Abstract
Richard Briggs, lecturer in Old Testament at St. John’s College, Durham University (UK), begins his work with self-deprecating humor. In true British style, he jokes about the limited audience for a book on Numbers before proceeding to write exactly that. Or is it? One of the major questions of this book has to do with genre. On the one hand, Briggs claims that another commentary on Numbers isn’t necessary. He spends the first two-and-a-half chapters talking about interpretation. Perhaps he’s written a book about hermeneutics, as indicated by the first part of the book’s title. On the other hand, the last five-and-a-half chapters of the book read an awful lot like a commentary on Numbers. Perhaps that’s a nod to the last part of the book’s title.
The hermeneutical sections of the book make wide use of critical methodologies. Literary theories receive the greatest attention, with source criticism broadly assumed. Briggs acknowledges historical-critical concerns but does not rely on them. Instead, he focuses on what he calls “ascriptive realism” that emphasizes theological approaches to the text. He seems equally at home with pre-critical, critical, and postmodern readings, all in support of his theological hermeneutic. Briggs is obviously well-read in this area, though his hodgepodge approach can be difficult for non-specialists to follow. Chapter 1 gives an extended critique of modern commentaries. Briggs challenges the typical chapter-by-chapter, introductory format in favor of “theological interpretation,” which he hopes will “lead to a loosening of the genre of ‘commentary’ to incorporate substantive theological reflection that takes seriously the biblical text in all its technical complexity” (27). Chapter 2 continues the critique, complaining that the developmental approach so often used in commentaries fails to take seriously the moral challenges present throughout the biblical text. “What is needed,” Briggs claims, “is a broader theological account where what has been received in the past is brought into theological dialogue with what is required in the present” (37). His proposed solution is outlined at the beginning of chapter 3, with heavy reliance on the work of Hans Frei.
The commentary sections which follow attempt to show how this “ascriptive realism” hermeneutic may be applied to biblical texts. Readers hoping for a chapter-by-chapter walk through the book of Numbers will be disappointed. Briggs jumps around, choosing narratives that fit into his overarching theological themes of trust, holiness, wilderness, and blessing. Knowledge of Hebrew is assumed, with regular reference to particular terms and grammatical forms. Briggs does not shy away from difficult theological questions. He wrestles with the grumbling of the people (chapter 3/Num 10–12), their failure to enter the promised land (chapter 4/Num 13–14), Korah’s rebellion (chapter 5/Num 15–16), Moses’ sin and punishment (chapter 6/Num 20), and Phinehas’s zeal (chapter 7/Num 25). Briggs provides multiple possible interpretations for each text, reviewing majority opinions before proposing an alternate reading that more closely follows his theological hermeneutic. These sections are insightful yet open-ended, never settling on a single way to understand the text. Chapter 8 ends with brief essays on three additional texts: the priestly blessing (Num 6), Balaam’s curse/blessings (Num 22–24), and Origen’s interpretation of the wilderness itinerary (Num 33). Briggs is an Old Testament scholar, widely citing the work of others while largely rejecting their conclusions where they do not fit his theological agenda.
Who should read this book? Those looking for a straightforward commentary on Numbers will likely be frustrated by all of the hermeneutical debate. Those looking for a new take on hermeneutics will likely be frustrated by all of the examples from Numbers. But those who can hold these two things in tension will likely be delighted with the messy, complicated, theologically rich results.