Commentary on the Book of Exodus

Cassuto is one of the most rewarding commentators on Exodus for anyone interested in what can actually be discovered by extraordinarily close attention to the Hebrew text. His command of philology, ancient Near Eastern background, repetition, key words, literary structure and narrative sequencing repeatedly yields observations that are both original and exegetically useful. Particularly impressive is his ability to explain features sometimes attributed to disparate sources as purposeful elements of a coherent narrative: in Exodus 32–34, for example, the breaking and renewal of the covenant explains why the golden calf account stands precisely between the tabernacle instructions and their execution, while recurring vocabulary binds the narrative together. His explanation of the manufacture of the golden calf likewise illustrates how archaeological and linguistic information can clarify otherwise puzzling details of the text. Some numerical and structural proposals can be pressed rather confidently, and naturally this is not a Christian theological commentary, but few commentators make the reader notice so many things in Exodus that might otherwise be missed.

Important for study of the Hebrew text. [Full Review]