Abstract
Duane A. Garrett’s A Commentary on Exodus is part of the Kregel Exegetical Library, a series for pastors who use the Bible in their ministry.
In his introduction, Garrett briefly outlines the sources and composition history of Exodus. This is followed by a discussion of Egyptian history, which reflects Garrett’s belief that “anyone who seeks to teach or proclaim Exodus [must] have some understanding of the nature of the land, its history, and the possible setting for the exodus events” (24).
For the commentary itself, Garrett divides Exodus into seven parts, organized by theme. For each part he translates groups of verses, giving notes on the Hebrew text in the footnotes. He then provides an outline of the structure of the verses, a commentary on the Hebrew text, and a ‘theological summary of key points.’ Additionally, there are a few excursus throughout the book, which often examine Exodus within its wider Egyptian context.
Readers who pick up Garrett’s commentary should be aware that he is a conservative, evangelical Christian and this background strongly shapes his interpretation. Notably, he interprets Exodus as if it really happened and he often brings the New Testament, specifically Hebrews, into his discussion. He also seems to hold to a uniform understanding of Christianity and Islam, which leads him to make a number of very generalized comments that overlook the diversity inherent in each tradition.
However, despite the fact that many aspects of this commentary will rile those who do not share Garrett’s Christian lens, there are still reasons to commend this work. Garrett has extensive knowledge of biblical Hebrew, which allows him to provide an incredibly detailed analysis of Exodus in its original language. His translation also reflects this knowledge, because he divides the text according to prose and poetic sections, with the poetic being further divided by strophe and meter. Finally, in his comment on the text, he expands on the meaning of Exodus as it relates both to the wider biblical corpus and to the sociohistorical context of the Ancient Near East.
Overall this is a thorough and useful commentary, but it is clearly written by and for a specific expression of Christianity. If a reader is able to look past this aspect of Garrett’s interpretation, he/she will find much of value in this work.