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The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary
Most scholars studying the first five books of the Bible either attempt to dissect it into various pre-pentateuchal documents or, at the very least, analyze Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy as separate, self-contained documents. The Pentateuch As Narrative focuses on the narrative and literary continuity of the Pentateuch as a whole. It seeks to disclose how the original Jewish readers may have viewed this multivolume work of Moses. Its central thesis is that the Pentateuch was written from the perspective of one who had lived under the Law of the Covenant established at Mount Sinai and had seen its failure to produce genuine trust in the Lord God of Israel. In this context, the Pentateuch pointed the reader forward to the hope of the New Covenant, based on divine faithfulness. Throughout the commentary Dr. Sailhamer pays close attention to and interacts with a wide range of classical and contemporary literature on the Pentateuch, written by Jews, Catholics, and Protestants.
544 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 1992
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About the author
John H. Sailhamer
26 books59 followersDr. Sailhamer has been teaching since 1975, most recently at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary. He was President of The Evangelical Theological Society in 2000 and has published a number of books, including An Introduction to Old Testament Theology, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary, and Genesis: The Expositor's Bible Commentary, all from Zondervan. He has contributed a number of articles and book reviews in various biblical journals and has delivered several scholarly papers and particpated in several Old Testament Bible translation committees
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 54 reviews
August 2, 2022
Over the past few years, Sailhamer's canonical approach to the Scriptures has helped me better understand the Hebrew Bible, in general, and the Torah, in particular. The Pentateuch as Narrative is an excellent example of good biblical theology, developed from a careful reading of the text and tracking of the literary design patterns that the biblical authors utilize. The Introduction and Genesis chapter (which together make up half of the book) are the highlights of this book. One may not agree with all of his commentary (such as Sailhamer's Sethite view of Gen. 6:1-8) or feel that it is lacking in some areas (such as his commentary on the elements of the tabernacle in Exodus or the sacrifices and offerings in Leviticus), but these shortcomings do not take away from the value of what Sailhamer has to say. The Pentateuch as Narrative is good scholarship, written at an accessible level, and is a super fun read for anyone who wants to take a slightly deeper dive into the Torah.
May 4, 2012
This is a great resource for a condensed commentary on the first five books of the Bible highlighting the literary aspects involved. Sailhamer does not get into various disputes about authorship, historicity, or date of composition. Instead, he takes the text at face value and easily walks the reader through the story with all its textures and deliberate literary devices.
October 25, 2024
I love Sailhamer and have been profoundly influenced by his thinking more than nearly any biblical scholar. But I give this 4 stars because not all sections were particularly inspired nor in keeping with his thesis. Many portions felt like outlines or pared down lecture notes. In fact, it seemed as though each biblical book had progressively less content. That said, when Sailhamer is on, he’s on
April 7, 2020
A truly exhaustive argument. Salehamer explores every passage of the Torah to support his thesis.
His argument relies upon two assumptions he presents in the introduction:
1. The important part of the text is the text itself, not the history that lies behind the text. While the text does refer to and relate historical events the purpose of the text is not merely to relate these facts (though often incredible), but to make a theological argument using these historical events as the foundation.
2. The author of the Pentateuch (or rather the FINAL author) (who he assumes, though obviously throughout the text does not believe, is Moses) intentionally and intelligently has crafted the structure of the text to make his argument.
His thesis is: the narrative, theological argument of the Pentateuch is the failure to obey the laws of the Torah by people at Mt. Sinai and under the Sinai means that another way to be the obedient people of God must exist, namely a new covenant faith in YHWH lead by an Adam-Abraham-Moses-esque future-coming Prophet-Priest-King. In this way, Salehamer argues that the Pentateuch is more of a “New Covenant” argument than an “Old Covenant” document, because by relentlessly showing the failure of the old covenant people, the author pushes towards the need for a new covenant.
