The Blessing of Abraham

173 Pages·2014·2.15 MB·English

by  New Luv

Blessed to Build God’s Kingdom:
The Blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) in Light of the Primeval History

Trevor Potter

A Thesis
in
The Department
of
Theological Studies

Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements
for the Degree of Masters of Arts (Theological Studies) at
Concordia University
Montreal, Quebec, Canada

November 2014

© Trevor Potter, 2014
CONCORDIA UNIVERSITY
School of Graduate Studies

This is to certify that the thesis prepared

By: Trevor Potter

Entitled: Blessed to Build God’s Kingdom: The Blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) in
Light of the Primeval History

and submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of

Masters of Arts (Theological Studies)

complies with the regulations of the University and meets the accepted standards with respect to
originality and quality.

Signed by the final examining committee:

_______________________________________ Chair
Dr. Paul Allen

_______________________________________ Examiner
Dr. Jean-Michel Roessli

_______________________________________ Examiner
Dr. Christine Jamieson

_______________________________________ Supervisor
Dr. Marie-France Dion

Approved by ___________________________________________________
Chair of Department or Graduate Program Director

_____________ 2014 ___________________________________________________
Dean of Faculty
iii

ABSTRACT
Blessed to Build God’s Kingdom:
The Blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) in Light of the Primeval History

Trevor Potter

Through a macro-syntactic analysis and a word study, this thesis has demonstrated that
the root $rb (blessing), throughout the Primeval History and the calling/blessing of Abraham
(Gen. 12:1-3), is consistently related to the Kingdom of God. The undergirding presence of the
Kingdom of God makes the root $rb intelligible. Gen. 1:26-28 demonstrates that the purpose of
creating and blessing ($rb) mankind was for mankind to rule as God’s representatives on the
earth, and that it is the $rb of God that gives mankind the ability/capability to rightly rule on
behalf of God. This thesis has defined the root $rb, based upon an analysis of its uses in the
Primeval History and the calling/blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), in the following way: The
$rb of God provides the recipient with life-giving power and potency. As the term applies more
specifically to humans, while incorporating life-giving power and potency, the $rb of God
provides the recipient (i.e. one who bends the knee in recognition of the Lordship of God) with
the ability/capability to rule rightly, as God’s representatives – to rule in a non-coercive, non-
tyrannical way – for the express purpose of building/extending God’s Kingdom – a Kingdom
that is meant to encompass all the families of the earth.
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER ONE: STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION 3
1.1 Hypothesis 3
1.2 Steps of Inquiry 3
1.3 Status Quaestionis 4
1.3.1 Scholars’ Definitions of the Root $rb 6
1.3.1.1 Fertility, Protection, and Success 8
1.3.1.2 Life and Prosperity 10
1.3.1.3 Shalom 11
1.3.2 Connection vs. Disconnection between the Primeval 12
History & the Patriarchal Narratives
1.3.2.1 Strong Connection 13
1.3.2.2 Connect/Disconnect 15
1.3.2.3 Gen. 12 as the Bridge between the PH and the PN 18
1.4 Methodology 20
1.4.1 Textual Criticism 20
1.4.2 Marco-Syntactic Analysis 21
1.4.3 Word Study 23

CHAPTER TWO: BLESSING IN THE PRIMEVAL HISTORY 24
2.1 Gen. 1:20-23: Blessing of the Sea Creatures and Birds 24
2.2 Gen. 1:24-31: Blessing of Man and Woman 29
2.2.1 This Thesis’ Translation Compared with Other Modern 47
Translations
2.3 Gen. 2:1-3: Blessing of the Seventh Day 50
2.4 Gen. 5:1-3: Reiteration of the Blessing of Man and Woman 56
2.5 Gen. 8:20-9:3: Blessing of Noah and His Sons 62
2.5.1 This Thesis’ Translation Compared with Other Modern 70
Translations
2.6 Gen. 9:18-29: Noah Blessing YHWH 72
2.6.1 This Thesis’ Translation Compared with Other Modern 80
Translations
2.7 Preliminary Conclusions 81
2.7.1 Volitive Forms 82
2.7.2 The Purpose of $rb: The Relationship between 86
~l,c,, tWmD, hdr, and $rb
2.7.2.1 Gen. 1:24-31 87
2.7.2.2 Gen. 5:1-3 89
2.7.2.3 Gen. 8:20-9:3 91
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2.7.2.4 Gen. 9:18-29 94
2.7.2.5 The Purpose of $rb with hdr , ~l,c, and tWmD 96
2.7.3 Kingdom/Royal Language 99
2.7.4 Preliminary Definition of $rb 101

CHAPTER THREE: THE BLESSING OF ABRAHAM (GEN. 12:1-3) 103
3.1 Gen. 11:31-12:3: Macro-Syntactic Analysis 103
3.2 Gen. 11:31-12:3: The Blessing of Abraham 104
3.2.1 This Thesis’ Translation Compared with Other Modern 120
Translations
3.3 Preliminary Conclusions 123
3.3.1 Volitive Forms 123
3.3.2 The Purpose of $rb 125
3.3.3 Kingdom/Royal Language 127
3.3.4 Preliminary Definition of $rb 132

