Eco Bible: Volume 1: An Ecological Commentary on Genesis and Exodus

by Yonatan Neril, Leo Dee

What can the Bible say about ecology? As people face huge ecological challenges-including growing hurricanes, floods, forest fires, and plastic pollution-the groundbreaking Eco Bible dives into this question. Drawing on 3,500 years of religious ethics, it shows how the Bible itself and its great scholars embrace care for God's creation as a fundamental and living message. Eco Bible both informs the reader and inspires spiritual commitment and action to protect all of God's creation.
This 'earth Bible' is a great read for those interested in Jewish and Christian social issues. It also represents an important contribution to eco theology, and to the spiritual ecology movement.
Publishers Weekly called the book an "insightful analysis," which "will inspire contemplation on how to live in harmony with nature and the power of conservation. Ecologically minded readers interested in the Hebrew Bible will love this."
Volume 1 explores Genesis and Exodus; Volume 2 (2021) explores Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy. Together they cover 450 verses in the Five Books of Moses / Pentateuch / Old Testament. By linking faith and science, the book connects religion with contemporary scientific thought regarding human health, biodiversity, and clean air, land, and water.
Dr. Bill Brown, Professor of Old Testament at Columbia Theological Seminary, calls Eco Bible "a rich repository of insights...for people of faith to move forward with wisdom, inspiration, and hope, all for the sake of God's good creation."
Eco Bible reveals what Rabbi Shlomo ben Aderet calls "the ever-increasing number of fresh understandings of the Bible's verses," while quoting over 100 rabbis from Biblical times to the present. Until now, their ecological insights on the Bible could only be found scattered across hundreds of books.
Applying Biblical ethics to stewardship, conservation, and creation care is not just an idea for today, but is essential for a future where we live in balance and thrive on a planet that remains viable for all life. At a time of both ecological and spiritual crisis, an ecological reading of the Bible can have profound impact on human behavior, since billions of people worldwide consider it a holy book.
This green Bible commentary affirms a spiritually grounded vision for long-term sustainability and immediate environmental mindfulness and action, including many suggested action items. Eco Bible uniquely explores the Bible's deep inspiration for fulfilling the blessing of all life, changing course to preserve God's creation, and sustaining human life in harmony with nature and all God's creatures. Rabbis Yonatan Neril and Leo Dee are co-editors and lead contributors.

Genres: Religion, Nonfiction

260 pages, Hardcover

Published November 24, 2020

About the author

Rabbi Yonatan Neril founded and directs The Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (ICSD) and its Jewish Eco Seminars branch. ICSD reveals the connection between religion and ecology and mobilizes faith communities to act. Raised in California, Yonatan completed an M.A. and B.A. from Stanford University with a focus on global environmental issues, and received rabbinical ordination in Israel. He has spoken internationally on religion and the environment, including at the UN Environment Assembly, the Fez Climate Conscience Summit, the Parliament of World Religions, and the Pontifical Urban University. He co-organized twelve interfaith environmental conferences in Jerusalem, New York City, Washington D.C., Atlanta, Los Angeles, and elsewhere. As part of ICSD's Faith Inspired Renewable Energy Project in Africa, he has been involved in facilitating the development of a commercial scale solar field on church lands in Africa. He is the lead author and general editor of two books on Jewish environmental ethics including Uplifting People and Planet: 18 Essential Jewish Teachings on the Environment. Yonatan also co-authored three ICSD reports on faith and ecology courses in seminary education in Israel, North America, and Rome. He is currently working on publishing the first-ever ecological commentary on the Hebrew Bible. He is a member of the United Nations Environment Program's Faith-based Advisory Council, and of the Pontifical Universities' Alliance for Laudato Si' Advisory Council. He was a Dorot Fellow, PresenTense Fellow, and Haas Koshland Award recipient. He lives with his wife, Shana and their two children in Jerusalem. He enjoys hiking and being in nature.

Reviews

[Rowena · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was really excited about reading this book because I love nature, and although I grew up reading the Bible (both Old Testament and New Testament) I had never paid much thought to how the Bible looks at the environment and how that perspective can be useful to us in this day and age. Recently I've heard several comments, amidst the discussions on the wrongs of capitalism, that the Judeo-Christian religions do not support environmentalism due to a Biblical verse that talks about how God says man was to subdue the earth and rule over the animal. I knew inherently that this interpretation was wrong but I'd never really taken the time to look into it or study it in more detail.

