Was Noah Good?: Finding Favour in the Flood Narrative

238 Pages·2014·1.839 MB·English

by  Carol M. Kaminski

LIBRARY OF HEBREW BIBLE/
OLD TESTAMENT STUDIES

563

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
Alan Cooper, John Goldingay, Robert P. Gordon,
Norman K. Gottwald, James Harding, John Jarick, Carol Meyers,
Francesca Stavrakopoulou, Daniel L. Smith-Christopher
ii
WAS NOAH GOOD?

Finding Favour in the Flood Narrative

Carol M. Kaminski

NEW YORK • LONDON • NEW DELHI • SYDNEY
Bloomsbury T&T Clark
An imprint of Bloomsbury Publishing Plc

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First published 2014

© Carol M. Kaminski, 2014

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any
form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopying, recording, or any
information storage or retrieval system, without prior permission in writing from the
publishers.

Carol M. Kaminski has asserted her right under the Copyright, Designs and Patents Act,
1988, to be identi(cid:191)ed as Author of this work.

No responsibility for loss caused to any individual or organization acting on or refraining
from action as a result of the material in this publication can be accepted by Bloomsbury
Academic or the author.

British Library Cataloguing-in-Publication Data
A catalogue record for this book is available from the British Library.

ISBN: HB: 978-0-56702-716-0
ePDF: 978-0-56735-781-6

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Kaminski, Carol M.
Was Noah Good? / Carol M. Kaminski p.cm
Includes bibliographic references and index.
ISBN 978-0-5670-2716-0 (hardcover)

Typeset by Forthcoming Publications Ltd (www.forthpub.com)
CONTENTS

Abbreviations xi
Acknowledgments xiii

INTRODUCTION 1
1. Context 1
2. Outline of the Present Study 3

Chapter 1
INTERPRETATIONS OF FAVOUR AND RIGHTEOUSNESS
IN THE FLOOD NARRATIVE 6
1. Interpretations of “Favour” and “Righteousness”
from a Source-Critical Perspective 8
2. Interpreting “Favour” and “Righteousness” According
to the Final Form 13
3. Summary 19
4. Methodology 21

Chapter 2
ESTABLISHING THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF GENESIS 6:5–8 24
1. Introduction 24
2. Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8
as the Introduction to the Flood Narrative 28
a. Priority Given to Independent J and P Sources 28
b. Genesis 6:5 Is Understood to Be J’s Introduction
to the Flood 31
c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Seen to Be an Independent
Literary Unit 36
d. YHWH’s “Seeing” in Genesis 6:5 Thought to Introduce
the Narrative 37
e. Linguistic Connections Between Genesis 6:5–8
and the Flood Narrative 38
f. Genesis 6:5 Is Recalled After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 39
vi Contents

3. The Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as Part
of the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 40
a. The Priority of the Toledot Formula in Determining
Literary Units 40
b. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to the Preceding
Genealogy and to the Primaeval History 43
c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to Motifs
in the Primaeval History 46
d. Genesis 6:5 Does Not Begin a New Section
But Continues the Main Line of the Narrative 48
e. Genesis 6:1–4 and 6:5–8 Are to Be Read Together 50
4. Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as the Conclusion
to the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 54
a. The Meaning of (cid:45)(cid:31)(cid:27) in the Toledot Heading
of Genesis 5:1 54
b. The Verb (cid:33)(cid:37)(cid:47) in 6:7 and Its Connection
to Genesis 5:1–3 58
c. Genesis 6:6 Is Connected to the Preceding Genealogy 59
d. Creation Language in Genesis 6:6–7 Recalls
the Introduction to the Toledot of Adam 60
5. Scholars Who Interpret Genesis 6:1–8 as the
Conclusion to the Toledot of Adam 61
6. Conclusion 63

Chapter 3
GOD’S ASSESSMENT OF HUMANITY AT THE CONCLUSION
TO THE TOLEDOT OF ADAM (GENESIS 6:5–8) 64
1. Introduction 64
2. Chronological Issues Related to Genesis 6:1 64
3. How Does Genesis 6:1 Relate Temporally
to Genesis 5:1–32? 65
4. The Signi(cid:191)cance of the (cid:39)(cid:33)(cid:39)(cid:35) Clause in 6:1,
“and it came to pass” 66
a. The Signi(cid:191)cance of the (cid:39)(cid:33)(cid:39)(cid:35) Clause in Genesis 6:1 66
b. Resumptive Repetition as a Literary Device 68
c. The Temporal (cid:39)(cid:33)(cid:39)(cid:35) Clause in Exodus 6:28 70
d. The Temporal (cid:39)(cid:33)(cid:39)(cid:35) Clause in Numbers 7:1 71
e. The (cid:39)(cid:33)(cid:39)(cid:35) Clause in Genesis 6:1 Backtracks
to an Earlier Period 72
5. Genesis 6:1–8 Is a Telescoped Narrative 74
6. Interpreting Human Wickedness in 6:5 in View of 6:1 76
Contents vii
7. The Meaning of (cid:45)(cid:31)(cid:27)(cid:33) in Genesis 6:1–8 78
a. (cid:45)(cid:31)(cid:27)(cid:33) in Genesis 6:1–4 78
b. (cid:45)(cid:31)(cid:27)(cid:33) in Genesis 6:5 81
8. Is Noah Exempt from Human Depravity or Only
from the Judgment? 84
9. Genesis 6:5 Is Reiterated After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 87
10. Humanity’s Evil Inclination Is “From His Youth” 87
11. Genesis 8:21 and the Curse Against the Ground
(Genesis 3:17) 90
12. The Meaning of (cid:43)(cid:43)(cid:57) in Genesis 8:21 92
13. Interpreting Genesis 8:21 in View of Genesis 3:17
and Genesis 6:5 97
14. The Story of Noah’s Drunkenness in Genesis 9:20–27 100
15. Conclusion 103

