Victor P. HamiltonHandbook on the Pentateuch: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy

Hamilton's view of proper interpretation of the text is often presented as obscure. More often than not he speaks of the documentary hypothesis as if it is the best method of interpreting the text. Additionally, he does usually present the best interpretations of "difficult" texts, but then he completely undermines those viewpoints with other opinions (e.g., Sons of God as part of heavenly host; the sin of Ham). Sometimes he champions interpretations of the texts that actually go against the most literal, accepted, and biblically supported interpretations (e.g., the numbers of people who were part of the Israelite camp in the wilderness).If you want a liberal commentary that ignores a supernatural, biblical worldview then this one is for you. Things which should be completely obvious to a biblical scholar are completely overlooked (e.g., that the Angel of YHWH is a theophany; the timeline of Egypt to Sinai was not three months of total time - Jews believe the ten commandments were given on Shavu'ot).All that being said, there is some good introductory material that closely analyzes the text, noting parallels and some historical background information. However, this book is not for the scholarly student who already has a good grasp of the material. Likewise, I wouldn't want a beginner to use this as his first text because of so much erroneous theology that is presented.I give it two stars because I probably would not recommend it to anyone. There is such a small window of people for whom I think this material is suitable. First, the person must already have a firm theological foundation that supports a biblical worldview, and accepts the whole Bible as the inerrant word of God. Second, this person must be interested in learning more of the details about the biblical text, but also being able to gloss over parts of the book that are ridiculous. Third, it would be helpful for someone to have some understanding of Hebrew and Greek, or at least the ability to use tools to access such, so that one can look at the text being discussed for oneself.Perhaps Hamilton is simply trying to be fair in his presentation of differing points of view regarding the Torah, but it unfortunately leaves the reader subject to accepting faulty interpretations.

This is not a commentary on the Pentateuch, but a "handbook." Each book of the Pentateuch is broken down into sections, in which literary themes and structures are discussed. It is essentially a fantastic tool for understanding how the "components" of the Pentateuch function as part of the whole unit. Anyone who reads this will gain a much deeper understanding of the first five books of the Bible.

This book was assigned as part of the reading for an OT survey course in a M.Div program. I found Hamilton's compilation of the many positions taken on various aspects of the scriptures to be most helpful. As another reviewer pointed out, the book provides insights from a broad spectrum of Christian traditions. Nonetheless, the author tends to defend the conservative viewpoint more often than not. Ironically, one of the criticisms some level at Hamilton is his hesitance in expressing his own opinion; he is accused by some of giving every opinion but his own! I didn't find this to be case, entirely. It is true that he is concerned with giving the most popular opinions across a large swath of Biblical scholarship, but a careful reading reveals that the author's interjections tend to back up some opinions more than others.Overall, I found this book to be quite helpful for a survey course. The bibliographies at the end of each section, alone, make the book a worthwhile addition to your shelf.

While some of the Pentateuch is unappealing to casual readers, this text brought it to life with hundreds of applications and fascinating connections with ancient biblical contemporaries and with New Testament references. Glad that this textbook from my DTS class is now in my personal library!

I recommend this one becausea) it's perfect for students and those who are desiring to deepen their (maybe shallow) understanding of the Pentateuchb) it's lays out the big picture through each of the five booksc) it brings about different perspectives and opinions, therefore, leading you to wrestle through it yourselfd) and it transitions into each books pretty wellAlong with those four lovely points, it's well written and straight forward.Great read! Not too wordy, but not shallow.

I was actually a student of Dr. Hamilton and his classes were great. His sermons are also some of the best. Unfortunately, this work is not sure what it wants to be. Is it a preacher's sermon resource? Is it a scholarly work? Is it a textbook? In trying to be all these things, it has not done a great job at any of them.On the upside, Dr. Hamilton is a great Hebrew scholar, which shows throughout. Also, he familiarizes the reader with a variety of theories of the text and the historical background of the Pentateuch. Finally, he is Evangelical through and through so those Christians who are afraid of being mislead by unbelieving scholars can trust where he is coming from. I'm afraid that if you are not a conservative Evangelical or if you are just looking for some serious scholarly work, you are going to be disappointed.

This is one of the best books I have read on the Pentateuch. It is not a commentary, but rather a readable book discussing some of the scholarly research on the Old Testament. Plenty of references and a great bibliography for each chapter.

Handbook on the Pentateuch,: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy This makes sense - the big picture and all of its details fit. This was my feeling as I worked my way through Hamilton's book. In fact, the discovery was not only a big relief, after scanning a number of books of its type and feeling overwhelmed and lost in issues I did not understand and never knew existed, excitement fill my heart and mind. Just enough and but not too much for this novice adventurer into the Old Testament.

Just as I expected this book has it all.It is really good for bible students.Lay your hands on one and you will never regret it.

Printed upside down in cover - but for the price I payed compared to buying it from the printer it's perfect.

good reading for those spiritually minded