Primeval Saints: Studies in the Patriarchs of Genesis by James B. Jordan

Primeval Saints: Studies in the Patriarchs of Genesis Reviews

• 
  Becky Pliego

  2021: Good refresher. My favorite chapters are the ones about Rahab and Esau.
  
  The author has some very interesting points of view that made me think and go back to the Bible to re-read the passages he was discussing.
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  G.M. Burrow

  Jordan doesn't waste any words here. That was fine with me (most of the time), but it might work against him if he's hoping to make sense to people who haven't read his other stuff or made friends with a few of his key premises--premises like, everything in Scripture is a picture of something else, and every picture is connected to at least seven other pictures. The book would work well delivered as a series of lectures so that we could get Jordan's Jedi hand wave at the same time: "These are the truths you were looking for."
• 
  John

  James Jordan is one of the very best teachers on how to read the Bible. He studies the Bible like an English Literature professor studies Shakespeare. He digs in and looks for clues for what the text is saying in ways that I've not seen done by anyone else. "Primeval Saints" is a study of the patriarchs in Genesis.
  
  Here is a simple example of what I mean. Did you know that the "keeper of the prison", where Joseph was held, after being accused of attempted rape, in Genesis 39-40, was Potiphar, the very same man who was the man whom he had served as a slave? The text says it, if you read closely, but I never saw that myself, nor have I ever heard it said before.
  
  Or, have you ever read or heard a positive explanation of why Joseph tested his brothers in the way he did? Jordan argues that he was testing them, "Joseph acted to redeem them from bondage and enthrone them with him as lords of the world." I won't get into all the details of the argument, but again, it is there for those who take the time to actually study the text closely, and it is quite a lesson.
  
  The book is full of a wide range of insights including a thorough defense of Jacob, who is widely criticized as a fraud and cheat, who stole his birthright from his brother. But this is not at all what the Bible actually teaches. From the beginning, Jacob was chosen to be the heir of Isaac. He's described as being the same kind of man as Noah, Abram, and Job: "perfect, complete; sound, wholesome; complete, morally innocent". Yet nearly all translations offer "plain" or "quiet"--as their translation of the Hebrew root.
  
  Jacob was loved by Rebekah because he was the same sort of man as Abram. Isaac preferred Esau against the prophetic word that God has said, saying "the older will serve the younger." But not only that, Esau had married outside of the covenant, and had already despised his birthright. For Isaac to give him the covenant blessing and inheritance would have been to spurn the covenant of his father, Abraham.
  
  So for Rebekah to work to ensure the inheritance and blessing went to Jacob was not only to benefit Jacob, but "to shock and restore Isaac." At the same time, it was an act of prayer, by sending Jacob in the guise of his brother, Esau, she prayed that Esau too would receive a blessing. Jordan writes, "We can see this in the way she ritually combined both her sons together when she sent Jacob in to deceive Isaac."
  
  Suffice it to say, this is a wonderful book that is a model for engaging, insightful study of God's Word. If more theologians would engage the Bible this way, I expect more people would glean far more from the Bible than they do.
  
  
• 
  Nina

  My third Jordan book. He makes the Bible come alive. Simply explained, he ties together symbols, history, people and theology, creating a unified perspective unlike any other. He changes your view.
• 
  Steve Hemmeke

  A brief review of the highlights of Genesis. I didn't agree with his take on every story, but many essays offer a worthy challenge to traditional interpretations. Jordan tends to be either way off base or really insightful.
  
  Jordan sees things in the Bible that others don't. A good example is Genesis 15:1. God comforts Abraham by saying that God is His shield. I always wondered where this came from, but the passage just before it is the rescue of Lot. Abraham is afraid of Chedorlaomer's return. Abraham's survival and hold on the land is in danger. This new (to me at least) insight fits perfectly with the bigger redemptive-historical theme in Scripture: the promised line in danger.
  
