Claus Westermann GENESIS: A \ INTRODUCTION A fjjyUv flfdknwt/ rjxirl, tu ¡tri hilcmjti^uilh imynizril scta&ir "TSi-^ iJftwiwt**»«- hjniijttiUjjffrjtii- hnüttlKpnxridk'^uinilfriihr I iTrttinrnl.it Ccuraxiitiry SmsH' IJiflrt. L.uthkr Mjki un /flirrt rfJtnMt "Otv can tilllc hut prflw lut Iht btvdidf WriliTmiinrissclMlaHhlp, ami i.ir iKc IhnRHlghni-ss theilirity, and tlio filrritss with whkh Iii« discussion is prt^vnti'il." John BngtiHr iJttfrjVH-JirJJuM AfWln .nid ,ignin Wr*£i"rmfl«n upt'tis updkuHL-nsjuiih l>4 mriinlnß which ¡m 1 nut unly trlcttnl lnr lhi\»limy htl for human fkintaice m ilw iriodt'in mi rid " — WrtTuni W. i\ndir-i!Ti Hi .'nwrttsi c^'ftWoi ÜiflJtKH "l 1 » i^pnunnt mjt^nr Ihfn* wiiuitv Gmi-Jh nnnnsmi.»^ . is tfai d»4 oiuu-tnT -rjt^MT^I r# that Winii 4 iv Jkbbt iDdl. -I i St. JUTTTA -N HR /SEA -TPFL JNNRY B- ri'" i IT* hu» tv ursirtul rur iht me kJuuititili' immun; tntiairwd [n du-» virtl ii.irtslrtni flifclntpiftty pruitk-d -i "i-üH-Eii.tr*- " Kjlfih VV Klein In Curmm JP TTiBnfi^wdnef VI,^HM Onus Wrütmuann. PniU'^iii F.iwrriltis .11 iln' UnivimHv ui I\i'xirihnpt^Tman).ntbe iull«riil ntLnktniufc nipwiid IP.1 MILNCIUIIL WCRLIIIONIIARIIIY ERF hiHkil F.'^J. V UVILKIERS: Tfh CinWo4Jlew» L ,4.1 * Ar ÜU TesfJtn«! «Firtio- riw. I^f] and IV fKuli-^ Pr^*. MP- 9 I SEIN' D-fiDGb-25AS~X FORTRESS PRESS 1-2582 CLAUS WESTERMANN GENESIS: AN INTRODUCTION Translated by John J. Scullion S.J. Fortress Press Minneapolis GENESIS: AN INTRODUCTION First published in the Biblischer Kommentar Series as the introductions to GENESIS 1-11 (1974), GENESIS 12-36 (1981), GENESIS 37-50 (1982) by Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchener Verlag. First published in English as the introductions to GENESIS 1-11 (1984), GENESIS 12-36 (1985), GENESIS 37-50 (1986) in the U.S.A. by Augsburg Publishing House, Minneapolis, and in the U.K. by SPCK, London. Copyright © 1992 Augsburg Fortress. All rights reserved. Except for brief quotations in critical articles or reviews, no part of this book may be reproduced in any manner without prior written permission from the publisher. Write to: Permissions, Augsburg Fortress, 426 S. Fifth St., Box 1209, Minneapolis, MN 55440. Scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are from the Revised Standard Version of the Bible, copyright © 1946, 1952, and 1971 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches. Cover image: Jacob's Dream by Rembrandt van Rijn. Photograph from the Musees Nationaux, Paris. Reprinted by permission. Cover design: Patricia Boman Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Westermann, Claus, 1909- Genesis : an introduction / Claus Westermann ; translated by John J. Scullion, p. cm. "First published in English as the introductions to Genesis 1-11 (1984), Genesis 12-36 (1985), Genesis 37-50 (1986) by Augsburg Publishing House"—T.p. verso. Includes bibliographical references and indexes. ISBN 0-8006-2582-X (alk. paper) : 1. Bible. O.T. Genesis—Criticism, interpretation, etc. I. Scullion, John. II. Title. BS1235.2.W453 1992 92-12727 CIP The paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences—Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z329.48-1984. OO V Manufactured in the U.S.A. AF 1-2582 96 95 94 93 92 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 Contents Translator's Preface vii Part One: Introduction to the Story of the Primeval Events: Genesis 1-11 1. The Story of Primeval Events in the Pentateuch and Its Prehistory 1 2. The Numerative Sections in Genesis 1-11: The Genealogies as the Framework of the Story of Primeval Events 6 3. The Narrative Sections of Genesis 1-11 18 A. The Creation Narratives 19 B. The Narratives of Crime and Punishment 47 C. The Stories of Human Achievements 56 D. The Primeval Story as a Whole 62 4. The Theological Significance of the Primeval Story 64 5. Literature 69 6. The Formation and Theological Meaning of the Primeval Story 74 A. Literature 74 B. Pentateuchal Research 76 Part Two: Introduction to the Patriarchal Story: Genesis 12-50 1. The Significance of the Patriarchal Story 115 A. The Fathers of the People 116 B. The Patriarchal Story in the Canon 118 C. The Composition of the Patriarchal Story 120 2. The Origin and Growth of the Patriarchal Story 122 A. The Written Stage of the Patriarchal Traditions—the Literary Approach 123 B. The Oral Stage 127 3. The World of the Patriarchal Story and Its Setting: The Question of the Time of the Patriarchs 150 A. The Modern Archaeological Approach 150 B. Migrations of the Peoples in the Near East and Migrations of the Patriarchs 153 C. Peoples, Territories, and Cities 155 D. The Time of the Patriarchs 165 4. Literature: Genesis 12-50 178 5. The Religion of the Patriarchs 197 A. Characteristics of the Religions of the Patriarchs 200 B. The Cult 202 C. The Promises to the Patriarchs 203 D. The Covenant with the Fathers 204 E. Literature for