Genesis (The NIV Application Commentary)
and over one million other books are available for Amazon Kindle .
Learn more
| |||||||||||||||
 Trade In this Item for up to £9.45
Get an extra £5 when you trade in books worth £10 or more until June 30, 2012. Trade in Genesis (NIV Application Commentary) for an Amazon.co.uk gift card of up to £9.45, which you can then spend on millions of items across the site. Trade-in values may vary (terms apply). Find more products eligible for trade-in.
|
Frequently Bought Together
Product details
|
More About the Author
Product Description
Book Description
Noted scholar John Walton follows the three-tiered NIV Application Commentary format (Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance) to reveal how this first book of the Bible applies to us today.
From the Back Cover
A clear, contemporary application of Genesis that shows God in control of the universe, from creation to covenant to the history of the world
Genesis, the newest in the NIV Application Commentary series, traces God’s mastery in creation, covenant, and history. The initial chapters of Genesis show his mastery in bringing order out of chaos. The development of the covenant brought order to his relationship with his people--through revelation and the overcoming of obstacles. Finally, God brought order to the world through his people--by battling the chaos of famine and providing food.
In the beginning, as today, God loves the people he created and it is his intention to bless them in spite of rebellion and sin. Noted scholar John Walton follows the three-tiered NIV Application format (Original Meaning, Bridging Contexts, and Contemporary Significance) to reveal how this first book of the Bible applies to us today.
Inside This Book
(Learn More)
First Sentence
THE FIRST CHAPTER of the Bible, Genesis 1, opens doors to many questions that fill us with curiosity and inevitably lead to controversy. Read the first page
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
THE FIRST CHAPTER of the Bible, Genesis 1, opens doors to many questions that fill us with curiosity and inevitably lead to controversy. Read the first page
Explore More
Concordance
Browse Sample PagesConcordance
Front Cover | Copyright | Table of Contents | Excerpt | Index | Back Cover
Tags Customers Associate with This Product(What's this?)Click on a tag to find related items, discussions, and people.
|
What Other Items Do Customers Buy After Viewing This Item?
Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
5 of 5 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
Unlike most commentaries, I have read this through from start to finish rather than look up particular passages when needed. I found this book very compelling reading. It is good in explaining the background and the meaning of the text. Application to today's situation is extremely helpful as well.
3 of 3 people found the following review helpful
Format:Hardcover
I thoroughly enjoyed, and was challenged by this commentary.
After a 45 page Introduction and Outline, the author spends the next 200 pages in some depth on the first three chapters of Genesis.
Instead of the usual "structural" viewpoint,the Genesis Creation Account is seen as the establishing of "functions" and the installation of "functionaries", to bring order out of a non-functional, (chaotic) state. This approach bypasses most of the young/old earth creationists arguments, although with my inherent Western worldview, I found it quite difficult to stay tuned and totally lose the "structural" slant.
The author spends a lot of time comparing and contrasting the "Genesis Account" with other Ancient Near East acounts, (refered to as the genre of Myths). It is however written from a conservative evangelic viewpoint.
The author stresses that the narrative can only be understood by reading it from, as far as is possible, the original audience's point of view. This is done very well, but it does limit the possibility that God is able to have intended His message to "grow" with the understanding of the audience.
The weakest section is the treatment of The Flood narrative, which I felt left far too many questions unanswered.
Over the treatment of chapters 12 - 50 there seems to be a problem of diminishing space. The 15 chapters on Abraham are dealt with in 150 pages, the 12 chapters on Jacob in 100 pages and the final 14 chapters on Joseph only have 85 pages, one section including 10 chapters together. The commentary is 727 pages long, but 900+ would have been better.
Hence my 4* rating and not quite 5*,
After a 45 page Introduction and Outline, the author spends the next 200 pages in some depth on the first three chapters of Genesis.
Instead of the usual "structural" viewpoint,the Genesis Creation Account is seen as the establishing of "functions" and the installation of "functionaries", to bring order out of a non-functional, (chaotic) state. This approach bypasses most of the young/old earth creationists arguments, although with my inherent Western worldview, I found it quite difficult to stay tuned and totally lose the "structural" slant.
The author spends a lot of time comparing and contrasting the "Genesis Account" with other Ancient Near East acounts, (refered to as the genre of Myths). It is however written from a conservative evangelic viewpoint.
The author stresses that the narrative can only be understood by reading it from, as far as is possible, the original audience's point of view. This is done very well, but it does limit the possibility that God is able to have intended His message to "grow" with the understanding of the audience.
The weakest section is the treatment of The Flood narrative, which I felt left far too many questions unanswered.
Over the treatment of chapters 12 - 50 there seems to be a problem of diminishing space. The 15 chapters on Abraham are dealt with in 150 pages, the 12 chapters on Jacob in 100 pages and the final 14 chapters on Joseph only have 85 pages, one section including 10 chapters together. The commentary is 727 pages long, but 900+ would have been better.
