How to Read Genesis, 2nd ed.
Digital Logos Edition
Overview
A New Updated Edition of a Beloved Favorite!
Within the realm of sacred texts, Genesis stands as a pillar—a foundational book that shapes the Torah, the Old Testament, and ultimately the entire Christian Bible. Through its rich tapestry of stories and images Genesis often leave readers pondering the deeper meanings hidden within its verses. In the latest installment of the bestselling How to Read Series, Tremper Longman III offers an enlightening path to grasping what Genesis is meant to communicate to both its original readers and contemporary audiences.
How to Read Genesis, 2nd Edition gives readers an invaluable guide that:
Examines the various lenses through which Genesis can be viewed, enriching comprehension and appreciation of its narratives.
Delves into the cultural backgrounds that influenced Genesis, providing a fuller picture of its significance and teachings.
Uncovers the layers of history and authorship that contributed to the creation of Genesis.
Explains the background of the literary forms and structural elements that make Genesis unique.
Offers an understanding of how Genesis fits into the broader context of the Bible, connecting its themes and messages to the entire Christian narrative.
Building upon historical, cultural, and literary context, How to Read Genesis, 2nd Edition will not only enhance your knowledge, but will also foster a deeper connection with the text and its timeless wisdom.
- Examines the various lenses through which Genesis can be viewed
- Explains the background of the literary forms and structural elements that make Genesis unique
- Offers an understanding of how Genesis fits into the broader context of the Bible
- Acknowledgments to the First Edition
- Acknowledgments to the Second Edition
- Preface
- 1. Understanding the Book of “Beginnings”
Part II: Reading Genesis as Literature
- 2. Who Wrote Genesis?
- 3. The Shape of the Book of Genesis
- 4. Myth or History? Genesis and the Enuma Elish
- 5. Noah and Utnapishtim: Whose Flood Story Should We Trust?
- 6. Abraham and Nuzi: Patriarchal Customs in Their Cultural Context
- 7. The Primeval History: Genesis 1–11
- 8. The Patriarchal Narratives: Genesis 12–36
- 9. The Joseph Story: Genesis 37–50
- 10. The Christological Difference
- Appendix 1: Commentaries on the Book of Genesis
- Appendix 2
- Notes
- Name and Subject Index
- Scripture Index
Part I: Reading Genesis with a Strategy
Part III: Reading Genesis in Its Own World
Part IV: Reading Genesis as God’s Story
Part V: Reading Genesis as Christians
Tremper Longman knows what the questions are that people ask and what the questions are they need to ask about Genesis. He is skilled at providing answers that make sense and that take people forward in their understanding of this vital but argued about and often misunderstood part of the Scriptures. He is good at making complicated questions as intelligible as they can be, and he takes scholarly questions seriously without losing track of the reason why people are reading the Scriptures. Further, he is good at providing answers to questions in a way that encourages readers to do their own reading and thinking. It’s therefore excellent that he has brought out this new edition of his valuable introduction, which takes into account key scholarly works of the last twenty years. A whole new generation of readers can profit from it!
—John Goldingay, senior professor of Old Testament and David Allan Hubbard Professor Emeritus of Old Testament at Fuller Seminary and author of Biblical Theology and the First Testament
In this accessible introduction to Genesis, Longman provides a workshop in hermeneutics, helping Christian readers hone their historical, literary, and theological skills in order to appropriate the message of this ancient book for contemporary contexts. This work emerges from a distinguished career of honestly grappling with biblical texts and provides a starting point for those seeking guidance in how to read Scripture.
—Mark J. Boda, professor of Old Testament at McMaster Divinity College in Ontario
- Title: How to Read Genesis, 2nd ed.
- Author: Tremper Longman III
- Series: How to Read
- Publisher: IVP Academic
- Print Publication Date: 2025
- Pages: 200
- Language: English
- Resources: 1
- Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
- ISBNs: 9781514002834, 1514002833
- Resource ID: LLS:HWRDGNSS2NDD
- Resource Type: Monograph
- Metadata Last Updated: 2024-09-10T17:50:42Z
Tremper Longman III serves as Distinguished Scholar and Professor Emeritus of Biblical Studies at Westmont College. He has written over 35 books, including commentaries on Genesis, Job, Psalms, Proverbs, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Jeremiah, Lamentations, Daniel, Nahum, and Revelation. His books have been translated into 18 different languages. In addition, as a Hebrew scholar, he is one of the main translators of the popular New Living Translation, and has served as a consultant on other popular Bible translations, including The Message, the New Century Version, the Christian Standard Bible, and the Common Bible. He has also edited and contributed to a number of study Bibles and Bible dictionaries, most recently The Baker Illustrated Bible Dictionary.
He earned his BA from Ohio Wesleyan University, his MDiv from Westminster Theological Seminary, and both his MPhil and PhD from Yale University. Dr. Longman and his wife, Alice, have three sons and eight grandchildren.