Was Noah Good?

Finding Favour in the Flood Narrative

AvCarol M. Kaminski,Laura Quick

Häftad, Engelska, 2015

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Beskrivning

The juxtaposition of 'favour' and 'righteousness' in the flood narrative raises an interpretative and theological problem: Is Noah chosen because of divine favour or because of his piety ? Source-critical scholars identify two different theologies by J and P: J understands Noah's election to be an act of grace whereas P emphasizes Noah's righteousness as the basis for his election. Scholars who interpret the flood narrative according to its final form argue that Noah is chosen because he is righteous. This view is problematic, however, since in the primaeval history grace is shown to the 'undeserving', thus it is characteristically unmerited. This book entails an exegetical analysis of, and according to, the final form of the text, with particular attention being given to the meaning and function of these verses in the Toledot structure. Kaminski argues against the commonly held view that Noah finds favour because he is righteous, and seeks to demonstrate that divine favour is unmerited in accordance with the theme of grace in the primaeval history and in Genesis as a whole. Thus what sets the flood story in motion is not Noah's righteousness, but the divine favour he finds.

Produktinformation

Utgivningsdatum:2015-08-27
Mått:154 x 232 x 18 mm
Vikt:360 g
Format:Häftad
Språk:Engelska
Serie:Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
Antal sidor:240
Förlag:Bloomsbury Publishing PLC
ISBN:9780567665126

Utforska kategorier

Biblar inom Filosofi och religion
Religion: allmänt inom Filosofi och religion
Kristendom inom Filosofi och religion

Mer om författaren

Carol M. Kaminski (Ph.D., Cambridge) is Associate Professor of Old Testament at Gordon-Conwell Theological Seminary, Massachusetts, USA. She is the author of From Noah to Israel: Realization of the Primaeval Blessing After the Flood (T&T Clark, 2004).

Recensioner i media

In the main, this monograph is patiently, relentlessly attentive to the text, and because of that Kaminski is able to raise questions that a more casual reading would gloss by. Her open question about the righteousness of Noah and Abraham is certainly one of these questions, one that is indeed a question worthy of further study.

