Paradise to Prison

by John James Davis

Paradise to Prison is a commentary, textbook and complete study guide to the book of Genesis. In very readable fashion the author explores the lives of the patriarchs as well as important doctrinal themes. Each chapter is carefully documented and sources from archaeology and ancient Near Eastern history are freely used. The writer's premise is that no other ancient literature surviving the ravages of time can rightly be compared to Genesis with its unsurpassed theological perspectives and vivid profiles of early man.

Genres: Christianity, Biblical Studies, Theology, Nonfiction

384 pages, Paperback

First published March 1, 1975

About the author

John James Davis, Th.D., D.D.,

American theologian, archaeologist, and Christian educator. He was the President and Professor Emeritus at Grace Theological Seminary in Winona Lake, Indiana.

A keen outdoorsman, he fishes and promotes wild game dinners

He wrote a weekly column called "Outdoor Scene" for the Warsaw, Indiana Times Union newspaper for 31 years, and has written several humour books about fishing.

Reviews

[William · Rating 1 out of 5]

This commentary was recommended highly by a number of people I respect. I picked up a copy just as I was finishing a series of sermons on Genesis six years ago. I'm now preaching through Genesis again and dusted it off to see if it might be helpful. On the positive side, it does offer some helpful archaeological, cultural, and historical information and there are some good exegetical insights, especially in the narratives of the patriarchs. On the negative side, the book tends away from a systematic exegetical approach and skips through the text, often jumping over important passages entirely. Davis approaches Genesis from a less than helpful Dispensational theological perspective and in dealing with the primeval history he takes a fundamentalist Young Earth Creationist perspective that no long has much support in either the biblical or scientific communities. This is not a scholarly treatment of Genesis by any means; it's a spotty commentary that is primarily expositional. While some may find some of the expositional insights moderately helpful, I don't think the book is worth the trouble. Waltke and Wenham have written "real" commentaries that are scholarly, that address the text in systematic detail, and that offer much richer theological and expositional insights. If I were looking for a devotional/expositional commentary on Genesis, that of Griffith Thomas is far superior despite being almost a century old and despite also being Dispensational.

[Charity U · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book tends to move more quickly through passages than, for example, Creation and Blessing: A Guide to the Study and Exposition of Genesis by Ross. However, I have found it helpful as I teach through the book of Genesis in 2021/22. He includes some archaeological details that Ross entirely skips, and sometimes gives an alternative perspective that can be quite thought-provoking. I'd recommend it to anyone studying Genesis. This is a smaller book (as compared to a larger commentary), but includes writing on each chapter of Genesis.

[Kristi · Rating 3 out of 5]

I originally read this book as a college textbook for a class on Genesis. Recently, as my Bible study group was going through Genesis, I decided to read it again. My opinion hasn't changed much. This book is a very scholarly commentary, discussing in detail things such as textual criticism, translation of the Hebrew words, historical context, differing interpretation of certain passages by various individuals over the decades, etc. Unfortunately, while such information is helpful, it does make it a harder read and not something I would recommend to those just starting to study the Bible. If, however, you are looking for something that goes deeper into such details (and has a whole list of additional sources), this book may be the one for you.

[Earl Pestano · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is a helpful tool to a Bible School Professor or a researcher on analyzing the book of Genesis. It provides archaeological details, cultural context and literary criticisms.

The missing factor on this book is the emotional touch. I wasn't that hook the way I was expecting it because it appears to be a bunch of facts and figures - lacking of emotional connection. That is to me what I found to be the missing element of this book.

Its a great book for research. But not a book for awe! - Just my opinion.

[Christopher Espinoza · Rating 4 out of 5]

A decent commentary; very safe as far as interpretation and speculation goes. If you want something more theme-driven, I’d recommend the Bible Project’s videos and podcast episodes on Genesis. They really make the book come alive.

As for Davis, he does a good job being brief but descriptive, while also providing lots of archaeological and cultural background. I just wish there was an updated edition that dealt with some more issues, or even provided some more recent archaeological findings.

I’m just glad to be finishing college.

[Michael · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this commentary during a sermon series on the book of Genesis. There were occasionally some things that were helpful, but a lot of the information included seemed to go on rabbit trails of specifics of the passage instead of keeping within the context. I was glad to have it to compare to the others, but this ended up being the least helpful of the commentaries that I consulted. However, it might be a helpful introduction for someone who wants to get the gist of the book of Genesis.

[Logan Seibert · Rating 3 out of 5]

Consistently theologically conservative; good comments and interaction with historical context and archaeological data; does well in exegesis and tells you why he believes what he believes (and why he doesn't others) but isn't always commenting on all of what's in the passage. Overall was blessed by it.

[Eric Wendt · Rating 4 out of 5]

This commentary is good. There are better ones out there that tackle some of the bigger questions, I.e., Genesis 6 and Ham’s sin. But overall this is an excellent basic introduction commentary to the book of Genesis.

[Michael Kapp · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is an excellent source if you wish to expand your knowledge of the book of Genesis!

[Rob · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent introduction to Genesis. A cardinal read for any thinking individual. This book enabled me to learn more about Genesis in a few days of sitting than what I have gleaned in church my entire lifetime. If you want to master Genesis, this book is the place to start.

I think Davis does a good job of presenting various viewpoints while being clear about what his positions on various topics is; his position is usually very conservative. I think reading this book and getting the contrasting, decisive opinions of H.C. Leupold in his "Exposition of Genesis" is critical to getting the whole picture.

[Read1000books · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used this as a devotional along with my Bible reading of Genesis and it was excellent. Paradise to Prison is a commentary, textbook and complete study guide to the book of Genesis. In very readable fashion the author explores the lives of the patriarchs as well as important doctrinal themes. Each chapter is carefully documented and sources from archaeology and ancient Near Eastern history are freely used.

[Carl C · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read this textbook years ago when I was taking a graduate seminary class on the Old Testament. Last year, I re-read a few chapters to see if the book was relevant for a friend with his next upcoming bible study. He planned for the group to study the Patriarchs.

What I found relevant is the use of appropriate archeological and historical research to paint a vivid picture of days of Abraham, Isaiah, and Jacob.

[Chris Bloom · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was another school book, and another goo done. Davis' style is academic-lite; he's not afraid to through in a lot of Hebrew transliteration, but he keeps the main thrust of the book interesting and does a good job of presenting several viewpoints before explaining his own take on controversial issues.

[Dana J. Moore · Rating 4 out of 5]

A surprisingly good commentary on the book of Genesis despite the cheesy cover and it not being sold in ebook form (Seriously?! who doesn't have an ebook?). It's not a word-by-word commentary. I actually liked that. Of course this is history, so word-by-word might be a bit much anyway. I highly recommend this one though. I'm very impressed.

[Anna]

We are using this book for our Bible study on the book of Genesis. A wonderous resource with most interpretations acknowledged and dealt with in depth. If you are reading Genesis, this is a great resource for the questions that come up.

[Ken Smith · Rating 5 out of 5]

Great book! I didn't agree with everything but I did most. I will definitely benefit from having read it. I highly recommend it to anyone interested in Genesis; if your not and you read this book, you will be.

[Tyler Frederick · Rating 4 out of 5]

Paradise to Prison was tremendous refreshment of inspirational theology through the book of Genesis. I was pleasantly surprised at how practical and frequent the author was pointing out relevant applications from the Truth of God's Word.

[Dane · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent and easy to read commentary on the book of Genesis. Required reading for BIBL410 Genesis at Liberty University