Review
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Title: Judges 1-12: A New Translation with Introduction and Commentary (Anchor Yale Bible)
Author: Jack M. Sasson
Publisher: Yale University Press
Genre: Hebrew Bible, Bible Commentary
Year Published: 2014
Number of Pages: 593
Binding: Hardcover
ISBN10: 0300190336
ISBN13: 978-0300190335
Price: $100.00
Reviewed by Bryan Buchanan for the Association for Mormon Letters
Of all the presents I have ever received, perhaps none was so welcome as a full set of the Anchor Bible commentaries to date. In my opinion, this set is among the best (if not the best) Bible commentary set available today. The scholars who have contributed to the project are all top notch and the volumes are constantly being updated to keep it fresh and up-to-date. As part of this updating process, the volume on the book of Judges is now being given a multi-volume face lift by Jack M. Sasson, professor at Vanderbilt. The original volume on Judges, written by Robert Boling, will turn 40 years old next year. Thus, it was high time for a refresh—a generation in biblical studies can mean a world of difference in terms of new advances in scholarship. Sasson is no stranger to the series, having already written a volume on Jonah.
Sasson begins his treatment of Judges with a healthy 30-page introduction. Along the way, he discusses the name of the book (with a side discussion of when the term “judges” was used), textual witnesses for the book—Hebrew (Masoretic text, Dead Sea Scrolls, etc), Greek, Latin, Aramaic—in antiquity and prominent themes in the book of Judges. In this last section, one quickly appreciates how suited Sasson is to the project. As general editor John Collins notes, Sasson possesses great “erudition in the literature of the ancient Near East” as well as “extensive knowledge of postbiblical Jewish tradition.” (xi) To highlight these themes within a contemporary time frame, Sasson turns to a four thousand year old document (the Sumerian King List or SKL) penned by a Mesopotamian scribe named Nur-Ilabrat. These types of analyses represent a growing realization that regional contexts are vitally important in responsible scholarship.
Another helpful section contains several “accents”—brief overviews of key periods of scholarship on Judges. These cover the contributions of foundational scholars such as Hermann Gunkel, Martin Noth and William Albright. The final section before the book proper begins is the bibliography—always a clear demonstration of the amount of research exemplified in an Anchor Bible volume. In a solid 60 pages, Sasson shows his breadth of knowledge, including his own numerous contributions to the field.
As is the case with all other Anchor Bible volumes, Sasson provides his own translation accompanied by both specific textual notes as well as more general comments on topics and events. To highlight the value of Sasson’s work to an LDS audience, I will discuss three sections of his commentary:
Judges 2:6-23
In the LDS way of thinking, this section (and, in a larger sense, the entire book) serves as a prime example of the “pride cycle” or—as the Gospel Doctrine manual terms it—the “apostasy cycle.” Neither this particular language nor the concept generally plays into Sasson’s analysis. In fact, in discussing the phrase “the LORD became incensed with Israel” (the “bottom” of the cycle in LDS thinking), Sasson postulates that this might even signal an “interpolation—material that at one time was deemed tangential…but eventually slipped into the body of the text.” (197). The discussion of how exactly to deal with the Hebrew term for “judges” should prove very interesting to LDS readers, particularly in reference to various Book of Mormon leaders.
4:1-24
Given the recent heated discussion on the role of women in Mormondom, the section dealing with Deborah here is quite interesting. Sasson notes that the term used for Deborah is to be translated “woman prophet”—not surprisingly, the Gospel Doctrine manual (for example) ignores this idea entirely. He acknowledges that Deborah is a bit of an outlier in this regard, though he places her in a context including Miriam and Huldah. Another interesting facet of Sasson’s commentary here—he points out that the traditional translation that Deborah was the “wife of Lappidoth” (v. 4) could actually mean something like “wielder of flames/torches”—i.e. someone who practices divination through the use of fire and/or smoke.
6:1-32
LDS readers who connect Gideon seeing God “face to face” and him receiving a new name in v. 32 will likely reflect on their temple experiences in order to interpret this story. On the contrary, Sasson sees this as an instance in which “narratives about two separate personalities may once have floated around” which were later “merged even if without complete erasure of the demarcations.” (345) This section will also be helpful for understanding some of the events of the Missouri period of Mormon history. The organization later known as Danites was first called the “brother(s) of Gideon”—with seemingly two meanings. One member of the group was Jared Carter whose brother was, in fact, named Gideon (killed at the Battle of Crooked River). In addition, the war imagery of this part of the book of Judges was clearly a part of their activities—“a sword for the Lord and for Gideon!” (7:21), for example.
As I hoped, given the status of the Anchor Bible series, Sasson’s first volume on the book of Judges is of the highest caliber. He manages to weave an incredible depth of scholarship into a commentary that is extremely successful at avoiding overly technical language, even to a higher degree that other volumes in the series. Readers who possess no knowledge of Hebrew will not find his comments arcane or jargony. LDS readers, though they will have to put forth some effort to incorporate some of his findings into their paradigm, will find it well worth their time.
I look forward to future volumes to complete Sasson’s analysis of Judges. In terms of the physical book, it is (appropriately, given the price) very well-crafted, featuring linen boards (a rarity these days) and a quality binding that lays flat without threatening the integrity of the spine. A fitting match between quality of content and materials!