Hence my 4* rating and not quite 5*,
Most Helpful Customer Reviews on Amazon.com (beta)
Amazon.com:
10 reviews
42 of 43 people found the following review helpful
An important commentary
15 April 2007
Format:Hardcover
There are other commentaries I would choose first for verse-by-verse help, but Walton's is the best introduction to the methods of responsible interpretation of Genesis. Walton is an expert in cultural backgrounds and literary genres of the Ancient Near East and also offers some informative word studies. A strength and a weakness of this book is that Walton strongly resists reading later theology or our own culture's questions and answers into the original message of the text; he challenges us to interpret Genesis in the context of the cultural setting for which it was first written. That is a virtue that can occasionally be overplayed. If I would pick one point on which to disagree with Walton, I would hold onto the possibility that God might inspire the words of scripture in such a way that they can have one meaning to their original audience and a deeper or additional meaning to later audiences. But, by and large, Walton's thrust in this area is helpful.
While Walton's writing is understandable, and his faith is thoroughly conservative evangelical, he forces readers to think deeply about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of many traditional interpretations, and that can be upsetting to many readers, especially when he is challenging a cherished, traditional interpretation. Let me assure you that he does not depart from faith in God's word and in God's total sovereignty. I think that those who say otherwise have not read him closely and carefully enough. I do not agree with every step in his reasoning, but I am challenged to clarify my own thinking as by no other commentary.
While Walton's writing is understandable, and his faith is thoroughly conservative evangelical, he forces readers to think deeply about the appropriateness or inappropriateness of many traditional interpretations, and that can be upsetting to many readers, especially when he is challenging a cherished, traditional interpretation. Let me assure you that he does not depart from faith in God's word and in God's total sovereignty. I think that those who say otherwise have not read him closely and carefully enough. I do not agree with every step in his reasoning, but I am challenged to clarify my own thinking as by no other commentary.
33 of 37 people found the following review helpful
Depth and quality...outstanding book!
27 Dec 2003
Format:Hardcover
I didn't know exactly what to expect when I began reading this commentary, but it quickly became clear to me that this book was different than any commentary I had read before. Not only was it solid in research and background information, but its ability to apply the truths of the Old Testament to my life today was amazing. This book is written in such a way that can benefit the beginner and the scholar. It is easy to understand, as well as deep and moving in its insights. Not only did it increase my knowledge, but more importantly, it was a powerful tool for increasing my intimacy with Christ. I highly recommend this book.
14 of 14 people found the following review helpful
Good commentary for the lay reader
30 Nov 2009
Format:Hardcover|Amazon Verified Purchase
I was hesitant to buy this book because it is labeled as an application commentary and I was looking for a technical, scholarly commentary. I ended up buying the book due to the solid reviews it received.
This is not a verse-by-verse commentary. Walton works through the book passage by passage and comments on the main points of each passage. Despite this fact, he occasionally makes points that larger commentaries on Genesis manage to miss. The writing should be readable even for beginners in biblical studies. It should be noted that the commentary is weighted towards the Primeval History and the Abrahamic stories, but I think this is justified since the Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph stories are easier to understand for lay readers.
The review by Ed Campbell, that states Walton allegorizes the text and says Genesis is mythology, is factually wrong. Walton makes use of our knowledge of the ancient Near East to explain how the first readers of Genesis would have understood the text. After all, Genesis is a text from the ancient Near East.
This is not a verse-by-verse commentary. Walton works through the book passage by passage and comments on the main points of each passage. Despite this fact, he occasionally makes points that larger commentaries on Genesis manage to miss. The writing should be readable even for beginners in biblical studies. It should be noted that the commentary is weighted towards the Primeval History and the Abrahamic stories, but I think this is justified since the Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph stories are easier to understand for lay readers.
The review by Ed Campbell, that states Walton allegorizes the text and says Genesis is mythology, is factually wrong. Walton makes use of our knowledge of the ancient Near East to explain how the first readers of Genesis would have understood the text. After all, Genesis is a text from the ancient Near East.
Were these reviews helpful?
Let us know
Customer Discussions
|
This product's forum
Active discussions in related forums
Search Customer Discussions
|
Related forums
|
Listmania!
Look for similar items by category
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible > Bible Studies > Old Testament > Commentaries
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible > Commentaries > By Series > NIV Applications
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible > Commentaries > The Law > Genesis
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Bible > Criticism & Interpretation
- Books > Religion & Spirituality > Judaism > Sacred Writings > Hebrew Bible (Old Testament) > Commentaries
Look for similar items by subject
Feedback
- Would you like to update product info or give feedback on images?
- I am the Author, and I want to comment on my book.
- I am the Publisher, and I want to comment on this book.
|
