Genesis 1 & 2

Accounting for Creation

Hearing Hebrew

`#r,a'h' taew> ~yIm;V'h; tae ~yhil{a/ ar'B' tyviareB.

~Aht. ynEP.-l[; %v,xow> Whbow" Whto ht'y>h'

#r,a'h'w>`~yIM'h; ynEP.-l[; tp,x,r;m.

~yhil{a/ x;Wrw>

`rAa-yhiy>w: rAa yhiy> ~yhil{a/ rm,aYOw:

The Question

Why two accounts of creation side by side?

Seek to understand the canonical & theological reasons

Hearing the Whole StoryRobert Alter is concerned that certain segments of Biblical scholarship are too quick at:

“…proclaiming contradiction wherever there is the slightest internal tension in the text, seeing every repetition as evidence of a duplication of sources, everywhere tuning in to the static of transmission, not to the complex music of the redacted story." (Genesis, xlii - xliii)

Assumptions of the Literary Approach

Whole & Coherent

Intentional & On Purpose

The Reasons for Its Final Form Want to be Found!

The Stitched Seam - tAdl.At The account or “tale” of the generations

Richard Hess – used to connect the doubling of the genealogies (5.1 & 10.32)

Also used to connect the doubling of the

creation narrative (2.4)

Used in 11.27 to stitch the primordial history to the patriarchal history

The Big PictureGordon Wenham:

“…[Genesis 1] declares that the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob is no mere localized or tribal deity, but the sovereign LORD of the whole earth. The apparently petty and insignificant family stories that occupy the bulk of the book are in fact of cosmic consequence, for God has chosen these men so that through them all the nations of the earth should be blessed." (Genesis: 1-15, 10)

The Contrasts: P vs. J

The author/redactor allows the contrasts to stand (and maybe even accentuates them)

• Contrast between 1.1 & 2.4?

Fretheim’s Chart (handout)

It’s Me, Not You

Our worries over the differences between Gen 1 & 2 were probably not a concern for the author/redactor

The author has made a wonderful garment with seams

We prefer seamless productions

Author is apparently quite pleased with both the connections and contrasts

Canonical Framing: Forming God’s People

Assumption: Redactor is NOT haphazardly stitching his materials into a patch-work quilt

Israelite community values both creation narratives– the redactor unites them. His community is shaped by his work.

Childs: trying reading P without J• It is the redactional process that gives the text its most comprehensible meaning

Brevard Childs

"By continuing to speak of the 'two creation accounts of Genesis' the interpreter disregards the canonical shaping and threatens its role as literature and as scripture.”

(Introduction to the Old Testament as Scripture, 150)

Priestly Author: Stitching Seams & Setting

Fences? Theological concerns: Creator God & Humanity (vs. ANE), Dietary and Sabbath laws

Provide fuller background to 2.4—4.26, connect Gen 1—11 to Pentateuch (Arnold, Genesis, 30)

Contrasts of Gen 1 & 2 establish a canonical fence within which the community of faith can play

The Competition: Playing in the ANE League

The “waters” everyone was swimming in

The contrasts are harder to explain than the commonalities

“History” with Mythological flavor

Summary

Gen 2 alone provides an accurate but incomplete picture of Israel’s God

The author/redactor wants the reader to know and be formed by the fact that God is both:

Almighty/TranscendentPersonal/Immanent

The stories of our lives indicate we desperately need a God who is both!

Role of Inspiration in the Redactional Process?

The amazing symphony: God, authors, community, tradition (oral & written), redactors/editors,

canonization