Much of Salehamer’s exegesis centers around his understanding of the both the legislative and poetic sections of the Torah. In this way, Pentateuch as Narrative is really a massive experience in genre criticism. The main flow of the text is narrative. Taken the title of the book and simply a basic understanding of the text we must understand that the Torah is ultimately a story. Sparsely, but strategically, placed throughout the narrative are poems (like the blessings of Adam, Abram, Israel, Balaam, and Moses, cursings of the serpent, and songs of praise like the Song of the Sea) to highlight the author’s theological argument. The use of laws, however, is where this tome really does its work. Salehamer boldly argues that these laws are not simply recorded in the Torah (as they are obvious incomplete and merely a sampling) but rather “added because of transgression” as the Apostle Paul puts it. The blocks of laws all throughout the text are the piling on of restrictions because the continued failure of the people to believe. The laws and poems serve as supplements to the narrative, which is essentially a comparative character study between Abraham the man of faith, who though living before the law, obeyed it, and Moses, the man of law, who though he was literally the prophetic mediator of the law failed to live according to it by his unbelief.
Finally, it is worth noting that Salehamer does extraordinary work with intertextuality in this volume. Most of the comments have some level of intertextuality mentioned often at levels much deeper than I would ever hope to notice. He does not however rely solely in intertextuality, making his method a helpful paradigm.
I can’t say that I agree with everything single detail that offers in this massive text, but larger argument is incredibly solid. I though I’ll never read the Pentateuch the same again.
His argument relies upon two assumptions he presents in the introduction:
1. The important part of the text is the text itself, not the history that lies behind the text. While the text does refer to and relate historical events the purpose of the text is not merely to relate these facts (though often incredible), but to make a theological argument using these historical events as the foundation.
2. The author of the Pentateuch (or rather the FINAL author) (who he assumes, though obviously throughout the text does not believe, is Moses) intentionally and intelligently has crafted the structure of the text to make his argument.
His thesis is: the narrative, theological argument of the Pentateuch is the failure to obey the laws of the Torah by people at Mt. Sinai and under the Sinai means that another way to be the obedient people of God must exist, namely a new covenant faith in YHWH lead by an Adam-Abraham-Moses-esque future-coming Prophet-Priest-King. In this way, Salehamer argues that the Pentateuch is more of a “New Covenant” argument than an “Old Covenant” document, because by relentlessly showing the failure of the old covenant people, the author pushes towards the need for a new covenant.
Much of Salehamer’s exegesis centers around his understanding of the both the legislative and poetic sections of the Torah. In this way, Pentateuch as Narrative is really a massive experience in genre criticism. The main flow of the text is narrative. Taken the title of the book and simply a basic understanding of the text we must understand that the Torah is ultimately a story. Sparsely, but strategically, placed throughout the narrative are poems (like the blessings of Adam, Abram, Israel, Balaam, and Moses, cursings of the serpent, and songs of praise like the Song of the Sea) to highlight the author’s theological argument. The use of laws, however, is where this tome really does its work. Salehamer boldly argues that these laws are not simply recorded in the Torah (as they are obvious incomplete and merely a sampling) but rather “added because of transgression” as the Apostle Paul puts it. The blocks of laws all throughout the text are the piling on of restrictions because the continued failure of the people to believe. The laws and poems serve as supplements to the narrative, which is essentially a comparative character study between Abraham the man of faith, who though living before the law, obeyed it, and Moses, the man of law, who though he was literally the prophetic mediator of the law failed to live according to it by his unbelief.
Finally, it is worth noting that Salehamer does extraordinary work with intertextuality in this volume. Most of the comments have some level of intertextuality mentioned often at levels much deeper than I would ever hope to notice. He does not however rely solely in intertextuality, making his method a helpful paradigm.
I can’t say that I agree with everything single detail that offers in this massive text, but larger argument is incredibly solid. I though I’ll never read the Pentateuch the same again.
September 8, 2021
This commentary is exceptionally useful for any study of the first five books of the Bible. John Sailhamer masterfully weaves a close exegesis of the Hebrew text with compositional analysis, biblical theology, and theological interpretation. The result is a first-rate work on the Pentateuch. The introduction, though long, lays out the methodological groundwork for this work, which is helpful for readers and offers a compelling way forward for reading and understanding the Torah. (As a bonus, his hermeneutical insights regarding, e.g., text vs. event are beneficial for constructing an overarching interpretive method for the Bible.) Though concise and quite accessible overall, there is significant depth to Sailhamer's work. I highly recommend it for anyone teaching or studying the Pentateuch.
