The wisdom books Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes : a translation with commentary

Book - 2010

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Subjects
Published
New York, NY : W.W. Norton & Co c2010.
Language
English
Hebrew
Other Authors
Robert Alter (-)
Edition
1st ed
Physical Description
xvii, 394 p. ; 24 cm
Bibliography
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN
9780393068122
  • Job
  • Proverbs
  • Qohelet (Ecclesiastes).
Review by Library Journal Review

The prolific Alter (Hebrew & comparative literature, Univ. of California, Berkeley; The Five Books of Moses: A Translation with Commentary) has provided a magnificent work of translation and commentary on the Old Testament books known as wisdom literature. In the books of Job, Proverbs, and Ecclesiastes, we find evocative poetic statements on the value of life, the role of suffering, and God's place in a moral order that often seems neither just nor ordered. This translation is superb. Alter's literary training gives this rendition a poetic edge over more prosaic translations. In some cases, he keeps previously loved images even when those are perhaps not quite right (the whirlwind in Job 38, for example, more properly translated as "storm"). In other places, he supplies gems, such as translating the names of Job's daughters (Dove, Cinnamon, and Horn of Eyeshade). Of equal importance is the commentary, which is rich in linguistic, historical, and literary insights that immeasurably enrich the reading of these texts. VERDICT Highly recommended for religion and seminary collections.-Sandra Collins, Byzantine Catholic Seminary Lib., Pittsburgh (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.

(c) Copyright Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.