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J O U RN L
FOR THE STUDY OF THE OLD TESTAMENT
SUPPLEMENT
SERIES
Editors
David J A Clines
Philip R Davies
David M
Gunn
Department of Biblical Studies
The University of Sheffield
Sheffield
S1
2TN
England
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T
T H E M O U N T IN
OF
GO
Story
and
Theology
in Exodus 32-34
R.W.L
MO ERLY
Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
Supplement
Series 22
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C o p y r i g h t
©
1983 JSOT Press
ISSN
0309-0787
I S B N 0 905774 44 2 h a r d b a c k )
I S B N
0
9 0 5 7 7 4
45 0
p a p e r b a c k )
Pub l i shed
b y
JSOT Press
D e p a r t m e n t o f B i b l i c a l S t u d i e s
T h e
U n i v e r s i t y
o f
S h e f f i e l d
S h e f f i e l d S 1 0 2 T N
E n g l a n d
Pr in ted
in reat
B r i t a i n
b y
R e d w o o d
B u r n L td
T r o w b r i d g e , W i l ts h i r e
1983
B r i t i s h L i b r a r y C a t a l o g u i n g
in
P u b l i c a t i o n
D a t a
M o b e r l e y , W a l t e r
A t
th e
m o u n t a i n
o f G o d
- - J o u r n a l
fo r the
s t u d y
o f
t he Old T e s ta m e n t , s u p p l e m e n t series
ISSN 0309-0787:
22 )
1 .
B i b l e - O . T .
E x o d u s
X X X I I
-
X X X I V
—
C r i t i c i s m , i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , etc
I .
T i t l e
I I .
Series
2 2 2 M 2 B S 1 2 4 5 . 2
I S B N 0 - 9 0 5 7 7 4 - 4 4 -2
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T A B L E
O F C O N T E N T S
P r e f a c e 9
I n t r o d u c t i o n 1 1
S O M E
C O N S I D E R A T I O N S
O F M E T H O D IN
N A R R A T I V E
I N T E R P R E T A T I O N 1 5
I n t r o d u c t i o n 1 5
Recent a r g u m e n t s f o r t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f i n t e r p r e t i n g
the
f i n a l
f o r m of the
text
1 8
L i t e r a r y a r g u m e n t s
1 8
T h e o l o g i c a l a r g u m e n t s 2 0
T h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tw e e n
t h e
s t u d y
of the
f i n a l
text
a n d the s t u d y of i ts p r e h i s t o r y 2 2
A c o n s i d e r a t i o n
of
s o m e i m p l i c a t i o n s
of the
proposed approach
to the text 7
C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s
o f
H e b r e w n a r r a t i v e s ty l e
2 8
T he
ro l e
o f
a s s u m p t i o n
a n d a l l u s i o n in
n a r r a t i v e 3 2
I m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e o l o g i c a l p a r a d o x 3 3
T h e exegetical s i g n i f i c a n c e o f l i t e r a r y
g e n r e
an d
th e
v a l u e
of the c o n c e p t o f
s t o r y
3 4
S u m m a r y
a n d
c o n c l u s i o n
3 8
2
A N
E X E G E S I S
O F E X .
32 34
4 4
N a r r a t i v e
p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s
i n Ex .
3 2 3 4
4 4
32:1 6
46
3 2 : 7 1 4
48
3 2 : 1 5 2 0
5 3
3 2 : 2 1 2 4 5 4
32:25 29 5 4
32:30 33:6
5 6
33:7 11
63
3 3 :12 23 66
I n t r o d u c t i o n
to E x. 34 83
34:1 9 84
34:10 9 3
3 4 : 1 1 2 6 95
34:27 28 1 01
5
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34:29-35
106
C onclusion 109
Excursus one: Ex.
32:18
111
E xc ur s us two: Gen. 8:21 113
3 E X .
32-34
A S A
C U L T
L E G E N D
116
In t roductory survey of the
cult
legend
hypothes i s 117
D e f i n i t i o n
of t e r m i n o l o g y 119
1 Legend 119
2 Cu l t
121
3 C u l t i c 124
The use of f o r m c r iticism
125
Analysis of Ex.
33:19,
34 :6f. 128
Analys i s of Ex. 34 :11-26 13 1
The p r o b l e m o f r e l i g i o u s l an g u ag e 13 5
Evidence
for the
i n f l u e n c e
o f
Israel s cu l t
upon
the
Sinai pericope 13 6
Conc lus ion 13 9
4 EX . 32-34 A S
L E G E N D
14 1
The Moses traditions as legend 141
A
p r e l i m i n a r y c l a r if i c a ti o n
14 2
O r a l l i t e r a t u r e
1 4 4
Criteria
for legend 14 8
Oral tradition 14 9
M i ra c l e s
14 9
Aet io logy 150
Tradi t ional mot i f s
151
Typica l s ign i f i cance
151
The lack o f d i s t inc t ion be tween
past
and
present
153
S u m m a r y
and
conclusion
154
5 S E L E C T I V E C R I T I C A L A N A L Y S I S O F E X . 32-34 1 57
An
analysis
of
34:1-28
157
An analysis of
32:1-6
161
An
analysis of 33 :7-11 17 1
An ana lys i s of 34:29-35 17 7
Br ief notes
on
three sections
180
1 3 2 : 25 - 29 180
2 3 2 :3 0 -3 3 :6 181
3)33:12-23 182
The
redaction
of Ex. 32-34 182
C o n c lu s io n
186
6
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E p i l o g u e 1 8 7
N o t e s
1 9
A b b r e v i a t i o n s 2 2 8
B i b l i o g r a p h y
23
I n d e x
o f
A u t h o r s
2 5 3
I n d e x
o f B i b l i ca l
R e f e r e n c e s
25 6
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T O M Y F R I E N D S IN
K N O W L E
Pr ov . 17 :17a)
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P R E F A C E
T h i s
b o o k i s b a s ed u p o n a d o c t o r a l d i s s e r t a t i o n e n t i t l e d
E O D S ilE L
6
.
A
n
A_^L
a
J^
t
^g^Q._J l^_^l
u
-
(
J-X-
o f _ _ ^ ^ b l t _ c a l N a r r a t i v e ; A
F r e s h A p p r o a c h to E x o d u s
32 3J
w h i c h w a s s u b m i t t e d to t he
U n i v e r s i t y
o f
C a m b r i d g e
i n
1 9 8 1 . S u b s t a n t i a l r e v i s i o n s h a v e
b e e n m a d e
to
p r e p a r e
t h e
w o r k
f o r
p u b l i c a t i o n .
T h r o u g h o u t t h e w o r k I h a v e t r i e d t o k e e p t h e f o o t n o t e s
u n c u m b e r s o m e .
C o n s e q u e n t l y r e f e r e n c e s t o s c h o l a r l y w o r k s
h a v e
u s u a l l y
b e en m a d e i n an a b b r e v i a t e d f o r m , a n d t h e f o o t -
n o t e s s h o u l d
b e
u s e d
i n
c o n j u n c t i o n
w i t h t h e
b i b l i o g r a p h y w h e r e
f u l l
d e t a i l s
a r e
g i v e n
o f
a l l w o r k s c i t e d .
T h e b i b l i o g r a p h y
a l so
c o n t a i n s c e r t a i n w o r k s w h i c h h a v e n o t b e e n c i t e d ( b r e v i t a t i s
c a u s a )
b u t
w h i c h
a r e
r e l e v a n t
t o t h e
d i s c u s s i o n
a n d
w h o s e
a r g u m e n t s h a v e b e en t a k e n i n t o c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
T h e
s t u d y
h a s
be e n b a s e d u p o n
th e
H e b r e w text
in B i b l i a
H e b r a i c a S t u t t g a r t e n s i a ( S t u t t g a r t , 1 9 6 6 / 7 7 ) .
M a n y
f r i e n d s ar id s c h o l a r s h a v e h e l p e d , e n c o u r a g e d
a n d
a d v i s e d m e a l o n g t h e w a y . A m o n g t h e s e , D r
G I
W e n h a m , R e v .
G o l d i n g a y
a n d
P r o f e s s o r
E . W .
N i c h o l s o n
a l l r e a d c e r t a i n
s e c t i o n s a t an e a r l y
s t a g e
a n d o f f e r e d c o n s t r u c t i v e s u g g e s t i o n s .
A n d
I w o u l d l i k e to e x p re s s p a r t i c u l a r g r a t i t u d e t o D r G. I .
D a v i e s w h o s u p e r v i s e d m e f o r t h e g r e a t e r p a r t o f m y
r e s e a r c h .
F i n a l l y ,
I a m g r a t e f u l t o t h e s u c c e s s iv e w a r d e n s a n d l i b r a r i a n s
o f
T y n d a l e H o u s e L i b r a r y ,
w h o
p r o v i d e
t h e
i d e a l f a c i l i t i e s
a n d
s u r r o u n d i n g s
f o r
b i b l i c a l r e s e a r c h .
R . W . L .
M o b e r l y J a n u a r y
1982
S t . A n n e ' s C o t ta g e
K n o w l e
W e s t
M i d l a n d s
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I N T R O D U C T I O N
In a recent r e vie w o f R . R e n d t o r f f s
i m p o r t a n t
w o r k D as
i i b e r l i e f e r u n g s g e s c h i c h t l i c h e P r o b l e m
d e s
P e n t a t e u c h
W .
M c K a n e w r it e s ,
T h e
a t t i t u d e
o f
r e s t l e s s i n t e r r o g a t i o n
w h i c h
m a r k s
th e
book
i s a h o p e f u l s i g n , f o r O ld T e s t a m e n t s c h o l a r s h i p
s u f f e r s
f r o m
th e b u r d e n o f too m a n y r e ce i v ed c r i t i c a l
a s s u m p t i o n s
h u n g
a b o u t
th e
n e c k s
of i t s
p r a c t i t i o n e r s l i k e
C o l er id g e s
a l ba t ro s s . I t n e ed s th e t r a n s f u s i o n o f a
k i n d
o f
s c h o l a r s h i p w h i c h i s no t a f u r t h e r
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f
c r i t i ca l
posi t ions
accepted
a s p remises bu t i s r a t h e r a n ab i n i t i o
i n v e s t i g a t i o n , u n b u r d e n e d b y t o o
m a n y
b i b l i o g r a p h i c a l
cares an d
c o n c e n t r a t i n g
a
f r e sh
e y e o n t h e
H e b r e w
B i b l e . 1
T h e
p rec ise
f o rm
t h a t s u ch a f r e sh i n v e s t i g a t i o n
m i g h t
mos t
p r o f i t a b l y
t a k e
i s no t
spec i fi ed . C lear l y
it is
n e i th er poss ib le
n or d e s i r a b l e to p rod u ce a n y s e r i o u s s t u d y o f t he OT t h a t w i l l
n o t b e h e a v i l y i n d e b t e d to m od e rn
critical
w o r k . T h e po i n t is
t h a t , w h a t e v e r o n e s i n d e b t e d n e s s to p as t w o r k , i t i s i m p o r t a n t
no t t o b e
t r a m m e l l e d
by i t bu t to
r em a i n open
t o n e w a n d f resh
poss ib i l i t i e s .
I t i s in the
b e l i e f
t h a t a f r e sh
a p p r o a c h ,
c o m b i n i n g
old an d
n e w ,
is
i ndeed
n e c e s s a r y in
m an y
areas o f O T
s t u d y ,
an d
in p a r t i c u l a r
th e
P e n t a t e u c h , t h a t t h i s p r e s e n t e s s a y
i s
o f f e r e d
as a c o n t r i b u t i o n t o the
debate.
T h e
s u b j e c t
o f the
p r e s e n t s t u d y
i s Ex .
32 -34 .
T h e
S i n a i
n a r r a t i v e i n t h e b ook o f Exo d u s h as b een t h e su b j e c t o f i n t e n -
s i v e i n v e s t i g a t i on in r e cen t y ea r s , a n d a v as t l i t e r a t u re ex i s t s .
Y e t , c u r i o u s l y , t h e r e is a s ense in w h i c h one of i t s m a j o r
sec t i on s , t h a t
i s Ex . 32 -34 , h as
b e en c o m p a r a t i v e l y n e g le c te d .
A
look a t the six m a j o r w o r k s on t h e e a r l y h i s t o r y o f I s r ae l t o b e
w r i t t e n in
r e ce n t y ea r s , t h ose
o f
N o t h , B r ig h t ,
d e V a u x ,
H e r r m a n n , H a y e s a n d M i l l e r , a n d G o t t w a l d , 2 r ev ea l s l i t t l e
r e f e r e n c e to t hese chap te rs . A t best o n e o r two a spec t s o f the
c h a p t e r s
a re
t aken
i n d i v i d u a l l y
a n d i n
i so l a t ion
f r o m
e ach o the r .
The re i s a s i m i l a r s i t u a t i on i f one c o n s u l t s O T t heo log ies , such
a s t hose o f E i c h r o d t , v o n R a d , Z i m m e r l i , a n d C l e m e n t s . ^
O n l y c e r t a i n v e r se s w i t h i n Ex . 32-34 are treated i n a n y o n e
w o r k , an d
t h e n o n l y
a s a
p a r t
o f a
l a rg e r t op i ca l d i s cu s s i on .
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A t the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
T h a t
Ex. 32-34 as a
c o h e r en t n a r r a t i v e m i g h t
be
s i g n i f i c a n t
either his to r ica l ly
o r t h e o lo g i c a l ly i s n o t
raised
a s a
possible
o p t i o n
i n a n y o f
these w o r k s .
T h e
reason
i s no t
d i f f i c u l t
to
d i s c o v e r .
I t is the
b e l i e f ,
based
u p o n i n t e n s i v e a n a l y s i s , t h a t E x .
32-34
i s a c o m p l e x o f f r a g -
m e n t a r y a n d c o n f l i c t i n g t r a d i t i o n s w h o s e p re se n t c o m b i n a t i o n
m a k e s l i t t l e a t t e m p t to c o n c e a l t h e i r d i v e r s i t y . A s such i t is
o n l y
th e
i n d i v i d u a l u n i t s
o f
t r a d i t i o n w h i c h
c a n b e
m e a n i n g f u l l y
i n t e r p r e t e d , a n d o n l y s o m e o f t he u n i t s a r e o f h i s t o r i c a l o r
t h e o l o g i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e .
T h e
f o l l o w i n g
s ta t e m e n t s ,
w h i c h c o u l d
b e m u l t i pl i e d w i t h o u t
d i f f i c u l t y ,
m a y b e t a k e n a s typ ica l :
M .
B u b e r :
...
t h i s
passage
[Ex.
32 ] .. . is
a p p a r e n t l y
th e
m o s t d i f f i c u l t i n t h e P e n t a t e u c h w h e n r e g a rd e d
f r o m
th e
t e x t u a l a n d l i t e r a r y v i e w p o i n t . ^
M . M o t h :
T h e
state o f t h e s o u r c e s i s
c e r t a i n l y e x t r e m e l y
c o n f u s e d i n t h i s c o m p le x . ̂ In v i e w of the g r a v i t y o f
w h a t i s n a r r a t e d h e r e i t i s q u i t e c o n c e i v a b l e that th e
n a r r a t i v e
o f t he S ina i e v e n t (Ex . 19-24, 32-34), t h r o u g h
e x p a n s i o n s
a n d
i n s e r t i o n s ,
h a d
a l r e a d y b e c o m e s u c h
a
c o m p l i c a t e d c o m p i l a t i o n
w i t h i n
t h e o ld
P e n t a t e u c h a l
t r a d i t i o n
t h a t
t o d a y
a n
i n t e l l i g i b l e a n a l y s i s
c a n n o
l o n g e r
b e s u c c e s s f u l l y u n d e r t a k e n . ^
J. M u i l e n b u r g :
W h e r e a s
th e
f i r s t [Ex. 19-24]
is a
recog-
n i z a b l e u n i t y ,
th e
second [Ex. 32-34]
h a s
eve ry a p p e a r a n c e
o f
b e i n g a
catena
o f o r i g i n a l l y
separate
pieces w h i c h
o r i g i n a l l y h a d l i t t l e o r n o t h i n g t o d o w i t h e a c h o t h e r . T h e y
a re m o r e p e r h a p s t h a n a d i s j e c t a m e m b r a
[sic],
b u t t h e
s e v e r a l p a r t s d o n o t c o he r e w e l l w i t h ea c h o the r . 7
R. de
V a u x :
Th ese [Ex. 19-24, 32-34
t o g e t h e r ]
a re
d i f f i c u l t passages e spec ia l ly w i th r eg a rd to l i t e r a r y criti-
cism
a n d
m o s t s c ho l a r s
a re i n a
state
o f
de s p a i r ,
so
great
i s th e u n c e r ta i n t y c o n c e r n i n g t h e m . ^
S .
T err ie n : ...
th e
c h a o t i c c l u s t e r
o f
m a t e r ia l d e a l i n g w i t h
th e
b r e a k i n g
o f t h e
f i r s t
s e t o f
s t o n e s
a n d t h e
g r a n t i n g
o f
the second set. 9
N . G o t t w a l d : T he
tw o
p e r i o d i z e d sets
o f
h i s t o r i c i z e d
cu l t ic a c t io n [Ex. 19-24 , 32-34] a r e n o t i n t e r n a l l y coher-
e n t .
T h e
r e s u l t a n t h o d g e po d g e s t ri k e s
th e
r e a d e r
a s a n
ill-
d ig es t ed
c o m p e n d i u m o f v e r y i m p e r f e c t l y h i s to r i c iz e d
l i t u r g i c a l
speeches
a n d r u b r i c s .... S u p r e m e l y w i t h i n th e
b o d y o f t he e a r l y I s r ae l i t e t r a d i t i o n s , th e shape o f t he
Reve la t ion a t S ina i
t r a d i t i o n s
s t r i ke s us a s a c o m p r o m i s e
f o r m a t i o n . 1 0
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I n t r o d u c t i o n
T h e m o s t
s i g n i f i c a n t
d i s s e n t i e n t v o i c e
is
t h a t
o f
B r e v a r d
C h i l d s , w h o
a r g u e s t h a t these cha p t e r s [ Ex . 32-34]
a r e
h e l d
t o g e t h e r b y a ser ies o f m o t i f s
w h i c h
a re s k i l l f u l l y w o v e n i n t o a
u n i f y i n g
p a t t e r n .
1 1
B u t t h e
d i s a g r e e m e n t ,
w h i l e
s t r i k i n g ,
i s
on ly
p a r t i a l
in
t h a t
C h i l d s
h e r e
is
c o n c e n t r a t i n g upon
th e
r e d a c t i o n a l
s h a p i n g o f t h e
c h a p t e r s i n t o t h e i r
f i n a l f o r m : h e
does
n o t
d i s p u t e
th e
a n a l y s i s
o f t he
m a t e r i a l
a s
b e i n g
o r i g i n a l l y
d i v e r s e a n d c o m p o s i t e .
T h e c o n s e n s u s of so m a n y s c h o l a r s is i m p r e s s i v e .
N o n e t h e l e s s ,
t h i s s t u d y h a s a
t w o f o l d
a i m : f i r s t , t o s e e w h e t h e r
t h e r e is not in the text as i t now s t a n d s a
greater
d e g r e e o f
u n i t y ,
bo t h l i t e r a r y
a n d
t h e o l o g i c a l , t h a n
i s
u s u a l l y a l l o w e d :
a n d
s e co n d ly ,
to ask
w h e t h e r
a n
a c c o u n t
o f
th i s
u n i t y
a s
r e d a c t i o n a l
is s u f f i c i e n t
t o d o
ju s t i c e
to i t , and
w h e t h e r
i t ma y be
poss ib le ,
o r even necessa ry ,
to
m a i n t a i n
that th e
u n i t y
w a s
s u b s t a n t i a l l y
i n h e r e n t
i n t h e
t r a d i t i o n
a t t h e
e a r l y stages
o f i t s
h i s t o r y .
T h e sugges t i on
o f
such
a
d i v e r g e n c e f r o m accepted v i e w s
wi l l
no t b e p u t
f o r w a r d l i g h t l y .
I t h a s
a r i s e n
ou t o f a
p r o lo n g e d s t u d y
o f th e
text,
a s t u d y i n w h i c h
a c c e p t e d
s c h o l a r l y p o s i t i o n s h a v e
b e e n a d o p t e d a s w o r k i n g h y p o t h e s e s b u t h a v e h a d t o b e a b a n -
d o n e d
a s b e i n g
u n a b l e
to
e x p l a i n
th e
text
s a t i s f a c t o r i l y . I t h a s
be e n ou t o f a d e e p e n i n g g r a sp o f t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e
t e x t
a n d
t h e n a t u r e o f th e t r a d i t i o n t h a t t h e r e a l i z a t i o n o f t h e n e e d fo r a
f r e sh
a p p r o a c h to t he e xe g e t i c a l t a s k h a s a l s o b e c o m e clear.
T h e q u e s t i o n s o n e p u t s to t he
t e x t
d e t e r m i n e to a con-
s i d e r a b l e e x t e n t th e s o r t o f a n s w e r
that w i l l
b e r e c e i v e d . It is
i m p o r t a n t , t h e r e f o r e , t h a t t h e p r a c t i c e o f e x e g e s is
shou ld
b e
c o m b i n e d w i t h r e f l e c t i o n u p o n t h e a s s u m p t i o n s i m p l i c i t i n that
e xe ge s i s . T h u s th e s t u d y b e g i n s w i t h a t h e o r e t i c a l d i s c u s s i o n o f
how
to
a p p r o a c h
a
l i te r a r y n a r r a t i v e s u ch
as Ex .
32-34,
a n d
t he n
s e e k s
to
s ho w
th e
p r a c t i c a l
f r u i t f u l n e s s o f t he
p a r t i c u l a r
a p p r o a c h a d v o c a t e d . I t is e s s e n t i a l that p r i n c i p l e a n d practice
b e
h e l d t o g e t h e r ,
for i t i s t h r o u g h th e
r e c i p r o c a l i n f l u e n c e
o f
t h e o n e u p o n th e o t h e r t h a t u n d e r s t a n d i n g i s r e f i n e d a n d
a d v a n c e d .
O n e r e g r e t t a b l e
l i m i t a t i o n
o f t h e p r e s e n t w o r k m u s t b e
s p e c i f i e d
a t t h e
o u t s e t . C o n s i d e r a t i o n s
o f s p a c e
h a v e m e a n t
t h a t
i t ha s no t
be e n po s s i b l e
to
e x t e n d a n a l y s i s
b e y o n d E x .
32-34.
In
p a r t i c u l a r ,
i t h a s n o t
be e n po s s i b l e
to
o f f e r
a n y
t h o r o u g h
t r e a t m e n t o f E x . 19-24 , e v e n t h o u g h a n y c o m p r e -
h e n s i v e
r e a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e S i na i m a t e r i a l m u s t i n c l u d e t h is
s e c t i o n
w h i c h
i s so c lo se ly r e l a t ed t o ch s . 32-34. T h i s r e m a i n s
a s a task fo r f u r t h e r r e s e a r c h .
13
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At the
Mountain
of God
Several
recent
monographs
on the Sinai material especially
those of F.-E. Wilms J.
Halbe
and E. Zenger 12
offer useful
surveys of
modern research
on Ex. 32-34 and obviate the
need
to
cover
the
same ground
again. Indeed
as the
present
argument develops comparatively
littl
reference
will be
made
to the different advocates of the various
exegetical options.
This is not because
their positions
have not been
taken into
account but because the greater bulk of footnotes
arising
f rom
comprehensive documentation wou ld be cum bersom e and would
not significantly
further the main
discussion.
To conclude this introduction the provisional and exploratory
nature of
this work must
be
stressed. Although
it is
hoped
that
the
most
important part of the
study
the
exegesis proper
will
not prove unduly
controversial
it is not expected
that
the
suggestions for re-appraising the nature and origins of the
material
will
meet
with universal approbation.
The
purpose
of
the
study
is to
suggest
new
ways
of letting the light shine on old
issues and it is
hoped
that
a
fruitful debate
will
ensue.
Numerous problems even within Ex. 32-34 have not been dis-
cussed.
As such
this
study does not purport to be my let alone
the
final
word
on the
subject
but is
intended
to
contribute
to a
fresh understanding
of the biblical text. The extent to
which
such
a fresh understanding has been achieved
will
constitute
the
justification for the
approach adopted
and will
provide
the
incentive for yet further
study.
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C h a p t e r
1
S O M E C O N S I D E R A T I O N S
O F
M E T H O D
I N
N A R R A T I V E I N T E R P R E T A T I O N
I n t r o d u c t i o n
T h e o b s e r v a t i o n t h a t t h e r e is s o m e t h i n g o f a f e r m e n t a n d
u p h e a v a l i n c o n t e m p o r a r y p e n t a t e u c h a l s tu d i e s c a n h a r d l y la y
c l a i m
to
o r i g i n a l i t y . M a n y
f u n d a m e n t a l
q u e s t i o n s a b o u t
th e
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f
these
texts
a re
b e i n g
r e - o p e n e d .
T h e
source-
critical f o u n d a t i o n s
o f
m o d e r n p e n t a t e u c h a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ;
th e correct u s e o f t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l a n a l y si s;^ th e extent to
w h i c h
a n h i s t o r i c a l b a s i s c a n b e s a i d t o u n d e r l i e p e n t a t e u c h a l
t r a d i t i o n s ; ^
a l l t h e s e q u e s t i o n s , a n d o t h e r s , a r e n o w b e i n g
k e e n l y d e b a t e d a g a i n . ^ T h e r e
is a
sense
in w h i c h all these
q u e s t i o n s a re v a r i a t i o n s o n t h e t h e m e o f w h a t constitutes th e
correct a p p r o a c h t o t h e b i b l i c a l text. W h a t are the correct
m e t h o d s
to use to
u n d e r s t a n d
th e
m a t e r i a l ?
I n
p a r t i c u l a r ,
a re
th e
cr i t ica l tools
in
g e n e r a l
u se
r e a l l y s h a r p e n o u g h
to
p r o d u c e
a c o r r e c t a n a l y s i s , o r d o t h e a r g u m e n t s te n d t o b e c i r c u l a r ,
b e i n g
d e t e r m i n e d l a r g e l y
b y t h e
p r e s u p p o s i t io n s i n h e r e n t
i n t h e
p a r t i c u l a r c r i t i c a l a p p r o a c h ?
A n d a r e t h e
d i f f e r e n t s c h o l ar ly
tools
w h i c h
a re
u s u a l l y treated
a s
c o m p l e m e n t a r y ,
in
f ac t
to
s o m e extent
i n c o m p a t i b l e ? ^
T h e s e q u e s t i o n s
a r e
b e i n g d e b a t e d
f o r t h e
m o s t p a r t a m o n g
s c h o l a r s w h o
accept
th e p r i o r i t y fo r exeges is o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l -
c r i t i c a l
m e t h o d ^
a s d e v e l o p e d o v e r th e l as t tw o c e n t u r i e s o r
s o . T h e re i s t h e r e f o r e n o d i s a g r e e m e n t a m o n g t h e m o v e r t h e
bas i c a s s u m p t i o n s i m p l i c i t in the i r approach to the
text.
T h e r e
is , h o w e v e r, a g r o w i n g debate over precisely these a s s u m p t i o n s .
D e sp ite m a n y v a r i a t i o n s o f e m p h a s i s , th e
debate
essent ia l ly
r e v o l v e s
a r o u n d th e a p p r e c i a t i o n of the t e x t in i t s f i n a l ,
r e c e i v e d f o r m .
W h e r e a s
h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l s t u d i e s h a v e b e e n
p r e d o m i n a n t l y c o n c e r n e d w i t h p e n e t r a t i n g b e h i n d th e p r e s e n t
t e x t a n d
h a v e a s s u m e d t h a t q u e s t i o n s
o f
s o u r c e s , h i s t o r y ,
t r a d i t i o n - h i s t o r y a n d r e d a c t i o n are of p r i m a r y i m p o r t an c e fo r
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
th e text th e
n e w e r a p p r o a c h stresses
th e
p r i m a c y o f a n a l y z i n g th e text as i t s tands , an ana lys is in
w h i c h
th e
r o l e
o f t h e
t r a d i t i o n a l c r i t i c a l ap p r o a c h e s
is of d o u b t f u l ,
an d
c e r t a i n l y a s y e t
i l l - d e f i n e d ,
r e l e v a n c e .
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At The Mountain of God
Perhaps
the
most formidable recent exponent
of the
'critical
orthodoxy'
against which voices are now increasingly raised has
been Martin
Noth. His
magisterial
History of Pentateuchal
Traditions
has dominated recent study of
pentateuchal
narratives. Noth's work is
entirely
directed towards penetrating
behind the
final
text so as to reconstruct its origins and
development - a kind of
literary
archaeology. One looks in vain
for any discussion of the canonical text as itself meaningful and
of
interest.
Even scholars such as Gunkel and von Rad, who
gave
more thought than Noth to the literary and aesthetic
qualities
of the
text, tended
to direct
their literary
appreci-
ation towards reconstructed
sources or
isolated units
and so
focussed
on something other than the
text
as we now have it. In
reaction against this discounting
of the
final text there
has
been a growing swell of voices insisting that it is the
final
text? rather than its prehistory
that
is of primary
signi-
ficance.
The
difference of approach is most marked in the work of
structuralists, some
of whom speak of a paradigm
shift^
in
understanding,
the
change being from
a historical to a literary
approach
to the text^. It is
not, however,
limited
to structur-
alists
but is evident in the work of OT scholars who are also
practitioners
of the
historical-critical
method
and
show
no
sign
of
being attracted
to structuralism as
such. Amidst
the
growing
swell
of
studies
in
this area, notable recent contributions have
been from B.S. Childs,
10
D.J.A. Clines,
1
J.F.A. Sawyer
12
G.A.F. Knight,
13
D.J. McCarthy
1
^
and
B.W. Anderson,
15
who all, in one way or another,
stress
the priority of
interpreting the
received
biblical text
over
investigations into
its
prehistory.
One
way of
posing
the
issue
would
be to say
that
the
present
debate
is a
debate about
the continuing
value
and
role
of the
historical-critical
method. The term historical-critical
method is meant not to designate any particular exegetical
tool,
but
rather
to indicate a
type
of
approach
to biblical
study
in
which
the
posing
of historical
questions
of
various kinds
to
the biblical text has been the predominant concern of exegetes.
The
well-nigh
universal acceptance of this
method
of study has
been
the hallmark of the rise of modern
biblical
criticism.
The
irony
is
that
the
very
objectivity
which
made historical-
critical study initially so welcome is that characteristic which
now
seems
to cast doubts upon its
continuing
value. For this
historical
objectivity has had
little
to
offer
in
either
explaining
16
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One: M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o r
f u r t h e r i n g
t h e p r o f o u n d
r e li g i o u s i m p a c t t h a t
t h e
b i b l i c a l
w r i t i n g s h a v e m a d e u p o n coun t l ess
readers
d o w n th e
centuries.
W .
W i n k , in his p r o v o c a t i v e l i t t l e
w o r k ,
T h e Bible in
H u m a n
T r a n s f o r m a t i o n ,
h a s dec l ared t h e h i s t o r i c a l -c r i t ic a l m e t h o d to
b e
b a n k r u p t . 16 W h i l e m o s t s c h o l a r s w o u l d
n o t
e x p r e s s t h e m
selves
q u i t e so f o r c e f u l l y , there is
nonetheless
an unease that
an
h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l a p p r o a c h m a y b e i n s e n s i t i v e t o , a n d u n a b l e
t o d e al w i t h , t h o se d i m e n s i o n s o f t h e b i b l i c a l text w h i c h m a y b e
o f m o s t i m p o r t a n c e a n d v a l u e t o i ts r e a d e r s . T h e p r o b l e m i s a s
rea l
f o r t h e N T
scho l ar
as fo r t he OT
s c h o l a r. G . N . S ta n t o n ,
f o r
e x a m p l e , says , I t ak e o n e o f t h e m o s t i m p o r t a n t t as k s f a c i n g
Biblical
a n d th e o l o g i c a l s c h o l a r s h i p t o d a y t o b e t o c l a r i f y th e
role of the historical critical method . 17 A lthough the
presen t d i scuss i on w i l l be w i t h i n th e c o n f i n e s o f o n e sect ion o f
O T s tu d y , it is a p p r e c i a t e d b o t h that th e issues a t stake e x t e n d
be y ond t h e O T a n d t h a t
m a n y
i m p o r t a n t c o n t r i b u t i o n s t o t h e
debate are b e i n g m a d e w i t h i n other f i e l ds .
Despi te th e f a r - r a n g i n g i m p l ic a t i o n s o f t h e debate, th e
necessar i l y l i mi ted scope o f t h i s p r e s e n t w o r k m u s t b e c l a r i f i e d
a t t he
outset.
In the
f i r s t p lace ,
n o
a t t e m p t
is
b e i n g m a d e
to
discuss any o v e r a r c h i n g f r a m e w o r k for t he
practice
o f bibl ical
exegesis. E x c e p t i n s o f ar a s t h e d e t a i le d a r g u m e n t r e q u i r e s i t,
i t is w i s h e d n e i t h e r to a f f i r m n o r d e n y a p p r o a c h e s l i k e t h a t o f
C h i l d s ,
w h o a r g u e s for the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f canon as p r o v i d i n g
th e
perspec t ive wi th i n wh i ch exeges i s shou l d
b e
u n d e r t a k e n ,
o r
that
o f Ri co eu r , wh o proposes a ph i l oso ph i ca l perspec t i ve w h i c h
o v e r c o m e s th e li m i t a t i o n s o f t h e h i s t o r i c a l - c r it i c a l m e t h o d . 18
S e c o n d l y , th e r e f l e c t i o n s w h i c h f o l l o w a re to be t a k e n
spec i f ica l ly
i n t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e c u r r e n t
debate
a b o u t b i b l i c a l
n a r r a t i v e .
T h e
rec i t a l
o f
h i s t o r i c a l ,
o r
h i s t o r y - l i k e ,
19
n a r r a -
t i v e ,
is
cen t ra l
t o t h e
Bi b l e .
It is
n a r r a t i v e
that
c o n t a i n s
th e
bibl ica l
p a r a d i g m s o f s a l v a t i o n , th e E x o d u s and Sinai c o v e n a n t
in the OT, and the l i f e , d e a t h and r e s u r r e c t i o n o f J e s u s in the
N T . N a r r a t i v e is also , o r p e r h a p s t h e r e f o r e , th e area
t h a t
h as
g i v en
rise
to
m o s t c o n t r o v e r s y
and is
m u c h
in
need
o f a
f re sh
a p p r o a c h .
Even w i t h i n
th e res t r i c t ed
f i e l d
o f b i b l i c a l n a r r a t i v e i t is not
possible a t pres ent to o f f e r a n y c o m p r e h e n s i v e m e t h o d o l o g i c a l
p r o g r a m m e .
Gi ve n
th e
e n o r m o u s d i v e r s i t y
o f
t y p e s
o f
n a r r a t i v e
w i t h i n t h e O T , a n y c o m p r e h e n s i v e statement o f m e t h o d
w o u l d
need to be l o n g , c o m p l e x a n d
f u l l
o f q u a l i f i c a t i o n s . T h e p r e s e n t
u n d e r t a k i n g i s m o r e m o d e s t i n scope. I t a i m s t o c o n c e n t r a t e
u p o n
o n e
i m p o r t a n t
a n d
p r o b l e m a t i c s e c t i o n
o f
b i b l i c a l
7
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
n a r r a t i v e ,
E x .
32-34,
a n d t o j u s t i f y
a n a l y z i n g
i t in
h i t h e r t o
l a rge ly u n p re c e d e n t e d f a s h i o n . N o c la im i s b e i n g m a d e
that
o t h e r n a r r a t i v e s w o u l d y i e l d e q u a l l y
f r u i t f u l
r e s u l t s i f
a p p ro a c h e d i n t h e s a m e w a y . T h e y m a y d o . B u t
that
c a n
o n l y
b e
dec ided
i n t h e
l i g h t
o f a
t h o r o u g h s t u d y
o f t h e
characteristics
o f th e
respective n a r r a t i v e
in
q u e s t i o n .
F o r t h e
p a s s a g e b e i n g
s t u d i e d h e r e
i s n o t
n e c e s s a r i l y t y p i c a l
o f O T
n a r r a t i v e . In d e e d ,
th e p e c u l i a r i t y a n d d i s t i n c t i v e n e s s in m a n y w a y s o f E x .
32-34
e v e n w i t h i n
th e
M o s es t ra d i t i o n s ,
le t
a l o n e
th e
l a r g e r a r e a
o f
ea r ly O T t r a d i t i o n s , h a s been o n e o f t h e c o n c l u s i o n s to r e s u l t
f r o m t h is w o r k .
T h e
f o l l o w i n g
m e t h o d o l o g i c a l r e f l e c t i o n s , h o w e v e r , w h i l e
p r i m a r i l y
a n
i n t r o d u c t i o n
to t he
exegesis
o f E x . 32-34, a r e n o t
s o l e l y
a n
i n t r o d u c t i o n ,
a
j u s t i f i c a t i o n
fo r
d o i n g
i t m y
w a y .
Because they
a re
t a k i n g
place
w i t h i n
th e context o f a l a r g e r
debate o n e c a n n o t h e l p b u t r e f l e c t o n th e i s s u e s in m o r e
g e n e r a l t e r m s
a n d t r y t o
s u g g e s t w a y s
in w h i c h
t h o s e c o n s i d e r -
a t i o n s w h i c h h a v e b e e n
f o u n d h e l p f u l in
i n t e r p r e t i n g
E x .
32-34
m a y h a v e b r o a d e r a p p l i c a t i o n
a n d
r e l e v a n c e .
It i s
h o p e d ,
t h e r e -
f o r e ,
that
th i s w o r k w i ll , i n s o m e s m a l l w a y , c o n t ri b u t e t o w a r d s
p r o v i d i n g
f r e s h
p e r s p e c t i v e s
fo r t h e
s t u d y
o f O T
l i te r a t u r e m o r e
g e n e r a l l y .
R E C E N T A R G U M E N T S F O R T H E I M P O R T A N C E O F
I N T E R P R E T I N G T H E F I N A L
F O R M
O F T H E
T E X T
I t
w i l l
b e h e l p f u l t o s u r v e y b r i e f l y t h e a r g u m e n t s t h a t h a v e
been raised fo r g i v i n g p r i m a r y attention t o t h e
f i n a l f o r m
o f t h e
text s i n c e t h i s p r e s e n t s t u d y w i l l seek to b u i l d u p o n t h e m .
Literary
rguments
F i r s t ,
o n e m a y
n o t e c e r ta i n s c h o l a rs
o f
m o d e r n l i t e r a t u r e
w h o , w h i l e n o t c o n c e r n e d w i t h O T l i t e r a t u r e a s s u c h , s e t o u t
g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e s o f li t e r a r y c r i t i c i s m w h i c h a r e n o t i n -
f r e q u e n t l y a p p e a l e d t o b y b i b l i c a l s c h o l a r s . D a m e H e l e n
G a r d n e r , fo r e x a m p l e , discusses a s h i f t a w a y
f r o m
e x a m i n i n g
t h e o ri g in s a n d s o u r c es o f l i t e r a r y w o r k s t o w a r d s a n a p p r e c-
i a t i o n o f a
w o r k
i n i ts o w n r i g h t a n d c o m m e n t s ,
T r e n d s
i n
l i te r a r y s c h o l a r s h i p t h u s gi v e s u p p o r t
to c r i t i c s
w ho
rega rd
i t a s
t h e i r d u t y
t o s e e
w o r k s
a s
i n t e g r a t e d
w h o l e s , a n d t h e b o d y o f a n
a u t h o r ' s w o r k
a s a
t o t a l i t y
p r o c e e d i n g
f r o m
a s i n g l e m i n d . 2 0
18
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O n e : M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
A nd a g a i n ,
T h e
a s s u m p t i o n t o d a y
is
m o r e
an d
m o r e
in
f a v o u r
o f
s ing le
a u t h o r s h i p , u n l e s s t h e r e
is
c l ea r
e x t e r n a l e v i d e n c e
to the
c o n t r a r y , a n d o f t a k i n g w o r k s a s t h e y s t a n d a n d n o t
p o s t u l a t i n g e a r l i e r v e r s i o n s to a c c o u n t f o r incons i s -
tencies. 2 1
a
s i m i l a r v e i n ,
N .
F r y e w r i t e s ,
T h e
p r i m a r y u n d e r s ta n d i n g
o f a n y
w o r k
o f
l i t e r a t u r e
h a s
to be based on an a s s u m p t i o n of i ts u n i t y . H o w e v e r
m i s t a k e n s u c h
a n
a s s u m p t i o n
m a y
e v e n t u a l l y p r o v e
to
b e ,
n o t h i n g
can be
done unless
w e
start
w i t h
i t as a
h e u r i s t i c
p r i n c i p l e .
F u r t h e r , e v e r y
e f f o r t s h o u ld b e
d i r e c te d t o w a r d
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
th e
w h o l e
o f
w h a t
w e
r e a d .2 2
A nd R . W e l l e k a n d A .
W a r r e n say ,
N o b o d y ca n
d e n y t h a t m u c h l i g h t
h a s
b e e n t h r o w n
o n
l i t e r a t u r e by a p r o p e r k n o w l e d g e o f the c o n d i t i o n s u n d e r
w h i c h
i t has b e e n p r o d u c e d ; th e e x e g e t i c a l v a l u e o f such a
s t u d y
s e e m s i n d u b i t a b l e .
Yet i t i s
c lea r
t h a t c a u sa l s t u d y
can n e v e r d i s p o s e o f p r o b l e m s o f d e s c r i p t i o n , a n a l y s i s , an d
e v a l u a t i o n o f an ob jec t such a s a w o r k o f l i t e r a r y a r t .
C a u s e a n d e f f e c t a r e i n c o m m e n s u r a t e : t h e c o n c r e t e r e s u l t
of
t h e s e
e x t r i n s i c
c aus es
- the w o r k of a r t - i s a l w a y s
u n p r e d i c t a b l e .
2 3
F r o m
a m o n g t h o se b ib l i ca l scho la r s w h o h a v e a d v o c a t e d a
m ore t ru ly l i t e ra ry approach to the text i t m u s t s u f f i c e to cite
t h r e e e x a m p l e s . 3 . F . A . S a w y e r , in F r o m M o s e s to P a t m o s ,
v i g o r o u s l y
a f f i r m s
h is
i n t e n t i o n
to
l i b e r a t e
O T
s t u d y
f r o m
th e
g r i p
o f a r c h a e o l o g i s ts , p h i l o l o g i s t s , a n d l a t t e r - d a y M a r c i o n -
i t es . 2^ A l t h o u g h o n e m u s t m a i n t a i n a b a l a n c e b e t w e e n th e
s t u d y
o f t h e p r e s e n t
t e x t
a n d h i st o r i ca l i n v e s t i g a t io n ,
n o n e t h e l e s s
i t i s the
m e a n i n g
of the
t e x t t h a t
is
i m p o r t a n t ,
w h e t h e r
or not i t is
h i s t o r i c a l l y
t r u e . 2 5
Second ly
B . W . A n d e r s o n , a p p e a l i n g t o t h e w o r k o f H .
F r e i ,
a r g u e s t h a t T h e b e g i n n i n g
a n d e n d o f
exeges i s
is the t e x t
i t s e l f
- n o t
s o m e t h i n g b e y o n d i t . 26 F u r t h e r m o r e ,
s i n c e e f f o r t s
to r e c o v e r
p r e l i t e r a r y
s t a ge s
lead
u s
a w a y
f r o m the g ivenness o f t he
t e x t
i t s e lf i n t o t h e r e a l m o f
h y p o t h e s i s ,
i t is no t
v a l i d
to
r e g a r d
th e
r e c o n s t r u c t e d
U r f o r m
a s n o r m a t i v e f o r i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o r a s h a v i n g s o m e
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A t T h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
s u p e r i o r i t y
t o s c r i p t u r e i t s e lf . W h a t e v e r e x c u r s i o n s i n t o
t h e
p r e h i s t o r y
o f t h e text a r e
p o s s i b l e
o r
n e c e s s a r y ,
t h e
b e g i n n i n g
a n d e n d o f i n t e r p r e t a t i o n i s a f r e e e n c o u n t e r
w i t h
a
w r i t i n g
i n i t s
f i n a l f o r m
1
( W i l d e r ) . 2 7
T h i r d l y , D.J.
M c C a r t h y , i n a d i sc u s si o n o f E x . 3:14, a r g u e s f o r
t h e i n d e p e n d e n c e o f t h e m e a n i n g o f a t e x t f r o m a n h i s t o r i c a l -
c r i t i c a l
a n a l y s i s .
C o n t r a r y
t o w h a t I h a v e h e a r d s a i d , i t i s p e r f e c t l y p o s s ib le
t o
u n d e r s t a n d
a
text w i th o u t k n o w i n g w h e th e r
i t i s E o r
w h a t e v e r .
I f I
i n s i s t
o n a
d o c u m e n t a r y s e t ti n g ,
o r a n
h i s t o r i c a l s e t t i n g
i n
w h i c h
t h e
text
w a s
c o m p o s e d ,
I a m
o f t e n , e v e n u s u a l l y ,
tied t o
p u r e h y p o t h e s i s :
t h e
c o n n e c t i o n w i t h a s o u r c e i s d u b i o u s , t h e e x i s t e n c e o f t h e
s o u r c e (E ) i s i n q u e s t io n . I n a n y case t h e h i s t o r i c a l s e t t i n g
o f th e passage s c o m p o s i t i o n i s l a r g e l y a
g u e s s .
A n d s t i l l
t h e t e x t i t s e l f i n i t s m o s t i m p o r t a n t s e tt in g , i t s a c t u a l
p l ace i n s c r i p t u r e , l ie s b e f o r e m e t o s t u d y a s a
g r a m m a t i c a l a n d l i t e r a r y s t r u c t u r e t h a t I c a n a n a l y z e
w i t h s o m e co n f i d e n c e w i t h o u t b e g i n n i n g w i t h a c h a n cy
g u e s s a b o u t
o r i g i n s . 2 8
L i t e r a t u r e h a s i ts o w n t r u t h t h a t m a k e s d e m a n d s u p o n t h e
reader.
A s a n y
l i t e r a r y classic m a k e s
a n
i m p a c t u p o n
t h e
r e a d e r
r e g a r d l e s s
o f
k n o w l e d g e
o f i t s
h i s t o r i c a l o r i g i n s
o r
r e f e r e n t ,
s o
to o
d o e s
th e
B ib l e . 2 9
A ll these l i t e r a r y a r g u m e n t s
f o r t h e
i m p o r t a n c e
o f t h e
f i n a l
text a r e c l e a r a n d , in m y o p i n i o n , b o t h u n c o n t r o v e r s i a l a n d
i r r e f u t a b l e . T h e s l i g h t l y p o l e m i c a l t o n e i n w h i c h t h e y a r e
c o u c h e d
i s
o c c a s i o n e d
b y t h e
n e e d
to
g a i n
a
h e a r i n g
f o r a
p o s i t i o n l o n g n e g l e c te d . B u t t h e p o i n t o n ce m a d e i s s e l f -
e v i d e n t . 3
T h e o lo g ic a l A r g u m e n t s
a d d i t i o n
t o t h e
l i t e r a r y a r g u m e n t s
f o r
d i r e c ti n g a t t e n t i o n
t o t h e
text
i n i t s
f i n a l
f o r m , t h eo l o g ic a l a r g u m e n t s h a v e a ls o
been
r a i s e d ,
m o s t n o t a b l y
b y C h i l d s . - ^
T h e o l o g i c a l
treat-
m e n t s , w h e t h e r s y n c h r o n i c o r d i a c h r o n i c , h a v e u s u a l l y b e e n
a p p l i e d
n o t t o t h e
f i n a l
t e x t
b u t
e i t h e r
t o i t s
r e c o n s t r u c t e d
s o u r c e s o r t o t h e
u n i t s
o f
m a t e r i a l co n s i d e re d m o s t h i s t o r i c a l l y
accurate. T h i s
h a s
p r e s u m a b l y b e e n c o n n e c t e d
t o a
c o n s i d e r a b l e
e x t e n t w i t h
a
d e s i r e
t o b a s e
t h e o l o g y
u p o n
h i s t o r y
i n
c l a s s i c
f a s h i o n . I f , h o w e v e r , i t i s accepted
t h a t
h i s t o r y i s n o t t h e so le
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One: M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
f a c t o r
o f
i m p o r t a n c e
in the
d e t e r m i n a t i o n
o f
t h e o l o g i c a l
v e r a c i t y ,
th e
t h e o l o g i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f
sources needs
t o be
re-assessed.
T h e a t t e m p t t o l o o s e n , t h o u g h n o t d e n y , t h e
c o n n e c t i o n b e t w e e n t h e o l o g y a n d h i s t o r i c i t y , a n d s o t o b e f r e e
to
f ind t h e o l o g i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e
in the
f i n a l
text, i s a
m a j o r
concern
in
C h i l d s w o r k .
T h e
d e t a c h m e n t ,
to a
g r e a t e r
o r
lesser
e x t e n t , o f
t h e o l o g y
f r o m
h i s t o r y
(o r
h i s t o r i c i t y )
i s
r e m i n i s c e n t
of vo n
R a d s
a p p r o a c h . B ut
C h i l d s
use of i t is d i s t i n c t i v e .
C h i l d s
appeals
t o t he p r o f o u n d l y
t h e o l o g i c a l s h a p i n g
o f t he
bibl ica l
m a t e r i a l
w h i c h
h e sees a s
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
o f t he
canonica l process. T h e b i b l i c a l l i t e r a t u r e w a s d e l i b e r a t e l y s o
m o u l d e d that
i t s
f i n a l f o r m w o u l d
f u n c t i o n a s a p e r m a n e n t l y
val id
t heo log ica l wi tness .
This
m e a n s
that
i t m u s t b e t h e
f ina l
f o r m
o f t he
text
w h i c h i s the l ocus o f t h e o l o g i c a l m e a n i n g a nd
a u t h o r i t y . W h a t e v e r s o u r c e s a n d d i f f e r e n t levels o f m e a n i n g
m ay
u n d e r l i e
a text, a n d C h i l d s h a s n o
a r g u m e n t w i t h
t h e
v a l i d i t y o f c u s t o m a r y h i s t o r i c a l- c ri t ic a l r e c o n s t r u c t i o n s , t h e y
shou l d b e a l lo w e d n o p r i o r i t y o v e r t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e
text
as i t
no w i s . On the c o n t r a r y , th e
f ina l text
p r o v i d e s th e n o r m fo r
cr i t ica l assessm ent o f ear lie r l eve ls o f m ea nin g . W h ate ve r t he
d i f f i c u l t i e s for the
o v e r a l l s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f
c a n o n
a s
a r g u e d
by
C h i l d s ,
h i s p o i n t a b o u t t h e t heo log ica l m o u l d i n g an d s i g n i -
f i c a n c e
o f t he
f ina l
text
is a
v a l u a b le i n s i g h t .
A s a
c o r o l l a r y
o f the
s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f the f i n a l text,
C h i l d s
also points o u t t h a t t h e f o c u s s i n g o f t h e o l o g i c a l s t u d y u p on
reconstructed sources m akes one s theologizin g inevitably
h y p o t h e t i c a l .
3 2
T h e f inal
text,
as an
ob jec t ive r ea l i ty wi th
d e f i n i t e
p a r a m e t e r s , p r o v i d e s
a f i r m f o u n d a t i o n fo r
t heo log ica l
s t u d y . D 3 M c C a r t h y l i k e w i s e a d v a n c e s a s i m i l a r a r g u m e n t :
H i s t o r ic a l c r i t ic i s m i s a c o n s t a n t s e a r ch f o r h y p o t h e t i c
h i s t o r i c a l r e f e r e n t s o r f o r s o u r c e s w h e r e t h e m a t e r i a l a t
h and i s
s i m p l y i n s u f f i c i e n t
t o
a l l ow a n y t h i n g
bu t
h i g h l y
specula t ive r esu l t s .
A s a
basis
fo r
t h e o l o g i c a l
(o r
o t h e r )
d e v e l o p m e n t s
i t has
b e c o m e
a
f o u n d a t i o n
o f sand.
33
It
can be seen , t hen ,
that
f o r b o t h l i t e r a r y a n d t h e o l o g i c a l
reasons m a n y s c h o l a r s a re
a r g u i n g
f o r t he i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e
s t u d y o f t he b ib l ica l text in i t s f i n a l f o r m . A n d , as a l r e a d y
stated,
th e p o in t once graspe d i s
s e l f- e v i d e n t l y
correct.
T h a t i s
why t h e m a j o r
p a r t
o f
t h i s s t u d y
w i l l be a
l i t e r a r y
an d theo-
logical
exegesis
of Ex.
32-34,
t aken as me a n in g fu l in itself , and
l ay i ng
a si d e ( t e m p o r a r i l y ) q u e s t io n s
o f t he
o r i g i n s
an d
c o m -
posi t ion o f t h e m a t e r i a l .
21
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A t T h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
T H E
R E L A T I O N S H I P B E T W E E N
T H E S T U D Y O F
T H E F I N A L T E X T A N D T H E S T U D Y O F I T S P R E H I S T O R Y
T o
es t ab l i sh
th e
i m p o r t a n c e
o f
s t u d y i n g
th e
f i n a l f o r m
o f t h e
text i n it s o w n r i g h t is an i m p o r t a n t step. B u t i t d o e s n o t
c o n s t it u t e t h e a n s w e r t o t h e c u r r e n t q u e s t i o n i n g o f h o w best to
a p p r o a c h O T
n a r ra t i v e . R a t h e r
i t
poses
th e
i ssu e m o r e s h a r p l y .
F o r
n o n e
o f t h e
scho la rs cited w o u l d d e n y
th e
p r o p r i e t y
o f a
t r a d i t i o n a l
h i s t o r i c a l - c ri t i c a l a n a l y s i s o f t h e text; t h e y a r e
s e e k i n g r a t h e r t o r e l a t i v i z e i t s s i g n i f i c a n c e . I t is n o t t h a t e i t h e r
a l i t e r a r y o r a n historical-critical a ppr o a c h t o t h e
text
m u s t b e
chosen as the correct m e t h o d . F o r t h e y a re b o t h va l id a n d
l e g i t i m a t e a p p r o a c h e s t o t h e
text.
T h e p r o b l e m i s r a t h e r h o w t o
c o m b i n e a n d h o l d t o g e t h e r these tw o a p p r o a c h e s w i t h t h e i r
m a r k e d l y d i f f e r e n t w a y s o f h a n d l i n g a text. T h i s , I s u g g e s t , i s
th e crucial issue i n t h e c u r r e n t debate.
H a v i n g f i r s t e s t a b l i s h e d th e i n d e p e n d e n c e o f a l i t e r a r y a n d
t h e o l o g i c a l a p p r o a c h
f r o m
a n h i s t o r i ca l - cr i ti c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n , i t
i s o f c r u c i a l i m p o r t a n c e to take th e f u r t h e r step o f r e -
i n t e g r a t i n g t h e t w o tasks i f one i s t o h a v e a c o h e re n t u n d e r -
s t a n d i n g o f a n y
text.
O n e
m u s t
n o t
a l l o w
a
k i n d
o f
s c h i z o p h r e n i a w i t h i n
th e b i b l i c a l exegete w h e r e b y h e does h i s
h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l r e s e a r c h o n t h e o n e h a n d a n d h i s l i t e r a r y a n d
theolog ical exegesis
o n th e
other
a n d
e i the r does
n o t s ee
h o w ,
o r f e e l s h i m s e l f u n d e r n o o b l i g a t i o n , to b r i n g t o g e t h e r t h e se tw o
a p p r o a c h e s to f o r m a c o h e r e n t u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e
text.
T h e
p h o e n i x
o f a
c o n s e r v a t i s m w h i c h
s i m p l y
s t u d i e s
th e f i n a l text
a n d
eschews
a n y
k i n d
o f
h i s t o r i c a l c r i t i c i s m
m i g h t
s w i f t l y a r i s e
f r o m th e ashes .34 -r
ne
re s p o n s i b le i n t e r p r e t e r m u s t d e a l w i t h
e v e r y
aspect
a n d
d i m e n s i o n
o f t h e
text
h e i s s e e k i n g to
i n t e r p r e t .
I t
is
possible
to
d e n y
that
there
i s a n y
p r o b l e m .
F o r o n e c a n
p o i n t o u t t h a t th e l i t e r a r y a n d t h e o l o g i c a l s t u d y o f t h e f i n a l
t e x t a n d t h e h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l s t u d y o f i t s a n t e c e d e n t s a re
d i f f e r e n t k i n d s
o f
s t u d y . T h e y
c a n b e seen , a s
e s s e n t i a l l y c o m -
p l e m e n t a r y
r a t h e r t h a n
in
c o n f l i c t w i t h e a c h o t h e r .
T o
a r g u e ,
fo r e x a m p l e , t h a t
a text
d i s p l a y s u n i t y
a n d
p a t t e r n
in i t s
pr e s e n t s h a pe i s p e r f e c t l y c o m p a t i b l e
w i t h a r g u i n g
f o r
d i s u n i t y
a n d
f r a g m e n t a t i o n
in i t s
p r e h i s t o r y .
N o
c o n t r a d i c t i o n
is in -
volved
since
in
each case
d i f f e r e n t q u e s t i o n s a re be i n g a s k e d
a n d a n s w e r e d .