P.S. One would also benefit from consulting Sailhamer's magnum opus The Meaning of the Pentateuch (IVP Academic, 2009). It is worth its weight in gold—which, given the book's size, is saying something!
P.S. One would also benefit from consulting Sailhamer's magnum opus The Meaning of the Pentateuch (IVP Academic, 2009). It is worth its weight in gold—which, given the book's size, is saying something!
October 15, 2021
simply Fantasticlese. Sailhamer is the OT scholarly father we all need.
February 10, 2024
Absolutely influential in how people see the Holy Bible and how to understand how the original readers of the Pentateuch would have understood the text.
July 1, 2025
Read this along with doing my Devos through the Pentateuch. This is great! I will be going to this often to study. It is a "one stop shop" for the Pentateuch.
January 31, 2023
Sailhamer's treatment of the Pentateuch is incredibly helpful in achieving a holistic look at the flow of these scrolls and their place in the larger canon of Scripture. He maintains not only that these books form one large unit, but that they form one continuous narrative from the Garden in Eden to the border of a new type of Eden, the Promised Land. I appreciated how he continued to point out the ways that later portions of the Pentateuch continue to reference the themes introduced in Genesis 1–11.
A few other pieces that stood out as I was reading:
-In Sailhamer's lengthy introduction, he makes the important point that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" not the historical events recorded in the Scripture. In other words, my primary aim as an interpreter is not simply to seek to reconstruct the events recorded and draw lessons from those events (that may be helpful). More importantly, my aim ought to be to carefully observe how those events are being presented in the writing itself. It is the written word that is the locus of the Spirit's inspiring work.
-Sailhamer convincingly demonstrates that faith is a key theme throughout the storyline of the Pentateuch. For example Abraham was a keeper of the law—through faith.
-He also frequently shows that the Narrator is preparing the reader for the Spirit-empowered provisions of the New Covenant, even as He is describing the Old Covenant.
Probably a better way to read this book than the approach I took (straight through) would be to have this book accompany your own journey through the Torah. I will certainly aim to pull it off the shelf any time I'm teaching on a particular passage in the Pentateuch!
A few other pieces that stood out as I was reading:
-In Sailhamer's lengthy introduction, he makes the important point that "All Scripture is given by inspiration of God" not the historical events recorded in the Scripture. In other words, my primary aim as an interpreter is not simply to seek to reconstruct the events recorded and draw lessons from those events (that may be helpful). More importantly, my aim ought to be to carefully observe how those events are being presented in the writing itself. It is the written word that is the locus of the Spirit's inspiring work.
-Sailhamer convincingly demonstrates that faith is a key theme throughout the storyline of the Pentateuch. For example Abraham was a keeper of the law—through faith.
-He also frequently shows that the Narrator is preparing the reader for the Spirit-empowered provisions of the New Covenant, even as He is describing the Old Covenant.
Probably a better way to read this book than the approach I took (straight through) would be to have this book accompany your own journey through the Torah. I will certainly aim to pull it off the shelf any time I'm teaching on a particular passage in the Pentateuch!
December 25, 2019
At 522 pages, this was an intimidating commentary for a lay reader like myself. However, I still found it extremely accessible, both in regard to Sailhamer’s vocabulary and the technicality of the material. In fact, his approach, which prioritizes the literary structure of the work and its primary function as a coherent narrative rather than merely an anthology of laws and stories, is easily understood for someone without much Biblical/theological training.
One of the first things I noticed about a commentary of this magnitude is the absence of scholarly references. At times it seems like Sailhamer is writing in a vacuum, taking a stab at various passages without much research. But that’s really not a fair reading of his work. From Sailhamer’s credentials, footnotes, and list of works consulted, it’s obvious he’s done his homework; his absence of scholarly sources, rather than detracting from the force of of his argument, instead strengthens the clarity of his points by focusing his position, at least for a non-academic audience.
As you might expect from a commentary that covers the entire Pentateuch, the most compelling portions of this commentary—and likely the portions I’ll return to the most—are in regard to the narratives in Genesis and Exodus. Sailhamer points out narrative patterns across the Pentateuch (and the entire Biblical narrative at times!) that seem obvious once you notice them. Even if I don’t remember the exact content of this work, and I don’t expect I will, Sailhamer has made a deep impression on me in regard to how I approach these books. I’m deeply grateful.
