Journal: Detroit Baptist Seminary Journal
Volume: DBSJ 27:1 (NA 2022)
Article: Book Reviews
Author: Anonymous

DBSJ 27 (2022) p. 113

Book Reviews

Genesis, by Andrew E. Steinmann. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity Press, 2019. xxi + 474 pp. $28.00.

As the first and foundational book of Scripture, Genesis casts a broad shadow on the biblical canon. In turn, the interpreter’s handling of Genesis sets a significant hermeneutical and theological trajectory for the rest of the Bible. Steinmann has provided an insightful and concise commentary that will aid pastors, teachers, and Christian readers in interpreting this seminal book. Steinmann serves as the Distinguished Professor of Theology and Hebrew at Concordia University in Chicago. He is a prolific scholar and author. In addition to his highly-acclaimed chronology of the Bible (From Abraham to Paul: A Biblical Chronology [Concordia, 2011]) and a raft of journal articles, Steinmann has completed his sixth commentary, having previously written in the Concordia Commentary series on 1–2 Samuel, Daniel, Ezra-Nehemiah, and Proverbs. This TOTC update replaces and improves upon Derek Kidner’s slim 1967 volume: Kidner’s work comprises 224 pages while Steinmann’s spans 474. Beyond the page count, Steinmann has drawn upon a wealth of up-to-date archaeological, literary, and exegetical studies to explain perceptively the meaning and message of Genesis.

Steinmann holds to young-earth creationism but contends that there are gaps in the genealogies of Genesis 5 and 11 which prohibit them from being used as strict chronologies in determining the age of the earth (contra, e.g., Answers in Genesis). This reviewer is sympathetic to Steinmann’s arguments here, and I found his treatment of the creation account in Genesis 1–2 to be one of the best succinct overviews supporting YEC among recent commentaries. In addition, Steinmann’s interaction with the Documentary Hypothesis is a strength. Steinmann highlights the flaws of the JEDP theory with tact and precision, offering an excellent resource for readers who wish to interact with recent arguments for and against the Graf-Wellhausen theory. In addition, Steinmann’s firm grasp of biblical chronology is a boon for the reader, as he repeatedly correlates significant events in the book within their historical timeline.

An overview of other noteworthy interpretive positions includes the following. Steinmann takes the reference to “seed” in Genesis 3:15 as a Messianic prophecy (70). The sons of God in Genesis 6 are the godly line of Seth rather than angels (83–84). The Noahic covenant is the first covenant mentioned in Scripture, sealed with...