Exodus 1-18 – Concordia Commentary

“The exodus is far more than an analogy or illustration. It provides the grammar in which Scripture tells the story of God’s salvation, culminating in his salvation of the world in Jesus Christ” (p. 2). 

In this volume, Rev. Dr. Kenneth A. Cherney, Jr., biblical languages scholar, seminary professor, and former missionary outlines the epochal events of Exodus 1–18. Come and explore Yahweh’s deliverance of His people Israel from slavery, studying matters such as these and more:

• Exodus as redemption paradigm and liberation
• Authorship of Exodus
• Date and historicity of the exodus
• The text of Exodus
• Literary features
  • Genre, openness, intertexts

Plus, the Commentary Proper—more than 500 pages of translation, textual notes, and comprehensive commentary on the text. 

Praise for Exodus 1–18 - Concordia Commentary:

Cherney’s commentary combines careful insight into the Hebrew text together with a fresh and eminently smooth translation. The pastor, scholar, or layperson will find here a rich balance of solid scholarship (distilling modern and medieval scholarship, both Jewish and Christian), followed in each section by a winsomely concise summary suggesting why that portion of Exodus should matter to us today.
—Paul Overland, Ph.D., Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Ashland Theological Seminary, Ashland, Ohio

Is it “no exaggeration to call Exodus the foundation of Holy Scripture” (p. 1)? Prof. Kenneth Cherney masterfully makes the case through an insightful exegesis of the Hebrew text, accompanied by his creative literary translation along with carefully chosen textual notes to supply essential text-critical and multifaceted background information. A standout scholarly introduction prepares intended readers (pastors, professors, teachers, translators) for what they will encounter in this consummate exposition of Yahweh’s provision of a wonder-working mediatorial prophet to liberate God’s chosen people from bondage. Cherney clearly and convincingly demonstrates how this ancient account prefigures the New Testament message about the promised messianic Redeemer and his ministry of universal deliverance.
—Dr. Ernst R. Wendland, Professor of the Department of Ancient Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

This commentary makes full use of recent insights into Biblical Hebrew and “breaks open” the text for its users. It is exceptionally well structured and easy to use. If you are a theological student, an exegetical preacher, an Old Testament scholar, or a Bible translator and you are looking for an up-to-date commentary that takes the language and text of Exodus seriously, this commentary is for you.
—Dr. Christo H. J. van der Merwe, Emeritus Professor of the Department of Ancient Studies, Stellenbosch University, Stellenbosch, South Africa

As I have worked in the fields of Bible translation and Hebrew lexicography, many commentaries I consulted failed to address the specific questions that arose from my work. After engaging with Kenneth Cherney’s commentary, I have found a resource that aligns closely with my needs. Rather than emphasizing etic concerns, Professor Cherney adopts an emic perspective, focusing on the internal coherence of the text. This approach honors the literary and theological unity of the book and situates it meaningfully within the Torah and the broader biblical canon.
—Dr. Reinier de Blois, Nida Institute for Biblical Scholarship, Zeeland, Michigan

Written with deep love for the church and Christians, this commentary is an outstanding companion for reading the book of Exodus. I sincerely hope to have it translated into Korean so that pastors and believers in Korea can benefit from its insights. I commend the author for this remarkable work and am truly grateful for his contribution.
—Dr. Dong-Hyuk Kim, Assistant Professor of Old Testament, The College of Theology & The United Graduate School of Theology, Yonsei University, Seoul, Republic of Korea

About the series

The Concordia Commentary Series: A Theological Exposition of Sacred Scripture is written to enable pastors and teachers of the Word to proclaim the Gospel with greater insight, clarity, and faithfulness to the divine intent of the Biblical text.

The series will cover all the canonical books of the Old and New Testament, with an original translation and meticulous grammatical analysis of the Hebrew, Aramaic, or Greek of each text. The foremost interpretive lens centers on the unified proclamation of the person and work of Christ across every Scriptural book.

The Commentary fully affirms the divine inspiration, inerrancy, and authority of Scripture; Each passage bears witness to the confession that God has reconciled the world to Himself through the incarnation, ministry, death, resurrection, and ascension of Christ His Son.

Authors expose the rich treasury of language, imagery, and thematic content of the Scripture while supplementing their work with additional research in archaeology, history, and extrabiblical literature. Throughout, God’s Word emanates from authors' careful attention and inculcates the ongoing life of the Church in Word, Sacrament, and daily confession.

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