  Another example is the unleavened bread and Passover connection to the story of Lot leaving Sodom (Gen 19:3).
  
  Jordan offers intriguing insights about culture, church and state. Sometimes it feels like those views are driving his reading of the text. But usually I got to the end and thought, no, that really fits with what the Bible itself says.
  
  Each of the 12 essays is only 10-15 pages long. I read it in conjunction with my devotions through Genesis. This book is a helpful thought provoker as you read about Isaac, Rebekah, Esau and Jacob, for instance, and wonder who was in the right and who in the wrong.
• 
  Gary

  The strengths and weaknesses of this book are the same. Jordan has an eye for detail and a quite brilliant eye for patterns (especially literary patterns). This is all to the good and makes this book a gem. But I fear he also sees patterns that are not there, or rather, he sees things that are not there so as to fit patterns (whether there or not). He is just way too confident in stating things when he hasn't proved them (he seems to pull a good deal of it straight out of his ass, in other words). But much of it is convincing and beautiful and edifying. With more caution or argument from the author I would have given this book a five.
  
  Loved it.
• 
  William Schrecengost

  I really enjoyed this book. He offers a different perspective on the various people in Genesis. He challenges you to look at these men in a different light and to consider different, often overlooked, details in their stories. While I didn't agree with all his thoughts, I liked being challenged on my own thoughts. Of his chapters, I especially liked the ones on Ham and Nimrod & Lot. One thing I really didn't like was the way he'd occasionally go into " story mode" where he starts telling the story of the individuals in his own words.
• 
  Jake McAtee

  I want to read the bible like James Jordan. Really refreshing perspectives on passages that had grown familiar.
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  Jake Litwin

  One of my favorites from Jordan. The last section on Freedom and Security is gold.
• 
  Michael

  Jordan's insights are always enlightening. His commitment to seeing the Bible as the primary interpreter of the Bible forces the reader to see the ways in which much of today's Biblical interpretation is forced through modern systems. Whether or not one agrees with Jordan's specific conclusion about a portion of scripture, one is always forced to go back to scripture which is what one should be doing anyway!
  
  For Primeval Saints in particular, Jordan makes some conclusions that oppose common modern interpretations of the patriarchs of Genesis. Perhaps the most helpful and contradictory stance that Jordan takes is his much LESS critical stance toward the patriarchs. If one reads, for example, Tim Keller's "Counterfeit God's", you will find Keller taking a very critical stance towards the patriarchs. According to Keller, Abraham, Issac, Jacob, and Joseph all were sinners falling short of God's mark throughout their stories until some sort of turning point in the end. This approach tends to run the text through a modern psychological lens that, on further review, doesn't really chime with much of the rest of scripture. (particularly those divinely inspired parts that commend the lives of the patriarchs rather than condemn them for the most part.)
  
  Jordan, on the other hand, slows down and begins to see if another approach isn't more Biblical and more helpful to understanding the lives of the patriarchs. His approach seems to hit the mark upon reading by showing that, though flawed, many of the things that modern interpreters condemn the patriarchs for should be seen in a different light that is not condemnatory at all. By slowing down, Jordan gives layering to the ways that these characters ultimately point to Jesus instead of the hasty approach of many modern evangelicals. The hasty approach gives lip service to the truth that "all scripture is about Jesus" while in reality it often psychologizes the "sins" of the characters in the OT (apart from what the whole of Scripture actually states) and quickly jumps to a logical-conversionistic lens of interpretation and drags the story unwillingly to relate to Jesus in some way.
  
  Jordan does not do this. Jordan rather lets the story run its course. This course often flows through many different parts of the OT until it points to Jesus in a fuller, richer way that brings a greater understanding and comfort to the Christian this side of Christ.
  
