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Has anyone read or had any experience with "The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary" by Robert Alter? It seems like a reasonably priced set online. Any better options in the same price range?

It occurs to me this may have been better in the "Hangout" forum, feel free to move is so. Thanks!

(02-04-2019, 04:29 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]Has anyone read or had any experience with "The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary" by Robert Alter? It seems like a reasonably priced set online. Any better options in the same price range?

It is excellent as is his Psalms, and his The Wisdom Books -- with its exceptional commentary on Job -- is, if anything, even better.

If you're seriously interested in Torah I would strongly recommend picking up both the Robert Alter and and the Everett Fox translation and commentary.

(02-04-2019, 10:29 PM)nili Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-04-2019, 04:29 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]Has anyone read or had any experience with "The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary" by Robert Alter? It seems like a reasonably priced set online. Any better options in the same price range?

It is excellent as is his Psalms, and his The Wisdom Books -- with its exceptional commentary on Job -- is, if anything, even better.

If you're seriously interested in Torah I would strongly recommend picking up both the Robert Alter and and the Everett Fox translation and commentary.

Thank you! My birthday is coming up, I think I will ask for these. Interestingly, someone else recommended the Everett Fox translation and commentary as well, I might have to pick one of those up too.

(02-05-2019, 01:57 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-04-2019, 10:29 PM)nili Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-04-2019, 04:29 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]Has anyone read or had any experience with "The Hebrew Bible: A Translation with Commentary" by Robert Alter? It seems like a reasonably priced set online. Any better options in the same price range?

It is excellent as is his Psalms, and his The Wisdom Books -- with its exceptional commentary on Job -- is, if anything, even better.

If you're seriously interested in Torah I would strongly recommend picking up both the Robert Alter and and the Everett Fox translation and commentary.

Thank you! My birthday is coming up, I think I will ask for these. Interestingly, someone else recommended the Everett Fox translation and commentary as well, I might have to pick one of those up too.

Choosing between Alter and Fox is really an impossible choice (altho Alter might be a somewhat richer source of commentary). I'm referencing both almost constantly.

Good luck and happy birthday!

L'shalom.

(02-05-2019, 04:47 PM)nili Wrote: [ -> ]Choosing between Alter and Fox is really an impossible choice (altho Alter might be a somewhat richer source of commentary). I'm referencing both almost constantly.

Good luck and happy birthday!

L'shalom.

Thanks! I just ordered two Everett Fox editions, excited to get them in.

(02-05-2019, 07:09 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]

(02-05-2019, 04:47 PM)nili Wrote: [ -> ]Choosing between Alter and Fox is really an impossible choice (altho Alter might be a somewhat richer source of commentary). I'm referencing both almost constantly.

Good luck and happy birthday!

L'shalom.

Thanks! I just ordered two Everett Fox editions, excited to get them in.

Let me know how you like it.

Just to update I have been reading from these two volumes regularly and really am enjoying Fox's translation. Definitely a worthy addition to any collection of scriptures.

(03-07-2019, 04:29 PM)tampaguy Wrote: [ -> ]Just to update I have been reading from these two volumes regularly and really am enjoying Fox's translation. Definitely a worthy addition to any collection of scriptures.

I'm really pleased that you found them to be of value.

I had the opportunity of meeting Fox at a Scholar-in-Residence event. It was interesting to hear him talk about how he would sometimes struggle for weeks on how to best translate some particular verse. I also recall a somewhat humorous exchange when I asked him when he might start working on a translation of Isaiah. He simply looked at me (reproachfully?) and said: "Isaiah is really hard."

Enjoy.