T h e
d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n w h a t
a text i s a n d
w h a t
i t
o n c e
w a s
m u s t
be
c l e a r l y p r e s e r v e d . T h e y
a re
s e pa r a t e i s s u e s .
T h is d i s t i n c t i o n
is
i n d e e d correct
and i t i s
i m p o r t a n t
n o t t o
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One: M e t h o d
in
N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
lose s ight o f i t . N o n e t h e l e s s th e r e c o g n i t i o n that w e a r e d e a l i n g
w i t h
d i f f e r e n t k i n d s o f s t u d y d o e s n o t a n s w e r th e q u e s t i o n o f
h o w
t h e o n e b e a r s upon th e o t h e r . A n d t h a t i s t he p o i n t a t issue.
T h e
h o l d i n g
t o g e t h e r o f
these
d i f f e r e n t a p p ro a c h e s i s a
c o m p l e x matter re q ui r in g e x te nde d d i scussion . O n e po in t , how -
ever , seems
clear.
T h i s is
that
t h e r e
w i l l
be no s ing le o r
i n v a r i a b l e
wa y of h o l d i n g
t h e m t o g e t h e r .
A
d i v e r s i t y
o f texts
w i l l
ne c e ssa r i ly re qui re a f l e x i b i l i t y o f t r e a t m e n t . O n e
p r o -
c rus te a n a pproa c h
w o u l d
n e c e s s a r i l y m u t i l a t e n u m e r o u s " incon-
v e n i e n t " texts.
G i v e n
this basic need
fo r
f l e x i b i l i t y ,
it is
s t i l l a p p r o p r i a t e
to
f oc u s
o n o n e p a r t i c u l a r w a y o f
h o l d i n g
th e two a pproa c he s
t o g e t h e r
- a way
w h i c h
h a s been
f o u n d
f r u i t f u l
in a n a l y z i n g E x .
32-3^
a nd w h ic h sho uld in pr in c ip le be a pp l ic a ble to a good
n u m b e r o f
o t h e r texts.
I t may be stated in
ge ne ra l t e rm s
as
f o l l o w s .
It h as already been seen
that
a l i t e ra ry and
t h e o l o g ic a l
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e text in i ts f i n a l f o rm a n d a n h i s t o r i c a l -
c r i t i c a l i n v e s t i g a t i o n of i t s p r e h i s t o r y a re d i f f e r e n t
k i n d s
o f
e x p l a n a t i o n
o f a
text
an d
n o t ,
in
t h e m s e l v e s ,
in
c o n f l i c t w i t h
o n e
a n o t h e r .
T h e
pre se n t
u n i t y
o f a
text
i s no t
i n c o m p a t i b l e
w i t h
c o m p l e x i t y
a n d
d i s u n i t y
in i ts
p r e h i s t o r y . W h a t
a
text
m ay
h a v e m e a n t o n c e d o e s n o t d e t e r m i n e w h a t i t m e a n s n o w . T h e
q u e s t i o n
that
arises h o w e v e r , i s h o w o n e c a n r e c o n s t r u c t ,
h o w e v e r h y p o t h e t i c a l l y , t h e p r e h i s t o r y o f a text; b y w h a t m e a n s
c a n
o n e p e n e t r a t e b e h i n d a text to i t s e a r l ie r
stages
a n d
u l t i m a t e l y , w h e r e
a p p r o p r i a t e ,
to the h i s to r ic a l events that
u n d e r l i e i t? When th e sources that a w r i te r use d s t i l l e x i s t
i n d e p e n d e n t l y
o f h i s w o rk , th e n th i s ta sk i s g re a t ly fa c i l i t a te d .
T h e
greater
th e
e x t e n t
o f
s u r v i v i n g
s o u r c e m a t e r i a l ,
th e
eas ie r
th e
task
o f
r e c o n s t r u c t i n g
th e
h i s t o r y
o f t h e
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e
l i t e r a r y w o r k - t h o u g h
there
wil l a lways b e
p r o b l e m s
U n f o r t u n a t e l y ,
fo r t h e
m a j o r i t y
o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e p o r t i o n s
o f t h e
OT , a nd c e r ta in ly fo r a l l t he pe n ta te uc h a l na r ra t iv e s , no suc h
i n d e p e n d e n t s o u r c e s s u r v i v e . A ll sourc e s h a ve t o b e r e c o n -
s t r u c t e d f ro m
th e
w o r k i n t o w h i c h t h e y h a v e b e e n i n c o r p -
orated. 35 Such re c ons t ruc t io n o f sources is the re fo re e n t i re ly
d e p e n d e n t u p on une ve nne sse s
an d
d i f f i c u l t i e s
in t h e
present
text
-
d o u b l e t s , c o n t r a d i c t i o n s ,
a n a c h r o n i s m s , v a r i a n t l i n g u i s t ic
usages , d ive rge nt theo logica l em ph ases , etc . T h e p r o b l e m
o b v i o u s l y is to d e t e r m i n e w h a t c o n s t i t u t e s a g e n u i n e u n e v e n -
ness. T h is br ings
th e
propose d so lu t ion in to foc us .
It is
o n l y
a
r i g o r o u s e x a m i n a t i o n
of the
f ina l text treated
in i t s own
r i g h t
23
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At The M o u n t a i n o f God
a s a l i t e ra ry a n d t heo log ica l com pos i t ion that w i l l enable o n e
to
p r o n o u n c e w i t h
a n y
c e r t a i n t y upon w h a t
a re
g e n u i n e
d i f f i c u l t i e s in the text such a s sugges t a c o m p l e x p r e h i s t o r y .
This l i t e ra ry
a n d
theological
an a lysi s w h i l e
n o t
c o n t r i b u t i n g
a s
such to t he ta sk o f s o u rce -c r i t i c a l r ed ac t i o n a l t r ad i t i o -
historical or h is tor ical an alys is no neth eless
f o r m s
a n i m p o r t a n t
p r e l i m i n a r y
in t h a t
o n l y
t h u s c a n o n e a ccu ra t e ly pe rce ive th e
c on t ou r s o f t h e
m a t e r i a l
b e h i n d w h i c h o n e
a i m s
to penetrate.
Th i s m e a n s that a n h i s to r ica l -c r i t i ca l an a lys is
w h i l e
a d i f f e r e n t
k ind o f a p p r o a c h
f r o m
th e l i t e r a r y a n d t h e o l o g i c a l m a y o f t e n
be
d e p e n d e n t
upon th e
resul ts
o f a
l i t e ra ry
a n d
theological
exegesi s. M e t ho do lo g ica l p r i o r i t y shou ld o f t e n b e accorded to
the exeges is of the
text
in i t s
f i na l
f o r m .
T h e
p o i n t
is
s e l f - e v i d e n t
an d
m o s t s cho l a r s
w o u l d
d o u b t l e s s
c o n c u r
w i t h i t . Why t h e n f ocus upon i t ? The r e a s o n s a re
t w o f o l d .
First, the concern to discover a
text s
p reh is to ry has
m e a n t that o f t e n
in
p r ac t ice l i t t l e m o re t ha n l ip - se rv ice
h a s
been paid to the p r e l i m i n a r y step o f exegesis o f the f i n a l text.
A m o n g
fo r e x a m p l e r e c e n t m o n o g r a p h s on the
S ina i
pericope 36 o n e looks in
va in
for any l i t e r a r y a n d t heo lo g ica l
exeges is o r apprec ia t ion o f the
text
a s a w h o l e . T h e a s s u m p t i o n
i s t h a t o n e starts d i r e c t l y w i t h th e a n a ly s i s o f i n d i v i d u a l u n i t s
o r
verses
an d m o ves im m ed ia t e ly i n t o t he t r ac in g o f t he i r
p r e h i s t o r y .
If the
p o i n t w h i c h
I
p r e su m e
to
l abe l
a s
s e l f -e v i d e n t
is indeed
correct,
t hen a practical appro ach w h i c h ignores i t
m u s t s u r e l y b e m e t h o d o l o g i c a l l y
d o u b t f u l ; ^ ?
a n d t h e w i d e
d i ve r s i ty
a n d d i s a g r e e m e n t b e t w e e n a n a l y s e s so o b t a i n e d s u r e l y
sup p or t s t h is c o n t e n t i o n .
S e c o n d l y th e p r ac t i c a l
i m p l i c a t i o n s
o f t he p r inc ip l e n eed to
be spelt o u t m o re fu l ly t h an h i t he r t o . F o r t he practical h o l d i n g
t o ge t he r
o f t w o
such
d i f f e r e n t
a p p r o a c h e s
t o the
t ex t ra i ses
delicate
p ro b lem s . F o r w h i l e t h e l i t e r a r y a n d t h e o l o g i c a l
exegete w i l l be
l o o k i n g
f o r
u n i t y
a n d p a t t e r n fo r t h a t w h i c h
m a k e s
a n a r r a t i v e c o h e r e th e h i s t o r i c a l l y - o r i e n t a t e d c r i t i c
w i l l
t end to look fo r t ens ions a n d d is locat ions fo r t h a t w h i c h m a y
i n d i c a t e
th e
sources
a n d
t r a d i t i o n s
w h i c h u n d e r l i e th e
n a r r a t i ve .3
N o w these
appro aches n eed
n o t
n eces s a r i ly
b e
opposed
t o o n e
a n o t h e r .
In
G e n . 1 - 1 1
fo r
e x a m p l e
i t i s not
d i f f i c u l t
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y
to
a p p r e c i a t e
t h e
l i t e r a r y
a n d
theo log ica l pa t t e rn ing that b in ds
th e
m a t e r i a l i n t o
a
co he ren t
w h o l e a n d
also
to
perce ive
th e
d i s p a r a t e n a t u r e
o f t he
v a r i o u s
t r ad i t ions w h i c h is e l o q u e n t o f the ir d iverse or igins . B u t w h a t is
clear to see in
G e n . 1 - 11
may be f a r
l ess c lea r e l sewhere .
A n d
k
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One : M e t hod in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
in E x .
32-34
i n p a r t i c u l a r , de s p i t e th e g e n e r a l l y - h e l d c o n s e n su s
a bou t t he e v i de n t d i s pa r i t y o f i ts s ou rc e s a nd t r a d i t i o ns , i t
b e c o m e s e x t r e m e l y
d i f f i c u l t , i f the
exeges i s he re o f f e r e d
i s
correct
to
d i s t i n g u i s h
p a r a d o x e s
a n d
t e ns i ons
t h a t
a re
de l i be r a t e stylistic d e v i c e s f r o m those that
m a y
i n d i c a t e
u n d e r l y i n g
f r a g m e n t a t i o n .
T h e
p r o b l e m s
invo lved
i n p e n e t r a t i n g
b e h i n d
a n a r r a t i v e
t e x t
ha ve o f t e n be e n i n s u f f i c i e n t l y a p p r e c i a t e d b o t h b y c r i t i c a l l y
o r t h o d o x s c ho l a r s a n d b y t h e i r f u n d a m e n t a l i s t
d e t r a c t o r s .
B e f o r e
th e a d v e n t o f h i s t o r i c a l c r i t i c i s m , i t w as c u s t o m a r y to
ex p l a in double t s , d i sc repanc i e s an d o t h e r d i f f i c u l t i e s p u r e l y in
t e r m s
of the text as i t
s tood .
T h e
r i g h t a p p r o a c h
w as
a s s u m e d
to be
h a r m o n i z i n g .
T h e r e wa s no a l l o w a n c e fo r h i s t o r i c a l
dep th
in a
text. S ince
th e
a c c e p t a n c e
o f
h i s t o r i c a l - c r i t i c a l
s t u d y
i t has
b e e n c u s t o m a r y
to
e x p l a i n
th e
s a m e d i f f i c u l t i e s
in
t e rm s o f t he u s e o f d i f f e r e n t s ou rc es . T he r i g h t a pp ro a c h ha s
b e e n a s s u m e d t o b e f r a g m e n t a r y .
U n t i l r e c e n t
ye a r s a ny
a t t e m p t
to
e x p l a i n
th e t e x t as i t
s t a n d s t e n d e d
to
l a b o u r
u n d e r
o p p r o b r i o u s
e p i t h e t s - p r e c r i t i c a l , m i d r a s h i c , h a r m o n i s t i c , e tc .
I n s o f a r as the
p r a c t i t i o n e r s
of the
a p p r o a c h t e n d e d
to be
c ons e rva t i ve s c ho l a r s
w i t h
d o u b t s a b o u t
th e
p r o p r i e t y
o f
h i s to r i ca l ly -aware c r i t i c i sm
and an
i n s u f f i c i e n t a p p r e c i a t i o n
o f
th e
issues
a t
s t a k e ,
th e
e p i t h e t s w e r e
n o t
a l t o g e t h e r
u n d e s e r v e d .
N o n e t h e l e s s
i t
m u s t
b e
said
t h a t
t h e i r i n s t i n c t i v e
a w a r e n e s s
of t he
i m p o r t a n c e
of t he f i n a l t e x t a nd t he
p r i o r i t y
of exeges i s o f i t was a sound ins t i nc t .
good e xa m pl e of the r e c o g n i t i o n of the p r o b l e m w i t h
o n l y
a
par t i a l explora t i on
of i ts
r a m i f i c a t i o n s
is
p rov i de d
by the
recent
work o f
J.
L i c h t , S t o r y t e l l i n g in the B i b l e .
A f t e r p r o d u c i n g
m a n y
v a l u a b l e e x a m p l e s o f a l i t e r a r y a n d
aesthetic
a p p r e c i a t i o n
of
th e
b i b l i c a l t e x t L i c h t a d v e r t s b r i e f l y ,
in an ep i log ue ,3 9 to
th e q u e s t i o n o f i n t e g r i t y v e r s u s f r a g m e n t a t i o n in l i t e r a r y
n a r r a t i v e s . L i c h t
i s no t
c o n c e r n e d
to
d e n y
a
p o s s ib l y c o m p l e x
p r e h i s t o r y to any g i ve n text. H e c o n c l u d e s that
o n e shou ld n e v e r u se one 's a e s t h e t i c o b s e r v a t i o n s to
e v a l u a t e
th e
t e x t u a l
[ in
c o n t e x t t h i s m e a n s s o u r c e -
c r i t i c a l ] i n t e g r i t y o f a passage . T h e d a n g e r t h a t
one ' s
p r e c o n c e p t i o n s
a n d
e xpe c t a t i ons
in one
f i e l d wi l l
d i s t o r t
one 's j u d g m e n t
in
a n o t h e r
i s g r e a t e r
t h a n
th e
a c t u a l
p r o f i t
to be
g a i n e d f r o m
th e
m e t h o d .
Or , to put i t
m o r e b l u n t l y ,
i t i s far too easy to f i n d s o m e a e s t h e t i c p e r f e c t i o n w h e n
o n e
looks
for i t
b e c a u s e
o n e
n e e d s
i t as an
a r g u m e n t
to
25
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At The
M o u n t a i n
o f God
establish th e
in tegr i ty
o f a
given
s tory .^0
U n d o u b t e d l y
so. But
t h a t
i s on ly h a l f the prob lem . I t is indeed
easy
to
f ind
some
aesthetic
p e r fec t ion because o n e w a n t s to
argue for in tegr i ty . But i t i s equal ly easy to over look or dismiss
aesthetic
qua l i t i e s
and to
p roduce discrepancies because
o n e
w a n t s t o de m o n s t r a t e
u n d e r l y i n g sources .
The tu quoque i s in -
escapable.
H ow
t he n is one to proceed? H ow can the h is tor ica l
p e n e -
t r a t i o n ,
b e h in d a text b e c o m b in e d w i t h t h e l i t e r a ry and theo-
logical search
f o r the text s
p a t t e r n
a n d
cohe rence , especia l ly
w h e n
th e
f o r m e r
is to a
cons ide rab le
e x t e n t
d e p e n d e n t upon
th e
resu l t s of the
latter?
C l e a r l y
t h e r e
c a n b e n o s im p l e
r u l e - o f -
t h u m b . T h e
role
o f t he
l i t e r a r y c r i t i c
is
p e r ha p s a n a l o g o u s
to
that o f the
h is tor ian .
T h e
s i tua t ion
o f the
his torian
is
described
by
G.R. El ton thus :
H o w e v e r
wise
i t may be to
q u e s t io n m o t iv e
a t al l
t im e s ,
and
ho w e v e r c a p a b l e o f de l ibe ra t e pe rve rs ion a l l men may
be, i t
r e m a i n s
a
f ac t
o f
e x p e r i e n c e t h a t s i m p l i c i t y ,
s t ra igh t fo rwardness
an d
t r ansparency
also exist.
T h e
h i s t o r i a n
c anno t t he re fo re p roceed
on any
s ing le l ine
o f
j u d g m e n t ; h is
m i n d m u s t
b e
fo rever open
t o the two
possibi l i t ies
that th e
e v ide n c e m e a n s w ha t
i t
says
a n d
t h a t
it does not
m e a n w h a t
it says. To achieve as
secure
a
j u d g m e n t a s
poss ib le ,
th e
h i s t o r i a n he r e r e q u i r e s
h is
m o s t
r a r e
a n d
a l m o s t m o s t da n g e r o u s g i f t :
a n a l l - e m b r a c i n g
s y m p a t h y wh ich
e n ab l e s h i m , c h a m e l e o n - l i k e ,
t o
s t a n d
w i t h
each
man in
t u r n
to
look
upon th e
s i t u a t io n .
T h e
g i f t
is
dangerous because
i t m ay in the en d
b r i n g
h im to a
total
i na b i l i t y to ju dg e o r even to m ake up h is
m i n d ;
i t
need
not do so bu t i t
o f t en
does.^1
This is a
s a l u t a r y
statement o f the
c r i t ica l
task. In
l i t e r a r y
t e r m s
i t
m e a n s t ha t
th e
c r i t i c inc l ined
to
source ana lys is mus t
b e
open
to a l i t e r a ry
solut ion
w h i c h m a y
exc lude
sources,
w h i le
th e
critic
who i s
looking
f o r
l i t e r a r y
u n i t y
m u s t
b e
open
to
recognize th e
possible
presence
o f
d iverse
sources. A f i n e
j u d g m e n t is ca l led for . This is p e r ha p s m a de a l l the m o r e
d i f f i c u l t
b y t h e
f a c t
that,
s ince
l i t e r a r y u n i t y r a t he r t ha n
d i s u n i t y
m u s t
b e one s
i n i t i a l h e u r i s t i c a s s u m p t i o n ,
th e scales
a re
n a t u r a l l y s o m e w h a t w e i g h t e d
in
f a v o u r
o f
a r g u m e n t s
fo r the
f o r m e r . A l t h o u g h these
a r g u m e n t s a b o u t m e t h o d a r e s u g g e s t i n g
t h a t
h is tor ica l -cr i t ica l ana lys is shou ld o c c u p y a m o r e m o de s t
26
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One:
M e t h o d in
N a r r a t i v e I n t e rp r e t a t i o n
pos i t ion
t h a n is c u s t o m a r y in the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f a
text
and
that i t
s h o u l d o f t e n
b e p r ac t is e d a f t e r r a t h e r t h a n b e f o r e a
r e a d i n g o f t h e text in i t s own
r i g h t t h e re
is no
i n t e n t i o n
to
banish
i t a l t o g e t h e r ; o n t h e c o n t r a r y th e h o p e is to set i t
upon
a
f i r m e r f o u n d a t i o n so
that
there s h o u l d be less arbi t rar iness and
v a r i a t i o n in i ts resu l t s . T h e p rac t i ca l
o u t w o r k i n g
o f t h i s
c o m b i n i n g h i s t o r i c a l l y - a l e rt c r i t i c i s m
w i t h
s e n s i t i v e l i t e r a r y
and theological exeges is
w i l l be a d e m a n d i n g
task.
A
C O N S I D E R A T I O N
OF S O M E
I M P L I C A T I O N S
O F T H E
P R O P O S E D
A P P R O A C H T O T H E
T E X T
W h a t
w i l l
be t h e
p rac t i ca l resu l t s
o f
p r e f a c i n g h i s t o r ic a l
p e n e t r a t i o n o f a text w i t h l i t e r a r y an d t heo log ica l exeg es i s?
H e r e are o f f e r e d a few p r e l i m i n a r y o b s e r v a t i o n s o n p r i n c i p l e s
to be
observed
an d
p r o b l e m s t h a t
m ay
arise.
It
i s l i ke ly
that
t he s tudy o f t he
text
in i ts o wn r ig h t wi l l
s o m e t i m e s
s i m p l y
i n v a l i d a t e a n d s o m e t i m e s t o a g r e at e r o r
lesser extent m o d i f y a l r e a d y - e x i s t i n g a n a l y s e s
of i t s
p r e h i s t o r y .
T h e e x t e n t to w h i c h t h i s w i l l h a p p e n c a n n o t be p red ic ted in
a d v a n c e
w h e n
as yet c o m p a r a t i v e l y l i tt l e
w o r k
h as b e e n d o n e
w i t h th is perspective. Th e na ture o f t he s h i f t may perhaps be
sugges ted
by t he t w o
recent ar t ic les
o n t h e
f l o o d n a r r a t i v e
by
B . W . A n d e r s o n ^
2
an d
G.J. W e n h a m . ^
3
E a c h w r i t e r a r g u e s
fo r
th e
d y n a m i c c o h e r en c e
o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e
in i t s
p resent f o r m
and
on the basis o f th is each sugges ts a m o d i f i c a t i o n in the
g enera l ly
accepted source-critical
analysis o f t h e chapters;
ins tead o f i n d e p e n d e n t and P n a r r a t i v e s l a t e r c o m b i n e d by a
reda c to r each sug g est s t h a t
to
pos i t
a
separate
P
n a r r a t i v e
b e c o m e s u n n e c e s s a r y an d t h a t P a n d t h e r e d a c t o r
s h o u ld
b e
i d e n t i f i e d ; ins tead
o f t w o
sources combined they sug g es t
o ne
source r e w o r k e d a priest ly
recasting
o f t r a d i t i o n a l
epic
m a t e r i a l .
I t i s no t the
present purpose
to
a rg ue
th e
cor rec tness
o f t he i r ana lys i s . I t is the t e n o r o f t h e i r a r g u m e n t s t h a t i s of
s i g n i f i c a n c e .
The way in w h ich exegesis o f t he f ina l text m ay bear upon
historical-critical
e n q u i r i e s w i l l o f c o u r s e v a r y c o n s i d e r a b l y
d e p e n d i n g
upon which sor t
o f
c r i t i ca l ana lys i s
is
u n de r
considerat ion.
It
w i l l
bear
mo st s tro ng ly upon source cri t icism
and r e d a c t i o n c r i t i c i s m w h e r e one i s m o s t d e p e n d e n t u p on
f i n d i n g unevennesses
and
seams
in t he
p resent
text. I ts
r e l a t i o n
to t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l an d h i s t o r i c a l c r i t i c i s m wi l l be m o r e
n e bu l ou s since
th e
scho lar
in
these
areas
necessar i ly w o r k s w i t h
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A t T h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
l a r g e r
a n d less
t a n g i b l e c o n s i d e r a t io n s s u ch
a s
c o h e r e n c e
a n d
l i ke l i hood , a n d h i s
o v e ra l l h i s t o r i c a l
u n d e r s t a n d i n g m a y
l ead
h im
t o h y p o t h e s i z e a n o r i g i n a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f a text fo r w h i c h
t h e r e
i s
l i t t l e
direct
e v i d e n c e
i n t h e
text
i t s e l f .
B u t
w h i l e
o n e
m u s t d e f e n d t h e h i s t o r i a n s r i g h t t o w o r k i n th i s w a y , i t m a y
also b e a p p r o p r i a t e t o s o u n d a c a u t i o n a r y note espec i a l ly w i th
r e g a r d
t o
t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l a n a l y s is .
T r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l study ^
b y i t s
v e r y n a t u r e , relates
s o m e w h a t o b l i q u e l y
t o t h e
d a t a
o f t h e
text.
I n t h e
P e n t a t e u c h
i t
treats
o f a process n o
l onge r v i s ib le , w ho se
e n d r e s u l t i s the
o n l y
f i r m e v i d e n c e w e have.^ W h e n th e
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f
t r a d i t i o n i m a g i n e d i s , as i s g e n e r a l l y th e
case
a p ro ce s s n o t
o n l y
o f
a g g l o m e r a t i o n
b u t
a lso
o f
t r a n s f o r m a t i o n ,
i t may
l e g i t i m a t e l y b e asked h o w o n e c an k n o w w h a t th e e a r l i e r stages
o f th e t r ad i t i on
were.^
6
A n o t h e r w a y o f pos i ng th e q u e s t i o n
is
t o a s k w h a t t e x t u a l
d a t a
w o u l d c o u n t a s
f a l s i f y i n g
a
traditio-historical theory; or are many traditio-historical
r e c o n s t r u c t i o n s i n f a c t i m p e r v i o u s t o s u c h c r i ti c i s m s ? I n s o m e
recent
w o r k
that
i s l e f t a m b i g u o u s , a n d s u ch a m b i g u i t y a f f e c t s
th e
s t a t u s
o f t h e c l a i m o f t r a d i t i o n - h i s t o r y to c o n s t i t u t e , i n
s o m e
s e n s e ,
a n e m p i r i c a l a n d i n d u c t i v e , r a t h e r t h a n a n a p r i o r i ,
e x p l a n a t i o n
of the t e x t .^ 7
j
o s v
t h i s is not to d e n y the
l eg i t imacy
o f
t r a d i t i o n h i s t o r y
i n t h e P e n t a t e u c h . B u t i t i s to
u r g e c a u t i o n i n i t s
practice;
th e m o r e s o si n ce t r a d i t i o n h i s t o r y
s h o u l d ,
i d e a l l y ,
t a k e
o ve r w h e r e s o u r c e a n a l y s i s e n d s , a n d a n y
g r e a t e r
u n c e r t a i n t y c o n c e r n i n g t h e l i t e r a r y s o u r c e s m u s t
n e c e s s a r i l y e n t a i l
greater
u n c e r t a i n t y c o n c e r n i n g th e p re -
l i t e r a r y
stages.
A f r e s h p e r c e p t io n o f l i t e r a r y a n d t h e o l o g i c a l
c o h e r e n c e
i n t h e f i n a l
text
m a y t h e r e f o r e h a v e a c e r t a i n
b e a r i n g
u p o n
t ra d i t i o - h i s to r i c a l r e c o n s t r u c t i o n s .
Given t h i s
v a r i a b i l i t y o f
poss ible
e f f e c t w h e n p r e f a c i n g
historical-critical analysis with literary and theological
e x e g e s i s , i t i s n o t
possible
to
p r e d i c t
th e
s o r t
o f
r e s u l t s t h a t
m a y e n s u e . B u t i t i s w o r t h b r i e f l y c o n s i d e r i n g
t h r e e
a r e a s w h e r e
i n t e r e s t i n g p r o b l e m s
m a y
arise.
C h a r a c t e r i s t i c s o f J -Jebrew
N a r r a t i v e
S t y l e
th e f i r s t p l a c e , i t i s i m p o r t a n t t o a n a l y z e t h e
characteristics
o f
H e b r e w
n a r r a t i v e .
T h e r e
h a s
been
a n i n -
c r e a s i n g v o l u m e
o f
w r i t i n g
i n
t h i s
area r e c e n t l y ,
b u t
m u c h w o r k
r e m a i n s
t o b e d o n e . ^ 8
T h e r e
i s a
p a r t i c u l a r d a n g e r
o f i m -
p o s i n g
a n a c h r o n i s t i c c r i t e r i a
b y w h i c h to assess a
n a r r a t i v e .
T h i s i s t h e c o m p l a i n t o f R . N . W h y b r a y i n h i s d i scuss ion of the
28
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One: Method
i n
N a r r a t i v e I n t e rp r e t a ti o n
Joseph story
in w h i c h he sees an
i r r econc i l ab l e t ens i on be tween
the s tand ard source-c r i t ica l ana ly s i s of the m ate r i a l and the
n e w e r
appr ec i a t i on
of the
s tory
as a w i s d o m
nove l
o f
g e n i u s .
Inc l in ing
to the
latter
as sessment he c o m m e n ts
that
there is an
i n su f f i c i e n t u n d e r s t a n d i n g
of the gap
w h i c h exists
b e t w e e n ou r m o d e r n s t a n d a r d s o f cons i s tency o f n a r r a t i o n
and
those of the
anc i en t world.
T he
observat ion is not n e w . It cons t i t u t ed an i m p o r t a n t p a r t of
the
cr i t ic ism
of I.
Engne l l
and the
Scandinavians agains t
the
d o c u m e n t a r y
h y p o t h e s i s .
5 0
But in the
absence
o f a
tho rough
d e m o n s t r a t i o n o f
w h a t s t a n d a r d s
o f
cons i s tency
c an
r eas onab ly
be expec ted o f Heb r ew na r r a t i v e , t h i s po i n t l acks c u t t i n g
edge.
Thr ee examples
of
this p rob lem
may be
g i ven .
T he
f i r s t
is of
his tor ical
in te r e s t as it is f r o m the w o r k o f
R i c h a r d S i m o n ,
the
found ing
f a t h e r o f m o d e r n b i b l ic a l s tu d y . In his H i s to i r e c r i t i que
du
V i e u x
Testament, Simon
sought to show
that
Moses could not
have been the so le author of the Penta teuch . A m o n g o the r
a r g u m e n t s
f o r c o m p o s i te a u t h o r s h i p h e
cited
t he r epe t i t i ous
c h a r a c t e r of cer ta in nar ra t ives :
T a k e
fo r
e x a m p l e
th e
a c c o u n t
of the
f lood
in the
seventh
chapter
of
Genesis;
in
ver se
1 7 w e
r ead , "The water s
inc reased , an d ba r e up the a r k , and i t w as
l i f t
u p above
the earth . In verse 18,
" A n d
the
waters
prevai led
and
wer e i nc r eas ed g r ea t l y
upon th e ea r th : and the ark
w e n t
upon the
f ace
of the waters . In
verse
1 9 w e
h a v e , " A n d
the w a t e rs p r eva i led exc eed i ng ly
upon
the ear th , and a l l
th e
h igh
h i l l s
that
w e r e u n d e r t h e w h o l e h e a ve n w e r e
covered ,
w h i c h
is
again
repeated in verse 20,
w h i c h
reads ,
"Fi f t een cubi t s
u p w a r d
d id the
w a t e r s p r e v a i l ,
and
the
m ou nta in s w ere covered" .
Is i t not
r easonable
to
suppose
t h a t
i f one and the
s a m e w r i t e r
had
been
desc r ib ing that even t ,
h e
w ou ld have done
so in far
f e w e r
words ,
especially in a h i s to ry?
5
1
(Some d i s u n i t y in this same passage has ge ne ra l ly been fe l t by
m o d e r n
scholars
also. It is
cus tomar y
to ascribe vv .
17a, 18-20
to P and v . 17 b to J.
Thi s dec i s ion however
has
been a lmo s t
ent i r e ly
dictated
by the larger
source
divis ion of the flood
n a r r a t i v e
as a
w ho le , r a the r t han
by the
charac ter i s t i c s
o f these
four
verses as s uch . T he m o d e r n
d iv is ion
is t h e r e f o r e no t
r e l e v a n t
to the
present point . Even
the
r econs t r uc t ed
P
ver s ion
w o u l d
doub t less hav e seemed
p ro l ix
to Simon )
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
A d o p t i n g a m o r e l i t e r a r y p e r s p e c t i v e , B . W . A n d e r s o n c o m -
m e n t s
t h a t
th e s w e l l i n g
o f t h e
w a t e r s
is v i v i d ly
p o r t r a y e d
by
the repeated use of the key
wo rds the
waters
preva i l ed
to
create
a n a s ce n d i n g e f f e c t .
w a y y i g b e r u
h a m m a y i m (v . 18 )
w e h a m m a y i m
gaberQ
(v . 19 )
ga berG h a m m a y i m
( v . 20) . ^2
O n e sho u l d a lso in c lud e v . 17 w i th in th i s total e f f e c t s o that o n e
h a s
f o u r
successive stages of the increase o f t he flood; a
f o r c e f u l a n d a e s t h e t ic a l ly s a t i s f y i n g d e p i c t i o n .
I f this
l i t e r a r y p e r ce p t i o n i s correct, tw o f u r t h e r o b s e r v a t i o n s
m a y b e m a d e . First,
a l t h o u g h
th e present
l i te r a r y u n i t y
i s n o t
i n c o m p a t i b l e
w i t h c o m p o s i te a u t h o r s h i p , o n e ca n n o t
take
t h i s
o n e
factor
i n t h e
text,
that is the
f o u r f o l d
repetition, a n d
a r g u e
that i t
s h o w s b o t h u n i t y
a n d
d i s u n i t y .
I f t he
l i t e r a r y a s s e s s m e n t
o f t h e re p e t i t i o n a s a u n i t y is s o u n d , t h e n t h e f a c t o f r e p e t i t i o n
in itself
provides
n o e v i d e n c e o f
c o m p o s it e a u t h o r s h i p ; that
c o u ld o n l y be a r g u e d o n t h e bas is o f o t h e r c r i t e r i a in the l a r g e r
context.
Se co n d l y ,
th e
w e a k n e s s
in
S i m o n ' s a p p r o a c h
i s no t
s i m p l y that
o f l i t e r a r y i n s e n s i t i v i t y , b u t t h e f a c t
that
h i s
i n s e n s i t i v i t y
seems to be based
u p o n
a n a n a c h r o n i s ti c a p p l i-
c a t io n o f t h e n o t i o n o f l i t e r a r y c o h e r e n c e a n d a p p r o p r i a t e
style.
H e begged a m o s t i m p o r t a n t q u e s t i o n , a n d a s such se t an u n f o r -
t u n a t e p r e c e d e n t .
A
second issue
in the
assessment
o f
H e b r e w n a r r a t i v e s t y l e
is
th e
poss ible
u s e o f
c o m p o s i t i o n a l t e c h n i q u e s
i n a w a y n o t
dis -
s i m i l a r
t o t h e e f f e c t a c h i ev e d b y m o d e r n p u n c t u a t i o n
devices.
Fo r
e x a m p l e
th e
occurrence
o f a n
i n t r o d u c t o r y
speech f o r m u l a
in
th e m i d d l e o f a speech is
f r e q u e n t l y
t a k e n a s e v i d e n c e o f
d i v e r s e s o u r c e s a n d / o r r e d a c t i o n a l o v e r w o r k i n g .
T h e
c o m m e n t s
o f
N o t h
a n d
C h i l d s
o n t h e
t h r e e f o l d w y ' m r
in Ex .
33:19-21
a re
typical.
But s ince each f o r m u l a i n t r o d u c e s so m e
d i f f e r e n t
aspect
w i t h i n
Y a h w e h ' s
s p e e ch , w h i c h y e t f o r m s a c o n t i n u o u s
whole,^ may it not be
that t h e y
are
i n t e n d e d
to f u n c t i o n as,
so to
s p e a k , p a r a g r a p h
m a r k e rs ? A n d i f so , how is
t h i s
to be
w e i g h e d a g a i n s t
t h e
c l a im
that t h e f o r m u l a e
r e f l e c t l i t e r a r y
tens ion
a n d
disunity?^
t h i r d ,
a n d f a r
m o r e p r o b l e m a t i c , i ss u e
in
H e b r e w s t y l e
is
th e p h e n o m e n o n of the so-ca lled do uble t . A s O . K a i s e r p u t s i t ,
T h e
o n e m o s t b a s i c c r i t e r i o n for a d iv i s i on i n t o s o u r ce s is
th e repeated occurrence o f t he
s a m e m a t e r i a l
in
d i f f e r e n t
v e r s i o n s , that
i s , d o u b l e ts . 5 7
30
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One: Method
in
N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
A s im i l a r v i e w
is
also expressed
by N o t h ^ S
anc
j b y R ic h t e r ,
w ho
calls th e p resence o f doub l e t s das wich t i g s t e K r i t e r i u m
fo r
d i s c e r n i n g d i f f e r e n t
sources.59 -r
na
i: there m a y b e
d i f f i -
cul t ies
w i t h
a
doub l e t a na l y s i s
is a
p o i n t
that
h as
rece ived
i n s u f f i c i e n t
a t t e n t i o n .
A l t h o u g h
R i c h t e r ,
fo r
example , does
discuss
th e
d i s t i nc t i on b e t we e n
a
r e p e t i t i o n w h i c h
is
s t y l i s t i c
an d o n e which re f l ec t s sources , th e e x a m p l e s h e gives o f
s ty l i s t ic repe t i t ion , Gen.
1 and the
r e d a ct io n a l f r a m e w o r k
o f
J udge s , are too easy an d o b v i o u s to
o f f e r
an y h e l p in m o r e
p r o b l e m a t i c contexts .60
T he no t i on o f a doub l e t , t hough s e e m ing l y
clear
is in fact
s o m e w h a t v a g u e .
I t was
d e ve lo p ed p r i m a r i l y w i t h i n
th e
ana lys i s
of
G enesi s w i th re fe ren ce
to
s uch ob v ious l y s im i l a r na r r a t i ve s
as the
expul s ions
of
Ha ga r (Ge n .
16; 21 :8 -21 ) or
the ancestress
of
Israel in da ng er (G en . 12:10-20; 20:1-18; 26:6-11) . I ts app l i -
cab i l i t y e l sewhere
is far
less clear .61
For
e x a m p l e ,
Ex. 34,
wi t h its t h e o p h a n y an d l a w - g i v i n g , is genera l ly cons idered the 3
vers ion of the E t h e o p h a n y an d l a w - g i v i n g in Ex.
19-20.62
Does
it
t h e r e f o r e q u a l i f y
as a
d o u b l e t ?
In fac t Ex. 34 is so
d i f f e r e n t
in
certain s ignif icant respects f r o m
Ex. 19-20^3
that
it is
d o u b t f u l
w he t he r doub le t
is a
use f u l
c a t e g o r y .
A n o t h e r
w a y o f
pu t t i ng t h i s po in t
is to say
that
th e
doub l e t
analysis necessarily focusses on the similarities b e t w e e n tw o
nar ra t ives . Di f fe rences t end
to be
cons ide red secondary
an d
u n i m p o r t a n t .
T h e
p o i n t
a t
w h i c h
th e
d i f f e r e nce s b e t we e n
tw o
stories s imi l a r in some respects become as s ign i f ican t as the
s imi l a r i t i e s cannot
b e
gene ra l ly p re scr ibed
o r
q u a n t i t a t i v e l y
assessed; i t m u s t b e l e f t to the j u d g m e n t of the
critic
a ccord ing
to each
situation.
None the less there
r e m a ins
in
pr inciple
a
g e n u i n e
d i f f i c u l t y
w h i c h
is
in s u f f i c i e n t l y
r e cogn i z e d .
W h a t
dis t ingu i shes
o n e
s tory to ld
in two
va r i a n t t r a d i t i ons f rom
tw o
d i f f e r e n t stories e i t he r s om e wha t s im i l a r
in
t he m s e l ve s
o r
told
in such a way as to b r i n g out a s i m i l a r i t y b e tw e e n t h e m ? It is
a rgue d b e l ow, f o r e x a m pl e , that E x.
34
wa s m os t l ike ly neve r an
a c c o u n t of an i n i t i a l c o v e n a n t m a k i n g bu t w a s a l wa y s a
cove na n t r e ne wa l . W h e n
it is
objected that ( inte r a l ia )
it
looks
so
s i m i l a r
to an
i n i t i a l c o v e n a n t m a k i n g ,
o n e m a y
respond
b y
a s k ing ,
H o w else
wou l d
a
cove na n t r e ne wa l
appea r ?6 4
A
f u r t h e r
d i f f i c u l t y
in the d ou b le t ana lys i s has to do w i th t he
basic pa t t e rn
o f
l i te r a r y d e v e l o p m e n t w h i c h
th e
scholar
is to
a s s um e .
T he
pa t t e rn a s s um e d
in a
s t anda rd doub le t ana lys i s
is
that
o f o n e st o ry b e i n g d i v e r s i f i e d i n d i f f e r e n t l i t e r a r y
t ra d i ti o n s . W h a t , h o w e v e r ,
of the
i m p l i c a t i o n s
o f a
s t o r y t e l l i n g
31
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G od
t e c h n i q u e s u c h
a s O l r ik s
n i n t h
epic
l a w ,
t h e L a w o f
P a t t e r n i n g ,
a c c o r d i n g
to w h i c h
d i f f e r e n t p e o p l e
a n d
s i t u a t i o n s
a re
d e p i c t e d
in such
a way as to
s h o w s i m i l a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e m ? 6 5
T h e
d e v e l o p m e n t i m a g i n e d
h e r e
i s
that
o f
d i v e r s e e v e n t s b e i n g
u n i f i e d . O n e
m i g h t p e r h a p s d e sc r i be
i t as a
l i t e r a r y t y p o l o g y .
T h e d i f f i c u l t y
is that t h e t w o
a p pr o a c h e s p re s u pp o se d i f f e r e n t
p a t t e r n s
o f
l i t e r a r y d e v e l o p m e n t ;
u n i t y t o
d i v e r s i t y , d i v e r s i t y
t o
u n i t y . T h i s i s no t to a rgue
that
o n e approach is r i g h t and t h e
o t h e r w r o n g . B o t h a r e d e m o n s t r a b l e l i t e r a r y p h e n o m e n a . T h e
point
is
s imply
to
u rge
c au t i on
over
th e
sort
o f source-critical
or traditio-historical patterns w hich may be assumed to
u n d e r l i e a text.
T h e R o l e o f A s s u m p ti o n a n d A l l u s i o n in N a r r a t i v e
a d d i t i o n t o the need t o be s e n s i t i v e to s p e c if i c n a r r a t i v e
t e c h n i q u e s , there
is
also
a
m o r e g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e
o f
n a r r a t i v e
w r i t i n g t o be
o b s e r v e d .
A
w r i t e r
w i l l
f r e q u e n t l y
b e
a l l u s i v e
in
style.
H e
w i l l
n o t
w a n t
o r
n e e d
to
e l a b o r a t e
o n
m a t t e r s
o f
w h i c h th e
r e a d e r
is
p r e s u m e d a l r e a d y
to
possess k n o w l e d g e ,
e i t h e r t h r o u g h g e n e r al k n o w l e d g e
o r
t h r o u g h w h a t
t h e
w r i t e r
h i m s e l f
h a s
p r ev ious ly sa id .
T h e
p r eoccup a t ion
o f
h i s t o r i c a l -
c r i t i ca l a n a l y s is w i th p e n e t r a t i n g b e h i n d
t h e
text m a k e s
d i f f i c u l t an
apprec ia t ion
o f t h i s
aspect
o f
l i t e r a r y
style.
Si lence
a b o u t , o r o n l y a b r i e f r e f e r e n c e t o , s o m e f e a t u r e i n the pre-
ce d i ng na r r a t i ve i s
c u s t o m a r i l y
t a k e n a s
s h o w i n g
either
i g n o r a n c e
o f
t h i s f e a t u r e , t h u s c o n s t i t u t i n g e v i d e n c e
fo r t he
d i s c e r n m e n t o f
sources
or
else
a
s ec o n d a ry gloss
o r h a r m o n i z -
a t i o n , t h u s p r o v i d i n g e v i d e n c e f o r r e d a c t i o n a l c o m p i l a t i o n . T o
i n t e r p r e t
silences o r
a l lus ions
a s
a s s u m i n g
a k n o w l e d g e o f the
p r e c e d i n g n a r r a t i v e m a y h a v e f a r - r e a c h i n g i m p l i c a t i o n s . I n t h e
exeges i s o f Ex. 32-34 i t is
proposed
t h a t
f r e q u e n t l y s en se
m ay
best
b e
m a d e
on the
a s s u m p t i o n
o f a
k n o w l e d g e
o f the
pre-
c e d i n g n a r r a t i v e in Ex. 19-24; (25-31); an d m o r e g e n e r a l l y E x.
1 -1 8 . Th i s p o in t i s a coro l l a ry o f t he imp or t ance o f c o n t e x t fo r
exegesis.
T h e
m o r e
a
w r i t e r a s s u m e s
t h a t t h e
c o n t e x t m a k e s
h i s
m e a n i n g clear th e less h e n e e d s p e c i f y i n d i v i d u a l p o i n t s . I t is
h a r d l y s u r p r i s i n g , t h e r e f o r e ,
t h a t t h e
less
th e
c o n t e x t
i s
t a k e n
into a c c o u n t ,
th e
w i d e r
th e
r a n g e
o f
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s
o f an y
g iv e n
u n i t
that
b e c o m e s a v a i l a b l e .
T h e
d i f f i c u l t y ,
o f
c o u r s e ,
is
that
w h i l e
o n e
m u s t
b e
open
to a
w r i te r s u s e o f h i n t , a l l u s i o n a n d a s s u m p t i o n
w h i c h
p resupposes
b o t h b a c k g r o u n d a n d context o n e m u s t e q u a l l y b e
a w a r e
o f the
pos s ib i l i ty
o f
p r o d u c i n g
a
f a l s e l y h a r m o n i z i n g e xe g es is
w h i c h
32
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One: M e t h o d
in
N a r r a t i v e I n t e rp r e t a t i o n
g losses ov er g en u in e d i f f i c u l t i e s .
A g a i n , t h e r e is no
s i m p l e
r e s o l u t i o n o f t h e p r o b l e m . T h e j u s t i f i c a t i o n o f an ap p ea l t o t h e
w r i t e r ' s
tacit a s s u m p t i o n s w i l l
b e
f o u n d
in t h e
p ersu as iv en ess
o f
t h e r e s u l t i n g
e xe g e s i s .
I m p l i c a t i o n s o f
T h e o l o g i c a l P a r a d o x
f u r t h e r
d i f f i c u l t i s su e c on c ern s t h e w a y i n w h i c h
t h e o l o g i c a l c o h e r e n c e in t h e f i n a l text b e a r s upon th e possible
d i s c e r n m e n t
o f s o u r c e s . S i n c e t h e o l o g i c a l d i s u n i t y h a s f r e q u e n t -
ly
been c i ted
a s
e v i d e n c e
f o r
l i t e r a r y
d i s u ni t y , th e
c on v erse
c an
h a r d l y b e o b j e c t e d t o . B u t h o w w i l l t h i s w o r k in
practice?
W e
m ay
b r i e f l y
c o n s i d e r
o n e
p o t e n t i a l l y p r o b l e m a t i c i s s u e . T h i s
i s
t h e
f a c t
that
m u c h
t h e o l o g i c a l
w r i t i n g
m a y
i n v o l v e
t h e u s e o f
p a r a d o x a n d
a n t i n o m y .
Such i s t he
i n h e r e n t l y m y s t er io u s n a t u re
o f G o d a n d h is
w a y s w i t h
m en t h a t i t is
o f t e n
d i f f i c u l t to
m a k e
a s t a t e m e n t i n a t h e o l o g i c a ll y r e f l e c t i v e w a y w i t h o u t w i s h i n g to
q u a l i f y
i t ,
s o m e t i m e s
b y t h e
asse r t ion
o f a n
a p p a r e n t l y o p p o s i t e
t r u t h . T h e f a c t
t h a t
o n e w r i t e r m a y m a k e t w o s e e m i n g l y i n -
c o m p a t i b l e
statements
66
in
a t t e m p t i n g
to
express
a
para-
d o x i c a l t h e o l o g i c a l t r u t h r a i s e s tw o p r o b l e m s . T h e f i r s t is t h a t
o n e m a y
s i m p l y
fa i l
to
r e c o g n i z e
t h a t
a
p a r a d o x
is
b e i n g
elaborated.
Take ,
fo r
e x a m p l e ,
th e presence of Ex.
33:11
in the
same n ar ra t iv e wi th 33 :2 0
(33:14
a l s o b e l o n g s t h e o l o g i c a l l y
w i t h
these . In t h e
exegesis
it is
a r g u e d
that
w e
h a v e h e r e
a
t y p i c a l
t h e o l o g i c a l p a r a d o x s t r a i n i n g t o e x pr e ss t h e p o s s i b i li t i e s a n d
l i m i t a t i o n s
i n m a n ' s a p p r o a c h t o G o d . T h e o n e c o m p l e m e n t s t h e
other. T o
a r g u e , t h e r e f o r e ,
that these
r e f l e c t c o n f l i c t i n g c o n-
c ep t ion s
o f
m a n ' s a p p r o a c h
t o G o d a n d s o
b e l o n g
to
d i f f e r e n t
s o u r c e s
6
'
7
w o u l d b e a
m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g ,
or a t least a
gross
ov ers i m
p l i f i
cation.
T h e
s e c o n d p r o b l e m is t h i s . I f one has r e c o g n i z e d th e
c o m p l e m e n t a r i t y
o f the two p o les o f the p a rad o x , on e sh o u ld
b e w a r e
o f
a s s u m i n g
t h a t
t h e i r
u n i t y
m u s t
be, o r i s
e v e n m o r e
l i k e l y
t h a n
n o t t o b e , t h e
w o r k
o f a r e d a c t o r ; that th e
e m p h a s e s
w e r e o r i g i n a l l y d i s t i n c t
a n d o n l y
s e c o n d a r i ly c o n j o i n e d . H e r e
a
scho la r ' s
g e n e ra l t h e o lo g i c al u n d e r s t a n d i n g i s a n i m p o r t a n t
f a c t o r .
V o n
R a d ,
f o r
e x a m p l e , t e n d s
to
d i sso lv e theo log ic a l
ten s ion s
in t h e
p resen t
text
in to d iv e rse
t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
dev e lop men ts . A n o tab le
instance
is h is
presentation
o f t h e
d i f f e r e n c e
b e t w e e n
th e tent a n d t h e a r k .
6
& T h e tent
presents
a th e o l o g y o f Y a h w e h ' s i n t e r m i t t e n t m a n i f e s t a t i o n , w h i l e t h e
ark rep resen ts
Y a h w e h ' s
a b i d i n g
p r e s e n c e .
T h e t w o t h e o l o g i e s
a r e
c o m p l e t e l y d i f f e r e n t .
6
T hese
t w o
h e t e r o g e n e o u s
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
s t r e a m s o f t r a d i t i o n w e r e
later
coalesced
( i m p e r f e c t l y ) i n t h e
Pr ies t ly concept ion
o f the tabernacle T h e
details
o f v o n
Ra d s
a r g u m e n t
h a v e m e t w i t h v a r i o u s
c r i t i c i s m s , ™
b u t
that
n e e d
n o t
c o n ce r n
u s
here
W h a t
i s o f
s i g n i f i c a n c e
i s
that
vo n
R a d s
a r g u m e n t i s cont rol led by the a s s u m p t i o n o f t he
essential
i n c o m p a t i b i l i t y o f t h e
n o t i o n s
o f
presence
a n d
v i s i t a t i o n . T h i s
r e s u l t s i n h i s t r e a t i n g a passage s uch a s Ex . 29:42-45, w h e r e t h e
t w o a r e
ju x t a p o s e d w i t h o u t
a n y s ense o f
i n c o n g r u i t y ,
a s o f n o
s i g n i f i c a n c e ; th e
idea
o f
presence
in v. 45 is
d i smissed
a s an
u n i n t e n d e d
h a n g o v e r
f r o m
a s u pe r s e d e d t r a d i t i o n . 7 1 B u t
m i g h t
i t n o t b e that E x .
29:42-45 s h o u l d
b e
t a k e n
a t i t s
f ace
v a l u e
a s a n attempt to express a
pa r adox ica l
theological t r u t h ,
a n O T
v e r s ion
o f t he
p a r a d o x
o f
i m m a n e n c e
a n d
t r a n s c e n d e n c e ?
A nd
i f so , does i t no t
u n d e r m i n e
t h e a s s u m pt i o n b a s i c t o v o n
R a d s a r g u m e n t , a s b e i n g b a se d o n t o o n a r r o w l y lo g i ca l a n
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f t h e
issue
a t stake?
T h e
p r o b l e m h e r e is t h e t h e o l o g i ca l co u n t e r pa r t o f g e n e r a l
l i t e r a r y c o n s i d e r a t i o n s . J u s t
a s o n e
m u s t f i r s t d e t e r m i n e w h a t
constitutes H e b r e w l i t e r a r y
consistency
b e f o r e p r o n o u n c i n g
a
text
t o b e
i n c o n s i s t e n t ,
s o t o o o n e
m u s t d e t e r m i n e w h a t
constitutes
t h e o lo g i c a l co n s i st e n c y b e f o r e p r o n o u n c i n g o n t h e
matter
o f in c o n s ist en c y . A f i n e j u d g m e n t i s
called
f o r .
T H E E X E G E T IC A L
S I G N I F I C A N C E
O F L I T E R A R Y G E N R E
A N D T H E V A L U E O F T H E C O N C E P T O F S T O R Y
O n e f i n a l
i s sue
to treat o f in
t h i s b r ie f ske tch
o f
m e t h o d o l o g i c a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s
i s the
s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f
l i t e r a r y
genre for
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
the text The
m o m e n t ,
relative to the
exegesis o f t h e text a n d t h e
d iscuss ion
o f i t s
p r e h i s t o r y ,
a t
w h i c h o n e s h o u l d co m e t o a d e c i si o n co n ce r n i n g g e n r e is
d i f f i c u l t t o prescr ibe . I n
practice
t h e r e wi l l i n e v i t a b l y b e a
ce r t a i n o s c i l la t i o n b e t w e e n t h e t w o .
g e n e r a l l i t e r a r y s t u d y
th e
m o r e
o n e k n o w s
a b o u t
t h e
l i t e r a r y c o n v e n t i o n s w i t h i n w h i c h a n a u t h o r w a s o p e r a t i n g , t h e
better o n e c a n appreciate th e m e a n i n g a n d i m p l i ca t i o n s o f h i s
w o r k . B u t f o r t h e
e a r l y H e b r e w w r i t e r s
i n
t h e i r I s r ae l i t e
a n d
a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n
c o n t e x t w e k n o w a l l too l i t t l e
a b o u t
th e
l i t e r a r y c o n v e n t i o n s
w i t h i n w h i c h
t h e y w r o t e . M o r e o v e r s u c h
l i t e r a r y c o n v e n t i o n s
a s
t h e y
h a d
w o u l d h a v e b e e n q u a l i f i e d
i n
s i g n i f i c a n c e b y t h e g i v e n n e s s o f t h e t r a d i t i o n s o f I s r ae l w h i c h
t h e y
h a d t o handle/2 j is
m e a n s
that t h e
m o d e r n re a d e r
h a s
to accept y e t a n o t h e r i m p o n d e r a b l e e le m e n t i n h i s a ssessment
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One: M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f t h e
a n c i e n t H e b r e w
texts
I t m a y b e
s u g g e s t e d , h o w e v e r ,
t h a t f o r
m a n y n a r r a t i v e
p o r t i o n s
o f t h e O T ,
i n c l u d i n g
E x .
3 2 - 3 4 ,
q u e s t i o n s o f l i t e r a r y
g e n r e a r e o f c o m p a r a t i v e l y l i t t le s i g n i f i c a n c e f o r a r r i v i n g a t
t h e m e a n i n g o f t h e s t o r y , a n d a ss u m e m o r e im p o r t a n c e in
d i s c us s i ons o f t he
s t o r y ' s
o r i g i n s o r h i s t o r i c i t y . O b v i o u s l y o n e
m u s t m a k e s o m e k i n d o f g e n r e a s s e s s m e n t a t t h e o u t s e t , b u t
t h i s is t r u e o f an y l i t e r a t u r e and is no d i f f i c u l t y i f o n e h as been
p r o p e r l y t a u g h t to read
I t
is in t h i s c o n n e c t i o n t h a t
t h e
c u r r e n t l y f a sh i o n a b l e n o t i o n
of
s tory i s o f
a s s i s t a n c e .
O n e o f t h e a d v a n t a g e s o f t h e t e r m
s to ry i s that it is c o n v e n i e n t l y v a g u e a b o u t th e precise n a t u r e
o f
th e
m a t e r i a l
to
w h i c h
it is
a p p l i e d
b u t
f o c u s s e s r a t h e r
o n
t h o s e e l e m e n t s w h i c h b r i n g
a
n a r r a t i v e
t o
l i f e
-
p l o t ,
i r o n y ,
s us pe ns e , c l i ma x , e t c . - a n d w h i c h i n v o l v e t h e r ea d e r i m a g i n -
a t i v e l y
i n t he
m a t e r i a l .
T h e
i m p o r t a n t t h i n g
is to
g r a s p w h a t
i s
b e i n g
s a i d . Q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t r u t h
c o n t e n t ,
process
o f
c o m p o s i t i o n ,
o r
h i s t o r i c a l r e l i a b i l i t y
m a y
i nde e d
b e
a ddre s s e d
to
a s t o r y , a n d s o m e s t o r i e s p o s i t i v e l y i n v i t e s u c h q u e s t i o n s , b u t
t h e y a r e d i s t i n c t f r o m t h e ta sk o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g a n d e n t e r i n g
i n t o w h a t t h e s t o r y i s s a y i n g a n d m a y , i n g e n e r a l , b e l e f t a s i d e
u n t i l th e p r i m a r y t as k o f u n d e r s t a n d i n g h a s be en a c c o m p l i sh e d .
