Born in 1938 and deposited three years later in a Catholic convent while the war was on, at the age of ten he became a choirboy at Durham Cathedral, subsequently read Theology at Oxford and sang at Winchester and Christ Church, Oxford, so that up to the age of forty-three, David Bruce Taylor had as hefty a dose of religion as any man living.
Very little is written about the Bible nowadays which is not intended for the professional scholar. David's conviction is there would be a much wider interest in it if there were more written about it for the general reader. The two assumptions underlying this work are (a) there is nothing in Genesis which actually needs to be believed; and (b) its themes still underlie the moral thinking of the Western world. This is an erudite and thought-provoking work which makes a substantial contribution to the study of the Book of Genesis.
The translation of the Bible used throughout is that of the Revised Standard Version.
Review:
This book is precisely what the dust-jacket blurb claims it is, ‘an exposition of the whole text of Genesis aimed particularly at a non-specialist readership’. The author takes the reader step by step through the Bible’s first book, reproducing the biblical text in full and providing a detailed commentary. The introduction sets the scene by addressing the question of authorship. Here the reader is introduced to the critical view which detects various sources, oral and written, emanating from different periods and with different points of view. The arguments put forward by the literary critics for the composition of Genesis are rehearsed clearly and concisely.
Every effort is made to make the finished product reader friendly. The text is divided into 50 sections, each with a suitable title which arouses interest. ‘Family Rows about Money’ is the heading of the story which describes Jacob’s deception of Laban. ‘Burying the Hatchet’ summarises Jacob’s reconciliation with Esau. Joseph, his father’s favourite son, is ‘The Spoilt Brat of the Family’. The style is racy with numerous flashes of humour. Even the genealogies, those parts which ‘the modern reader can scarcely bring himself to go through ... even once’, are brought to life and their function illustrated admirably.
Although there are no footnotes providing references to other biblical commentaries and standard introductions to the Old Testament, it is clear that David Taylor is well-acquainted with current scholarship on Genesis. He is also familiar with the rest of the Bible. Cross references to other texts, and extensive quotations from both Old and New Testaments, enable the reader to see the stories of Genesis as part of the whole biblical story and put each passage into a wider context. The account of the binding of Isaac, in which God commands Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering, is illuminated by references to relevant material in the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Exodus. Quotations from Obadiah, Numbers, Kings, Deuteronomy and Judges help to explain the significance of a lengthy section dealing with Edom in Genesis 36. With reference to God’s creation of ‘man in his own image’, verses from I Timothy 2 are used to illustrate the traditional Christian view of woman’s place in the scheme of things.
Modern non-specialist readers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Genesis will find this book readable and informative. Those responsible for leading Bible study groups will derive much useful information from it which will help them elucidate the text and share its message with others. Preachers will benefit from observing the author’s ability to retell and comment on the biblical story in a lively and engaging fashion.
Gareth Lloyd Jones, Professor Emeritus, Bangor University
Very little is written about the Bible nowadays which is not intended for the professional scholar. David's conviction is there would be a much wider interest in it if there were more written about it for the general reader. The two assumptions underlying this work are (a) there is nothing in Genesis which actually needs to be believed; and (b) its themes still underlie the moral thinking of the Western world. This is an erudite and thought-provoking work which makes a substantial contribution to the study of the Book of Genesis.
The translation of the Bible used throughout is that of the Revised Standard Version.
Review:
This book is precisely what the dust-jacket blurb claims it is, ‘an exposition of the whole text of Genesis aimed particularly at a non-specialist readership’. The author takes the reader step by step through the Bible’s first book, reproducing the biblical text in full and providing a detailed commentary. The introduction sets the scene by addressing the question of authorship. Here the reader is introduced to the critical view which detects various sources, oral and written, emanating from different periods and with different points of view. The arguments put forward by the literary critics for the composition of Genesis are rehearsed clearly and concisely.
Every effort is made to make the finished product reader friendly. The text is divided into 50 sections, each with a suitable title which arouses interest. ‘Family Rows about Money’ is the heading of the story which describes Jacob’s deception of Laban. ‘Burying the Hatchet’ summarises Jacob’s reconciliation with Esau. Joseph, his father’s favourite son, is ‘The Spoilt Brat of the Family’. The style is racy with numerous flashes of humour. Even the genealogies, those parts which ‘the modern reader can scarcely bring himself to go through ... even once’, are brought to life and their function illustrated admirably.
Although there are no footnotes providing references to other biblical commentaries and standard introductions to the Old Testament, it is clear that David Taylor is well-acquainted with current scholarship on Genesis. He is also familiar with the rest of the Bible. Cross references to other texts, and extensive quotations from both Old and New Testaments, enable the reader to see the stories of Genesis as part of the whole biblical story and put each passage into a wider context. The account of the binding of Isaac, in which God commands Abraham to offer his son as a burnt offering, is illuminated by references to relevant material in the books of Jeremiah, Ezekiel and Exodus. Quotations from Obadiah, Numbers, Kings, Deuteronomy and Judges help to explain the significance of a lengthy section dealing with Edom in Genesis 36. With reference to God’s creation of ‘man in his own image’, verses from I Timothy 2 are used to illustrate the traditional Christian view of woman’s place in the scheme of things.
Modern non-specialist readers who wish to gain a deeper understanding of Genesis will find this book readable and informative. Those responsible for leading Bible study groups will derive much useful information from it which will help them elucidate the text and share its message with others. Preachers will benefit from observing the author’s ability to retell and comment on the biblical story in a lively and engaging fashion.
Gareth Lloyd Jones, Professor Emeritus, Bangor University
