Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes (The Anchor Bible, Vol. 1)

455 Pages·1964·17.99 MB·English

by  E.A. Speiser

GENESIS
Volume 1
The Anchor Bible is a fresh approach to the world’s greatest
classic. Its object is to make the Bible accessible to the modem
reader; its method is to arrive at the meaning of biblical literature
through exact translation and extended exposition, and to recon­
struct the ancient setting of the biblical story, as well as the circum­
stances of its transcription and the characteristics of its transcribers.
The Anchor Bible is a project of international and interfaith
scope: Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish scholars from many coun­
tries contribute individual volumes. The project is not sponsored
by any ecclesiastical organization and is not intended to reflect any
particular theological doctrine. Prepared under our joint supervision,
The Anchor Bible is an effort to make available all the significant
historical and linguistic knowledge which bears on the interpretation
of the biblical record.
The Anchor Bible is aimed at the general reader with no special
formal training in biblical studies; yet, it is written with the most
exacting standards of scholarship, reflecting the highest technical
accomplishment.
This project marks the beginning of a new era of co-operation among
scholars in biblical research, thus forming a common body of knowl­
edge to be shared by all.
William Foxwell Albright
David Noel Freedman
GENERAL EDITORS
THE ANCHOR BIBLE
GENESIS
INTRODUCTION, TRANSLATION, AND NOTES
BY
E. A. SPEISER
The Anchor Bible
DOUBLEDAY
NEW YORK LONDON TORONTO SYDNEY AUCKLAND
The Anchor Bible
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24 26 28 29 27 25 23
PREFACE
As the foundation for a rising biblical structure, Genesis began
to be quoted and discussed even before the Old Testament as a
whole had been completed; and it remains to this day one of the
most intensively cultivated books of the Bible. Volumes have been
written about single chapters, and monographs about individual
verses and clauses. Any comprehensive treatment of Genesis must,
therefore, be highly selective, if it is to be at all suitable for the
layman while not ignoring the scholar’s needs. Accordingly, the
present work devotes only as much space to matters that have al­
ready been covered elsewhere as is necessary for clarity and con­
tinuity; a minimal bibliography of the excellent works that are
available is provided in the section on Genesis Exegesis (pp. lx f.).
By the same token, greater emphasis has been placed on questions
about which there is as yet no definite consensus, and on points
that remain to be adduced.
The introductory essay deals with critical approaches to the Bible,
the nature of the biblical process, the contents of Genesis, and the
general problem of Bible translations. The body of the work has
been divided into sections that follow the exact order of the original,
but do not necessarily coincide with the customary division into
chapters. Each section contains a translation of the text, some tex­
tual notes, more extensive annotations, and an appended com­
mentary. The Notes are addressed to specific verses, whereas the
Comment is directed to the given section as a whole and is con­
cerned with literary treatment, cultural and historical background,
and problems of authorship. The study follows in the main the mod­
erate school of documentary criticism, and the presumed sources
have been indicated at the head of each section. But the sequence
of the original remains undisturbed, so that any reader may ignore,
if he so chooses, both the markers and the reasons behind them.
The transliteration of Hebrew terms has had to be simplified for
typographic reasons. With personal and place names, the traditional
VI PREFACE
spelling has been retained in order to avoid confusion. Further de­
tails are given in the brief Note on Transliteration.
In the preparation of this book I enjoyed the privilege of thought­
ful editorial advice from Professor William F. Albright and Pro­
fessor David Noel Freedman, who contributed many comments
and suggestions, without ever interfering with the writer’s freedom
of decision.
It is a genuine pleasure to express thanks to the editorial and
technical staffs of Anchor Books for their understanding and res­
oluteness in facing many novel problems that this volume posed,
especially since some of the decisions could not but set precedents
for the rest of the Series. For this author the “front office” proved
to be a friendly refuge.
The full extent of my indebtedness to the ever expanding litera­
ture on Genesis could not possibly be acknowledged within the
space available to me; the general tenor of the present work was
