The Book of Leviticus (New International Commentary on the Old Testament (NICOT))

I recently purchased thisLeviticus commentary by Wenham, as well as Currid's commentary. Both are excellent! I like the layout of Wenham's book bc it gives a small intro to the chapter, gives the chapter, and then dissects the chapter. He does not go into tedious detail, but gives thoughtful and well supported comments. Everything, always points to God's holiness. Reading Wenham's book along with Currid's has taken the tedium out of Leviticus and given me an appreciation for the book that I didn't have before. Btw, Currid's book is also very readable and since he is an historian, he fleshes out some of the historical background to the times. Very beneficial. Neither book is speculative fluff but well grounded in sound biblical exegesis.

Leviticus can seem both boring and daunting to the uninitiated, but Wenham guides the reader into the wonderful world of priests and sacrifices and brings Leviticus to life for the 21st century reader.This is a very good commentary that strikes a great balance between depth and readability. Wenham not only comments on the meaning of the text of Leviticus, he also points out how Leviticus applies to Christians today. Wenham’s opinion (I believe he is correct) is that the Law has no legal jurisdiction for the Christian, however the Law was given to teach us so we should study and learn from it.The commentary is written from a conservative perspective. No prior knowledge of Hebrew is necessary. If you are studying Leviticus this is a very good choice of commentary.

This work is a masterful yet readable commentary in the text of Leviticus. Wenham considers historical background and theological considerations all from an evangelical conservative perspective. Get this commentary if you are preparing to preach through Leviticus (or even for your own personal growth!).

Sacrifices, obscure rules about "leprosy" and other detailed rituals involving the tabernacle...enough to make anyone trying to "read through" Leviticus want to scream, right!?! I felt the same way--despite being a follower of Christ for many years, every time I worked through the third book of the Bible, it was tedious. Oh, a couple of interesting narratives were there--Nadab and Abihu in chapter 10, the blasphemer in chapter 24...but for the most part, this stuff about grains and bulls and clean birds versus unclean birds, and so on and so forth was the epitome of dullness.Then, through the a post at ligonier.org by professor Keith Mathison, I was alerted to the presence of this commentary by Gordon Wenham. Mathison says "This commentary is not only the best commentary on the book of Leviticus, it is one of the best commentaries on any book of the Bible that I have read."After "camping out" with the book of Leviticus for about 3 months--reading the Scripture and Wenham's commentary along the way, I must say I agree 100%. I *truly* have come to appreciate this book of the Bible more than ever before.Wenham gives clear explanations to the five types of offerings: burnt, cereal, purification, reparation, and peace. He explains the ceremonial beauty behind the ordination of the priests--and how and why they were to be examples for the people of God.Wenham's way of explaining the issue of "clean vs. unclean" and "holy vs. profane" brings life to the once BORING texts...and his way of explaining even the various and sundry "rules" for living makes the book a pleasure.One main theme behind the book, of course, is found in the phrase from chapter 11 "...be holy, for I am holy." Wenham expounds upon the idea put forth by Mary Douglas that the idea behind "holiness" is more than mere "separation" (though it does mean that)--but also the idea of "wholeness and completeness". The laws, spoken by God, are reflective of what it means to be fully whole or complete in Him--thus, instead of a severe rule maker who desires to quench human freedom, the people of Israel are shown the way of real freedom and completeness.One of the finest features of Wenham's commentary is that once a section's study is completed, Wenham provides a short discussion on how the text applies to New Testament theology--in a very real way, he is able to make this book meaningful to Christ followers. And the discerning reader will also likely be able to pick up on other lessons, too.About 343 pages of text, plus a very important introduction. Please do not try to "blast through" Leviticus the next time you're reading through the Bible. Take a little bit of time, use this commentary as a supplement, and you'll discover some beautiful truths about faith in the only Creator and Saviour!

It's hard to say things that haven't been said already. Overall, Wenham has written an insightful and readable treatment of what is regarded as some of the driest reading in the bible. His discussions on sacrifice in particular were especially helpful in making Leviticus come to life. One of the major strengths of this commentary is the fact that Wenham actually takes the time to factor in New Testament connections with these passages. IMHO, this is something that is much needed but sadly overlooked in most scholarly OT commentaries. Wenham did not address every question of interest I had, but the information he does give made this book worth the money.Whether you are just looking for an introduction to Leviticus or whether you are revisiting it, this is definitely one of the most important and accessible books to consult for study of Leviticus.

This is for the Kindle version:Preparing studies on Leviticus I downloaded a few books on Leviticus and related topics. Wenham's commentary was by far the best resource giving a sense of what each section was about and then providing a New Testament background where applicable. It is surprising how much of the NT is informed by Leviticus! Recommended for all teachers who are attempting the important and exciting (really!) book of Leviticus.Regarding the Kindle implementation the links in the TOC only link to chapters 1, 8, 11 and 17 making going to particular chapter something of a chore for a book best used as a reference rather than one to read straight through. The indices refer to page numbers and do not link to the text and so are not very useful. None of which is enough to take away a star and to be honest to be expected for a book published in the 70's.

While a lot of people see the NICOT/NICNT as more of the conservative side of viewing Scripture and disagree with some of their beliefs, for me, this commentary is helpful enough to view the context on how to see it. The first five books are really academic to the mind, esp the Leviticus to Deuteronomy part, but having such a commentary like this, helps you to appreciate and understand more why GOD has given such set of laws to His people. I recommend this book!

I found this invaluable in studying the text for a preaching series on Leviticus. In a clear and concise manner, the author overviews ways in which each chapter has been interpreted, offers his own conclusions, and provides brief pointers as to how these relate to the teaching of the New Testament, and what that might mean for Christians seeking to live out their faith in contemporary society.

In reality, it gets its stars because it exists: commentaries on Leviticus do not seem to be thick on the ground. In fact it looks well written and explains references to rites and obscure elements. I have yet to use it in depth (and, as with all commentaries, I'll no doubt find it avoids the one issue I wanted clarified) but it seems to provide a lot of benefit. It does *not* provide a lot of detail on Hebrew vocab, so no so good for language development. Good!

The book looks good. I am happy. Yes, I am happy - happy and satisfied. Yes. Yes. Satisfied. Yes. Yes.

A lot of good information concerning the Jewish law. The information in this book focuses much on what the Bible itself says, rather than referring to sources outside the Bible for help with interpretation.