CHAPTER FOUR: SYNTHESIS AND INTERPRETATION 135
4.1 Synthesis: $rb Defined in Light of the PH and the Blessing 135
of Abraham
4.1.1 Supplication 136
4.1.2 Ruling Rightly 138
4.1.3 God’s Kingdom 140
4.1.4 Fertility & Life-Giving Power 142
4.1.5 Synthesized Definition 142
4.2 The Thesis’ Definition Compared with Other Scholar’s 143
Definitions of $rb

CONCLUSION 150

BIBLIOGRAPHY 154
APPENDIX: MACRO-SYNTACTIC BREAKDOWNS 160
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INTRODUCTION
The Gospel of Mark records the first words of Jesus as, “The time is fulfilled, and the
kingdom of God is at hand; repent and believe in the gospel.” (Mark 1:15)1. As G. Harkness has
pointed out, “there has been no shortage of study on The Kingdom of God.”2 J. Bright writes:
“The burden of Jesus’ preaching was to announce the Kingdom of God; that was
the central thing with which he was concerned. A reading of the teachings of
Jesus as they are found in the Gospels only serves to bear the statement out.
Everywhere the Kingdom of God is on his lips, and it is always a matter of
desperate importance. […] So paramount, in fact, was the notion of the Kingdom
of God in the mind of Jesus that one can scarcely grasp his meaning at all without
some understanding of it.”3
The intent of this thesis is not to determine what is meant by the Bible’s use of the phrase The
Kingdom of God, but rather, to demonstrate that the Kingdom of God was not a concept newly
introduced by Jesus. For A. Schweitzer, “the Christian view of the Kingdom of God arises out of
the Jewish. […] The idea of the Kingdom of God is the creation of the Jewish prophets.”4 For J.
Gray, the Kingdom of God, in Christian thought, is derived primarily from the Psalms and the
Prophets.5 Contrary to both of these scholars, this thesis intends to demonstrate that the notion of
The Kingdom of God is present in the first chapter of Genesis, and remains central to the concept
of blessing ($rb), as far as it is presented in the Primeval History6 and the calling/blessing of
Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3). This thesis will corroborate P. Gentry and S. Wellum’s statement, that,

1 All Biblical translations are the author’s, unless otherwise specified.
2 Georgia Harkness, Understanding the Kingdom of God. (Nashville, Tenn.: Abingdon Press, 1974), 9.
3 John Bright, The Kingdom of God. (New York, New York: Abingdon-Cokesbury Press, 1953), 17.
4 Albert Schweitzer, The Kingdom of God and Primitive Christianity. Edited by Ulrich Neuenschwander.
Translated by L. A. Garrard. (London: Adam & Charles Black, 1968), 3.
5 John Gray, The Biblical Doctrine of the Reign of God. (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1979).
6 Genesis 1-11 is generally referred to as the Primeval History.
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“even though the specific wording, ‘kingdom of God,’ is not found until much later in Scripture,
the idea is taught in the opening pages of the Bible.”7
The primary intention of this research is to determine what it means for Abraham to, “be
a blessing!” (Gen. 12:2) – in light of the Primeval History. Both Judaism and Christianity define
themselves not only in relation to Abraham himself, but in relation to the calling/blessing that
Abraham received. J. D. G. Dunn writes, “What is Christianity if it is not defined and
characterized by the blessing of Abraham?”8 This thesis intends to demonstrate that the
calling/blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3) is for the express purpose of building the Kingdom of
God. That Abraham was invited to receive the blessing of God, so that God could build His
Kingdom through Abraham, a Kingdom that would extend to all the families of the earth.

7 Peter J. Gentry, and Stephen J. Wellum. Kingdom Through Covenant: A Biblical-Theological
Understanding of the Covenants. (Wheaton, Ill.: Crossway, 2012), 592.
8 James D. G. Dunn, Jesus, Paul, and the Gospels. (Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans, 2011), xvi.
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CHAPTER ONE: STATEMENT OF THE QUESTION
1.1 Hypothesis
This M.A. thesis will seek to prove that the blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3), viewed in
light of the Primeval History, is for the express purpose of building the Kingdom of God.

1.2 Steps of Inquiry
In order to verify the previously stated hypothesis, this thesis will first examine the use of
the root $rb (blessing), in the Book of Genesis, prior to its use in the blessing of Abraham in
Gen. 12:1-3. The root $rb will be analyzed in the following pericopes:
i. Gen. 1:20-23 – Blessing of the Sea Creatures and Birds
ii. Gen. 1:24-31 – Blessing of Man and Woman
iii. Gen. 2:1-3 – Blessing of the Seventh Day
iv. Gen. 5:1-3 – Reiteration of the Blessing of Man and Woman
v. Gen. 8:20-9:3 – Blessing of Noah and his Sons
vi. Gen. 9:18-29 – Noah Blessing YHWH
vii. Gen. 11:31-12:3 – Blessing of Abraham

