These are the generations : identity, covenant, and the toledot formula

178 Pages·2011·0.877 MB·English

by  Thomas, Matthew A

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LIBRARY OF HEBREW BIBLE/
OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES
551
Formerly Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series
Editors
Claudia V. Camp, Texas Christian University
Andrew Mein, Westcott House, Cambridge
Founding Editors
David J.A. Clines, Philip R. Davies and David M. Gunn
Editorial Board
Richard J. Coggins, Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon,
Norman K. Gottwald, Gina Hens-Piazza, John Jarick, Andrew D.H.
Mayes, Carol Meyers, Patrick D. Miller, Yvonne Sherwood
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THESE ARE THE GENERATIONS
Identity, Covenant, and the toledot Formula
Matthew A. Thomas
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Copyright © 2011 by Matthew A. Thomas
Published by T & T Clark International
A Continuum imprint
80 Maiden Lane, New York, NY 10038
The Tower Building, 11 York Road, London SE1 7NX
www.continuumbooks.com
Visit the T & T Clark blog at www.tandtclarkblog.com
All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted
in any form or by any means, electronic, mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or otherwise,
without the written permission of the publisher, T & T Clark International.
Library of Congress Cataloging-i n- Publication Data
Thomas, Matthew A.
These are the generations : identity, covenant, and the toledot formula / Matthew A. Thomas.—1st ed.
p. cm. — (The library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament studies ; 551)
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN- 13: 978- 0- 567- 15141- 4 (hardcover)
ISBN- 10: 0- 567- 15141- 7 (hardcover)
1. Bible. O.T. Genesis—Criticism, Form. 2. Bible. O.T. Genesis—Biography. 3. Bible. O.T. Hebrew.
Leningrad Codex—Criticism, interpretation, etc. 4. Genealogy in the Bible. 5. Hebrew language—
Syntax. 6. Hebrew language—Semantics. I. Title. II. Series.
BS1235.52.T57 2010
222'.110663—dc22 2010031760
ISBN: 9780567487643
Typeset by Pindar NZ, Auckland, New Zealand
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To Jenny,
ידגנכ ירזע
(cf. Genesis 2:18)
and
to the children of my heart:
Anna, Sarah, Isaiah, and Noah
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CONTENTS
List of Tables xi
Acknowledgments xii
Abbreviations xv
INTRODUCTION 1
Rationale for the Project 1
The Thesis of the Present Study 2
The Object of the Present Study 3
The Text 3
The Leningrad Codex and BHS 3
Genesis and the Pentateuch 5
The Formula: toledot 6
Methodological Foundations 7
Method: Different Approaches, Different Questions 8
Form Criticism and Beyond 11
Surface Structure Study 13
Uncovering Surface Structure 14
The Limits of Surface Structure as a Key to Meaning 15
Method: A Summary and Outline 18
Contributions to the Fields of Hebrew Bible, Religion, and
the Humanities 19
1. DEFINING THE TOLEDOT FORMULA: SYNTAX, SEMANTICS,
AND FUNCTION 21
Syntax of the toledot Formula 21
Semantics of the toledot Formula 22
Functions of the toledot Formula 25
The Function of the toledot Formula in Past Scholarship 25
The Place of the toledot Formula in the Priestly Material 25
The toledot “Book” 26
P as a Redactional Layer 28
Summary 31
Finding the Functions: Linguistic Help 31
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Contents
Theme and Rheme 32
Presupposition and Assertion 34
Identifiability and Activation 35
The toledot Formula as a Heading 37
The Sections Defined by the toledot Formula 41
Patterns of Narrowing of Focus in the toledot Sections 42
From the Heavens and Earth to Adam: Genesis 2:4–5:1 42
From Adam to Noah: Genesis 5:1–6:9 43
From Noah to Noah’s Sons: Genesis 6:9–10:1 43
From Noah’s Sons to Shem: Genesis 10:1–11:10 44
From Shem to Terah: Genesis 11:10–27 44
From Terah to Ishmael: Genesis 11:27–25:12 45
From Ishmael to Isaac: Genesis 25:12–19 45
From Isaac to Esau: Genesis 25:19–36:1 45
From Esau to Jacob: Genesis 36:1–37:2 46
Beyond Jacob: Genesis 37:2–? 46
From Jacob to Aaron and Moses: Genesis 37:2–Numbers 3:1 47
Summary 47
EXCURSUS. WHY IS THERE NO TOLEDOT HEADING FOR
ABRAHAM? 49
2. VARIATIONS IN THE SYNTAX OF THE TOLEDOT FORMULA 53
Toward Variations in the Formula: Two Types 54
Discussions of the Two Types 54
Final Form Studies of the Two Types 58
Syntactical Variations in the toledot Formula 61
Survey of the Syntactical Variations 61
The Use of waw with the Formula 69
Structural Implications of the waw/Non-w aw Variation 71
The Non- waw Occurrences of the toledot Formula 72
Other Uses of the Term toledot Through the Pentateuch 74
Patterns of Narrowing Focus In Light of the Variations in the toledot
Headings 79
Summary 82
3. GENEALOGIES’ ROLE IN SHAPING THE NARRATIVE 83
Definitions 83
The Functions of Biblical Genealogies 85
General Functions of Biblical Genealogies 85
Form and Function: Linear v. Segmented Genealogies 86
Genealogies and the toledot Sections of Genesis 87