Description The Beginning of God's Majestic Drama Carry and reference the finest single-volume evangelical commentary whenever you need it — the IVP Bible Commentary! In the Old Testament, Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy not only come first but also hold foremost importance. These books describe the origin of Israel as God's people, His formation of that nation, and how He shaped their entire way of life through the Law. Together these five books make up the first section of the Hebrew Bible, referred to simply as "the Law" in the New Testament. The narrative concludes with Moses climbing a mountain in Moab to view the whole land, as the people prepare to cross the Jordan River into Canaan. God's promises are only partially fulfilled within the Pentateuch, and these five books look forward to a future in which those promises will be ultimately realized. Running throughout the Pentateuch is the tension between the "already" of present fulfillment and the "not yet" of what is to be completed in the future. First published in 1953 and revised four times over more than 60 years of enduring popularity, the IVP Bible Commentary stands as the finest single-volume evangelical commentary available. It was edited by world-renowned evangelical scholars, with each book of the Bible written by scholars recognized as leading authorities in their field. Alongside concise yet insightful commentary and exposition, the volume is richly supplemented with maps, charts, and cross-reference guides — making it an essential companion for pastors, seminary students, teachers, and lay leaders who wish to rightly understand and teach the Bible. "Written on a foundation of full confidence in the inspiration of Scripture and the historicity of its central events, this commentary is both practically beneficial to Christians and academically rigorous. Comprising over 1.5 million words, it helps pastors, teachers, and Bible students correctly understand a wide range of biblical texts. Several single-volume commentaries have been published since 1970, but all of them must be measured against this one. This commentary combines readability, scholarship, excellent application, insight, and portability in equal measure." — from 100 Books That Changed the World Contents Foreword 10 About the Authors 12 Abbreviations 15 Transliteration Table 17 How to Approach the Bible 18 Biblical History 52 The Pentateuch 96 Genesis 116 Exodus 186 Leviticus 234 Numbers 299 Deuteronomy 369 It has been our privilege as editors to stand at the center of more than three years of tireless activity. Others had been laboring long before us, and we simply joined in their efforts. Working alongside those called to this immense project has truly been a blessing, and to them we owe our first thanks. They spared no effort and patiently endured our suggestions, interventions, and at times our requests for revisions. We also extend our deepest gratitude to the carefully selected team of biblical scholars. As anyone who has published with IVP (Inter-Varsity Press) knows, we too received outstanding professional support. While we can only mention a few by name here — managing editor Derek Wood and commissioning editor Sue Rebis — we thank every member of the IVP family who contributed, directly or indirectly, to the publication of this commentary. They often wished we could work faster, respond more promptly, and write more clearly, yet they bore with us patiently. They truly deserve our thanks, as well as the thanks of everyone who benefits from and enjoys using this commentary. The greatest challenge in producing a single-volume commentary on the entire Bible lies in the rigorous work of deciding what to include and what to leave out, alongside the task of condensing and summarizing. We sought to focus on the "flow" of each book and passage, hoping in this way to make a foundational contribution to understanding Scripture. Readers of the Bible — not only in earlier times but even now — have too often found themselves without the tools needed to see the forest for the trees. We hope that our commentary, when used for this purpose, will help readers...