Two other random notes:
- I heard about this book through The Bible Project, and it’s clear that Sailhamer’s fingerprints are all over their work.
- The introduction alone is worth the price of this book.
One of the first things I noticed about a commentary of this magnitude is the absence of scholarly references. At times it seems like Sailhamer is writing in a vacuum, taking a stab at various passages without much research. But that’s really not a fair reading of his work. From Sailhamer’s credentials, footnotes, and list of works consulted, it’s obvious he’s done his homework; his absence of scholarly sources, rather than detracting from the force of of his argument, instead strengthens the clarity of his points by focusing his position, at least for a non-academic audience.
As you might expect from a commentary that covers the entire Pentateuch, the most compelling portions of this commentary—and likely the portions I’ll return to the most—are in regard to the narratives in Genesis and Exodus. Sailhamer points out narrative patterns across the Pentateuch (and the entire Biblical narrative at times!) that seem obvious once you notice them. Even if I don’t remember the exact content of this work, and I don’t expect I will, Sailhamer has made a deep impression on me in regard to how I approach these books. I’m deeply grateful.
Two other random notes:
- I heard about this book through The Bible Project, and it’s clear that Sailhamer’s fingerprints are all over their work.
- The introduction alone is worth the price of this book.
February 22, 2021
I read the introduction, and it gave an amazing way to approach the Pentateuch. I started into the actual commentary, but didn't get through all 1000 pages of that, but it will be a great resource.
December 26, 2024
This book helps you see the first five books of the Bible as one coherent story, with a surprising purpose.
The thrust of the extremely-thorough introduction (which is worth the price of the book) is that the Pentateuch's literary structure reveals Moses's main point, that the Law given to God's people at Sinai in fact made the people of Israel faithless, in contrast to Abraham's following Yahweh in faith.
In essence (if I understand correctly), Moses is communicating what Paul said in Romans 8:3 - "For what the law (of Moses) could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did." The giving of the law was intentional on God's part, to show us that the law could never save, but rather that we are justified by faith, in what God has said and done for us, ultimately in Christ.
The rest of the commentary contains Sailhamer's running structural observations and biblical-theological thoughts on the entire Pentateuch, passage by passage. Helpful and useful diagrams interspersed throughout.
Eminently helpful for those desiring to understand the structure and message of the first five books of the Bible, which are foundational for understanding the rest of Scripture. It's written at an academic level, but an interested and invested layman will still glean much.
The thrust of the extremely-thorough introduction (which is worth the price of the book) is that the Pentateuch's literary structure reveals Moses's main point, that the Law given to God's people at Sinai in fact made the people of Israel faithless, in contrast to Abraham's following Yahweh in faith.
In essence (if I understand correctly), Moses is communicating what Paul said in Romans 8:3 - "For what the law (of Moses) could not do since it was weakened by the flesh, God did." The giving of the law was intentional on God's part, to show us that the law could never save, but rather that we are justified by faith, in what God has said and done for us, ultimately in Christ.
The rest of the commentary contains Sailhamer's running structural observations and biblical-theological thoughts on the entire Pentateuch, passage by passage. Helpful and useful diagrams interspersed throughout.
Eminently helpful for those desiring to understand the structure and message of the first five books of the Bible, which are foundational for understanding the rest of Scripture. It's written at an academic level, but an interested and invested layman will still glean much.
February 3, 2025
A few years ago, my best friend told me all about how this commentary on the Pentateuch was changing the way she read all of scripture. I was hesitant to believe it (because it sounded intimidating - and LONG) but last May I picked it up and started reading (along with one of the girls I disciple). For the last 9 months, we’ve read through the first 5 books of the Bible and this commentary and I truly believe it’s such a foundational read for understanding the rest of the Bible. So many key takeaways and so much blessing from staying in one place for a long time (always what my Enneagram 7 heart needs) but what stands out the most is the constant thread of this truth - the way to Life is walking with God. Relationship - not rules - has always been God’s Plan A and I’m so much more grateful for that than ever before. Praise Him !
