The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4; Analysis and History of Exegesis PDF
Preview The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4; Analysis and History of Exegesis
The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4 J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access Oudtestamentische Studiën Old Testament Studies published on behalf of the Societies for Old Testament Studies in the Netherlands and Belgium, South Africa, the United Kingdom and Ireland Editor Hans Ausloos (Louvain-la-Neuve) Editorial Board M. Popović (Groningen) H. F. Van Rooy (Potchefstroom) H. G. M. Williamson (Oxford) volume 76 The titles published in this series are listed at brill.com/ots J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4 Analysis and History of Exegesis By Jaap Doedens LEIDEN | BOSTON J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Names: Doedens, Jaap, author. Title: The sons of God in Genesis 6:1–4 : analysis and history of exegesis / by Jaap Doedens. Description: Leiden ; Boston : Brill, 2019. | Series: Oudtestamentische studiën = Old Testament studies, ISSN 0169-7226 ; volume 76 | Includes bibliographical references and index. Identifiers: LCCN 2019010468 (print) | LCCN 2019010858 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004395909 (ebook) | ISBN 9789004284265 (hardback : alk. paper) Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Genesis, VI, 1–4—Criticism, interpretation, etc.—History. Classification: LCC BS1235.52 (ebook) | LCC BS1235.52 .D64 2019 (print) | DDC 222/.1106—dc23 LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019010468 Typeface for the Latin, Greek, and Cyrillic scripts: “Brill”. See and download: brill.com/brill-typeface. ISSN 0169-7226 ISBN 978-90-04-28426-5 (hardback) ISBN 978-90-04-39590-9 (e-book) Copyright 2019 by Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, The Netherlands. Koninklijke Brill NV incorporates the imprints Brill, Brill Hes & De Graaf, Brill Nijhoff, Brill Rodopi, Brill Sense, Hotei Publishing, mentis Verlag, Verlag Ferdinand Schöningh and Wilhelm Fink Verlag. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, translated, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise, without prior written permission from the publisher. Authorization to photocopy items for internal or personal use is granted by Koninklijke Brill NV provided that the appropriate fees are paid directly to The Copyright Clearance Center, 222 Rosewood Drive, Suite 910, Danvers, MA 01923, USA. Fees are subject to change. This book is printed on acid-free paper and produced in a sustainable manner. J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access Contents Acknowledgments vii Abbreviations ix 1 Setting the Course: Introduction 1 1 From Boulder to Keystone to Stumbling Block 1 2 The Mainstream Solutions 4 3 Approach 6 2 A Quest for Meaning: Analyzing Genesis 6:1–4 13 1 Introduction 13 2 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:1 13 3 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:2 15 4 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:3 29 5 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:4 56 6 Content and Context: General Observations Relating to Genesis 6:1–4 71 7 Dramatis Personae: Provisional Conclusions Related to Genesis 6:1–4 74 3 Trodden Paths: History of Exegesis of the Expression ‘Sons of God’ 77 1 Introduction 77 2 The Ancient Versions 78 3 Philo of Alexandria 85 4 Flavius Josephus 86 5 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha 88 6 Dead Sea Scrolls 105 7 Rabbinic Tradition 107 8 New Testament 110 9 The Church Fathers 119 10 Late Middle Ages and Reformation 168 11 Newer Exegesis 170 12 Conclusions to the History of Exegesis 171 4 At the Crossroads: Weighing Exegetical Solutions 178 1 Introduction 178 2 The Heavenly Category: ‘Sons of God’ Interpreted as Angels 180 3 The Social Category: ‘Sons of God’ Interpreted as Mighty Ones 190 J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access vi Contents 4 The Religious Category: ‘Sons of God’ Interpreted as Sethites 200 5 The Mythological Category: ‘Sons of God’ Interpreted as Divine Beings 205 6 Minor Variants and Combinations 244 7 Conclusions 246 5 Perspectives: The Functions of Genesis 6:1–4 251 1 Introduction 251 2 ‘Sons of God’ and Biblical Monotheism 252 3 Genesis 6:1–4 and Myth in the Old Testament 262 4 Truth Claim and Functions of Genesis 6:1–4 278 5 Final Observations 294 Bibliography 297 Index of Modern Authors 337 Index of Subjects 346 Index of Ancient Sources 350 