Understanding the Pentateuch

[John92]

I’m interested in better understanding the Law of Moses. Right now, many of the stories in those first five books are just totally incomprehensible to me. I just don’t “get” what God is trying to say - though I don’t doubt for a second that there are many truths contained in any one of the stories. Besides the stories themselves there is the actual “legal” stuff: that was God’s law that he sent his Son to complete, so I feel like I should understand it better.

Can you recommend any particular commentaries that will help me better understand these books? I’ve been reading Fr. Most’s Commentary on Genesis, which I’ve found very useful (though I’m only just starting), but if you could point me towards any sources that deal with the rest - and particularly the laws themselves - it would be much appreciated. I have a Douay-Rheims-Challoner that has some of what I’m looking for but not enough - there are comments on some particular laws that reveal their allegorical meaning but only on some of them.

Thanks, and God bless!

 

[NHInsider]

I would recommend the Navarre Bible: Pentateuch, although it’s expensive (You can find used copies for around $30).

 

[John92]

I would recommend the Navarre Bible: Pentateuch, although it’s expensive (You can find used copies for around $30).

Thanks! I’ll have to check that out. I’m pretty broke right now but hopefully I can find it at the UVA library (and probably can - it’s truly vast).

I’ve also found that the Haydock commentary which is available for free online has a lot of what I’m looking for, though I don’t much care for the Douay-Rheims (I love the Vulgate but the syntax and wording of the Douay-Rheims can be so confusing sometimes that you might as well just bite the bullet, learn Medieval Latin, and read it for yourself in the original language; plus Medieval Latin is, in many ways, much easier to read than the more familiar Classical sort, not to mention that the Old Testament is mostly made up of short sentences so there isn’t as much funky subordinating-clause-subjunctive-headache stuff )

 

[JeanneH]

I’m interested in better understanding the Law of Moses. Right now, many of the stories in those first five books are just totally incomprehensible to me. I just don’t “get” what God is trying to say - though I don’t doubt for a second that there are many truths contained in any one of the stories. Besides the stories themselves there is the actual “legal” stuff: that was God’s law that he sent his Son to complete, so I feel like I should understand it better.

Can you recommend any particular commentaries that will help me better understand these books? I’ve been reading Fr. Most’s Commentary on Genesis, which I’ve found very useful (though I’m only just starting), but if you could point me towards any sources that deal with the rest - and particularly the laws themselves - it would be much appreciated. I have a Douay-Rheims-Challoner that has some of what I’m looking for but not enough - there are comments on some particular laws that reveal their allegorical meaning but only on some of them.

Thanks, and God bless!

Have you tried “The Jewish Study Bible” By the Jewish Publication Society?
I have it and find it interesting to read the commentary of this work. It is very informative and might be what you are looking for.