I recently received a translation of 1 Enoch, along with the first volume of a new commentary from Fortress Press. I have to say, I’m pretty impressed with the level of scholarship evident in these volumes. I’ve never had the opportunity to use anything from Fortress Press before this, and I found this commentary to be pretty exhaustive.

As in my review of the translation itself, I discovered a lot of information in this ancient Jewish text that shed some light on how Judaism has viewed and handled some of the early history from the book of Genesis. While I disagree in some of the interpretations that the book of 1 Enoch draws, the translation and commentary seem to be spot on.

Based on the life of Enoch, from the fifth chapter of Genesis, but written during the intertestemental period, 1 Enoch gives some good insights into Jewish thought and theology. And this is only the first volume of the commentary. From what I have on hand, and when you add the second volume into the mix, this creates a very exhaustive and well-researched study tool for the ancient document of 1 Enoch.

This probably isn’t for the casual reader, and might not be necessary for the average student, but if you are studying the Old Testament in depth, and Genesis in particular, this adds a lot of Jewish insights. Or, if you are studying ancient Judaism thought, this would be an excellent resource to have on hand.

As I mentioned in my review of the translation, a word of caution is in order. This is not the Word of God. I expect that I will reference this occasionally as I study for my masters degree on the theology of Genesis, but it is not the authoritative Word of God. The early church councils found sufficient reason not to include it into the official canon of the Old Testament. Do not read this in the same way that you read the Bible. This is interesting material that can come alongside the Bible in various aspects, but it does not carry the weight and authority of inspired Scripture. If you decide to read this, keep that in mind.

With that said, and within the right circumstances, this is a very vital scholarly tool that has a place in many studies and libraries. As well-written and well-researched as it is, it is a tool that will be extremely helpful to those who have a need for it. I suspect I will use it frequently, and I look forward to seeing the other offerings that Fortress Press has available.

Question: This seems to be a very well produced commentary. What other commentary series do you find helpful and would recommend to others? You can leave a comment by clicking here.

I received this book free from Fortress Press as part of their blogger review program. I was not required to write a positive review. The opinions I have expressed are my own.