Torah Commentary: Genesis

by Nahum M. Sarna

The JPS Torah Commentary series guides readers through the words and ideas of the Torah. Each volume is the work of a scholar who stands at the pinnacle of his field. Every page contains the complete traditional Hebrew text, with cantillation notes, the JPS translation of the Holy Scriptures, aliyot breaks, Masoretic notes, and commentary by a distinguished Hebrew Bible scholar, integrating classical and modern sources. Each volume also contains supplementary essays that elaborate upon key words and themes, a glossary of commentators and sources, extensive bibliographic notes, and maps.

Genres: Judaism, Old Testament, Biblical Studies, Reference, Jewish, Theology, Nonfiction

414 pages, Hardcover

First published May 1, 1994

About the author

Nahum Mattathias Sarna (Hebrew: נחום סרנא; March 27, 1923 – June 23, 2005) was a modern biblical scholar who is best known for the study of Genesis and Exodus represented in his Understanding Genesis (1966) and in his contributions to the first two volumes of the JPS Torah Commentary (1989/91). He was also part of the translation team for the Kethuvim section of the Jewish Publication Society's translation of the Bible, known as New Jewish Publication Society of America Version.

Reviews

[Joost Nixon · Rating 1 out of 5]

I loved Sarna's commentary on Exodus. And so I bought this one with great anticipation. But as I read it, I kept getting disappointed. Sarna being Jewish, I did not expect his commentary to savor of Christ, but this commentary seemed especially empty. He is best when describing manners and customs. He spends lots of time with archeological and near eastern lit--but he doesn't write much about the weightiness of the theological themes of Genesis.

Get his commentary on Exodus. Skip this one--especially considering the price.

[Becky · Rating 5 out of 5]

I read this volume (and it is a volume) for a class I am teaching on the historical and cultural background of Genesis. It is an incredible piece of work filled with in-depth scholarship, but also a critical perspective. For anyone interested in digging deeply into Genesis, this Commentary is for you.

[Victoria]

Read for my Genesis class. Sometimes my prof, class, and I really disagree w Sarna but this book is a great resource, nevertheless.

[Jeremy Manuel · Rating 4 out of 5]

I was preparing for a Bible Study on Genesis and wanted a Jewish perspective on the book to see how much difference there was between Jewish and Christian views of the book. I found this commentary to be useful in filling that role to a point, but I also felt that there was far more overlap than there was difference.

Sarna's commentary is a solid work that I appreciated quite a bit. The structure of the commentary is a little different, with many notes with comments rather than paragraphs of discussion broken up by sections. I found this useful in some ways as it allowed for the focus to be on points of interest and easy to find rather than within some larger discussion. On the negative side this also made things feel a bit more disjointed than other commentaries I used.

I was also hoping that there would be more interaction with rabbinic teachings on the text. There was some and I enjoyed getting those bits of insight, even when I didn't necessarily agree with them, but I found myself wanting a bit more of that.

I also felt that the commentary was good at pointing out certain wordplays within the text and how certain words in proximity to each other were similar sounding in the Hebrew or based on the same root or whatever. While other commentaries would point this out sometimes, I felt like this one did it frequently. While not going to change how many read or interpret the text, I think it shows the artistic structure of the Bible and how there is a literary sophistication to the text itself.

Overall, I enjoyed this commentary. It maybe wasn't fully what I was expecting, but I thought it was a good resource to have while preparing to go through the various chapters of Genesis.

[Jonathan Caldwell · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is the first JPR Torah commentary I've read all the way through and I enjoyed it. Sarna comes to some conclusions that I disagree with but he is easy to read and brings a lot of historical Hebrew interpretation to the table. That is, obviously, one of the major draws to this series. The hardcopies of these commentaries are left handed, modeling the way Hebrew is read. That is annoying, but it does not impact the information (I used an electronic edition).

[Mike · Rating 5 out of 5]

Excellent background and linguistic commentary. Five stars!

[Crystal Swafford · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved delving into Genesis from a Jewish literature and culture perspective. I learned some fascinating nuggets that improved context.

[Drew · Rating 5 out of 5]

I learned so very much from reading and studying this Torah Commentary. It has inspired me to take Hebrew classes. I have learned to sound out the words in Hebrew. I have a long ways to go but I'm going to learn Hebrew!

[John Rossitto · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is a well written commentary on the book of Genesis. Offers regular insights and defenses of an early authorship. Points out problems with texts and offers reasonable solutions. Offers many inspirational insights. More of a reference commentary then one for daily inspiration.

[Michael Lewyn · Rating 5 out of 5]

Good use of history. For example, Sarna relies on Mesopotamian law codes and mythology to explain some of the Torah's narratives.