraid of stepping into contentious issues that spring from the text of Exodus, wrestling with questions of free will and responsibility and having a high view of the justice of God.
And it is the author's seriousness towards the text that ultimately makes this such a worthwhile read. There were certainly aspects of this commentary that I personally disagreed with, and the author clearly lacks a genuinely Christian understanding of Exodus, or sees the way that the Sabbath can simultaneously point back to creation while also pointing forwards to future prophetic fulfillment. Even so, this book is definitely one that contains a lot of thought-provoking material and the author's correct insistence on eternal future judgment having always been an aspect of God's workings with man, even if the Bible takes an evolutionary approach towards dealing with entrenched social evils, strikes the right note. To be sure, not everyone will agree with the author's approach and certainly the Jewish perspective is here that many Christian readers will be unfamiliar with. If you read this book you had best be prepared to hear plenty about Rashi, Maimonides, Sarna, and other commentators on the Bible. For some readers, that will be a good thing as it will at least expand the potential meanings that a given text can have that they may not have considered before, but this approach will not be to everyone's liking even if it generally is to my liking.
[1] See, for example:
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2017...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2015...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2013...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2012...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
https://edgeinducedcohesion.blog/2011...
December 23, 2020
While it did leave me with some unanswered questions, and, by times, it seemed to me like it put a little too much emphasis on matters relevant only to the Jewish people... it was overall a very educative read, well organised and easy to grasp.
November 29, 2018
An excellent Commentary on the book of Exodus. In the process of explicating Exodus, Prager discovers/discusses two very important themes: the development of ethical monotheism and human freedom as a value.
The God of the Torah, Prager is an orthodox Jew, is the first time in history that a single God was identified, and that the one God advocated a consistent moral code for all people, whether an adherent of the religion or not.
The other theme, human freedom, is to be prized, but like all valuable things very difficult to achieve and maintain. The Israelites are consistently claiming how bad it is outside of Egypt, and how much they would like to go back. At least there, they argued, they were taken care.
Prager also delves into the text and narration to illustrate the divine nature of the Torah. The Torah is often very critical of the Israelites, which one would not expect if it were merely a man-made document.
As mentioned above, Prager is an orthodox Jew, but most Christians should identify and agree with his interpretations of the events of Exodus.
The God of the Torah, Prager is an orthodox Jew, is the first time in history that a single God was identified, and that the one God advocated a consistent moral code for all people, whether an adherent of the religion or not.
The other theme, human freedom, is to be prized, but like all valuable things very difficult to achieve and maintain. The Israelites are consistently claiming how bad it is outside of Egypt, and how much they would like to go back. At least there, they argued, they were taken care.
Prager also delves into the text and narration to illustrate the divine nature of the Torah. The Torah is often very critical of the Israelites, which one would not expect if it were merely a man-made document.
As mentioned above, Prager is an orthodox Jew, but most Christians should identify and agree with his interpretations of the events of Exodus.
November 26, 2018
I usually don't care for Bible commentary, but I have to say this one excels them all. To have the actual book of the Bible on which the commentary is based was brilliant. The verse by verse explanations were clear and insightful. I learned much about the history and culture of the Jewish people. The best part was how clearly Mr. Prager explained why Torah is still relevant today. I hope to own this book very shortly as I will study it again and again.
December 30, 2020
Dennis Prager is a practicing Jew, who is currently translating the first 5 books of the Bible (the Jewish Torah) directly from the Hebrew into English. He started with Exodus, and has finished Genesis and I believe he's nearly finished with Deuteronomy. Amazon has it being published in Nov. of 2021. I read this along with our bible studies from July to the end of December of 2020. I know others who've read it separately. But I loved reading it this way and it was very informative. These books are set up just like the Bible, Chapter and verse, straight through, so if by chance you want to look up a certain chapter/verse, you can do that without searching through the whole book. If there is a verse that needs explaining from the Hebrew translation, it is in a different typeset, so it's easy to differentiate from the bold type of the actual verse. I have listened to Dennis for 14 years now on his radio program. He's the one that taught me that in the 10 commandments, it is really "Thou shalt not Murder", not "Thou shalt not kill", which puts an entirely different spin on that commandment alone. It also ties in with the Cities of Refuge set up in Israel. I highly recommend these books and have given them to numerous people.
