The aim of this work is to present for theological consideration the Old Testament witness to the nature of man. It contains detailed studies of the way in which Israelite man was thought of, and of the ways in which the Old Testament describes his physical being. Part two then goes on to look at the context in which Hebrew man lived out his existence, and its notion of time and of the created universe, in which man both worked and found leisure. Part three moves on to the social aspect of man's life, with its institutions, pattems of relationship and moral demands. A concluding chapter sums up the overall picture given in the Old Testament of man's destiny. The book is well translated and readable, and has a very great usefulness for the general reader of the Bible, because of the way in which it fills out the picture of what life was like in Old Testament times. While it is primarily aimed at a theological readership, it will prove to be an indispensable tool for any study of Old Testament ethics. At a host of points it describes very lucidly the context of moral behaviour in the life of ancient Israel. In line with this it reveals very clearly the possibilities which life offered, and serves in a number of ways to illuminate the reasoning behind Israelite laws. All in all it impresses the reader with a recognition of the inextricable way in which culture, religion and morality are intertwined in the Old Testament. Only by attention to this can biblical morality and the biblical conception of man be understood.

This book offers the best current handling of Pentateuchal traditions as they operated in the past and as they help the church now. Hans Walter Wolff sees Israel's faith tradition as a continuous kerygmatic response to a variety of cultural challenges. Walter Brueggemann introduces this dynamic view of tradition. Both authors approach the Pentateuch as a treasury of new expressions of faith resulting from conflicts between traditional formulas and changing social conditions. Today's church can remain spiritually alive only if its traditions continue to be as resilient as they were in the Old Testament community. Wolff and Brueggemann affirm that modern crises of faith should be met with fresh articulations in the manner of ancient Israel-- innovative and pertinent if they are strengthened by the relevance of the past.

"There is nothing else in English that compares with Luz's commentary; it is the best!" -- James M. Robinson "This volume is a joy to read." -- Schuyler Brown "It is an outstanding commentary, the first to use the Wirkungsge-schichte, the understanding of the text throughout the centuries, to interpret the text itself." --Eduard Schweizer

In this distinguished commentary, Wolff's task is to defend Haggai as much more than a minor prophet. He was a man whose feet were placed firmly on the ground, one of the dominating figures of the postexilic community, the main instigator of the rebuilding of the Jerusalem temple, and so responsible for inaugurating a new era in Jewish history.