Chapter 4
INTERPRETING NOAH’S “FINDING FAVOUR”
IN ITS LITERARY CONTEXT (5:1–6:8) 105
1. Introduction 105
2. A Survey of the Verb (cid:48)(cid:49)(cid:37) and the Noun (cid:48)(cid:37)
in the Book of Genesis 106
3. General Observations About the Idiom
“To Find Favour in the Eyes of” 107
4. Does Noah Deserve the Favour He Finds? 110
5. Can Favour Be Merited? 112
a. Texts That Support the View That Favour
Can Be Merited 112
b. Favour Can Be Refused—Even When Behaviour
Is Commendable (1 Samuel 25) 114
c. Commendable Behaviour Does Not Merit Favour
(Ruth) 114
6. Can “Finding Favour” Mean Finding Unmerited Grace? 116
a. Jacob’s “Finding Favour” in the Eyes of Esau
(Genesis 32–33) 116
b. Divine Favour in the Golden Calf Story
(Exodus 32–34) 121
c. Parallels Between God’s Grace in Exodus 34:9
and Genesis 8:21 125
7. The Theme of Grace in the Flood Story 126
8. Noah and Moses as Recipients of Divine Favour 128
a. Moses’ Finding Favour Entails God’s Election 128
b. Does Noah’s Finding Favour Entail God’s Election
of Him? 130
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viii Contents

9. Von Rad’s “Sin–Judgment–Grace” Schema 133
10. Westermann’s “Sin–Speech–Judgment” Schema 134
11. Clines’s “Sin–Speech–Grace–Judgment” Schema 134
12. Interpreting Genesis 6:8 in View of the Theme
of Grace in the Patriarchal Narratives 136
13. Conclusion 137

Chapter 5
THE MEANING OF (cid:57)(cid:39)(cid:31)(cid:56) IN GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 139
1. Introduction 139
2. (cid:57)(cid:31)(cid:56) Terminology in Genesis and the Pentateuch 140
3. The Adjective (cid:57)(cid:39)(cid:31)(cid:56) in the Sodom and Gomorrah Story 141
a. Parallel Features in the Flood Narrative
and the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah 141
b. The Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33 142
c. The Meaning of (cid:695)(cid:681)(cid:675)(cid:694) in Genesis 18:16–33 148
4. The Adjective (cid:695)(cid:681)(cid:675)(cid:694) in the Story of Abimelech
(Genesis 20:1–18) 150
5. The “Non-Israelite” Context for (cid:695)(cid:681)(cid:675)(cid:694) in Genesis 18:16–33
and 20:1–18 153
6. Is the Interpretive Context for (cid:695)(cid:681)(cid:675)(cid:694) Covenantal? 154
7. God Is Establishing a Covenant with Noah, Not Renewing
a Covenant 158
8. Does the Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33
and 20:1–18 Have Any Bearing on the Meaning of (cid:57)(cid:39)(cid:31)(cid:56)
in Genesis 6:9 and 7:1? 161
9. Legal Referents in Genesis Are Not Covenantal
But Creational 164
10. Conclusion 168

Chapter 6
INTERPRETING GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 IN THEIR LITERARY CONTEXTS 169
1. Introduction 169
2. Does Genesis 7:1 Entail Divine Election? 170
3. The Judicial Context of Divine “Seeing” and Genesis 7:1 174
4. Interpreting (cid:57)(cid:39)(cid:31)(cid:56) in 7:1 in Its Immediate Literary Context
(6:9–22) 177
5. Interpreting Noah’s Obedience in View of the Garden
Narrative 181
6. The Creational Context for the Divine Verdict
in Genesis 7:1 182
Contents ix
7. The Divine Verdict in 7:1 Occurs After
Noah Has Obeyed God’s Commands 183
8. The Signi(cid:191)cance of the Toledot Formula in Genesis 6:9
Without a Coordinating Waw 184
9. Genesis 6:9 Anticipates the Divine Assessment
in Genesis 7:1 188
10. The Relationship of Noah’s Righteous to Favour
in Genesis 6:8 191

CONCLUSION 194
1. Implications for Further Research 198
2. The Priority of Divine Grace 200

Bibliography 201
Index of References 209
Index of Authors 221

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