Exodus

Sarna’s Exodus is a model of concise scholarly commentary. It combines careful Hebrew exegesis, literary sensitivity, Jewish interpretation and ancient Near Eastern background with remarkable economy, and there is very little wasted space. Sarna is especially valuable where comparison with the ancient world can illuminate rather than flatten Israel’s distinctiveness. His treatment of biblical law, for example, acknowledges Israel’s participation in a wider ancient Near Eastern legal culture while emphasizing the fundamental transformation produced by covenant: Israel’s law derives its authority from God rather than a human monarch, integrates law, morality and religion, and gives exceptional weight to the sanctity of human life. The commentary is less exhaustive than Propp and necessarily leaves some technical debates compressed, but its judgments are unusually disciplined and its signal-to-noise ratio is exceptionally high. For regular consultation throughout Exodus, this is one of the most consistently useful commentaries available.

A clear, concise, and exegetically strong commentary. Sarna is especially aware of the larger ancient Near Eastern context within which Exodus was written. He doesn’t provide wider theological discussion or application. [Full Review]

A recent Jewish exegesis of the Hebrew text with appreciation for traditional Rabbinic exegesis. [Full Review]