Chapters 12-50 of the book of Genesis may be considered as enshrining the patriarchal traditions of the Jewish people. Besides the elements of poetry and legend embodied in these traditions, Professor Davidson shows that there can be a historical basis for the narratives and offers guidelines for exploring it. The Genesis stories cannot simply be seen as a reading back into earlier times of the background to the social customs and religious outlook of their later editors. Introductory sections deal with the sources, historicity and general character¬istics of the narratives, and are followed by a section-by-section presentation of the text with commentary in the established style of the series.

Genesis 12-50: A Narrative-Theological Commentary uses narrative criticism to bring out the theological aspects of the biblical story. While basing itself on the Christian belief that Christ is the goal of all Scripture, it nevertheless allows the Hebrew Bible to speak for itself and to show how its inner message may receive completion in Christ. Hence, it adopts what the author calls a "two-stage" hermeneutics. A particular contribution of this commentary is the comparison and confrontation of patristic and early rabbinic exegesis as Christians and Jews struggled over the same texts, using them to support their diverse beliefs. The discussion is geared towards the average educated reader.

Walter Moberly's study Guide to Genesis 12-50 provides an invaluable introduction to the second part of Genesis and is essential reading for anyone interested in the patriarchal narratives and the earliest history of the people of Israel.

Genesis 12–50 recounts the history of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—and the early fathers used these passages to draw out the spiritual significance of the patriarchal narrative for Christian believers. In this ACCS volume, ancient commentators provide a wealth of ancient wisdom to stimulate the mind and nourish the soul of the church today.

"This third volume of Westerman's masterful commentary on Genesis offers a stimulating treatment of the most poignant and unified of the narratives in Genesis - the Joseph story." -- Book jacket