  If you are interested in a short book that will take you through Genesis in a way that is engaging and enlightening, I highly recommend this book to you.
• 
  Jon

  This book has it's advantages. First, it's one if the best edited books I've read by Jordan. Jordan's books and articles tend to appear disorganized, which potentially ends up being a disservice to one's audience. Second, It's a quick read with many helpful insights. Third, It's just an overview, so the book is very accessible to the average joe-shmoe christian. Jordan doesn't pretend to cover every detail surrounding the patriarchs of genesis. The only significant disappointment I had was his overview of the first few patriarchs, which really wasn't much about them in particular, and instead seemed to be tertiary pastoral "filler" material. His typological interpretations seem to be unnecessarily strained at times too, even though, in light of his many supplemental articles and essays available from Biblical Horizons, they often end up being well thought through.
• 
  Ben Copeland

  Good collection of essays in Genesis. Some chapters are better than others, but Jordan really sheds light onto some of the finer, overlooked details of the stories of the patriarchs.
  
  More time could have been given to explaining why certain conclusions were reached, but I think they are pretty solid nonetheless. Some people don't seem to like the chapters on Pharaoh and the Egyptians, but I think the evidence he presents is convincing.
• 
  Chris Comis

  Very good remonstrance against the "popular" evangelical understanding of the patriarchs. For example, if you though Isaac was in the right and Jacob was in the wrong, this book should change your view on that.
• 
  Peter Jones

  This is my favorite Jordan book outside of Through New Eyes. A great, simple reading of Genesis that draws on biblical themes. Sometimes Jordan can be hard to read, but here he is at his best. Challenging on several levels and will force you to read Genesis differently.
• 
  Mark

  Read James Jordan's "Through New Eyes" and then read this. Jordan expands his discussion of symbology in the Old Testament with this book. I especially recommend his chapter on Noah. You will never see things the same again. Excellent book!
• 
  Piper

  Jordan is interesting. While I constantly wondered, “Where did he get THAT from scripture?”, I found myself nodding my head and agreeing with him. Jordan has a way of making you see things. When I finish his books, a true sense of joy bubbles up within me.
• 
  D. Ryan

  Especially good to read about Jacob and Rebekah's faithfulness.
• 
  Benjamin Alexander

  One of the best short commentaries on Genesis wrapped around the Patriarchs
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  Tirzah

  I picked a good time to read this, because I recently went through the book of Genesis. This time around, I read some Matthew Henry commentary on some of the chapters I always kind of wondered about (i.e., Lot & his daughters, Dinah's defilement, Rebekah & Jacob's deception).
  
  Well, Jordan addresses much of the characters and stories from Genesis that I researched. I have read another book by Jordan (Creation in Six Days) and appreciate his concise writing for the lay Christian. His writing is supported with Scripture and fellow theologians' works, all of which is footnoted and explained in a user-friendly way.
  
  This book challenged my mind to think outside my preconceived ideas about many Genesis stories, especially Esau, Rebekah, and Jacob. It is interesting to note that Matthew Henry and Jordan have different interpretations on the deception bit regarding Rebekah and Jacob. Is anyone else blown away that Caleb and Job were descendants of Esau?! There is plenty more "who knew" and "I never looked at it that way" moments when reading this book. I recommend for all who desire a better understanding of Genesis, a book that contains many confusing stories when just read without any further Biblical or historical context, which Jordan does a great job providing the reader.
• 
  Tyson Guthrie

  Jordan's insights are interesting, but, I fear, idiosyncratic. I found myself constantly wanting some sources cited. Even a bibliography would have helped. Especially in a book that seeks to re-orient a common perception of the text, we need more than the author's hunch. I was intrigued, and sincerely want to research the Patriarchs more. To that end Jordan was successful. However, my curiosity was deflated by the lack of source material. I suspect there is something out there by way of precedent for Jordan's readings, but he certainly didn't point me to it. As a result he looks a bit like a kid in a Biblical sandbox having fun with the text, weaving, as Irenaeus would say, "ropes of sand."
  