That's where this book comes in. It's an important book, one I am so grateful to have read. It's a commentary on the books of Genesis and Exodus, focusing on verses in this book that expound upon ecology, the environment, etc. The book starts of with an introduction that goes into details about how the earth is in bad shape because of our poor relationship with nature, each other, and spirituality. We read the thoughts of Jewish rabbis and how they interpret their holy scriptures. I learned a lot, not just about how the Bible is truly more ecological than I'd imagined, but also about Jewish culture, history, and language, which are, I immediately saw, very important to study if we are to understand the Bible.

This is a timely read, and as it was released just this year it actually mentions covid, the fertilizer explosion in Beirut, and other recent environmental disasters. Unfortunately, all these disasters could have been avoided had we had a better relationship with the earth. And we need to have one for the sake of our own survival.

To sum up my reading experience: I often find religious books a little too heavy and pedantic, but this was a very accessible read. It would make a great book club read, particularly with the thoughtful discussion questions after each section. Highly recommended.

[Claudia · Rating 5 out of 5]

The first volume of the Eco Bible Commentary is organized around verses selected from the annual Jewish cycle of Torah readings. Explanations of the Hebrew interpretation from the Midrash and rabbinic writings are connected to spiritual and scientific concerns for and care of our planet and all of its inhabitants. With 708 footnotes, the intensive research is well-documented. The case for urgency is well-laid-out, and the suggested actions at the end of each section reduce the sense of being overwhelmed by the task-at-hand, and make individual efforts seem doable and worthwhile.

In addition to the ecological aspect of this commentary, as a Christian reading Hebrew interpretations of Old Testament text, I received insight into a viewpoint that I had not clearly seen before. As Christian lay people, most of us read the Old Testament through a New Testament lens. This commentary allowed me to view portions of the text, at least to some degree, from a different perspective. I am grateful to have received a copy of the first volume of this commentary from one of the authors without obligation. All opinions expressed here are my own.

[Aryeh Green · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow. Uplifting, powerful reading!
Most of us who desire to ensure the future of our planet (isn't that all of us?) recognize it as a moral imperative. Many of us, whatever our religious affiliation, acknowledge the significance, and perhaps the moral authority, of the Hebrew Bible. What Rabbi Yonatan has done, with Rabbi Leo Dee, is to apply the ancient wisdom of the Torah (the Pentateuch or Five Books of Moses, the first five books of the Bible) to our current environmental challenges.
They've done so with great insight, and humor, and clarity, following the rhythm of the weekly cycle of Torah portions read by Jews around the world.
I'm right now reading the section for this week, which happens to be my Bar Mitzvah portion, "Beshalach", were the quote Rabbi Shlomo Wolbe saying "You ask in which book to find faith? Actually every tree you see is a book on faith! ... It's a commandment to meditate on creation. As the prophet Isaiah says, 'Lift high your eyes and see: Who created these?'" This is a wonderful first volume covering Genesis and Exodus; can't wait for the ensuing volumes.

[Ilana · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eco Bible Volume 1 is perfect for anyone interested in what the Bible has to say about how to live our lives today in a way that is "eco-friendly" and where we understand that believing in a God makes us accountable for our actions - in this case our actions that have an impact on the planet. It is written in the style of a classic Jewish commentary - where a verse is quoted, and then unpacked using many ancient commentaries themselves - from the Talmud, the medieval commentators or Midrash - so that it is what could be called "an ecological commentary" on the first two books of the Hebrew Bible - Genesis and Exodus.

In a world filled with the challenges of climate change, where everything that human beings do has impact on our beautiful planet, this book brings the ancient text into our lives in a way that allows theists to take up the call to "heal the world". It even has "action points" at the end of each portion of the week to help us change the world practically, one act at a time. I can't wait to read the next one!

One last thing - it is highly recommended that you read one verse and commentary, allow it to percolate, before moving on to the next.

[Liz Gc · Rating 5 out of 5]

Not only am I reading Volumes 1 and 2 of the Eco Bible this year, but I am also attending the weekly half-hour reflections sponsored by the Interfaith Center for Sustainable Development (see their Facebook page to join us)! As founder of the Laudato Si' Facebook Group, formed shortly after I read and taught Pope Francis' Laudato Si' for the first time, I recommend the Eco Bible highly. In it you'll not only learn more about the Bible and how the people applied God's word in early times, but glean insights via rabbinical thinking through the ages, and applications to our own thinking in this day, as we discover how best to care for creation and help people everywhere! #creationcare #GodsPlanet #LaudatoSi' #CareForOurCommonHome

[Judie · Rating 5 out of 5]

