Taking a pioneering approach to commentary writing, Brevard Childs gives an entirely original treatment to the book of Exodus. Apart from the philological notes and translation, this commentary includes a form-critical section, looking at the growth of the tradition in its previous stages; a consideration of the meaning of the text in its present form; and a consideration of its meaning in its total Old Testament context. This volume is now available in a new casebound edition. The Old Testament Library provides fresh and authoritative treatments of important aspects of Old Testament study through commentaries and general surveys. The contributors are scholars of international standing.

"A trip across holy ground"... that is author John I Durham's phrase to describe a journey through the Book of Exodus, the stirring story that records the liberation of the Hebrews from their captivity in Egypt and stands as an important link between the Genesis account and subsequent history of the nation of lsrael. Composed as it is of pieces of narrative, sequences of laws, and a carefully ordered system of religious symbols, often marked by shifts of style and emphasis, the book nonetheless did not come together without guiding purpose or unified concept, says Dr. Durham. Unfortunately, for several generations, scholars have allowed themselves to be distracted by specialized concerns and have thus often failed to provide an understanding of the book as a whole. This well-balanced commentary reflects throughout the author's aim to show the theological unitynbsp; of Exodus in its canonical form - the theme of Yahweh present with and in the midst of his people Israel. He gives careful, scholarly attention to such topics as: The evidence for the plight of lsrael in Egypt The call of Moses and the proof of Yahweh's Presence The institution of the Passover The exodus itself The relation of the Ten Commandments to the Book of the Covenant through Moses The symbolism of the tabernacle, Israel's portable temple. Dr. Durham considers fairly the arguments about the structure, form, and date of the Exodus material as well as controversies over the factual nature of the narrative. Even more important, he has made it his priority to hear the ancient voice of a living faith speaking in this ancient narrative and to transmit it as clearly as he can to his own time and context. His success is borne out in a translation that is both the beginning and the objective of his commentary. JOHN I DURHAM is Professor of Hebrew and Old Testament at Southeastern Baptist Seminary in Wake Forest, North Carolina. He has writtennbsp; widely on Old Testament themes, serving as Consulting Editornbsp; for the Broadmannbsp; Bible Commentary and writing the volume on Psalms in that series. He has the Ph.D. from Oxford University and has done post-doctoral studies at Heidelberg, Oxford, Zurich, and Jerusalem. The Word Biblical Commentary delivers the best in biblical scholarship, from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation. This series emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence. The result is judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.