"Guide me, O Thou Great Jehovah" is one of the best-known hymns in the world. Yet the book of numbers, whose story that hymn summarizes, is seldom read. Why?

"Its very title puts the modern reader off," writes Gordon Wenham. "In ancient time numbers were seen as mysterious and symbolic, a key to reality and the mind of God himself. Today they are associated with computers and the depersonalization that threatens our society."

In his effort to bridge the great gulf between the book and our age, Wenham first explains the background of Numbers, discussing its structure, sources, date and authorship as well as its theology and Christian use. A passage-by-passage analysis follows, which draws useful insights on Old Testament ritual from modern social anthropology.

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Reviews

"The Tyndale volumes have long been the premier shorter-length commentary series on both Testaments throughout the English-speaking world." — Craig Blomberg, Denver Seminary

"Tyndale commentaries are always useful, not least because they focus so clearly on the text of Scripture, and do not fall into the trap of paying too much attention to other commentaries and not enough to the scriptural text they are intended to expound and explain. So they retain their usefulness for preachers, Bible study leaders and for all readers of the Bible." — Peter Adam, principal, Ridley College, Melbourne, Australia

"Within its constraints, this series includes some outstanding volumes." — D. A. Carson, Trinity Evangelical Divinity School

"The evenness and quality of this series are remarkable." — Christianity Today

"There simply is no series of medium-length commentaries that approaches the excellence of the Tyndale commentaries." — Donald A. Hagner, Fuller Theological Seminary

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Gordon J. Wenham is lecturer in Old Testament at Trinity College, Bristol. He was formerly professor of Old Testament at the University of Gloucestershire. He is a recognized expert on the Pentateuch and has written commentaries on Genesis, Leviticus, and Numbers in addition to numerous studies in the Old Testament.