Religion has been a channel for moral and ethical instruction across the ages. Throughout the world, eighty four percent of the population have a religious affiliation. More than three quarters of Americans so identify. Unfortunately, one topic of immense importance today is too often omitted from the teachings: ecology.
The first verse of the Bible states that in the beginning, God created the universe. People were created on the sixth day and were told to take care of the land, water, animals, and people. On the seventh day, God’s work was finished and was followed by a day of rest. After that, it was the people’s responsibility. “For your sake I created them all. See to it that you do not spoil and destroy My world; for if you do, there will be no one else to repair it.”
As we can see by all the changes in our environment, especially in the last 100 years, we haven’t done a very good job of it. Climate change, brought about primarily by human actions, has melted ice caps that were thousands of years old, raising sea levels. Hurricanes and tornados are more frequent. Forests have decreased Species of birds, fish, animals, and plants have decreased or disappeared. Because of animals losing their territories due to human encroachment, infectious diseases have spread among people world-wide.
Many of the causes are things that people do for convenience such as overusing and carelessly discarding plastics, wasting food, importing foods and goods. Artisanal gold mining is the world’s largest source of mercury pollution. Overuse of paper is a major cause of both deforestation and land pollution.
he book also provides action items so the readers can learn what they can do to help preserve our world for future generations such as recycling, composting, overpackaging, diversiifying, and buying locally.
Much of the information talks about the benefits and disadvantages of cattle and other animals on our world. Neril strongly endorses vegetarian and vegan diets. . “Livestock takes up nearly 80 percent of global agricultural land yet produces less than 20 percent of the world’s supply of calories.”
It speaks of family planning, especially in difficult times. “The intention of the Creator is that our being fruitful should lead to life, blessing, and not the opposite.”
It warns of the correlation between government corruption and environmental damage.
Religion appeals not just to our intellect but to our soul – and this is where change is most needed and he suggests praying in a room with windows so worshippers focus on natural beauty instead of only things created by people.
In the ECO BIBLE, Yonatan Neril vividly shows specific verses in Exodus and Genesis that relate specifically to ecology. Noah’s ark, for instance, is an excellent example. Some of the ideas, which seem so current, are actually discussed in the texts. We haven’t been listening.

[John Harris · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eco Bible didn’t just inform me—it anchored me. In moments of crisis and despairing eco-anxiety, this book became my buoy, reminding me that small, deliberate acts are often all we have—and all we need—to reclaim a sense of power in a powerless-feeling world.
When my daughter was in her stroller, we picked up trash on our walks. She learned colors and materials through what we gathered, sharpening an eye for both litter and the life thriving around it. Now, at three and a half, she’s the designated litter patroller at her daycare—proof that big changes have small beginnings.
This book shaped how my partner and I engage with the world. We spent quality time as citizen scientists, monitoring Texas water, and I took up the fight to protect night sky heritage. It’s easy to feel overwhelmed by ecological crises, but Eco Bible reinforced a truth I cling to: every small act is an act of defiance against the apathy and greed of the powers-at-be. Every piece of litter removed, every water sample tested, every light dimmed—even pausing to turn a thoughtless act of consumption into a holy one—helps heal what’s broken with the world and grants a feeling of closeness to the Creator.
Eco Bible’s power lies in its fusion of thematic and devotional commentary, structured around Torah readings with actionable steps. The sections are brief—accessible even in the whirlwind of toddler life—offering concise weekly practices that make faith and stewardship inseparable.
This book doesn’t just offer solutions—it revives hope

[Frank Peters · Rating 2 out of 5]

The book was not what I expected, but then I have very little familiarity with Rabbinical teaching. While the book claimed to be, and was, a commentary on the Genesis and Exodus, I had expected the commentary to have more to do with the text. Instead, the commentary was very much in the mode of Origin. That is, after introducing a topic or a work, the commentary goes whatever direction the author feels like. As a result, a comment in the bible about sacrificing a bull, would result in a commentary on how grazing cows in fields that could be used for crops is not a good use of the land. So, ultimately the books was filled with preaching on being good to the environment that was very loosely related to the text.

[Aryeh · Rating 5 out of 5]

Eco Bible creates the crucial bridges we need to reunite the worlds of environmentalism and the Bible. Repairing our broken world is a religious task, and this book provides the most up-to-date information and tools to make these repairs. Eco Bible will inspire you to change yourself, change your community and change the world.

[John]

Great I won the giveaway, can't wait to start reading

[Amy Garrett · Rating 4 out of 5]

Interesting read

There was a lot of info in here, a lot to think about! I would recommend it. Its a little dry but still a good read.

[Amy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a slow read, full of information on ecological disasters and climate change. It’s deeply depressing and full of instructions on how to live differently.