January 16, 2023
This is a review for just the 80 page introduction. Its case that the Pentateuch ought to be read in light of its whole narrative direction is a compelling one, but I'm reluctant, this side of more research, to agree with what his narrative direction is.
I think an important work for anyone who really wants the tools to preach the Pentateuch for the sake of the Church, and not just read it for historical research.
I think an important work for anyone who really wants the tools to preach the Pentateuch for the sake of the Church, and not just read it for historical research.
April 13, 2021
Sailhamer does a great job thinking through the Pentateuch. It's more like a light commentary in the way old commentators would work through the whole Bible and make comments, but with particular focus on certain key passages and digging deeper into them.
January 3, 2022
This book is DENSE. Sailhamer is brilliant. He meticulously works through the Pentateuch and convincingly argues that the work as a whole should be read as a narrative.
This work is good for those looking for in depth, scholarly material on the Pentateuch.
This work is good for those looking for in depth, scholarly material on the Pentateuch.
October 16, 2025
Excellent literal readings.
October 19, 2024
Stop what you’re doing and go read this. It’s better I promise.
February 15, 2017
This is really excellent, especially his work on the compositional strategy of the Pentateuch.
December 20, 2019
As a person who has never studied Greek or Hebrew and read theology as a lay person rather than a pastor, I really enjoyed this book. Sailhamer does a good job of being intellectually honest to his thesis and about as thorough as he can be in a volume that attempts to take on the whole Pentateuch in one book, yet at the same time, this book can be understood by someone who has a basic understanding of the Pentateuch. As someone who has done some study within the Pentateuch already, even so, I was continuing to learn new things in every section of the book.
He makes a strong case for why we should read the Pentateuch as one single unit and that as we read it, we should not read it book by book, but as one cohesive whole. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand not only the foundation of the Pentateuch, but really, where the whole Bible has its foundation.
He makes a strong case for why we should read the Pentateuch as one single unit and that as we read it, we should not read it book by book, but as one cohesive whole. I highly recommend this book for anyone who wants to understand not only the foundation of the Pentateuch, but really, where the whole Bible has its foundation.
February 17, 2022
Excellent commentary on the torah. Primarily engages in literary analysis and compositional analysis of the torah as a unified literary whole. Addresses source theory only to dismiss its relevance for uncovering the significance of the torah in the redacted form now available to us.
Sailhammer's primary thesis is that the torah is eschatologically-oriented. He does this by compositional and structural (not structuralist) analysis.
Sailhammer's attention to the unique literary features of the torah is exceptional and highly beneficial for any student of Scripture.
I didn't find this book very heavy or dense, quite an easy read from my perspective. Though, maybe that is just me.
Sailhammer's primary thesis is that the torah is eschatologically-oriented. He does this by compositional and structural (not structuralist) analysis.
Sailhammer's attention to the unique literary features of the torah is exceptional and highly beneficial for any student of Scripture.
I didn't find this book very heavy or dense, quite an easy read from my perspective. Though, maybe that is just me.
September 3, 2024
I found this book to be quite disappointing after the build-up it received in Seth D. Postell's Adam as Israel: Genesis 1-3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh. Upon rereading Postell's book I found the reason for his enthusiasm for Sailhamer's work: Postell was a student of Sailhamer's. To Sailhamer’s credit, he makes no bones about being an evangelical. I suspect Postell is as well, although he only describes himself as being conservative. It is hard to take seriously someone who says with a straight face, as Sailhamer does, that the Pentateuch was written by Moses. Postell, at least, does not go that far, although he does say that he believes in a Mosaic pre-canonical Torah, later redacted by a single author.
I was immediately put off by the organization of the introduction, which seemed to me to jump from one topic to another with no particular plan in mind. The commentary proper was better. I enjoyed Genesis the best, perhaps because out of all the books of the Pentateuch I am most familiar with Genesis and it is by far my favorite. Sailhamer takes pains to draw parallels between material in Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch. While I found this for the most part helpful, I think it is a stretch to claim that this is evidence of a common authorship. It may simply be that a different author drew on earlier material.
