Genesis 1-11 : a continental commentary

This volume, covering Genesis 1-11, is concerned with what the author calls the story of primeval events. He looks at each part of the text from different angles, examining the literary form, the historical setting, the thrust of the narrative, as well as a commentary on the text itself. As a work of scholarship it is difficult to greet this commentary with anything but enthusiasm. It is certaily the most exhaustive and the very best treatment of these chapters available to us today. One can have little but praise for the breadth of Westermann's scholarship, and for the thoroughness, the clarity, and the fairness with which his discussion is presented. This is a commentary of outstanding usefulness which may be commended without reservation to all serious students of the Old Testament. It will stand as the definitive commentary on Genesis for years to come. -- John Bright in Interpretation Westermann's commentary has the merit of taking a definite stand in the hermeneutical debate. In the tradition of Gunkel, it takes full advantage of the methods of form criticism and of the phenomenological study of religion. Again and again Westermann opens up dimensions of meaning which are not only relevant for theology but for human existence in the modern world. -- Bernhard W. Anderson Journal of Biblical Literature The abridged version of Westermann's classic three-volume work on Genesis. This work presents a magisterial commentary in a condensed and more poluar form. Included are a fresh translation of Genesis, the philological reasoning behind the translation, an examination of the historical background of the original text, a survey of all that has been written about Genesis (together with full references) and a consideration of the problems and questions the text of Genesis raises for today. Claus Westermann is Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at the University of Heidelberg. This is the second volume of Westermann's commentary on Genesis. He offers an introduction to the social and religious setting of the patriarchal period and an analysis of the shaping of the text of Genesis 12-36, with verse-by-verse commentary. Word studies and short thematic essays are included. Claus Westermann ; Translated By John J. Scullion. Translation Of: Genesis. I. Teilband, Genesis 1-11 / C. Westermann. Neukirchen-vluyn : Neukirchener Verlag, 1974. (biblischer Kommentar. Altes Testament ; Bd. 1/1) Includes Bibliographies And Indexes.