The Five Books of Moses: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy (The Schocken Bible, Vo...
Widely acclaimed by Bible scholars and theologians of every denomination, Everett Fox's masterful translation re-creates the echoes, allusions, all...
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Nov 27, 2011
Skylar
rated it: 
Alter embarked on this English translation of the Pentateuch because "there is…something seriously wrong with all familiar English translations…Broadly speaking, one may say that in the case of the modern versions, the problem is a shaky sense of English and in the case of the King James version, a shaky sense of Hebrew." It is this "shaky sense of English" exhibited by most modern translations that has always made the KJV my preferred devotional Bible; poetry speaks to the
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Nov 27, 2011
yvonne
rated it: 
don't bother borrowing this book from the library. you'll just end up with massive fines and/or some asshole constantly placing a hold on the book at the exact wrong time. instead, buy or borrow this book from a very patient friend. don't even bother fronting - buy this book and set aside massive blocks of quality time. this book demands a committed relationship. not necessarily exclusive, but definitely committed. robert alter's level of scholarship is unparalleled. the book is a next-leve
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Jan 22, 2010
Silvia
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I'm an atheist, but religion fascinates me, primarily as a manifestation of culture. I read the Torah as I would any ancient text, and found it an amazing and instructive document of nation-building. From the most pragmatic--laws and norms, historical lessons--to the most spiritual--a genesis story, a spiritual justification, a historical and cultural sense of the nation, what is the meaning of being human, what the limits, what the goals, what the good and bad relationships--, countless questi
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Nov 27, 2011
Seth
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A terrific alternative translation of the Bible. Always worth checking against other translations for how Kaplan phrases things slightly differently.
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Aug 18, 2011
Kira
rated it: 
A good solid read, better than its companion novel, Holy Bible. There's a bit more appreciation for the fellow man, and a lot more gratuitous sex. I also enjoyed Moses; he's less of a Gary-Stu than Jesus. There's also a lot more action and adventure in Torah, and the plot advances with a bit more urgency. Still, there's a lot to be desired. A good editor and less purple prose would tighten this up a bit.
Overall? A decent read. It's also notable that compared to Holy Bible, the Goodrea More...
Overall? A decent read. It's also notable that compared to Holy Bible, the Goodrea More...
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Nov 27, 2011
Keith
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I have rated this book five stars based on the quality of the translation and the fact that this is the Jewish Torah (the first five books of the Christian Bible), upon which modern Western literature as we know it was built. (Along with the ancient Greek classics.) The Alter translation and footnotes make what is obscure, cryptic or downright confusing, much clearer. (Though it seems no amount of scholarship can clear up some confusing passages.) I still love the KJV, but if you want to actuall
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Nov 27, 2011
Alex
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I only got about a third of the way through this book, through Exodus 7, before I had to return it to the library, but I really enjoyed it and will probably buy it for myself. I heard of the book from the New York Times Book Review, which sparked my interest with statements like: Alter allows "us to see for ourselves how the Bible embeds its most acute ironies in wordplay and repetition."
Alter's commentary really is insightful, especially where it highlights wordplay, the m More...
Alter's commentary really is insightful, especially where it highlights wordplay, the m More...
Feb 17, 2008
Recently a friend asked me if I ever skimmed when reading a book; I have to say that the book of Numbers really demands some skimming! I think you'd have to be so devoted to the sacredness of scripture to read every word in the Torah that you could compete with an Orthodox rabbi. Having naturally read these five books as part of the OT before, I thought it would be fun to read a self-contained translation of these scriptures as the Jewish Torah - sort of a companion to the Koran or the Gospels.
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Feb 13, 2008
Charlaralotte
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Scared the heck out of my parents during the couple weeks I was reading this baby. Oh, I read the Large Print edition. Much easier on the eyes.
From a literary perspective, it was in dire need of a good editor. I mean, every time God tells Moses something, we get the complete text of his speech. Then, we get the exact same text again when Moses tells everyone what God said. REDUNDANCY. Could have really tightened this piece up to make the plot move much swifter.
Had problem More...
From a literary perspective, it was in dire need of a good editor. I mean, every time God tells Moses something, we get the complete text of his speech. Then, we get the exact same text again when Moses tells everyone what God said. REDUNDANCY. Could have really tightened this piece up to make the plot move much swifter.
Had problem More...