Innehållsförteckning

CONTENTSAbbreviations xiAcknowledgments xiiiINTRODUCTION 11. Context 12. Outline of the Present Study 3Chapter 1INTERPRETATIONS OF FAVOUR AND RIGHTEOUSNESSIN THE FLOOD NARRATIVE 61. Interpretations of “Favour” and “Righteousness”from a Source-Critical Perspective 82. Interpreting “Favour” and “Righteousness” Accordingto the Final Form 133. Summary 194. Methodology 21Chapter 2ESTABLISHING THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF GENESIS 6:5–8 241. Introduction 242. Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8as the Introduction to the Flood Narrative 28a. Priority Given to Independent J and P Sources 28b. Genesis 6:5 Is Understood to Be J’s Introductionto the Flood 31c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Seen to Be an IndependentLiterary Unit 36d. YHWH’s “Seeing” in Genesis 6:5 Thought to Introducethe Narrative 37e. Linguistic Connections Between Genesis 6:5–8and the Flood Narrative 38f. Genesis 6:5 Is Recalled After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 39vi Contents3. The Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as Partof the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 40a. The Priority of the Toledot Formula in DeterminingLiterary Units 40b. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to the PrecedingGenealogy and to the Primaeval History 43c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to Motifsin the Primaeval History 46d. Genesis 6:5 Does Not Begin a New SectionBut Continues the Main Line of the Narrative 48e. Genesis 6:1–4 and 6:5–8 Are to Be Read Together 504. Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as the Conclusionto the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 54a. The Meaning of ?????? in the Toledot Headingof Genesis 5:1 54b. The Verb ?????? in 6:7 and Its Connectionto Genesis 5:1–3 58c. Genesis 6:6 Is Connected to the Preceding Genealogy 59d. Creation Language in Genesis 6:6–7 Recallsthe Introduction to the Toledot of Adam 605. Scholars Who Interpret Genesis 6:1–8 as theConclusion to the Toledot of Adam 616. Conclusion 63Chapter 3GOD’S ASSESSMENT OF HUMANITY AT THE CONCLUSIONTO THE TOLEDOT OF ADAM (GENESIS 6:5–8) 641. Introduction 642. Chronological Issues Related to Genesis 6:1 643. How Does Genesis 6:1 Relate Temporallyto Genesis 5:1–32? 654. The Signi??cance of the ???????? Clause in 6:1,“and it came to pass” 66a. The Signi??cance of the ???????? Clause in Genesis 6:1 66b. Resumptive Repetition as a Literary Device 68c. The Temporal ???????? Clause in Exodus 6:28 70d. The Temporal ???????? Clause in Numbers 7:1 71e. The ???????? Clause in Genesis 6:1 Backtracksto an Earlier Period 725. Genesis 6:1–8 Is a Telescoped Narrative 746. Interpreting Human Wickedness in 6:5 in View of 6:1 76Contents vii17. The Meaning of ???????? in Genesis 6:1–8 78a. ???????? in Genesis 6:1–4 78b. ???????? in Genesis 6:5 818. Is Noah Exempt from Human Depravity or Onlyfrom the Judgment? 849. Genesis 6:5 Is Reiterated After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 8710. Humanity’s Evil Inclination Is “From His Youth” 8711. Genesis 8:21 and the Curse Against the Ground(Genesis 3:17) 9012. The Meaning of ?????? in Genesis 8:21 9213. Interpreting Genesis 8:21 in View of Genesis 3:17and Genesis 6:5 9714. The Story of Noah’s Drunkenness in Genesis 9:20–27 10015. Conclusion 103Chapter 4INTERPRETING NOAH’S “FINDING FAVOUR”IN ITS LITERARY CONTEXT (5:1–6:8) 1051. Introduction 1052. A Survey of the Verb ?????? and the Noun ????in the Book of Genesis 1063. General Observations About the Idiom“To Find Favour in the Eyes of” 1074. Does Noah Deserve the Favour He Finds? 1105. Can Favour Be Merited? 112a. Texts That Support the View That FavourCan Be Merited 112b. Favour Can Be Refused—Even When BehaviourIs Commendable (1 Samuel 25) 114c. Commendable Behaviour Does Not Merit Favour(Ruth) 1146. Can “Finding Favour” Mean Finding Unmerited Grace? 116a. Jacob’s “Finding Favour” in the Eyes of Esau(Genesis 32–33) 116b. Divine Favour in the Golden Calf Story(Exodus 32–34) 121c. Parallels Between God’s Grace in Exodus 34:9and Genesis 8:21 1257. The Theme of Grace in the Flood Story 1268. Noah and Moses as Recipients of Divine Favour 128a. Moses’ Finding Favour Entails God’s Election 128b. Does Noah’s Finding Favour Entail God’s Electionof Him? 130viii Contents9. Von Rad’s “Sin–Judgment–Grace” Schema 13310. Westermann’s “Sin–Speech–Judgment” Schema 13411. Clines’s “Sin–Speech–Grace–Judgment” Schema 13412. Interpreting Genesis 6:8 in View of the Themeof Grace in the Patriarchal Narratives 13613. Conclusion 137Chapter 5THE MEANING OF ???????? IN GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 1391. Introduction 1392. ?????? Terminology in Genesis and the Pentateuch 1403. The Adjective ???????? in the Sodom and Gomorrah Story 141a. Parallel Features in the Flood Narrativeand the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah 141b. The Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33 142c. The Meaning of ???????? in Genesis 18:16–33 1484. The Adjective ???????? in the Story of Abimelech(Genesis 20:1–18) 1505. The “Non-Israelite” Context for ???????? in Genesis 18:16–33and 20:1–18 1536. Is the Interpretive Context for ???????? Covenantal? 1547. God Is Establishing a Covenant with Noah, Not Renewinga Covenant 1588. Does the Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33and 20:1–18 Have Any Bearing on the Meaning of ????????in Genesis 6:9 and 7:1? 1619. Legal Referents in Genesis Are Not CovenantalBut Creational 16410. Conclusion 168Chapter 6INTERPRETING GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 IN THEIR LITERARY CONTEXTS 1691. Introduction 1692. Does Genesis 7:1 Entail Divine Election? 1703. The Judicial Context of Divine “Seeing” and Genesis 7:1 1744. Interpreting ???????? in 7:1 in Its Immediate Literary Context(6:9–22) 1775. Interpreting Noah’s Obedience in View of the GardenNarrative 1816. The Creational Context for the Divine Verdictin Genesis 7:1 182Contents ix17. The Divine Verdict in 7:1 Occurs AfterNoah Has Obeyed God’s Commands 1838. The Signi??cance of the Toledot Formula in Genesis 6:9Without a Coordinating Waw 1849. Genesis 6:9 Anticipates the Divine Assessmentin Genesis 7:1 18810. The Relationship of Noah’s Righteous to Favourin Genesis 6:8 191CONCLUSION 1941. Implications for Further Research 1982. The Priority of Divine Grace 200Bibliography 201Index of References 209Index of Authors 221