Section 5 205 6. Structure and Growth of Genesis 12-25 214 7. Conclusion to Genesis 12-36 223 Part Three: Introduction to the Joseph Story: Genesis 37-50 Literature on the History of the Exegesis of Genesis 37-50 231 Other Literature on Genesis 37-50 232 1. The History of the Exegesis of Genesis 37-50 234 2. The Composition of Genesis 37-50 238 3. The Composition of the Joseph Story in the Stricter Sense (Genesis 37; 39-45f.) 240 4. The Literary Form of the Joseph Story 241 5. The Joseph Story and Wisdom 242 6. The Joseph Story and the Patriarchal Traditions 243 7. The Origin and Growth of Genesis 37-50 244 8. Parallels and Egyptian Background 244 9. Concluding Remarks on Genesis 37-50 247 Supplement to Literature on Genesis 1-50 Abbreviations 259 Index of Biblical References 273 Index of Names and Subjects 275 vi Translator's Preface Professor Claus Westermann of the University of Heidelberg is well known to Old Testament scholars and students in the English-speaking world. A number of his important books have already been translated. He has visited the United States of America several times and was made an honorary member of the Society of Biblical Literature. In 1977 he was honored by the British Academy with the Burkitt Medal for Biblical Studies. For almost twenty-five years Professor Westermann was engaged in a com- mentary on the book of Genesis. Under his direction a Genesis-Research Institute was set up within the Theological Faculty of the University of Heidelberg in which a comprehensive bibliography was assembled. He brought this monumental commentary to a conclusion with the publication of the last fascicule on the Joseph story in 1982. The work has been published in three volumes in Biblischer Kommentar, Altes Testament, by Neukirchener Verlag, Neukirchen-Vluyn: Gen- esis 1-11 (1/1), Genesis 12-36 (1/2), Genesis 37-50 (1/3), with the English translation published by Augsburg Publishing House in the Continental Com- mentary Series: Genesis 1-11 (1984), Genesis 12-36 (1985), Genesis 37-50 (1986). The following points should be noted: 1. The translation of the Hebrew text of Genesis is deliberately rather literal, but attempts in every case to convey Professor Westermann's nuances. 2. The spelling of all personal, proper and place names in the Bible follows the Revised Standard Version. 3. Citations from other parts of the Bible follow the RSV unless otherwise indicated. 4. Abbreviations of the biblical books are those of the RSV, Common Bible. 5. The German word Sage is regularly rendered by "story," not by "saga." 6. Professor Westermann often uses the word Geschehensbogen to describe the movement of a narrative. As he wrote to me, "ein Gerschehensbogen is like vii the arch of a bridge which spans the whole from beginning to end. Likewise the narrative arch spans an event from beginning to end and makes it into a self- contained whole" (letter, 23.1.80). My translation of Geschehensbogen varies; sometimes it is "narrative span (arch)," sometimes a paraphrase according to context. Convention requires that the word "man" be restricted to the male of the species and that "mankind" yield to "humankind." (It is not the place here to argue my conviction that "man" without the article—not "men"—for the most part and "mankind" virtually always are neutral terms.) This has entailed the frequent replacement of "man" and "mankind" by "human beings," "persons," "people," "humanity," "humankind," "human race," and so on. The translation was spread over seven years amid full programs of lecturing and adminstration and several lengthy periods of hospitalization. My relief and joy on completing it were balanced by the sober reflection that I should do it all over again and much better. I can only apologize for its inadequacies and hope that, despite them, Professor Westermann's great contribution to biblical studies will become known to a wide audience in the English-speaking world. John J. Scullion, S.J.* From the translator's preface to Genesis 1-11 (1984) viii Part One: Introduction to the Story of the Primeval Events 1. The Story of Primeval Events in the Pentateuch and Its Prehistory The biblical story of the primeval events hands down what has been said about the beginnings of the world and of humanity in an unbroken line from antiquity to modern times. It is in this above all that its significance lies. The biblical ac- counts of creation have had an uninterrupted audience from the time when the Yah wist planned his work in the 10th-9th century B.C. until the present day. The circles which handed them down pondered on them again and again. Whenever a new world view was sketched, what was said about the beginning was almost always resumed: in Deutero-Isaiah, in the priestly syntheses, in Paul and John in the New Testament, in Marcion and in the great confessions of the universal Church in the anti-Marcionite