Jay Sklar - Leviticus (TOTC)

Additional notes

Appendices

The decision completely to revise the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries is an indication of the important role that the series has played since its opening volumes were released in the mid-1960s. They represented at that time, and have continued to represent, commentary writing that was committed both to the importance of the text of the Bible as Scripture and a desire to engage with as full a range of interpretative issues as possible, without being lost in the minutiae of scholarly debate. The commentaries aimed to explain the biblical text to a generation of readers confronting models of critical scholarship and new discoveries from the Ancient Near East, while remembering that the Old Testament is not simply another text from the ancient world. Although no uniform process of exegesis was required, all the original contributors were united in their conviction that the Old Testament remains the Word of God for us today. That the original volumes fulfilled this role is evident from the way in which they continue to be used in so many parts of the world.

A crucial element of the original series was that it should offer an up-to-date reading of the text, and it is precisely for this reason that new volumes are required. The questions confronting readers in the first half of the twenty-first century are not necessarily those from the second half of the twentieth. Discoveries from the Ancient Near East continue to shed new light on the Old Testament, whilst emphases in exegesis have changed markedly. Whilst remaining true to the goals of the initial volumes, the need for contemporary study of the text requires that the series as a whole be updated. This updating is not simply a matter of commissioning new volumes to replace the old. We have also taken the opportunity to update the format of the series to reflect a key emphasis from linguistics, which is that texts communicate in larger blocks rather than in shorter segments such as individual verses. Because of this, the treatment of each section of the text includes three segments. First, a short note on Context is offered, placing the passage under consideration in its literary setting within the book, as well as noting any historical issues crucial to interpretation. The Comment segment then follows the traditional structure of the commentary, offering exegesis of the various components of a passage. Finally, a brief comment is made on Meaning, by which is meant the message that the passage seeks to communicate within the book, highlighting its key theological themes. This section brings together the detail of the Comment to show how the passage under consideration seeks to communicate as a whole.

Our prayer is that these new volumes will continue the rich heritage of the Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, and that they will continue to witness to the God who is made known in the text.

David G. Firth, Series Editor

Tremper Longman III, Consulting Editor

I believe it is more important for you and me to read Leviticus than it is for us to read the best Christian book ever published, because Leviticus has a quality and produces an effect that no book in the Christian marketplace can compete with (Platt, 2010: 192).

It seems safe to say that this perspective does not resonate with many people today. Even if we can agree intellectually that Leviticus, as part of Gods inspired Word, must be very important, few of us feel that to be true. Indeed, when I tell people that Ive spent years studying Leviticus, many respond with the type of smile that says, Oh well, at least hes not hurting anyone.

I never take this personally. In fact, I think I understand why it happens. Both historically and culturally, Leviticus seems very disconnected from our world today. Most of us see no practical need to know about things like sacrifice (Lev. 1 7), ordaining priests (Lev. 8), or ritual purity and impurity (Lev. 12 15). These are simply not the realities we deal with on a daily basis.

And yet it would be a tragic mistake to overlook this book. In its pages, you will find answers to some of the most pressing questions we ask as human beings: Who are we? Why are we here? What is life about anyway? How can I find meaning and purpose? And you find these answers here, because Leviticus describes a point in human history when the God who gives us meaning came and dwelt in the midst of some of our fellow human beings (the Israelites) and taught them what their purpose in life really was. The goal of this commentary is to make clear what it is that the Lord said to the ancient Israelites and, in so doing, to make clear what the Lord is saying to us today.

I owe sincere thanks to many who have helped me in numerous ways during the course of writing this commentary. At IVP, Philip Duce first invited me to participate in this series, has answered many questions along the way, and has been very patient in waiting for the results. David Firth has provided excellent editorial oversight, not only saving me from many errors and strengthening
the work greatly, but doing so with a consistently encouraging spirit.

Several colleagues, students and friends have read and commented on this manuscript (or portions thereof). Special thanks are due to Cheryl Eaton, Aaron Goldstein, Arthur Keefer, Steven Edging, Adam Szabados, Bruce Clark, Ron Lutjens, Carol Kaminski, Christine Palmer and Greg Jewell.

My colleagues at Covenant Theological Seminary have taught me more than anyone else what it means to worship and love the Lord. I am especially indebted to C. John Jack Collins, Michael D. Williams and David Chapman for the ways in which they have shaped my own thinking over the years.

My greatest earthly support is my wife Ski, who has not only willingly engaged in hours of conversation on the topic of Leviticus over the years, but has also gone above and beyond the call of duty in reading through all of the chapter comments and providing tremendously helpful feedback. Her love and support mean more to me than words can express.