J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access Acknowledgments Much of the Old Testament world has become a ‘lost world’. This is especially true for Genesis 6:1–4, a fascinating story, which at the same time stubbornly resists understanding. What are we to imagine when it speaks of marriages between heavenly beings and earthly women who gave birth and rise to an exceptional race of warriors? In a certain way, this venerable tale has retained its actuality. A quick query on the internet brings up how this narrative still inspires a raft of theories about UFOs, aliens or ‘forbidden’ archaeology ac- cording to which giant skeletons apparently stay hidden in sealed cupboards. However, such speculation is – sometimes in a very literal sense of the word – light-years away from the biblical world. That is why this study focuses on the explanation of the biblical text and on the history of its exegesis. Learning biblical exegesis is nigh impossible without having competent teachers. With gratitude I remember the schooling in Old Testament subjects I received from the late Prof. H. M. Ohmann and from his successor, Prof. Gert Kwakkel, who already earlier had been my instructor for Hebrew and Aramaic. I owe gratitude to Prof. J. P. Lettinga for his teaching me Akkadian; it is with ap- preciation that I recall his lessons and his willingness to share his knowledge. This book is a revised edition of my dissertation on Gen 6:1–4. My super- visor for the mentioned dissertation was Gert Kwakkel, who invested much time and energy in the process of guiding my study, critically reflecting on both its scope and its elements. I shall remain indebted to his logical and scholarly competence and to his meticulous attention to details. Exegesis sometimes requires impulses which can activate the imagination. In the case of this study, it was the insightful remarks of Ad de Bruijne on the possible function of Genesis 6:1–4 as referring to the origin of idolatry as outlined in his article in ‘our’ published study Woord op schrift (2002), which rekindled my interest in this Genesis narrative. In acknowledging his initial influence, I would like to express my gratitude to him for this. Several people kindly sent me copies of articles otherwise difficult to access, among them Eric A. Seibert, associate professor of Old Testament Education at Messiah College, Mechanicsburg, and Peter Schmidtbauer, librarian of the Istituto Austriaco di Studi Storici in Rome. I am most grateful for the useful advice provided by Koert van Bekkum, Richard S. Hess, and Hans Ausloos, editor-in-chief of Brill’s OTS series, towards the revising of my dissertation’s manuscript. J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access viii Acknowledgments Writing this study was made even more enjoyable by encountering friends who stimulated my thinking or helped me resolve difficulties. I am grateful to the late Adriana Drint, associate professor of Old Testament Hebrew and Biblical Aramaic at the Theological University in Apeldoorn for her willingness to provide assistance in the translation of a clutch of Arabic and Syriac words. Her untimely death has sadly severed many ties of friendship and brought to an end common scholarly discussions. I thank Tibor Marjovszky, now emeri- tus, at that time head of the Department of Biblical Theology and History of Religion at the Debrecen Reformed Theological University for introducing me to the world and perception of post-biblical Jewish thought as a living tradi- tion. Since the beginning of my serving as a minister in the Reformed Church of Vlissingen in 1997, Frans Caan has become a close friend who stimulated me to think critically. I could always fall back on his and his wife Anthoinette’s help and hospitality. I am grateful to my Canadian-Hungarian friend, Dávid Pándy-Szekeres, who corrected the English of my manuscript with a clear-cut feeling for style, and to his wife Anna for her hospitality during the long days while we were working on the text. I perhaps need not mention that any and all remaining imperfections are completely my responsibility. István Győri, for- mer head of the Department of New Testament at the Theological Academy of the Reformed Church College in Sárospatak, revived my interest for the Greek language specific to the apostles and to the church fathers. I thank him for his willingness to check my translations of Greek and Latin patristic quota- tions. I thank Csaba Balogh, lecturer in Old Testament studies at the Protestant Theological Institute in Kolozsvár/Cluj-Napoca, Romania, for his