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Nov 27, 2011
Ben
rated it:
What Leon Kass did for my understanding of Genesis, Robert Alter did for my understanding of the whole Pentateuch. He talks about the documentary hypothesis and text criticism without getting too caught up in it all. His genius lies in his willingness to translate "seed" as "seed," "bread" as "bread," and "neck" as "neck." The Pentateuch is written in bold, colorful, earthy, concrete terminology, and Alter's translation allows the earth
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Jan 21, 2012
Kenny
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I have not read this entire book (though I've certainly read the Torah before). But I have read the introduction and much of the commentary, which is fantastic. If you are at all interested in translation and/or the bible as literature this book is a must read.
From what I've read of the actual text, too, the book is fantastic.
From what I've read of the actual text, too, the book is fantastic.
Jun 15, 2009
As with the book of Mormon and the Qu'ran,
I hope to be granted a copy of the Torah...
which I may get around to reading in my lifetime,
but don't hold your breath.
I hope to be granted a copy of the Torah...
which I may get around to reading in my lifetime,
but don't hold your breath.
Nov 27, 2011
Mark
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Robert Alter, professor of Hebrew & Comparative Literature at the University of California, Berkeley, is one of the world's pre-eminant scholars of Hebrew literature. Here he has done his own translation of Genesis through Deuteronomy, with wonderful commentary. His great contribution is not theological but literary, pointing out the beautiful artistry of biblical prose and poetry, helping us not only to understand the story, but why the story was told in the way that it was. After reading the t
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Dec 01, 2011
Scott
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life changing. how could anyone not give this 5 stars?! Seriously it's amazing!
Moses you rock more than Gandhi does!
Moses you rock more than Gandhi does!
Nov 27, 2011
Carl
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So every year, I tend to hunker down and read one big ass book. This year it was The Five Books of Moses, which was just amazing and brilliant due to the translation and comments by Robert Alter from UC Berkeley. Yes, it is the first five books of the Old Testament, and yes, it was fun and illuminating and challenging, except for Leviticus (do I really need to know every possible way to sacrifice an animal???), and yes, I learned that the Old Testament God could use a course on anger management
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Nov 27, 2011
Henry
rated it:
My favorite translation of the Bible. I don't know Hebrew, but Alter's introduction and (copious) footnotes convince me that he is as faithful as possible to the cadences of the original. He also makes a strong case for greater parataxis, rather than the English-language bias towards hypotaxis. Genesis is my favorite, but Alter makes even all the elaborations of rituals in Leviticus engaging. It was a big letdown when I finished Alter's translation then switched to the NRSV for my read-throu
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Nov 27, 2011
Peter
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This translation of the Pentateuch with its detailed commentaries gave me a much greater insight into both the Jewish faith and tradition, and consequently the Hebrew origins of my own (Christian) faith. I would recommend this to anyone seeking to better understand how the Hebrews saw themselves in relation to YHWH. I also find it useful as a means to making better sense of the Bible's account of creation and how that conflicts with modern scientific knowledge.
Nov 27, 2011
Susie
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A fascinating version of the first five books of the Bible. Translated to sound like an English version of the Hebrew text, so full of images that sound foreign but rich. A great way to immerse oneself further in the Biblical text and its mindset as a way to understand it better. Sometimes hard to read, but generally only because it is highlighting where the Bible's mindset is distant from ours today.
Nov 27, 2011
Michael
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I have always thought the King James Version of the Bible, while still probably the best complete translation, was not a accurate translation of the original text. Robert Alter does a outstanding job of translation from the original five books and the commentary to explain the differences from other translations makes it very educational. I highly recommend!
Nov 27, 2011
Wayne
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Here is an interesting approach to translation, capturing the experience of the Hebrew language in terms of cadence (rhythm) and sound as read aloud. Repetition, allusion, alliteration, and wordplay. This is a very different approach from most modern translations which seek to translate the text into readily accessible, modern english.
Nov 27, 2011
Marc
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i am not sure i would dare to decide how many stars to give to the bible, or its author; so the rating applies only to the translation and commentary. Robert Alter takes the reader by the hand and leads him onto his world of the Torah. He understands the book mostly as a literary work, and knows how to show its value.
Nov 27, 2011
Jon-Erik
rated it:
Unless you're reading the Hebrew, this is really the only translation to use. The Torah wasn't written in fancy language appropriate for Rococo cathedrals and salons. It was written in the earthy raw language of the ancient near east. It comes through in this translation better than in any other English one.