One thing I really liked about this book was the appendix, which listed the 613 mitzvot as enumerated by Maimonides along with the scriptures from which they were drawn. These mitzvot were all referenced in the commentary as they appeared in the Pentateuch so that one could flip back and forth between the commentary and text to see how they interlocked. My initial plan was simply to skip this material, as it is very tedious and repetitive reading. I did manage to make it through by reading just a few dozen at a time and taking a break. I’m glad I did! For one thing, I learned the background of prohibition 195, which was very confusing to me. How does "do not be gluttonous or a drunkard" fit with the scripture reference Leviticus 19:26 "One must not eat meat upon blood." According to Maimonides, this meant one should not do that which brings bloodshed. I’m not sure this really follows but at least I understand the origin! Interestingly, if one rejects Maimonides here, that means that there is no prohibition of drunkenness in the Torah. So then we can take seriously the Babylonian teacher Raba in the Mishna (m. Meg. 7b) when he says a man is obligated to drink so much wine at Purim that he cannot distinguish between "Blessed be Mordecai" and "Cursed be Haman".
I was immediately put off by the organization of the introduction, which seemed to me to jump from one topic to another with no particular plan in mind. The commentary proper was better. I enjoyed Genesis the best, perhaps because out of all the books of the Pentateuch I am most familiar with Genesis and it is by far my favorite. Sailhamer takes pains to draw parallels between material in Genesis and the rest of the Pentateuch. While I found this for the most part helpful, I think it is a stretch to claim that this is evidence of a common authorship. It may simply be that a different author drew on earlier material.
One thing I really liked about this book was the appendix, which listed the 613 mitzvot as enumerated by Maimonides along with the scriptures from which they were drawn. These mitzvot were all referenced in the commentary as they appeared in the Pentateuch so that one could flip back and forth between the commentary and text to see how they interlocked. My initial plan was simply to skip this material, as it is very tedious and repetitive reading. I did manage to make it through by reading just a few dozen at a time and taking a break. I’m glad I did! For one thing, I learned the background of prohibition 195, which was very confusing to me. How does "do not be gluttonous or a drunkard" fit with the scripture reference Leviticus 19:26 "One must not eat meat upon blood." According to Maimonides, this meant one should not do that which brings bloodshed. I’m not sure this really follows but at least I understand the origin! Interestingly, if one rejects Maimonides here, that means that there is no prohibition of drunkenness in the Torah. So then we can take seriously the Babylonian teacher Raba in the Mishna (m. Meg. 7b) when he says a man is obligated to drink so much wine at Purim that he cannot distinguish between "Blessed be Mordecai" and "Cursed be Haman".
June 1, 2025
― “Because Israel had come to know God in a close and personal way through the covenant, a certain theological pressure existed that, if left unchecked, could—and at times did—erode a proper view of God. This pressure was the tendency to localize and nationalize God as the God of Israel alone (Micah 3:11), a God who exists solely for Israel and for their blessing. Over against this lesser view of God stands the message of Genesis 1 with its clear introduction to the God who created the universe and who has blessed all humanity.”
― John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary
John H. Sailhamer was a professor of Old Testament studies at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in California. He held advanced degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and UCLA. Sailhamer taught at such outstanding institutions as Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sailhamer also served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society (in 2000). As an author, he made important contributions to Old Testament study, especially in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
Sailhamer believes the Pentateuch was written as one book, not five. While the covenant between God and the people of Israel established at Mount Sinai failed to produce genuine trust in the Lord God, Sailhamer demonstrates that the Pentateuch pointed forward to the hope of the New Covenant, when God would write his law on the hearts of his people, bring complete forgiveness of sin, and raise up a faithful king from the line of David who will restore all that has been broken.
The author’s hermeneutical skills are on full display in this excellent work. He does two things very well: 1) he provides interpretive insight into passages, and 2) he establishes links to other passages, both within the Pentateuch and the whole of Scripture. This book should be of value to preachers, bible teachers and anyone interested in improving their biblical knowledge. Despite having taken Bible college courses and having studied scripture for 55 years, I was amazed at how much I learned about the Pentateuch and God’s plan in general.
It seems important to point out that the introduction is long (79 pages). The first twenty pages or so seemed a bit dull, but it soon picked up. Therefore, I rate this 4.5 stars, rounded up. I should note that it took me 94 days to work my way through this text.