advice on the conversion of the manuscripts from the format of the almost perfect word pro- cessor to that of the nowadays almost omnipresent one. A procedure that – as an involuntary expert – I would dissuade anyone from doing. Making this journey in Old Testament exegesis would have been more diffi- cult without having previously had the support of my parents who encouraged me in my studies. Similarly, my wife, Timea, and our children, Miriam, Eszter, Aletta and Bence, supported my study by accepting my constant preoccupa- tion with it – even when I was physically present. It is to the five of you that I dedicate this book. Meanwhile the journey goes on and, hopefully, new adventures are in store. May sons and daughters of God have new paths to travel, higher mountains to climb, high seas to sail, far havens where to rest and wider perspectives to see in the Coming Age of a new creation. Jaap Doedens Pápa Reformed Theological Seminary Pápa, Hungary, Reformation Day, 2018 J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access Abbreviations Reference Works AB Anchor Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. 6 vols. New York: Doubleday, 1992 ABS Archaeology and Biblical Studies ACEBT SS Amsterdamse Cahiers voor exegese en bijbelse theologie, Supplement Series ACOR American Center of Oriental Research ACOROP American Center of Oriental Research Occasional Publications AfO Archiv für Orientforschung AHW Akkadisches Handwörterbuch. W. von Soden. 3 vols. Wiesbaden: Harrassowitz, 1965–1981 AJBI Annual of the Japanese Biblical Institute AJTh Asia Journal of Theology AMTh Archaeological Museum of Thessaloniki ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament. Edited by J. B. Pritchard. 3rd ed. Princeton: Princeton University Press, 1969 ANF Ante-Nicene Fathers AnOr Analecta Orientalia AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament AOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary APOT The Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha of the Old Testament. Edited by R. H. Charles. 2 vols. Oxford: Clarendon, 1913 AS Assyriological Studies ATANT Abhandlungen zur Theologie des Alten und Neuen Testaments ATD Das Alte Testament Deutsch AThR Anglican Theological Review AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies BA Biblical Archaeologist BARIS BAR (British Archaeological Reports) International Series BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BAT Die Botschaft des Alten Testaments BBB Bonner biblische Beiträge BBR Bulletin for Biblical Research BCAT Biblischer Commentar über das Alte Testament (Keil & Delitzsch) BCNH Bibliothèque Copte de Nag Hammadi BCOT Baker Commentary on the Old Testament J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access x Abbreviations BECNT Baker Exegetical Commentary on the New Testament BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Edited by Karl Elliger and Wilhelm Rudolph. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft, 1983 Bib Biblica BibB Biblische Beiträge BibInt Biblical Interpretation BibLeb Bibel und Leben BibOr Biblica et Orientalia BIS Biblical Interpretation Series BJS Brown Judaic Studies BKAT Biblischer Kommentar Altes Testament BN Biblische Notizen BR Biblical Research BS The Biblical Seminar BSac Bibliotheca Sacra BT The Bible Translator BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin BWANT Beiträge zur Wissenschaft vom Alten und Neuen Testament BZ Biblische Zeitschrift BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CA Current Archaeology CAD The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago. Chicago: The Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, 1956–2006 CAT = KTU CBC Cambridge Bible Commentary CBET Contributions to Biblical Exegesis and Theology CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBW Conversations with the Biblical World CCSL Corpus Christianorum: Series Latina. Turnhout: Brepols, 1953– CEC Critical and Exegetical Commentary CHANE Culture and History of the Ancient Near East CJA Christianity and Judaism in Antiquity CNT-3 Commentaar op het Nieuwe Testament: Derde serie COS The Context of Scripture. Edited by W. W. Hallo and K. L. Younger, Jr. 3 vols. Leiden: Brill, 2003; The Context of Scripture. Volume 4. Supplements. Edited by K. Lawson Younger, Jr. Leiden: Brill, 2017 COT Commentaar op het Oude Testament COTB Commentarenreeks op het Oude Testament: De Brug CR Corpus Reformatorum J.J.T. Doedens - 978-90-04-39590-9 Downloaded from Brill.com01/14/2023 03:27:23PM via free access
The list of books you might like