O n e s h o u l d
n o t , h o w e v e r ,
s e p a r a t e th e
q u e s t i o n s
o f
u n d e r -
s t a n d i n g a n d t r u t h t o o s h a r p l y , fo r i t i s o f t e n p r e c i s e l y b y
a p p e a l i n g to a
r e a d e r ' s sense
o f w h a t is t rue to l i f e that th e
s t o r y i nvo l ve s th e r e a d e r in w h a t is be i ng
said
U t i l i z i n g , t h e n ,
th e
n o t i o n
o f
s t o ry
o n e c a n c o n c e n t r a t e i n t h e
f i r s t i n s t a n c e
o n a s t ra i g h t f o r w a r d r e a d i n g o f th e
text
a n d p o s t p o n e e x p l i c i t l y
a d d r e s s i n g th e issue o f t h e precise n a t u r e o f t h e
s to ry ' s
c o n t e n t s .
T o c a r r y o u t s u c h a p r o c e d u r e w i t h E x . 3 2 -3 4 f i t s w e l l w i t h
th e
t e n o r
o f t h e a r g u m e n t so f a r . Fo r m o s t
p e n t a t e u c h a l g e n r e
d i s c u s s i o n s
t e n d
t o b e
c o n c e r n e d w i t h e i t h e r
th e
h i s t o r i c i t y
o r
th e
t ra d i t io - h i s t o r ic a l d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e
m a t e r i a l r a t h e r t h a n
i l l u m i n a t i n g
th e
m e a n i n g
o f
w h a t
is
b e i n g
said
T hi s
m a y b e
seen by b r i e f l y c o n s i d e r i n g t h e t w o m a i n g e n r e c l a s s i f ic a t i o n s
that ha ve be e n s ugge s t e d f o r t h e S i na i m a t e r i a l .
T h e f i r s t c l a s s i f i c a t i on is
that
o f Sage o r l e g e n d . 7 3
A l t h o u g h
th e
n o t i o n
o f
Sage
m a y
direct
one to
aspects
o f
s t o r y - t e l l i n g h i t h e r t o u n a p p r e c i a t e d ,
f o r
e x a m p l e
b y t h e
a p p l i c a t i o n o f O l r i k ' s E p i c L a w s , i n t e r e s t in Sage t e n d s to b e
c o n c e r n e d w i t h
th e
f a c t that
if a
s t o r y
is Sage
t h e n
o n e
m u s t
b e
c a u t i o u s
in
s e a r c h i n g
f o r u n d e r l y i n g
h i s t o r i c i t y ;
fo r
s uc h s t o r i e s
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A t T h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
w i l l
t e n d
to
cons i s t
o f
l a r g e l y
u n h i s t o r i c a l
a c c r e t i o n s
u p o n a
poss ib ly h i st o r ic a l n u c l e u s , a l t h o u g h
th e
d e gr e e
to w h i c h a
Sage
i s c o n s id e r ed u n h i s t o r i c a l m a y v a r y considerably.^
T h e d e s i gn a t i o n o f
cult
l e g e n d h a s a l so be e n su gge s t e d . T h i s
is a p a r t i c u l a r l y s l i p p e r y n o t i o n to g r a s p a n d i s d i sc u ss ed a t
l e n g t h
in ch . 3 . S u f f i c e i t t o say a t
p r e se n t
that
l a n g u a g e a b o u t
a n a r r a t i ve r e f le c t in g a cu l t - f es t iva l in t h e l i f e o f Israel ca n
eas i ly l ead to
c o n f u s i o n
b e t w e e n w h a t th e
text
n o w i s a n d s a y s
a n d w h a t i t o n ce m a y h a v e b e en a n d said. So m e su c h
c o n f u s i o n
m a y perhaps be d i scerned in M o w i n c k e l ' s p i o n e e r in g w o r k o n t he
g e n r e o f t h e S ina i m a t e r i a l
w h e n
h e says ,
C e q u e e t E r a p p o r t e n t c o m m e
recit
d e s e v e n e m e n t s d u
S i n a i n'est a u t r e c ho se q u e l a d e sc r i p t i o n d
1
u n e f e t e
c u l t u e l l e celebree a u n e e p o q u e p l u s recente, p l u s
p r e c i s e m e n t d a n s le t e m p l e d e J e r u s a l e m . 7 *
T h e S ina i n a r r a t i v e is an a c c o u n t o f h a p p e n i n g s a t S i n a i . It is
n o t a d e sc r i p t i o n o f a c u l t i c f e st i v a l i n t h e J e r u s a l e m t e m p l e .
Even i f the constituent e l e m e n t s o f t he narrative w e r e e n t i r e l y
d r a w n f r o m
t h e J e r u s a l e m c u l t , t h i s w o u l d n o t
alter
th e f a c t
that
n o w
t h e y
a re
b e i n g u s e d
to
descr ibe
a
c e r e m o n y
a t
S i n a i ;
that
is w h a t th e
text
is
about.
If M o w i n c k e l w e r e r i g h t , h is v iew
w o u l d h a v e m a n y i m p l i c a t i o n s fo r o n e ' s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e
o r i g i n s a n d
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e text. B u t f o r
u n d e r s t a n d i n g w h a t
th e text n o w i s a n d i s sa y i n g h is
statement
is m i s l e a d i n g .
V on
Rad ' s
d i scuss ion
o f t he
g e n r e ? 6
is
m o r e n u a n c e d t h a n
M o w i n c k e l ' s . H e a r g u e s n o t t h a t t h e n a r r a t i v e i s a n a c c o u n t o f a
post-Sina i cultic c e r e m o n y
b u t
that cultic
practices
h a ve d e e p ly
i n f l u e n c e d th e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e n a r r a t i v e . Ye t f o r a l l t he
c u l t i c i n f l u e n c e s
w h i c h
v o n R a d
d i sc e r n s
in t he
S ina i
p e r i c o p e
a n d
elsewhere in
J,
h e says:
T h e r e i s a w e a l t h o f a n c i e n t c u l t i c m a t e r i a l b u i l t i n t o t h e
w o r k of the J w r i t e r , but it w o u l d be true to say that
t h e r e i s n o t o n e s i n g l e i n s t a n c e in w h i c h th e o r i g i n a l
c u l t i c interest h a s be e n p r e se r ve d . T h e m a n y h i e r o i
l o g o i
h a v e n o l o n g e r t h e f u n c t i o n o f l e g i t i m a t i n g a n d
g u a r a n t e e i n g th e h o l i n e ss o f a n a c t u a l site, n o r h a v e th e
c u l t l e g e n d s
o f
E x o d .
1-14
o r
E x o d . 1 9 f f .
a n d
2 4
r e t a i n e d
th e i r ancient
sacral
p u r p o s e , w h i c h w a s e xc lu s i ve ly
c o n c e r n e d w i t h p r o v i d i n g
th e
bas i s
a n d
s h a p i n g
th e
p a t t e r n
o f a n
a n c i e n t Y a h w i s ti c f e s t i v a l .
T h e
m a t e r i a l s
h a ve be e n historicized : th e i r i n n e r
content h a s
a c t u a l l y
36
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One: M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e rp r e t a t i o n
b een r e m o v e d
b o d i l y
f r o m i t s n a r r o w s a c ra l c o n t e x t i n t o
t h e f r e e r a t m o s p h e r e o f c o m m o n h i st o ry . ?'
7
T h e
r e c o g n i t i o n
o f t h e
h i s t o r i c i z e d n a t u r e
o f t h e
text
an d
o f
t h e f a c t
that
a n y
o r i g i n a l
s a c ra l c o n t e x t h a s r ec e d e d i n t o t h e
b a c k g r o u n d m e a n s t h a t d i s c u s s i o n
o f t h e
Sinai m a t e r i a l
as a
c u l t
l e g e n d w i l l
n e c e s s a r i l y f o c u s
o n t h e
p r e h i s t o r y
o f t h e text
r a t h e r t h a n
on i t s
p r e s e n t
f o r m .
I n s o f a r
as one is
i n t e r e s t e d
in
th e
o r i g i n s
an d
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e
S i n a i t r a d i t i o n s
it is
v a l u a b l e
to ask in
w h a t s e n s e t h e y
m ay b e a
c u l t l e g e n d .
But as
l o n g
as
one i s
concerned w i th
th e basic
task
o f
u n d e r s t an d i n g w h a t
th e
pr esen t
text
i s s a y i n g , s uc h t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l c o n c e r ns m a y b e
a p p r o p r i a t e l y
p o s t p o n e d .
T h e
concept
o f
s t o r y
i s o f
v a l u e
in
h e l p i n g
to r e l e a s e th e
s c h o l a r
f r o m
u n d u e
c o n c e r n w i t h q u e s t i o n s
o f
g e n r e
an d
pre-
h i s t o r y .
But i t w o u l d b e
w r o n g
to
acquiesce
in an
u n d i s -
c r i m i n a t i n g appea l t o s to r y
w h i c h
d o e s n o t d i f f e r e n t i a t e t y p e s
o f
s t o r y
an d
s to r y - te l l ing .
In
p a r t i c u l a r ,
i t is
i m p o r t a n t
t o b e
s e n s i t i v e
t o
d i s t i n c t i v e p e r s p e c t i v e s
w h i c h m a y
m o u l d
t h e
t e l l i n g
o f a
s to r y
an d
especial ly
th e
th eo lo g ica l
per spec t ives
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
o f
m a n y
H e b r e w w r i t e r s .
E x.
32-34,
f o r
e x a m p l e , t h e r e
are m a n y o f t h e
e l e m e n t s
o f
d r a m a t i c s t o r y - t e l l i n g , t h e c la s h o f c o n t r a s t s , t h e c r ea t io n o f
s u s p e n s e ,
t h e u s e o f
c l i m a x , e tc .
In t he
l i g h t
o f these o n e m a y
j u s t i f i a b l y suppose that a d r amat ic pr esen ta t i o n is integral to
t h e s t o r y . Y e t i n t h e m i d s t o f s u c h a n a r r a t i v e t h e r e i s t h e
block o f laws in
34:11-26
w h i c h
f r o m
a l i t e r ar y
perspective
d o
n o t
e n h a n c e
b u t detract f r o m th e
d r a m a
o n t h e
s u m m i t
o f
S ina i .
T h e
f a c t t h a t
th e
w r i t e r
w a s
p r e p a r e d
t o
s a c r i f i c e
th e
p r i n c i -
ples
o f
g oo d s t o r y - t e l l i n g w h e r e
h e
d e e m e d
i t
n e c e s s a r y s h o w s
that h is
p u r p o s e
w a s n o t
s i m p l y ,
o r
even p r i m a r i l y ,
to
te l l
an
i n t e r e s t i n g s t o r y .
H is
c o n c e r n
is p r o f o u n d l y
t h e o l o g i c a l ,
t o d o
w i t h th e
n a t u r e
o f
Y a h w e h
a n d t h e
n a t u r e
a n d
basis
o f Y a h w e h ' s
co venant wi th
Israel.
For such the inclu s io n o f the laws is o f
f i r s t
i m p o r t a n c e .
A g a i n , th e c lear d ep ic t i o n o f a cen t r a l f ig ur e , a h er o , i s
a n o t h e r c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
o f
go o d
s t o r y - t e l l i n g / ̂ i
n O
n e
sense
th i s can be seen in Ex. 32-34 in
that
M o s e s i s the l e a d i n g ,
i n d e e d t h e
o n l y
s i g n i f i c a n t ,
h u m a n
p r o t a g o n i s t t h r o u g h o u t .
T h e
r o l e
o f
M o s e s
as
m e d i a t o r
and
in ter cesso r
is a
c o n s t a n t t h e m e
al l t h r o u g h th e
chapters
a n d t h e closing scene (34:29-35) r ight ly
leaves h im in so le possess ion o f the st ged Y et in t h e mo s t
i m p o r t a n t
part o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e
as a
w h o l e ,
i ts
d r a m a t i c
an d
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
t heo log ica l c l imax,
i t is Y a h w e h
a l one
to
w h o m
a t t e n t i o n i s
d i r e c t e d (33:18-34:9).
Y a h w e h s
s e l f - r e v e l a t i o n
i s the
h i g h l i g h t
o f
th e
n a r r a t i v e .
I t is
r e m a r k a b l e
h o w i n t h e
in tercess ion
o f
M o s e s
( 33 :12-23) ,
a l th o u g h
a t
f i r s t
a l l t h e i n i t i a t i v e s e e m s t o li e
w i t h M o s e s
i n h i s
e f f o r t s b o l d l y
t o w i n a concess ion
f r o m
Y a h w e h ,
y e t a t t he
c u l m i n a t i o n
o f t h e p r a y e r ( 33 :18f f . ) Y a h w e h
c o m p l e t e l y t kes o ve r
a n d
M o s e s
recedes f r o m
v i e w ;
th e
h e r o i c
i n t e r c e s s o r b e c o m e s
t h e
p a s s i v e r e c i p i e n t
(33:22f . ) . W h o
t h e n
i s
th e h e ro , Moses o r Y a h w e h ? T h e a n s w e r i s b o t h . O n e i s c o n -
f r o n t e d i n E x . 32-34 w i t h a f i n e t h e o l o g i c a l b a l a n c e b e t w e e n
th e
h u m a n
a n d t h e
d i v i n e .
T h e
s to r y f u n c t i o n s
c o n s i s t e n t l y o n
b o t h t h e h u m a n a n d d i v i n e l eve l ; i t is the s t o r y o f b o t h G o d a n d
m a n .
O f
c ou rse
h u m a n
a n d
d i v i n e
a re
i n t e r m i n g l e d
i n
m u c h
a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n l i t e r a t u r e .
B u t t h e f i n e
b a l a n c e b e t w e e n
t he two in such a w a y th t th e n a r r a t i v e is f o r c e d o u t o f
c o n v e n t i o n a l l i t e r a r y p a t t e r n s i s a c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o n e m u s t b e
pa r t i c u l a r l y s e n s i t i ve
t o in
t h i s n a r r a t i v e
i f one i s t o do
j u s t ice
t o i t s n u a n c e s a n d p a r t i c u l a r i t ie s .
S U M M A R Y A N D C O N C L U S I O N
A f t e r
t h i s
b r i e f
g e n e r a l o u t l i n e
o f
m e t h o d o l o g i c a l c o n -
s i d e r a t i o n s , a s u m m a r y s t a t e m e n t o f e x e g e t i c a l a p p r o a c h , w i t h
s pe c i a l r e f e r e n c e t o t h e f o l l o w i n g exeges i s o f Ex . 32-34 , may be
o f f e r e d .
F i r s t , i t is c l e a r t h a t s o m e
j u s t i f i c a t i o n
m u s t b e
o f f e r e d
f o r
d e c i d i n g
u p o n
j u s t t h r e e c h a p t e r s a s t he s e c t i o n f o r s t u d y .
U p o n
w h a t
g r o u n d s
m a y t h e y b e tre ted a s d i s t i n c t f r o m t h e i r
s u r r o u n d i n g c o n t e x t ? T h i s d e c i s i o n
i s n o t
ba sed u p o n
t h e
c u s t o m a r y
s o u r c e - c ri t i c a l a n a l y s i s
o f t he
S i n a i
p e r i c o pe .
I t is
i m p o r t a n t t h a t o n e s d e c i si o n s h o u l d , a t
le st
i n i t i a l l y ,
c o n f o r m
t o t h e
d i v i s i o n s t h a t
t h e
t e x t i t s e l f p resen ts .
A s
s u c h t h e r e
c a n
b e n o q u e s t io n t h a t t h e c o n t e n t , s t r u c t u r e a n d s ty l e o f E x .
32-34
a re d i s t i n c t
f r o m
t h a t o f t h e s u r r o u n d i n g m a t e r i a l . A n d a
c o m p a r a t i v e l y s u p e r f i c i a l r e a d i n g o f E x . 32-34 revea l s tha t i t
c o n t a i n s a r o u n d e d , a n d t o
c e r t a i n e x t e n t s e l f - c o n t a i n e d ,
s t o r y . I t is r e a s o n a b l e , t h e r e f o r e , i n t e r m s o f t h e p r e s e n t a t i o n
w i t h i n E x o d u s to tre t E x . 3 2 -3 4 a s a n a r r a t i v e i n i t s o w n r i g h t ,
w h o s e
c o n t e n t s a r e t o b e i n t e r p r e t e d
p r i m a r i l y
i n r e l a t i o n s h i p
t o
t h e m s e l v e s .
A t t h e
s a m e t i m e , h o w e v e r ,
t h e
n a r r a t i v e m u s t
b e
t a k e n
as i t is
p r e s e n t e d
a s a
p a r t
o f a
l a r g e r w h o l e .
O n e
m u s t
c o n s i d e r th e e x e g e t i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e , i n o r d e r o f p r i o r i t y , o f t he
l a r g e r S i n a i c o n tex t , Ex . 19-24 , 25-31 , 35-40; the pre ced in g
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One: Method in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p re t a ti o n
exodus
n a r r a t i v e , E x .
1-18;
th e
larger p e n t a t e u c h a l context;
th e
l i t e r a t u re o f Is r a e l a s a w h o l e ; a n d a n c i e n t N e a r Ea s t e rn
l i t e r a t u r e o f non-Israe l i te o r i g i n .
6 U
H a v i n g
dec ided
upon
th e
co mp a ss
o f
m a t e r i a l u n d e r
considera t ion (a decision subject to poss ib le modif ica t ion in the
l i g h t
o f a f u r t h e r
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
of t he t e x t ) , th e
p r i m a r y
exege t ica l
task is to d e t e r m i n e the m e a n i n g of the
text.
This is
m a i n l y a c h ie v e d t h r o u g h a l i t e r a ry , t h e o l o g ica l a n d h i s t o r i c a l
exegesis
of the
u n i t s
o f
m e a n in g
in
the i r
c o n t e x t .
T he w o r k
o f
t e x t c r i t i c i s m , w h i c h
is a
p r e r e q u i s i t e
o f
exegesis, need
no t be
d iscussed s ince
its
ro le
i s not
c o n t ro v e r s i a l. A d m i t t e d l y n o t a l l text-critical w o r k is pr ior to
exeges i s ,
fo r
so m e t im e s e x e g e t ica l co n s id e ra ti o n s
a re
d e t e r m i n a t i v e fo r t e x t - c r i t i c a l co n c l u s io n s . B u t th is is not of
s i g n i f i ca n ce for t he p resen t d i scuss ion .
T h e
exegesis of th e
text w i l l
b e l i t e r a ry i n
t h a t
i t
w i l l
a t t e m p t
to t a k e s e r io u s l y th e n a r r a t i v e a s a w o r k o f l i t e r a t u r e .
T h e
u n i t y
of the
w o r k w i l l
be
assumed , un t i l shown o t h e r w i s e .
O n e wi l l
a t t e m p t to d i sce rn a plo t o r t h e m e and to d iscover
those e leme n t s w h ich impo se s t ruc tu ra l p a t t e r n on the
m a t e r i a l . L i t e r a r y d e v ic es s uch a s f o r e s h a d o w i n g ,
i r o n y ,
suspense , c l imax , symbol i sm, e tc . wi l l constitute p a r t
of the
n a t u r e
and
m e a n i n g
of the
n a r r a t i v e .
A ll
th is
is in
p r i n c i p l e
s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d . S o me t ime s i t m ay lead later to c o n t r o v e r s y
w ith source-critical interests g iv en the p ossib le role of
a s s u m p t i o n a n d
a l l u s io n o u t l i n e d
above . ̂
S o m e t i m e s ,
as
Lich t observes ,
o n e
w i l l
run the
risk
o f
m i s i n t e r p r e t i n g
a
scr iba l e rror as a de l ibe ra te s ty l i s t ic fea tu re , o r a w k w a r d
e d i t o r i a l m a n i p u l a t i o n s as s t r u c t u r a l f e a t u r e s . O n l y
exper ience
as a
l i t e r a ry
cr i t ic
can
lessen
th e
d a n g e r s .
B u t
even
w h e n o n e d o e s mi s in t e rp re t t e x t u a l d a t a it is s t i l l th e case
that
as L ich t pu t s i t , one i s s t i l l co m m en t in g upon a c t u a l
phenom ena i n an actua l text w h i c h is c e r t a i n l y p r e f e r a b l e to
c o m m e n t i n g upon h y p o t h e t i ca l co n s t ru c t io n s o f one's own .83
The exegesis
w i l l
b e theologica l in
that
th e exegete
w i l l
b e
open
to theo log ica l m ea n in g bo th in the con ten t o f the
n a r r a t i v e
a nd in i t s
p r e s e n t a t i o n . This requires sen sit ivi ty
to the
perspec t ives
an d
e mp h a se s w h ich
m a y b e
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
o f a
theologica l
m i n d .
Fo r
in s t ance ,
th e
tendency
o f
theologica l
l a n g u a g e
to
reso r t
to
p a r a d o x
h a s
a l r e a d y b e e n me n t io n e d .
Theological
exegesis
n a t u ra l l y ru n s th e
s a m e
risk as l i t e ra ry
exeges i s o f
f i n d i n g
s ig n i f i ca n ce w h e re n o n e sh o u l d
b e
f o u n d .
B u t
this is no less than the risk o f den y in g s ign i f icance wh ere it is
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A t T h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
present.
T h e
l i t e r a r y
a n d
t h e o l o g i c a l m e r i t
o f t h e
p e n t a t e u c h a l
n a r r a t i v e s i s u n q u e s t i o n a b l y
great.
In e x e g e s i s i t is p r e f e r a b l e
t h a t t h e r e b e n o b i a s o r e r r o r a t a l l. B u t i f o n e i s t o e r r i t
w o u l d
s e e m t o m e le ss r e p r e h e n s i b l e t o e rr i n t h e d i r e c t i o n o f s e e i n g
to o
m u c h
i n t h e
text, t h a n
in
see ing
to o
little.
T h e
exegesis
w i l l
b e
h i s t o r i c a l
n o t i n t h e sense o f
a t t e m p t i n g
t o r e c o n s t ru c t t h e u n d e r l y i n g h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s b u t i n t h e sense
t h a t
t h e
m e a n i n g a t t r i b u t e d
t o t h e text
m u s t
n o t b e
h i s t o r i c a l ly
a n a c h r o n i s t i c . T h i s w i l l b e o n t h e w h o le s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d , g iv e n
a s o u n d o v e r a l l g ra s p o f th e h i s t o r y o f I sr a e l i n i t s e n v i r o n m e n t ,
b u t
o c c a s i o n a l l y
w i l l b e
c o n t ro v e r s ia l w h e r e
th e
r e s o l u t i o n
o f a n
h i s t o r i c a l p r o b l e m i s a t i s sue . F o r e x a m p l e , o n e c o n t e n t i o n o f
t h e p r e s e n t e x e g e s i s o f E x . 32-34 i s t h a t th e n a r r a t i v e
p r e s u p p o s e s i n s t r u c t i o n s t o b u i l d a m o v a b l e s a n c t u a r y . I t i s t h i s
m o v a b le s a n c t u a r y w h i c h i s r e f e r re d t o w h e n Y a h w e h speaks of
h is presence go ing w i th I srae l (E x . 33 :14 ,16) an d
also
w h e n
M o s e s p r a y s
fo r t he
a c c o m p a n y i n g pre se n c e ( E x .
34:9a). If
such
a m e a n i n g i s t o be h i s t o r i c a l ly v a l i d , th e n th e c o n c e p t o f a
m o v a b l e s a n c t u a r y m u s t
b e
f a m i l i a r
a n d m e a n i n g f u l a t t h e
p e r i o d w h e n th e w r i t e r w a s c o m p o s i n g h is w o r k ( i n s o f a r a s t h i s
c a n b e
d e t e rm i n e d w i t h
a n y
l i k e li h o o d ) . T h i s
does n o t
m e a n
that
t h e r e m u s t a lso
b e a n
a c t u a l h i s t o r i c a l r e f e r e n t
i n t h e
p e r i o d
t h e
n a r r a t i v e
relates.
N o n e t h e l e s s
th e
ve rses w o u l d c o n s t i t u t e
e v i d e n c e , a v a i l a b l e
t o b e
assessed h i s t o r i c a l l y ,
in
f a v o u r
o f
such
a n
actual
m o v a b le s a n c t u a r y .
T h e s e steps o u t l i n e d c o n s t i t u t e t h e p r i m a r y e x e g e t i c a l t a s k
o f a s c e r t a i n i n g
th e
m e a n i n g
o f t h e
text.
A s a
r e s u l t
o f t h e
exeges is
th e exegete
w i l l t u r n
t o a n
i n v e s t ig a t i o n
o f t h e
o r ig i n s ,
p r e h i s t o r y
a n d
c o m p o s i t i o n
o f t h e
text, i n s o f a r
a s t h e
t e x t u a l
d a t a p e r m i t t h i s . T h e r e w i l l
b e
seve ra l goa l s
i n
v i e w .
T h e
f i r s t
w i l l
b e t o a d d a d e pth d i m e n s i o n t o th e r e a d i n g o f t h e
f i n a l
t e x t t h r o u g h d i s c e r n i n g
t h e
u n d e r l y i n g t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
d e v e l o p m e n t w h e r e v e r t h i s i s poss ib l e . Once i t i s accepted that
th e
p r e s e n t text
i s t he
e n d - p o i n t
o f a
process
o f
c o m p o s i t i o n ,
t h e n , w h e t h e r t h e p r o c e s s b e
l o n g
o r s h o r t , i t
w i l l c l e a r l y
a d d
n u a n c e t o o n e 's r e a d i n g t o h a v e s o m e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h i s
process, a n d t o b e a b l e to
locate
th e n a r r a t i v e w i t h i n th e
h i s t o r i c a l e x p e r i e n c e o f
Israel.
T h i s i s
best
a p p r o a c h e d b y
f o c u s s i n g
u p o n
th e g e n r e o f t h e
m a t e r i a l ,
a n d t h u s g a i n i n g a
c l e a r e r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e s o r t o f m a t e r i a l o n e i s d e a l in g w i t h .
S e c o n d l y , t h e p e n e t r a t i o n b e h i n d th e
text
m a y b e p a r t o f a
s t u d y
i n t h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f e a r l y I s r a e l i t e l i t e r a t u r e a n d
t r a d i t i o n s
f o r i t s o w n sake,
w i t h
less
r e g a r d
t o h o w
t h i s
m a y
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One: M e t h o d in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e t a t io n
i l l u m i n a t e
t h e
f i n a l
text.
T h i s
i s p r i m a r i l y t h e
d o m a i n
o f t h e
t e c h n i c a l a r t i c le a n d l ie s b e y o n d t h e s c o p e o f t h e p r e s e n t s t u d y .
T h i r d l y , o n e m a y e n q u i r e i n t o th e h i s t o r i c a l v al u e o f t h e
t r a d i t i o n s
c o n t a i n e d
i n t h e
text.
T h i s
m a y b e
d o n e
f r o m
m o r e
t h a n o n e perspective. I t m a y b e t h e concer n o f t h e h i s t o r i a n
w h o seeks t o
r e c o n s t r u c t
th e
e a r l y h i s t o r y
o f
I s r ae l
f o r i t s o w n
s a k e .
E q u a l l y o n e m a y a p p r o a c h
f r o m
t h e p e r s p e c t i v e o f t h e
class ica l
f o r m
o f b i b l i c a l t h e o l o g y , that i s t he a t l eas t p a r t i a l
d e p e n d e n c e o f t h e o l o g i c a l c o n t e n t u p o n h i s t o r i c a l f a c t u a l i t y .
Such
a d e p e n d e nc e b o t h j u s t i f i e s a n d r e q u i r e s an e n q u i r y i n t o
t h e
n a t u r e
o f t h e
t e x t s o r i g i n s
a n d
d e v e l o p m e n t
a n d a n e n q u i r y
a s t o w h e t h e r s o m e h i s t o r i c a l b a s i s t o t h e text in q u e s t i o n c a n
r e a s o n a b l y
b e m a i n t a i n e d . I f i t a p p e a r s
t h a t
n o h i s t o r i c a l b a s i s
c an
p l a u s i b l y
b e m a i n t a i n e d in t e r m s e i t h e r o f t h e e v i d e n c e o f
th e
s o u r c e s
o r o f t h e
l i t e r a r y genr e , t hen t h i s constitutes
an
i s su e f o r o ne s u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tw e e n
t h e o l o g y
a n d h i s t o r y , a q u e s t i o n
w h i c h
r e q u i r e s separate treat-
m e n t . I t h a s n o t y e t been poss i b l e t o p r oceed t o t h e stage o f
d r a w i n g
c o n c l u s i o n s a b o u t t h e h i s t o r i c a l w o r t h o f t h e t r a d i t i o n s
in E x. 32-34, f o r m u c h p r e l im i n a ry g ro u n d w o r k r e m a i n s t o b e
d o n e . B u t t h e g e n e ra l t e n o r o f th e a r g u m e n t s i n t h i s s t u d y i s t o
a l l o w
a t
least
a
g r e a t e r
o p e n n e s s
t o t h e
p o s s i b i l i t y
o f
d i s c e r n in g
u n d e r l y i n g
h i s t o r i c a l e v e n t s t h a n
i s
o f t e n
t h e case.
T h i s
s t a t e m e n t o f
m e t h o d
a n d
a p p r o a c h , w h i l e p r i m a r i l y
a
j u s t i f i c a t i o n f o r t h e
f o l l o w i n g
t re a t m e n t o f E x. 32-34, a l so goes
f ar b e y o n d t h e s c o p e o f t h e p r e s en t w o r k . F o r w h i l e t h e
exegesis o f t h e text i s
i n t e n d e d
t o be
f a i r l y t h o r o u g h (a lt h o u g h
n u m e r o u s
t e c h n i c a l d e t a i l s w h i c h d o n o t a f f e c t t h e
f l o w
o f t h e
s t o r y a re pas sed over ) , t h e t r e a t m e n t o f t h e s e c o n d a r y
q u e s t i o n s
t o d o
w i th
t h e
s o u r c e s , d e v e l o p m e n t
a n d
h i s t o r i c i t y
o f
t h e
m a t e r i a l c a n n o t c l a i m
t o b e
m o r e t h a n
a
p r e l i m i n a r y
a n d
selective c l ear ing o f t h e g r o u n d , l e a v in g a vast a m o u n t o f
f u r t h e r
w o r k t o be
d o n e .
T h e
p u r p o s e
o f
t h i s s e l e c t i v e
d i s c u s s i o n i s t h r e e f o l d .
F i r s t , i t i s an a t t e m p t t o s h o w th e s o r t o f d i f f e r e n c e
that
i t
may make to preface historical-critical analysis with an
exegesis
o f t h e f i n a l text. W h i l e th e d e m o n s t r a t i o n o f a l i t e r a r y
and t h e o l o g i c al c o h e r e n c e i n t h e f i n a l
text
o b v i o u s l y c a n n o t b e
a l l o w e d
t o p r e j u d g e o r o b v i a t e t h e n e e d f o r p e n e t r a t i o n b e h i n d
t h e text i t e q u a l l y o b v i o u s l y m u s t h a v e s o m e b e a r i n g u p o n t h e
w ay t h i s p e n e t r a t i o n
i s
d o n e , e s p e c i a l l y w h e n
one i s l o o k i n g f o r
s igns
o f t h e
i n c o r p o r a t i o n
o f
d i f f e r e n t sources.
In the
d i scu ss i on
o f w h e t h e r E x. 34
s h o u l d
be seen a s the J p a r a l l e l t o the E
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At The
M o u n t a i n
of God
theoph any /covenan t in E x . 19-20 i t i s a r ha t the
cohe rence and d is t inc t iven ess of Ex. 34 as seen in the
exegesis
r e m o v e
th e
suppor t
fo r
m a n y
of the
a r g u m e n t s c o m m o n l y
a d d u c e d . 8 4 A l t e r n a t i v e l y ,
in the
discussion
of Ex.
33:7-11
a t t en t i on is
d r a w n
to the way in wh ich ana lys i s var i es accord ing
to how far contex t i s a l low ed to d e t e r m ine
m e a n i n g . ^ ^
T h e
discussion i s t ry ing no t s imply to re so l ve ou t s t and i ng p rob l e m s
but also to
show
how the reso lu t ion one proposes may be
i n f luenced by the a s s u m p t i o n s i m p l ic i t in the way one tackles
th e qu es t i o n .
Se cond ly , t h i s s t ud y a t t e m pt s t o re cons i d e r q ue s t i ons w or t h y
of re cons i d e ra t i on
in
themse lves , even though
th e
t e x t ua l
exegesis
m a y
h a v e
only
i n d i r e c t b e a r i n g
upon
t h e m .
T h e
cul t
l egend hypothes i s , fo r example , a l though wide ly he ld , has never
received s u f f i c i e n t c l a r i f i c a t i o n . T h e p r o b i n g of the a s s u m p -
tions
of the
hypothesis
is not
dependent upon
the exegesis of
th e p re ce d i ng ch ap t e r . Yet the
exegesis
sti l l h as som e be a r i ng
upon
th e hypothesis by insist ing that th e
postulated
complex
t rad i t i o -h i s t o r i ca l d e ve l opm e n t shoul d take in to account
th e
l i t e ra ry and theological coherence of the f ina l product .
A l t e r n a t i v e l y ,
t h e a rg um e n t s fo r t h e an t i q u i t y o f t h e t r ad i t i on
in
E x .
32:1-6
are
qui t e independent
of the
exegesis,
apart f rom
th e fact t h a t i t w a s the
r ea l i z a t i o n
t h a t
th e plura l
these
a re
your
e loh im in 32:4 w as
most l ike ly dependent upon
its
context
and not on 1 K i ng s 12:28
t h a t
p r o m p t e d th e e n q u i r y in the f i r s t
place. In genera l i t m ay be said
that
w h i l e th e l i t e ra ry and
theological co herence of Ex.
32-34
of i tse l f says no th ing abo ut
th e
a n t i q u i t y
an d
d e v e l o p m e n t
of i ts
t rad i t ions ,
it is
none the less
a latent, an d
som e t i m e s po t e n t , f ac t o r
in
d i scuss ions about
these
fac tors . For one m us t be ab le to show not
only
h ow, i n t h e
l i g h t of the
evidence
of the
text,
th e
n a r r a t i v e
m a y b e
composed
from d i f f e r e n t
e l e m e n t s
f rom d i f f e r e n t
per iods ,
b u t
also
h ow these
d i ve r se e l e m e n t s h a ve be e n m ou l d e d i n t o
a
coh e re n t w h o l e . T h i s w i ll be no easy task.
Final ly ,
it
wi l l
be noted
that m u c h
of the
a r g u m e n t a t i o n
is
s o m e w h a t n e g a t i v e , w i t h m o r e stress
on
s h o w i n g
th e
i n a d e q u a c y
of com mo nly-advanced a rgum ents than on rep lacing the m wi th
pos i tive a l t e rna t ive s . Th i s is pa r t l y to clear th e g r o u n d . B ut
a l though
demol i t ion
is
easier
than
cons t ruc t ion ,
construct ion
is
u l t i m a t e l y m o r e i m p o r t a n t
and so i t is
u n s a t i s f a c t o r y
to
l eave
the
matter
there. Some tentative proposals are t h e re fo re
a d v a n c e d
as to the sort of
d i rec t ion
that
f u r t h e r s tu d y m i g h t
take. But the lack of more thorough proposals
does
not s i m p l y
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One : M e thod in N a r r a t i v e I n t e r p r e ta t i o n
r e s u l t
f r o m
t h e e x i g e n c i e s o f space. I t
also
r e s u l t s
f r o m
a
g r o w i n g
une a se
as to t he
a b i l i t y
o f o u r
m o d e r n c r i t i c a l too l s
to
p e r f o r m
th e
task they
a r e
e m p l o y e d f o r . T h a t
i s , t he
p r o l o n g e d
s t u d y
o f t h e
c o n t e n t s
o f E x .
32-34
h a s
l e f t t h i s
r e a d e r
a t
l e a s t
w i t h a g r o w i n g sense o f t h e ir i m p e n e t r a b i l i t y . T h i s is not to say
that
th e
c h a p t e r s c o n s t i t u t e
a k i n d o f
s e a m le s s
r o b e f o r they d o
n o t , a l t h o u g h th e s e a m s a r e f e w e r t h a n is c o m m o n l y t h o u g h t .
B ut it is to w o n d e r w h e t h e r th e text r e a l l y a f f o r d s s u f f i c i e n t
e v i d e n c e f o r t h e
k i n d
o f t h o r o u g h g o i n g c r i t i c a l a n a l y s i s
t h a t
is
c u s t o m a r i l y
a t t e m p t e d .
Th i s is no t to d e n y
that
d i v e r s e s o u r c e s
a n d
t r a d i t i o n s
m a y
u n d e r l ie
th e text but i t i s to ask
w h e t h e r
w e
a re
s t i l l
in a
pos i t i on
to
r e c o v e r t h e m
a n d d o
m o r e t h a n p o i n t
to
poss ib l e h in t s o f the i r
p r e s e n c e .
N o d o u b t n u m e r o u s su ch
a n a l y s e s w l l c o n t i n u e t o b e p r e s e n t e d . B u t t h e r e a r e t i m e s
w h e n
i t m a y
p e r h a p s
b e
best
to say W e
jus t
d o n o t
k n o w .
4 3
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Chapter
2
A N E X E G E S I S O F E X . 32-34
W e
m ay
t u r n
now to a
pract ica l de m on st ra t io n
of the exe-
getical approach advocated. E x. 32-34 wil l be interpreted as a
l i terary narrat ive, meaningfu l in itself. Discussion of genre and
prehistory wil l
be
postponed
to
subsequent chapters .
S ince a t t e n t i o n is
being
directed to the
f inal
form of the
text
t he non -spec i f i c t e rm the w r i t e r
wil l
be used for con-
venience throu g ho ut . This is not in tended to beg ques t ions of
composit ion and redact ion, but s imply to postpone them on the
grounds that such questions
are not part of the
p r i m a r y
task of
i n t e rp re ta t ion .
In the
course
of the
exegesis reference will also
be
m a d e
to
other par t s of Exodus as presupposed by Ex .
32-34.
For it is
consistent to treat the book as a whole as an enti ty in i ts own
right.
A g a i n
it
m u s t
be
stressed
that
this
exegesis
of the
f i n a l
form
of the
text
is not
intended
to
pre judge
the
his tor ical-
critical ques t ions
which
m ay b e raised.
N a r r a t i v e Presupposi t ions
in Ex .
32-34
O ne
of the principles of interpretation outlined above is that
one m u s t be open to things which a wri te r did not make explicit
because he assumed them . In i t ia l ly , there fore , i t is approp r ia te
to specify those presupposi t ions
which
m ay plausibly be seen to
under l ie the
wr i t e r ' s t r ea tment
of his
s tory
in Ex .
32-34.
A
prolonged study of the story has suggested four part icular
assumptions which can i l luminate the reading of the text. T he
ju s t i f i ca t ion for these a s sumpt ions will lie in the i r heur is t ic
va l ue in the sub sequen t r ead ing of the text.
Fi r s t , E x. 32-34 presupposes the substance o f Ex . 19-24. That
is,
Y a h w e h , h a v i n g b ro u g h t
the
people
of
Israel
out of
E g y p t
and
led
them to Sinai, has
there entered
into a new and formal
relat ionship with t h e m . * A t t h e heart of this new relat ionship
stands the
g iv ing
of the decalogue, a revelat ion of the ch ar-
acter o f
Yahweh
and the m o r a l and rel ig ious basis of the
f u t u r e
l ife
of the people. In ad ditio n to this a selection of laws pro -
vides
in
greater detail than
the
decalogue
the
paradigmat ic
basis
for the
just
and
orderly l i fe
of
the newly-const i tuted
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T w o :
A n Ex eg es i s o f E x o d u s 3 2 -3 4
p e o p l e
o f
Y a h w e h .
T h e
p e o p l e h a v e t h e n a c c e p t e d the i r ro le
a s
th e exc lus ive people o f Y a h w e h .
T h e s e c o n d p r e s u p p o s i t i o n
i s t h a t
a f t e r
th e
c o v e n a n t r a t i f i -
ca t io n c e r e m o n y i n E x . 2 4 , t h e p e o p l e w e r e i n p r i n c i p l e r e a d y t o
m o v e
o f f
f r o m
S i n a i t o t h e l a n d w h i ch Y a h w e h
w o u ld
g i v e t h e m
w h e r e t h e y w o u l d l i v e a s h i s p e o p l e . A l r e a d y i n E x . 23 , a f t e r th e
l a s t o f t h e d e t a i l e d l a w s i n v . 1 9 , a t t e n t i o n s h i f t s t o t h e f u t u r e
j o u r n e y i n g s o f th e p eop le o f I s r ae l an d th e i r c on s eq u en t
occu
p a t i o n
o f t he l a n d w h i ch Y a h w e h i s
g i v i n g
t h em ( v v . 2 0 - 3 3 ) .
A s th e people a re r e a d y to l e a v e S in a i , th ey wi l l n e e d certain
t h i n g s
a s they j o u r n e y o n . T w o s u c h t h i n g s i n p a r t i c u l a r a r e
a s s u m e d i n E x . 3 2 - 3 4 . T h e f i r s t
a r i s e s f r o m
the fac t t h a t ,
a l t h o u g h
th e
people
a r e to l e a v e th e
p l ace w h e r e t h e i r c o m m i t -
m e n t to Y a h w e h w a s m a d e , t h e r e i s to be a p e r m a n e n t r e m i n d e r
o f i t s m e a n i n g a n d s i g n i f i c a n c e . W h e n th e c o v e n a n t r a t i f i c a t i o n
is c o n c l u d e d , Y a h w e h s a y s t o M o s e s that h e
w i l l
g iv e h im t a b l e s
o f
s t o n e
w h i c h w i l l c o n t a i n th e l aws ju s t g iv en (24:12) . T h e
r e c o r d i n g o f t h e c o m m a n d m e n t s w i l l g i v e t h e m a p e r m a n e n t
v a l i d i t y . A s L . A l o n s o
Schokel
p u t s i t ,
A c c o r d i n g
to a n c i e n t c u s t o m , th e w r i t i n g o f a c o n t r a c t
c o n f e r r e d
on i t a
j u r i d i c a l
s t a t u s
. . .
T h u s
th e
w r i t i n g
o f a
text i s no t m e r e l y th e g r a p h i c n o t a t i o n o f w h a t is spoken :
i t i s a new act c o n s t i t u t i v e a n d
m e a n i n g f u l ,
w h i c h m a k e s
a w o r d in t o a j u r i d i ca l i n s t r u m e n t , a n i m m u t a b l e n o r m , o r
a
w i t n e s s
f o r t h e
f u t u r e . 2
It m a y b e sugges ted t h a t th e t a b l e s o f the l aw are to be
seen
a s
in s o m e w a y a n a l o g o u s i n s i g n i f i c a n c e t o t h e
s t o n e
o f w i t n e s s
erected b y J o s h u a a t Shechem ( J o s h . 24:26f . ) .
F i n a l l y ,
b e c a u s e
th e
r e l a ti o n s h i p b e t w e e n Y a h w e h
a n d
I s rael
h a s n o w b ee n r e g u l a r i z e d a nd se t o n a f o r m a l bas is , a n e w ^
s y m b o l o f Y a h w e h s p r e s e n c e a m o n g t h e p e o p l e i s n e e d e d . T h i s
is
to be a
p o r tab le s h r in e .
T h e
p r e s e n c e
o f
Y a h w e h a m o n g
h is
p eop le is a
c e n t r a l
c on c er n i n the OT.^ S in c e , a t least i n the
e a r ly p e r i o d , Y a h w e h s p r e s e n c e w a s n o t s o mu c h c on c e iv ed
a b s t r a c t l y
a s c o n n e c t e d w i t h s o m e v i s i b l e s y m b o l o r m a n i f e s t -
a t i o n
(cf . e .g . N u m . 5:3, 10:35f. ,
2
Sam. 7:6) ,
a n d
s i n ce Y a h w e h s
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h I s r a e l
h a s
been
s e t
u p o n
a
p e r m a n e n t
a n d
r e g u l a r b a s is , s o m e p e r m a n e n t s y m b o l o f Y a h w e h s
p r e s e n c e
a m o n g
I s rael
i s now
a p p r o p r i a t e .
I t i s the ark and
tabernacle
( E x . 2 5 - 2 7 ) wh ic h u l i l t h i s role.
5
W i t h
a
k n o w l e d g e
o f
t h e se p r e s u p p o s i t i o n s ,
i t is now
possible
to t u r n t o the i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f E x . 32-34 .
4 5
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
Ex. 32:1-6
T h e o p e n i n g p a r a g r a p h sets th e
scene
a n d desc r ibes th e s in o f
A a r o n a n d t h e
people.
T h e t r u c u l e n t m o o d of the people is
c o n v ey ed b y t h e i r e m p h a t i c i m p e r a t i v e to A a r o n , U p , m a k e u s
^
e
loh i m ,
a n d b y t h e t h r e a t e n i n g i m p l i c a t i o n s o f t h e
e x p re s s i o n to g a t h e r to ( q h l
c
l,
c f . N u m . 16:3, 20:2). T h e
people
exert
p r e s s u r e u p o n A a r o n .
A l t h o u g h Ex . 32
stresses
A a r o n ' s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y for the c a l f , the
people
are im p l i c a t e d
too.6 The ra p i d succession o f ve rbs in v . 6 expresses th e
restless a n d orgiastic nature o f t he proceedings. ̂ A c a l f ̂ i s
m a d e , 9
a n d t h e
p eo p le w o r s h i p b e f o r e
it 10 - a n a c t
r e g a rd e d
in
later times
( a s
indeed
i n t he
p re s e n t
text, a s
w i l l
b e
s e e n )
as the
p a r a d i g m
o f a p o s t a s y . i l
T h e p r o b l e m
arises
o u t o f t h e p ro l o n g e d
absence
o f M o s es o n
t h e m o u n t a i n . T h e p eo p le 's r e q u e s t f o r
'
e
l o h i m
o n t h e g r o u n d s
that M o s e s
h a s n o w
d i s a p p e a r e d
i s
n o t a b l e
in that i t
i m p l i e s
that
the '
e
lohim are a replacement, in some
sense,
for Moses.
A s i m i l a r i m p l i c a t i o n
c a n b e
seen
in t he
p a r a l l e l i s m
o f v .
I b B
w i t h v .
4b:
v .
1.
... T h i s M o s e s , t h e m a n w h o b r o u g h t u s u p o u t o f t h e
l a n d
of
E g y p t ...
v.
4.
... Here are
y o u r ^
e
lohim,
O Israel, who
b r o u g h t
yo u up ou t o f the l a n d o f E g y p t .
A
s im i l a r an t i t h e s i s i n v v . 7 -8 a ls o p o in t s t o t h e s u p p l a n t i n g o f
M o s e s
b y t h e '
e
lohim.
T h a t the ^
e
l o h i m a r e a s u b s t i t u t e fo r Moses need n o t i m p l y
that Moses h imse l f had been to the
people
as an '
e
l o h T m . l 2
T w o
p o i n t s , r a t h e r ,
a re
clear.
T h e
f i r s t
i s
that M o s e s
i s t he o n e
w h o u n i q u e l y
mediates
Y a h w e h ' s guidance and leadership to the
people.
I t i s in and
t h r o u g h M o se s that Y a h w e h
is
k n o w n
an d h i s
sav ing deeds e x p e r i e n c e d . The second is that the calf is a chal-
l enge to M o s e s ' l e ad e r s h ip ; it is a r i v a l m e a n s o f m e d i a t i n g
Y a h w e h ' s p resence to t he people. I t i s s i g n i f i c a n t that b o t h
these ideas w i l l b e p icked u p a g a i n i n t h e c l o s i n g scene o f the
n a r r a t i v e ,
34:29ff . ;
M o s e s , w i t h
h i s s h i n i n g
f a c e ,
i s t h e m a n
t h r o u g h w h o m God ' s g l o ry
is
seen,
a n d t he u s e o f
qeren (34:29,
30,35) echoes
th e
ca l f
a n d
sugges t s that M o s e s
is to the
people
w h a t
the calf had been
i n t e n d e d
to
be.
13
w i t h
this use of the
M o s e s t h e m e a t b e g i n n i n g a n d e n d t h e w r i t e r constructs a n
i nc lu s io f o r t h e n a r r a t i v e .
A l t h o u g h th e
cal f
f u n c t i o n s a s a
c h a l l e n g e
to
M o s e s ,
th e
p a r a l l e l i s m
i s n o t
exact,
n o r
does
i t
b e g i n
to
e x h a u s t
th e
ca l f ' s
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Two:
A n
Exegesis
of
Exo dus 32-34
s i g n i f i c a n c e .
For i t
s eems c lea r tha t
th e
c a l f
w a s
a c t u a l l y
in tended a s a s y m b o l of the d i v i n e p resence in a m o r e r e a l a n d
d i r e c t
w a y
than Moses could
be .
T h a t
the
c a l f
w a s
seen
a s a
r e a l e m b o d i m e n t
o f the
d iv ine
presence
is
i n d i c a t e d
by v. 5
( ha g
l yhwh) , a n d also the de s igna t ion a s _ ^ l o h _ i m in vv . 1 , 4 , 8 . ^
n
vv. 4f . the a c c l a m a t i o n o f the c a l f a s the d i v i n e a g e n t o f the
e x o d u s m a y se em s l i gh t l y d i s c o r da n t w i th th e c o n c e r n f o r
h a v i n g
^
e
5h i m to go b e f o r e the people . But the poin t is to
es tabl ish a c o n t i n u i t y b e tw e e n the people s pas t exper ience a n d
th is n ew r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f the d e i t y . T h e calf does n o t r e p r e -
s e n t a n y n e w god , but is i den t ica l w i th th e one , that is Y a h w e h ,
w ho h a s b r o u g h t the people to
S ina i
a n d e n te r e d i n to a r e l a t i o n -
ship
w i th the m
on the
basis
o f
w h i c h
he
w i l l
c o n t i n u e
to go
w i th
t h e m
in
f u t u r e .
I t m a y b e
s i g n i f i c a n t t h a t
th e
o n l y p r e v i o u s
usage o f the phrase in v . 4 f . is in the p r e a m b l e to the d e c a l o g u e
in
Ex. 20:2 (echoed also in
29:46).
If the shout is taken as a
d e l i b e r a t e r e m i n i s c e n c e o f 20:2, ̂ t h i s suppor t s th e v i e w t h a t
th e
pe o p l e w e r e c o n c e r n e d
to
a f f i r m
th e
c o n t i n u i t y b e tw e e n
th e
ca l f
a n d
Y a h w e h
the G od of the
exodus
w h o h a d
revea led h im -
self
a t S ina i .
O n e
f u r t h e r
a spec t
o f the
ca l f l ies
in
some no tab le pa ra l l e l s
between 32:1-6 a n d 25:1-9, th e p r e l i m i n a r y
d i r e c t ion s
fo r b u i l d -
ing
t he a rk and
t a b e r n a c l e .
In
25 : 1 - 9 Y a hw e h p r o v i de s
t h a t a
s y m b o l
o r veh ic le o f his presence sh ou ld be c o n s t r u c t e d ou t o f
o f f e r i n g s f r o m th e people, w i l l i n g ly c o n t r i b u t e d , a n d c o n t a i n i n g
gold a n d o the r prec ious subs tances . T h e c o n s t r u c t i o n should
fol low
h is
s pe c i f i c a t i o n s
a nd so he
w i l l d w e l l a m o n g
th e
people
(25:9).
In c h . 32 ,
a l t h o u g h t h e y
a re no t
o b e y i n g
the
c o m m a n d s
in
E x. 25 , the people do
w i l l i n g l y
o f f e r o r n a m e n t s o f gold (32:3).
A a r o n ,
r e p r e s e n t a t i v e
o f
Moses (and
also
designated
a s
pr ies t ,
28:1
f f . ) ,
and so in a posi t ion to ac t w i t h Y a h w e h s a u t h o r i t y ,
f a sh ions t he ob jec t w h i c h i s t he n i n t e r p r e t e d a s c o n v e y i n g the
d i v i n e
p resence (32:4b,5b) . T h e c a l f t hus f un c t i o n s n o t o n l y a s a
para l le l to Moses , b u t also to the a r k / t a be r n a c l e . T hes e t wo a r e
n ot i n c o m p a t i b l e fo r Y a hw e h s p re s e n c e is m e d i a t e d in m o r e
ways than one .
It is c lear t h a t a l t h o u g h the ca l f is i n t e n de d a s a s y m b o l o f
Y a h w e h ,
this
is to be
u n d e r s t o o d
a s a
gro tesque parod y. This
is
m ad e m ost c lear by the u se of
Riorum
w i th p lura l ve rb and
demons t ra t ive in 32 :1 ,4 ,8 . For i t i s cus tomary in the OT to
convey a pagan unders tanding o f de i ty by the use o f ^lohim
w i t h a p l u r a l v e r b , as in , for e x a m p l e , 1 Sam. 4:8, the w o r d s in
th e
m o u t h
o f the
P h i l i s t i n e s ,
o r
G e n . 2 0 :13 , A b r a h a m s w o r d s
to
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At the M o u n t a i n of God
th e
P h i l i s t i n e k i n g , p e r h a p s
o u t o f
d e f e r e n c e
to
A b i m e l e c h ' s
presum ed po ly the i s t i c v iews . Th is i s no t indeed the o n l y
s i g n i f i -
cation
o f
^ l o h i m
wi th p lura l ve rb or predicate. In
several
contexts,
e.g., G en . 35:7, D eu t. 4:7, 2 Sa m . 7:23, an y pa g an im-
p l i c a t i ons w o u l d be ou t o f
place.'°
But in the presen t con tex t
th e i n t e n t i on is clear. When the present phrase is u s e d w i t h o u t
p o l emi c a l i n t e n t , a s i n N e h . 9:18, i t can be used wi t h a n
o r d i n a r y
s i n g u l a r v e r b . This p a g a n i m p l i c a t i o n is best conve ye d
in Eng l i sh by the r e n d e r i n g god . For i t is not p l u r a l i t y o f gods
bu t
a
f a l s e conce p t i on
of the one God
th a t
the
w r i t e r
is
con -
veying.^
Th e wh o le a ccoun t
o f
32:1-6
can
t h u s
be
seen
a s
h e a v i l y
ironic.
This
is
clearest
in the
jux t a pos i t i on
o f
32:1-6 with
25:1-9.
N o t o n l y is th e re i r o n y h e r e bu t a l so theo log ica l r e f l ec t ion o n
t h e na tu r e o f s i n . Th e pe op l e wa n t a sy m b o l o f
Yahweh ' s pres-
ence.
In the i r impa t ience they dem an d a n d m a k e fo r themselves
w h a t Y a hw e h ha s a l r e a d y ma d e p rov i s i on fo r and i s a b o u t to
g i v e t h e m .
W h a t A a r o n and the
people
do is in
m a n y w a y s
s i m i l a r to w h a t Y a h w e h h a s speci f ied . Y et
because
they push
a h e ad w i t h o u t w a i t in g
fo r
Y a h w e h ' s d i r e c t i ons t h rough M ose s
th e i r work
is but a
p a r o d y w h i c h ,
fa r f r o m
a s s u r i n g
Y a hw e h ' s
presence
a n d
a c c o m p a n i m e n t , s i m p l y f o r f e i t s
i t .
L i k e w i s e
th e
people's attempt
to a f f i r m th e id e n t i ty of the ca l f w i th Y ahw eh
by echo ing Ex . 20 :2 i s to be seen a s a pa ro dy of the t ru e na tu re
an d purpose s o f Y a h w e h .
Fina l ly it is w o r t h n o t i n g the request for a god that wi l l g o
ahead of the peop le
( Ipnynw ) .
In the presen t con tex t it is j u s t
a ge ne r a l r e que s t f o r d i v i n e l e a d e r sh ip . La t e r i n t h e na r r a t i ve a
pa r t i cu l a r s i gn i f i c a nce accrues to the n o t i o n o f go ing a h e a d ; the
an ge l w ho goes a head
( Ipny,
33:2, cf . 23:20,23) beco m es an in-
a d e q u a t e s u b s t i t u t e f o r Y a h w e h in the m id s t (33:3,5) . Bu t the
d i f f e r e n c e
be tween
ahead an d in the
mid s t o n ly be com e s
s ign i f ican t in the context o f Y a h w e h 's j u d g m e n t o n Israel's s in
w h e n o r d i n a r y c o n d i t i o n s d o n o t p e r t a i n . It s h o u l d no t be r e a d
back in to 32:1 . One may perhaps say that 32:1 in t roduces a
m o t i f in
an t ic ipa t ion
of i ts later
s ign i f icance . Forms
o f
p n y m / p n y a r e a l so o f impor t a nce i n Ex .
32-34,
a nd a t a pu re ly
v er b a l leve l 32:1 in t roduces
these.
E x.
32:7-14
The second pa ra g ra ph , 32:7-14 , p resen t s
a
d r a m a t i c c o n t r a s t
to the f i r s t . T he t h e m e o f
contrast
b e t w e e n w h a t h a p p e n s o n
th e m o u n t a in , w h e r e th e d i v i n e perspective is seen, a n d w h a t
48
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Two:
A n Exegesis of Exo dus
32-34
happen s
down
b e l o w , w h e r e h u m a n
sin and
wea knes s
is
ev i den t ,
f o r m s
a n i mp o r t a n t p a r t o f t h e l i t e r a r y
s t r u c t u r e
of the
ch a p t e r .
1 ^
T he pa ragraph a l so in t roduces the t h e m e of Moses
as
intercessor,
and
provides
a
theological
f r a m e w o r k
for the
su b seq u en t
n a r r a t i v e .
T he
w o r d s
o f Y a h w e h in vv. 7-10
fa l l into
tw o pa r t s . In vv.
7-8 he
c o m m a n d s M o s e s
to
descend
f r o m th e
m o u n t a i n
an d
describes
th e
people's
sin,
w h i l e
vv . 9-10
r eco un t Y a h w eh ' s
reaction to the sin and w h a t he wi l l do w i th th e
people.
