I decided to study the book of Genesis this year (January to be exact). But I wasn’t able to begin until recently. I was excited and nervous because I had never studied an Old Testament book. So I asked God for extra help. The next day, I discovered How to read Genesis by Tremper Longman III via Tim Challies’s daily kindle deals. I don’t believe in coincidence, so I purchased it without further ado. After reading this book, all I can say is, God is good!
About the author
“Tremper Longman III (Ph.D., Yale University) is the Robert H. Gundry Professor of Biblical Studies and the chair of the Religious Studies department at Westmont College in Santa Barbara, California, where he lives with his wife, Alice. He is the Old Testament editor for the revised Expositor’s Bible Commentary and has authored many articles and books on the Psalms and other Old Testament books.”
About the book
As the title implies, How to Read Genesis is a guide to read, study, and explore the interpretation of Genesis. In his book, Longman provides some general knowledge of Genesis and the necessary principles of interpretation so readers can arrive at its correct understanding.
Longman wrote this book because Genesis is the beginning of our story. He said, “Why read the book of Genesis? To understand our origins. To understand who we are, our meaning in life. To comprehend our place in the world, our relationship with other creatures, with other humans and with God himself. To recognize the significance of the rest of redemptive history culminating in the ministry of Jesus Christ.”
The book has five parts.
Part one is titled, “Reading Genesis with a strategy.” It provides several principles and related interpretive questions to discover the authorial intent.
Part two is titled, “Reading Genesis as literature.” It addresses topics related to literature like the authorship, composition, literary style, and the outline or structure of Genesis.
Part three is “Reading Genesis in its own world.” Here, Longman compares and contrasts the biblical accounts of creation and the flood to other rival stories prevalent in ancient times. It also features pertinent cultural customs.
Part four, titled, “Reading Genesis as God’s Story,” explores the book of Genesis with comments on critical passages. Longman presents his explanation in three sections: the primeval history, the patriarchal narratives, and the Joseph story.
Lastly, part five is titled, “Reading Genesis as Christians.” Here, Longman presents a Christological reading of Genesis. That is, how Genesis points to Jesus.
My thoughts
Longman did an excellent job with How to read Genesis. He provided relevant information that enriched my understanding of Genesis. I loved how he structured the book and tackled Genesis from various angles. It was easy to read, not too academic (even though a scholar wrote it), and provided a lot of information. Readers of any level can read it.
I found the title is a bit misleading. The book wasn’t as practical as I expected, and it didn’t provide any actionable steps. How to Read Genesis is more of an introduction and bird view commentary of Genesis.
Nevertheless, Longman’s comments, observation, and thorough analysis have been helpful in my study of Genesis. It helped me noticed some things I previously missed and others I would have missed otherwise.
I particularly enjoyed the historical information surrounding the book of Genesis. I was not aware of the competing creation stories, or the debate around the authorship of Genesis. These details have enriched my understanding of Genesis so far and provided me with deeper insights.
Longman also provided a ton of resources for further study, which I appreciated. In the appendix section, he provided excellent commentaries on Genesis and described them briefly so readers can select a suitable one according to their needs.
It might be a bit nit-picky, but I didn’t care much for the NLT Scripture quotations. (The NLT version is a thought-for-thought translation.)
Other than that, How to read Genesis is stellar. I hope to read Longman’s other books in his how-to series. As of this review, he has published one on the Psalms, Proverbs, and Exodus.
My recommendation
If you are interested in studying Genesis in-depth, then I highly recommend How to Read Genesis as a starting place. It is an excellent resource that will assist you well in your study.
Grace and peace to you!