campaign, in the scholastic systems of the Middle Ages and in the Reformation, in the philosophical system of the West right up to the radical attack on the creation story in the assertions of the champions of evolution. The debate about the beginnings of the world and of humankind has long since passed from the field of religion to the field of science, and the Christian Churches of the last generations have renounced their claims to enter the lists in the scientific controversies. Nevertheless, there has been no break in that line of tradition which stretches back to the early stages of the Old Testa- ment. The Christian Churches throughout the world continue in their formal worship to acknowledge their belief in God, the creator of heaven and earth, and every attempt to detach faith in the creator from faith in Christ has miscarried. The Christian faith does not take its stand on an event at the beginning, but on an event in the "middle of the time"; but because it looks to the whole, it must speak of the beginning. If Jesus Christ came as the savior of all humanity, then his coming in 4 'the middle of the time" must have something to do with the beginning. The Pauline and Johannine theologies alike are at pains to relate the event "in the middle" with the event at the beginning. The Yahwistic and Priestly syntheses of the Old Testament, both of which begin with an account of creation, have already done this. The intention of each of these works in setting the story of primeval events before the historical section proper was to relate an event "in the middle" with an event at the beginning. 1 There is a further parallel: just as the theological thinking of early Christianity had to rely on an already existing pre-Christian tradition, namely the Old Testa- ment, so the theological thinking of Israel had to rely on traditions both older than Israel and from outside Israel to relate the beginnings with the event "in the middle." A pre-Christian tradition penetrates the Christian confession of faith in God the creator; traditions which preceded Israel and from outside Israel penet- rate what Israel has to say about God the creator, Yahweh, the God of Israel. The story of primeval events should be thought of primarily as an element in the structure of the Pentateuch. The central part of the Pentateuch tells the story of the rescue at the Reed Sea, Ex 1-18. This event was the basis of the history of a people. It gave both parts of the book of Genesis the character of an introduction. Both the story of primeval events, Gen 1-11, and the stories of the patriarchs, Gen 12-50, are placed before the central part like two concentric circles. The relation of each circle to the central part is different. Hence, their introductory functions are different. While the stories of the patriarchs, Gen 12-50, present the history of Israel before it became a people, the story of the primeval events has a far wider horizon. It gives the events which take place in the middle of the Pentateuch a much wider horizon, extending them to world events in the broadest sense of the word. The different functions of these intro- ductory sections become very clear in the summary confessions of faith which draw together the tradition developed in the Pentateuch, Deut 26:5; Josh 24:2-4. The stories of the patriarchs play their introductory role, while there is no men- tion at all of the story of primeval events. There are however other writings in the Old Testament which draw to- gether God's activity as a whole, from his saving action in the middle of the Pentateuch to those distant beginnings of his work of which the story of primeval events speaks: these are the hymns of the praise of God which describe at once both God's action and what God is. The hymn, polarizing the praise of God in his majesty and God stooping to speak to his creation, sweeps across the whole order from creation to the rescue of Israel, e.g., Pss 33; 136. The hymn of descriptive praise, in contrast to the confessions of faith, does not intend to describe chronological sequence or historical succession, but rather the all-embracing richness of God's activity. The story of primeval events is related to the whole in a different way from the stories of the patriarchs. Accordingly, chs. 1-11 of Genesis must be regarded as a separate element of the Pentateuch, that is, as a relatively self-contained unity, and not primarily as a part of "Genesis." It is a relatively late component. The point of departure of our exegesis then cannot be those literary types whose form and content have been discovered in Gen 12-50. Such cannot be imposed on chs. 1-11. Nor can we without more ado apply the theological plan which draws together the patriarchal cycle to the story of primeval events. We must recognize this story as a distinct unity, as a separate element of the Pentateuch, and take it as our starting point. Furthermore, the approach to the problem of Gen 1-11 as a whole had been frustrated and shackled by two presuppositions which had been passed on uncritically from one generation to another. The first was the presumption that the two decisive passages which colored the whole of the primeval story were Gen 1 and 3. A tradition of more than a thousand years had imposed itself; under this influence, and for the most part quite unconsciously, one summed up the 2 [...]