The use
of
a second in t roductory
f o r m u l a
(v. 9a)
w i t h i n
the same speech
func t ions
to
s ignal
th e
s h i f t
o f content.^
Y ah weh ' s
c o m m a n d to Moses to descend is s o m e w h a t
brusque ly
exp r es s ed , r e f l ec t i ng
th e
u r g e n c y
of the
s i tua t ion
a n d
the sha t te r ing of the
calm
on the
m o u n t a i n
that h ad existed
h i t h e r t o . 20
T he
s i tua t ion
is that th e
people
h as
acted
sin-
fully J h _ t ,
Pi.)
and quickly turned aside f rom the way (drk)
...
T he
word derek
in the OT
character i s t ica l ly re f er s
to
Y a h w e h 's
c o m m a n d m e n t s and the
p r o c l a ma t i o n
of h is w i l l
wh i ch
pre-
scribes the w ay of
l i fe
for his
people.
It is in this
sense t h a t
it is
used h e r e ,
2
* and so
points
to the sin as
b e i n g
a
t ransgress ion
of
th e
laws already given
a t
Sinai,
in
part icular
th e
f i r s t
tw o
c o m m a n d m e n t s of the
decalogue
(cf.
E x .
20:4a, 20:23).
Al though
o ne mi gh t a r gue
that
Israel 's s in w as on ly aga inst the second
c o m m a n d m e n t ,
2 2
the p roh ib i t ion o f ido la t ry , i t i s l ike ly
t h a t
for
th e w r i t e r th e f i r s t tw o c o m m a n d m e n t s w e r e r eg a rd e d as in
practice inseparable.
2
^
Such
a
close connection betwe en
the
f i r s t
tw o c o m m a n d m e n t s is most clear ly vis ible in Deutero-
n o m y ,
especial ly
in
D e u t . 6-11.
2
̂ This l inkage need
not be
label led as speci f ica l ly
d e u t e r o n o m i c
for there i s no ev idence
of
any
other
O T
w r i te r
w h o
w o u l d
have disagreed
an d
m a d e
an y
s h a r p separa t ion betw een the two co m m a n d m e n ts .
2
^
T he des i gna t i o n of the people as s t if f - necked , which f o r m s
the
basis
fo r Y a h w e h ' s
anger
and
j udgment , i n t r o duces
one o f
the key
m o t i f s
2 6
o f
32-34
(cf.
33:3,5,
34:9),
which
wi l l be
dis-
cussed
at 34:9.
T he
p r o b l em which 32:7-14 deals with
is
w h e t h e r
or not
I s rael ,
in the
l i g h t
o f
thei r
sin, can
co n t i nue
to be the
people
o f
God. The way in which i t is resolved is important for the
n a r r a t i v e o f 32-34 as a w h o l e .
Y a h w e h
s e e m s to repudia te th e
people
by
r e f e r r i n g
to
them before Moses
as 'Vour
people
(
c
a m m
e
k a , v. 7) w h o m
yo u b r o u g h t
up
(he
ce
leta)
2
'
o r
else
as
th is people , a des ig na t ion w hich f r e q u e n t l y ca r r i es hos t i l e
o v e r t o n e s .
2
^
Moses responds
to
th i s
by
p l ea d i ng
th e
fact
t h a t
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A t t h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
I s r a e l i s Y a h w e h ' s p e o p l e , t h y p e o p l e (
c
a m m
e
k a , v v .
1 1 , 1 2
w h o m ' y t h o u d i d s t b r i n g ( h o s e ' t a )
o u t o f
E g y p t . T h a t t h i s
v a r i a t i o n
i n s u f f i x e s i s s i g n i f i c a n t ̂ i s i n d i c a t e d b y t h e c lo s i n g
w o r d
o f t h e
p a r a g r a p h
t o h i s
p e o p l e ( I
e c
a m m 6 )
w h i c h
th e
w r i t e r u s e s t o i n d i c a t e Y a h w e h ' s
a c c e p t a n c e
o f M o s e s
1
p l e a .
Y a h w e h accepts t h a t I s r a e l
i s h i s
p e o p l e
a n d s o n o t t o b e
d e s t r o y e d o r cast o f f .
T h e
t h e o l o g i c a l b a s i s
fo r
t h i s acceptance
o f
I s r a e l
b y
Y a h w e h
i s
p r e s e n t e d
a s
l y i n g
w i t h i n th e c h a r a c t e r o f Y a h w e h h i m s e l f , a
t h e o l o g i c a l t r u t h w h i c h i s l a t e r d e v e l o p e d a s t h e f u n d a m e n t a l
m e s s a g e o f t h e w h o l e s t o r y ( c f . 3 3:1 9, 34:6f . ,9) . I t i s r e m a r k a b l e
t h a t
a t t h e
s a m e t i m e
a s
Y a h w e h a n n o u n c e s
h i s j u d g m e n t o f t h e
p e o p l e ,
h e
m a k e s
h i s
a c t i o n
i n
s o m e
w a y
d e p e n d e n t
o n t h e
a g r e e m e n t o f M o s e s - N o w t h e r e fo r e l e t m e a l o n e t h a t . . . I
m a y c o n s u m e t he m - a n d s o p a r a d o x i c a l l y l ea v e s o p e n a
p o s s i b l e
e s c a p e . T h i s p a r a d o x i n n o w a y d i m i n i s h e s th e
s e r i o u s n e s s
o f t h e
s i t u a t i o n
o r t h e
r e a l i t y
o f t h e
w r a t h
a n d
j u d g m e n t
i n c u r r e d , 3 0
5
ut
r e f l e c t s r a t h e r t h e c h a r a c t e r o f
Y a h w e h a s a G o d b o th o f j u d g m e n t a n d o f
m e r c y .
F u r t h e r , t h i s
p o s s i b l e w a y o f escape i s d e v e l o p e d in 32:10 b y Y a h w e h m a k i n g
a p r o m i s e to M o s es a l m o s t i d e n t i ca l i n w o r d i n g t o t h e o r i g i n a l
p r o m i s e to
A b r a h a m
i n
Gen . 12 :3 .
Gen. 12:3: w
e
e
c
eska
l
e
g o y
g a d o l
E x. 32:10:
we ece
se
h
6t
e
ka l
e
g o y g a d o l
Y a h w e h ' s f a i t h f u l n e s s t o h i s p r o m i s e , t o w h i c h M o s e s a p p e a l s i n
v . 1 3 ,
b e c o m e s
th e
rea son
w h y
Y a h w e h s p a r e s
th e
peop le :
a n d
t h i s t h e m e
o f
p r o m i s e
i s
i n t r o d u c e d
b y
Y a h w e h h i m s e l f .
T h e f a i t h f u l n e s s o f Y a h w e h a s t h e b a s is f o r m e r c y i s f u r t h e r
d e v e l o p e d i n t h e c o u r s e o f
M o s e s '
in t e r ce s s i o n . N o w h e r e d o es
M o s e s
e x cu s e o r m i t i g a t e w h a t t h e p e o p l e h a v e d o n e , b u t
b a s e s
h is a p p e a l e n t i r e l y
o n t h e
c h a r a c t e r
a n d
p u r p o s e s
o f
Y a h w e h , 3 1 t h e G o d w h o b r o u g h t th e p e o p l e o u t o f E g y p t (v .
1 1 ) , t h e G o d w h o s e r e p u t a t i o n i s a t s t a k e (v . 1 2 ) , t h e G o d w h o
h a s m a d e p r o m i s e s to h i s p e o p l e (v . 13 ) . In v . 13 M o s e s a p p e a l s
t o b o t h th e m a i n e l e m e n t s o f Y a h w e h ' s p a t r i a r c h a l p r o m i s e s ,
b o t h d e s c e n d a n t s
a n d
p o s s e s s i o n
o f
l a n d ,
a n d
a l so u se s
th e
s p e c i a l
n a m e I s r ae l i n s t e a d o f J a c o b , 3 2 t h u s c l a i m i n g G o d ' s
p r o m i s e
in a l l i t s
f u l l n e s s .
T h e
f a c t
t h a t
Y a h w e h
accedes
to
Moses ' p l ea
o n
these t e r m s r e v e a l s
a
t he o l o g i ca l u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f m e r c y ,
a s
d e p e n d e n t
o n
God ' s c h a r a c te r
a n d h i s
p r o m i s e s .
I n
a d d i t i o n to t h i s a p p e a l to G o d ' s f a i t h f u l n e s s , a n o t h e r
s t r i k i n g aspect
o f Y a h w e h ' s w o r d s i n 32 :10 l i es i n t h e f a c t
t h a t ,
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T w o : A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s 3 2 -3 4
a p a r t f r o m t h e p a r a d o x o f j u d g m e n t a n d m e r c y w i t h i n Y a h w e h
h i m s e l f
w h i c h t h e y r e v e a l , t h e y o p e n t h e w a y f o r t h e m a n
Moses to p l ay a dec is ive
r o l e
w i t h i n th e purposes o f G o d . A
f u r t h e r
p a r a d o x .
I t is
G o d s
f a i t h f u l n e s s
a l o n e w h i c h
i s the
b as i s
fo r
f o r g i v e n e s s ; a n d y e t t h i s f a i t h f u l n e s s i s o n l y r e v e a l e d a n d
m a d e
actual
w h e n Mose s bold
i n t e r c e s s i o n calls
i t f o r t h . T h i s
d i v i n e - h u m a n
b a l a n c e p l a y s a c e n t r a l r o l e i n t h e f o l l o w i n g
n a r r a t i v e .
T h e
i m p o r t a n c e
o f Moses r o l e in these c h a p t e r s an d
e l s e w h e r e h a s f r e q u e n t l y b ee n u n d e r e s t im a t e d t h r o u g h a
s l i g h t l y
e x a g g e r a te d e m p h a s i s o n d i v i n e s o v e r e i g n t y . A t y p i c a l
posi t ion is that o f von Rad:
N ot a s ingle one o f a l l these
stories
in w h i c h M o s e s i s the
c e n t r a l f i g u r e , w a s r e a l l y w r i t t e n a b o u t M o s e s. G r e a t a s
w a s t h e v e n e r a t i o n o f t h e w r i t e r s f o r t h i s m a n t o w h o m
G od h a d been p leased to
r e v e a l
H i m s e l f , i n a l l t h e s e
stories
i t i s not
M o se s h i m s e l f , M o s es
th e
m a n ,
b u t G o d
w h o
i s t he c e n t r a l f i g u r e . G o d s w o r d s a n d G od s d eed s -
t h e se
a r e t h e
t h i n g s t h a t
th e
w r i t e r s i n t e n d
t o s e t
f o r t h . 3 3
A s i m i la r s ta t e m e n t i s m a d e b y P.P. E l l i s :
T h e r e i s no h u m a n h e r o i n the Y a h w i s t
saga
- n o t
A b r a h a m o r J a c o b o r
J o s e p h
o r M os es . T h e r e i s n o h u m a n
h e r o
b e c a u s e
th e p r o t a g o n i s t o f t h e saga i s the L o r d
G o d . 3 4
G . W .
C o a t s35
h a s
a t t e m p t e d
to
r e d r e s s
th e b a l a n c e b y
p o i n t i n g
o u t t h e
f i n e
th e o l o g i c a l t e n s i o n b e t w e e n t h e d i v i n e a n d
h u m a n
w h i c h
e x i s t s
i n m a n y o f t h e M o s es
s t o r i e s .
I t i s n e i th e r
G o d a l o n e
n o r
Moses
a l o n e w h o i s
r espons ib le
for the
w e l f a r e
o f
I s r ae l b u t b o t h t o g e t h e r :
F o r P e n t a t e u c h a l t h e o l o g y th e b a l a n c e i s c r u c i a l . M o s e s i s
n o t s i m p l y t h e b l in d s e r v a n t , d a n c i n g h i s m i n u e t o f
o b e d i e n c e to the s o u n d o f an a l l -e n c o m p a s s in g d i v i n e
d r u m b e a t . T o t h e c o n t r a r y , f o r P e n t a t e u c h a l t h e o l o g y
M o se s i s b o t h s e r v a n t o f G o d a n d h e r o i c g i a n t . 3 6
A d m i t t e d l y s o m e E x o d u s n a r r a t i v e s , p a r t i c u l a r l y
t h e o r y
a t the Red Sea
(14:1-15:21) ,
d o stress Y a h w e h s
a c t i o n
t o the
e x c l u s i o n o f h u m a n i n v o lv e m e n t . C o a t s w a r n s a g a i n s t a n e x -
c l u s i v e
stress
o n Y a h w e h s a c t a n d
sees
a t e n s i o n b e t w e e n c h .
15 w h i c h
d e sc r i b e s
th e e v e n t t o t a l l y in t e r m s o f d i v i n e a c t i v i t y
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At the M o u n t a i n o f Go d
a n d
ch .
4
in
wh ich
M ose s e n t e r s
the
a c c o u n t
as an
e f f i c i e n t
agent.
Y et
even
i n ch. 14 the o v e r w h e l m i n g
e m p h a s i s
is on
Y a h w e h s
ac t i on
a n d w h e n
M oses does
act i t is a t Y a h w e h s
behes t a n d n o t o n h i s o w n
a c c o u n t . 3 8
T h e
f ac t
that
t h i s
n a r r a t i v e ,
a t the
c u l m i n a t i o n
o f the
p a r a d i g m
a c t o f
s a l v a t i o n ,
so stresses
Y a h w e h s
a c t i on a l one c ons t i t u t e s
th e
s i g n i f i c a n t
except ion w h i c h p roves the ru le . In the last resort i t is Y a h w e h
a l o n e
u p o n w ho m
s a lv a t i on d e p e nd s .
Y e t
th is shou ld
n o t
over
r u l e b u t r a th e r h e i gh te n th e s i gn i f i c anc e o f t h ose na r r a t i v e s i n
w h i c h
b o th d i v i ne
an d
h u m a n
a c t i on p l ay
a n
i n t e g r a l
role.
It h a s f r e q u e n t l y b e e n no te d th a t there is a c e r ta in tens ion
b e twe e n 32:7-14 and the
rest
of ch. 32, p a r t i c u l a r l y in M o s e s
s e e m i n g u n a w a r e
o f the
people s
s in as he
descends
th e
m o u n t a i n despite
h is
h a v i n g been to ld
by
G o d ,
a nd i n h i s
seek ing
forgiveness (vv.
30 f f . )
a s t h o u g h i t had no t ye t been gran ted (v .
1 4 ) .
Ch i ld s h as
s h o w n ,
h o w e v e r , t h e n e c e ss ity o f a t
least
s o m e
e a r l i e r
f o r m
o f t h e t ra d i t i o n a s i n t e g r a l to t h e n a r r a t i v e , a n d
h a s
a l so a rgued persuas ive ly
that th e
l i t e r a r y
m o u l d i n g o f t he
s tory in to a p a t t e rn o f c o n t r a s t i n g
scenes
g ives character to
t h e n a r r a t i v e
wh ich
m a k e s i t s o m e w h a t
i m p e r vi o u s
t o c r i t i c i sm s
b ase d on l og i c a l and c h rono log i c a l
considerations.^
T h r e e
f u r t h e r observa t ions m a y b e ad d e d to th is .
Fi rs t , jus t
a s
32:1-6 presents
a
p a r a d i g m
o f s in an d
apos tasy ,
so
32:7-14
c an be
seen
to
p resent
a
p a r a d i g m
o f
j u d g m e n t ,
i n te rcess ion , a n d f o rg iveness . Both
scenes
h a v e a c e r ta i n e x e m -
plary
q u a l i t y ,
th e
j u x t a p o s i t i o n
o f w h i c h f o r m s a n
e f f e c t i v e
contrast.
Secondly , th e
t h e m e
o f
Y a h w e h s f a i t h f u l n e s s
t o h i s
p r o m i s e
despite
s e e m i ng ly i m p oss i b l e
obstacles
is
e v i d e n t
in
o t h e r
JE
stories
m o s t n o t a b l y
th e A b r a h a m cycle
( G e n .
12-25) a n d
probably
also
th e
B a l a a m
cycle
( N u m . 2 2 -2 4 ) w h e r e N u m . 22:6
i nd i c a t e s an i n t e rp re t a t i on o f t h e
cycle
i n t e rm s o f a c h a l l e nge
to
Y a h w e h s p ro m i se
in
Gen. 12:3
and the w ay i n
w h i c h
the
c h a l l e n g e
is
o vercom e. Th is sugges ts
a n
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f Ex.
32-34 also
in
t e r m s
o f a
cha l l enge
to
Y a h w e h s p ro m i se
and the
vind ica t i on o f h i s f a i t h f u l n e s s . T he
c h a l l e nge
is
p a r t i c u l a r l y
p o te n t
in that i t
arises
n o t f r om
e x t e r n a l d a n g e r ,
as in
N u m .
2 2 -2 4 ,
bu t
f r om
th e
s i n fu lness
o f
God s
o w n
people
a n d
t he i r
i n h e r e n t i n a b i l i t y
to
l ive
i n t he way that G o d h a s
p rescr ibed.
T h a t
Y a h w e h c a n
dea l wi th th i s p rob lem
is
i nd ica ted
a t the
outset
o f the n a r ra t iv e (v. 14 ) . Ye t th i s need in no wa y lessens
the d ra m a or tens ion o f see ing h i s
f a i t h fu l n e ss
b e i n g tested a n d
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Two: An Exegesis o f
E x o d u s
32-34
c o n f i r m e d t h r o u g h th e
rest
o f t h e
story.
T h i r d l y , 32:7-14
n o t
on ly p resen ts ,
in
n u c e ,
th e
m a j o r t h e m e s
of
s in ,
intercession, a n d
f o rg iveness ,
th e
m e r c y
o f G o d a n d th e
ro le
o f
Moses
w h i ch
the
rest
o f the
n a r r a t i v e g o e s
on to
d e v e l o p
bu t it a lso provides a t heo l og ica l perspective f r o m w h i c h th e
rest o f the
n a r r a t i v e s h o u l d
be
read.
For i t
presents
a
c o n t e x t
of God s grace in which the
episodes
o f j u d g m e n t i n 32:15-33:11
are to be
r e a d .
In pa r t i cu l a r th i s c a n b e seen i n the j u x t a -
posit ion of v. 14 w i t h v v .
15-20.
T h e s m a s h i n g o f t h e
tablets
by
Moses
i s gene ra l l y cons ide red to
s i g n i f y
th e t e r m i n a t i o n o r
a n n u l m e n t o f the covenan t re l a t ionsh ip .
N o t h ,
f o r e x a m p l e ,
s ays ,
Moses
1
b r e a k i n g o f the
t ab l e s
... m e a n s that h e n o w
declares th e c o v e n a n t b e t w e e n G o d a n d th e people to be
b r o k e n a n d
t h e r e f o r e
n u l l a n d
v o i d . ^ 0
i t se l f
th e
ac t ion w o u l d suggest such
a
f i n a l i t y g i v e n
th e
s i g n i f i c a n c e o f the
tablets
o u t l i n e d
above.^
Yet in the l i g h t
of v . 14 the reade r kn ow s that Y a h w e h h a s n o t r e j e c te d h i s
people. T h e r e f o r e th e covenant i s n o t
abrogated,
despite th e
people s
u n f a i t h f u l n e s s ,
bu t
s o m e h o w
G o d
w i l l
be
m e r c i f u l
a n d
restore h is people.
Ex.
32:15-20
The th i rd pa ragraph , 32 :15-20 , recoun ts
Moses
d e s c e n t
f r o m
Mt. Sinai .
T he
reader
ha s
seen
the
people s
s in
be low
the
m o u n t a i n .
He h a s
also seen
th e
d i v i n e per spect ive
on the
m o u n -
tain top. B u t w h a t w i l l h a p p e n w h e n t h e tw o
meet?
T h e p a r a g r a p h
is
sho r t , cons i s t ing
o f
o n l y
92
words.
A f t e r
a n
i n t r o d u c t i o n
o f 5
w o r d s ,
23
w o r d s ,
that
is a
q u a r t e r
o f
th e total, a re
g iven
to a
de sc r ip t ion
o f the tables o f
s t o n e ,
a n d
2 5 w o r d s a re given to the d i s t i n c t bu t t h r e a t e n i n g s o u n d f r o m
th e
c a m p .
A f t e r a f u r t h e r 5
w o r d s r e c o u n t i n g Moses f i n a l
a p p r o a c h ,
th e
a c t u a l c o n f r o n t a t i o n
is
told s w i f t l y
a n d
b r u s q u e l y
in 34 w o r d s .
A l t h o u g h th e
r e a d e r k n o w s
o f
I s rae l s
s in
w i t h
th e
c a l f ,
h is
a t t e n t i o n is
d i rec t ed
f i r s t to the d i v i n e s pl e n d o u r o f the tablets,
d e s c r i b e d m o r e f u l l y h e r e t h a n a n y w h e r e else. It is stressed t h a t
they
a re the
w o r k
o f G o d a n d
that
the
w r i t i n g
o n
them
is the
w r i t i n g o f God. There i s pe rhaps a c o n t r a s t i m p l i e d b e t w e e n
these
a nd t h e
m a n - m a d e i d o l
o f the people.
Then
a
noise
is
h e a r d
f r o m
t h e c a m p w h o s e m e a n i n g i s u n c l e a r . J o s h u a g u e s se s
w r o n g l y a t i ts
s ign i f i cance , thus se rv ing
a s a
fo i l
fo r
Moses
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
w h o s e
s u p e r i o r i n s i g h t
i n t o
th e c h a r a c t e r o f the peo p le i s
b r o u g h t o u t .
Moses
responds^ wjth a play on words which
s h o w s
t h a t h e u n d e r s t a n d s th e t r u e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e
s o u n d
even
t h o u g h
a l l de t a i l s a re s t i l l
unclear.^
T h e m e t r i c a l c o l a
o f
v . 18 , by
a t t r a c t i n g a t t e n t i o n
t o t he w o r d p l a y , c o n t i n u e to
b u i l d
u p
s u s p e n s e
f o r t h e
m o m e n t
o f
a c t u a l c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h
th e p e o p l e . W h e n th e c o n f r o n t a t i o n c o m e s i ts
i n i t i a l
p r e s e n t -
a t i o n
is
b r i e f
a n d cons i s t s of the
b r u s q u e
a c t i o n s of Moses in
s m a s h i n g th e t a b l e t s - desp i t e th e d i v i n e w o r k m a n s h i p ^ - a n d
t h o r o u g h l y d e s t r o y i n g th e calf ^ th e r e m a i n s o f
wh ich
a r e
scattered
o n t h e
w a t e r
for the
p e o p l e
to
d r i n k
a s p u n i s h -
ment.^ T h e
le ss d r a m a t i c a c c o u n t
o f
D e u t .
9
t a k e s t i m e
to
des i gn a t e
th e
calf
a s a
s in fu l
t h i n g
a nd t o
e x p l a i n t h a t t h e r e
w a s a
b r o o k that
f l owed ou t o f the
m o u n t a i n (D eu t. 9:21); su ch
e xp a n s i o n i s ex t r an eo u s to t he taut n a r ra t iv e o f Ex. 32:20.
Ex. 32:21-24
T h e s t o ry t u r n s n e x t
to the
ro l e p l ayed
b y
A a r o n .
A s
C h i l d s
h a s s h o w n ,
i f o n e c o m p a r e s A a r o n ' s a c c o u n t o f the
m a k i n g
o f
th e c a l f w i t h th e e a r l i e r a c c o u n t in 32:1-6, the way in w h i c h
A a r o n
d e s i g n a t e s
th e
people
a s
set
o n
e v i l
a n d
d w e l l s
o n
t h e i r
r o l e a t l e n g t h w h i l e m i n i m i z i n g h i s o w n
i n v o l v e m e n t
r e v e a l s
A a r o n a s g u i l t i l y t r y i n g to e v a d e h i s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y . T h e c o n t r a s t
b e t w e e n h i m a n d M o s es c o u l d h a r d l y b e g rea t e r :
A a r o n
s a w th e peo p le b en t o n evil : M o s e s d e f e n d e d t h e m
b e f o r e
God's h o t a n g e r (v . 11) . A a r o n e x o n e r a t e d
h i m s e l f
f r o m
a l l
ac t ive i n v o l v e m e n t ; M o s es
p u t h i s o w n l i f e o n t h e
l i n e
fo r I s rae l ' s sake . A a r o n w a s t o o w e a k to r e s t r a i n th e
peop le ; M o s es
w a s s t r o n g
e n o u g h
to r e s t r a i n e v en
G o d . ^ 8
It i s o f f u r t h e r i n t e r e s t t ha t
there
i s a c e r t a i n p a r a l l e l
b e t w e e n th e m a n n e r o f A a r o n ' s exc u se a n d t h a t o f
A d a m
in
G e n . 3.^9
T h e r e
a r e n o
v e r b a l l i n k s ,
bu t t h e b e h a v i o u r o f
A a r o n c o r r e s p o n d s to t h a t o f t he a r c h e t y p a l p a t te r n in G e n . 3 .
A s in G e n . 3, the a t t e m p t to excuse does n o t m i t i g a t e bu t i n -
creases
g u i l t ;
a n d a s i n G e n . 3 the s t o r y m o v e s o n
f r o m
A d a m ' s
exc u se
t o t he w o m a n w h o
i n c i t e d h i m ,
s o
h e r e
th e
s t o r y m o v e s
f r o m A a r o n ' s e x c u s e to the p e o p l e w h o i n c it ed h i m .
Ex.
32:23-29
T he episode o f the Levi tes i s to ld w i t h a b r e v i t y that leaves
some o f i t s details u n c lea r , i n pa r t i c u l a r t he p ro b l em a t i c v . 29 ,
a l t h o u g h
the genera l t enor i s u n a m b i g u o u s . I t con t inues the
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Two:
A n Exegesis of E x o d u s
32-34
t h e m e o f
Y a h w e h ' s
j u d g m e n t
u p o n
th e pe o p l e , a n d a ga i n the use
of
contrast is
evident ,
th e contrast
be t w e e n
the f a i t h f u l
Levites
a n d
f a i t h l e s s A a r o n , a n d a l so
i m p l i c i t l y
t he c o n t r a s t be t w e e n
th e
f a i t h f u l
f e w
( r e m n a n t ? )
a n d t h e
d i so b e d i en t m a n y .
T he key to u n d e r s t a n d i n g the episode is to
appreciate that
its
cen t ra l c once rn i s a l i f e -o r -d ea th f a i t h f u l n e s s to Y ah w eh . I t i s a
classic
e x a m p l e
of the
f a i t h f u l n e s s c o m m a n d e d
in
D e u t .
1 3 .
This t he m e w i l l recur aga in , espec ia l ly in Ex. 34:1 I f f .
T h a t
f a i t h f u l n e s s
is the issue in 32:25-29 (cf . Deut. 33:8-9)
c a n a lso b e a p p r e c i a t ed t h r o u g h a c o m p a r i s o n w i t h N u m . 25:6f f .
U n l i k e
that
n a r r a t i ve , w he r e Ph i n e ha s ' s l a y i n g of the
u n f a i t h f u l
Is rae l i te a n d
M i d i a n i t e
is g i v e n a t o n i n g s i g n i f i c a n c e , t h e r e is no
h i n t
i n E x . 3 2 o f suc h a m e a n i n g
g iven
to the
Lev i t e s '
a c t i o n .
Indeed th e
w o r d s
o f
M o s e s
in v. 30
a b o u t
h is
s e e k i n g
to
m a k e
a t o n e m e n t
h i m s e l f
e x c l u d e
i t . The
p r i m a r y s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f the
story
is to
show that dea th
is the
pe n a l t y
fo r
u n f a i t h f u l n e s s
to
Y a h w e h
and the
c o v e n a n t , w h e r e a s b l e s s i n g
(v .
2 9 b )
is the
r e w a r d
fo r
f a i t h f u l n e s s . A l t h o u g h
th e
a e t i o l o g i c a l e l e m e n t
o f
the ord ina t ion of the Levi tes is
p r e s e n t
in v . 29a, little w e i g h t
is la id u p o n
i t by the
n a r r a t o r ( o n e
m a y
c o n t r a s t D e u t .
33:8-10);
i t is the
L e v i t e s '
f a i t h f u l n e s s ,
a n d t he
cost
of th i s , to
w h i c h
a t t e n t i o n is
directed.
T h e r e is so m e a m b i g u i t y o v er w h ich pe o p l e w e r e s l a i n by the
L e v i t e s , w he t he r fe l low Levi tes or Is rae l i tes f r o m o th e r t r ibes .
W h i l e the w o r d s of v. 29,
each
one at the cost of his son and of
h is b r o t he r , in themse lves sugges t a s l a u g h t e r w i t h i n th e r a n k s
of
th e Levi tes , th e c o m m a n d to go r i g h t t h r o u g h th e c a m p (v .
27) , a s
w e l l
as the
s e t t i n g
of the
scene
a s a
w h o l e
(v .
2 5 ) ,
suggests t h a t o f f e n d e r s in e v e r y t r i b e a re p u n i s h e d . T h e r e is
some
e v i d e nc e
that
everyone
w h o
stood
w i t h i n
th e
c o v e n a n t
w a s a b r o t he r o r k i n s m a n to his f e l l o w , e.g. Lev. 25:46, D e u t .
3:18, 24:7, J d g . 2 0 : 1 3 , N u m .
25:6,
50
a nd the p oin t of des ig-
n a t i n g those slain a s b r o t he r s a n d sons ̂ m a y b e to stress th e
cos t l iness o f
f a i t h f u l n e s s
to Y a h w e h . ^ 2
It is i n t e r e s t i n g to r e f l e c t on this ro le of the Levi tes in the
l ight of the larger
p e n t a t e u c h a l
context. T h e violence of the
Levi te s i s a them e in Gen es is , bu t the re i t is co n de m n ed (G en .
3 4 ,
49:5ff . ) .
H e r e , b y c o n t ra s t , i t i s c o m m e n d e d . W h a t is the
di f fe renc e? In a no t
w h ol ly
d i s s i m i l a r w a y G . W .
Coats
ha s
sh ow n how in Ex. 32-34 both Moses and the pe o p l e in s o m e w ay
resist the
wi l l
o f
Y a h w e h ,
an d y et i t is on ly Moses '
o ppo s i t i o n
in
t he way in
w h ich
h e
b o ld ly i n te rc e d e s w i th Y a h w e h ,
a n d n o t
that of the pe o p l e ,
w h i c h
i s c o m m e n d e d . 5 3
Su ch a m b i g u i t y
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A t t h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
s u g g e s t s t h a t f o r t h i s w r i t e r i t i s n o t s o m u c h t h e a c t i o n
p e r f o r m e d a s t h e m o t iv e u n d e r l y i n g i t w h i c h i s o f c e n t r a l
i m p o r t a n c e .
W h a t d i s t i n g u i s h e s
t h e L e v i t e s
s l a y i n g
i s t h a t i t i s
d o n e
o u t o f
f a i t h f u l n e s s
t o
Y a h w e h (3 2:2 6), w h i l e M o s e s a p p e a l s
t o Y a h w e h s g l o r y a s b o u n d u p w i t h th e f a t e o f t h e p e o p l e
(32 :12 ,
3 3:1 6 ), s h o w i n g c o n c e r n
f o r Y a h w e h a n d n o t f o r
h i m s e l f .
I t i s l o y a l t y t o Y a h w e h t h a t f o r t h i s w r i t e r i s t h e c r u c i a l f a c t o r
in
a s s e s s i n g t h e w o r t h o f a n a c t i o n .
T h r e e n o t e s o n v . 25 m a y b e a d d e d . F i r s t , a l t h o u g h t h e r e i s
s o m e u n c e r t a i n t y o v e r t h e
p r e c i s e
m e a n i n g o f
p a r u a
c
a n d
s i m s a h , t h e
c o n t e x t m a k e s th e i r g e n e r a l s i g n i f i c a n c e
c l e a r .
S e c o n d l y t h e r e i s a w o r d p l a y i n t h e d o u b l e u s e o f pr
c
i n v .
w h i c h
e c h o e s
t h e
p r e c e d i n g
narrative;^
c f . v . 2 2 ,
b
e
ra
c
^
v . 1 7 ,
b f r _ e £ o h ,
v .
1 4 , h a r a
c
a h ,
v . 1 2 ,
b
e
ra
c
ah.
T h e
a r c h a i c
s p e l l i n g w i t h
a t t h e e n d i n v . 2 5 a n d v . 1 7
se e m s d e l i b e r a t e l y
t o f o c u s a t t e n t i o n o n t h e w o r d
p l a y . ^ 6
T h i r d l y ,
e m p h a s i s
i s
l a i d
o n
A a r o n s r e s p o n s i b i l i t y
f o r t h e
p e o p l e (v . 2 5 b ) , a s i n v . 21 . I t i s r e m a r k a b l e
t h a t
d e s p i t e t h i s
e m p h a s i s t h e r e i s n o m e n t i o n o f a n y p u n i s h m e n t f o r A a r o n . A
r e s o l u t i o n
to
t h i s
i s
p r o v i d e d
b y
D e u t . 9 :2 0, w h i c h p o s s i b l y
r e p r e s e n t s a n e le m e n t o f o l d t r a d i t i o n o m i t t e d b y t h e w r i t e r o f
E x.
32-34
w h o s e c o n c e rn
i s f o r t h e
f a t e
o f t h e
p e o p l e
a s a
w h o l e .
T h e
p o s i t i o n i n g
o f v v .
25-29
i s
s i g n i f i c a n t
f o r t h e
l i t e r a r y
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e
s t o r y .
O n e
m i g h t e xp e c t
t h e
a c c o u n t
o f a
d r a m a t i c p u n i s h m e n t
t o
f o l l o w i m m e d i a t e l y a f t e r
M o s e s
i n i t i a l
c o n f r o n t a t i o n w i t h
t h e
p e o p l e ,
a n d t h a t
o n l y
l a t e r
w o u l d M o s e s
r e m o n s t r a t e w i t h A a r o n . Y e t b y h o l d i n g b a c k t h e a c c o u n t o f t h e
s l a y i n g o f t h e p eo p le w h i l e A a r o n s e x c u s e s a re m a d e f i r s t , i t s
i m p a c t
a n d t h e
c o n t ra s t w i t h A a r o n
i s
h e i g h t e n e d . T h e r e
i s
a l s o
t h e n
a n
a l t e r n a t i o n
o f
t h e m e s
i n t h e
n a r r a t i v e b e t w e e n h i g h -
l i g h t i n g t h e r o l e o f M o s e s ( v v .
2 1 - 2 4 )
a n d t h e e x e c u t i o n o f
j u d g m e n t
(vv . 25-29) ,
th e
r o l e
o f
M o s e s ( v v . 3 0 -3 4 ) ,
a n d
Y a h w e h s w o r d s
o f
j u d g m e n t (32:34-33:6).
E x. 32:30-33:6
T h e
n e x t t w e l v e v e r s e s a r e n o t
e a s y
t o i n t e r p r e t . I n t h e f i r s t
p l a c e t h e l i t e r a r y d i v i s i o n s a r e u n c l e a r , a n d t h e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f
t h e s e v e r s e s a p p e a r s t o b e lo o s er t h a n a n y w h e r e e l s e i n E x .
3 2 - 3 4 . T h e r e
i s
i n d e e d
a
c e r t a in t h e m a t i c c o n t i n u i t y
i n t h e
m a t e r i a l .
T h e
b a s i c f r a m e w o r k
i s a
d i a l o g u e b e t w e e n M o s es
a n d
Y a h w e h . T h e i s s u e a t
s t a k e
t h r o u g h o u t i s t h e f u t u r e o f I s r a e l
w h i c h i s
u n d e r Y a h w e h s d i s f a v o u r :
i n
p a r t i c u l a r
t h e
q u e s t i o n
i s
h o w
I s r a e l w i l l e x p e r i e n c e Y a h w e h s
p r e s e n c e a s i t
m o v e s
o n
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Two: A n
Exegesis
of
E x o d u s
32-34
f r o m
Sinai
to
C a n a a n .
T he precise
division
o f
m ate r i a l depends l a rge ly
upon the
i n t e rp re t a t i o n
of
32:35.
O n the one
h a n d
v. 35 may be
taken
as
th e conclusion o f the n a r r a t i v e r e c o u n t i n g th e calf and i t s
i m m e d i a t e a f t e r m a t h b e f o r e th e f o cu s sh i f t s in ch. 33 to a
second problem caused
by the
cal f ,
the f o r f e i t i n g o f
Y a h w e h 's
presence in the m ids t of the people. O n the other ha n d,
32:34
i n t roduces the them e of I srae l's depa r tu r e
f r o m
Sinai , a the m e
developed
in
33:1,
and 32:34
h an d l es th i s th em e
in a way
s im i la r
to 33:1 ff . by l i n k i n g th e j o u r n e y i n g wi th th e expression o f
Yahweh ' s
di s fav ou r . 32 :35
can be
seen then
as a
p a ren t h e t i ca l
n o t e r eco rd i n g
the f u l f i l m e n t o f
32:34b wi th in
a
deve l o p i n g
sequence in i t ia ted
by
32:34a
an d
c o n t i n u e d
in
33:1
f f .
Such a d i f f icu l ty in div id ing th e
m a t e r i a l m e a n s
that
an y
proposed
divis ions are s om ew hat ar t i f icia l . 32:35 does con clude
the
sequence
o f
p un i s h m en t s d i r ec t ly i n f l i ct ed
o n
Israe l (the
p u n i s h m e n t
i m p li e d
b y 33:3f.,5 is of a
d i f f e r e n t o rde r ) ,
yet the
c o n t i n u i t y
into
ch. 33
sho uld also
be appreciated.
T he sect ion beg ins w ith M oses' intercession in 32:30 33. T he
scene
r e s u m e s
th e
n a r r a t i v e
contrast
between
th e
h a p p e n i n g s
on the
m o u n t a i n
top and in the
va l l ey b e l o w .
The s in
w h i ch
Israel has co m m it ted i s a ser ious on e
( h t * h gdlh ,
vv. 30,31, cf . v.
21) an d Moses recount s it in w o r d s r e m i n i s c e n t of the proh i -
bit ion
in Ex.
20:23:
32:31,
w y
c
sw
Ihm
'Ihy
z hb
20:23,
w' lhy
zhb 1
tc§w
1km
In the l igh t o f th is Moses can o f f e r n o plea except to p res en t
h i m s e l f
as a
recipient
o f
God 's jud gm en t a long w i th
the
people.
Moses
declines to be part of a
f u t u r e
which does not include
Israel
also.^7
This
is
s i m i la r
to
32:10-14 where
also
Moses
decl ines a f u t u r e fo r h i m s e l f which does n o t i n c lu d e c o n t e m -
p o ra ry
Israel.
Such
a total
c o m m i t m e n t
o f
Moses
to
Israel
is a
cen tr a l f ea t u r e o f h i s ro l e a s m ed i a t o r an d
intercessor.
In te res t ingly , however ,
th e
w r i t e r
does n o t
dw el l
on i t a t
this
point , a l tho ug h he develops i t
later
(33:1
I f f . ) ,
but di rects
attention
to the response o f Y a h w e h , w h e r e concession is
m i n g l e d
w i th w a r n i n g .
T he
precise
force
o f
32:33
is
again d i f f i cu l t
to
d e t e r m i n e .
T h e r e
a re t w o
m a i n a l te r n a t i v e s.
The on e i s that th e
w o r d s
represent
a concession w hich l im i ts fu tu r e jud gm en t to some
t h i n g
less than
a
total
e li m i n a t io n
o f
I s rae l ,
y e t
they
are a t the
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At the M ou nta in o f God
s a m e t i m e a s t r o n g s t a t e m e n t of the r i g h t e o u s n e s s o f G o d such
as seems to leave little room for m e r c y to the gu i l t y a
p rob l e m wh i c h is re so lved in the fo l l owi ng na r r a t i ve (33 : 19 ,
34:6f.) .
T h e
o t h e r a l t e r n a t i v e
is
that
th e
w o r d s
a re to be
i n t e rp r e t e d w h o l l y in the l igh t of v . 32b. That is , the words a re
not a
ge ne ra l s t a t e m e n t a b o u t
God's
r i g h t e o u s
c h a r a c t e r , b u t an
a ns we r
to
Moses
1
p r a y e r , u s i n g
th e
t e r m s that Moses
h a d
i n t roduc e d .
A s
such they cou ld r e p r e s e n t
an
access ion
to Moses
1
p le a .
For
Moses dec l ined
to
l i ve un l e s s I s r a e l
d id
a l so .
G od
responds that
h e
cannot b lo t
o u t
Moses
fo r
Moses
has no t
s i n n e d
a ga i ns t
him ( to
p a ra p h ra s e
v .
33).
V. 33b
could re fe r back
not to
the s in of Is rae l b u t s i m p l y to the lack of sin in Moses . If the n
Moses ,
w h o h a s
b o u n d
h is
f u t u r e
to
Israel 's
f u t u r e ,
is to
live
then i t wou l d fo l lo w
t h a t
Is rae l
w i l l
l i ve
also.
G od r e s p onds
f a v o u r a b l y to Moses '
s a c ri fi c i a l c o m m i t m e n t
to
I s rae l . Th i s
latter i n t e r p r e t a t i o n , t h o u g h less obvious than th e f i r s t ,
dese rves cons ide ra t ion . I t
w o u l d r e c e i v e f u r t h e r
s u p p o r t f r o m
th e fac t that v . 34 , w i th its d i rec t ions to lead th e p e op l e a wa y
f r o m Sinai ,
seems to
presuppose that Israel
has a
f u t u r e
as a
na t ion and a s such could
f o l low
f r o m a f a v o u r a b l e i n t e r -
p re t a t i on
of v . 33 . On
b a l an c e , h o w e v e r ,
th e
f i r s t i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
seems
more l i ke ly .
H o w e v e r
o n e
i n t e rp r e t s
th e
prec i se e m p h a s i s
of v . 33, the
poin t
a t
issue s e e m s
to be that Israel is to
h a v e so m e f u t u r e
y e t
i s subjec t to
God's
d i s f av ou r . Tha t i s , I s rae l' s s in has
f u r t h e r
i m p l i c a t i o n s
and i ts r e s to ra t io n , i f the re i s to be one , w i l l be in
several
stages.
Even i f one gave th e m ore f a voura b l e
i n t e rp r e t a t i on
to
Y a hw e h ' s r e sp ons e
to
Moses ,
o n e
could s t i l l
compare va r ious o the r passages
in the OT
w h e r e p a r d o n
for s in
is
accomp anied
b y
f u r t h e r p u n i s h m e n t
for i t ,
e.g . N u m .
14:20ff . ,
2 S a m . 12:13f . I t i s impor tan t no t to impose an a l i en or
a n a c h r o n i s t i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f f o r g i v e n e s s upon th e text.^
Yahweh ' s
acceptance of s o m e f u t u r e fo r Israel is i m p l i e d b y
32:34a. Yet Israel wi l l s t i l l
s u f f e r
for i t s s in as the sudden
w a r n i n g in v. 34b makes
clear.
Th e p o i n t is r e i n f o r c e d b y a p l a y
on the
m e a n i n g
o f pqd ,
f i r s t
in a
neu t ra l , then
in a hos t i l e sense.
This is best
c onve ye d
in Engl ish b y
visi t
...
visi t s in .
It
ga ins
e f f e c t
f rom ea r l i e r
uses
of pqd in Ex.
3:16,
4:31,
13:19 (cf. Gen.
50:24f . ) w h e r e it is
u n i f o r m l y
used o f God ' s v i s i t i ng I s rae l in a
f a v o u r a b l e sense. Because o f Israel 's s in, God's act ion with
Israel is
changed
f rom
blessing
to
curse.
The
idea of Y ah w eh v i s i t ing I srae l in t ro du ces the the m e of
th e
d i v i n e
p re sence
w h i c h
is
c e n t r a l
to ch . 33 . The tacit
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T w o :
A n Exegesis of
E x o d u s 32-34
a s s u m p t i o n is
t h a t
Israel 's s in has
caused
th e
w i t h d r a w a l
of the
d iv ine presence. B u t as Go d
beg i n s
to
draw close
to
Is rael again ,
in response
to
Moses
1
i n t e r ces s i o n ,
his
presence , even
if
o n l y
par t ia l ,59
c a n n o t
b u t
ha v e s e r i o u s co n s equ en ces
f o r
s i n f u l
I s rae l .
Tha t v .
34b
i s no id le w ar n in g i s bro u gh t ou t b y v . 35 . The
p u n i s h m e n t ,
A n d
Y a h w e h
s m o t e
th e
p eo p l e
(w i th a p lag ue )
f i t s
a
c o m m o n
pattern o f
d i v i n e j u d g m e n t
in the
wi lderness na r ra -
tives.
A l t h o u g h
it is
possible
that
this
is to be
v i e w e d
a s a
s u m m a r y o f
w h a t
h a s
happened thus f a r ,
it is
more l ike ly
that it
is
a n a d d i t i o n a l ac t o f j u d g m e n t w h i l e th e peop le were s t i l l a t
S ina i ,
since v . 34b i m p l i e s s o m e t h i n g s u b s e q u e n t to the t i m e o f
s p e a k i n g .
It is
o f t e n f e l t
that
v .
34b
i m p l i e s
an
i n d e f i n i t e
f u t u r e
t ime such as m a k e s v. 35 an a w k w a r d c o n t in u a t io n . B u t this
need no t be so . The c loses t pa ra l l e l in co n s t ru c t ion , w he re
b
e
y o m
is
fo l low ed
by a
p e r f ec t co n s ecu t i v e ,
is
Gen. 3:5a
w h e r e th e s e r p e n t ' s s t a t e m e n t is
f o l l o w e d
by an i m m e d i a t e
f u l f i l m e n t . T h e
w o r d
a nd a c t o f
j u d g m e n t
in v v . 34b-35
con-
c lu d es Y a hw eh 's i m m ed i a t e r es p o n s e
to
Israel 's sin.
T w o
no tes
m a y b e
a d d e d
on the
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f
32:35. First ,
th is p u n i s h m e n t w h e r e Y a h w e h
acts
a s
d i r e c t
a g e n t h a s o f t e n
been con t ras ted
w i t h
3 2 :2 0 , w he r e M o s es
is
a g e n t ,
a n d
32:25-29,
w h e r e
the
Levites
are agents, as
represen t ing
alternative
t rad i t ion s . It is ha rd to see th i s a s a ge n u in e
d i f f i c u l t y .
T h a t
j u d g m e n t
shou ld be ad m ini s t e red in m ore than on e w ay i s no t
u n n a t u r a l . A n d g i v en th e d i v i n e - h u m a n b a l a n c e in the n a r r a t i v e ,
there n eed be n o p r o b l em in t he f a ct o f j u d gm en t a d m i n i s te r ed
t h r o u g h
bo th
d i v i n e a n d h u m a n
a gen cy .
Secon d ly , t h e r e
i s the p ro blem of the
last
t h r e e w o r d s o f v .
35 which
are
w i d e l y
r e g a r d e d
as a
gloss
o n
a c c o u n t
o f
t he i r
c o n t r a d i c t o r y c o n t e n t ;
d id the
people
o r
A a r o n m a k e
th e
c a l f ?
A g a i n , th e d i f f i c u l t y m a y b e m o r e a p p a r e n t t h a n
real.
F o r
a l t h o u g h th e
w r i t e r
h a s
m a d e
A a r o n p r i m a r i l y
r es p o n s i b l e
f o r
the ca l f , i n 32:1 -6 the in i t i a t ive and in v o lv em en t o f the peop le
in
the c a l f - m a k i n g is c lea r ly p resen ted . A s s u m i n g
that
v. 35b is
to be
t rans la ted
because
t hey m a d e
th e
ca lf w hich A aro n
m a d e , 6 0 th e
s e e m i n g c o n t r a d i c ti o n
c a n b e
seen
a s an a t -
t e m p t to
express
th e
dual respons ibi l i ty
for the
ca l f ,
that
n e i t he r A a r o n n o r t he p eo p le a l o n e bu t bo t h t o ge t he r a r e
responsible fo r their s i n f u l beha v i o u r . U n d er l y i n g this is perhaps
r e f l e c t i o n o n t h e
q u e s t i o n
o f the
i n t e r a c t i o n b e t w e e n ,
a n d
res-
pective respons ibi l i ty
of , a
people
a n d i t s leader.
T he
d ia l o g u e b e tw e e n Y a h w e h
a n d
M o s e s r e s u m e s
in
33:1.
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
A l t h o u g h i t picks u p a n d deve lops th e t h e m e i n t r o d u c e d in
32:34a, it is p e r h a p s t o b e e n v i s a g e d a s a separate occas ion
f r o m
M o s e s
1
i n t e r c e s s i o n in
3 2 : 3 I f f . ,
b e c a u s e o f the i n t e r v e n i n g
note
in
32:35.
In
th is sec t ion
o f t he
narra t ive (32:30-33:6) ,
h o w e v e r ,
th e
w r i t e r s h o w s
n o
i n t e r e s t
in
d e v e l o p i n g
th e
s t o r y
in
terms o f space a n d
time.
A ll attention is
directed
to Y a h w e h ' s
w o r d s
a n d
t h e i r c o n s e qu e n c e s .
33:l-3a r e s u m e s t h e t h e m e o f t h e pe o p le l e a v i n g S i n a i f o r t h e
p r o m i s e d l a n d . U n l i k e th e b r i e f t r e a t m e n t o f th i s i n 32:34a, here
i t i s a t f i r s t descr ibed i n t h e richest co lou rs
poss ib le .
I n v .
I b
th e
l a n d
i s
that w h i c h
G o d h a s
promised
t o t h e
patriarchs. T h i s
i s pe rh a p s d e l i be r a t e ly t a k i n g u p a n d a c k n o w l e d g i n g M o s es ' plea
in
32:13;
Y a h w e h
n o w
a c k n o w l e d g e s I s r a e l
a s h i s
people
a n d a s
th e
i n h e r i t o r s
o f t h e
p r o m i s e . S e c o n d l y there
i s the
p r o m i s e
o f
d i v i n e g u i d a n c e a n d assistance a s t h e y travel a n d o c c u py th e
l a n d . T h i s r e a f f i r m s th e o r i g i n a l p r o m i s e o f 23:20ff . It is
also
stated m o r e
f u l l y ,
a n d so m o r e e m p h a t i c a l l y , t h a n i n
32:34.
T h i r d l y , t h e r e
i s a f u r t h e r
d e s c r i p t i o n
o f t h e
l a n d
i n
i d e a l t e r m s ,
a
l a n d " f l o w i n g w i t h
m i l k a n d
h o n e y " . T h i s r eca l l s
th e
p r o m i s e s
of Moses
1
o r i g i n a l c o m m i s s i o n i n g ( E x . 3:8,17). The re is a certain
u n e ve n n e s s
i n t h e
r e s u m p t i v e
l- rs
i n v . 3a .
Th is probab ly
r e f l e c t s t h e d i f f i c u l t i e s i n h e r e n t i n t h e p i l i n g u p o f d i f f e r e n t
phrases to c o n ve y a f a v o u r a b l e i m p r e ss i o n . O n e m a y c o m p a r e
E x.
3:17 where
there
is
also
a r e s u m p t i v e " to a l a n d f l o w i n g
w i t h m i l k
a n d
h o n e y " a f t e r
a
list
o f t h e
i n h a b i t a n t s
o f t h e
l a n d .
T h e
d i f f e r e n c e
in 33:l-3a i s
t h a t
th e
p r e c e d i n g p r o m i s e s
a re
e x p a n d e d .
T h e
i m p a c t
o f
33:l-3a
i s
s t r o n g l y f a v o u r a b l e .
Y e t
s u d d e n l y
th is is countered in v. 3b by a w o r d o f d e n i a l a n d w a r n i n g . S u c h
is
the
n a t u r e
of the
people
-
" s t i f f -necked"
-
that,
despite
his
pr o m i s e s , w e r e Y a h w e h to be " i n t h e i r m i d s t " t h e n h e c o u l d n o t
bu t
d e s t r o y t h e m . T h e p r o m i s e d l a n d a n d t h e d i v i n e g u i d a n c e to
i t i s no t d e n i e d ; but i t i s se v e re l y q u a l i f i e d by the a b s e n c e o f
s o m e pa r t i c u l a r l y i n t i m a t e
role o f
Y a h w e h ' s
presence " in
the i r
m i d s t " that o t h e r w i s e m i g h t be expected.
A f t e r t h i s h a r d w o r d th e pe o p l e r e s po n d w i t h g r i e f a n d d o n o t
pu t
o n t h e i r o r n a m e n t s . G e n . 35:4 r e c o u n t s t h e s t r i pp i n g o f
o r n a m e n t s
i n t h e
context
o f t h e
r e n u n c i a t i o n
o f
f o r e i g n deities,
a n d
th e
action
h e r e
probab ly
h a s a
s i m i l a r s i g n i f i c a n c e .
T h e
people r emove t h o s e ob jec t s
c o n n e c t e d
w i t h th e c o n s t r u c t i o n o f
th e c a l f . T h e
people ' s
" m o u r n i n g " ('bl, H i t h p . ) s h o u l d n o t , a s i s
s o m e t i m e s s u g g e s t e d , ^
be
i n t e r p r e t e d
a s
s h o w i n g r e p e n t -
ance; for the para l le l use o f t h e verb in
N u m . 14:39,
w h e r e th e
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Two: A n
Exegesis
of
E x o d u s 32-34
people con t inue to be d i s o b e d i e n t , s ho w s that it is r e m o r s e
r a t h e r than repentance that is e n v i s age d . A l t ho u g h th e people's
a t t i t u d e h as
i m p r o v e d ,
i t is no t ye t
r i g h t .
T he
impor tance
o f
this
denia l
of
Yahweh ' s
presence
in the
m i d s t
is
e m pha s i z e d
by vv. 5-6
w h i c h
repeat an d
e x p a n d
th e
contents o f vv .
3b-4.
T h e crucial factor that the people are
s t i f f - n e c k
ed62
j
s
stressed
again.
63
A s a
r e s u l t Y a hw e h
c a n n o t
go in the m i d s t of the
people
even for a single
m o m e n t , w h i c h s t r e n g t h e n s th e previous den ia l of v . 3b.
Moreover th e
people s
action o f v . 4 , which might have s ign i f i ed
at
least some change
for the
better a m o n g
th e
people
i s no w
cons t rued as the r e s u l t o f
God's
d i s f a v o u r t o w a r d s the people.
S o
th e
sec t ion ends wi th
a
r e pe t i t i o n
of the
fact
that
the
people
s t r ipped them selve s , and i t i s no w given a f u r t h e r m e a n i n g . F o r
th e
ve r b
nsl
( H i t h p . )
is
u s e d , w h i c h
h as
been used t w i c e
p rev i ou s l y in the n a r r a t i v e o f E x o d u s for the spoil ing of the
Egypt ians (3:22, 12:36; the Pi. f o r m is used each t i m e ) . T he
s u g g e s t e d m e a n i n g is that th e t r i u m p h a n t character of the
Israelites w ho
spoiled o t h e r s
lasted
o n l y
till
S ina i ; hence fo r th
m e ha r h o r e b , beca use o f the i r s in , they are , in themse lves , n o
better
o f f
than
th e
Egypt ians .
I t s h o u l d b e n o t e d , h o w e v e r , that a l t h o u g h th e p r e d o m i n a n t
note of 33:1-6 is that of Yahweh ' s d i s favour , yet there is
still
a
no te o f hope im pl ic i t in v .
5 bB .
The fac t
that
Yahweh is s t i l l
u n d e c i d e d w ha t
to do
leaves
the way
open
fo r
Moses
1
inter-
cession
that
fo l l o w s ;
as wil l be seen, in
3 3 : 1 2 f f . M oses prays
fo r
th e res tora t ion of the presence denied in
33:3,5.
T h e theological
balance of 33:5 is thus closely akin to that in 32:10.
the l ight of this
exeges is
it is possible to ask in what way
Y a h w e h ' s presence i s envisaged as be ing am on g, o r r em ov ed
f r o m , the people of
Israel.
The ques t ion i s usua l ly posed wi th
r e f e r e n c e to the angel (ml k)^ w h o i s p r o m i s e d (32:34, 33:2).
In
the
original promise
the
angel embodies
the
d i v i n e presence
(23:21,23),
yet
here this does
n o t
seem
to be so,
i n as m u c h
as the
presence of the angel is com pat ib le w i th a denia l o f Yahweh's
presence a m o n g (bqrb) th e
people . C hi lds65
r i g h t l y criti-
cizes a harmoniza t ion which d i s t ingu ishes
between
tw o d i f f e r -
en t
k i n d s
o f
a n g e l ,
o n l y
o n e o f
w h i c h
is a
f o r m
of the
d i v i n e
presence,
as
go ing beyond
th e
biblical text,
bu t
h i m s e l f leaves
t he p r o b l e m u n r e s o l ve d , t he ge n e r al sense o f Y a hw e h 's w i t h -
d r a w a l
of his presence be ing in any
case clear.
B e f o r e
o f f e r i n g
an y
de ta i led d i scuss ion
of the
p r o b l e m ,
it is
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At the Mountain of God
important
to set it in a broad
theological
context, a context
necessary for ch. 33 as a whole. This context is the
theological
problem
of the
presence
of
God.
The
presence
of
God, while
of
central
importance both in
religious
experience and theology, is
extremely
difficult either to
conceptualize
or to
systematize.