  (Man, that sounds harsher than I actually feel about the book. Quick caveat: the Irenaeus quote is by no means an association of Jordan with Irenaeus's opponents. In fact, I could see Irenaeus perfectly at home in Jordan's hermeneutic given there was an ecclesiastical precedent for it. In lieu of precedent, I can't bring myself to add a third star.)
• 
  Kent

  This book was extremely helpful for its reevaluation of the character of the patriarchs. But I couldn't help but feel this wasn't Jordan at his best. The style was unattractive and gave the impression of being written in a tearing hurry, and mostly from memory. Also, I thought some of his interpretations bordered on the eisegetical and depended from rather slim evidence. This was in strong contrast to "Through New Eyes"; one of the things I most appreciated in that work is how, even at his most typological, his interpretations were anchored very clearly in the Bible's symbolic scheme rather than some other philosophical system. While nothing in the present work contradicted biblical teaching, it didn't seem as well founded as in TNE.
  
  However, most of Jordan's works take at least a second read-through to appreciate them, and I will keep this judgments provisional until I've read it at least one more time.
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  Elijah Williams

  This is an easy read, something Jordan's style lends itself to I think. I would almost say that he goes a little over board on the symbolism in historical accounts of the Bible, but i am not going to throw a fit about it. It's just something to contemplate further for me. Jordan does focus well on some important lessons from the earliest members of the Covenant, and brings some new (for me anyway) aspects to light in that area. I still say that one of the best parts of the book is in the introduction where he touches on the difference between Christian and pagan heroism. Which means I'll have to read Leitharts book Jordan references on the subject, Heroes of the City of Man.
  Overall, Primeval Saints is a good book.
• 
  Michael Jones

  Seriously, this is a very needed perspective on the patriarchs in today's climate! Many Christians I know still think Jacob was a dud. Deceiver. Sneaky Thief. They almost make Jacob look like Gollum.
  
  But this book gives another take on Jacob and Abraham for that matter. Helps you to unravel some of that and understand their times and customs.
  
  Jim argues that Jacob was actually being completely godly in deceiving his father. I now agree 100%-- Jacob was a good bloke! And it was appropriate that Israel was named after him!
  
  These issues are actually a hinge that can affect our understanding of the whole Bible.
  
  I am forever grateful for grasping some of these things from Jim's careful study. I have also found that teenagers really enjoy hashing through this!
• 
  Michelle

  A quick and fascinating read that sheds great insight on the patriarchs of the OT. Jordan has an exceptional ability to "connect the dots" of scripture and see the big picture, whether in specific characters or in overall Biblical themes. In this case some of the more difficult events in the lives of the patriarchs are brought out and investigated in relation to God's judgment rather than our frequent "misjudgment." As someone said on the back cover, "You will never be able to read Genesis in the same way again. Whether you agree with his every statement or not, this will undoubtedly be true.
• 
  CJ Bowen

  A persuasive re-thinking of the "sins" of the OT patriarchs from a covenantal perspective. While I'm not convinced of Jordan's read on every individual story, Jordan's overall view of Genesis stories is far more correct and helpful than the all-too-common moralistic condemnations of our fathers. Jordan helps us take a step back and remember that while sinful and fallen like all men, the stories of Genesis give us pictures of saints. The book rightfully replaces many patriarchs back in the record books as "heroes of the faith", and removes the asterisks that we might associate with the steriods of sin.
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  Aurora Grace

  Jordan has an eye for detail, the question is whether he's reading too much into things. In any case, this is an interesting work on the book of Genesis. Nevertheless, he advocates that Christians can lie to unbelievers without sin and in the final chapter on Joseph and the enslavement of the Egyptians, supports the idea of benevolent enslavement. Of course, his M.Div at Westminster was titled Slavery in the Bible and he was mentored by R. J. Rushdoony and Gary North (both holocaust deniers, opposed to civil rights, Rushdoony a supporter of South African Apartheid and opposed to interracial marriage), so we shouldn't really be all that surprised.