Leviticus 23-27: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary

by Jacob Milgrom

Jacob Milgrom, a rabbi and Bible scholar, has devoted the bulk of his career to examining the laws of the Torah. His incisive commentary on Leviticus, which began with Leviticus 1-16 , continues in this last volume of three. It provides an authoritative and comprehensive explanation of ethical values concealed in Israel's rituals. Although at first glance Leviticus seems far removed from the modern-day world, Milgrom's thoughtful and provocative comments and notes reveal its enduring relevance to contemporary society.

Leviticus 23-27 brings us to the climactic end of the book and its revolutionary innovations, among which are the evolution of the festival calendar with its emphasis on folk traditions, and the jubilee, the priestly answer to the socio-economic problems of their time.
With English translations that convey the nuance and power of the original Hebrew, this trilogy will take its place alongside the best of the Anchor Bible Commentaries.


From the Hardcover edition.

848 pages, Paperback

First published February 6, 2001

Reviews

[Henry Neufeld · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best commentary on any Bible book I have every had the chance to study. I wrote a more complete review of it elsewhere, but I have nothing but praise for it. You do need some facility with several ancient near eastern languages in order to get the most from it.

Milgrom thoroughly deals with a wide range of views on each controversial issue, and then gives his choice. He also surveys the history of interpretation, including both Jewish and Christian interpreters. The 2200+ pages of all three volumes (this is the last one) are daunting, but well worth the effort.