Theologically
reflective
accounts of the
divine
presence
will
frequently
resort
to the
language
of
paradox.66
The
problem
is how to
describe
God
both
as
omnipresent
and yet as
present
in some ways and
places more,
or
differently, than
in
others.
Insofar as
theological
language reflects religious experience
this problem
will be
inescapable and,
at the conceptual
level,
in
some ways insoluble. When God s
presence
is
associated
in some
special way
with
physical objects the problems in offering
rational
theological
explanation
are acute. The debates over
Christian
eucharistic
doctrine are a classic illustration of this.
Ex. 33 is the most extended treatment of the issue of God's
presence in the OT. Although the writer is thinking of God s
presence primarily in
specific terms
of
angel
or
shrine,
the
subtly allusive language
used shows
that
the
writer
is at the
same
time wrestling with the larger
theological
problems in-
herent in giving an account of God's presence. An nter-
pretation must take account
of
these
difficulties.
eyond these general theological consideration the
narrative context
of Ex. 32:30-33:6 is an important
factor
for
interpretation.
The
meaning
of
what
is
said will
be
affected
by
the situation in
which
it is
said.
When the promise of the angel from 23:20ff. is re ated in
32:34,
33:2, there are two
significant
differences from its
original giving. The first is the sin of
Israel
and the rupture of
the
covenant. This
introduces
an
abnormal dimension
into
Israel's relationship with Yahweh. This abnormal dimension
may
mean that
that which usually
conveys Yahweh s
presence
will
not now do so, or will not do so in the
normal way.
The
angel,
therefore, will not necessarily mediate Yahweh's presence in
the
same
way as in 23:20ff.
Secondly,
instructions concerning
a
shrine
as the means of
Yahweh s
presence among Israel
introduce
a factor not present
in ch. 23.
This
shrine,
whereby Yahweh
will be
present
in
Israel's
cult,
means
that
Yahweh
will
be in the
midst
of Israel
(w
e
§akantT b
e
tokam,
25:8,
cf. 29:45f.; cf.
also Num.
14:42,44
for the ark). On any reckoning the shrine is a mode of
Yahweh s
presence
distinct from that
in the
angel.
Given these
two
contextual considerations,
the
references
to
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Two:
A n
Exegesis
of
E x o d u s 32-34
Y a h w e h ' s
presence in 32:34-33:6 m a y b e c o h e r e n t ly i n t e r p r e t e d .
In 23:20f f .
a
genera l promise
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
presence an d
h e l p
is
g i v e n , expressed in the f o r m m o s t a p p r o p r i a t e for a people
a b o u t
to
j o u r n e y
a n d
enter
a n e w
land .
T h e
fac t
that
th e
angel
goes a he a d ( I p n y k ) i m p l i e s
n o
d i s t a n c i n g
f r o m th e
people;
it is
s imply
an
ap pro priate expression
o f
gu idance .
In
32:34ff. ,
a l-
t h o u g h Y a h w e h
h a s
accepted
Israel for the
f u t u r e ,
the people
a re
sti l l
in his
d i s f a v o u r .
H e w i l l
indeed gu ide
th e
people
in a
genera l w a y - th i s is the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t he a n g e l h e r e . But the
special presence o f Y a h w e h in his sh r i n e in the m i d s t of the
people is now d e n i e d , t h e d i r e c t io n s fo r th e sh r i n e a r e a b r o -
gated.
A l t h o u g h
Y a h w e h
ca n
g i v e
a
s i n f u l people genera l
g u i d a n c e
w i t h o u t
d i f f i c u l t y ,
h e c a n n o t b e sp e c i a l l y p r e se n t
a m o n g t h e m w i t h o u t t h e i r
s i n f u l n e s s
p r o v o k i n g h i m t o a c t
a g a i n s t t h e m .
O n e m a y
c o m p a r e N u m . 1 6-1 7 ( t e n t
o f
m e e t i n g )
and 1
S a m .
6:19f. , 2
S a m . 6:6f f . ( a r k )
for the
d a n g e r s
o f
Y a h w e h ' s presence in a s h r i n e a m o n g s t th e people . Yet the
special
presence
o f Y a h w e h a m o n g I sra e l is one of the m a j o r
signs o f their
c o v e n a n t
status (cf. 33:16, 34:9), and to depr ive
t h e m
o f
th is w o u l d l e a v e t h e m w i t h
n o
s i g n i f i c a n t f u t u r e .
Israel 's
s i n i n m a k i n g
the i r
o w n veh ic le o f t he d iv ine
presence
h a s m a d e t h e m f o r f e i t the t rue one . For t h i s reason they m o u r n
and w a i t
to see
w h a t
G o d
w i ll
d o
w i th t h e m .
Ex. 33:7-11
In th is next sect ion Moses erects
a
tent
a s a
t e m p o r a r y
m e d i u m o f Y a h w e h ' s p re se n c e p r i o r to the
u l l
r e s t o r a t i o n of
t he d iv in e presence fo r w h i c h h e s u b s e q u e n t l y
intercedes.
This
u n i t lie s a t t h e m i d - p o i n t o f 3 2 - 3 4 a n d m a r k s t h e t u r n i n g
p o i n t
in the
s t o r y .
I t
c o n t i n u e s
a n d
c o n c l u d e s
th e
t h e m e
o f
Israel
a s u n d e r
God's j u d g m e n t
a n d
p r e p a r e s
for the
r e v e l a t i o n
of
God 's g race as the the m e of w h a t fo l low s . Th e cen t ra l i ty o f
Moses ' role i s carr ied f u r t h e r ; indeed i t may be t h a t
33:11,
w h e r e Y a h w e h speaks wi th Moses face
to
face
is the
specific
m o m e n t o f t r a n s i t i o n i n t h e n a r r a t i v e s t r u c t u r e a s a w h o l e . '
The cont inua t ion
of the
t h e m e
o f
j u d g m e n t
is seen in the
p o s i t i o n i n g o f the tent f a r o f f ( h r h q ) f r o m th e c a m p . T h e
s imple fac t
of the tent
be ing ou t s ide
th e
c a m p w o u ld
not in
it se lf n e c e ssa r i ly h a v e s i g n i f i c a n c e . B u t w h e n t h e w o r d s o u t -
side
th e
c a m p
a re
r e p e a t e d w i t h i n
o n e
verse ,
a n d t h e
tent
is
said
t o b e n o t o n l y
o u t s i d e
th e
c a m p
b u t f a r o f f
f r o m
it , the
w r i t e r is c lea r ly d r a w i n g a t t e n t i o n to th i s
f a c t .
A s a
c o n t i n u a t i o n of t he preced ing verses w h ich h av e s tressed that
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f Go d
G o d c a n n o t
be in t he
m i d s t
of the
people les t
h e
d e s t r o y
them, th i s d i s t anc ing
o f
God's presence
f r o m th e
c a m p f i t s
n a t u r a l l y . F u r t h e r , th e preced ing
verses
have e f f ec t i ve l y re -
pealed
the
i n s t r u c t i o n s g i ven
i n E x .
2 5 f f .
for the
c o n s t r u c t i o n
o f
t he s h r i n e des i gn a t ed a s the
tent
o f m e e t i n g ( 'h i m w
c
d) . 6&
So
w h e n M o s e s
calls
this tent the
tent o f
mee t i n g ( 'hi m w
c
d ,
t w i c e
in v. 7) , i t is
n a t u r a l
to see
th i s
a s a
s u b s t i t u t e
for the
p rop e r tent in t h e
m i d d l e
o f t h e
c a m p , p e n d i n g
th e
r e s t o r a t i o n
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
f a v o u r
an d t he r en e w a l o f the co ve n a n t . Fo r t he
reader
f a m i l i a r w i t h
th e idea o f ch . 2 5 f f .
that
th e tent o f
m e e t i n g w a s i n t h e m i d s t of t he c a m p t h e r e is
i r o n y
a n d
r e f l e c t i o n
o n t he
r es u l t
of s in in the
w o r d i n g A n d e v e r y
o n e
w ho
so u g h t Y a h w e h w o u l d go ou t to the
tent
o f mee t i n g , wh i ch
was o u t s i de th e camp .
T h e
i den t i t y
o f
t h i s tent
is
m u c h deba ted
b u t
e i t he r
o f t w o
alternatives
w o u l d
f i t
w e l l .
T h e
f i rs t poss ibi l i ty
is that th e tent
is Moses ' o w n t e n t ^ ̂ w h ich has been men t ioned earlier in Ex .
18:7.
7
0
Thi s might be suppor ted by the express ion w
e
n a t a h -
jo
w h e r e
the p r o n o u n
p r o b a b l y r e f e r s re f l e x i v e l y
to Moses.-
7
Al terna t ive ly th e d e f i n i t e article in
ha 'ohe l
could be i n d e f i n i t e
in
sense
a n d
s ho u l d
be
r en de r ed
a
tent .
7
^
T h i s w o u l d
fi t
w e l l
w i t h
th e context
73
s ince
th e
p o i n t
i s
precisely
t h a t
t h i s
tent is a
provis ional
substitute for the
promised
tent o f ch .
2 5 f f . , a n d n o t a
p e r m a n e n t s a n c t u a r y
in i t s ow n r i g h t .
7
^
E i t h e r w a y t h e
p r o b l e m o v e r
th e
a p p a r e n t l y a b r u p t
a n d u n -
precedented r e f e r e nce t o t h e tent in v . 7
need
no t b e a
problem
if o n e
takes
s e r i o u s l y
th e c o n t e x t o f
33:3,5 w he r e a dm i t t ed l y
n o
e x p l i c i t
r e f e r e n c e
i s
m a d e
to a tent b u t t h e
w r i t e r
m a y s i mp l y
pr esu ppo s e f a m i l i a r i t y w i th the n o t i o n o f a s h r i n e des ign a t ed
tent
o f mee t in g w h i ch co n veys Yahw eh 's
presence
in the
m i d s t
o f h is
people .
A n o t a b l e f e a t u r e of the sect ion is i ts u se t h r o u g h o u t o f verbs
in
th e
i mp er f ec t w h i ch have
a clearly
f r equ en t a t i ve
force.
Thi s
is
s i g n i f i c a n t
f o r t w o reasons.
Fi r s t ,
th e
ve r bs
i m p l y that th e
tent w a s c o n s t a n t l y p u t u p a n d t a k e n d o w n . A l t h o u g h th i s i s
u s u a l l y
taken
to
re fer
to
M o ses' h a b i t u a l practice
at successive
e n c a m p m e n t s i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s ,
there
a re d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h s u ch
a n
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n .
7
-* T h e ve r bs in co n t ex t s u gges t th e i m -
p e r m a n e n c e of the
tent.
A l t h o u g h
th e
tent
i s no t t aken
d o w n
a s
soon
as
Moses
has
f i n i s hed w i t h
it the
i mpl i ca t i o n
is that it is
se t up on ly fo r
l i m i t e d p e r i o d s
o f
t i m e . T h i s g a i n s p o i n t t h r o u g h
t he co n t r a s t w i t h t h e s h r i n e t h a t s ho u l d h a v e p e r m a n e n t ly
med i a t ed
Y a h w e h ' s presence
in the
mids t
of the
pe op le .
This
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Two: An Exegesis o f E x o d u s 32-34
tent is a t e m p o r a r y s u b s t it u t e w h i c h i s no t o n l y o u t s i d e th e
c a m p
but i s
o n l y a v a il a b le i n t e r m i t t e n t l y
to
seek Y a h w e h ;
it is
n o t p e r m a n e n t l y e s t a b l i s h e d a s Y a h w e h 's o f f i c i a l s h r i n e w o u l d
be.
S e c o n d l y ,
th e
i m p e r f e c t v e r b s c o n v e y
th e
sense
o f a
p a s s i n g
of
t im e , a n d a r e a l i t e ra ry dev ice to slow th e n a r r a t i v e a t th i s
t r a n s i t i o n a l
p o i n t . A f t e r
t h e
t e n s e
a n d
s o m b r e n a r r a t i v e
p reced ing , th i s s ec t i o n p r o v i d e s
a
p a u s e b e f o r e
th e
r e n e w e d
he igh ten ing o f t ension in the in te rcess ion o f Moses. The im p l ied
pa ss ing o f t i m e , c o m b i n e d w i t h a p i c t u r e o f the l i f e o f the
p e o p le a s r e t u r n i n g t o a n o r d e r l y a n d r e v e r e n t p a t t e r n o f
existence conveys
a
c e r t a i n
sense o f
ca l m
an d
gives
th e
i m p r e s s i o n
t h a t
Y a h w e h ' s
d i s f a v o u r
w i l l
no t be h i s
f i n a l
w o r d
b u t
t h a t t he way i s o p e n for a r e s t o r a t i o n o f I s rae l .
T h e t r ans i t ion f r o m j u d g m e n t to m e r c y ,
sugges ted
b y t h e
g e n e r a l t e n o r o f 33:7-11 , is b a s e d l a r g e l y on the ro l e o f M o s e s .
N o t o n l y is he t r e a t e d w i t h g r e a t d e f e r e n c e by the people (v . 8)
- a
contrast
to 32:1 - b u t , m o s t i m p o r t a n t , h e e n j o y s th e f a v o u r
o f
a
u n i q u e
an d i n t i m a t e r e l a ti o n s h i p w i t h Y a h w e h (v. 1 l a ) . It is
th i s w h i c h f o r m s th e bas is for a r e n e w e d i n t e r c e s s i o n o f
u n p a r a l l e l e d boldness.^
T h a t Y a h w e h shou l d speak to M oses " face to face"
( p a n i m
e l - p a n i m ) i s no t o n l y o f d e e p s i g n i f i c a n c e fo r u n d e r s t a n d i n g th e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n Moses
an d
Y a h w e h ( c f . N u m . 1 2 : 8 , D e u t .
34:10),
b u t a ls o h a s m o r e g e n e r a l i m p l i c a t i o n s f o r t h e r e l a t i o n -
s h i p
b e t w e e n G o d a n d m a n . T h a t t h e w r i t e r h a s th i s la r g e r i ss u e
i n m ind is
e v i d e n t
f r o m th e
j u x t a p o s i t i o n
o f
33:11 with 33:20:
33:11,
" A n d Y a h w e h s po ke w i t h M o se s
f a c e
to fa ce ..."
33:20, " B u t ( Y a h w e h ) sa id , ' You c a n n o t
s e e m y
f a c e ,
fo r
m an
s h a l l
no t see m e a nd
l ive ' . "
Thi s
j u x t a p o s i t i o n o f a p p a r e n t l y c o n f l i c t i n g s t a te m e n t s h a s l o n g
t r o u b l e d c o m m e n t a t o r s .
T h e
f a c t that
t h e L X X
u se s d i f f e r e n t
w o r d s f o r " face" i n vv . 1 1 , 2 0 ^ 7 p r o b a b l y r e f l e c t s a n a t t e m p t
to r e s o l v e th e c o n t r a d i c t i o n . L i k e w i s e th e T a r g u m s to 33:11
r e p la c e " fa c e " b y speech
( m r n l Q
a n d r e n d e r th e id iom
"speech
fo r speech" .78
s
c o m m o n a m o n g m o d e r n c o m m e n t a t o r s to
a r g u e th a t t h e s e tw o v e rs es r e p r e se n t c o n f l i c t i n g c o n c e p t io n s
of
m a n ' s
access
t o G o d a n d
t h a t
these
d i f f e r e n t c o n c e pt io n s
b e l o n g
to
d i f f e r e n t s o u r c e s
o r
t r a d i t i o n s . 7 9
Such e x e g e t ic a l m o v e s a re s u r e l y u n n e c e s s a r y o nc e th e v e r s e s
are se t in the
c o n t e x t
o f the
t h e o lo g i c al p r o b l e m s i n h e r e n t
in
d i s c u s s i n g the presence of G od . Fo r i t i s ne ces sary to a f f i r m
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A t
th e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
both that G o d c a n b e k n o w n a s i n t i m a t e l y present a n d that he i s
b e y o n d
h u m a n r e a c h a n d k n o w l ed ge . Th i s p r o b l em , that i s
i m m a n e n c e a n d t r a n s c e n d e n c e , i s i n h e r e n t i n la n g u a g e a b o u t
G o d
a n d c a n n o t , a s s u c h , be r e so l v e d . I n d e e d w h a t m a t t e r s i s
n o t to d isso lve th e t e n s i o n bu t to r e c o g n i z e i t as a p a r a d o x a n d
to describe it
correctly.
It is precisely such a theological
r e f l ec t i o n
o n t h e
problem
o f
i m m a n e n c e
a n d
transcendence that
33:11
p o i n t s t o . A s such i t is an i m p o r t a n t p a r t o f t he total
t h e o l o g i c a l t r e a t m e n t
o f the
p resence
o f God in ch . 33 . I t i s
c h a r a c t e r i st i c a lso o f t h e su b t l e n a r r a t i v e t ec h n i qu e o f E x .
32-34 that i t i s no t made expl ic i t a s a r e f le c t iv e c o m m e n t
u p o n
th e s t o ry b u t i s integrated s m o o t h l y i n t o th e d e v e l o p m e n t o f
t h e
n a r r a t i v e .
The use o f
p a n i m
i n
33:11
i s
s i g n i f i c a n t
n o t
o n l y
in
j u x t a p o s i t i o n wi th 33:20.
For the use of
p a n i m
in 33 :14f . is
also
clear ly par t o f t h e s ame theo log ica l treatment. A n d th e p a n i m
m o t i f r e c u r s
i n t he
f i n a l s ec t ion
o f t h e
s t o r y ,
34 :29f f . T h e
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f
n u a n c e s
a n d
i m p l i c a t i o n s
o f
p a n i m
i s an
i m p o r t a n t aspect
o f t h e
p r e s e n t n a r r a t i v e .
F i n a l l y
i t may be n o t ed that th e access o f Moses to G o d i n
the tent
suggests
that it is the tent
w h i ch s h o u l d
be
u n d e r s t o o d
as the s e t t i n g f o r t he p r a y e r o f 33 :12f f .
( a l t h o u g h
th e q u e s t i o n
o f
l o c a t i o n i s of l i m i t e d s i g n i f i c a n c e ) . T h e
o n l y
e v i d e n c e a g a i n s t
t h i s
w o u l d
b e v .
2 l a h i n n e h
m a q o m itti w h i c h cou ld be
i n t e r p r e t ed
d e m o n s t r a t i v e l y ,
t h u s i m p l y i n g
th e presence O f
M o s e s o n t h e
m o u n t a i n .
B u t h i n n e h
n e e d
n o t
h a v e d e m o n s t r a t i v e
f o r c e ,
a n d i f
M o se s w e r e a l re a d y
o n t h e
m o u n t a i n
o n e
w o u l d
expec t th e t h e o p h a n y t o t a k e p l a c e d i r ec t l y r a t h e r t h a n f o r
d i rec t ions abou t i t to be g i ven . W h en eve r M o ses is
f o u n d
o n t h e
m o u n t a i n , t h i s i s preceded by a r e f e r en c e t o h i s g o i n g u p there
(
c
l h ) f i r s t . Th e r e
i s no
s u c h r e f e r e n c e
i n
33 :12 , r a ther
a
n a t u r a l
s e q u e n c e g i v i n g c o n t e n t t o t h e close r e l a t i o n s h i p i n t h e
tent
o f
33:11.
Ex.
33:12-23
T h e
con te n t o f the n ex t sec t ion , 33 :12-23 ,80 i s the m os t
d en se a n d compressed i n t he w h o l e o f
32-34.
I t r e c o u n t s th e
bo ld
a n d successfu l i n t e rcess ion o f M o se s b e f o r e Y a h w e h , a n d
w h i l e
th e
genera l t enor
i s n o t
d i f f i c u l t
to
d iscern some
o f t he
detail is p r o b l em a t i c a n d s o m e o f t he t e r m i n o l o g y is
d e l i b e r a t e l y
m u l t i v a l e n t . T h e s ect io n d i v i d e s i n t o tw o m a i n
pa r t s ,
vv .
1 2 - 1 7
a n d v v .
18-23.
T h e
f a v o u r a b l e re sp o n s e
t o G o d
in v . 17 conc ludes th e f i r s t par t o f M o ses p r a ye r , w h i l e th e
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T w o A n Exegesis o f
E x o d u s
3 2 - 3 4
r e n e w e d p e t i ti o n o f v . 18 m a r k s a n e w stage of the i n t e rcess ion .
T he c h a r a c t e r of the s e c t i o n , a t
leas t
o f v v . 1 2 - 1 7 , 1 8 , a s a n
i n t e rcess ion is clear. A correct u n d e r s t a n d i n g is less i m m e d -
i a t e l y o b v i o u s
a n d
d e p e n d s
o n
f i r s t
d e t e r m i n i n g
th e
p r o b l e m
w i th w hich th e in tercess ion in c o n c e r n e d . T h e p rob lem is
f r e q u e n t l y c o n s i d e r e d to be
t h a t
o f w h e t h e r o r n o t Y a h w e h c a n
leave Sinai: such
was the
spat ia l menta l i ty
of the
a n c i e n t N e a r
Eas t ,
w h i c h
s a w a n i n t i m a t e r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n g o d s a n d t h e i r
holy places
that
i t was
d i f f i c u l t
to co n ce i v e o f
Y a h w e h
as
l e a v i n g
h is h ol y m o u n t a i n o f S i n a i . ^ 1 Thi s sam e essen t i a l
p r ob l em c a n b e d i f f e r e n t l y n u a n c e d b y s a y i n g that t h e c o n c e r n
o f
th e
n a r r a t i v e
is f r o m th e
p e r s p e c t i v e
o f
l i fe
in
C a n a a n ,
s e e k i n g
to
es tabl i sh
t h a t
t h e G o d w h o
o n c e r e v e a l e d h i m s e l f
f u l l y a n d f o r th e
f i r s t
t i m e o n S i na i w a s n o w p r e s e n t w i t h h is
p eop le in C a n a a n
to o .8 2
T h e r e a re o b v i o u s
d i f f i c u l t i e s
w i t h
th i s
v i e w , ° ^ ~ t h e
m o s t i m p o r t a n t
o f w h i c h is the
t r a d i t i o n
o f
th e e x o d u s in w h i c h Y a h w e h r e v e a l e d h is m i g h t in E g y p t a n d i s
dep ic t ed
as
b e i n g s u p e r i o r
to the
E g y p t i a n g o d s e v en
o n
the i r
o w n g r o u n d ( c f . E x . 7 :8 -13) . I t may f u r t h e r b e a s k e d w h e t h e r
an y anc ien t N ear Eas te rn h ig h-g od w as c o n s i d e r e d to be
s p a t i a l l y
res t r i c t ed
to a
l i m i t e d
a r e a ;
a
p a r t i c u l a r a t t a c h m e n t
to a locali ty need n o t i m p l y a n y r es t r i c t i o n to i t . If the a n s w e r
to t h i s q u e s t i o n is n e g a t i v e , t h e n it b e c o m e s less l ikely
t h a t
th e
God
of the Israel i tes w as ever conceived of in such a
restricted
w a y .
In
a d d i t i o n to these d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h th e sup p os i t i on that th e
pr o ble m o f 3 3 : 1 2 f f . is w h e t h e r o r n o t Y a h w e h w a s able to leave
Sinai , th e m a i n o b j e c t i o n to th i s p remise is that it arises largely
t h r o u g h d i s c o u n t i n g
th e
p r e s e n t c o n t e x t w h i c h
h a s
p r o v i d e d
good
r e a s ons
o f i t s o wn fo r
Y a h w e h ' s
r e l u c t a n c e
to go
w i th
the
p eop le . The p ro b lem in the p resen t co n tex t i s no t sp a t i a l o r
m e t a p h y s i c a l ,
c o n c e r n i n g the p oss ib i l i ty of Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s e n c e a w a y f r o m S i n a i ,
no r i s i t t o d o
w i t h
th e
a f f i r m a t i o n
o f
th e
i d e n t i t y
o f t he
I s rae l i t e s '
G o d i n
C a n a a n w i t h
th e
de i ty
o f
Sin a i , but i t is the m o r a l p r o b l e m o f h o w a
h o l y
G o d c a n a b i d e
w i t h a s i n f u l people . T h e r e c o g n i t i o n o f t h i s e n a b l e s a c o h e r e n t
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f t he m a t e r i a l a s a w h o l e.
T h e d e v e l o p m e n t o f M os es ' i n t e r c e s s i o n m a y b e
o u t l i n e d
a s
f o l l o w s .
3 3 : 1 2 - 1 7 a r e
M o s e s '
resp onse t o 33 :1 -6 a f t e r the w ay
h as
b e e n p r e p a r e d
b y
33 :7 -11 . Moses seek s
th e
r e s t o r a t i o n
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
a c c o m p a n y i n g
presence
w i t h th e peo pl e . A l th o u g h t h is
is
c o u c h e d i n a l l u s i v e t e r m s , i t i s r e a s o n a b l y c le a r t h a t a
concrete
rea l i za t i on o f
Y a h w e h ' s presence that
is a s h r i n e , is
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f God
e nv i s age d . T he te rm used fo r Y a h w e h ' s presence in vv. 1 4 f . is
p a n i m ,
a wo rd
cha racter ist ica l ly used
of the
divine presence
in
the cult. ̂ It is such a d i v i ne presence
that
makes Israel
dis t inct ive , and
this
Ya hw eh grants (v. 17). Y et this fav o u rab le
response st i l l does not resolve Moses
1
pro blem . For the
f u n d a m e n t a l
fac t of the
s in fu lness
o f Israel , which was the
cause of all the t ro u b l e , r e m a i n s u n c h a n g e d . T he possibi l i ty is
thereby ra ised that the renewed presence o f Y a h w e h w i th h is
people w ou ld s im ply lead to h is f u r t h e r w r a t h a n d j u d g m e n t
against them as the inevi table resul t of any f u t u r e s in. The
res tora t ion
of the s h r i ne as the
m e a n s
o f
Y a h w e h ' s presence
could
o f i tself ye t lead to the des t ruc t ion o f Israel.^
Someth ing
f u r t h e r
is
ne e de d ,
an d
this Moses seeks
in vv.
18ff. ;
th is
is
n o t h i n g less than
a
deeper
an d ful le r
revelation
of the
character
o f
Y a h w e h
as a God
w hose very na ture
it is to be
grac ious an d m e r c i f u l (33:19, 34:6f.). Only o n this basis can the
c o v e n a n t
be
r e ne we d be cause
n o w
even
the s in of
Israel
can be
accoun t e d
fo r
w i t h i n
the
me rcy
o f G od and
need
n o t
lead
to the
people's
des t ruc t ion . Hence the need for the theo pha n y in which
God reveals his graciou sness and m ercy; hen ce also Moses
1
f ina l
response in 34:9 in w hic h, on the basis o f this revelat io n , he
prays
f ina l ly
for the
presence
o f
Y a h w e h
even
wi th
a
c o n t i n u i n g l y s infu l people.°7
In the l ight of this general outline ^
m o r e detailed
analysis of the intercession may be u n d e r t a k e n . It has of ten
be e n que r i e d whe the r an y c o h e r e n t d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h o u g h t can
be traced w i t h in 33:12ff .89 i
t
j
s
i m p o r t a n t
to
r e cogn i ze that
t he l og i c and de ve l opme nt o f Moses ' prayer corresponds to the
logic of plea and pet i t ion, not
that
of sober , ra t ional discourse ,
an d
m u st be judg ed accordin gly. A s Chi lds pu ts i t ,
P e r h a p s
the logica l con sistency of the d ia log u e sho uld no t
be overworked. There is an e mot i ona l tone of the highest
i n t e ns i t y t h roughou t
the
conversa t ion
as
Moses seeks
u n s w e r v i n g l y
to w r e s t f r o m G o d a
f u r t h e r concession 9®
M ui l e nb u r g 9 J l ikewise stresses the urgency an d passion
w h i ch
cha r ac t e r i ze
the p rayer .^2
T he
s t r u c t u r e
of the
intercess ion
in vv.
1 2 - 1 7
fa l ls
i n to
tw o
par ts .
V v.
12-13 cons t i t u t e
th e
f i r s t plea w h ic h me e t s w i t h
a
f a v o u r a b l e ,
b u t
st i l l part ial
a n d
some wha t e n i gma t i c , r e sponse
in v. 14 . In vv. 15-16 Moses renews his
plea
s t r e ng the n i ng it by
appea l to th i s concess ion and deve lop in g i t ye t fu r th e r , and th is
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T w o :
A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s 32-34
p le a i s g r a n te d in v . 1 7 .
T h e
s i t u a t i o n p r e s u p p o s e d
i n v v .
1 2 f f .
h a s
b e e n o u t l i n e d t h u s
f a r . M o s e s
in v . 1 2
r e f e r s b a ck
to
G o d 's c o m m a n d
to
l e a v e
( 3 3 : 1 ) . T h e w o r d s w i t h w h i c h h i s
s t a t e m e n t
o f t h e p r o b l e m
c o n t i n u e s , Y o u h a v e n o t t o l d m e w h o m y o u w i l l s e n d w i t h m e
(so, r o u g h l y , m o s t E V V ) , h a v e
o c c a s i o n e d
d i f f i c u l t y .
I n
a n o t h e
c o n t e x t
th e w o r d s c o u l d s i m p l y c o n s t i t u t e a
r e q u e s t
f o r a
h u m a n c o m p a n i o n
o r
g u i d e
w h o
w o u l d k n o w
t h e w a y
t h r o u g h
th e
w i l d e r n e s s . 9 3 S i n c e , h o w e v e r , s u c h a n issue h a s n o t been
r a i s e d h i t h e r t o , e i t h e r i n t h e S i n a i p e r i c o p e o r i n th e
j o u r n e y i n g s
to S i n a i , nor i s i t r a i s e d a t a n y l a t e r
s t a g e
i n t h e
w a n d e r i n g s , 9 4
i t i s
u n l i k e l y
t o b e t h e c o n c e r n
h e r e .
T h e r e is also a n a p p a r e n t t e n s io n w i t h th e p r o m i s e o f t h e
a n g e l
in
32:34, 33:2.
G o d h a s
sa id
h e
w i l l s e n d
a n
a n g e l .
But in
f a c t th e p r o b l e m h e r e i s the s a m e as in
3 2 : 3 4 f f . , t h a t
is t h e r e is
a d i s t in c t i o n b e t w e e n d i f f e r e n t m o d e s o f Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s e n c e ,
o n e m o r e a n d t h e o t h e r less i n t i m a t e . T h e a n g e l r e p r e s e n t s
Y a h w e h ' s
g e n e r a l g u i d a n c e
o f h i s
p e o p le w h i c h , w h i l e
i m p o r t a n t , i s i n a d e q u a t e i f n o t c o m b i n e d w i t h h i s spe c ia l
p r e s e n c e i n h i s s h r i n e . I t w a s t h i s s h r i n e
t h a t
w a s d e n i e d in
33: 3b-6 a nd whic h M o se s no w s e e k s to r e s t o r e . I t i s m i s l e a d i n g
to r e n d e r
33:12a^
et
a
ser
t iS lah
c
i r n m T b y . . . whom y o u
w i l l s e n d w i t h
m e f o r t h e
H e b r e w
i s n o t
s p e c i f i c a l l y p e r s o n a l
a n d c o u l d e q u a l l y w e l l
b e
i m p e r s o n a l : ... w h a t
y o u w i l l
s e n d
w i t h
m e , w i t h r e f e r e n c e
to a
s h r i n e
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s e n c e .
T h e u s e o f t h e
p r e p o s i t i o n w i th
( ^ i m ) in v. 12
( c f .
v. 16
' i m m a n u )
i s also o f s i g n i f i c a n c e in d e t e r m i n i n g th e n a t u r e o f
M o s e s ' r e q u e s t . T h e p r e p o s i t i o n i m p l i e s c l o s e p e r s o n a l c o n t a c t ,
b e i n g r e m i n i s c e n t o f t h e w o r d s a t
M o s e s
1
c o m m i s s io n i n g ( E x .
3:12),
B u t I
w i l l
b e w i t h y o u (k y
' h y h
c
m k ) .
F u r t h e r , i t
p r o b a b l y h a s a f o r c e , p a r t i c u l a r l y i n v . 1 6 , s i m i l a r t o t h a t o f
b q r b in 33:3,5. T h e p r e p o s i t i o n s in 33:12-17 , as in
33:1-6,
c a r r y
g r e a t w e i g h t .
A
g e n e r a l p r o m i s e
o f
g u i d a n c e , w h i c h c o u l d s t i l l
i m p l y s o m e d i s t a n c e
b e t w e e n
G o d a n d t h e
p e o p l e
(c f . I p n y ) is
i n a d e q u a t e . N o t h i n g less t h a n t h e i m m e d i a t e a n d c l o s e p r e s e n c e
o f
G o d ( b q r b ,
c
m)
w i l l s u f f i c e . W i t h t h i s i n s i g h t o n e c a n
u n d e r s t a n d
th e d i f f e r e n c e b e tw e e n t h e t w o r e s p o n s e s o f G o d i n
v v . 1 4 ,1 7 . In v . 14 h e p r o m i s e s to go ( h l k ) b u t t h e
p r e c i s e
n a t u r e o f t h i s g o i n g i s s t i l l u n c l e a r ; n o p r e p o s i t i o n i s u s e d , t o
d i s t i n g u i s h w h e t h e r Y a h w e h w i l l g o
a h e a d
o f o r a m o n g s t th e
p e o p l e . S o M o s e s p r a y s
f u r t h e r
t h a t Y a h w e h
w i l l
n o t o n l y g o ( v .
15), b u t w i l l g o w i t h u s (
c
i m m a n u ) . I t i s t h i s e x t r a f a c t o r
(g m ' t - h d b r
h z h ) 9 5
w h i c h
i s
t h e n f i n l l y g r a n t e d
(v .
17) .96
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A t
the
M o u n t a i n
of God
A f t e r stating the
problem
in v.
12a, Moses goes
on in v. 12b
to
appea l
to his special re l a t i onsh ip wi th Yahweh , wh ich is
m a d e
the basis for his
f o l l o w i n g plea.
T he special
posit ion
o f
Moses i s based on two th ings : f i r s t ,
that
Y a h w e h k n o w s h im b y
name , and second ly t h a t he has
f o u n d
f avo u r in his s ight . Th i s
latter is the key
express ion
in the
p ra y e r , oc c u r r i ng f i v e t i me s
an d
b i n d i n g
th e
p ra ye r
t o g e t h e r by i t s use a t
b o t h b e g i n n i n g
a n d
e nd .
W h a t d o these
e xp re s s ions m e a n ?
A n d
to w h a t
d o
they
r e f e r ? T he i n t rod uc t i on o f t h e m b y yet y o u h a v e said
(w
e
'attah ' a m a r t a ) i mp l i e s s o m e prev ious occasion a t wh i c h
Y a h w e h des igna ted Moses
in this
w a y .
T he
verb
to
k n o w
in
Hebrew id iom
has a var ie ty o f
me a n i ngs ,
one o f
wh i c h
is to
k n o w
a
person
in an
i n t i m a t e
r e l a t i ons h i p . W h e n used
of God's
r e l a t i o n s h i p
to man i t can
h a v e
the
fo r c e
of to
elect ;
cf.
Gen. 18:19,
A m .
3:2, H os . 13:5, Jer.
1:5.97 L i k e w i s e b y n a m e i m p l i e s i n t i m a t e k n o w l e d g e o f a
person
and his
character
cf. Is.
43:1
( I
ha ve ca l led
you by
n a m e
(b
e
§ i m k a) - you are
m ine ) , 45:3, 4 9 : 1 . Th i s c ombi na t i on
o f
k n o w and by n a m e is w i tho ut pa ra ll e l e l sewhere in the OT
an d
po i n t s
to the
u n i q u e l y i n t i m a t e r e l a t i ons h i p be t we e n M os e s
a n d Y a h w e h .
T he idiom to f ind f a v o u r in N's eyes is
h igh ly
f lexible and
can convey a v a r i e t y of d i f f e r e n t c o n n o t a t i o n s , being used of
both man and
God.98
Some t i me s if I have
found
fa v our in
your eyes m a y b e s i m p l y an express ion o f
d e fe r e nce ,99 o r
m ay
b e a f o r m u l a fo r
s t r e n g t h e n i n g
a
r e q u e s t .
100 I t m ay b e a
reques t not to be
a n g r y .
10 i I t may mean pos i t ive ly e n j o y i n g
someone 's goodwil l
a n d
approva l . 102 ^n d ^ mav refer to such
goodwill with an eye specifically towards its practical
consequences . 103 jt mav ajso refer to some specific word or
deed o f goodwi l l a l ready bes towed u p o n the recipient. 10
W i t h such a wi d e r a n g e o f nua nc e s , v a r i ab l e acco rd i ng to
s i tua t ion an d i n t e n t i on , o n e need n o t expect the phrase to be
univoca l
in its
usage
in
33:12ff .
Of the
f i v e occurrences
in
33:12ff . ,
the u se in v .
13a
a
r e s e m b l e s th e pure ly de fe ren t i a l
e xp re s s i on , wh e re a s
the u se in v. 13a
c
is
s i m i l a r
to the
uses
in
Gen. 32:5,
33:8,
s e e k i ng
a
g o o d w i l l w h i c h w i l l h a v e p r a c
tic
e x p r e s s i o n .
In v. 16a the
e xp re s s i on me a ns
the
e n j o y m e n t
o f
goodwi l l
and
a p p r o v a l .
V. 17b is a
r e - a f f i r m a t i o n
of v. 12b and
has a s imi l a r fo rce . T he in i t i a l use of the phrase in v. 12 b is the
m o s t i m p o r t a n t . It has a
close
para l le l in G e n . 6:8. The l ink of
Ex.
33:12 wi th Gen.
6:8 is the
m o r e notable
because these are
the
on l y
tw o
instances
in the OT
w h e r e
it is said
absolutely
of
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T w o : A n Exe ge s i s o f E x o d u s
32-34
i n d i v i d u a l s
that they
f o u nd
f a v o u r w i th
G o d .
1 ^5
o f the
u s a g e
in
G e n .
6 :8 Z i m m e r l i
c o m m e n t s t h a t
it
i m p l i e d
th e
m y s t e r y o f t he
f r e e
d i v i n e dec is ion . 106 In Ex .
3 3 : 12 , t he n ,
a s
in
Gen. 6 :8 , what
is set
f o r w a r d
is
e f f e c t i v e l y
th e
spe c i a l
election
of Moses by God.
T o w h a t p re v i ou s oc c as ion ( ye t you ha v e sa i d ) doe s t h i s
r e f e r ? T h e r e
a re
f o u r
poss i b i l i t i e s . F i r s t ,
i t
c o u l d r e f e r
to
s o m e
pre v i ous say i n g
o f
Y a h w e h whi c h use d these s a m e w o r d s .
Se c on d ly ,
it
c o u l d i n t e n d s o m e p r e v i o u s s a y i n g
n o t
u s i n g these
w o r d s , b u t t h e t e n o r o f w h o s e c o n t e n t c o u l d b e a p t l y c o n v e y e d
t h u s .
T h i r d l y , i t
c o u l d r e f e r m o r e g e n e r a l l y
t o t h e
spec ia l
pos i t ion
e n j oy e d by M ose s s in c e h is c om m i ss i on i n g i n Ex . 3 .
F o u r t h l y
it
c o u l d r e f e r
to the
i m m e d i a t e c o n te x t
o f
33:1
la .
th e
f i r s t
p o s s i b i l i t y is a d o p t e d , th e n t h e r e a r e tw o
a l t e r n a t i v e s . E i t h e r o n e h a s t o s a y that th e t r a d i t i o n h a s n o t
pre se rve d t h i s w ord ,
o r
that Y a h w e h ' s w o r d s
in
3 3 : 17b o r i g i n a l ly
pre c e de d t hose o f M o s e s in 33 :12b b u t w e r e s u b s e q u e n t l y
r e - a r r a n g e d . T h i s l a t t e r a l t e r n a t i v e f a c e s
th e d i f f i c u l t y n o t o n l y
o f
th e
g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e that
o n e
s h o u l d
n o t
r e a r r a n g e
th e
text
( w h e r e
th e
p r o b l e m
i s n o t
that
o f
t e x t u a l c o r r u p t i o n ) u n l e s s
it
c a n n o t m a k e s a t i s f a c t o r y se n s e in i ts p r e s e n t o r d e r
(which
is
yet to be
d e m o n s t r a t e d ) ,
b u t
a l s o t h a t
i t
creates
n e w
p ro b l e m s
of its
o w n .
For i f the
w o r d s w e r e t ra n s p o s e d
to the
b e g i n n i n g
o f
th e p r a y e r , e v e n t h o u g h in the p r e s e n t text t h e r e is no o b v i o u s
l o c a t i o n
f o r
t h e m , t h e y w o u l d d i s r u p t
th e
w h o le m o v e m e n t
o f
th e n a r r a t iv e . H i t h e r t o Y a h w e h ' s w o r d s h a v e b ee n w o r d s o f
j u d g m e n t ;
n o t s o le ly j u d g m e n t f o r
n o t e s
o f hope have be e n
s o u n d e d (32 :1 0 , 32:33, 33:5), b u t w o r d s o f d i s f a v o u r h a v e b e e n
th e co n s i s te n t t h e m e . T o h a v e a n e x p l i c i t
w o r d
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
f a v o u r
a t t h i s po i n t , w he n t h i s i s w ha t M ose s i s se e k i n g t o
elicit w o u l d g r e a t l y w e a k e n th e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e i n t e r -
c e ss i on .
T h e se c on d p o s s i b i l i t y
c o u l d
a l l o w t h a t M o s e s is r e f e r r i n g
back
to
3 2 : 1 0 w h e r e
th e
A b r a h a m i c p r o m i s e
is
o f f e r e d
to
h i m .
A
p r o m i s e o f
s u ch i m p o r t c o u l d
w e l l b e
seen
a s a
spe c i a l e l e c t i on
o f M o s e s . T w o c o n s i d e r a t i o n s s u p p o r t t h i s . F i r s t , i t h a s b e e n
s e e n t h a t f i n d i n g
f a v o u r
c a n r e f e r b a c k to s o m e w o r d o r d ee d
of go od w i l l a l r e a dy be s tow e d (c f . Ge n . 19 :19),
a nd so t h e r e
c o u l d
b e a
s i m i l a r
i n t e n t i o n
h e r e .
It is
poss i b le
to o
t h a t
G e n .
6 :8
m a y c o n t a i n s o m e r e f e r e n c e b a c k t o t h e o r a c l e c o n c e r n i n g
N o a h ' s f u t u r e s i g n i f i c a n c e in G e n . 5 : 2 9 , t h o u g h t h i s c a n n o t b e
pressed , p a r t i c u l a r l y s i n c e
th e
oracle
i s n o t
p r o n o u n c e d
b y G o d
h i m s e l f . S e c o n d l y ,
th e
o f f e r
o f
3 2 : 1 0 b
i s n o t
t a k e n
u p by
M o s e s
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At the
M o u n t a i n
of God
in the intercession at 32:11-13. He does appeal to God's
f a i t h fu l n e s s to his
promises
to the
patriarchs (32:13),
but
does
not
l ink
this w i t h the o f f e r just made to him, unless perhaps by
i m p l i c i t l y
d e c l i n i n g
i t . In 33:12ff . ,
however,
the wa y in
w h i c h
Moses seeks to
b r i n g
th e people into th e same f a v o u r e d position
that
he
e n jo y s (cf. below
o n vv .
13b, 14b, 15b,
16)
makes good
sense if interpreted as Moses having accepted God's o f f e r but
i ns i s t i ng that it should be precisely the historic people of Israel,
a n d
not
anyone else,
who
should
be the
f u l f i l m e n t
of the
p r o m i s e
of the great nation. Th e fact that Moses seeks to b r i n g
the
people
to
share
in h is
f a v o u r e d position
is
clear
and i s no t
d e p e n d e n t upon p re s u p p o s i n g 32:10.
But the
interpretation
o f
Moses
1
plea
in
terms
o f
32:10 undoubtedly adds force
an d
point.
The third possibility, of a reference to Moses ' special position
since Ex. 3, may also be present and need not be set in contrast
to the second interpretation. Fo r Mos e s ' receipt of the promise
in 32:10 ca n
e seen
a s focuss ing a n d
d is t i l l i ng
the
role
which he
p l ay s elsewhere.
The
fo u r t h possibility, of a reference back to 33:11, is
l i k ewi s e no t
exclusive
of the
previous
tw o
interpretations.
In
terms
of the
narrative development
of the
story
Moses
1
special
r e l a t i o n s h i p in
33:11
clearly prepares for the
f o l l o w i n g
inter-
cession, and the account of the intercession adds content to
33:11.
In this
sense
v. 12b is linked with v. 11. But inasmuch as
v . can be interpreted no t as i n t r o d u c i n g something n e w b u t
a s crystallizing th e
f a v o u r e d
role that Moses already
e n j o y s ,
i ts
presence does
n o t
exclude w id e r reference back
to
both 32:10
a n d th e role o f Moses
t h r o u g h o u t
th e narrative hitherto.
These considerations suggest that the fact of
Moses'
being
k n o w n
b y G o d a n d
h a v i n g
f o u n d
f a v o u r
in h i s
sight refers
to the
grace
o f Go d
bestowed
o n
Mos e s
in
h a v i n g admitted
him to a
u n i q u e l y
intimate relationship, p r o b a b l y
w i t h
special reference
to the promise o f 32:10. It is this that
f o r m s
the
g r o u n d
fo r
Moses ' f o l l o w i n g plea
and is the
g r o u n d also
o n
wh i ch
G o d
f i n a l l y
grants
it.
The
actual plea
o f
Moses
in v. 13
begins with
the
adversative
wCjth, preparing fo r some contrast
wi t h
what ha s gone
b e f o r e . 0 There is also perhaps a wor d - p l a y wi t h v. 12,
'attah
...
w
e
'attah
...
w
e
'attah
...
w
ec
attah
....
As
observed
above, Moses'
second
use of the f i nd ing
favour
expression is
ak i n
to the familiar deferential usage
which
i n t r o d u c e s
a
petition.
Bu t the use in the
previous verse lends
i t
extra s i g n i f i c a n c e here
as the
writer develops
d i f f e r e n t
nuances
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Two: A n Exeges i s o f Exodus 32-34
of
m e a n i n g in the e x p r e s s i o n . It is n o t a b l e to o
that
th e v e r b
yd
c
is
used
t w i c e in
th i s v e r s e ,
as i t w as in v. 1 2, and so
cou ld
b e
said
to
f o r m
one o f the
l e i t m o t i f s
of the
p ra y e r
a s a
w h o l e .
1^8
Moses asks
to be
s h o w n God ' s ways (d
e
rakeka).^^
W a y s o f t e n denotes a person 's character or the c o u r s e o f
b e h a v i o u r t h a t h e
a d o p t s ,
1
1 °
a n d s o t h e
r e q u e s t w o u l d a p p e a r
to be to
k n o w G o d ' s
c h a r a c t e r .
T h i s
is
ind icated a l so
by the
f o l l o w i n g
w
e
'eda
ca
ka,
that
I m a y
k n o w
thee .
( T h e re m a y ,
h o w e v e r , b e a d o u b l e e n t e n d r e in the use o f d e r e k , h i n t i n g at i ts
l i t e r a l m e a n i n g
o f r o u t e for a
j o u r n e y ; M o s e s seeks
to k n o w
th e r o u t e b y
w h i c h Y a h w e h w i l l
g o
w i t h
h is peop le .
Such
a
n u a n c e
i s no t
i m p o s s i b l e . )
f a r e q u e s t to k n o w G o d ' s c h a r a c t e r is the m e a n i n g o f Moses '
p e t i t i o n , it
m i g h t
b e asked h o w
th i s
con ce r n fo r
r e v e l a t i o n f i t s
in th e c o n t e x t o f s e e k i n g G o d ' s a c c o m p a n i m e n t . Bu t to c o n t r a s t
r e v e l a t i o n
a n d
a c c o m p a n i m e n t
as in any
s e ns e
a n t i t h e t i c a l
w o u l d b e i n s e ns i t i v e to the f u n d a m e n t a l concern n o t on ly o f
th i s
prayer b u t also of t he s u r r o u n d i n g c o n t e x t w h i c h is the m o r a l
p r o b l e m o f r e c o n c i l i n g God to a
s i n f u l
peop le , a g e n e r a l
p r o b l e m
o f
w h i c h
the
q u e s t i o n
o f
G o d ' s a c c o m p a n i m e n t
of the
p e o p le i n h i s s h r i n e i s a s p e c i f ic m a n i f e s t a t i o n .
Moses
1
r e q u
s t
shou ld b e
i n t e r p r e t e d
as an
a t t e m p t
to
p r e s s b e h i n d
th e
i m m e d i a t e p r o b l e m to the
h e a r t
o f t h e m a t t e r ; t o solve th e
i m p a s s e
o f Y a h w e h ' s
r e f u s a l
in
t e r m s
o f
seek in g
a f u l l e r a n d
d e e p e r k n o w l e d g e
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
c h a r a c t e r
a n d
p u r p o s e s t h a n
h a s
h i t h e r t o been r e v e a l e d , c o n f i d e n t
that
this w i l l lead t o a deepe r
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h h i m ( t h a t I m a y k n o w yo u ) and th e p r a c t i c a l
e n j o y m e n t
o f h i s g o o d wi l l ( an d f i n d f a v o u r in your s igh t ) . W h o
G od
is d e t e r m i n e s h o w h e
wi l l
act.
f
M o s e s
is
a l r e a d y
k n o w n by God and has f o u n d f a v o u r
w i t h
him i t may
s e e m s t r a n g e
t h a t
t h i s s h o u l d
be the
o b j e c t
of h i s
p e t i t i o n .
Y e t th is is in
k e e p i n g w i t h
the
logic
o f
p r a y e r e v i d e n t
e l s e w h e r e i n t h e O T , m o s t n o t a b l y 2 S a m .
7 : 1 8 f f .
T h e r e , N a t h a n
h a s j u s t b r o u g h t a p r o m i s e
f r o m
Y a h w e h , t he f u l f i l m e n t o f
w h i c h is not
c o n t i n g e n t u p o n D a v i d 's
r e s p o n s e . Yet in
both
v. 25
a n d v . 28f . Dav id p rays for the c o n f i r m a t i o n a n d e s t a b l i s h m e n t
o f
t h i s p r o m i s e ,
m
T h i s a t t i t u d e f o l l o w s f r o m a n u n d e r -
s t a n d i n g
o f a
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h Y a h w e h
a s n o t
static
b u t
d y n a m i c . T h a t i s , past f a v o u r s c a n n o t be appea led to w i t h o u t
t h e ir b e i n g c o n t i n u a l l y r e a p p r o p r i a t e d
a n d
m a d e
a n
e x i s t e n t i a l
r e a l i t y . It is such a p r e s e n t e x p e r i e n c e o f Y a h w e h and h is
g o o d w i l l that Moses
seeks.
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A t
th e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
In
v. 13
M o s e s seeks
th i s
experience p r i m a r i l y
fo r
h i m s e l f ,
in
terms o f t h e f a v o u r h e
a l ready en joys .
Y e t
s i g n i f i c a n t l y
h e
a d d s
t o t h e e n d o f h i s request a nd cons i d e r that t h i s n a t i o n is y o u r
people (u r
e
'e h
k T
c
amm
e
ka
h a g g o y
h a z z e h ) . M o s e s
seeks
t o ex t end t h e scop e o f
God 's
f a v o u r b e y o n d h i m s e l f t o i n c l u d e
th e
people .
H e appea l s to Y a h w e h to cons ider I s rae l a s y o u r
people
i n a w a y
s i m i l a r
to the
p ra y e r
o f
32:1 I f f .
A t
th is stage
n o specia l f a v o u r fo r t he people is s o u g h t ; s i m p l y a
r e a f f i r m a t i o n o f t h e f a c t
that
t h e y a r e
Y a h w e h ' s
people .
Tire response in v .
4
h a s o f t e n b e e n t a k e n a s a q u e s t i o n bu t
th e context
d e m a n d s r a t h e r that
i t
s h o u l d
b e a
posi t ive
a f f i r m a t i o n . ' 1 2
Y a h w e h g r a n t s Moses ' p rayer . Yet , a s
n o t e d
a b ov e , t h e re i s a d e l i b e r a t e v a g u en ess a b o u t th e
a f f i r m a t i o n
in
t h a t
n o
p rep os i t i on
is
u s e d a f t e r
wi l l g o t o
i n d i c a t e
th e
n a t u r e
o f Y a h w e h ' s g o i n g , w h e t h e r w i t h
th e
people
in
t h e i r m i d s t ,
o r
n o t . T o say , a s E i ch rod t
does,'13
that p a n a y
ye leku
s h o u l d be
comple ted
by the
a d d i t i on
o f l
e
paneka is
en t i r e l y
to
miss
th e
s u b t le t y o f t h e o m i s s i o n a n d t o m i s s t h e c o n t r a s t b e t w e e n I p n y
a n d
c
rn. L i k e w i s e
th e
a d d i t i o n
of the
w o r d s w i th y o u ,
as in
a ll Engl i sh t r a n s l a t i o n s , m a k e s a c o n c e s s i o n w h i c h i s a b sen t
f r o m
th e H e b r e w . M o r e o v e r th e p rom i se o f
restH^
is g iven
to M oses a l one Oa k , second person s ingu l a r s u f f i x ) , a n d Moses is
s e e k i n g th e d i v i n e f a v o u r n o t f o r
h i m s e l f a l o n e
bu t fo r t he
people too . There
i s
n e e d t h e r e f o r e
to
p r a y f u r t h e r
to
o b t a i n
a
f u l l e r concession f r o m Y a h w e h .
This g ene r a l
sense
o f the
verse
is clear, w h a t e v e r th e
precise
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of Y a h w eh 's p re sence ( p a n i m ) . l
The use of
p J S n i r n i s s i g n i f i c a n t fo r t he s e v e r a l d i f f e r e n t n u a n c e s that th e
w o r d ca n convey.' ̂ F i r s t , i t can c o n v e y th e p e r sona l sense
o f
Y a h w e h 's a c c o m p a n i m e n t , fo r g a n i m w i t h a
s u f f i x
is used
e l se w h e r e a s a p e r i p h r a s i s f o r th e p e rs o n a l p r o n o u n . A s t r i k i n g
e x a m p l e is 2 S a m . 17:11 w h e r e H u s h a i u r g e s A b s a l o m that he go
( to b a t t l e ) H 7 i n p e r son ( u p a n e k a h o l
e
k i m
b aq r ab ) . 113
W h e n
p a n i m i s used thus o f God , i t stresses h is direct p e r s o n a l
i n v o l v e m e n t . S u c h a usa g e , in the context o f
33:11,20,
w o u l d
a p p r o p r i a t e l y
f i t
i n t o
a
th eo l og i ca l re f l ec t i on
o n th e presence
o f G o d .
O n t h e o t h e r h a n d i t h a s a l r e a d y b een
s e e n l l ̂ that p a n t m
i s
f r e q u e n t l y
used in c o n n e c ti o n w i t h th e c u l t , so
that
s h r i n e ,
a place for the d i v i n e presence (cf . E x. 29:42-46), is p rob a b l y
b e i n g a l l u d e d
t o . l ™
M o r e o v e r ,
i t is because th e
s h r i n e
is
m o v a b l e that i t i s p oss i bl e t o sp ea k o f Y a h w eh ' s p a n i m
"going".
21
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Two: A n Exeges is of E x o d u s 32-34
M o s e s '
r e q u e s t t h u s fa r has rece ived a f a v o u r a b l e r e s p o n s e ,
b u t this concession is
s t i l l
o n l y
p a r t i a l
a n d s o h e r e s u m e s h is
in te rcess ion again
to
seek
a
ful l
concess ion f r o m
G od .
First, h e
t a k e s
u p a n d
c l a i m s
th e
p ar t i a l conces sion a l r e ad y m ade (33 :15).
H e uses
th e
s a m e w o r d s t h a t Y a h w e h
h a s
u s e d , b e i n g c o n t e n t
a t
th is
stage t o ad d n o p r e p o s i t i o n an d t o leave vague th e
r e la t ions h ip of the d i v i n e
p r e s e n c e
to the people ; th is
concess ion in i t se l f i s a m ajo r step. But on the bas is o f th is
M oses i m m e d i a t e l y e x te n d s h is r e q u e s t - I f y o u r ' p r e s e n c e '
d o es
n o t
c o m e ,
d o n o t t ake us up
f r o m here .
H i t h e r t o M o s es h i m s e l f
has been g iv en the task of taking up the people (vv . 1, 12). H e
n o w so s m o o t h ly that it is
easy
no t to
notice
it, m a k e s Y a h w e h
the s ub jec t o f the v e rb , and no t s o
m u c h
reques ts as
t a k e s
fo r
g r a n t e d t h a t
i t is
Y a h w e h
w h o
w i l l t a k e t h e m
u p .
F u r t h e r ,
th e
s u f f i x a f t e r th e v e r b is p l u r a l , us . T h i s r e s u m e s Moses
1
t h e m e ,
in t roduce d in v . 13b and n o t taken up in the concess ion of v .