May 19, 2018
I loved it. This is my first Dennis Prager book I've read. I am a big fan of his PragerU videos. This is my first commentary that I have read on Exodus in a very long time. I am a Christian.
This commentary is a simple exposition on Exodus. It is easy to read but very profound and insightful. I would encourage any honest skeptic to read this commentary to challenge the negative misconceptions that the Bible has received in our post-modern era. Several quirky stereotypes that the Bible has been charged with are clarified.
This commentary is a simple exposition on Exodus. It is easy to read but very profound and insightful. I would encourage any honest skeptic to read this commentary to challenge the negative misconceptions that the Bible has received in our post-modern era. Several quirky stereotypes that the Bible has been charged with are clarified.
June 2, 2018
Well done analysis
As a Christian I have studied Exodus for years. What I really had not appreciated before was that the Jews have been studying it for far longer than Christians. This commentary explained many of the deeper meanings of the Ten Commandments, as well as the rituals mentioned in Exodus.
It was a very enjoyable read.
As a Christian I have studied Exodus for years. What I really had not appreciated before was that the Jews have been studying it for far longer than Christians. This commentary explained many of the deeper meanings of the Ten Commandments, as well as the rituals mentioned in Exodus.
It was a very enjoyable read.
May 28, 2018
Brilliant!
As a non observant Jew. this book is causing me to re-evaluate my belief system. I am looking forward to the publication of the rest of the Torah
As a non observant Jew. this book is causing me to re-evaluate my belief system. I am looking forward to the publication of the rest of the Torah
July 1, 2025
The Exodus is probably the most important story in Judaism, and certainly among the most important stories in Christianity as well. But while Prager writes for audiences of all faiths, his perspective is certainly the Jewish one. Prager’s argument (or at least one of his arguments) is that though the Torah (or the Bible at large) was written for specific people at a specific point in history, its relevance has not faded in modernity. Therefore, much of his commentary is aimed at translating certain verses in such a way as to render them comprehensible to modern ears or to applying the teachings of Exodus to modern situations. In those goals he succeeds admirably.
Obviously, readers will come at this book from a variety of perspectives. There are certain passages atheists will struggle to understand even despite Prager’s best attempts to explain (atheists might argue explain away) some of the difficult passages. Christians will notice a lack of commentary pointing toward what they believe are foreshadowings of the New Testament. And though Prager’s Jewish commentary will feel most comfortable to the Jewish people, different movements within Judaism might agree or disagree on a variety of points.
But where the book really shines, despite not quite succeeding in being all things to all people, is in rendering the text more approachable to modern readers. I’ve read Exodus before. I’ve read the entire Bible, of course. But even though the story is quite familiar to me, Prager nevertheless provided countless new insights that helped me to understand both much of the wisdom contained in the ancient text and why it is considered such a central element in Jewish culture.
Long essays explain the Ten Commandments in great detail, and I think are a real highlight of this volume. Going back to the original Hebrew as necessary, Prager explains why he thinks those ten laws are so foundational to morality, as well as how many people—including many religious people—have misunderstood their meaning and misapplied their guidance.
One might criticize the book for repetitiveness, but that’s not entirely Prager’s fault. Biblical texts themselves are often repetitive. Even still, Prager himself does repeat some of the same points multiple times. A few of these can be forgiven as repetition for emphasis, but in some cases, I think he added the same commentary to multiple verses simply because he had similar thoughts about each verse. If one wants to read this commentary as a reference book, that’s good; that way, the commentary is present at each verse whenever one might look it up. But if one wants to read it straight through, as I did, some of the repeated passages just felt extraneous.
Nevertheless, I found this quite a useful book, and I’ll be first in line to get Prager’s commentary on Leviticus whenever it is released.
Obviously, readers will come at this book from a variety of perspectives. There are certain passages atheists will struggle to understand even despite Prager’s best attempts to explain (atheists might argue explain away) some of the difficult passages. Christians will notice a lack of commentary pointing toward what they believe are foreshadowings of the New Testament. And though Prager’s Jewish commentary will feel most comfortable to the Jewish people, different movements within Judaism might agree or disagree on a variety of points.
But where the book really shines, despite not quite succeeding in being all things to all people, is in rendering the text more approachable to modern readers. I’ve read Exodus before. I’ve read the entire Bible, of course. But even though the story is quite familiar to me, Prager nevertheless provided countless new insights that helped me to understand both much of the wisdom contained in the ancient text and why it is considered such a central element in Jewish culture.
