Dennis Prager might be a talk show host. He might even be a controversy, but for me he's a mentor. I subscribed to and even paid for his podcast for a good 10 years. I let my subscription elapse, if only because I don’t have the heart for the political soap opera these days. But if I did, Dennis Prager would be my guy. Hearing his voice as I read this commentary on Deuteronomy made me wistful. It reminded me of good times. Not a bad commentary, either.2 s Toni Doll28 1 follower

Due to a lifelong Sunday School attendance that led to a daily Bible reading habit, I have read the first five books of the Bible many times over. I was so encouraged and delighted to read this series. Exodus and Genesis were wonderful, rational, educational, and encouraging. Deuteronomy is more of the same and I am excited to read the rest! It has given me a fresh perspective and I feel that anyone could benefit from and find enrichment in Mr. Prager's writing.3 s Bull Weever45

Prager is one of my very favorite radio talk-show hosts and a great all around commentator on current events whether spoken or written. However, this is the third of his Rational Bible commentaries I have read, and I can declare that they are very good and almost great. His style of commentary is drawn from four primary sources: first, his knowledge of Jewish Bible interpretation dating back over two thousand years; this is a an extremely important source for interpreting any book of the Bible. The second source is Prager's own innate, articulate sense of wisdom about the meaning of a biblical text; and he would tell you that his wisdom comes from the study of the God's Word itself, particularly this Torah (Pentateuch). Thirdly, Dennis Prager has decades of experience in communicating truth and wisdom to audiences of all sizes all over the world. This experience by itself has enabled him to write very well and go straight to the heart of the matter. And fourth, Prager has an almost uncanny ability to apply what is written in God's Word to contemporary situations and worldwide human needs. This makes much in his commentaries so useful by modern preachers of God's Word.
However, having said this, I was disappointed with Genesis, because though much was said, and much wisdom offered, I felt something more was missing; and I mean something more about the meaning of the first great work of the Bible. This is not because I am a Christian, and Prager is a Jew. I would not expect any Jewish author to produce a commentary that touched on Christian ideas and themes, though in fact some have. Genesis was a good commentary by Dennis Prager. But It was a GREAT commentary by Claus Westermann and Nahum Sarna, the latter of whom is a longtime Jewish scholar.
And, I found Exodus by D. Prager even more disappointing because this writer did not even seem to catch the main thrust of that great Bible book, namely that it is because God rescued His people that He has the sole right to instruct them in great detail how they should worship Him.
And now here is Deuteronomy. It is in my opinion the best of the three so far, because the fifth book of the Torah has so much to offer for a hurting, hungry, and sinful world today, and because Prager is perhaps the best at this time to explain and offer the best that Deuteronomy contains.
Prager's manner of exposing the scriptures is not always line by line; rather, he latches onto the really big ideas of scripture and pauses there for a meaningful time. So his commentaries are filled with essays on the subjects introduced by the ancient (Hebrew) language of the text under study.
This is where Dennis Prager truly shines, and I'm not sure why, but I notice it more in Deuteronomy. Having said that, I believe what he writes here about "The Ten Statements" (Commandments) should be read with his commentary on Exodus 20:1-17.
When I turn to a Bible commentary I look for a historical critical approach to the text. I believe that the modern reader has nothing to fear by asking questions about sources, authors, dates, and provenances. For instance, it bothers me not at all that Moses is not the author of everything in the Torah. I have for most of the years of my life never believed that he was; and yet this has in no way diminished the power and truthfulness of ANYTHING in the Torah or in the Bible itself. However Dennis Prayer believes that Moses is the sole author, and he is entirely uninterested in text- or historical-critical matters.
That's what makes The Rational Bible a different kind of commentary. And I agree with Prager that the divine truth found in the scriptures, well exposed and interpreted, is timeless. It is useful and valuable in any age, and perhaps most of all now in ours.
LBC Nicholas Acker16

This is the third book in this series that I've read and I look forward to reading the next books in the series as well. That is my clearest recommendation. I find these books as a valuable resource, as they provide clear insights on comparative rabbinical perspectives throughout history and plain explanations of the Hebrew into English and the context of those particular words. That such a rich tradition can be stated so concisely is actually quite impressive.

However, Deuteronomy is by its nature a less narrative driven book than Genesis or Exodus. Prager gives a full disclaimer for this at the beginning of the book. It is the review and instructions Moses is giving to the Israelite before they enter the promised land, as he cannot go into the land himself. Necessarily this means it is heavily referencing other commentaries in this series to provide the context. For this reason some lay readers may consider this book a better reference book to be used as needed, than as a good general read for them.

Lastly, I'd say that I am a Christian and I thoroughly enjoyed this and the other two commentaries I've read. Denis Prager is a clear friend to the Christian religion, despite not practicing it or being convinced by it himself. This means that there are sections in these commentaries that reference the comparative religious interpretations. It also means there are times where he is frank about his disagreements with Christian interpretations. I appreciated this frankness, as it helps me understand his viewpoint better where I disagree with him. I would encourage Christians not to avoid these commentaries for fear of these differing interpretations. Our faith began by arguing these points. I'd look to those theological and historic writings to better educate you if you are uncomfortable with these points being made. In other words, don't let that fear stop you from reading these commentaries. Do let it start you on a deeper reading into your own faith. Karl Olsen4

I’ve enjoyed the rational bible series. Dennis does a great job of brining concise reasoning to biblical passages.

A few takeaways:
- goal of sabbath is to proclaim God as creator
- no atheist is as effective at making atheists as are religious people who commit evil
- greatest advertisement for God is good religious people
- Moses was a “very humble” man
- “Woe to those who kiss calves; they will sacrifice people”. We are to care for animals but not to revere them over people. Dennis pays extra to purchase “free-range” eggs
- the association with death, particularly killing, is the common denominator of non-kosher animals
- it is considered an embarrassment to the Jewish community if a poor Jew were forced to rely on the government rather than fellow Jews
- accused individuals were innocent until proven guilty
- a soldier could not have sex with a foreign women unless she was given a month to lament, was able to clean herself, and become his wife.
- if a fellow citizen has lost something, you shall not ignore it or turn your eye.
- animals of different sizes shouldn’t share the same yoke
- the very fact that the Torah commands us to love God means it does not happen naturally
- Moses song was to be memorized by the people. How would America look today if Americans continually read the constitution?
- Moses is described as “the man of God”
- Moses blesses the tribes before God caused him to die.
- God himself buried Moses signifying his love
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.Show full review Rubi2,152 8

Good insight

As usual, I found Mr. Prager's commentary very insightful. I loved getting insight on the original Hebrew meanings and on how Jews view certain laws and interpret specific Scripture. It also opened my eyes to certain things I didn't even think about.
While some of his commentary made me feel lile "Really?" Such as the one where he says God didn't give reasons for "kosher" diet, but he does it out of Faith. I'm ....well, God didn't spell it out but with a little research into those meats, it's pretty obvious God was doing it for our health lol
But again, love that it made me question and discuss and learn. Some sections did bore me but, hey, doesn't take away from what I got out of it so still gave it 4 stars
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