14,
that n o t jus t h e b u t
also
th e
people
as a w hole s hou ld be the
r e c i p i e n t s o f
Y a h w e h ' s
f a v o u r . G a t h e r i n g b o l d n e s s , M o se s th e n
t akes t h i s f u r t h e r
and in v . 16
t w i c e l inks h i m s e l f w i t h
th e
people I and y o u r peop le C ^ n T w
ec
amm
e
ka), uses a
p l u ra l
s u f f i x
with
u s a n d a
p l u r a l v e r b
w e a re
d i s t i n c t ,
s t r e s s in g
that
they
b e
d i s t i n c t
as
a peop le among o t h e r
peop les . J22
I n a d d i t i o n t o t h i s M o s e s t a k e s u p a g a i n t h e p r o m i s e
t h a t
Y a h w e h ' s p resen ce
w i l l
go , w h ich p rev iou s ly (v . 15 ) he w as
c o n t e n t
to
leave
v a g u e ,
bu t now in h i s
c l i m a x
h e
specif ies
as
going
w i t h u s (
c
i m m a n u ) . N o t h i n g less than th e p resen ce o f
Y a h w e h in the s h r i n e in th e m i d s t o f Is rae l
w i l l
s how t h a t Is rae l
is the r e c i p i e n t of the d i v i n e f a v o u r and i s se t a p a r t
f r o m
a l l
o t h e r
peop le . M os es app ea l s
to no
d e s e r t
o r
r e p e n t a n c e
on the
p a r t of the people b u t solely to G o d ' s f a v o u r and h i s g r a n t i n g o f
h is p res ence in e m p i r i c a l an d a c c e s s ib l e f o r m . T o t h i s r e q u e s t
Y a h w e h g r a n t s
a
f u l l conces s ion
(v . 17 ) and
g i v e s
as
reason
th e
s pec ia l pos i t ion o f Mos es . F rom a l i t e ra ry po in t o f v iew
this
f o r m s
an
inc lus io w i th
v. 12 and
r o u n d s
of f the
u n i t .
Theo log ica l ly
i t no t
o n l y c o n f i r m s Moses
1
s p ec i a l status,
b u t
m a k e s
th e f a v o u r e d
pos i t ion
o f
I s r a e l b o t h m e d i a t e d t h r o u g h ,
an d d e p e n d e n t u p o n , M o s e s . A s w i l l b e seen l a t e r , 1 2 3
tn
r e s t o r a t i o n
o f
Is rae l
and the
r e n e w a l
of t he
c o v e n a n t
does
n o t
put Israel in a pos i t ion ident ica l to that b e f o r e its s in .
H e n c e f o r t h it is d e p e n d e n t u p o n th e m e r c y o f G o d m e d i a t e d
t h r o u g h
M o s e s
as the
p r i m a r y r e c i p i e n t
o f t h a t
m e r c y .
M oses '
bo ld
i n t e r c e s s i o n h a s t h u s f a r b e e n g r a n t e d . Y e t , a s
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A t the
Mounta in
of G od
observed
above, this is still no t
s u f f i c i en t ,
for the
f u n d a m e n t a l
problem of the s infulness of Israel, which would most l ikely
provoke Yahweh again
to destroy
them
in anger , still
remains .
Moses therefore mak es
one
f ina l supreme
request
that
Yahweh
should
reveal
himself in a ful ler w ay than
hitherto;
only in the
very depths
of G od can a
final solution
to the people s sin be
found .
Moses makes
one
final short
request and then,
s igni f i cant ly ,
has to say no
more.
At the s u p r e m e m o m e n t of answer ing
Moses'
prayer
and
under t ak ing
to reveal
h ims e l f Yahweh
completely takes over.
No
longer
does
Moses need boldly
to
wrest concessions
f r o m
God. God now
takes
the in i t i a t ive
h i mse l f
and
Moses becomes
the
passive
r ec ip ien t .
W h e n
G od
prepares
to
s h o w h i m s e l f ,
Moses '
role
is
s u d d e n ly t r a n s f o r m e d
f rom
d a r i n g i n t e rl o c u t o r
to r ecep t ive
s e r van t .
T he
whole
of
33:18-23
constitutes a
r ich t r easury
of
t e r m s
for
express ing the character of God. T he v a r i e t y of t e r m i n o l o g y -
g lo ry , goodness , name, face -
represents
an a t t e m p t to express
the inexpress ib le , the exper ience of God. This a t t e m pt s t r a ins
the or d in ary usage of l angu age , and the w r i te r br ings toge ther
such
var ied te rms as
wil l
best
convey the
sense
of t he impor -tance
and
depth
of
w h a t Y a h w e h
is
reveal ing
of h i m s e l f . 124
Moses asks to see 25 Yahweh 's glory (kabod). T he
precise
nuance of the
t e r m, wh ich
in
genera l means God ' s majes ty ,
those
qual i t ies which
call
for th worsh ip , mus t
be
de termined
from
the
context.
T he
wor d
appears
again
in v. 22
where
it is
ef fec t ive ly synony m ous wi th God h im sel f , for the
context
is
descr ibing Yahweh himsel f pass ing
by and
ba
ca
b5r k
e
b5di
is
parallel
to
c
ad-
c
obri.
Moses thus asks
to see
Y a h w e h
h i m s e l f .
Another nuance in the
request
m ay possibly be
seen
in
connection with the
concern
for the
restoration
of the shr ine.
Elsewhere
the
glory
of G od is connected
wi th
the tabernacle
(29:43) and
s igni f ies
the presence of God there (29:42-46,
40:34-35).
Perhaps Moses
is
seeking
an experience of God
such
as
will later
characterize th e
regular
cult
wh er e Yahw eh wi ll
meet
wi th
h is people in
bo th j udgm ent
and mercy.
T o
this
Y a h w e h
responds
a f f i r m a t i v e l y in v. 19 and yet alters
the w o r d i n g of the concession at the same t ime in
that
he w i l l
m a k e
all his
goodness ( tu b) pass be fo re M oses.
Al t h o u g h
there
is
no exact
paral lel
to
this usage
of tub
elsewhere
in the OT, the
w o rd
is
genera l ly used
to
s ign i fy God's benefi ts exper ienced
by
Israel,
126 ancj sucn a meaning fits w ell the present context.
For a
cer ta in
s y n o n y m i t y
be tw een goodness
and
glory
is
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Two:
A n Exegesis of Exodus 32-34
i n d i c a t e d
by t he
pa r a l l e l ism be tween
v . 19 , ^ a £ a b _ r
k o l - t u b T
and v . 22
w
e
h a y a h ba
ca
bor
k
e
bodi. T h e point is that
Y a h w e h
is
p r e sen t ing
an
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
of the
d iv ine
glory in
t e r m s
of the
d iv ine
goodness. God's
g lory
is
expe r i enced
in his
grac iousness . This is the m o r e s i g n i f ic a n t in
that
e l sewhere in
th e
p e n t a t e u c h a l n a r r a t i v e s
th e
a p p e a r a n c e
o f Y a h w e h ' s
g lory
is
characteristically in the context o f j u d g m e n t on the
people (e.g.
N u m .
14:10-12, 16 :19 f f . ) , a l t hough in Ex . 16 :9f f . th e
expec ted
j u d g m e n t does n o t m a t e r i a l i z e and the people a re g iven manna
instead. T h e
fac t
that a t the
sup r emely
critical
m o m e n t
in
Israel 's existence i t is Y a h w e h ' s "goodness" ra ther than
j u d g m e n t which is b r o u g h t to the f o r e is of
great
theological
i m p o r t a n c e .
Y a h w e h wil l a lso procla im
h is
n a m e (sem) b e f o r e Mo ses . Th i s
prepares
for the
t h e op h a n y
of
34:6f.
It
also
echoes
vv. 12, 17
w h e r e
t h e r e
h as
been
m e n t ion of Moses'
n a m e .
(This link is
verba l , on the l i t e r a r y l eve l , and no co nnec t io n o f theo logica l
co n ten t i s i n t ended . )
The use of the f o r m u l a qr ' bsm
y h w h 2 7 w i th Y a h w e h
himsel f
as subject is mo s t s t r i k ing and is u n i q u e to
this
verse
and
34:5f.
E l s e w h e r e
it is
a lways used
of the
worsh ipper
ca l l i ng
u p o n Y ah w eh (c f . Gen . 4:26 etc. .
And i t
does in i t i a l ly seem
odd
to
have Y ahw eh ca l li ng
h is own
name . Co nsequen t ly
i t has
been
suggested 128 tnat t^e tex1: should be emended here to m ake
Moses
th e
sub jec t ,
and that
Moses should
b e
construed
as the
su b j ec t
in
34:5f.
B ut s u c h e m e n d a t i o n is u n n e c e s s a r y , a nd indeed
misses th e po in t . For the poin t su re ly l ies p recisely in the
inversion o f the usua l use o f the fo rm ul a . Th e w r i te r
reverses
t he cus to mar y use o f t he f o r m u l a so as to stress t h e i n i t i a t i v e
of
Y a h w e h h e re ;
men can
only
cal l
upon
the
n a m e
of God and
r ehea r se h i s a t t r i b u te s , a s t hey cu s to m ar i l y do in t he cu l t ,
because
a t the
c r i t i c a l m o m e n t
in
Israel 's h i s t o r y Y a h w e h
revea led h imsel f
an d
p r o c l a imed
h is
name f i r s t .
It is a
s t r i k i n g
concept ion
of the
basis
o f
I s rae l 's w o r sh ip .
In
v . 19b Y a h w e h gives Moses a so l emn a s su r ance abo u t th e
m e a n i n g
of h is n a m e and the c h a r a c t e r which i t revea ls which
b o t h f o r m s a p r e v i e w , as it w e r e , o f 34:6f . an d also f o r m s p a r t
of
an
immedia te answer
to the
reques t
to see
God's glory.
T h e
u se
o f the j d e m per
idem
f o r m u l a
is
notable.^9
j^g
repe t i t ion o f the v erb em ph as izes the v erb a l idea . "The second
v e r b serves as a predicate, an d t h u s , l i k e a cogna te accusa t ive ,
e mp h a s i z e s t h e v e r b a l ac t ion" . 1™
W h e n ,
a s h e r e , th e f o r m u l a
is
repeated
w i t h
two ve r bs o f related m ean ing , t hen the
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A t
the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
statement
of the
v e r b a l m e a n i n g
- the
m ercy
of God - is as
e m p h a t i c as the H e b r e w l a n g u a g e ca n m a k e i t . At the sa m e
t i m e
th e
e x p r e s s i o n c o n t a i n s
a
cer ta in a m b i g u i t y
o r
i n d e t e r -
m i n a c y
w h i c h
preserves th e idea o f f r e e d o m a n d choice o n t he
p a r t of the a c t i ng agent. A s Dr iver pu ts i t , the id iom is
em p loyed wh ere either
th e
m ea ns ,
o r t he
desire,
to be
m o r e
e x p l i c i t does n o t exist". 1 31 W h i l e F r e e d m a n m a y b e
correct
in
a r g u i n g
that
th e
e l e m e n t
o f
a r b i t r a r y c h o i c e
i s no t
i n h e r e n t
in the express ion and that in 33:19 "there a p p ea r s t o be no
suggest ion o f w i l f u ln ess o r a rb i t r a ry f r ee
choice
in the
Hebrew , 132 th i s does no t mean that th e idea o f f r e e d o m a n d
choice
i s n o t
p resen t
a t
a l l . Choice
c a n b e
f re e w i t h o u t b e in g
e i t h e r
w i l f u l
o r
a r b i t r a r y .
133
y
ne
f o r m u l a
in
33:19
n o t
o n l y
stresses that Y a h w e h wi l l
b e
gra c ious
b u t
that there
is a
m y s t e r y
a b o u t
i t
such that
i t
depends en t i re ly upon Y a h w e h
h i m s e l f a s t o w ho wi l l be the r e c i p i e n t o f h i s grace. T h e c o n t e x t
m a k e s clear tha t Israel wi l l r e c e i v e Y a h w e h ' s grace -
e m p h a t i c a l l y so; yet th i s is so expressed as to m a k e clear
that
t h i s i s no t s o m e t h i n g a u t o m a t i c a l l y g ra n t e d w h i c h c a n i n a n y
w a y
b e p r e su m e d u p o n .
F u r t h e r ,
t h e r e i s a ce r t a i n
f i n a l i t y
a b o u t th e express ion . A n
i dem
pe r
idem
f o r m u l a is o f t e n u s e d to t e r m i n a t e d e b a t e (c f.
That ' s that ").
13^
A s such th e
f o r m u l a
f i t t i n g l y c o n c l u d e s
w h a t the presen t
section
has to say a b o u t the grac ious
character o f G o d
b e f o r e s h i f t i n g
to a
d i f f e r e n t t h e m e
in v. 20.
The use o f t he id em per i d e m f o r m u l a h e re is r e m i n i s c e n t o f
E x. 3:14, a n d
p r o b a b l y
a d e l ibe r a t e r eco l l ec t i on o f t he e a r l i e r
passage is in tended . Both verses come a t c r u c i a l m o m e n t s o f
Yahweh 's
self-revelation.
E x.
3:14 reveals
th e G od wh o i s
a b o u t
to ac t on
b e h a l f
of h is
people
in
b r i n g i n g
t h e m
o u t o f
E gyp t .
In
t h e a c c o u n t o f t h e e x o d u s i t i s r e m a r k a b l e that there i s l i t t l e
e x p l i c it m o r a l c o n c e rn ;
th e
e m p h a s i s
is on
Y a h w eh ' s t r iu m p h a n t
acts o f de l iveran ce . Ne i ther th e
g r u m b l i n g s
of the Israelites n o r
th e oppos i t ion o f P h a r a o h a re des ignated a s sin. (The
exceptions
w h i c h
p r o v e
th e r u l e a re
P h a r a o h ' s s e l f - a c c u s a t i o n s
in
9:27,
10:16f.,
a n d t h e c o m m e n t in 9:34, bu t little w e i g h t i s attached
to these . ) The wr i te r stresses th e a c t i ons o f Y a h w e h on Israel 's
b e ha l f
a n d t h e
glory which accrues
to h im f o r
this.
P h a r a o h
is
an
oppo nen t whose oppos i tion i s ove r ru led by the t rue Lord of
th e Is rae l i t es . T h e Is rae l i t es a re w e a k a n d f e a r f u l a n d th e i r
God 's
acts o f
p o w e r
are the
g r e a t e r
by
c o n t r a s t .
In Ex. 5
Ya h we h ' s sa lva t i on (y§w
c
h ' v. 2) is p o r t r a y e d e n t i r e l y in n o n -
m o r a l t e rm s , th e deeds that h e h a s d o n e o n Israel's be h a lf .
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T w o : A n
Exeges i s
o f E x o d u s 32-34
Y a h w e h ' s
character
is v e r y m u c h
that
o f the v i c to r i ou s w a r r io r ;
Y a h w e h i s a m a n o f w a r ,
Y a h w e h
is his n a m e (15:3).
T he
c o v e n a n t
a t
S inai
h a s
c h a n g e d
th e
s i t u a t i o n
a n d
a d d e d
a
m o r a l
d i m en s i o n . ,
b o t h e x te n s i v e a n d
p r o f o u n d ,
i n t o t he
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n Y a h w e h
a n d
Israel
a n d
this gives
th e
p r o b l e m
of s in a new
m e a n i n g
an d i m p o r t a n c e . T h e
m a k i n g
o f
the ca lf m ay be d escr ibe d as
Is rael ' s
f i r s t s in . H en ce in 33 :19, in
th e
c o n t e x t
o f
Israe l ' s
s in as the
p r o b l e m
to be
d e a l t w i t h ,
Y a h w e h ' s c h a r a c t e r i s r e v e al e d e n t i r e l y i n m o r a l t e r m s , s h o w i n g
ho w h e
de a l s wi t h
s in and the
need
fo r
f o r g i v e n e s s
in the
l i fe
o f
I s ra e l .
O n e c a n s e e
t he n t h a t t h e r e
is an
e sse n t ia l c om p le -
m e n t a r i t y
b e t w e e n
these tw o s t a g e s o f
Y a h w e h ' s s e l f -
r e v e l a t i o n
in Ex. 3:14 an d
33:19.
I f thi s ana lys i s
is
correct
i t has
i m p o r t a n t i m p l ic a t io n s .
H i t h e r t o
E x .
3:14
h a s
re c e i ve d
fa r
m o r e a t t e n t i o n t h a n 33 :1 9
in
a t t e m p t s
to e x p l i c a t e th e m e a n i n g o f t h e
d i v i n e
n a m e . Y e t
s i nc e it s e e m s c le a r t h a t 3:14 i s n o t o f f e r i n g a n a c c o u n t of the
or i g i ns
o r e t y m o l o g y o f Y H W H in
t e r m s
of the v e r b h y h b u t
p o i n t i n g t o a n u n d e r s t o o d c o n n e c ti o n o f m e a n i n g b e t w e e n th e
tw o in t e r m s o f d y n a m i c a c t i v i t y , ^ ̂ t he r e i s no good re a son
fo r
c o n c e n t r a t i n g o n t h i s p a s sa g e t o t h e e x c l u s i o n o f o t h e r s
w hich also d e v e l o p aspects of the character o r n a m e o f
Y a h w e h . For the m e a n i n g of the n a m e is the m e a n i n g i t was
g i v e n in H e b r e w t h o u g h t an d u s a g e as r e f l e c t e d in E x . 3:14,
33:19, 3 4 : 14
a n d
e l s e w h e r e ,
a n d n o t
s o m e basic m e a n i n g
d e r i v e d
f r o m th e
v e r b
h y h .
I n v. 19 Y a h w e h has g i v en the p o s i t i v e a n s w e r n e e d e d by
Moses ;
Y a h w e h i s t o r e v e a l h i s g o o d n e s s a n d m e r c y a n d th is
w i l l
a n s w e r
th e
p r o b l e m
o f
Israel 's
s in .
In v . 20 ,
a l t h o u g h
there
is a
c o n t i n u i t y
w i t h
v. 19 in
that
it is the
s am e t h e o p h a n y b e i n g
t r e a t e d , th e r e i s a s i g n i f i c a n t s h i f t o f t h e m e . I t h a s a l r e a d y
b e e n n o t e d
t h a t
t h e i d e m p e r
i d e m
f o r m u l a
c a n t e r m i n a t e t h e
t r e a t m e n t o f a
p a r t i c u l a r topic.
A
c h a n g e
o f
s u b j e c t
is also
i n d i c a t e d by the i n t e r p o s i t i o n o f a s ec o n d i n t r o d u c t o r y speech
f o r m u l a 3 c >
T h a t t h e r e
is a d u a l i t y o f
t h e m e
w h i c h
creates
a
c e r t a i n t e n s i o n
in the
n a r r a t i v e
is
i m p o r t a n t
to
r e c o g n i z e
for a
c o r r e c t u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f t he
f l o w
o f
t h o u g h t . T h i s
m a y b e
c ons i de re d
in
r e l a t i o n
to 3 .
Barr ' s
s t a te m e n t
that
in Ex. 33 ,
t h e p r o b l e m w h i c h i n t e r e s t s t h e w r i t e r i s n o t t h a t o f
a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m a n d t r a n s c e n d e n c e b u t that o f s i n a nd
a t o n e m e n t
in
r e l a t i o n
to (a) the
a c c o m p a n y i n g p r e s e n c e
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G od
and (b) the v i s ion o r a p p e a r a n c e o f Y ah w e n . 1 37
As the d i scu ss i o n of Ex. 33 as a w h o l e , an d o f the r e l a t i o n s h i p
o f 33 :18 f f .
t o t he
p r ece d i n g i n t e r cessi o n
i n
p a r t i c u l a r ,
h a s
a t t e m p t e d
to
s h o w ,
th e
f u n d a m e n t a l c o n c e r n
i s
i n deed that
o f
sin
a n d
f o rg iveness .
B u t
th is need
n o t
exc lude
a
concern wi th
th e
q u es t i o n
o f
i m m a n e n c e
a n d
t r a n s c e n d e n c e
also; o r , in
o t h e r
t e r m s , t he qu es t i o n o f t he access i b i l it y o f Go d t o m an . T he
j u x t a p o s i t i o n
o f the d i f f e r e n t
uses
o f
p a n i m , c o m m e n t e d
o n
a l r e ady , po i n t s t o su ch an interest. T h i s interest may a r i se
f r o m
th e
f a c t that a l t h o u g h
th e
t h e o p h a n y
i s on
b eha l f
o f
s i n f u l
Israel , i t is r evealed to Moses whose r e l a t i on to Y a h w e h i s no t
d i s t u r b e d
by s i n . O n e c o u l d sa y
that
v. 19
p resen ts
the
t h e o p h a n y a s i t relates t o t he mo r a l cha r ac t e r o f Y a h w e h in
r e l a t i o n to
I s rae l s
s i n , w h i l e vv . 20-23 concern th e access to
G o d b y
m o r t a l
man an d t he
l i m i t a t i o n s i m p o s e d
b y h u m a n
f i n i t u d e
a s s u ch . Even whe n man s r e la t i o n to G o d i s n o t
h i n d e r e d b y s i n , w h i c h i s t h e f u n d a m e n t a l cause o f Y a h w e h s
w r a t h
a n d h i s
d i s ta n c i n g h i m s e l f f r o m
h i s
people , there
a re
s t i l l
l i mi t s upon m a n s access t o G o d , n o t b e c a u s e m a n is i n h e r e n t l y
s i n f u l
b u t
b ecau se
he i s
ma n
a n d n o t
G o d .
Of co u r se o ne m u st no t pose th i s d i s t i n c t i o n be tween v . 19
a n d
vv .
2 0 f f .
to o
s h a r p l y , either theo logica l ly
o r i n
t e r ms
o f the
pr esen t c o n t e x t . T h e o l o g i c a ll y t h e r e
i s a
c o n t i n u i t y b e t w e e n
th e
t wo co n ce r n s . T he r em o va l o f si n mu s t co me f i r s t , bu t t h i s
l eads
o n
i n e v i t a b l y
t o the
q u e s t i o n
o f
w h a t a p p r o a c h
t o , a n d
r e l a t i o n w i t h , G o d i s poss ible once s in ceases t o be the p r o b l e m .
T h e m o v e m e n t f r o m v. 19, w h e r e s in i s treated is smoo th a n d
na tu r a l theo log ica l ly . In t e r m s o f t he n a r r a t i ve vv . 20 f f . sho u l d
n o t b e t oo s h a r p l y s e p a ra t e d
f r o m
v . 19 s ince th e f a c t
that
Moses is o n l y p e r m i t t e d a p a r t i a l o r l i m i t e d v i s ion o f God i s
p r o b a b l y i n t e n d e d to
relate
t o t he r eve l a t i o n o f t he m o r a l
character o f G od s o a s to c o n vey th e m e a n i n g that the
r eve l a t i o n of the grace a n d mercy o f Y a h w e h in 33:19, 34:6f. is
b u t a g l i mpse o f t he d i v i n e c h a r a c t e r a n d that th e f u l n e s s i s yet
m o r e e x t e n s i v e a n d
p r o f o u n d
(cf .
Jo b 26:14).
It i s d i f f i c u l t to c o m m e n t u p o n the c o n t e n t o f 33:20-23
w i t h o u t l a y i n g s o l e m n l y p ro s a i c h a n d s u p o n o ne o f t h e mos t
p r o f o u n d
a n d m y s t e r i o u s
passages
in the w h o l e OT. The
verses
u se
r e s o n a n t
a n d
memo r ab l e i mage r y , su ch
a s a r e
c l ea r ly
i n t e n d e d
to
a p p e a l
t o t h e
i m a g i n a t i o n .
T h e
l i t e r a r y i m p a c t
i s
poetic.
Such
a n i m a g i n a t i v e a p p ea l is all the m o r e s t r i k i n g in
t he l i gh t o f t he c u s t o ma r y r e se rve o f t he OT i n desc r i b i n g
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Two:
A n
Exegesis
of
Exodus
32-34
Y a h w e h and h i s ac t iv i ty . The emp has i s i s us ua l ly on the ve rba l
content
conveyed by the d iv ine reve la t ion .138 Yet the
s i n g u l a r im po r tan ce of the con text a l lows the use of a d a r i n g
a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m
in an
a t t e m p t
to
describe
th e
presence
a nd
exper ience of Y ah w eh in the concrete w a y c h a r a c t e r i s t i c of the
H e b re w
m i n d .
33:20-23 recount h ow Y a h w e h w i l l so revea l h im se l f to Moses
t h a t
t h e r e
wi l l
b e a ge n u in e r e ve l a t i on and yet i t w i l l b e b u t
par t i a l , both b r i n g i n g Moses close
a n d
p r e s e r v i n g
th e
dis tance
at the
s a m e
time. This tension is expressed by saying that
Moses
wil l see Y ahw eh ' s back and not h is f a c e . T h e a n t h r o p o -
m o r p h i s m
h e r e
is
un pa r a l l e l e d e l s e w h e r e
in the OT . Y et a t the
s a m e
t i m e
it is
used with
a
certain restraint.
A s
Ch i lds puts
it,
Of course a t r e m e n dous a n th r opom or ph i s m is involved,
but the ex trem e caut ion w ith w hich i t i s used is an
e loquen t te s t imony to the H e b r e w u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f God.
Even to be a l lowed to catch a g l im ps e of h is pass ing
f r o m
th e r e a r is so a w e s o m e to the man Moses
that
G od h i m s e l f
-
note
the strange pa radox - must sh ie ld him w i th his own
h a n d . 1 3 9
The use o f
p a n i m
h e r e
reca l l s
th e
ear l ie r uses
in vv.
11,
14,
15 a n d ,
a s
a l ready obse rved , conveys
th e
p a r a d o x i n h e r e n t
in
attempts
to speak of man ' s com m un ion wi th God. Moses can
speak wi th G o d in t im a te ly , f ace to face . Y a h w e h ' s presence ,
or face , in his s h r i n e in the m i d s t of Israe l is a rea l poss ibi l i ty.
Moses '
request
for a ful le r divine revela t ion than h i t h e r t o is
g r a n t e d . A nd yet . .. the d is tance be tween G o d a n d m a n m u s t b e
preserved. Even Moses th e m e d ia to r , w h os e r e l a t i on s h ip w i th
God
w as
un pa r a l l e l e d
in the OT
(cf. Deut.
34:10)
mus t obse rve
th e l im i t a t i on s i n h e r e n t i n
h u m a n i t y .
1^ 0 j
n
33:20f. the
general ized f o r m man (h a ' ad am)
is
used, rather than
a
specific
address to Moses in the second person , so t h a t a genera l
theologica l po int i s c lea r ly be in g m ad e. I t is s t r ik in g how the
O T, in this and related passages resists moves towards
myst ic i sm o r d i v i n i z a t i o n b y in s i s t i n g on the q u a l i t a t i v e a n d
onto logica l d i f f e r e n c e be tw e e n G od a n d m a n . Y e t th e pa r a do x
is clear
in the
fact that
it is
precisely those
passages
which
say
that
man cannot see or hear God
which
a f f i r m
that
jus t such
h as indeed happened. So too Ex. 33:20 provides th e necessa ry
theologica l ba lance
to
w h a t
h a s
preceded.
^
It is
d i f f i c u l t
to say why the idea of seeing God's
back
w as
in t roduced here. T h e closest O T pa ra l le l is Gen. 16:13, b u t this
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At the M o u n t a i n of God
is of little
help. 142 Ther e
is no
b a c k g r o u n d
o f
anc ien t Nea r
Eastern paral lels such a s could provide a m a t r i x w i t h i n w h i c h ,
o r
aga ins t w h ic h , to i n t e r p r e t i ts H e b r e w
c o n t e x t u a l i z a t i o n .
M o s t
l ikely the idea o f
Ya hweh ' s
back w as i n t r o d u c e d fo r this
pa r t i c u l a r con text w her e Y ahw eh ' s face i s g iven such
p r o m i n e n c e , a s f o r m i n g a
n a t u r a l
contrast to i t ,
given
th e
licence
of the
b o l d a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m .
It is i m p o r t a n t to appreciate the way in w h ic h the c on t r a s t
be tween face a n d back is developed. Th e u n m e d i a t e d i m p a c t
of the
div ine
face w ou l d be fa ta l . Yet the wr i te r does no t say
that
Y a h w e h
wi l l t h e r e f o r e h i d e
h is
face
o r
t u r n
h is
back ,
fo r
these a re c u s t o m a r i l y f i g u r e s o f speech conveying dis-
approva l .
1 4 3
/\
n
y
static
i m a g e r y , h o w e v e r ,
wh i c h
p ic tured
Y a h w e h befo re M oses as a k i n g before h is sub jec t o r
else
re ta ined th e i m a g e r y of 33:11, c ou l d h a r d l y descr ibe Yahweh ' s
ave r t i ng
h is
fa c e w i t h o u t c o n v e y i n g
th e
m i s le a d i n g i m p l i ca t i o n s
o f
the
i d i o m .
Th e
d y n a m i c i m a g e r y
o f
pass ing
by
avoids th is
d i f f i c u l ty . It preserves th e sovere ign f reedom an d ac t iv i ty o f
Y a h w e h
a n d
need
n o t
describe
h is
t u r n i n g a w a y ,
for the
p ic tu r e
is r a t h e r o f Y a hw e h l ead ing o n ahead w i t h m an capable on ly o f
fo l l owing
an d
l ook ing
o n
f r om
b e h i n d .
The
s p l e n d o u r
o f
Y a h w e h
is present in all i ts fu lnes s bu t M oses needs to be protec ted
f r o m th is
for h is own
sake.
But a s Y a h w e h
d y n a m i c a l l y m o v e s
o n ,
M oses ma y look a f te r h im an d see the a f te rg low .
In te res t in g ly , the w ord for Y ahw eh ' s back ( 'ahor) is not the
usua l te rm for back in the physical or anatomical sense ( g a w ,
gew) ,
bu t
m or e vagu e l y m ean s h ind e r
part , 1 4 4
thus con-
veying th e idea o f a v iew
f rom
beh in d , w hi l e be in g less e xpl ic i t
abou t exac t l y w ha t
is seen. A s Y a h w e h presses on
ahead Moses
ca n
on ly
see the
traces
l e f t b e h i n d .
Thus
th e
i m p a c t
of the
i m a g e r y is to
e n h a n c e
the
q u a l i t a t i v e s u p e r i o r i t y
o f G od
over
m a n .
Beyond
th i s gene r a l im por t
of the
i m a g e r y
o f
33:20-23, there
is
little
that need
be
said here about o ther deta i l s
in the
verses.
V . 2 0
states
the
genera l p r inc ip le
o f
God's
d is tance f ro m m a n ;
vv .
2 1 - 2 3 t e l l
in concrete
t e r m s
h o w Y a h w e h w i l l
m a k e
provision fo r
Moses
upon the
m o u n t a i n
so
t h a t
he may to
som e
degree
see
h i m . T h e r e
a re
som e s im i l a r i t i e s
to
a c c o u n t s
o f
t h e oph an i e s
e l s ewhere ,
1 4 5
bu t such a re
on l y
to be
expected
an d do no t grea t ly i l l u m i n a t e the par t icu lar i t i es o f the presen t
a c c o u n t .
O n e
p e c u l i a r i t y
of the
p r esen t t ex t
is
t h a t
i t may
e n v i s a g e
t he theophany in two par t s . F i r s t , in v . 21 , Moses
en joys
th e
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T w o : A n
E x e g e s i s
o f E x o d u s 32-34
close
p r e s e n c e o f
Y a h w e h
( m a q o m
i t t T )
a n d
t a k e s
h i s
s t a n d
in
th e op en , u p on th e rock (
c
a l - h a s s u r ) . In s o m e
sense
M o s e s is
a l r e a d y w i t h Y a h w e h .
B u t
w h e n
th e
m o m e n t
o f
passing
b y
c o m e s ,
Y a h w e h
has to
h i d e
a n d
p r o t e c t
M o s e s
w i t h i n
th e
r o c k .
A s i m i l a r p a t t e r n
m a y b e seen in 34:5f .
w h e r e f i r s t M oses
s t a n d s
in Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s e n c e (34:5a$)' ̂ a n d
t h e n s u b s e q u e n t l y
Y a h w e h
passes
b y
(34:6a
a
). Each
t i m e it is
u n c le a r w h e t h e r
a n
a c t u a l c h r o n o l o g i c a l s e q u e n c e is e n v i sa g e d o r w h e t h e r t h i s is
a g a i n a n a t t e m p t to r e l a t e th e theo logical tens ion that Moses
w a s b o th w i th Y a h w e h , i m p ly i n g a close r e l a t i o n , a n d
t h a t
h e
w a s t h e pass ive a n d p ar t i a l on look er be f or e th e d y n a m i c m o t i o n
o f
th e
d i v i n e s p le n d o u r ,
in
w h i c h
th e
g u l f
b e t w e e n
G o d a n d m a n
is
s t r e s s e d .
B u t
t h i s s l i g h t u n c e r t a i n t y
d o e s
n o t
a f f e c t
th e
g e n e r a l t e n o r
o f t h e
a c c o u n t w h i c h r e m a i n s
c l e a r . '^'
I n t r o d u c t i o n
to Ex. 3 4 -
T h e
i n t e n s i t y
o f
33 :1 2-23 , w i t h
i ts
d eep t h eo log i ca l
c o n t e n t ,
f o r m s
on e o f t h e
h i g h
p o i n t s o f th e n a r r a t i v e . B y t h e e n d , w h e n
Y a h w e h has s o c o m p l e t e l y t a k e n th e i n i t i a t i v e a n d t h e t h e o -
p h a n y
i s evoca t ive ly
d e s c r i b e d ,
o n e h a s a l m o s t f or g o t t en
that
t h i s
is a ll
p a r t
o f
Y a h w e h ' s r e s p o n s e
to the
u r g e n t i n t e r c e s s i o n
o f
Moses o n b e h a l f o f
s i n f u l
Is rae l w h o h a v e broken th e
c o v e n a n t .
Yet it is the
issue
o f
c o v e n a n t b r e a k i n g
a n d
r e n e w a l
w h i c h r e m a i n s f u n d a m e n t a l an d i t i s w i t h this
that
the s to ry
c o n t i n u e s . Moses i n t e r ces s i on
h a s
been
m e t
w i t h
th e
r es p on s e
that Y a h w e h w i l l
r e v e a l th e grace a n d
m e r c y w h i c h
a re
i n h e r e n t i n h i s b e i n g a n d w h i c h w i l l c o n s t i t u t e the bas i s for the
r e n e w e d c o v e n a n t
re la t ion sh ip ; i t
r e m a i n s
to
tell
h o w
th i s
p r o m i s e is f u l f i l l e d . T h e w r i t e r r e v e r t s to the s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d
n a r r a t i v e
style
ap p r op r i a t e
f o r
s u ch .
T h e
o u t l i n e
o f .the
m a t e r i a l
is as
f o l lo w s :
v v .
1-4
M o s e s ' p r e p a r a t i o n s f o r t h e t h e o p h a n y .
v v . 5-7 Th e
t h e o p h a n y .
vv . 8 - 9
M os es ' r e s pon s e
to the
t h e o p h a n y
a n d f i n a l
p r a y e r ,
v. 10
Y a h w e h ' s re s po n s e
to
Moses ' prayer :
th e
r e n e w a l o f the
c o v e n a n t ,
v v .
11-26
C o v e n a n t
s t i p u l a t i o n s ,
v v . 27-28
T h e
r e c o r d i n g
o f the
c o v e n a n t c o n d i t i o n s
a n d
th e
w r i t i n g
o n t h e tablets,
v v .
29-35 Moses f i n a l d e s c e n t f r o m S i n a i .
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T w o :
A n
E x e g e s i s
o f
E x o d u s 32-34
m u s t
be
alone.
S e c o n d l y , in Ex . 19 the p h e n o m e n a a c c o m p a n y i n g th e theo-
p h a n y are al l
a p p r o p r i a t e ( a n d n e c e s s a r y )
f o r a
p u b l i c
t h e o p h a n y . V o l c a n i c
an d
t h u n d e r s t o r m p h e n o m e n a
ar e
w i d e l y
vis ib le .
In Ex . 3 4 ,
a l t h o u g h
th e
c l o u d
is
m e n t i o n e d ( 3 4 : 5 a ) ,
n o
stress is
laid upon
i t . The
e m p h a s i s
is on the c lose ,
e v e n
i n t i m a t e ,
p r e s e n c e o f
Y a h w e h
(34:5a&
w a y y i t y a s s e b
C
i m m 6
s a m ; w h e t h e r M o s e s o r Y a h w e h i s t h e su b je c t o f t h e ve r b does
n o t a f f e c t th e po i n t ) . In the c l i m a x o f the theophany (34 :6) n o
vis ib le
p h e n o m e n a
are
m e n t i o n e d .
T h e
de t a i l s
o f c h . 34 are all
a p p r o p r i a t e f o r a p r i v a t e t h e o p h a n y . E v e n t h e p a r t i a l v i si o n o f
33:20-23 is
s t ri k in g l y d i f f e r e n t f r o m
th e
v i s i b le phen om en a
o f
E x . 1 9 , b e i n g ag a in m o r e a p p r o p r i a t e f o r t h e p r i v a t e n a t u r e o f
t h e o c c a s i o n .
T h e t h e o p h a n y i tself i s r e c o u n t e d i n
34:5-7.
T h e r e a r e t h r e e
es s en t i a l
e x e g e t i c a l
q u e s t i o n s . F i r s t ,
w h o a r e t h e
s ub jec t s
o f
th e v e r b s
( w y t y s b ,
w y q r ' , v. 5 ; w y q r ' , v. 6)? E i t h e r Y a h w e h o r
Moses could be the subjec t o f each v e r b . Secondly , h ow does v .
5 r e l a t e to v. 6? Is v. 5 p l e o n as t ic w h e n f o l lo w e d by v. 6?
T h i r d l y ,
h o w d o v v . 5 - 7 r e l a t e to
33:18-23?
V v . 5 -7 a re n o t a
s i m ple f u l f i l m e n t
of all that is
p r o m i s e d
in 33:18-23.
In o r d e r r i g h t l y to a n s w e r t h e s e q u e s t i o n s it is n e c e s s a r y f i r s t
t o a p p r e c i a t e th e n u m e r o u s v e r bal an d s u b s t a n t i v e l i n k s
between 34 :5-7
an d 33:18-23:
v . 5a
a
w a y y e r e d y h w h b e
c
a n a n
c f .
33 :18 ,22 . There
i s no
e x p l ic i t m e n t i o n
o f
c
nn in t h e s e
v e r s e s bu t k b w d i s c u s t o m a r i l y l i n k e d w i t h ^hn w h i c h
s u r r o u n d s i t
( c f .
E x .
16:10, 24:15-18),
s o t h a t
r e f e r e n c e
to the
l a t t e r
m ay
i m p l y
t h e
f o r m e r
also ,
v . 5 a3
w a y y i t y a s s e b
C
i m m 6
s am
c f . 33:21, h i n n e h m a q o m 'itti w
e
n i s s ab t a
c
al-hassur
34:2b,
w
e
n i s s a b t a T sam
C
al-r5's
h a h a r
v. 5b w a y y i q r a
1
b
e
s e m
y h w h
c f .
33:19, w
e
qara'ti b
e
sem y h w h l
e
p a n e k a
v . 6a w a y y a
c a
b 5 r y h w h
c
a l - p a n a y w
c f .
33:19,
'
a
n T
'a
ca
bir
k o l - t u b
c
a l - p a n e k a
33:22, w
e
h a y a h ba
ca
bor k
e
b o d i ...
c
ad-
c
obrt
v. 6a
w a y y i q r a
1
y h w h y h w h
c f .
33:19,
w
e
qara't
b
e
S em y h w h
l
e
p a n e k a
v. 6a 'e l r a h u m
w
e
h a n n u n
c f . 33:19b, w
e
h a n n o t
'et-'
a
§er
'ah5n w
e
r i h a m t T ' e t - '
a
s e r
"
a
r a h e m
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At the
M o u n t a i n
of God
1 I f one al lows th e c o n t e x t to h a v e d u e w e i g h t t h e n these
p a r a l l e l s m a k e c l e a r t h a t M o s e s is to be t a k e n a s t h e s u b j e c t o f
w y t y s b (v. 5) and Y a h w e h as the s ub j e c t o f w y q r ' (vv . 5, 6).
A l t h o u g h
t h i s m e a n s
t h a t
t h e r e
is
a l t e r n a t i o n
o f
s u b j e c t a m o n g
th e t h r e e ve rbs o f v . 5 , t h i s ne e d no t be t oo d i f f i c u l t i f the
w r i t e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t
t h e c o n t e x t
w i l l m a k e
h i s
m e a n i n g clear.
T h e r e i s n o i n h e r e n t o b j e c ti o n t o Y a h w e h b e i n g t h e s u b j e c t o f
w y t y s b . A f t e r th e a n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m o f 33:21-23, this a n t h r o -
p o m o r p h i s m w o u l d
b e m i l d , a n d i s
attested else w h e r e . ' *
B ut w he n t he ve rb fo r s t and i ng (nsb in 33:21, 34:2, ysb in 34:5)
h a s b e e n u se d h i t h e r t o o n l y o f M o s e s, a n d
t h a t
in the con text o f
w h a t M o s e s w i l l d o o n t h e m o u n t a i n to p , it is m o s t n a t u r a l to
t a k e
v . 5 a s t h e
f u l f i l m e n t
o f
w h a t
h a s
been
d i r e c t e d .
L i k e w i s e ,
i f M o s e s
w a s t h e
s u b j e c t
o f
w y k r '
in v. 5
t h i s w o u l d accord w i t h
th e usage o f t h e f o r m u l a q r ' b s m y h w h e l s e w h e r e i n t h e O T . O n e
c o u l d t h e n i n t e r p r e t
v .
5a
as an
a n t ic i p a ti v e s u m m a r y
o f v v .
6-7, wi th
v .
5b l o o k i n g f o r w a r d
t o v v .
8-9.
N o t
o n l y , h o w e v e r ,
d o e s
th e
f low
o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e
in v . 6
d e m a n d
t h a t
Y a h w e h
s hou l d be the subject o f
w y q r V ^ l
and i t w o u l d be d i f f i c u l t to
h a v e
a
d i f f e r e n t s u b j e c t
f o r w y q r ' in v . 5 , but
also
th e
c l e a r
i n s t a n c e in 33:19a o f Y a h w e h a s s u b j e c t o f t h e f o r m u l a
q r '
bsm
y w h w m u s t b e d e c is iv e f o r i n t e r p r e t i n g Y a h w e h a s t h e s u b j e c t
o f w y q r ' in
bo t h
v . 5 and v . 6 .
2) The r e l a t i on o f v . 5 t o v . 6 has a l r e ad y be e n ra i s e d i n t he
d i s c u s s i o n
o f
3 3 : 2 1 - 2 3 , ^ 2
a n
< j
n o t h i n g n e ed b e a d d e d h e r e
once it is a p p r e c i a t e d that i t is the s a m e t w o - s t a g e t h e o p h a n y
b e i n g
de s c r i be d
in
bo t h
c o n t e x t s . In v. 5b w y q r '
doe s
n o t
e n v i s -
a g e a p r o cl a m a t io n d i f f e r e n t f r o m that o f v . 6 . By u s i n g th e
s a m e
f o r m u l a
as in 33:19 i t f u n c t i o n s a s
s h o w i n g
t h a t t h e t h e o -
p h a n y
is the
f u l f i l m e n t
of t h e
p r o m i s e
in
33:19.
It
also
states
in
i n t r o d u c t o r y f o r m w h a t v v . 6 f . w i l l e x p l a i n a n d e x p a n d - t h e
m e a n i n g o f t he
n a m e
o f
Y a h w e h .
3 ) T h e r e
a r e t w o
m a i n f a c t o r s
w h i c h
m a k e
34:6f .
d i f f e r e n t
f r o m
3 3 : 1 8 f f . F i r s t ,
th e
t h e o p h a n y
o f
33 : 21-23
i s no t
r e c o u n t e d
a s
s u c h . T h e r e
is no
r e f e r e n c e m a d e
to
v i s i b l e p h e n o m e n a ( a p a r t
f r o m t he c l oud o f v .
5a) ,
n o r to M o s e s s e e i n g a n y t h i n g .
Se cond l y ,
th e
c o n t e n t
of v . 7b is to do
w it h ju d g m e n t ,
a
t h e m e
a p p a r e n t l y a b s e n t f r o m 3 3 : 1 9 . T h e s e d i f f e r e n c e s p r o b a b l y a r i s e
l a r g e l y f r o m
th e
d e m a n d s
o f t h e
d e v e l o p i n g n a r r a t i v e .
W h e n
t h e
v e r b a l l i n k s m a k e c l e a r t h a t 3 4 : 5 f f .
i s the
f u l f i l m e n t
o f
3 3 : 1 9 f f .
i t w o u l d be poor s t y l e to
r e p e a t
th e d e t a i l s o f 3 3 : 2 1 - 2 3 w h e n
n o t h i n g
o f s u b s t a n c e c o u l d b e a d d e d to t h e m ; th e r e a d e r is to
t a k e f o r g r a n t e d t h a t Y a h w e h d i d w h a t h e s a id h e
w o u l d
d o .
86
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Two:
A n
Exe ge s i s
o f
E x o d u s 3 2 - 3 4
M o r e o v e r i t has b e e n s e e n t h a t th e c e n t r a l t h e m e o f 33:20-23 i s
n o t
t h a t
o f s i n and
f o r g i v e n e s s
but a
f u r t h e r i s s u e a r i s i n g
ou t o f
i t , t h a t of the
d e g r e e
o f p r o x i m i t y t o G o d w h i c h m a n m a y
a t t a i n
w h e n
s in i s no
l o n g e r
a t
i s s u e .
T h i s h a s , h o w e v e r , a l r e a d y
b e e n s u f f i c i e n t l y tre ted b y t h e w r i t e r in c h . 33 . T he n a r r a t i v e
m u s t r e t u r n to a c o n c e r n w i t h th e p r i o r a n d m o r e u r g e n t
p r o b l e m
o f s i n and f o r g i v e n e s s , and i t s r e l a t i o n to the c o v e n a n t
w i t h I s rae l . T o d w e l l f u r t h e r o n Mose s
1
ccess t o G o d w o u l d
d e t r a c t f r o m
t h i s . T h e r e f o r e th e w r i t e r e x c l u d e s i t .
T h e j u d g m e n t th e m e o f 34:7b i s no t w h o l l y l a c k i n g in 33:19
i n a s m u c h
as the
f o r m u l a used
there h as
b e e n seen
to
l eave open
the f r e e d o m o f Y a h w e h to be m e r c i f u l as he c h o o s e s i n a way
th t
c a n n o t
b e
p r e s u m e d u p o n .
T h e
r e a l
poss ib i l i t y
o f
i n c u r r i n g
j u d g m e n t
is
i m p l i c i t l y p r e s e n t
in
33:19. F u r t h e r m o r e ,
th e
c o n t e x t o f E x . 32-34 as a w h o l e , in p a r t i c u l a r the j u d g m e n t
t h e m e
o f 32:15-33:11,
s h o w s
th t th e
e x p e r i e n c e
o f
d i v i n e w r a t h
in
a l l it s se r iousn ess i s a rea l p os s ib i l i ty for I s rae l . B oth 33:19
an d
3 4 : 6 f . s t r o n g l y e m p h a s i z e t h e m e r c y o f G o d , y e t d o s o i n
such a way as not to d e n y o r a b r o g a t e h is w r a t h an d j u d g m e n t .
T h e p o i n t i s n o t t h a t th e p e o p l e e x p e r i e n c e e i t h e r w r a t h o r
m e r c y ,
b u t
t h a t
b o t h w r a t h
a n d
m e r c y
ar e in the
c h a r a c t e r
o f
G o d t h o u g h it is his m e r c y w h i c h is u l t i m a t e l y p r e d o m i n a n t in
his d e a l i n g s w i t h h i s
p e o p l e .
It
i s u n n e c e s s a r y f o r p r e s e n t p u r p o s e s t o o f f e r d e t a i l e d
e x a m i n a t i o n of the t e r m i n o l o g y e m p l o y e d in
34:6f. ,
th e g e n e r a l
m e a n i n g
b e i n g c l e a r .
1^ 3
j j j
s
W O
r t h
n o t i n g , h o w e v e r ,
t h a t
K . D . S a k e n f e l d , w h o ha s p r o v i d e d th e m o s t r e c e n t t r e a t m e n t o f
on e o f the ke y t e r m s ,
h e s e d ,
says th t th e m e a n i n g o f hesed in
34:6f . m a y b e i n t e r p r e t e d as s i g n i f y i n g
t h a t
Y a h w e h is so g r e a t
in
f a i t h f u l n e s s
th t
he i s
w i l l i n g
e v e n t o f o r g i v e b r e a c h o f
r e l a t i o n s h i p . ' 5 4 T h i s a c c o r d s w e l l w i t h
th e
t h e o l o g y
of t he
s e c t i o n .
T he t h e o l o g i c a l s i g n i f i c a n c e o f 34:6f. can be best a p p r e c i a t e d
t h r o u g h
a c ompa r i son wi t h Ex . 20 :5 f . S in c e 34 :6 f . i s u s u a l l y
t ak e n a s t he p r i m a r y f o r m o f a c u l t i c f o r m u l a u p o n w h i c h
20:5b-6, together w i t h m a n y o t h e r
p ss ges
e l s e w h e r e in the OT
w h i c h
e c h o
th e f o r m u l a , i s s e c o n d a r i l y d e p e n d e n t ,
20:5b-6
h a s
been in t e rp re t e d in t he l ig h t o f 34 :6 f . r a t h e r t ha n v ic e v e r s a . If
o n e
r e t a i n s t h e
t e x t u a l
o r d e r
as the
b a s i s
fo r
i n t e r p r e t i n g
th e
i n t e r r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e t w o
p a s s a g e s ,
t h r e e p o i n t s
e m e r g e .
F i r s t , th e s e q u e n c e of the two po les o f j u d g m e n t an d
m e r c y
is
r e v e r s e d , m e r c y b e i n g
p u t
f i r s t
i n E x . 3 4 .
S e c o n d l y ,
t h e m e r c y th e m e i s g r e a t l y e x p a n d e d i n E x . 34 ove r t he
b a s i c
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At the M o u n t a i n of God
statement
o f
20:6a.
T h i r d l y , a n d p e r h a p s m o s t s i g n i f i c a n t l y , th e
s t ipu la t ion
of an
obedient response
on the
pa r t
of
Israel
as the
cond i t ion fo r r e c e iv ing Y a h w e h ' s
hesed
(20:6b to those w h o
love
m e a n d
k e e p
m y
c o m m a n d m e n t s )
is
a b s e n t
f r o m
34 :6f . In
th e c o n t e x t of
Y a h w e h ' s
reac t ion to
Israe l ' s
sin of Ex. 32 t h i s is
of
f u n d a m e n t a l i m p o r t a n c e , for i t m e a n s
t h a t
Y a h w e h ' s m e r c y
t o w a r d s
Israe l
is
i n d e p e n d e n t
o f
t h e i r
r e s p o n d i n g in the r i g h t
w a y .
E v e n w h e n
Israe l is d i s o b e d i e n t it is s t i l l th e r e c i p i e n t o f
th e d iv ine goodness. T h e c o m p a r i s o n w i th 20 :5 f . s how s p o i n t e d l y
how p r o f o u n d
a
s t a t e m e n t
of
God ' s g r a c e
is
c o n t a i n e d
in 34:6f .
Moses '
re sponse to t h i s r e ve l a t i on of God is in two pa r t s .
First,
h e b o w s d o w n a nd w or s h ip s . Suc h i s t he a pp r op r i a t e
response
of man
be fo r e God .
In
a dd i t i on
to
this Moses
o f f e r s
o n e f ina l praye r . This praye r g a t h e r s t o g e t h e r m a j o r t h e m e s
f r o m
th e
preceding na r ra t ive :
9a
a
,
' im -na ' masat hen b
ec
eneka '
a
d5nay; cf.
33:12-17.
F o r m a l l y th e usage of the idiom is a k i n to the m e r e l y d e f e r -
en t ia l in t roduc t ion to a reques t . Ye t to th i s , as to
33:13a,
th e
use in
33:12b lends
a
po t e n t i a l l y m or e s ign i f i c a n t nua nc e .
A s in
33:12ff . Moses '
special posit ion is the basis of his p r a y e r .
9a$,
y e le k -n a '
'
a
d o n a y
b
e
q i r b e n u ; the use o f
b q r b n w
echoes
33:3,5
w i t h its r e f e r e n c e to the shr ine . S ince 33 :3 ,5 were t aken
up
in
Moses ' in t e r c e s s ion
o f
33 : 12 f f . ,
one may see
h e r e
a
f u r t h e r
r e f e r e nc e ba c k
to
t h i s e a r l i e r i n t e r c e s s ion . Th is
is
s u p p o r t e d
b y
the use in
34:9a$
of the
v e r b h lk
w h i c h w as
used
in 33:14,
15,16 whereas in 33:3 ,5
c
lh w a s u s e d .
9b
a
, k i
c
am-q
e
Seh-
c
orep
hu ' ; c f . 32:9,
33:3,5.
T h i s is the m o s t
s i g n i f i c a n t phrase and w i l l b e d i s c us s e d be low .
9b$, w
e
salahta
la
c a
w o n e n u Q l
e
h a t t a ' t e n u u n
e
h a l t a n u ; t h e r e
are no
special
l inks
be t w e e n
these
w o r d s
and t he
p r e c e d ing
na r r a t i ve , a l t hough
j f i t ^has
been used several t imes (32:30,31,33,
cf. 32:21). It is of no t e
that
Moses seeks no t on ly fo r g ive ne s s
bu t also
th e posi t ive res tora t ion o f Israel in a r igh t r e la t ion
u n d e r
Y a hw e h s uc h a s i s im p l i e d i n be ing t ake n a s Y a h w e h ' s
possession.
1^ 5
It is pe r ha ps i n i t i a l l y a little s u r p r i s in g that Moses prays fo r
Y a h w e h ' s presence in the s h r i n e a g a in , a f t e r th e f a v o u r a b l e
r e sponse in 33:17 to his e a r l i e r i n t e r c e s s i o n . 1^ 6 Yet i t i s not
i n a p p r o p r i a t e ,
s ince
th e
logic
o f
p r a y e r
an d
p e t i t i o n
is not
t h a t
of sober d i scourse , a n d r e p e t i t i o n a n d a s s u r a n c e
p l a y
an im-
po r t a n t r o le . M or e ov e r t h i s r e q ue s t is not i d e n t i c a l to t h a t in
33 :12-17 . There
th e
s h r i n e
w a s
s o u g h t
a n d
g i v e n ,
bu t i t
b r o u g h t
th e po t e n t i a l da nge r o f Y a h w e h ' s r e n e w e d j u d g m e n t , w h i c h h a d
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Two: An Exegesis of E x o d u s 32-34
to be met by s o m e t h i n g f u r t h e r , the reve la t ion o f God's char-
acter as g r a c i o us an d m e r c i f u l . T h i s has now b e e n g i ve n . S o
Moses l i nks these
tw o
t h i n gs
in his
p r a y e r , L et
the
L o r d ,
I
p r a y ,
go in the
m i d s t
of us . . . and
f o r g i v e
our
i n i q u i t y
an d
sin .
It is
for God ' s presence an d f o r g i ve n e s s t o ge t he r t ha t M o se s p r a y s .
T he m o s t c r uc i a l w o r ds in the p r a y e r are the r e f e r e n c e to
Is rae l
as a s t i f f -necked people . Each o f the t h r e e p r e v i o u s
occurrences o f this phrase h as been at an i m p o r t a n t m o m e n t in
the na r ra t ive . Each t ime i t has been made the expl ic i t r eason
for
Yahweh ' s
j u d g m e n t u p o n Is rae l .
In
32:9f.
it is the
reason
w hy
Y a h w e h
pur po s e s to de s t r o y th e n a t i o n . A t 33:3
Y a h w e h
wi l l
n o t
go in the
m i d s t
of the
people because
( k y )
t he y
are
s t i f f - n e c k e d .
A t
33:5, apart
f r o m
th e
e m pha t i c r e pe t i t i o n
of the
i m p o s s i b i li ty
of
Y a h w e h g o i n g w i t h
th e
people ,
it is
m a d e
th e
reason
w h y
Y a h w e h
despoils Israel , as the Eg ypt ian s w ere despo iled .
W h a t
is
r e m a r k a b l e a b o u t
the
phr a s e
in
34:9
is
t h a t
n ot
o n l y
is it
used
in
th e
context
o f
Y a hw e h ' s m e r c y , a f t e r
th e th e op h a n y ,
b u t ,
a p p a r e n t l y , it is the reason fo r Y a h w e h ' s m e r c y to be ex-
perienced
in the
res tora t ion
of the
s h r i n e
in
Israel 's m idst
as a
sign
of the
r e n e w e d c o ve n a n t , s i n c e
the
c o n n e c t i ve pa r t i c l e k y _
is
c o m m o n l y
c a us a t i ve
in
f o r c e .
One i s
t he r e b y p r e s e n t e d w i t h
th e
p a r a d o x , v e r g i n g
o n
c o n t r a d i c ti o n ,
t h a t th e
s a m e f a c t o r ,
th e
s in o f I s r a e l ,
w h i c h
causes
Y a h w e h ' s
w r a t h , a l s o
b r i n g s
a b o u t h is
m e r c y .
T h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of the pa r t i c l e ky i s c l e a r l y o f grea t
s ign i f icance ;
yet it is
prob lema t ic . There
are at least three
possible w a y s o f c o n s t r u i n g it. 157 1 ) I t may be causa t ive ,
for ,
o r
because .