... named, and an event is inserted into the genealogy: the flood The genealogy of the sons of Noah, Gen 10, is divided: 1: Introduction, 2-5: the sons of Japheth, 6, 7, 20: the sons of Ham, 22, 23, 31: the sons of Shem, 32: Conclusion The plan of the individual parts is as follows: The sons of NN: NN and NN and NN and NN and NN and NN and NN And the sons of NN: NN and NN and NN And the sons of NN: NN and... the Sumerian myths The motif of the creation of humans is older than that of the creation of the world, and the creation of the one is older than the creation of the whole H Baumann says of the African myths: "It should be emphasized that the idea of creation is concerned primarily with man and beast, much less frequently with the heavenly bodies and scarcely ever with the earth the African story... is but marginal and a secondary development The parts of Gen 10 that belong to P are no longer a genealogy, and of those that belong to J only vv 13 and 16 are such The real genealogies are not lists nor are they arranged in the form of lists They are rather an independent genre, whose variety in both form and language can in no way be equated with the list-form Nor can it be said in any way that Gen... and which is still represented often enough, namely, that reflection on the creator and creation was primarily an answer of the human spirit to the question of the origin of the world So, for example, S.G.F Brandon, Creation Legends of the Ancient Near East, London 1963, p 65: "The evidence that we have of ancient Egyptian cosmogonic speculation places it in a unique category in the history of human... human beings are described independently in separate stories The creation of the one predominates There is a text about the creation of humanity in S N Kramer's Sumerian Mythology, Philadelphia 1944 pp 68-71; it stands independently in the introduction to the myth of cattle breeding and grain (72f.), of the pickaxe (5If.), of plants for food and plants for healing (54-59) The creation of the world and... (Yahwist) and P (Priestly Tradition), it appears at first glance that P has a preponderance of numerative and J of narrative material The story of the Flood is the only narrative where J and P are mingled together It is both significant and understandable that only in Gen 6-9 did R shape one narrative out of the two that lay before him And so there arises a third form of tradition in which narrative and... creation of the world and the creation of human beings are drawn together and Marduk appears as the creator of the world and as the creator of humans (cf the citation above from V Maag) One can see from the way in which the strands of tradition are bound together how independent they once were: Marduk devises a plan to make a human being but Ea, the older god, either cooperates in the plan or is actually... 4:17-26 (J) 5(P) 6:9-10 (P) 9:28-29 (P) 10 (J and P) 11:10-26 (P) 11:27, 32 (P) 6:1-4 (J) 6:5-9:19 (J and P) 9:20-27 (J) 11:1-9 (J) 11:28-31 (J and P) This table presents the content of the text in its final form; no account is taken of the division into sources An analysis of the sources however shows an important difference between J and P; J is predominantly narrative, P numerative There are three... a gigantic primeval being, is all of no more than secondary importance in principle What is of the greatest importance is that there should be a myth of beginnings, which may or may not be a myth of creation, but which cannot possibly be done without, for on this myth, be it what it may, the very existence of the universe and of humanity depend in any case" (27f.) This brings a corrective to an attitude... high cultures of the Mediterranean world, in Egypt, Mesopotamia and in Greece (Hesiod) These genealogies which explain the origin of the world — heaven and earth, sea and winds, plants and animals — from a succession of births of gods, are the forerunners of the genealogies in the primeval story The word which P uses, nilVlfl shows this clearly The priestly writing understands the whole primeval story . Minneapolis GENESIS: AN INTRODUCTION First published in the Biblischer Kommentar Series as the introductions to GENESIS 1-11 (1974), GENESIS 12-36 (1981), GENESIS. Westermann, Claus, 1909- Genesis : an introduction / Claus Westermann ; translated by John J. Scullion, p. cm. "First published in English as the introductions