Exodus 19–40 (Anchor Yale Bible Commentary | AYBC)
Digital Verbum Edition
Overview
The conclusion of William H. C. Propp’s masterful study of Exodus, this informative, clearly written commentary provides a new perspective on Israelite culture and on the role of ritual, law, and covenant in biblical religion.
Exodus 19–40 sets a new standard in biblical scholarship. Thorough and up-to-date, it is the first commentary on Exodus to include critical textual evidence from the recently edited Dead Sea Scrolls. Informed by Propp’s deep understanding of ancient cultural mores and religious traditions, it casts new light on the Israelites’ arrival at Sinai, their entry into a covenant with God, their reception of the Law, their worship of the golden calf, and their reconciliation to God. The incisive commentary on the building of the Holy Tabernacle—God’s wilderness abode—is supplemented by numerous illustrations that clarify the biblical text.
Propp extends the scope and relevance of this major work in five appendixes that discuss the literary formation of the Torah, the historicity of the Exodus tradition, the origins of Israelite monotheism, the Exodus theme in the Bible, and the future of Old Testament scholarship. By taking an anthropological rather than strictly theological approach, Propp places familiar stories within a fresh context. The result is a fully accessible guide to one of the most important and best known books of the Bible.
- Offers original translations, including alternative translations, annotations, and variants
- Provides verse-by-verse commentary on the text
- Presents the reader with historical background, including analysis of authorship and dating
- Features an extensive bibliography of primary and secondary literature
- Part IV: The First Covenant (Exodus 19–24)
- All that Yahweh Spoke We Will Do and Heed (19:1–24:18)
- Part V: The Tabernacle Directions (Exodus 25–31)
- Take for Me a Donation-Offering
- Part VI: The Covenant Broken and Restored (Exodus 32–34)
- These Are Your Deity, Israel (32:1–35)
- This Nation Is Your People (33:1–34:35)
- Part VII: Building the Tabernacle (Exodus 35–40)
- And Moses Completed the Task (35:1–40:38)
Top Highlights
“This could provide the etymology of molk ‘royalty, royal sacrifice’ (and also provide a symbolic background for the redeeming death of King Jesus).” (Page 268)
“Having exposed the limitations of sacrifice, Micah proposes a simpler alternative: ‘doing justice and loving fidelity and walking humbly with your deity.’ Thus Micah 6:6–8 does not afford credible evidence of Israelite firstborn human sacrifice (cf. de Vaux 1964: 69; pace Andersen and Freedman 2000: 532–39).” (Page 265)
“Even these authors, however, accept that, in extreme situations, the Carthaginians probably did sacrifice living children to the gods.” (Page 271)
“While Death cannot be repelled completely, perhaps he can be controlled if society selects his victims for him.” (Page 268)
“In the Christian Bible, the sacrifices at Sinai that inaugurate the First Covenant are the explicit type of the final Covenant, inaugurated by the joint slaughter of God and Man in the person of Jesus, who enjoins his followers to drink ‘my Covenant blood’ (Mark 14:24).” (Page 309)
The Anchor Yale Bible Series, previously the Anchor Bible Series, is a renowned publishing program that for more than 50 years has produced books devoted to the latest scholarship on the Bible and biblical topics. Yale University Press, having acquired this prestigious series in 2007, is now proud to offer all previously published Anchor Bible titles as well as new books—more than 115 titles in all. Many more volumes are in progress as the AYB Editorial Board, under the direction of General Editor John J. Collins, vigorously pursues the goal of bringing to a wide audience the most important new ideas, the latest research findings, and the clearest possible analysis of the Bible. Widely recognized as the flagship of American biblical scholarship, the Anchor Yale Bible Series is comprised of:
- The Anchor Yale Bible Commentary Series, a book-by-book translation and exegesis of the Hebrew Bible, the New Testament, and the Apocrypha
- The Anchor Yale Bible Dictionary, a state-of-the-art dictionary in six volumes with more than 6,000 entries from 800 international scholars
- The Anchor Yale Bible Reference Library, more than 40 volumes by foremost scholars from a variety of religious backgrounds who focus on broad biblical themes
William H. C. Propp is a professor of history and Judaic studies at the University of California, San Diego. He has written on the Hebrew Bible for such respected scholarly journals as the Catholic Biblical Quarterly, the Journal of Biblical Literature, Vetus Testamentum, and Bible Review.