Genesis

David L. Petersen is Franklin N. Parker Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Candler School of Theology, Emory University. Petersen served on the faculties of the University of Illinois, Urbana–Champaign; Iliff School of Theology; and Emory University, where he was awarded the Emory Williams Distinguished Teaching Award. In addition, he taught at Aarhus University, Denmark, as a Fulbright Professor. He has written numerous books and articles and worked on many collaborative projects (Common English Bible [convener of the editorial board] and New Interpreter’s Bible [senior Old Testament Editor]) and editorial boards (Old Testament Library, Journal of Biblical Literature). He has already published two volumes in the Old Testament Library series. He was elected president of the Society of Biblical Literature in 2004. In 2010, he was presented with a Festschrift titled: Method Matters: Essays on the Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Honor of David L. Petersen.

"This sure-footed, clear, and stimulating commentary will give students of Genesis new insight and new questions on page after page. It is naturally a radically different work from the previous volume on Genesis in this series by Gerhard von Rad, which has been an exegetical and theological resource for over sixty years. It will thus open the eyes of readers to seeing Genesis anew in light of the way critical theories look at Genesis in the twenty-first century." —John Goldingay, Senior Professor of Old Testament and David Allan Hubbard Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary "David L. Petersen provides readers with an insightful commentary that employs a combination of literary and social-scientific methodologies that have grown out of earlier models of source, tradition, form, and redaction criticism. He reads Genesis as a family narrative that explains how the ancestral family grew into a people in its relationship with G-d within the context of creation, and he points to the role of the tôlǝdôt, "generations," formulas that trace the ancestral family's history throughout the book.  Petersen's volume is a worthy successor to the earlier work of Gerhard von Rad." —Marvin A. Sweeney, Professor of Hebrew Bible, Claremont School of Theology "David Petersen's Genesis is the work of deep integrative intelligence. Petersen's commentary builds upon historical-critical questions in service of the larger matter of Genesis as literature, a book about family on the way to nationhood. The family is besieged by problems of infertility, domestic violence, and generational power struggles. Resonant with contemporary issues and eminently readable, this commentary is a must for scholars and of interest to a broad audience of readers." —Kathleen M. O’Connor, William Marcellus McPheeters Professor Emerita of Old Testament, Columbia Theological Seminary "David Petersen presents a fresh and methodologically diverse approach to the book of Genesis. His commentary is informed by recent developments in the study of the Pentateuch and provides an accessible way to read Genesis, not only as a prologue to the Moses story but also as a book in its own right. A more-than-timely replacement of Gerhard von Rad's predecessor volume in the Old Testament Library!" —Konrad Schmid, Professor of Hebrew Bible and Ancient Judaism, University of Zurich "Petersen's commentary on Genesis provides a readable evaluation of this foundational book, drawing it together from the perspective of family and geography. His approach is primarily literary with close attention to ancient Near Eastern parallels and text-critical variants. It is a welcome addition to the literature on Genesis and as such will be an asset for scholars, clergy, and those interested in studying the narrative accounts of Israel’s origins." —Victor H. Matthews, Professor Emeritus of Old Testament and retired Dean of the College of Humanities and Public Affairs, Missouri State University