Experts Recommend OT Commentaries: Leviticus
Dr. John Noble on Leviticus
OT Commentary Recommendations: Rebooted!
A handful of years ago, I had a blog series where I asked OT experts to weigh in on their recommendations for OT commentaries. For one reason or another (during the pandemic), I left the series incomplete, and lately I have been motivated to do a reboot! So, for a while we will repost the originals (we had gotten through Psalms), and then add brand new ones to complete the series. So, to be clear, if you followed the old series, you will notice we are reposting them with slight updates and modifications to fit Substack.
Experts Recommend OT Commentaries: Leviticus (Dr. John Noble)
Guest Writer: Dr. John T. Noble is associate professor of theology at Marian University. Noble earned his PhD from Harvard University and published the monograph A Place for Hagar’s Son (2016).
I am thankful for Noble’s expertise on the Pentateuch, and his recommends here on Leviticus!
Commentaries on Leviticus
Technical
Jacob Milgrom (Anchor Bible): Milgrom has three separate volumes on Leviticus in the AB series, Leviticus 1–16 (2007), Leviticus 17–22 (2000), and Leviticus 23–27 (2001). These titles represent the pinnacle of technical scholarship for this book, and stand alone. Milgrom makes good use of contributions from anthropology and religious studies, particularly in his discussion of the systemic nature of the purity laws.
Mary Douglas, Leviticus as Literature (Oxford, 1999): An anthropologist by training, Mary Douglas is a towering figure in the study of Leviticus, showing Israel’s ritual system to be symbolic expression that reflects on ancient Israelite cosmology (see Purity and Danger [1966]). This book isn’t a commentary in the traditional sense, but treats Leviticus as a whole, rehabilitating the stodgy reputation of the priests, and finding compassion and justice in the Israelite cult.
Semi-Technical
Baruch Levine (JPS Torah, 1989): This is a good, responsible commentary with plenty of lexical analysis, including some comparative work. Any study of Leviticus—or the Bible more generally—ought to include plenty of input from Jewish voices.
Gordon J. Wenham (NICOT, 1979): Wenham offers thoughtful analysis with a readable and interesting style, and includes sections on New Testament connections. Still well worth using after several decades.
Non-Technical
Samuel E. Balentine (Interpretation, 2002): As is typical of this excellent series, a learned scholar tailors his commentary for teaching and preaching, and all packed into an accessible and relatively short paperback format.
Ming Him Ko (Asia Bible Commentary, 2018): This contribution is oriented toward application, and considers in particular the use of ritual and ordered creation for Asian (especially Chinese) communities.
Additional Resources
Jonathan Klawans, Purity, Sacrifice, and the Temple: Symbolism and Supersessionism in the Study of Ancient Judaism (Oxford, 2006): Reading Leviticus necessitates an understanding of Israel’s religious system of purity laws and sacrifice. Klawans delivers.
Wilda C. Gafney, Womanist Midrash: A Reintroduction to the Women of the Torah and the Throne (Westminster, 2017): This creative work spans the entire Pentateuch, but Gafney’s womanist approach to fill in some gaps in Leviticus is illuminating and worth the price on its own. This is must reading for those who wish to consider the laws of Leviticus and their application in daily Israelite life.
Don't forget about Milgrom's Continental Commentary as well! Great distillation of the more exhaustive AB commentary.
Wow, this is a great list. I especially like how it includes the bonus resources at the end!