― John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch as Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary
John H. Sailhamer was a professor of Old Testament studies at Golden Gate Baptist Theological Seminary in California. He held advanced degrees from Dallas Theological Seminary and UCLA. Sailhamer taught at such outstanding institutions as Trinity Evangelical Divinity School, Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, and Southeastern Baptist Theological Seminary. Sailhamer also served as president of the Evangelical Theological Society (in 2000). As an author, he made important contributions to Old Testament study, especially in the Pentateuch (the first five books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy).
Sailhamer believes the Pentateuch was written as one book, not five. While the covenant between God and the people of Israel established at Mount Sinai failed to produce genuine trust in the Lord God, Sailhamer demonstrates that the Pentateuch pointed forward to the hope of the New Covenant, when God would write his law on the hearts of his people, bring complete forgiveness of sin, and raise up a faithful king from the line of David who will restore all that has been broken.
The author’s hermeneutical skills are on full display in this excellent work. He does two things very well: 1) he provides interpretive insight into passages, and 2) he establishes links to other passages, both within the Pentateuch and the whole of Scripture. This book should be of value to preachers, bible teachers and anyone interested in improving their biblical knowledge. Despite having taken Bible college courses and having studied scripture for 55 years, I was amazed at how much I learned about the Pentateuch and God’s plan in general.
It seems important to point out that the introduction is long (79 pages). The first twenty pages or so seemed a bit dull, but it soon picked up. Therefore, I rate this 4.5 stars, rounded up. I should note that it took me 94 days to work my way through this text.
November 12, 2020
Sailhamer's book has buckets of great insights into the big picture of the Torah, the inter-textual echoes and how it hangs together as one coherent unit. Once you see that the Torah is stitched together by 4 Messianic poems, you will wonder how you had never seen it before, and you will never read the Torah the same again! Noticing this also highlights the prevalence of the 'last days' in these key passages, and shows how the Pentateuch is a story in search of a fulfilment & conclusion. I also loved his insights on how the Prophets & the Writings (Nevi'im and Ketuvim) are also coherent units that start and finish by explicitly making the Torah the gateway, using the same key vocabulary to point back and so point forward to its eschatological fulfilment.
While these key insights are definitely 5 star material, there were significant sections that were quite poor. One of his key contentions is that it is narrative (and especially Messianic & eschatological narrative) that drives the Torah rather than the giving of the Law, and that often YHWH's giving of new laws is an ad hoc response to Israel's sins. On the positive side, the emphasis on Messianic & eschatological narrative is an important corrective to a Reformed flavour of covenant theology which can sometimes become imbalanced. On the negative side, this gives Sailhamer quite an antinomian and dispensationalist tilt. Instead I would integrate and fuse these perspectives by saying (with Herman Bavinck among others) that the Messianic vision is the salvific means to the end of establishing the indwelling presence of God and the just and law-abiding society which are both enshrined by the law of God.
I would also encourage you to check out an excellent review by Jim Hamilton (link at the bottom) which points out some related issues, most notably the questions of sources, authorship and the events behind the texts.
Finally, there is quite a bit of repetition in the book, sometimes even whole passages repeated verbatim. It could have done with a lot more editing for improvement and it could have been 30-40% shorter. So because of this and combination of the 5 star material with 2 star, I'll give it 4 :)
https://jimhamilton.info/wp-content/u...
While these key insights are definitely 5 star material, there were significant sections that were quite poor. One of his key contentions is that it is narrative (and especially Messianic & eschatological narrative) that drives the Torah rather than the giving of the Law, and that often YHWH's giving of new laws is an ad hoc response to Israel's sins. On the positive side, the emphasis on Messianic & eschatological narrative is an important corrective to a Reformed flavour of covenant theology which can sometimes become imbalanced. On the negative side, this gives Sailhamer quite an antinomian and dispensationalist tilt. Instead I would integrate and fuse these perspectives by saying (with Herman Bavinck among others) that the Messianic vision is the salvific means to the end of establishing the indwelling presence of God and the just and law-abiding society which are both enshrined by the law of God.
I would also encourage you to check out an excellent review by Jim Hamilton (link at the bottom) which points out some related issues, most notably the questions of sources, authorship and the events behind the texts.