The seven pericopes will be examined using, primarily, a macro-syntactic analysis of the text in
its final form. This analysis will highlight the volitional mood within these texts, and enable a
more accurate understanding of the process, and language, of blessing in the Primeval History
and Gen. 12:1-3.
The scope of this thesis is limited to the analysis of the root $rb in Gen. 12:1-3 and the
Primeval History, for two reasons: 1) The root $rb occurs more than seventy times in the Book
of Genesis alone. Therefore, endeavoring to analyze all occurrences of the root in Genesis is
beyond the scope of this thesis. 2) One of the main foci of this thesis is to demonstrate a strong
connection between the Primeval History and Gen. 12:1-3, giving grounds for an inference of
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meaning into the root $rb in Gen. 12:1-3, based upon the root’s meaning within the Primeval
History.
It is important to note two things at this point. 1) Though the primary focus of this thesis
will be to determine the meaning of the root $rb in Gen. 12:1-3, in light of the root’s meaning in
the Primeval History, it will also be in implicit dialogue with the definitions of $rb offered by
other scholars. 2) This thesis’ analysis of all seven pericopes will be an analysis of the final form
of the text.

1.3 Status Quaestionis

Studying the book of Genesis, and the calling/blessing of Abraham (Gen. 12:1-3),
specifically, is not a novel field of study. E. A. Speiser writes, “As the foundation of a rising
biblical structure, Genesis began to be quoted and dissected 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.”9 Beyond that, G. Wenham points out that the calling/blessing of Abraham,
in particular, has been one of the most widely dissected sections of the Book of Genesis itself,
garnering, “much scholarly attention.”10 The fact that Gen. 12:1-3 is regarded as pivotal for both
the Book of Genesis itself, and for the Bible as a whole, explains the scholarly interest.11 W.
Brueggemann, writes, “The call to Sarah and Abraham has to do not simply with the forming of

9 E. A. Speiser, Genesis: Introduction, Translation, and Notes. The Anchor Yale Bible. (New Haven,
Conn.: Yale, 1964), V.
10 Gordon Wenham, Word Biblical Commentary Volume I. (Nashville: Thomas Nelson, 1987), 274.
11 Patrick D. Miller Jr, “Syntax and Theology in Genesis XII 3a.” Vestus Testamentum XXXIV 4 (1984):
472; Nahum M Sarna, Understanding Genesis. (New York: Schocken , 1970), 102. See also Gerhard Von Rad.
Genesis: A Commentary. Translated by J. H. Marks. (Philadelphia, Pen.: The Westminster, 1956); Gordon Wenham,
Exploring the Old Testament: Volume 1: The Pentateuch. (London, UK: SPCK, 2003); Wenham, Word Biblical;
Claus Westermann, Blessing in the Bible and the Life of the Church. Translated by K. Crim. (Philadelphia, Penn.:
Fortress Press, 1978); Claus Westermann, Genesis 1-11: A Continental Commentary. Translated by John J. Scullion
S.J. (Minneapolis, MN: Fortress Press, 1994); Claus Westermann, Genesis 12-36: A Commentary. Translated by
John J. Scullion S.J. (Minneapolis, MN: Augsburg Publishing House, 1985).
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Israel but with the re-forming of creation, the transforming of the nations.”12 R. W. L. Moberly
states, “It is perhaps unusual for a book within the Old Testament to have one particular text that
can be regarded as a possible interpretive key to the book as a whole, and even to the Old
Testament as a whole. Yet such a case has been made in relation to God’s call of Abraham in
Genesis 12:1-3.”13 A. Jenkins succinctly writes, “It is this call [Abraham's] which marks the
turning point for mankind.”14 The fact that the calling/blessing of Abraham has been widely
studied does not necessitate that the meaning of the pericope is undisputed. J. Baden writes:
“These verses [Gen. 12:1-3] are indisputably important in the context of the
ancestral narratives [Patriarchal Narratives15] and Genesis as a whole (if not the
entire Bible). Yet their precise meaning remains in dispute. The difficulty of
these verses derives from the extended volitive sequence contained therein and
the general uncertainty among many biblical scholars regarding the specific
nuances that may or may not be expressed by such sequences.”16
This thesis will explore some of the specific nuances that Baden is referring to, which will
ultimately lead to a clearer understanding of the purpose of the calling/blessing of Abraham.
Due to the fact that this thesis is seeking to determine the meaning of the root $rb in Gen.
12:1-3, in light of the Primeval History, focus will be placed on two areas of study: 1) How other
scholars have defined the root $rb. 2) How other scholars have viewed the relationship between
the Primeval History and the Patriarchal Narratives.

12 Walter Brueggemann, Genesis (IBCT; Atlanta, Geor.: John Knox, 1982), 105.
13 R. W. L. Moberly, The Theology of the Book of Genesis. (New York: Cambridge, 2009), 141.
14 Allan K. Jenkins, “The Great Name: Genesis 12:2 and the Editing of the Pentateuch.” Journal for the
Study of the Old Testament 10 (1978) : 46.
15 Gen. 12-50 is generally referred to as the Patriarchal Narratives.
16 Joel S. Baden, “The Morpho-Syntax of Genesis 12:1-3: Translation and Interpretation.” The Catholic
Biblical Quarterly no. 72 (2010) : 223.