an added bar to a detailed literary apparatus. The credits that
are explicitly indicated are but a small measure of what I owe to
uncounted predecessors.
There is, however, one acknowledgment that I have left for the
end in order to give it special prominence. The present translation
bears frequent and close resemblance to the version of Genesis
that is contained in the new rendition of the Torah brought out
by the Jewish Publication Society of America (1962). The resem­
blance is not coincidental. As a member of the small committee that
had been entrusted with the task, I had a share in that translation
from the start. And because of my preoccupation with Genesis, that
particular share was correspondingly larger. My own results were
available to the committee and were frequently utilized by it. In
turn, I had the benefit of my colleagues’ contributions. But I owe
more to my fellow members than the sundry words or phrases
which I elected to appropriate. The over-all gain from constant
written interchanges of views, and daylong sessions every other
week over a period of years, cannot be reduced to statistics. I take
this opportunity, therefore, to express my deep appreciation to my
six co-workers on the committee and to the Society which originated
the project.
E.A.S.
August 25, 1962
CONTENTS
Preface v
Principal Abbreviations xi
Note on Transliteration xm
INTRODUCTION
The Biblical Process xvn
What’s in a Name? xvn
Biblical Criticism xx
The Documentary Sources ofG enesis xxu
(1) P, (2) 1, (5) E. (4) The Residue
The Tradition behind the Documents xxxvn
Genesis of the Biblical Process xlih
Introduction to the Book of Genesis un
Nature of the Contents un
(2) Primeval History, (2) The Story of the Patriarchs
Genesis Exegesis lx
On Translating Genesis LXin
Standard Versions lxxi
I. PRIMEVAL HISTORY
1. Opening Account of Creation (i 1-ii 4a) 3
2. The Story of Eden (ii 4b-24) 14
3. The Fall of Man (ii 25-iii 24) 21
4. Cain and Abel (iv 1-16) 29
5. The Line of Cain (iv 17-26) 34
6. The Patriarchs before the Flood (v 1-32) 39
7. Prelude to Disaster (vi 1—4) 44
8. The Flood (vi 5-viii 22) 47
9. Blessing and Covenant (ix 1-17) 57
10. Noah and His Sons (ix 18-29) 60
11. The Table of Nations (x 1-32) 64
vm CONTENTS
12. The Tower of Babel (xi 1-9) 74
13. Genealogies from Shem to Abraham (xi 10-32) 77
II. THE STORY OF THE PATRIARCHS
The Story of Abraham
14. Abraham’s Call and Migration (xii 1-9) 85
15. Abraham and Sarah in Egypt (xii 10-20) 89
16. Lot’s Separation from Abraham (xiii 1-18) 95
17. Invasion from the East. Abraham and Melchizedek
(xiv 1-24) 99
18. Promise and Covenant (xv 1-21) 110
19. The Birth of Ishmael (xvi 1-16) 116
20. Covenant and Circumcision (xvii 1-27) 122
21. Abraham and His Mysterious Visitors (xviii 1-15) 128
22. Abraham Intercedes for Sodom (xviii 16-33) 132
23. Destruction of Sodom. Lot’s Escape (xix 1-29) 136
24. Lot’s Daughters (xix 30-38) 144
25. Abraham and Sarah at Gerar (xx 1-18) 147
26. Birth of Isaac and Expulsion of Hagar (xxi 1-21) 153
27. Abraham and Abimelech at Beer-sheba (xxi 22-34) 158
28. The Ordeal of Isaac (xxii 1-19) 161
29. The Line of Nahor (xxii 20-24) 167
30. The Machpelah Purchase (xxiii 1-19) 168
31. Isaac and Rebekah (xxiv 1-67) 174
32. The Sons of Keturah. Death of Abraham. The Line of
Ishmael (xxv 1-18) 186
The Story of Jacob
33. Esau and Jacob: Their Birth and Youth (xxv 19-34) 193
34. Various Notices about Isaac (xxvi 1-35) 198
35. Isaac Deceived (xxvii 1-45) 205
36. Jacob Is Sent to Laban (xxvii 46-xxviii 9) 214
37. Jacob’s Dream at Bethel (xxviii 10-22) 217
38. Jacob’s Arrival in Haran (xxix l-14a) 221
39. Jacob’s Marriages with Leah and Rachel (xxix 14b-30) 224
40. The Birth of Jacob’s Children (xxix 31-xxx 24) 228
41. Jacob’s Bargain with Laban (xxx 25—43) 234
42. Jacob’s Flight from Haran (xxxi 1-54) 240
43. Encounters (xxxii 1-33) 252
44. Meeting between Jacob and Esau (xxxiii 1-20) 258
45. The Rape of Dinah (xxxiv 1-31) 262
46. Bethel Revisited (xxxv 1-15) 269
CONTENTS IX
47. Brief Notices about Jacob’s Family (xxxv 16-29) 272
48. Edomite Lists (xxxvi 1-xxxvii 2a) 276
Joseph and His Brothers
49. Joseph Sold into Egypt (xxxvii 2b-36) 287
50. Judah and Tamar (xxxviii 1-30) 295
51. The Temptation of Joseph (xxxix 1-23) 301
52. Joseph Interprets the Dreams of Pharaoh’s Servants
(xl 1-23) 305
53. What Dreams Did for Joseph (xli 1-57) 309
54. The Brothers’ First Trip to Egypt (xlii 1-38) 318
55. Second Trip to Egypt (xliii 1-34) 325
56. The Ultimate Test (xliv 1-34) 331
57. The Disclosure (xlv 1-28) 336
58. Jacob’s Migration to Egypt (xlvi 1-34) 342
59. Jacob before Pharaoh. His Land Policy (xlvii 1-26) 348
60. The Blessing of Ephraim and Manasseh
(xlvii 27-xlviii 22) 354
61. The Testament of Jacob (xlix 1-27) 361
62. Death of Jacob and Joseph (xlix 28-1 26) 373
Key to the Text 379