Finally, there is quite a bit of repetition in the book, sometimes even whole passages repeated verbatim. It could have done with a lot more editing for improvement and it could have been 30-40% shorter. So because of this and combination of the 5 star material with 2 star, I'll give it 4 :)
https://jimhamilton.info/wp-content/u...
January 18, 2022
In his commentary The Pentateuch as Narrative, Sailhamer repeatedly demonstrates the importance of considering the literary dimensions of a text. Sailhamer argues that while archaeology and history have their place in understanding Scripture, they are not exegesis and careful readers of Scripture must be able to make this distinction in their interpretations.
Such a method of understanding the Pentateuch encourages readers to seek meaning primarily from a text itself, especially in conflicting or confusing passages. Sailhamer’s emphasis on literary bookends and the placement of tough texts reveals an incredible amount of unity across the unique contributions each of the five books makes about Israel’s history. It also shows that the Pentateuch points ahead to what is needed for a complete salvation in Christ.
Overall, his argument is compelling, though I think he oversells on a few points. Perhaps most important is that I can tell his method is having an impact on how I read Scripture already: repeatedly in the commentary he demonstrates how a text gains clarity and depth when what a text’s placement, as well as what it leaves out and includes, are considered. Already this has led me to have more curiosity about any given text, especially one that is confusing.
Such a method of understanding the Pentateuch encourages readers to seek meaning primarily from a text itself, especially in conflicting or confusing passages. Sailhamer’s emphasis on literary bookends and the placement of tough texts reveals an incredible amount of unity across the unique contributions each of the five books makes about Israel’s history. It also shows that the Pentateuch points ahead to what is needed for a complete salvation in Christ.
Overall, his argument is compelling, though I think he oversells on a few points. Perhaps most important is that I can tell his method is having an impact on how I read Scripture already: repeatedly in the commentary he demonstrates how a text gains clarity and depth when what a text’s placement, as well as what it leaves out and includes, are considered. Already this has led me to have more curiosity about any given text, especially one that is confusing.
June 29, 2024
I appreciated this insightful look into the first five books of the Bible by John Sailhamer. As God reveals himself in creation and in his relationship with the Patriarchs and people of Israel, the history of God's redemptive plan is understood as layered, like an onion, with various stories mirroring each other in order to help better understand his plan. Though this is a commentary, it's not hard to follow or read in its entirety, even by a layperson. Of course, it's long and is all the better with a Bible by the reader's side, but it is a great addition to the library of any serious student of the Word.
March 7, 2025
This is it.
Sailhamer plumbs the depths of the Pentateuch and reads it in such a way that is sure to open your eyes to its literary brilliance. Sailhamer reads it from a canonical perspective that takes into account a later author/narrator who has compiled the stories into their final form that we call the Pentateuch/Torah. Sailhamer explores the meaning of the Torah's intertextuality as well as intertextuality with other parts of the Tanak. There is perhaps no other scholar better suited to explore the Torah than John Sailhamer. If you are a teacher, pastor, student, or simply want to study the Torah seriously, this book is fantastic.
Sailhamer plumbs the depths of the Pentateuch and reads it in such a way that is sure to open your eyes to its literary brilliance. Sailhamer reads it from a canonical perspective that takes into account a later author/narrator who has compiled the stories into their final form that we call the Pentateuch/Torah. Sailhamer explores the meaning of the Torah's intertextuality as well as intertextuality with other parts of the Tanak. There is perhaps no other scholar better suited to explore the Torah than John Sailhamer. If you are a teacher, pastor, student, or simply want to study the Torah seriously, this book is fantastic.
May 10, 2023
After introducing his method of reading the Pentateuch as literature within a canon, Sailhamer provides an excellent commentary of these books. If you're looking to understand how the literary themes and symbols are developed throughout the Pentateuch's story, or if you're simply interested in how Biblical Theology can be done, this is a must-read.
August 30, 2018
Anyone teaching the Bible needs to have this book on their shelf. I go back to it time and time again. It will open entire new doors for you that lead to greater understanding and appreciation of the Pentateuch.
June 25, 2019
Though one will not agree with everything, Sailhamer time and again offers biblical-theological insight into the Pentateuch. This is a must read for anyone interested in this oft-neglected portion of the Bible.
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