Long essays explain the Ten Commandments in great detail, and I think are a real highlight of this volume. Going back to the original Hebrew as necessary, Prager explains why he thinks those ten laws are so foundational to morality, as well as how many people—including many religious people—have misunderstood their meaning and misapplied their guidance.
One might criticize the book for repetitiveness, but that’s not entirely Prager’s fault. Biblical texts themselves are often repetitive. Even still, Prager himself does repeat some of the same points multiple times. A few of these can be forgiven as repetition for emphasis, but in some cases, I think he added the same commentary to multiple verses simply because he had similar thoughts about each verse. If one wants to read this commentary as a reference book, that’s good; that way, the commentary is present at each verse whenever one might look it up. But if one wants to read it straight through, as I did, some of the repeated passages just felt extraneous.
Nevertheless, I found this quite a useful book, and I’ll be first in line to get Prager’s commentary on Leviticus whenever it is released.
August 21, 2025
What I Liked & Key Takeaways:
I loved getting an authentic Jewish perspective on an Old Testament book. I learned a lot about how Jews today may apply or interpret the commands from God on Mount Sinai and how to better understand the context of the ancient near east. Prager was convincing at least to me what kind of revolutionary impact this new Jewish religion was in that time. It’s unimaginable to think about the incredibly different moral framework most people lived in just 3,000 years ago. Then God made the Jewish people and brought goodness and morality to the world.
What Could Be Better?
Some commentary was not enlightening to me. But I’m sure I’m not the only intended audience for this sort of book. But the main thing I struggled with was one of the claims Prager made throughout the book. It was that God’s purpose in forming the Jewish nation, delivering them from slavery in Egypt, and then giving them commandments to form their society and live moral lives was to bring “ethical monotheism” to the world. To me, this sounds like a secular take on the impact of Judaism, not the far deeper understanding of a believing Jew. Reading all of scripture (even excluding New Testament), it is clear God has a desire to know His people and His people to know Him. He is without a doubt a personal God. Sure, He desires the world to be ethical and monotheistic. But that means virtually nothing outside of His morality and a personal understanding of who He is. If the whole purpose is ethical monotheism, lots of religions get at least mostly there. But if the purpose is really to be in right relation with our Creator so that we may live in accordance with His ultimate design, becoming free and bringing Him glory in the process, then the God of the Bible is the only way. Prager could have been clearer on that point.
Quotes Worthy of Quoting:
Would I Recommend & Would I Reread?
At least a great reference book for my future studies of Exodus!
Also, I know Dennis Prager continues to work toward recovery since his accident last year and I pray for complete healing!
I loved getting an authentic Jewish perspective on an Old Testament book. I learned a lot about how Jews today may apply or interpret the commands from God on Mount Sinai and how to better understand the context of the ancient near east. Prager was convincing at least to me what kind of revolutionary impact this new Jewish religion was in that time. It’s unimaginable to think about the incredibly different moral framework most people lived in just 3,000 years ago. Then God made the Jewish people and brought goodness and morality to the world.
What Could Be Better?
Some commentary was not enlightening to me. But I’m sure I’m not the only intended audience for this sort of book. But the main thing I struggled with was one of the claims Prager made throughout the book. It was that God’s purpose in forming the Jewish nation, delivering them from slavery in Egypt, and then giving them commandments to form their society and live moral lives was to bring “ethical monotheism” to the world. To me, this sounds like a secular take on the impact of Judaism, not the far deeper understanding of a believing Jew. Reading all of scripture (even excluding New Testament), it is clear God has a desire to know His people and His people to know Him. He is without a doubt a personal God. Sure, He desires the world to be ethical and monotheistic. But that means virtually nothing outside of His morality and a personal understanding of who He is. If the whole purpose is ethical monotheism, lots of religions get at least mostly there. But if the purpose is really to be in right relation with our Creator so that we may live in accordance with His ultimate design, becoming free and bringing Him glory in the process, then the God of the Bible is the only way. Prager could have been clearer on that point.
Quotes Worthy of Quoting:
Would I Recommend & Would I Reread?
At least a great reference book for my future studies of Exodus!
Also, I know Dennis Prager continues to work toward recovery since his accident last year and I pray for complete healing!
Displaying 1 - 30 of 154 reviews