N o t
on ly
is
this
its
m o s t c o m m o n m e a n i n g ,
but i t has a l ready been used in this sense in c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h
s t i f f -necked people
in
33:3. Since
34:9
presupposes th i s ea r l i e r
us a ge ,
an d
s ince
a w o r d
p lay
o n a
pa r t i c l e
may be
de e m e d
to be
u n l i k e l y , th i s w o u l d sugges t th e same causa t ive sense in
34:9
as
in 33:3.1^8 2) The pa r t i c le may be concess ive , a l thoug h .
This i s le ss c o m m o n tha n the cau sa t ive sense but i s s t i l l
attested. 159 j j j
s
p r e f e r r e d by several t rans la t ions (e.g., R S V ,
N I V C hi l ds , Exodus , p . 602 ) . 3 ) T h e pa r t i c l e may be an em-
phat ic concess ive ,
to be
rendered however mu ch
o r
a l though
indeed . This is a r gue d for by V r i e z e n ^ O w h o s e G e r m a n r en -
d e r i n g
is
wie sehr
auch .
Such
an
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
is
c o n ve y e d
in
J B a n d N E B .
O f these r e n d e r i n g s t h e s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d c o nc es siv e h a s least
to c o m m e n d it. It is adopted o n
account
of the apparen t in -
a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s of the causa t ive sense . B ut
w h e n
it is i n d i s -
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A t t h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
p u t a b l e
t h a t s o m e p a r a d o x i s i n t e n d e d , th e c o n c e s s i v e t e n d s to
e v a d e th e i s s u e . B e t w e e n th e c a u s a t i v e a n d e m p h a t i c co n -
cessive senses i t is h a r d e r , b u t p e r h a p s less i m p o r t a n t , to
c h o o s e .
Both
d r a w a t t e n t i o n t o t h e f a c t
t h a t
Is rae l s t i l l i s
s t i f f -
n e c k e d , a n d t h e stress o n th i s i s t h e i m p o r t a n t f a c to r . P r o b a b l y
th e e m p h a t i c c o n c e s s i v e o f f e r s th e best E n g l i s h r e n d e r i n g -
A l t h o u g h
t h e y a re i n d e e d a s t i f f - n e c k e d p e o p l e , y e t f o r g i v e ... .
T h e p a r a d o x i s s t r i k i n g . S u p e r f i c i a l l y , i t w o u l d seem to m e a n
e i t h e r t h a t Y a h w e h i s i n c o n s i s t e n t o r t h a t o n e s h o u l d s in i n
o r d e r
that grace
m i g h t a b o u n d .
Closer
c o n s i d e r a t i o n ,
i n t h e
l i g h t o f t h e c o n t e x t a n d t h e o l o g i c a l e m p h a s e s d i s ce r n e d t h u s
f a r , s h o w s t h i s p h r a s e
to
c o n t a i n
a
t h e o l o g y
o f t h e
g r a c e
o f G o d
u n s u r p a s s e d
in the OT. A
central
c o n c e rn
o f E x .
32-34
i s s in and
f o r g i v e n e s s . W h e n Is rae l s i ns ,
ca n
t h i s m e a n
t h e e n d o f t h e
c o v e n a n t ?
If
n o t , t h e n
o n
w h a t t e r m s
c a n t h e
c o v e n a n t
b e
r e n e w e d a n d c o n t i n u e ? T h e a n s w e r o f 34:9 i s t h a t t h e t e rm s l i e
e n t i r e l y i n the
character
o f G o d . T h e p o i n t
t h a t
is m a d e by the
f o r c e f u l k y i s t h a t I s r a e l h a s n o t c h a n g e d b u t r e m a i n s a s s i n f u l
a s a t t h e t i m e o f
m a k i n g
t h e c a l f . A n y c h a n g e
w h i c h
c o u l d
h e r a l d so m e t h i n g o t h e r t h a n t h e i r b e i n g cast
o f f
m u s t t h e r e f o r e
b e o n t h e p a r t o f G o d . T h e p e o p l e r e m a i n s i n f u l y e t n o t o n l y d o
t h e y r e c e i v e f r o m G o d t h e j u d g m e n t t h e y d e s e r v e , b u t a l s o t h e y
receive
th e
grace
a n d m e rc y t h e y d o n o t d e s e r v e . G o d
wi l l
s h o w
m e r c y , a m e r c y e x p e ri e n c ed s u p r e m e l y i n h i s a c c o m p a n y i n g
p re s e n c e , b e c a u s e i t l ies w i t h i n th e c h a r a c t e r o f G o d n o t
o n l y
to i n f l i c t j u d g m e n t b u t
a lso
to s h o w m e r c y - even to a
c o n t i n u i n g l y s i n f u l p e o p l e .
T h i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f 34:9 i s
s u p p o r t e d
by t h e
f a c t t h a t
n o w h e r e i n
32-34
i s a n y
r e f e r e n c e m a d e
to a
r e p e n t a n c e
o f
I sr a e l w h i c h m i g h t o c ca si o n Y a h w e h ' s r e n e w e d f a v o u r . I t h a s
a l r e a d y b e e n
n o t e d
' ^ 1 t h a t
th e m o u r n i n g o f
33:4
i s
r e m o r s e
r a t h e r th a n re p e n t a n c e , a n d n o w h e r e else i s a n y w o r d f o r
r e p e n t a n c e , such a s sw b o r n h m , used o f I s ra e l . The l ack o f
r e p e n t a n c e s u p p o r t s
th e
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n t h a t I s r a e l
i s
c o n t i n u -
i n g l y s i n f u l - y e t i t i s t o s u c h t h a t Y a h w e h i s m e r c i f u l .
T h e
c o n n e c t i o n
in
34:9 be tween Y a h w e h ' s g o i n g
i n t h e
m i d s t
o f th e people a n d t h e f a c t
that
t h e y a re s t i l l a s t i f f - n e c k e d
p e o p l e r e f l e c t s th e s a m e c o n c e r n as i s in 3 3 : 1 2 - 1 7 , 1 8 - 2 3 w h e r e
th e
p r o b l e m
i s
t h a t
i f the
s h r i n e w e r e
t o be i n t h e
m i d s t
o f
Is ra e l t h e n Y a h w e h m i g h t b e p r o v o k e d a g a i n to w r a t h a g a i n s t a
s i n f u l
p e o p l e . T h e a n s w e r w a s seen t o be i n a d e e p e r r e v e l a t i o n
o f th e c h a r a c t e r o f God. 34:9 t a k e s t h i s f u r t h e r , i n t h e l i g h t o f
th e a c t u a l r e v e l a t i o n , b y p o s i n g th e s a m e p r o b l e m a n d i n v e r t i n g
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T w o : A n
Exe ge s i s
o f E x o d u s
32 -34
i t t h ro u g h p l e a d i n g I s ra e l s s i n a s in some sen se t he re a son w hy
Y a h w e h s h o u l d g o w i t h I s ra e l an d f o r g i v e t h e m . T he s a m e p o i n t
is
m a d e
as in
33:19,
but in
m o r e s t r i k i n g
an d
p a r a d o x i c a l f o r m .
N o t
o n l y
is i t the
c h a r a c t e r
o f G o d t o b e
m e r c i f u l ,
but i t i s
p re c i se l y t o the s i n f u l w h o o u g h t t o be d e s t r o y e d t h a t t h i s
m e r c y i s
e x t e n d e d .
T h e
t h e m e
o f t he
g ra c e
an d
m e r c y
o f
G o d ,
a l r e a d y
se t
f o r w a r d
in 32:14,
33:19, 34:6f. ,
is
b r o u g h t
to i ts
c l i m a x
in 34:9.
T he bold t h e o l o g i c a l c o n c e p t i o n o f 34 :9 , a l though
u n s u r p a s s e d ,
i s n o t
u n p a r a l l e l e d
in the O T . I t
o c c u r s
i n on e
o t he r pa ssa ge a l so , in the c o n t e x t o f the
f lood
n a r r a t i v e o f G e n .
6 -9 . I t c a n b e see n i n t he j u x t a po s i t i o n o f G e n . 8:21 w i t h Ge n .
6:5. Gen.
6 :5
g i ve s
th e
r e a s o n
w h y
Y a h w e h b r i n g s
th e
f l o o d ,
that
is the
ev i l
o f
m a n s heart,
an d
Gen. 8:21 tells
w h y i n
f u t u r e
Y a h w e h
w i l l
show me rc y :
6:5,
w k l - y s r m h s b w t Ibw rq r
c
k l - h y w m
8:21,
k y
ysr Ib h d m
r
c
m n
c
r y w
T he
w o r d i n g is less e m p h a t i c in 8:21 than in 6 :5 -
Id ,
rq ,
k l - h y w m a re
o m i t t e d . T h i s
is
a p p r o p r i a t e
in the
context
o f ch. 8
w h e r e th e n a t u r e o f m a n n e e d n o t b e d w e l t on i n t he s a m e w a y
as in ch . 6 . But the b a s ic p o i n t r e m a i n s th e s a m e . H e r e t h e r e i s
th e
s a m e p a r a d o x
as in Ex. 34 . The
c a use
o f
G o d s j u d g m e n t
a p p a r e n t l y b e c o m e s th e cause o f h i s m e r c y - the s a m e ky i s
used in Gen. 8:21 as in Ex. 34:9. That the ky clause in Gen. 8:21
is
m e a n t
to
h a v e
th e
s a m e f o r c e
a s i n Ex .
34:9
c an h a r d l y b e
d i s p u t e d ,
once
th e
p a r a l l e l i s m
i s s e e n . 6 2 jh
e
p a r a d o x
in
G e n e s i s
h a s
o f t e n b e e n
n o t e d , 163 t h a t in E x o d u s
o c c a s i o n -
ally.
1 6 4
g u t h i t h e r t o
n o
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f
b o t h t o g e t h e r
h as
b e e n o f f e r e d .
I n a d d i t i o n to the pa ra l l e l pa ra dox in Gen. 8:21 a n d E x . 34:9,
o t h e r p a r a l l e l s b e t w e e n t h e f l o o d a n d S i n a i n a r r a t i v e s c a n b e
s e e n .
T he
o v e r a l l s t r u c t u r e
o f Ex .
32-34
i s s in and
j u d g m e n t
f o l l o w e d b y
m e r c y
an d
r e n e w a l .
S o t oo i n the
f l o o d
n a r r a -
£
tive.
lb:>
2) T h r o u g h o u t E x . 32 -34 th e f a v o u r e d p o s i t i o n o f M o s es b e f o r e
Y a h w e h
is a c on s t a n t f a c t o r . So t oo d oe s
N o a h
e n j o y a
f a v o u r e d
pos i t ion
f r o m
s t a r t
t o
f i n i s h .
3)
N o a h s
f a vo u re d pos it ion m a rk s t he spe c if i c t u rn i n g po i n t i n
the s t o r y ,
Gen. 8:1;
G o d
r e m e m b e r s N o a h
an d
t hen
the
waters
begin to
recede. 66
s i m i l a r l y o n e m a y s e e E x .
33:1
la as the
spe c i f i c t u r n i n g p o i n t i n E x . 3 2 - 3 4 ; h e r e a f t e r G o d r e v e a l s h is
91
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T w o : A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s 32-34
h e n c e f o r t h I s r a e l is as d e p e n d e n t as the rest of th e
w o r l d
u p o n
th e m e r c y o f G o d . Yet i t i s t h r o u g h th e f a i t h f u l m a n o f G o d
that t h i s m e r c y is g i v e n . God ' s m e r c y d o e s n o t o v e r r i d e m a n ,
b u t ma n i s
g i v e n
a n
i n d i s p e n s a b l e r o l e
w i t h i n
G o d ' s
p u r p o s e s .
Such
is the
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f
Y a h w e h ' s d e a l i n g s w i t h
h is
people
ex p ressed by Ex . 32-34.
Ex. 34:10
A f t e r
M ose s
1
p r a y e r , Y a h w e h ' s
f i n a l
a n s w e r is g i v e n ; th e
c o v e n a n t is r e n e w e d . T h e c o n n e c t i o n of v . 10 w i t h w h a t p r e-
cedes is
g e n e r a l l y c o n s i d e r e d
t o b e
s o m e w h a t
loose .
C e r t a i n l y
th is
is the
f i r s t t i m e
i n E x .
32-34
t h a t th e
t e c h n i c a l t e r m
fo r
c o v e n a n t ,
b e r l t ,
is
u sed .
B u t
th i s
is
b e c a u s e
th e
n a r r a t i v e
is
c o n c e r n e d
n o t
w i t h
th e
w o r d
b u t
w i t h
th e
c o n t e n t
o f
w h a t
a c t u a l l y constitutes th e r e l a t i o n s h i p w i t h G o d , a n d th is is
s u p r e m e l y tw o
th ings : God 's
p r e s e n c e in h is
s h r i n e
an d h i s
law s .
G o d ' s w o r d s i n 3 4 : 1 0 b r i n g
t h e s e
tw o t o g e t h e r , f o r t h a t I s r a e l
s ho u l d
hav e God ' s p r e s e n c e (34:9a) a nd h i s laws (34:1 I f f . m e a n s
t h a t
t h e y
ar e in a
c o v e n a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p . W h e n
G o d
g r a n t s
these h e t h e r e b y r e n e w s th e
c o v e n a n t .
T h e s p e c i f i c d e s i g n a t i o n c o v e n a n t is in f a c t p r e p a r e d for in
th e last w o r d of v . 9 ,
Q n
e
h a l t a n u .
B e i n g Y a h w e h ' s possession
is v e r y m u c h a c o v e n a n t a l idea , i m p l y i n g th e status o f a v assa l
u n d e r
i ts o v e r l o r d . 1 6 9 M o s es e f f e c t i v e l y p r a y s
t h a t
Y a h w e h
sh ou ld r e n e w
th e
c o v e n a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p .
A n d
Y a hw e h
does .
T h e r e
is
s o m e u n c e r t a i n t y o v e r
who is the
a d d r e s s e e
in v . 10 .
In v . lO a it is c le a r ly Moses; th e pe o p l e a re y o u r peop le
(
c
a m m
e
k a ) . 1 7 0 T h e L X X r e a d s e g o
t i t h e m i
s o i
d i a t h e k e n ,
t h u s m a k i n g M o s es t h e p r i m a r y r e c i p i e n t o f t h e c o v e n a n t . T h i s
a g r e e s w i t h
v . 27, bu t i s
p r o b a b l y
n o t
o r i g i n a l
to v .
l O a .
It is ,
h o w e v e r , n o t o u t o f k e e p i n g w i t h th e
f l o w
o f v . l O a . I n v .
l O b ,
by contrast i t seems
that Israel
is the addressee. It is m o r e
n a t u r a l to t h i n k o f I s r a e l r a t h e r t h a n M o s e s a s b e i n g in th e
m i d s t o f o the r p eop les , an d the f i n a l w i th y o u
( i m m a k )
r e a d s
m o r e
eas i ly
a s I s rae l .
171
T h a t
t h e r e
s h o u l d
b e a
t r a n s i t i o n
f r o m
M o s e s
to
Israe l
is in
f a c t
a p p r o p r i a t e . Fo r
Moses
is
b e i n g
a ddr e s s e d o n
beha l f
o f
I s rae l to
w h o m
he is to p r o c l a i m th e
f o l l o w i n g
c o v e n a n t s t ip u -
l a t i o n s ,
and so , in a
s e n s e ,
I s rae l
is
b e i n g a d d r e ss e d t h r o u g h
Moses .
T h e
r e f e r e n c e
to
all
th e
e a r t h
a n d
e v e r y n a t i o n
e n a b l e s a s m o o t h t r a n s i t i o n to I s rae l th e p e o p l e a s
a d d r e s s e e .
M o r e o v e r , th e s h i f t to Israel in v . 10 e n a b l e s a s m o o t h
trans-
i t i on
to th e
p a r a e n e s i s
o f v v .
l l f f . , w h i c h
is al l in the
secon d
9 3
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
p e r s o n s i n g u l a r ,
as w as the
d e c a l o g u e ,
a n d w h i c h i s fo r the
b e n e f i t
o f
Is rae l
r a t h e r than M oses .
T h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of v . 1 0 d e p e n d s o n t h e m e a n i n g g i v en to
th e
m a r v e l s
( n p l ' w t )
a n d t h e
f e a r f u l
t h i n g
( k y - n w r *
h w ' )
w h i c h
Y a h w e h
i s t o d o .
These w o r d s c u s t o m a r i l y r e f e r
to
Y a h w e h ' s m i g h t y acts b r i n g i n g s a l v a t io n t o Is ra e l a n d j u d g m e n t
on
her
enemies , 1 ^2 ancj jf that js their significance here then
th e m e a n i n g w o u l d b e that Y a h w e h
w i l l
r e s u m e h is acts o f
s a l v a t i o n
o n
b e h a l f
o f h i s
c o v e n a n t p e o p le . T h i s
is a
poss ib le
i n t e r p r e t a t i
o n .
An a l t e r n a t i v e
r e n d e r i n g m a y , h o w e v e r , b e p r e f e r a b l e . T h i s i s
t h a t th e
s i g n i f i c a n t
s t a te m e n t i s
B e h o l d ,
I
m a k e
a
c o v e n a n t ,
a n d
th e
rest
o f t he v e r s e
s i m p l y
sets
o u t t he
u n i q u e
a n d
m a r v e l l o u s n a t u r e
o f
th i s fact. T h e r e
i s n o
exact p a r a l l e l
e l s e w h e r e to a f e a r f u l t h i n g i n t he s i n g u l a r ( v . l O b ) , and i t i
s o m e t h i n g Y a h w e h
d o e s
w i t h (
c
m ) h i s pe o p l e J
7
^ T h j
s
sug -
gests t h a t i t i s t h e f a c t o f c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l w i t h a s i n f u l
people w h i c h is the f e a r f u l t h i n g . T h e w o r k o f
Y a h w e h
w h i c h
people wi l l see is the r e s t o r a t i o n
of
s i n f u l
I s r a e l . If th i s is so
t h e n m a r v e l s
w o u l d
h a v e
a
s i m i l a r m e a n i n g
- t h e
m a r v e l l o u s
acts
o f m e r c y a n d r e s t o r a t i o n . T h i s s l i g h t l y
u n u s u a l
sense i s n o t
i m po s s i b l e f o r t h e
r e n e w a l
o f the
c o v e n a n t w i t h
a
s i n f u l
pe o p l e
c a n b e
seen
as the q u i n t e s s e n c e o f
Y a h w e h ' s
w o n d e r f u l
acts.
It
i s
n o t a b l e t h a t
th e u n u s u a l
w o r d b j r ^ i s used
in l O a , a
w o r d w h i c h
sugges ts
t h a t that
w h i c h Y a hw e T T c re a t e s ha s t he
c h a r a c t e r
o f
th e w o n d e r f u l , o f t h e e n t i r e l y
n e w . ' ^ ^
T h e r e s t o r a t i o n o f
I s r ae l cou ld we l l be so d e s c r i b e d . T h e v e r b s i n t h e v e r s e , th e
i m p e r f e c t 'e
ce
seh ( l O a ) a n d t h e p a r t i c i p l e (
c
o s e h ) r e f e r
e i t h e r
to t h a t
w h i c h
i s a t
p r e s e n t h a p p e n i n g
o r i s
c o n c e i v e d
o f
a s i m m i n e n t . S i n c e th e par t i c i p le k 5 r e t i s p r o b a b l y a
p r e s e n t
tense, a s i m i l a r m e a n i n g i s
l i k e l y
fo r
c
oseh a s w e l l : a s
Y a h w e h
r e n e w s th e c o v e n a n t , he i s in the process o f d o i n g
s o m e t h i n g m a r v e l l o u s . T h a t Y a h w e h m a k e s th e c o v e n a n t
b e f o r e a l l y o u r p e o p l e r e f l e c t s t h e fa c t t h a t t h i s a c t i o n i s
b e i n g d o n e
o n M t .
S i n a i w i t h I s r a e l e n c a m p e d a r o u n d b e l o w .
I f t h i s a n a l y s i s is
correct
o n e m a y p a r a p h r a s e th e
ve r s e
t h u s .
T h e r e n e w a l o f a c o v e n a n t w i t h a s i n f u l p e o p l e i s s o m e t h i n g
q u i t e w i t h o u t p a r a l l e l
i n
h i s t o r y
( v .
l O a ) .
It
w i l l , t h e r e f o r e ,
c o n s t i t u t e
a
p o w e r f u l
t e s t i m o n y
to t he
c h a r a c t e r
o f G o d a n d
th e
n a t u r e
o f h i s
d e a l i n g s w i t h p e o p le
( v .
l O b .
F i n a l l y , t h e s i g n i f i c a n c e o f 34:10 t h u s i n t e r p r e t e d i s
f u r t h e r
e n h a n c e d b y a c o m p a r i s o n
w i t h
2 0 :2 , t h e i n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e
f i r s t l a w - g i v i n g . T h e r e th e i n t r o d u c t i o n i s f a c t u a l i n f o r m ,
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T w o :
A n Exeges is o f E x o d u s 3 2 - 3 4
r e c o u n t i n g that s e q u e n c e
o f
events w h i c h
l ed u p to , a nd
f o r m e d
th e
b a s i s f o r ,
th e f o l l o w i n g
d e c a l o g u e .
I n
k e e p i n g w i t h
th e
c o n t e x t
t h e r e i s n o u n n e c e s s a r y e la b o r a t i o n o f t h e p o i n t . B u t
th e
c o n t e x t
o f
34 :10 ,
w h i c h
s e r v e s
as an
i n t r o d u c t i o n
t o the
l a w s
o f vv .
1 1 - 2 6 ,
is
q u i t e d i f f e r e n t
- the s in o f
I s r a e l
h as
i n t e r v e n e d . T h a t G o d s h o u l d a g ai n m a k e a c o v e n a n t a n d g i v e
l a w s to
s u ch
a
people
i s n o w n o t
s i m p l y
stated bu t i s
a p p r o -
p r i at e l y d e s i g n at e d a s a n u n p a r a l l e l e d m a r v e l .
E x .
34 :11-26
T h e
s t a t e m e n t
t h a t
th e c o v e n a n t i s b e i n g r e n e w e d i s f o l lo w e d
by an e x p o s i t i o n o f t h e s t i p u l a t i o n s w h i c h a re i n t e g r a l to i t .
F i r s t ,
t h e r e
is a
g en e r a l p a r a en es i s ( vv .
1 1 - 1 6 ) ,
t h e n
a
s e r i es
o f
d e ta i led p r es c r ip t io n s ( vv . 17 -2 6 ) . A d e ta i l ed
t r e a t m e n t
o f th e
l a w s l i es beyond
th e
scope
o f t he
p r e s e n t task w h e r e
th e
p u r p o s e
i s to
d e t e r m i n e t h e i r l i t e r a r y
a n d
t h e o l o g i c a l f u n c t i o n
w i t h i n th e d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h e n a r r a t i v e . 1 7 5
\
f
ew
b r i e f
o b s e r va ti o n s m u s t s u f f i c e .
T h e i n c l u s i o n
o f a
l ega l corpus
a t
t h i s p o i n t
m a y b e
o b j e c t e d
t o o n b o t h l i t e r a r y an d t h e o l o g i c a l g r o u n d s . T h e l i t e r a r y
a r g u m e n t
i s
t h a t
t h e in c lu s io n o f th e la ws d es t r oy s th e f l o w o f
t h e n a r r a t i v e . F a r
f r o m
p r o l o n g i n g t h e c li m a c t ic m o m e n t o f
c o v e n a n t
r e n e w a l ,
i t
seems
to
d e a d e n
i t . For m o s t m o d e r n
r e a d e r s
t h i s m a y w e l l b e t h e
case
N o n e t h e l e s s , a s a r g u e d
a b ove , 176
- - h e
l a w s
are of g r e a t
i m p o r t a n c e
fo r the
w r i t e r
an d h is
c o n c e p t i o n
o f
w h a t matters
i n the
story
I t
m i g h t also
b e said t h a t th e f e e l i n g
t h a t
th e l a w s a re a n t i - c l i m a c t i c i s
l a r ge ly
a
c u l t u r a l d i f f i c u l t y .
A J e w w h o
d e l i g h t e d
in
T o r a h
m i g h t w e l l f i n d
th e
ob jec t ion d i f f i c u l t
to
g rasp .
T h e o l o g i c a l l y
th e
p r o p r i e t y
o f
th is legal corpus
h e r e
h as
b een
q u e r i e d b y D r i v e r a n d M c N e i l e . D r i v e r cites w i t h a p p r o v a l
M c N e i le s c o m m e n t that a f r e s h b o d y o f l a w s i s n o t r e q u i r e d
b eca use
a
c o v e n a n t h a v i n g b e en f o r m e d ( 2 4 : 7 f . ) ,
an d
b a s e d u p o n
la ws wh ich a re g iven
e a r l i e r
in the book (20:22-23:33), an d
t h e n h a v i n g b e en b r o k e n b y s i n , a l l
t h a t
c a n c o n c e i v a b l y
b e r e q u i r e d i s r e p e n t a n c e a n d f o r g i v e n e s s . T h e o r i g i n a l
c o v e n a n t l a w s m u s t u n a l t e r a b l y h o l d
g o o d . 7 7
This is i n s e n s i t ive to th e s e r iou s n e s s o f th e s in o f I s ra e l a n d th e
w r i t e r s a w a r e n e s s o f I sr ae l s c o n t i n u i n g l y s i n f u l n a t u r e . T h e
p o i n t
o f
t h e s e l a ws
i s not to
r e n e w
th e
c o v e n a n t
o n
c o n d i t i o n s
d i f f e r e n t
f r o m
th o se p r e v i o u s l y o b t a i n i n g ( E x . 2 0 - 2 4 ) - t h e i r
95
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A t t h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
c o n t i n u i n g v a l i d i t y i s t a k e n fo r g r a n t e d - bu t t o
select
a n d
e m p h a s i z e t h o s e p a r t i c u l a r spects w h i c h re r e l e v a n t ̂t o t h e
s n u l t e n d e n c i e s w h i c h I s r a e l
h a s
d i s p l a y e d . T h a t
i s ,
I s r ae l
h a s
been
u n f a i t h f u l
t o
Y a h w e h
a n d
s i n n e d a g a i n s t
t h e
f i r s t
t w o
c o m m a n d m e n t s o f t h e
d e c a l o g u e
i n p a r t i c u l a r ,
'7 8
nc
| oth
t h e p a r a e n e s i s a n d t h e p r e s c r i p t i o n s o f
34:1
1-26 a re , i n
d i f f e r e n t w a y s , m o r e o r le ss r e l e v a n t t o t h e o b s e r v a t i o n o f
t h e s e
sa m e c o m m a n d m e n t s . T h a t
i s w h y t h e
l a w s
o f 3 4 : 1 1 - 2 6
a r e c u l t i c i n e m p h a s i s . T h e f i r s t t w o c o m m a n d m e n t s a r e c u l t ic
c o m m a n d m e n t s a n d I sr a e l's si n w i t h t h e c a l f w a s a c u l t i c s i n . A s
Y a h w e h
r e n e w s t h e c o v e n a n t h e d o es s o b y d e m a n d i n g
o b e d i e n c e
i n t h e
a r e a w h e r e I s r a e l
h a s
a l r e a d y f a i l e d
a n d
w h e r e
i t
w i l l
be
u n d e r c o n t i n u a l t e m p t a t io n
i n t h e
p r o m i s e d
l a n d
to s i n
a g a i n .
T h e o l o g i c a l l y t h e d e m a n d f o r I sr a e l 's o b e d i e n c e a t t h i s p o i n t
i s o f s i g n i f i c a n c e . F o r i t c o m e s d i r e c t l y a f t e r t h e e x p o s i t i o n o f
t he m e r c y o f Y a h w e h w h i c h i s a s a b so l u t e a n d u n c o n d i t i o n a l a s
i t c o u l d b e . W i t h o u t a n y s e n s e o f
i n c o n g r u i t y
t h e w r i t e r
j u x t a p o s e s
w i t h t h i s a s t r o n g d e m a n d f o r
t o t a l
o b e d i e n c e o n t h e
p a r t o f I sra e l . T h e w r i t e r t h u s r e v e a l s a s t r i k i n g u n d e r s t a n d i n
o f f a i t h a n d w o r k s . O n t h e o n e h a n d I sr a e l 's p o s i t i o n i s e n -
t i r e l y d e p e n d e n t u p o n Y a h w e h a n d M o s e s a n d i n n o w a y u p o n
t h e m s e l v e s ; e v e n t h e i r
s in
d oes
n o t f o r f e i t
t h e i r p o s i t i o n .
O n t h e
o t h e r h a n d t h e y c a n o n l y l i v e a s t h e p e o p le o f Y a h w e h i f t h e y
f a i t h f u l l y obey
h i m i n a l l
t h e y
d o .
T h e o l o g i c a l ly
i t i s n o t a c se
o f e i t h e r - o r b u t o f
bo th
-
a n d .
T h e
p a r a e n e s i s
o f v v . 1 1 - 1 6 st rts by l o o k i n g a h e a d t o t h e
f a c t
t h a t
Y a h w e h i s g o i n g to lead th e p e o p l e i n t o th e p r o m i s e d
l a n d .
A s
m e n t i o n e d a b o v e ,
th e
a s s u m p t i o n
t h a t
o n c e
th e
c o v e n a n t m a k i n g a t S i n a i i s c o m p l e te th e peop le a r e t o m o v e o n
i n t o th e p r o m i s e d l a n d u n d e r l i e s t h e n a r r a t i v e . I t i s a p p r o p r i a t e
t h e r e f o r e t o
t a k e
u p t h e t h e m e h e r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y b ec a u se i t
r a i s e s w h a t i s l i k e l y t o b e t h e n e x t m o m e n t o f a c u t e t e m p t a t i o n
fo r
Israe l
to
a p o s t a s i z e
f r o m
Y a h w e h ,
th e
t i m e
o f
c o n t a c t w i t h
t h e
c u l t u r e
a n d
r e l ig i o n
o f
C a n a a n .
T h e w o r d i n g , B e h o ld I
w i l l
d r i v e o u t ...
( h i n n i g 5 r e s )
i s
s i g n i f i c a n t i n t h e l i g h t o f w h a t h a s p r e c e d e d . T h e p r o m i s e o f
2 3 : 2 0 f f .
w a s
t h a t
t h e a n g e l , m e d i a t i n g t h e p re se n c e o f Y a h w e h
h i m s e l f ,
w o u l d le a d t h e p e o p le a s t h e y m o v e d o n . A f t e r Israe l ' s
s i n ,
n o t o n l y
w o u l d
t h e a n g e l n o l o n g e r m e d i a t e Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s e n c e i n t h e
s a m e
w a y a s
b e f o r e ,
b u t t h e
c ruc i a l i s sue
b e c a m e th e r e s t o r a t i o n o f Y a h w e h ' s p re se n c e i n t h e s h r i n e i n
96
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T w o : A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s
3 2 - 3 4
t h e m i d s t o f I s r a e l . N o w I s r a e l ' s s i n h a s b e e n d e a l t w i t h , t h e
c o v e n a n t r e n e w e d , a n d p e r m i s s i o n to b u i l d t h e s h r i n e r e s t o r e d .
T h e r e f o r e t h e
f u t u r e g u i d a n c e
o f
I s r a e l
i s n o
l o n g e r
a
p r o b l e m .
B ec au s e
Y a h w e h
is in the
m i d s t
o f
Israe l
h e ca n
also
lead the m
a n d f i g h t f o r t h e m . T o s t r e s s t h e p o i n t , t h e a n g e l i s n o t
m e n t i o n e d h e re e ve n t h o u g h i t
w o u l d
f u l l y m e d i a t e t h e d i v i n e
p r e s e n c e a g a i n , s i n c e a f t e r
32 :34 ,
3 3 : 2 f .
i t
m i g h t s t i ll
b e
t a k e n
t o i m p l y a s e c o n d - b e s t . N o n e b u t Y a h w e h h i m s e l f ( h n n y ) w i l l
f i g h t f o r t h e p e o p l e .
V v. 1 2 - 1 6 p r e s e n t a s t r o n g d e m a n d f o r e x c l u s i v e c o m m i t m e n t
to Y a h w e h a l o n e . T h i s i s n o t a n o v e l e l e m e n t w i t h i n E x .
3 2 - 3 4
s i n c e t h i s d e m a n d is a p r e s u p p o s i t i o n f o r I s r a e l ' s s in in Ex . 32 . In
p a r t i c u l a r
i t ha s
b e e n
se e n t h a t
in
3 2 : 2 5- 2 9
t h e r e
is a
d e u t e r o n o m i c t h e o l o g y o f
f a i t h f u l n e s s
t o Y a h w e h . T h i s spect
o f
th e
co v en a n t c o m m i t m e n t
i s
m o r e f u l l y d e v e l o p e d
i n t h e
p r e s e n t c o n t e x t .
34 :1 4 is an i m p o r t a n t v e r s e . T h e c o m p a r i s o n o f
3 4 : 1 4 b
w i t h
2 0 : 5 b
a
s h o w s
a
d e v e l o p m e n t
a n d
e x p a n s i o n
o f t h e
e a r l i e r t e x t
n o t
d i s s i m i l a r to
t h a t
i n t h e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f 3 4 : 6 f . to 20:6:
34:14: k y y h w h q n '
§ r n w
1
q n ' h w '
20:3:
ky
' n k y
y h w h ' I h y k
1
q n '
T h e b a s ic p r i n c i p l e i s e n u n c i a t e d i n t h e c o n t e x t o f t h e
d e c a l o g u e . I t i s n o w
r e i t e r a t e d
i n f a r
m o r e e m p h a t i c f o r m ,
a s
w a s
th e p r i n c i p l e o f
Y a h w e h ' s h e s e d ,
b e c a u s e o f t h e s i t u a t i o n
o b t a i n i n g a f t e r I s ra e l 's s i n . N o w h e r e e l se i n t h e O T is Y a h w e h ' s
j e al o u s y m a d e
so
e m p h a t i c ( c o m p a r e D e u t . 4:24, 6 : 1 4 f . , 3 o s h .
2 4 : 1 9 f . ) .
T h e f a c t o f Israe l ' s
u n f a i t h f u l n e s s
c a l l s f o r t h t h e
e m p h a t i c
r e s t a t e m e n t
t h a t su c h u n f a i t h f u l n e s s i s i n c o m p a t i b le
w i t h t h e n a t u r e o f Y a h w e h , 17 9
nc
j
t h e r e f o r e w i t h b e in g
Y a h w e h ' s
c o v e n a n t p e o p le . F a i t h f u l n e s s to Y a h w e h m u s t b e a l l
o r n o t h i n g . T h i s d e v e lo p s th e w r i t e r ' s t h e o l o g i c a l b a l a n c e
m e n t i o n e d a b o v e .
O n t h e o n e
h a n d
Y a h w e h ' s
m e r c y
is
r e v e a l e d
m o r e f u l l y t ha n h i t h e r t o , b u t o n t h e o t h e r h a n d h is d e m a n d u p o n
I s r a e l
is
l i k e w i s e i n t e n s i f i e d .
O n e o t h e r
i n t e r e s t i n g
f e a t u r e
in v. 14 is i ts
r e f e r e n c e
to
a n o t h e r g o d
( 1
* h r )
in the s i n g u l a r .
18 0
-]-
n
j
s
s i n g u l a r
is
u n i q u e
in th e O T , t h e c u s t o m a r y d e s i g n a t i o n b e i n g p l u r a l , ' j h y m ' h r y m .
I t i s poss ib le
t h a t
t h i s r e f l e c t s t he sp e c i f ic s in w i t h t he c a lf i n
c h . 3 2 , f o r w h i c h t h e g e n e r a l i z i n g p l u r a l w o u l d b e s l i g h t l y less
a p p r o p r i a t e . T h e f a c t t h a t th e calf w a s d e s i g n a t e d w i t h a p l u r a l
v e r b a n d d e m o n s t r a t i v e i n ch . 3 2 d o e s n o t t e l l a g a i n s t t h i s ,
s i n ce th t w a s t h e m o s t e f f e c t i v e w a y in c o n t e x t o f c o n v e y i n g
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A t the M o u n t a i n of God
t he pa ga n na t u r e o f t he occas ion .
The laws
which fol low in vv.
17-26
are to be
unders tood
as an
i l l u s t r a t i o n of the ge ne ra l p r in c ip les of vv . 11-16. Th ey seek to
ensure pu r i ty of theo logica l m ea nin g and r i tu a l
practice
w i th i n
th e
c u l t
o f
Is rae l .
It is
t r u e that t h e r e
is
l i t t l e ex pl ic i t
r e f e r e n c e
to a
concern
fo r
p u r i t y
in vv.
17-26 ,
bu t
t h i s
can be
seen as a f u r t h e r case w h e r e th e wr i t e r a ssumes
that
th e
c o n t e x t
wi l l
m a k e
h is
m e a n i n g clear
T h e
con t ex t
of vv.
11-16
has set f o r w a r d the d is t inc t iveness of
Y a h w i s m f r o m
C a n a a n i t e
re l ig ion in s t r o n g t e r m s . If t h e r e is a close connec t i on b e t w een
vv. 11-16
and vv. 17 -26, and such a conn ect ion is ev id en t a t
least in v. 17, then the w ay to i n t e r p r e t th e laws w ou ld
n a t u r a l l y
be in
t e r m s
o f
t he i r b e i ng
a
de ta i l ed appl ica t ion
of the
genera l p r inc ip les preced ing .181
i t may be
attempted
to
reconstruct
th e
wri ter ' s
theological
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
as r e f l e c t e d in vv.
11-26
w i t h o u t , I hope , s i m pl y
produc ing a m o der n m i d r ash ,
182
tn
p a t t e r n
o f t h o u g h t m a y
be r o u g h l y a s f o l l ow s .
Israel 's
s in fu l
t e n d e n c y
to
c o m p r o m i s e
i t s
c o m m i t m e n t
to
Y a h w e h and to e x p r e ss its
fa i th
in the
symbols
of the
s u r r o u n d i n g r e l i g i ous cu l t u r e r a t he r t ha n in the wa y prescr ibed
by
Y a hw eh ha s a l r ea dy becom e ev i den t ev en w h i l e t he peop le
a re s t i l l a t Sina i . N o w that th e c o v e n a n t is b e i n g r e n e w e d th e
people a re to move on to the l and of Canaan
w h i c h
Y a h w e h h as
promised to g ive them (v . 11). B u t here th e pressure to fo rm
treaties w i t h t he C a na a n i t e s , w i t h t he i nev i t a b l e a dop t i on o f , o r
a t
least
a c c o m m o d a t i o n to , a l i en re l ig ious
practices
(vv. 12,15) ,
wi l l
lead to a r e l i g i ous com pr om i se una ccep t a b l e to Y a h w e h
w h o
d e m a n d s e x cl us iv e co m m i t m e n t f r o m h is people (vv.
13 , 1^ ) .
T h e
t e m p t a t i o n s
in Canaan wi l l be fa r greater than those
e x p e r i e n c e d
a t
S i n a i . T h e y m u s t t h e r e f o r e
b e
resist ed un com -
promis ing ly if Israel is to su rv iv e as the people of Y ah w eh (v.
13). Even socia l in te rcourse l ead ing
to
i n t e r - m a r r i a g e
wi l l
be
d e s t r u c t iv e o f c o m m i t m e n t t o Y a h w e h a n d m u s t b e r e je c te d ( v.
16).
It is one
t h i n g
to enunc i a t e gene r a l p r i nc i p l es . It is a n o t h e r to
w o r k t h e m
out in
practice
It is in
o f f i c i a l cu l t i c
w o r s h i p
t h a t
Israel 's c o m m i t m e n t
to
Y a h w e h
is
necessar i ly focussed
and
f inds
i t s t rue express ion . Therefore the de ta i l s o f th i s
w o r s h i p ,
or
a t
least
a
r ep r esen t a t i v e select ion
o f
t h e m , 1^3 m u s t
be
c a r e f u l l y prescr ibed so
t h a t
Is rae l ' s worsh ip m a y b e t r u e to
Y a h w e h . It is i m p o r t a n t in the f i r s t instance that t h e r e should
be no cu l t i c idols, fo r such idols, l ike th e ca l f , a re a n t i t h e t i c a l
98
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T w o :
A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s
3 2 - 3 4
t o t h e b a s ic n a t u r e o f
Y a h w e h s
r e v e l a t i o n o f h i m s e l f ( v . 1 7).
T h i s
p r a c t i c a l p r e s c r i p t i o n
f o r
t r u e w o r s h i p
i s
m a d e
t h a t
m u c h
m o r e
d i f f i u l t b y t h e
f a c t
t h a t
t h e r e
w i l l
i n e v i t a b l y
b e
c e r t a i n
f o r m a l
s i m i l a r i t i e s b e t w e e n t h e c u l t i c
w o r s h i p
o f I s r a e l a n d
t h a t
o f
th e
C a n a a n i t e s . A l t h o u g h
th e
C a n a a n i t e m o d e
o f
w o r s h i p
i s
t o b e
r e j e c t e d ,
th e
f r a m e w o r k
o f
f e a s ts t h r o u g h
th e
y e a r
i s a
r i g h t
a n d
n e c e s s a ry p a t t e r n
o f
w o r s h i p
f o r a
p e o p l e
w h o w i l l b e
l i v i n g i n a n
a g r i c u l t u r a l s o c i e ty ( v v . 1 8 , 2 2 ,2 3 ) . S i n c e
Y a h w e h i s
th e
g i v e r
o f t h e
l a n d
(v .
2 4 ) ,
i t is
r i g h t
f o r the
p e o p l e
t o
o f f e r
b ack t o h i m t h e f r u i t s o f t h e l a n d . T h e m e a n i n g o f t h e s e f e a s t s
w i l l b e
d i f f e r e n t
f o r
I s rae l than
f o r t h e
C a n a a n i t e s .
T h e
f e a s t
o f
u n l e a v e n e d
b r e a d w i l l n o l o n g e r b e o f p u r e l y a g r i c u l t u r a l
s i g n i f i c a n c e
b u t
w i l l
r e c a l l Y a h w e h s
acts
o f s a l v a t i o n o n
b e h a l f
o f I s rael (v . 18c) .
D e s p i t e t h e r e j e c t i o n o f C a n a a n i t e p r a c t i c e s , i t m u s t b e
s t r es s ed
t h a t Y a h w e h m a k e s n o less d e m a n d
u p o n
I s r ae l t h an
t h e C a n a a n i t e g o d s d o u p o n t h e i r a d h e r e n t s . A l t h o u g h Y a h w e h
d o e s
n o t
r e q u i r e h u m a n s a c r i f i c e ,
th e
f i r s t
a n d b e s t o f
I s r a e l
i s
h i s b y r i g h t ( v v . 1 9 ,2 0 ) . T h e n eed t o p r o v i d e an
o f f e r i n g
f o r
Y a h w e h
( v .
2 0 b ^ ) d o e s
n o t
m e a n t h a t w o r k m u s t o v e r r id e
Y a h w e h s
p r o v i s i o n
f o r
r e s t
( v .
2 1 ) .
T h e
o t h e r
tw o
m a j o r
f e s t i v a l s o f t h e
y e a r ,
in
a d d i t i o n
to t h a t o f
u n l e a v e n e d b r e a d ,
a re a l so t o b e o b s e r v e d ( v . 2 2 ) , a s p a r t o f t h e g e n e r a l p r i n c i p l e
o f
r e g u l a r l y c o m i n g b e f o r e Y a h w e h
in
w o r s h i p
(v .
2 3 ) . Th er e
n e e d b e n o p r a c t i c a l
d i f f i c u l t y
o v er c o m i n g b e f o r e Y a h w e h a t
f e s t i v a l
t i m e b e ca u s e Y a h w e h
i s G o d o f t h e
l a n d
a n d w i l l
protect a m a n s i n h e r i t a n c e d u r i n g h is
a b s e n c e
( v . 24 ) . A n
a p p e n d i x
o f
f o u r
b r i e f c u l t ic c o m m a n d m e n t s i s a d d e d t o
s t r e s s
t h e
i m p o r t a n c e
o f
c o r r e c t Y a h w i s t i c p r a c t i c e
a t t h e
f e s t i v a l s
( v v . 2 5 , 2 6 ) .
T h i s
o u t l i n e i s n o t t h e o n l y w a y t o i n t e r p r e t t h e s e l a w s , a n d
i t s
a c c u r a c y
i n
d e t a i l
i s
s e c o n d a r y
t o th e t a sk o f
s h o w i n g
a t
least a c e r t a in o v e r a l l c o h e r e n c e i n t he s e l e c t i o n o f t he l a w s . A
f e w p o i n t s
o f
d e t a i l
d o ,
h o w e v e r , r e q u i r e f u r t h e r e l a b o r a t i o n
i n
s u p p o r t
o f t h e
o u t l i n e o f f e r e d .
F i r s t , i t is n o t a b l e t h a t t h e p r o h i b i t i o n w h i c h s t a n d s f i r s t , i n
th e
p o s i t i o n
o f
i m p o r t a n c e , r e l a t e s s p e c i f i c a l l y
t o t he s i n o f
I s r a e l i n E x . 3 2 . T h i s e m e r g e s t h e m o r e c l e a r l y f r o m a c o m -
p a r i s o n w i t h th e p a r a l l e l i n E x . 20:4.
34:17:
e
lohe
m a s s ek a h
15
ta
c a
g e h - 1 5 k
20:4: 15 ta
c
aseh l
e
ka
p e s e l
T h e
m o r e g e n e r a l t e r m
p sl i s
r e p l a c e d
b y m s k h . 1 8 4
n
£
x
. 3 2
99
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aT TEH mOUNTAINf God
Israel 's
sin has
been
to
m a k e
a
mol ten ca l f
c
gl
mskh) to
which
they refer
as
'Ihym
(32:4). T he
specif ic pro hibit io n
of 'Ihy
ms kh
relates
to the s i n f u l
tendency towards fa l se
w o r s h i p
al ready displayed.
Secondly ,
the inc lus ion of the
dedica t ion
of the f i r s tbo rn to
Y a h w e h
makes sense
as an
e x a m p l e
of the
dis t inct ion
to be
preserved be tween
Y a h w i s m a nd
Canaani te r e l ig ion even
wh e n
t he r e a r e s im i l a r i t i e s . Canaan i t e r e l ig ion cou l d invo l ve the
practice of
sacr i f ic ing
no t
on l y
the
f i r s tbo r n
o f
an im al s
bu t also
a f i r s tbo rn son.1^5 Such a h u m a n
s ac r i f i ce
is
i n c o m p a t i b l e
w i t h
Y a h w i s m .
But the
poin t
is that
Y a h w e h d e m a n d s
no
less
than
the Canaanite gods, and so if he chooses to forego his
c la im then the Israe l ite m u s t s t il l r em em be r tha t his son is to
be
redeemed
and
belongs
to him not by
r i g h t
bu t by
gi f t .
Yah w eh ' s
a u t h o r i t y o v e r l i fe is e m p h a s i z e d by the
statement
that
the
f i r s tbo r n
o f
a n i m a l s
are al l
his.
T he o f f e r i n g of the f i r s t b o rn is
a l s o m en t ioned
in Ex.
13:2,12f.
H er e
Y a h w e h ' s
r i g h t
to the f i r s t b o r n is
connected w ith
his h a v i n g
slain
the f i r s tbo rn o f
E g y p t
b u t
spared
the f i r s t b o rn
of
Israel . A l t h o u g h
no t
made expl ic i t
in 34:19f .
th is t r ad i t ion
is
probably presupposed. This
is suggested by its
placing af ter
the
reference to the exodus in v. 18c. Is rael ' s response to
Y a h w e h
is
charac ter i st ica l ly l inked w i th
the
tradi t ion
of Yahweh 's
saving
acts.
T h i r d ly ,
the
pos i t i on ing
of the
s a b b a t h c o m m a n d m e n t
m a y
w el l be to
deal wi th
a
possible
d i f f i c u l t y occasioned by the
d e m a n d
of v.
20b ,
in a way not
d i s s i m i l a r
to the link
between
v. 24 and v. 23. The
im por t ance
of
pr ov id ing
an
o f f e r i n g fo r Y a h w e h
c o u l d
b e
taken
to i m p l y a
need
a t
t im es
to
neglec t Y ahw eh ' s provis ion
fo r
rest
if the
o f f e r i n g
is to be
b r o u g h t . V. 21
denies
that
th is shou ld
be the case. Even at the
i m p o r t a n t
t i m e s
o f p l o u g h i n g and
h a r v e s t
rest
is to be
observed .
This observance o f rest wi l l no t m e a n
that
the Israelite w i l l no t
b e
able
to br ing a s u f f i c i e n t o f f e r i n g at the
r equ i s i t e t im es .
O n
th e c o n t r a r y , it
wil l
e n s u r e it.
F o u r t h l y , a
possible
link
b e t w e e n
34:26b and the
U g a r i t i c
text
1.23:14
ha s
long
been noted.
This
U g a r i t i c text, taken to r e f e r
to
boi l ing
a kid in
m i l k ,
w o u l d
sugges t
that the
force
of the
He b r e w
prohib i t ion
lies
in an
an t i -C ana an i t e po l em ic ; even
t h o ugh Israel is to keep the s am e
feasts
as the Canaani tes , their
r i t u a l practice
at the feas t is to be d i f f e r e n t - perhaps speci f -
ica l ly
in the
reject ion
o f
f e r t i l i t y m a g i c .
In three recent
s tud ie s , 1^ 6
both the genera l ly
accepted
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T w o :
A n
Ex eg es i s
o f
E x o d u s 3 2 - 3 4
r e s t o r a t i o n o f t h e U g a r i t i c t e x t a n d t h e c u l t i c i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f
th e text a s a wh ole h av e b een se r iou s ly q u e s t i o n e d , a n d i t n o w
a p p e a r s
t h a t
t h e p a r a l l e l
w i t h
t h e b i b l i c a l i n j u n c t i o n i s
i n v a l i d .
18 7
H a r a n a r g u e s
t h a t
t h e p o i n t o f t h e b i b l i c a l
t e x t
is
to
p r e v e n t
a
p r a c t i c e c o n s i d e r e d
m o r a l l y
r e v o l t i n g
o n t h e
basis
o f h u m a n e c o n s i d e ra ti o n s . B u t even if t h i s is correct, s o m e
i m p l i c a t i o n o f a n t i - C a n a a n i t e p o l e m i c m a y n o t b e e n t i r e l y
l a c k i n g i n t h e b i b l i c a l p r e c e p t , in a c c o r d a n c e w i t h t h e t e n o r o f
th e l a w s as a w h o l e .
E x . 34 :27-28
W e
see in vv .
1 1 - 2 6 t h a t
as the
c o v e n a n t
is
r e n e w e d Y a h w e h
d e m a n d s
f a i t h f u l n e s s
to
h i m s e l f
a s a
n e c e s s a r y p a r t
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t . V v . 2 7 - 2 8 t h e n b r i n g t o a c o n c l u s i o n M o s e s'
s o j o u r n
o n
M t. S i n a i .
A
p e r m a n e n t w r i t t e n r ec o rd
o f the
c o v e n a n t
is to be
p r o v i d e d ,
to
s e r v e
as a
r e m i n d e r
a n d
w i t n e s s
in the f u t u r e . 188
These
tw o
verses
m a y a t
f i r s t s ig h t a p p e a r
t o b e straight-
f o r w a r d . G o d te l ls M o s e s to w r i t e d o w n th e l a w s h e h a s j u s t
g i v e n , a n d M o s e s c o m p l i e s . S u c h w o u l d b e a s i m p l e a n d
a p p a r e n t l y a p p r o p r i a t e c o n c l u s i o n t o t h e p re c e d i n g n a r r a t i v e .
This
s e e m i n g l y o b vio u s r e a d i n g , h o w e v e r ,
raises
tw o
p r o b l e m s
w h e n
t a k e n in the c o n t e x t o f E x . 34 as a w h o l e .
T h e
f i r s t p r o b l e m a r i s e s f r o m th e f a c t
t h a t
v . 2 8 b sp ec i f i e s
t h a t th e te n w o r d s
c
srt
h d b r y m ) w e r e w r i t t e n o n t h e
tablets, y e t v . 2 7 clear ly
e n v i s a g e s
that th e t e r m s f o r t h e
r e n e w a l o f t h e c o v e n a n t w h i c h a r e t o b e r e c o r d e d a re t h o s e
s p e c i f i e d i n t h e p r e c e d i n g
s e c t i o n ,
v v . 1 1 - 2 6 . A n d t h e r e i s no
d e c a lo g u e o b v i o u s l y p r e s en t
in these
v e r s e s .
H o w
th en
can t h e
ten w o r d s
b e r e l a t e d t o
w h a t p r e c e d e s ?
T h e second p r ob lem l i e s
in the
t e n s i o n
created
b e t w e e n
v .
2 8 b
a n d v . I b . If M o s e s is the s u b j e c t o f
w y k t b
in v. 2 8 b , h o w i s
th i s t o b e reco nc i led w i th v . 1 w h e r e i t i s said t h a t Y a h w e h wi l l
w r i t e
u p o n
th e tablets? A l t h o u g h o n e c o u l d i n t e r p r e t v . 28 b in
the l i g h t of v . 1 as s h o w i n g M o ses f u n c t i o n i n g as the w r i t i n g
f i n g e r
o f
Y H W H , 1 8 9
̂ls js no t a natural reading of the text.
I t
is the
f i r s t
o f t h e s e
p r o b l e m s ,
in
s o m e
f o r m , t h a t h as
m o s t
o c c u p ie d m o d e r n s c h o la rs
s i n c e G o e t h e ;
1°^ w h a t
is
i n t e n d e d
by the
te n
w o r d s , w h e n t h e y
are se t in
c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h
v v .
1 1 - 2 6 ? T h i s
wi l l
t h e r e f o r e
b e t h e
best
p o i n t
a t
w h i c h
to
b e g i n
o u r
s t u d y
o f v v .
2 7 - 2 8 .
T h e
g r e a t m a j o r i t y o f
s c h o l a r s h a v e
accepted th e
r e f e r e n c e
to the te n w o r d s a s o r i g i n a l to the text. It is poss ib le that th e
w o r d s are a m a r g i n a l g lo s s. I f s o , t h e y
w o u l d
best b e u n d e r s t o o d
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
a s a n
a t t e m p t
to
express
th e
d e u t e r o n o m i c c o n c e p t i o n
o f t h e
d e c a lo g u e a s s t a n d i n g a p a r t f r o m a l l o t h e r la w s a n d c o n s t i t u t i n g
b y i t s e l f t h e b a s i s o f t h e c o v e n a n t , a d i s t i n c t i o n w h i c h d i d n o t
e x i s t
i n t h e e a r l i e r
t r a d i t i o n . ' 9 1
T h e
m a i n
m o t i v e , h o w e v e r ,
fo r se e i n g the w o r d s a s a gloss is the bel ie f that t h e y d o n o t
c o h e r e
w e l l w i t h t h e i r c o n text.
92
j
t mus
t
t h e r e f o r e
b e d e -
c i d e d w h e t h e r
o r n o t
t h i s
is
a c t u a l ly
th e
case.
O f t h o s e s c h o l a r s
w h o
accept th e
te n
w o r d s
a s
o r i g i n a l ,
s o m e h a v e a r g u e d o n t h a t b a s i s fo r t he p r e s e n c e o f a d e c a l o g u e
in v v . 11-26 a s t h e y n o w s t a n d . 1 93 others h a v e a r g u e d t h a t ,
a s t h e r e i s n o d e c a l o g u e t o b e f o u n d i n v v . 11-26 th e r e f e r e n c e
to th e te n w o r d s i s e v i d e n c e
t h a t
a d e c a l o g u e , i d e n t i c a l o r
s i m i l a r
to
t h a t
in Ex. 20 , d id
o n c e
s t a n d i n t h e
text
o f E x .
34
b u t
t h a t i t w a s d i sp l aced a n d that th e p r e s e n t l a w s a r e a
s u b s t i t u t e f o r i t .
1
9 4
R a t h e r t h a n assess
t h e s e
a r g u m e n t s
in
d e t a i l ,
tw o
p o i n t s
m a y
b e
m a d e . F i r s t , s u c h
is the
v a r i e t y
o f
pr o p o se d r e c o n s tr u c t i o n s
o f
a
d e c a l o g u e
i n v v .
11-26
t h a t th e
w h o l e a t t e m p t
to
f i n d
o n e
b e c o m e s
u n c o n v i n c i n g .
195 -r
ne
s i tu a t i o n i s i n n o w a y c o m -
p a r a b l e
to
t h a t
i n E x . 2 0
w h e r e , a l t h o u g h
t h e r e h a s
a l w a y s b e e n
d i f f i c u l t y
o v e r
th e
p re c i se
n u m b e r i n g
o f t h e
d e c a l o g u e ,
i t h a s
h a r d l y ever be e n s e r i o u s l y d o u b t e d that i t is a
d e c a l o g u e
w i t h
w h i c h
o n e i s
d e a l i n g . 19 6 j
n
i
aw
s
o f E x .
34
d o n o t , h o w e v e r ,
look
l i k e a d e c a l o g u e . A n d w e r e i t no t fo r the te n w o r d s o f v .
2 8 i t is
u n l i k e l y
that m u c h a t t e m p t w o u l d h a v e b e e n m a d e to
f i n d
o n e .
S e c o n d l y ,
th e
p r o p o s a l s
fo r
e i t h e r
a
p r e s e n t
o r a
d i sp l aced
d e c a l o g u e b o t h s h a r e o n e c ru c i a l a s s u m p t i o n , that v . 2 8 b ( w h a t
w a s w r i t t e n o n t h e t a b l e t s ) i s t o be r e a d as t he
f u l f i l m e n t
o f v .
