Many of the books of the Bible come from multiple sources, but none, perhaps, are such rich tapestries as the books of Judges and Samuel. This fact, and the fact that the textual traditions of both books are complex, impose a tremendous task on the translator and commentator. And it is a task Susan Niditch handles with aplomb.

The tales of the Judges clearly originated in large part as folktales (in the case of Samson, probably exclusively as folktales), and Niditch, who has a background in folklore as well as in Biblical studies, is able to use that fact to see deeply into the stories in a way that few other commentators have.

That alone would probably justify the purchase of this volume, but there is more. Niditch gives a very full and detailed textual commentary, including not only places where the versions might cause us to modify the text but places where the Greek and the Old Latin offer interpretations of the text. This gives us a useful perspective on the early church's understanding of Judges.

The translation prepared by Niditch is a little peculiar, given to inversions of word order and rather stiff renderings in order to bring us a little closer to the Hebrew. It is not a version for casual reading, and should not be understood as such. But once that it understood, it is a clear and useful version. You won't want to abandon your New Revised Standard Version -- but you'll want Niditch's translation to tell you more about what you are reading. ( )