The Book of Leviticus: The Classic Old Testament Commentary and History

Samuel Kellogg's commentary on Leviticus is among the most in-depth and thorough yet written, discussing the major events, characters and lessons of the Old Testament book. Prior to beginning his analysis, the author gives a historical summary of the origins of Leviticus. Mindful of Christian readers, he also discusses the influence the book would have had on Jesus, who as a young student would have received education inclusive of this text. We are given a sense of the significance of the text, not simply in the spiritual sense of being the Word of God to Moses, but also its significance to the society of the time, for example dealing with lack of cleanliness and hygiene with animals and diseases such as leprosy. The author takes us through Leviticus in a chapter-by-chapter exposition, with every passage narrated and event described. His thoroughness is necessary: the book itself is thought to have been gradually composed and modified over a period spanning more than two centuries. The ethical and ritualistic elements of the book reflect the religious adherence and cultural evolution of the Hebrews, as Kellogg emphasizes in great detail. Though first published in 1899, this commentary remains valuable to Bible students to this day for its quality.