Genesis 25B–50 (Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary)

by Kathleen M. O'Connor

Publisher:

Smyth & Helwys

, 2020

Overview

This commentary views the book of Genesis as a sacred text that, in conjunction with other biblical books, enabled the people of Judah/Israel to begin anew after the nation’s destruction by the Babylonian Empire.

In Genesis, the Creator God brings forth life by the Word alone. Stories of disaster and destruction, often a crux of interpretation, find new resonance when set against the backdrop of a nation scattered and in disarray, for they reflect the suffering and theological dilemmas of invasion and warfare. The promises of God to Abraham form the heart of the book and offer more than mere survival; they promise abundant life, children beyond counting, overflowing blessings, and life begun again in the land. Genesis is a profound resource of faith for all communities and individuals who have known loss and seek new life.

Key Features

• Provides serious, credible biblical scholarship in an accessible and less intimidating format
• Combines insights of contemporary biblical scholars with sensitivity to the needs of lifelong students of Scripture
• Contains Connection and Sidebar sections to assist in study of the text

Contents

Top Highlights

“Benjamin ‘alone is left’ implies that all the other sons, children of his other wives, are of no importance to him. His preference for Joseph is what provoked the brother’s jealousy in the first place and led to this set of family tragedies.” (Page 200)

“His reticence is self-protective. How could he know if” (Page 196)

Praise for the Print Edition

By any measure Kathleen O’Connor is among the best readers of text of her generation. She brings to her interpretive work a lively imagination, a playful sense of the dramatic, a keen awareness of the urgent crises of the day, and grounding in deep faith. She brings, moreover, two particular gifts to the commentary that serve in compelling ways to redefine the work and capacity of a commentary. First, she is steeped in “trauma study” and so sees how texts are responses to disaster. Second, she offers an artistic sensibility about language so that in her hands the text continues to be generative. This is a most welcome commentary that summons the reader to rich and probing interpretation that effectively finesses the gap between ancient and contemporary. It is a work of art.

—Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary

The insightful and incisive Kathleen O’Connor has done it again—this is an engaging, scholarly interpretation of the book of Genesis that provides a fresh and generative lens for the ancient text. By reading the Joseph narratives in light of the traumatic experience of the survivors of the destruction and fraught rebuilding of Jerusalem, O'Connor provides timely, rich reflections that illuminate the world around us today. O’Connor’s commentary is a rich treasure that will shape our reading of Genesis for many years to come.

—Brennan Breed, Columbia Theological Seminary

In the second volume of her Genesis commentary, Kathleen O’Connor combines her keen exegetical insight with the same theological and pastoral sensitivity that characterizes her work on Lamentations and Jeremiah. By proposing an early Persian period audience for the book of Genesis, she illumines the stories of the wandering ancestors, highlighting the hope the book offers to a postexilic audience that was traumatized by generations of imperial turmoil and left in disarray. O’Connor offers a glimpse to modern readers of how biblical narrative helps the traumatized community reimagine a reordered future under the promises and providence of God.

—David G. Gerber, Jr., McAfee School of Theology, Mercer University

Product Details

• Title: Genesis 25B–50
• Author: Kathleen M. O'Connor
• Series: Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary
• Volume: 1b
• Publisher: Smyth & Helwys
• Print Publication Date: 2020
• Logos Release Date: 2020
• Pages: 306
• Era: era:contemporary
• Language: English
• Resources: 1
• Format: Digital › Logos Research Edition
• Subject: Bible. O.T. Genesis 25b-50 › Commentaries
• ISBNs: 9781641732604, 1641732601
• Resource ID: LLS:SHC01GE2
• Resource Type: Bible Commentary
• Metadata Last Updated: 2024-08-30T23:46:46Z

About Kathleen M. O'Connor

Kathleen M. O’Connor is William Marcellus McPheeters Professor of Old Testament, Emerita, at Columbia Theological Seminary in Decatur, Georgia. She holds a PhD from Princeton Theological Seminary, an MA from Providence College, and a BA from the College of New Rochelle. She has taught frequently in local churches and community groups and given courses in Central America, Thailand, Japan, and Ireland.