Exodus, Volume 3: Chapters 20–40

With the appearance of its final volume in English, Cornelis Houtman's monumental, three-volume commentary on Exodus reaches a wider audience than could its Dutch original. The bibliography has been updated to produce a fairly full state of the field for the fin du millénaire. This Exodus passes well the prime test of any commentary: utility. The reader will find a full and clear discussion of almost any question (s)he might raise. Not only matters of original meaning, but also the history of interpretation are addressed. While there may be a slight Protestant tilt, other Christian, Jewish and even Muslim readings are fully integrated—including the still-valuable work of some "conservative" commentators generally beneath the notice of critical biblicists. Even the evidence of art history illuminates the history of exegesis. On the other hand, while one hesitates to desire an even longer work, indices and a comprehensive bibliography would have been helpful in tracking down citations. Houtman wisely limits his bibliography to the most influential and/or recent treatments. Largely absent, however, is Hebrew-language Israeli scholarship (writers whose work is available in English, such as Haran, are fully cited). This is, of course, a broader problem in our expanding scholarly oikoumeme. Who will master the secondary literature in Dutch, Polish, Japanese, Hebrew, etc., etc. [Full Review]