27
( w h a t M o s e s
w a s
c o m m a n d e d
to
w r i t e ) .
B u t i s
t h i s
neces-
s a r y ? T h e t e n s i o n b e t w e e n v . 2 8 b a n d v .
I b
h a s a l r e a d y b e e n
n o t ed . I n t he l ig h t o f v . 1 i t w o u l d be poss ib l e t o r ead v . 28b
w i t h Y a h w e h , n o t M o s e s , a s
s u b j e c t . 1 9 7
A n d i f
Y a h w e h
w r o t e , t h e n
o n e w o u l d e x p e c t h i m t o
w r i t e s o m e t h i n g o t h e r
t h a n w h a t h e h a s j u s t t o l d M o s e s to w r i t e . T h a t i s , t h e w o r d s o f
th e c o v e n a n t , t h e t e n w o r d s i n v . 2 8 b m a y r e f e r to s o m e t h i n g
o t h e r t h a n t h e la w s o f v v . 11-26
w h i c h
Moses i s t o l d t o wr i t e i n
v . 2 7 .
T h i s p o s s i b i l i t y d e m a n d s
a
c a r e f u l r e a p p r a i s a l
o f t h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p
o f v . 28b to v . 27 .
f a v o u r o f t h e v i e w
that
v . 2 7 a n d v . 2 8 b a r e t o b e t a k e n i n
close
c o n j u n c t i o n , w i t h
th e
latter
a s t h e
f u l f i l m e n t
o f t h e
f o r m e r , t h e r e a r e t h r e e m a i n a r g u m e n t s . F i r s t , i t s e e m s n a t u r a l
in c o n t e x t that v . 28b s h o u l d s p e c i f y th e c a r r y i n g o u t o f t h e
2
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T w o : A n
E x e g e s i s
o f E x o d u s 3 2 - 3 4
p r e c e d i n g c o m m a n d in v . 27 ( c f . 34:4 w i t h 3 4 : 1) . S e c o n d l y , t h e r e
is t h e u s e o f b e r i t h in
b o t h v e r s e s . T h i r d l y , s i n c e M o s es
i s t he
s u b j e c t i n v .
2 8 a ,
h e
s h o u l d
n a t u r a l l y
s t i l l
b e t h e
s u b j e c t
i n v .
2 8 b .
n s u p p o r t o f th e i n d e p e n d e n c e , o f v . 2 8 b
f r o m
v . 27 there a re
also good
e x e g e t i c a l
a r g u m e n t s . F i r s t ,
v . 2 7
t w i c e d e s i g n a t e s
t h e w o r d s M o s es is t o l d t o w r i t e a s t h e s e w o r d s ( h d b r y m
h ' l h ) .
n v . 2 8 b w h a t i s w r i t t e n i s n o t t h u s d e s i g n a t e d , b u t a s t h e
w o r d s
o f t h e c o v e n a n t a n d t h e t e n w o r d s . V . 2 7 , b y t h e u s e o f
h ' l h , c l e a r ly i d e n t i f i e s t h e w o r d s t o b e w r i t t e n w i t h t h e
p r e c e d i n g l a w s
o f v v . 1 1 - 2 6 . B u t
n e i t h e r w o r d s
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t n o r th e t e n w o r d s i n t h e m s e l v e s n e c e s s i t a t e
i d e n t i f i c a t i o n
w i t h
vv . 1
1 - 2 6 .
S e c o n d l y ,
v . 2 7 d o es n o t m e n t i o n t h e t a b l e t s o f s t o n e w h e r e a s
v . 2 8b does V. 27 , in i t s e l f , c o u l d e n v i s a g e M o s es w r i t i n g o n a
s c r o l l
o r
s o m e c o v e n a n t d o c u m e n t ( c f . 2 4 :7 ) , w h i l e t h i s
is
e x c l u d e d i n v . 28 b .
T h i r d l y , t h e r e i s t h e i n t e r p o s i t i o n o f v . 2 8 a s e p a r a t i n g t h e
s u r r o u n d i n g r e f e r e n c e s
t o t h e
c o v e n a n t .
V . 2 8 a
r e a d s n a t u r a l ly
a s t h e c o n c l u s i o n t o t h e p r ec e d in g n a r r a t i v e , r o u n d i n g o f f t h e
t i m e o f M o s e s '
s o j o u r n
o n S i n a i . If M o s es is the s u b j e c t in v . 28b
a n d
h e i s f u l f i l l i n g t h e c o m m a n d o f v . 2 7 , o n e w o u l d expect th e
n o t e i n v . 2 8 a a b o u t t h e d u r a t i o n o f h i s s t a y o n S i n a i t o c o m e
a f t e r v . 2 8 b a n d n o t b e f o r e . V . 2 8 b , c o m i n g a f t e r v . 2 8 a, r e a d s
l ike
a n
a d d i t i o n a l
n o t e ,
a d d e d
to t i e u p a
r e m a i n i n g loose
e n d i n
t h e n a r r a t i v e , r a t h e r t h a n a s a c o n t i n u a t i o n a n d
f u l f i l m e n t
o f v .
2 7 . A s
s u c h ,
th e
f o c u s
in v . 28 b
c o u l d h a v e m o v e d a w a y f r o m
M o s e s , r e f e r e n c e t o w h o m i s n o w c o m p l e te , t o
Y a h w e h .
F o u r t h l y ,
t h e a l t e r n a t i o n o f v e r b a l s u b j e c t i n v . 2 8 , c h a n g i n g
f r o m
M o s es as s u b j e c t in v . 28a to Y a h w e h as s u b j e c t in v . 2 8 b ,
w o u l d n o t b e u n n a t u r a l . A p a r a l l e l c a n b e se en i n
34:5,
w h e r e
t h e r e
is
l i k e w i s e
an
a l t e r n a t i o n
o f
v e r b a l s u b j e c t .
T h e
s u b jec t
is
n o t s p ec i f i ed e a c h t i m e , for i t i s a s s u m e d t h a t t h e c o n t e x t o f
t h e p r e c e d i n g v e r s e s m a k e s s u f f i c i e n t l y c l e a r w h o d o es w h a t .
T h e
c o n s id e r a t io n s r e l e v a n t
to
i n t e r p r e t i n g 3 4 : 5
c a n
ap p l y a l s o
to 34:28.
F i f t h l y ,
there i s t h e
verb a l p a ra l l e l b e t w e e n
v . I b a n d v .
28b:
34:1:
w k t b t y
c
l
h l h w t ' t - h d b r y m
3 4:2 8: w y k t w b
c
l
h l h w t
' t
d b r y h b r y t
T h i s v e r b a l p a r a l l e l is c lose r t h a n that b e t w e e n v . 2 7 a n d v . 2 8 ,
a n d
a r g u e s
f o r
i n t e r p r e t i n g
v . 2 8 b i n t h e
l i g h t
of v . 1
r a t h e r
t h a n v
27
l98
T h e b a l a n c e o f e x e g e t i c a l p r o b a b i l i t y , s i m p l y c o n s i d e r i n g v .
10 3
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T w o : A n E xe ge s i s o f E x o d u s 3 2 - 3 4
w o r d s (i.e.
th e
e x h o r t a t i o n s
a n d
l a w s r e q u i r i n g f a i t h f u l n e s s )
I
h a v e m a d e a c o v e n a n t
... . T h i s
t h e m e is t h e n
d r a w n
to a
c o n c l u s i o n b y the
n o t e a b o u t
th e
d u r a t i o n
o f M o s es
1
s t a y
o n
Si na i
a n d t h e c o n d i ti o n s h e e n d u r e d . T h e w r i t e r t h e n a d d s a
c o n c l u d i n g
n o t e s t a t i n g t h a t th e d e c a l o g u e o n t h e
t a b l e t s ,
w h i ch
Y a h w e h
h a d p r o m i s e d to w r i t e a g a i n ( 3 4 : 1 ) , w a s i n fa c t w r i t t e n
by
him.
T h a t
these a r e
s t i l l
th e
h e a r t
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t
is
t a k e n
fo r g r a n t e d
b y t h e
w r i t e r
w h o
d e s i g n a t e s t h e m the w o r d s
o f
th e c o v e n a n t . T h e p r e c e d i n g s e c t i o n h a s b e e n e s s e n t i a l l y a n
e x p o s i t i o n , a p p r o p r i a t e
t o t h e
p a r t i c u l a r s i t u a t i o n ,
o f t h e
d e m a n d fo r c o v e n a n t f a i t h f u l n e s s to Y a h w e h a s e n s h r i n e d
e spe c i a l l y
i n t h e
f i r s t
tw o
c o m m a n d m e n t s .
T h e
w r i t e r t h u s a d d s
t h i s n o t e
to
m a k e
c l e a r t h a t
in
a d d i t i o n
to
g i v i n g
th e
pre sc r i p t i ons f o r t h e pa r t i c u l a r s i t ua t i o n o f r e n e w a l , Y a h w e h
also
f u l f i l l e d h is
p r o m i s e
o f 34:1 to
r e s t o r e
th e
t a b l e t s ,
w h i c h
are a
w i t n e s s
to a l l the
d e m a n d s
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t .
T o
m a k e c le a r
t h a t
these w o r d s
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t
a r e n o t t o b e
i d e n t i f i e d w i th
th e
w o r d s
of v . 27 , t he
w r i t e r a d d s
th e
c l a r i f y i n g n o t e t h a t
th e
w o r d s
o n th e tablets^ ̂ a r e t h e
a l r e a d y - k n o w n
ten
w o r d s .
T h e r e r e m a i n s o n e o t h e r p o i n t o f i n t e r e s t in vv . 2 7 - 2 8 , a n d
t h a t is the
w o r d i n g t h a t Y a h w e h
is
m a k i n g
th e
c o v e n a n t w it h
y o u
a n d
w i t h I s r a e l
( v .
27b, k r t y
'tk
b r y t w ' t - y s r ' l ) .
T h e
p o s i t i o n i n g
o f
and w i t h I sr ae l s e em s a w k w a r d .
W a s t h e
c o v e n a n t o r i g i n a l l y w i t h M ose s a l one , so
t h a t
and w i t h Is rae l
is a
l a t e r gloss?
Or i f the
r e f e r e n c e
to
I s r a e l
is
o r i g in a l ,
w h y i s
i t p l a c e d se c onda ry to M o s e s ?
T h e
f i r s t
s u g g e s t i o n
h a s
l i t t l e
to
c o m m e n d
i t . On t he one
h a n d i t
d i s r e g a r d s
th e
i m m e d i a t e c o n t e x t s in c e t h e r e
i s no
r e a s o n f o r
Y a h w e h
to m a k e a c o v e n a n t w i t h M o s e s a c co r d i n g
to
these
w o r d s w h e n
th e
c o n t e n t
o f
t h e s e
w o r d s
is the in-
j u n c t i o n s a n d
l a w s c o n c e r n i n g f a i t h f u l n e s s
to
Y a h w e h ,
w h i c h in
Mo se s
1
case h a s n o t
been
in
d o u b t .
O n t h e
o t h e r
h a n d it
d i s r e g a r d s
th e
l a r g e r c o n t e x t w h e r e
th e
p r o b l e m
is
t h a t
o f
I s r a e l ' s c o v e n a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p a n d t h e w a y Is rae l h a s b r o k e n th e
c o v e n a n t .
T h e p r e s e n t w o r d i n g
w i t h
I s ra e l in s e c o n d a r y p o s i t i o n p o i n t s
t o an u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t he r e n e w e d c o v e n a n t a s b e i n g n o t o n l y
m e d i a t e d t h r o u g h , b u t i n s o m e
sense
n e c e s s a r i l y d e p e n d e n t
u p o n ,
M o s es . T h i s c o h e r e s w e l l w i t h 3 3 : 1 2 - 1 7 ,
34:9
w h e r e t h e
spec ia l pos i t ion o f M o s e s is essent ia l to the r e s t o r a t i o n o f
I s ra e l. T h e o r i g i n a l c o v e n a n t - g i v in g w a s it se lf m e d i a t e d t h r o u g h
M o s e s ,
b u t w a s n o t d e p e n d e n t u p o n h im in th e w ay i t no w i s
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At th e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
w h e n M o s e s a l o n e h a s s tood o u t a g a i n s t th e people 's s i n . S o t h e
posi t ion
o f
Israel
in the
restored c o v e n a n t
i s n o t
i d e n t i c a l
to
w h a t i t
w o u l d
h ave been h a d t h e p e o p l e n e v e r s i n n e d .
H e n c e f o r t h
t h e i r
l i f e
a s a
p e o p l e d e p e n d s
n o t
o n l y u p o n
th e
m e r c y o f G o d b u t also u po n t h e i n t e rces s io n o f G o d 's ch os en
m e d i a t o r . T h i s
a c c o r d s
w i t h t h e
f i n e
d i v i n e - h u m a n b a la n ce
a l r e a d y o b s e r v e d i n t h e n a r r a t i v e . It a l s o prepa res f o r t h e
c l o s i n g scene
in
w h i c h
th e
people
see the
g l o r y
o f G o d o n t h e
f a c e o f M o s e s .
E x .
34:29-33
T h e f i n a l scene 34:29-35, b r i n g s th e
n a r r a t i v e
t o t h e q u i e t
c l o se t h a t
is a
c o m m o n
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c
o f a
good
s t o r y .
T h e
p r e s e n c e o f G o d i s re s to r e d a m o n g th e people a n d t h e p r e v i o u s
t e n s i o n s
a re
res o lved .
It
i s n o t a b l e h o w s e v e r a l i m p o r t a n t t h e m e s o f t h e p re c ed i n g
n a r r a t i v e a re w o v e n in . F i r s t , there i s t h e d e s c e n t f r o m th e
m o u n t a i n , a
s t r i k i n g
c o n t r a s t to 32 : 1 5f f .
Each t i m e M o s e s
descends w i t h th e tablets i n h i s h a n d . B u t w h e r e a s th e f i r s t
t i m e h e w a s c o n f r o n t e d b y s i n a n d a p o s t a s y , n o w h e i s m e t w i t h
a w e a n d
r e v e r e n c e .
A r i g h t r e l a t io n b e t w e e n
Y a h w e h ,
M o s e s
a n d th e people h a s been r e s t o r e d .
Second ly
th e
m o t i f
o f fac e ( p a n i m ) , so
c e n t r a l
in
33:11 ,12-23, is echoed h e r e . M o s e s s o u g h t n o t o n l y t h a t
Y a h w e h ' s f a c e
s h o u l d g o w i th th e people b u t
that
h e m i g h t s e e
Yah w eh ' s g lo ry . Th i s
latter w a s
p a r t i a l l y
granted. N o w t h e
i m p l i c a t i o n
is
that
th e
I s r a e l i t e s
see the
g l o r y
o f
Y a h w e h
in the
f a c e
o f
M o s e s .
A s
M o s e s
w a s n o t
a b l e
to see the
face
o f
Y a h w e h ,
s o t h e
I s r a e l i t e s
ca n
h a r d l y e n d u r e
to
look
o n t h e
f a c e
o f
M os es (v. 30 ); t h o u gh i n s o f a r a s M os es i s ma n an d no t G o d ,
a n d
th e g lo ry i s
r e f l e ct e d ,
t h ey a re a b l e to b e h o l d h i m .
T h i r d l y , t h e r e i s a c o n t r a s t w i t h th e tent
sec t ion
in
33:7-11
w h e r e i t w a s stressed that th e peop le beh e ld a n d w o r s h i p p e d
f r o m a f a r o f f . N o w t h e p eo p le c a n d r a w close to Moses (vv.
3 l a , 3 2 a - th e r e p e t i t i o n m a y b e i n t e n d e d to e m p h a s i z e th e fac t
o f a p p r o a c h ) ,
a n d w h e n M o s e s
goes
i n a n d o u t
o f
th e tent (v. 34)
n o m e n t i o n i s m a d e o f t h e p e o p l e h a v i n g to m a i n t a i n a n y
d i s t a n c e . S i n c e , h o w e v e r , a l l the e m p h a s i s i s u p o n th e ro le o f
M o s e s
a n d t h e
people
serve
as , i n a
s e n s e ,
a
f o i l
to
h i m ,
o n e
c a n n o t
la y
m u c h w e i g h t u p o n
t h i s .
F o u r t h l y , t h e r e a r e t h e s i g n i f i c a n t i m p l i c a t i o n s o f M o s e s
1
s h i n i n g ( l i t e r a l l y h o r n e d ) f a c e , d i scuss ed be lo w .
A p a r t f r om these echoes o f t h e p r e c e d i n g n a r r a t i v e , these
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T w o : A n
E x e g e s i s
o f
E x o d u s
3 2 - 3 4
v e r s e s
a re
i m p o r t a n t
fo r t h e
c e n t r a l r o l e
o f
M o s e s .
It is a
p r i n c i p l e o f
p o p u l a r n a r r a t i v e t h a t
t h e
s t o r y
s h o u l d e n d
w i t h
r e f e r e n c e
t o t h e
h e r o ,
a n d
t h a t
i s the
case
h e r e . A l t h o u g h th e
h i g h
p o i n t s i n t h e c o u r s e o f t h e n a r r a t i v e f o c u s o n Y a h w e h
(33:18-23,
34:6f . )
r a t h e r m o r e t h a n o n Moses (32:30-33), in the
f i n a l
s c e n e i t i s M o s es a l o n e wh o h o l ds t h e stage A g a i n o n e i s
a w a r e
o f t h e
b a l a n c e b e t w e e n
th e
r e s p e c t i v e h u m a n
a n d
d i v i n e
ro l es i n E x .
3 2 - 3 4 .
B o t h Y a h w e h a n d M o s e s a r e t h e c e n t r a l
c h a r a c t e r s . I t i s the
m a r k
o f M o s e s ' u n i q u e
r e l a t i o n s h i p w i th
Y a h w e h t h a t he i s the s o l e i m p o r t a n t
c h a r a c t e r
i n t h e c l o s i n g
s c e n e , w h i c h h as n o r e a l d u a l i t y o f p e r s o n s a s i n s o m e o t h e r
s c e n e s i n t h e
n a r r a t i v e .
T h e passage n o t
o n l y
s t r e s s e s
th e
s t a t u s
o f M o s e s in
h i m s e l f ,
b u t d r a w s a t t e n t i o n a g a in
t o h i s
r o l e
a s
m e d i a to r t h r o u g h w h o m
Y a h w e h ' s
g l o r y
i s
s een (v v . 29 , 30 )
a n d h i s
c o m m a n d m e n t s g iv e n
v v .
3 4 f . ) .
I t has o f t e n b e e n n o t e d
t h a t
w h e r e a s v v . 29-33
r e c o u n t t h e s in g l e e v e n t o f M o s e s ' d e s c e n t a n d e n c o u n t e r w i t h
th e
p e o p l e ,
v v . 3 4 f . a re
i m p e r f e c t
in
t e n s e w i t h
a
f r e q u e n t a t i v e
m e a n i n g , d e s c r i b in g a r e c u r r i n g s i t u a t i o n . T h e i m p l i c a t io n i s
t h a t
M o s e s '
m e d i a t in g r o le w as o n g o i n g . H is access to G o d a n d
r e c e i p t
o f
c o m m a n d m e n t s
w a s n o t
l i m i t e d
t o t h e
t i m e s p e n t
o n
M t.
Sina i
b u t w a s a
c o n t i n u a l r e a l i t y
in the
l i f e
o f the
p e o p l e .
T h e u s u a l f o c u s o f i n t e r e s t in vv . 29-35 has been on two
i n t e r r e l a t e d i s s u e s ,
f i r s t t h e
v e i l
m a s w e h Q ^ O O
w h i c h M o s e s
p u t s o n a n d o f f , a n d s e c o n d l y t h e o d d w o r d f o r
s h i n i n g ( q r n ,
l i t e r a l l y to h a v e h o r n s ) u s e d o f M o s e s ' f a c e . I t has b e c o m e
c u s t o m a r y to i n t e r p r e t th e v e i l in t e r m s o f t h e w i d e s p r e a d
a n c i e n t
practice
o f t h e p r i e s t
w e a r i n g
a
m a s k
-
the p r i e s t
a s s u m e s t h e
' f a c e '
o f h i s d e i t y an d i d e n t i f i e s h i m s e l f w i t h
h i m . 2 0 1
Such a m a s k
w o u l d
c o m m o n l y h a v e b ee n a h o r n e d
m a s k .
T h e r e
a r e
t h r e e d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h
t h i s .
F i r s t , s u c h
a
m a s k
is
u n a t t e s t e d e l s e w h e r e i n t h e O T . 2 0 2 S e c o n d l y , a n d m o r e im -
p o r t a n t ,
th e
v e i l
h e r e
f u n c t i o n s
i n t h e
o p p o s i t e
w a y t o
pr ies t ly
m a s k s , i n
t h a t
M o s e s t a k e s i t o f f w h e n s p e a k i n g b o t h t o G o d a n d
t o the
p e o p l e
a n d
p u t s
i t on
a g a i n o n l y w h e n
h e ceases to
p e r f o r m
h is m e d i a t o r i a l f u n c t i o n . T h e p r e s e n t p a s s a g e c a n o n l y
b e a s s i m i l a t e d
t o t h e p r a c t i c e
attested e l s e w h e r e
a t the
cost
o f
prec i s e ly
that
e l e m e n t
to
w h i c h
th e
w r i t e r d r a w s
a t t e n t i o n .
T h i r d l y ,
it is i m p o r t a n t t o b e
c l e a r
a t w h i c h l e v e l o n e i s
i n t e r p r e t i n g
t h e
text W h a t e v e r
t h e
a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n
p a r a l l e l s ,
t h e r e c a n b e
l i t t l e d i s p u t e
t h a t th e t e x t a s i t n o w
s t a n d s i s n o t d e s c r i b i n g e i t h e r a p r i e s t l y m a s k o r h o r n s . I n
7
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T w o :
A n
Exe ge s i s
o f
E x o d u s
32-34
th e u n u s u a l q r n w h e n th e m o r e c o m m o n v e r b ^ w r w a s a v a i l a b l e .
W h i l e it is c u s t o m a r y to seek r e l i g i o - h i s t o r i c a l p a r a l l e l s o u t s i d e
t h e O T , one
need
no t go so f ar
a f i e l d ,
for a s u f f i c i e n t
r e a s o n
is
p rov id e d
by the
c o n t e x t
o f E x .
3 2 -3 4 ,
t h a t
is the
a c c o u n t
of the
c a l f w i t h w h i c h t h e n a r r a t i v e o p e n s. I t h a s a l r e a d y be en n o t e d
t h a t
3 2 : 1-6 i mpl i e s that th e c a l f w a s a c h a l l e n g e to M ose s a n d
h is a u t h o r i t y . T h i s c l o s i n g s c e n e h a r k s b a c k t o t h e o p e n i n g
sc e n e of the
s t o r y .
In the
a n c i e n t w o r l d
th e
p o w e r
o f a b u l l w a s
f r e q u e n t l y s y m b o l i z e d b y it s h o r n , i n d e e d , In c u l t th e h o r n
t e n d s to s t a n d f o r t h e b u l l a n d t o s u p p l a n t
i t .207 j
n
w r i t e r ' s
use o f q r n , t h e r e f o r e , is a c l e a r echo of the c a l f a n d c o n s t i t u t e s
a
d a r i n g p a r a l l e l i s m
o f
Moses wi th
th e c a l f . It is
d a r i n g
to take
th e s y m b o l of the f a l s e god and use i t o f M o s e s , but the t r u e
r o l e
o f
Moses
h a s
a l r e a d y b ee n m a d e c l e a r
to the
r e a d e r
so
t h e r e s ho u ld be no
d a n g e r
o f m i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g . 2 0 8
T h e w r i t e r
m a k e s th e
p o i n t
t h a t
M o s e s
w a s t o t h e
p e o p l e w h a t t h e y w a n t e d
th e c a l f to be - a l e a d e r a n d m e d i a t o r o f t h e d i v i n e
p r e s e n c e .
T h e fa c t t h a t Y a h w e h , a n d h is p r e se n c e i n h i s sh r i ne , i s a l so th i s
to the people i n n o w a y exc ludes th e a t t r i b u t i o n o f a s i m i l a r
s i g n i f i c a n c e
to
Moses , such
is the
h a r m o n y b e tw e e n M o ses
a n d
Y a h w e h in t he
w r i t e r ' s
u n d e r s t a n d i n g .
The use of q rn i s t h u s m o s t r e v e a l i n g of the w r i t e r ' s m e t h o d
a n d i n t e n t i o n . F r o m a l i t e r a r y p o i n t o f v i e w t h e e c h o i n t h e
f i n a l scene o f a
m o t i f
in the
o p e n i n g
s c e n e
c o n s t i t u t e s
a
s k i l f u l
s t r u c t u r i n g
o f t h e
s t o r y . T h e o l o g i c a l l y
i t
p o i n t s a g a i n
to t he
i m p o r t a n c e o f Moses a s l e a d e r a n d m e d i a t o r a n d f u r t h e r h i g h -
l i g h t s th e n a t u r e of the c a l f a s a gr oss pa r ody o f Y a h w e h ' s t r u e
i n t e n t i o n s fo r h i s pe op le .
C o n c l u s i o n
O n
t h i s n o t e
th e
n a r r a t i v e
o f E x .
3 2 - 3 4 d r a w s
to a
close. O n l y
o n e o r t w o o b s e r v a t io n s s t i l l n e e d to be m a d e . A l t h o u g h E x .
32-34
c o n s t i t u t e s a
c o h e r e n t
a n d
c l e a r l y d e f i n e d u n i t
i t has
been seen
that it
does
n o t
s t a n d
in
i s o l a t i o n
f r o m th e c o n t e x t in
E x od u s
w h i c h p r e c e d e s i t , bu t
that
t h e r e a r e m a n y l i n k s w i t h
th e
n a r r a t i v e
e l s e w h e r e ,
i n c l u d i n g
E x .
25-31.
It is
r i g h t , there
f o r e ,
b r i e f l y
to c ons i de r E x . 35-40 a l s o , i n s o f a r a s these
c h a p t e r s relate to Ex . 32-34.
F i r s t , t h e r e
i s the
o b v i o u s f a c t
that
these
c h a p t e r s r e c o u n t
th e
b u i l d i n g
o f t he
s h r i n e , that
is the
t a b e r n a c l e , w h i c h
is
m a d e
poss ib le
b y t h e
r e s t o r a t i o n
o f
I s r ae l
w i t h i n th e
c o v e n a n t .
P e r h a p s th e e x t e n s i v e r e p e t i t i o n
f r o m
E x . 2 5 - 3 1 r e f l e c t s th e
s i g n i f i c a n c e o f t h e f a c t that th i s c on s t r uc t ion sh ou ld b e possible
9
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
a t a l l a f t e r
Israe l ' s
s i n .
S e c o n d l y ,
w h a t
i s o f
i m p o r t a n c e
i n t h e
c o m i n g
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
g l o r y
t o t h e
t a b e r n a c l e ( 4 0 : 3 4 f . )
i s
t h a t
i t
serves
to
e x t e n d
th e
S i n a i
e x p e r i e n c e , 2 0 9
that
i s, th e p re s e n c e o f G o d w h i c h h a d
o n c e d w e l t
o n
S i n a i
n o w
a c c o m p a n i e s I s r a e l
i n t h e
t a b e r n a c l e
o n
h e r desert j o u r n e y . 21 0
T h i s
is in direct
c o n t i n u i t y w i th
o n e
o f
th e c e n t r a l t h e m e s o f E x . 3 2 - 3 4 , t h a t o f Y a h w e h ' s accom-
p a n y i n g p r e s e n c e as t he p e o p l e m o v e o n
f r o m
S i n a i . I t was th i s ,
a s a
b a s i c p a r t
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t r e l a t i o n s h i p ,
t h a t w a s
j e o p a r d i z e d b y Israel ' s s in , a n d i t i s f o r t h i s
that
M o se s u r g e n t l y
p l e a d e d , t h a t d e s p i t e th e people ' s s in Y a h w e h s h o u l d ye t go w i t h
t h e p e o ple i n a m o v a b l e s h r i n e a n d b e p r e s e n t i n t h e i r m i d s t .
A f t e r
Y a h w e h
h a s
g r a n t e d t h i s p r a y e r
o f
M o s e s
i t is
r i g h t
that
i t s h o u l d t h e n b e to ld h o w th i s w a s a c t u a l ly c a r ri e d o u t . T h e
r e s t o r a t i o n
o f
I s r ae l
is
t h e n c o m p l e t e
w h e n th e
c o v e n a n t
is
r e n e w e d
a n d th e e m p i r i c a l s y m b o l o f t h e c o v e n a n t be c o m e s a
r e a l i t y .
T h i r d l y ,
t h e r e
i s a s t r i k i n g e m p h a s i s i n E x .
35-40
o n th e
eager
r e a d i n e s s
o f t h e
peop le
to
c o n t r i b u t e
t o t h e
w o r k (35:20-29,
36:2-7 .
N o e x p la n a t i o n o f th i s i s o f f e r e d w i t h i n E x . 3 5-4 0 .
C o u l d
i t b e b e c a u s e o f E x . 3 2 - 3 4 ? T h e n o t a b l e f e a t u r e
that
n o
r e f e r e n c e is m a d e t o a n y
repentance
o n t h e p a r t o f t h e
people
h a s b ee n m e n t i o n e d a l re a d y . T h i s s ile n c e h i g h l i g h t s t h e
present-
a t i o n , o f
Israel's
restoration a s
e n t i r e l y
th e
w o r k
o f
Y a h w e h .
C o u l d t h e n t h i s p i c t u r e
o f t h e w i l l i n g o f f e r i n g o f t h e
people
b e
i n t e n d e d
a s
the i r response
to
w h a t Y a h w e h
h a s
d o n e ?
I t is a t
least
poss ible
that th e
peop le ' s f r ee
o f f e r i n g
r e f l e c t s
a
t h e o l o g i c a l u n d e r s t a n d i n g
that
i t i s the
experien e
o f
God ' s
m e r c y w h i c h
el ic i t s
a
t r u e
a n d
w o r t h y re sp o n se
o n t h e
p a r t
o f
Israel .
I n
conc lus i on i t m a y b e said that i f t he
exegesis
o f f e r e d h e r e
i s
a t least
s u b s t a n t i a l l y correct, t h e n
th e
i m p o r t a n c e
o f E x .
32-34
emerges i n a n e w
l i g h t .
T h e chapters c a n b e
f r e s h l y
a p p r e c i a t e d
a s a
l i t e r a r y c o m p o s i t i o n
o f
c o n s i d e r a b l e
ski l l a n d a
t heo log i ca l w o r k
o f great d e p t h .
T h e r e r e m a i n m a n y q u e s t i o n s t o b e a s ke d c o n c e r n i n g t h e
o r i g i n s a n d f o r m a t i o n o f t h e chapters, th e e x a m i n a t i o n o f w h i c h
wi l l
n o w b e
c a r r i e d
o u t i n t h e
l i g h t
o f t h e
p e r c e p t i o n
o f t h e
b a l a n c e
a n d
pattern
o f t h e
f i n a l text,
a
p e rc e p ti o n w h i c h
m a y
w e l l
r e q u i r e a r e - a p p r a i s a l o f c e r t a i n e x i s t i n g a n a l y se s . B u t
w h a t e v e r
th e r e s u l t s o f t h e
m o r e s p e c u l a t i v e
task o f
e n q u i r i n g
b e h i n d th e text,
s u c h
a
task s h o u l d
n o t b e
a l l o w e d
to detract
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T w o : A n E x e g e s i s o f E x o d u s
3 2 - 3 4
f r o m t h e
a p p r e c i a t i o n
o f t h e
l i t e r a r y
a n d
t h e o l o g i c a l a c h i e v e -
m e n t
w h i c h t h e p r e s e n t t e x t o f E x .
3 2 - 3 4
r e p r e s e n t s .
E x c u r s u s
One:
E x .
3 2 : 1 8
T h e
e x e g e t i c a l
p r o b l e m o f E x .
3 2 :18 l ie s
i n t h e
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f
c
n w t
i n t h e
t h i r d
s e c t i o n o f t h e v e r s e . T h e r e a r e b a s i c a l l y
t h r e e a p p r o a c h e s t h a t h a v e b e e n a d o p t e d . '
i
O n e m a y
r e t a i n
t h e
M T
a n d i t s
p o i n t i n g .
T h is
m e a n s th a t
t h e r e i s a
p l a y
b e t w e e n th e
Q al
a n d P i . o f
c
n h ,
a
c o n t r a s t b e t w e e n n o is e a n d s o m e sp e c ia l k i n d o f n o i s e o r
s i n g i n g (c f . I s . 27 :2 , Ps . 88:1
).
2
i i
O n e m a y r e t a i n t h e M T , b u t
r e p o i n t
i t . O ne c a n t h e n r e a d
th e
n a m e
o f t h e
g o d d e s s
A n a t h . 3
i i i O n e c a n
e m e n d
th e
t e x t
o n t h e
a s su m p t io n t h a t
a w o r d
h a s d r o p p e d out.
N u m e r o u s
c a n d i d a t e s f o r t h e
m i s s i n g
w o r d h a v e b e e n s u g g e s t e d , o f w h i c h a f e w are:
w i n e / d r u n k e n n e s s ,
Heb.
y y n : ^
h a r l o t r y , Heb.
z n w n y m ; 5 r e v e l r y , Heb. s h w q h ; ^ so m e s u b s t a n t iv e
d e n o t i n g c u l t i c s i n g e r s d e r i v e d f r o m
c
nh o r a
h o m o n y m ; ? f e s t i v a l ,
Heb.
hg;8
in h o n o u r o f A n a th ,
H e b . l
c
nt.
9
It is no easy task to choose between these, but at least one can
i n d i c a t e w h ic h a l t e r n a t i v e s
a r e
less u n l i k e l y ,
i) E s t im a t i o n s
o f t h e
e f f e c t i v e n e s s
o f t h e
w o r d - p la y v a r y .
D i l l m a n n ca l l s
i t
das f e i n e
Spiel .
1 0
E d e l m a n n , o n t h e
o t h e r h a n d , s ay s th a t i n h i s
h i g h l y
e m o t io n a l o u t c r y
M o s e s
w o u l d h a r d l y h a v e t h o u g h t o f g r a m m a t i c a l
subtleties ,
a n d
H o l z i n g e r c o n s i d e r s t h a t Das W o r t -
spiel
m i t
z w e i m a l i g e n
ca
not
u n d
c
a n n & t
. . . is t
s e l b s t
f u r e i n e n
p u n k t i e r t e n
T e x t f a s t
z u d u n k e l ' V ^ G i v e n t h e
H e b r a i c f o n d n e s s f o r i n t r ic a te w o r d - p l a y , a n d t h e
e v id e n c e o f w o r d - p l ay e ls e w h e r e in E x .
32-34,^
th e
o b j e c t i o n to a w o r d - p l a y o f t h is k i n d h e r e i s n o t v e r y
c o g e n t .
ii)
T h e
a d v a n t a g e
in
r e a d i n g A n a t h
is t h a t
t h is a p p a r e n t l y
f i t s
w e l l w i t h I s r a e l ' s a p o s t a s y in 32 :1-6 . F o r A n a t h w a s
o f t e n r e p r e se n t ed b y a c o w o r h e i f e r . T h e r e
are,
h o w e ve r ,
tw o
d i f f i c u l t i e s w i th
t h i s .
F i r s t ,
there
i s n o
r e a s o n
to
i n t r o d u c e a f e m a l e d e i ty a t t h i s p o i n t . T h e b u l l - c a l f w a s a
s y m b o l
o f m a le d e i t y , a n d t h e b u l l - c a l f o f 32 :1-6 w a s
i n t e n d e d
to
r e p r e s e n t
th e
m a le d e i ty Y a h w e h . S ec o n d ly
th e s p e l l i n g i n th e M T i s
c
n w t a n d n o t
c
nt,
a n d o n e
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A t t h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
h a s
to
a c c o u n t
for the e x t r a
w a w . S i m p l y
t o s a y
t h a t
th e
e x t r a
w a w
m u s t
b e a
s e c o n d a r y a d d i t i o n m a d e
b y t h e
s o f e r i m f o r s o m e
reason ^
i s u n s a t i s f a c t o r y .
W h y b r a y
o f f e r s
t h e
e x p l a n a t i o n t h a t
c
n w t
r e p r e s e n t s
a
d i a l e c t -
i c a l v a r i a n t o f
c
nt, as in
J o s h .
15:59, b y t -
c
n w t . But i f
t h i s
w e r e s o , a n d t h e p o i n t i n g w e r e o r i g i n a l l y
c
nwt,
t h e n t h i s
t h i r d
r i o t
w o u l d s i m p l y b e
i n d i s t i n g u i s h a b l e
f r o m
t h e p r e v i o u s t w o , a n d
t h e r e
w o u l d b e n o w a y o f
t e l l i n g t h a t
i t w a s
m e a n t
to be the
n a m e
o f a
goddess
r a t h e r t h a n t h e i n f i n i t i v e o f a v e r b . O r i f t h e s p e l l i n g
w e r e o r i g i n a l l y C n t , t h e r e w o u l d be no r ea son subse -
q u e n t l y to rnodiTy t h i s to a v a r i a n t s p e l l i n g w h i c h
o b s c u r e d
th e
p o i n t
-
u n l e s s
i t w a s
d o n e
b y
a c c i d e n t
or the
p o i n t h a d a l r e a d y b e c o m e o b s c u r e. T h i s i s no t a
s a t i s f a c t o r y e x p l a n a t i o n o f t h e w a w .
i i i )
T h e
a d v a n t a g e
o f a t e x t u a l
e m e n d a t i o n
is
that
o n e c a n
p r o v i d e s o m e d e f i n i t e c o n t r a s t t o t h e p r e c e d i n g gbwrj i . . .
h l w s h . T h e r e w o u l d t h e n
b e n o
w o r d - p l a y
o n
C n w t ,
b u t
a l l
th e
e m p h a s i s
w o u l d
f a l l
o n t h e
m i s si n g w o r d . T h e r e
a re
tw o d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h t h i s s o l u t i o n . F i r s t t h e r e i s l i t t l e
MS S
s u p p o r t f o r t h e o m i s s i o n o f ' a w o r d . T h e v a r i a t i o n s i n t h e
e a r l y v e r s io n s lo o k l i k e a t t e m p t s
to
e x p l i c a t e
a
d i f f i c u l t y
r a t h e r t h a n e v i d e n c e
f o r a n
a l t e r n a t i v e r e a d i n g . S e c o nd l y ,
i f th e
w h o l e
p o i n t of v . 18 d e p e n d e d o n t h i s e x t r a w o r d , i t
is
d i f f i c u l t to e x p l a i n h o w i t c o u l d h a v e d r o p p e d out o f the
text.
I f t he
w o r d
w a s
s i m i l a r
in
f o r m
to
c
n w t , t h i s
m i g h t
p r o v i d e a n e x p l a n a t i o n ; h e n c e t h e s u g g e s t io n s o f a
s u b s t a n t i v e
f r o m
a
h o m o n y m
o f
c
n h , o r l
c
nt. T h e
latter
fa c e s t h e s a m e o b j e c t i o n to the m e n t i o n o f a
f e m a l e d e i t y a l r e a d y s p e c i f i e d .
T h e
f o r m e r , t h o u g h
a t t e s t e d
in U g a r i t i c , is w i t h o u t p a r a l le l i n t h e O T .
C o n c l u s i o n
O f th e t h r e e a p p r o a c h e s , th e p r o p o s a l to r e p o i n t th e t e x t to
i n t r o d u c e a r e f e r e n c e to A n a t h h a s
l e a s t
to c o m m e n d i t and
m a y ,
i n m y j u d g m e n t , b e d i s c a r d e d . B e t w e e n t h e o t h e r t w o i t i s
h a r d e r to
c h o o s e .
T h a t a w o r d h a s f a l l e n ou t o f the t e x t c a n n o t
b e r u l e d o u t . N o n e t h e l e s s , th e r e t e n t i o n o f t he M T and i t s
p o i n t i n g
e n c o u n t e r s f e w e s t
d i f f i c u l t i e s
a n d o f f e r s a w o r d p l a y
w h i c h
m a y
w e l l h a v e b e e n m o r e e f f e c t i v e
fo r an
a n c i e n t
H e b r e w
a u d i e n c e o r r e a d e r s h i p t h a n i t has been s i n c e .
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Two : A n
Exegesis
of E x o d u s 32-34
E x c u r s u s
Tw o; Ge n . 8:21
T h e s t u d y of ky in Ex.
34:9
h as
sh o wn
t h a t th e par t i c le sh o u ld
h a v e
either
causa t ive
o r
else
e m p h a t i c
concessive
force. Since
th e
p a r a d o x i c a l
use of ky in
Gen. 8:21
is an
exact p a r a l l e l
to
that
in Ex. 34:9, th e m e a n i n g o f the
par t i c le
m a y
r e a s o n a b ly
be
a s s u m e d to be i d e n t i c a l in each ins t an ce . T h e p u r p o s e o f t h i s
e x c u r s u s is , t h e r e f o r e , t w o f o l d . F i r s t , it is to c h e c k w h e t h e r th e
m e a n i n g of Gen. 8:21, decided on the basis of a paral lel , can
also
be
s u s t a i n e d
by a
s t u d y
of the
G en esis passage
in i ts own
r i g h t . S e c o n d l y ,
th e
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f
Gen. 8:21
in its
c o n t e x t ,
especially w h e n th i s h as been m u c h discussed, wil l serve as a
test
for the exegesis of Ex. 34:9
w h i c h
h as n o t , as yet , been
subjected to a s imi la r i n tens ive sc ru t iny .
T h e d e b a t e a b o u t
th e
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
o f
Gen. 8:21
is
c o m p l e x
because
it has
focussed
o n
8:21
n o t o n l y in
r e l a t i o n
to 6:5 but
also
in
relat ion
to the
larger context
of the
p r i m e v a l h i s t o r y
an d th e c u r s e o f 3:17.
T h e
cen t ra l exege ti ca l p roblem i s w he ther to co ns t ru e the ky
c lause
in
8:21
as
epexeget ic
o f
h ' d m
o r Iq l l . T h e
f o r m e r
possibi l i ty w h i c h m a k e s the ky c l a u s e d e s c r i p t i v e o f m a n , te n d s
to m i n i m i z e its theo logica l s ign i f i cance , whereas the
latter,
w h i c h m a k e s
th e
c lause
th e
r e a s o n
fo r
Y a h w e h ' s d e c i s i o n ,
sees
i t as t heo logica l ly c ruc ia l .
T h a t th e k y c l a u s e is to be t a k e n w i t h h ' d m h as b e e n a r g u e d
by R e n d t o r f f , w h o
sees 8:21
as the
c o n c l u s i o n
of the Y a h w i s t i c
pr imeval h i s t o r y w hi ch repeals the curse of 3:17 and ini t iates a
n ew age o f bless ing; Y a h w e h w i l l n o m o r e treat th e e a r t h a s
a c c u r s e d as he has d o n e h i t h e r to . T h e k y _ c l a u s e is of l i t t le
theo logica l im po r ta n ce s ince i t is re t rospec t ive , d escr ib in gm a n ' s state
in the
pas t
as the
c a u s e
o f j u d g m e n t , a n d
does
n o t
represen t
a
s ign i f i can t pos t - f lood assessment
o f
m a n k i n d .
T h e
theo log ica l e m p h a s i s is on the r e p e a l of the curse . Despi te
i l l u m i n a t i n g
i ns i gh t s
in R e n d t o r f f ' s
thesis ,
th e
thesis raises
serious d i f f i c u l t i es , bo th l in gu i s t ic and con tex tu a l . F i rs t , it is
d u b i o u s to i n t e r p r e t q i l le l in a d ec la ra t ive sense ( t rea t a s
cursed ) , when i t does not bear
that
mean ing in i t s
only
o ther
o c c u r r e n c e in 3 ( G e n .
12:3).
S e c o n d l y , th e v a r y i n g pos i t ion o f
c
w d
in
8:21a,b
a f f e c t s
i t s mea n i ng . I n
8 :2la
it
q u a l i f i e s
q l l
a n d m u s t m e a n t h a t t h e c u r s e r e m a i n s v a l i d b u t wi l l n o t b e
a d d e d
to. In
8 :2 Ib
it q u a l i f i e s
j - sp
a n d
m e a n s t h a t
G o d
wi l l
n o t
d e s t r o y a g a i n ,
wi l l no t ac t in the
s a m e
wa y f o r a
second t ime.
O n l y if
C w d
q u a l i f i e d l '- 'sp in v.
2 l a
could i t b e a r t h e m e a n i n g
113
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C h a p t e r
3
E X . 32-34 A S A
C U L T
L E G E N D
It is t i m e now to t u r n
f r o m
th e apprec i a t ive s t udy o f the text
an d t o ap p ro ach i t an a ly t i ca l l y , p u t t i n g q u e s t i o n s o f an
h is to r ica l -c r i t i ca l na tu re . I t has a l r e ad y b een a rg u ed t h a t th e
unders tanding
o f the
f i n a l
f o r m o f the
text mus t
constitute th e
s t a r t i n g -p o in t f o r t h i s s tudy . Bu t i t wi l l b e w o r t h w h i l e to
spec i fy more precisely
th e
n a t u r e
o f the
t ask
that
l ies
a h e a d .
It
h a s
been seen t h a t
E x . 32-34 is, in a
rea l
sense , a
u n i t y .
O ur task n ow is to accou nt for that u n i t y an d t o q u e s t i o n h o w
deeply it penetrates the
ma t e r i a l .
Is it the case
that
there was
an ancien t t rad i t ion con ta in ing a sequence f r o m s in and
j u d g m e n t ,
t h rough in te rcess ion , t o r e n e w a l a nd t h a t t h i s u l t i -
mate ly accounts
for the
u n i t y ?
Or is i t the
case that o r ig ina l ly
d iverse t rad i t ions have been crea t ive ly combined and m o u l d ed
to
make
th e
p resent s tory?
A nd i f so , how far can one
recon-
s t r uc t th e
p rocess
b y wh ich th is took
p l ace?
T h e
p resent mode
o f
i nves t iga t ion wi l l
d i f f e r f r o m
t h a t
genera l ly
adopted.
For in
place
o f the cus tomary assumpt ion o f
a co m p i l a t io n o f d iv e r se f r ag m e n t s , t h e h eu r i s t i c a s su m p t io n
under ly ing
th e
s tudy wi l l
b e that o f
u n i t y . T h a t
is , the
u n i t y
o f
th e
m a t e r i a l
in the
course
of i ts
d e v e l o p m e n t
and
composi t ion
wil l b e assumed un t i l rendered
u n l i k e l y ,
r a the r than v ice v e r sa .
U n i t y wil l be an h eu r i s t ic assumpt ion , not an inviolable
d a t u m . T h a t
is , it is
i m p o r t a n t
t h a t
one s
h eu r i s t i c a s su m p t io n
should
no t be s u b t l y t r an s fo rm ed in to a co n t ro l l i n g p re j u d ice ,
w h e r e b y t h e u n i t y o f Ex . 32-34 a t the various levels of the
t r ad i t i o n becomes less
a
f a c to r
to be
a n a ly zed t h an
a
case
to be
dem o n s t r a t ed . T h e
ba lance
becomes p a r t icu la r ly ha rd to
mai n t a i n
w h e n
the issue of the possible dependence of theolog-
ical veraci ty upon h is tor ica l content
is
i n t r o d u c e d ,
f o r
t h e n
one
has a p a r t icu la r mot ive f o r w a n t in g to discover at
least
a basic
coherence in the t r ad i t ion , such a s co u ld r e f l ec t a g e n u i n e
histor ical
sequence.
A l t h o u g h u l t im a t e l y
th e
quest ion
o f
histor-
ic i ty
m u s t
b e p u t t o Ex .
32-34,
and the
theo log ica l impl ica t ions
of th e answer
assessed
fo r the p resen t th e m a t t e r
wi l l
b e l e f t
in
abeyance ,
fo r space does no t p e rm i t a su f f ic ien t reso lu t ion of
th e p r e l i m i n a r y l i te r a r y a n d t rad i t io-h is tor ica l i ssues to m a k e
1 1 6
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Three: E x o d u s 32-34
as a
C u l t Le ge nd
th e d r a w i n g o f
h i s to r ica l co nclus io ns poss ib le . H i s to r ica l ques-
t ions w i l l
only be
t ouched
o n
i n so f a r
as
t he y a f f e c t
the
a s s u m p -
tions o f t rad i t i o -h i s to r ica l a rgu m ents .
T he
d i scuss ion even
o f
l i t e r a r y
an d
t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
a r g u m e n t s w i l l be selective. 1 It m u s t be s t ressed that the
f o l lowin g d i scuss ion is i n tended as a demons t ra t ion of the
k ind
of d i f f e r e n c e that th e exeget ical m ethod he re proposed mak es .
I t w i l l b e r e p r e s e n t a ti ve r a t he r t ha n e x h a u s t i ve , t ho u g h i t w i l l
seek to touch on all the
central
and m o s t d i f f i c u l t analyt ical
p r o b l e m s c o n f r o n t i n g
the
m o d e r n i n t e r p r e te r
o f E x .
32-34.
Since there i s s u c h a mass o f ex i s t in g cr i t i ca l analys es , m u c h o f
th e a r g u m e n t
w i l l
necessarily be s o m e w h a t negative suggest ing
weaknesses in
these
ana lyses
w i t h
l e s s emphas i s o n a l te rnat ive
pr oposa l s fo r r e c o ns t r u c t i o n . S o m e s u gge s t i o ns w i l l be m a d e ,
however , ind ica t ing the d i r ec ti o n w h i ch f u r t h e r w o r k m i g h t
m o s t
p r o f i t a b l y
take.
The f i r s t step in the d i scuss ion must be an examinat ion of the
l i t e r a r y genre o f Ex . 32-34. For i t i s d i f f i c u l t to pe netra te the
or ig ins and d e v e l o p m e n t o f a text u n t i l one has a r easonable
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f what type o f mater ia l i t i s and what sort o f
r e s u l t s
o n e
should
expect
to
f i n d .
In the
i n e v i t a b ly h y p o t h e t i c a l
pe ne t r a ti o n be h i nd a text w he r e t he i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f e v i d e nc e
becomes harder
to
cont ro l , one s pre-und ers tand ing
of the
sort
o f a n s w e r o ne expects to f i n d w i l l p lay a s i g n i f i c a n t , an d
s o m e t i m e s decis ive, ro le in one s evalu a t io n . One s pre-
u n d e r s t a n d i n g ,
however , wi l l i t sel f arise out of the
text
and the
o ne w i l l
i n f l u e n c e
the
o t he r
in
c i rcles
o f
success ive approx i -
m a t i o n .
In m u c h of the f o l l owi ng d i scuss ion reference
w i l l
be to the
w h o l e 3E
S inai per icope,
E x .
19-24, 32-34, since m o d e r n debate
h as
u s u a l l y
d e a l t w i t h these chapters together ; indeed ra ther
m o r e w i th 19-24 than wi th
32-34.
Deta i led analys i s , however ,
w i l l be d i rected p r i m a r i l y to chs. 32-34, in k e e p i n g w i t h the
l i m i t a t i o n s o f t h i s s t u d y .
I N T R O D U C T O R Y S U R V E Y O F
T H E C U L T
L E G E N D
H Y P O T H E S I S
In
i ts
present
f o r m the text o f E x .
1 9 f f . p u r p o r t s
to be a
na r r a t i ve t r a d i t i o n c o nc e r n i ng e ve n t s
a t
S i n ai . U n c e r t a i n t y
a s
to the prec i se n a tu re o f th i s t rad i t i o n and the ex tent o f i t s
his tor ic i ty does not a f f e c t its basic na t u r e as a nar ra t ive
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
t r a d i t i o n .
T h e
q u e s t i o n r a i s e d h e r e
i s
w h e t h e r
th e
t e x t
a l w a y s
w a s s o m e s u c h n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n e v e n
in i ts
ear l i es t s t ages
o r
w h e t h e r
i t w a s
o r i g i n a l l y s o m e t h i n g q u i t e d i f f e r e n t .
T he
m o s t w i d e s p r e a d a s s es sm e n t
o f the
g e n r e
o f the
S i n a i
m a t e r i a l i s
t h a t
i t is a
cu l t l e ge nd .
V a r i o u s
o t h e r t e r m s
a re
also used, such a s fes tiva l l egend o r l i t u r g i c a l t r a d i t i o n , ^
b u t n o s i g n i f i ca n t d i f f e r e n c e in
m e a n i n g
i s i n t e n d e d . F o r c l a r i t y
th e
t e r m c u l t l e g e n d
w i l l b e
a d h e r e d
to i n
t h i s d i s c u s s io n .
T h e t w o s e m i n a l ̂ w o r k s fo r e s t a b l i s h i n g th e g e n r e a s c u l t
l egend a re those o f S . M o w i n c k e l a nd G . von R a d , ̂ and t o
these r e f e r e n c e m u s t b r i e f l y
b e
m a d e .
M o w i n c k e l ' s
a n a l y s i s
o f the
c h a p t e r s c o n c e n t r a t e d
o n th e
presence
i n t h e m o f r i t u a l s a n d c e r e m o n i a l
practices
s i m i l a r t o
t h o s e r e c o u n t e d e l s e w h e r e
i n t h e O T ,
espec ia l ly
i n the
p s a l m s .
U s i n g th e m e t h o d o f f o r m c r i t i c i sm a n d s e a r c h i n g fo r the S i tz
im
Le b e n o f
these
e l em e n t s c o m m o n to b o t h S i n a i a n d t h e
psa lms , M o w i n c k e l r e c o n s t r u c t e d t h e c o n t e n t s o f a c u l t i c
f e s t i v a l ,
t h a t
o f t he N e w
Year ( seen a l so
as the
f e a s t
o f
e n t h r o n e m e n t
a n d o f c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l ) . In the l i g h t o f t h i s
M o w i n c k e l des igna ted the S ina i pericope as fo l low s:
C e q u e
e t E
r a p p o r t e n t c o m m e
recit
d e s e v e n e m e n t s d u
S i n a i n ' es t au t re chose q u e l a d e s c r i p t i o n d ' u n e f e t e c u l t u -
elle
celebree a u n e
e p o q u e p lus
recente
p l u s p r e c i s e m e n t
d a n s le t e mple d e
J e ru s a l e m . ^
M o w i n cke l ' s
ana lys i s o f t he n a r r a t i v e i s deve loped and
m o d i f i e d
b y v o n R a d . ̂ V o n R a d c r i t i c i z e s th e d e s i g n a t i o n o f
th e
S i n a i n a r r a t i v e
a s a
d e s c r i p t i o n
o f a
c u l t i c c e r e m o n y
o n
th e g r o u n d s that t h e re cou ld b e n o o b v i o u s p u r p o s e in
p r o d u c i n g
such a descriptive account. Nor is it the case that the n a r r a t i v e
i s
such
a
d e sc r i p t i on , e ve n
a
f r e e p o e t i c o n e ,
o r a
late t r a n s -
pos i t i on o f the
c o n s t i t u e n t e l e m e n t s
of the
c e re m o n y i n t o
l i t e ra ry terms. R a t h e r th e S i n a i n a r r a t i v e is pr i o r to t h e c u l t
a n d n o r m a t i v e
fo r i t ;
b e ca use
th e
n a r r a t i v e p r o v i d e s
th e
a u t h o r i t y
fo r a p a r t i c u l a r c u l t i c o c c a s i o n , i t is the c u l t l e g e n d
o f that occasion. T h e legend preceded th e c u l t a n d gave th e
c u l t
i ts
sh a pe
i n t he f i r s t
place t h o u g h t h e r e
w a s
a l so subse-
q u e n t l y a re c i p roca l
i n f l u e n c e
o f the c u l t u p o n th e f o r m a t i o n o f
th e
l e g e n d .
T h e
pa t t e rn
of the
fes t iva l which
is
ref lected
in Ex.
1 9 f f .
ca n
b e r e c o n s t r u c t e d a s
fo l l ows :
1.
E x h o r ta t i o n (E x .
19:4-6)
w i t h a n h i s t o r i c a l a c c o u n t of the
S ina i
even t s (Ex.
19ff.) .
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Three:
E x o d u s 32-34 as a
C u l t Le g e n d
2. Proclamat ion of the law (Decalogue and Book of the
Covenant ) .
3. Promise o f bless ing (Ex . 23:20ff .) .
4. R a t i f i c a t i o n
of the
c o v e n a n t ( E x .
2 4 ) .
The
fact
that
this same pattern can be discerned in Deutero -
n o m y and also, less clearly, in Pss. 50 and 81 , c o n f i r m s the
correctness
o f
this analysi s
of the
E x o d u s m a t e r i a l .
V on R ad then proceeds to trace the or ig in s and d e v e l o p m e n t
o f
th i s covenant fes t iva l ,
wh ic h he locates in the
a u t u m n f e a s t
o f Tabernac les at S h e c h e m . H e
o f f e r s
no f u r t h e r d i s c u s s i o n o f
the or igins and d e v e l o p m e n t of the Sinai n a r r a t i v e
beyond
s o m e
genera l o b s e r v a t i o n s a b o u t
th e
process
o f
t r a n s i t i o n
f r o m
t r a d i t i o n
to
literature/
W h i l e
v o n R a d
d i f f e r s f r o m
M o w i n c k e l
in
t rac ing the origins of the
f e s t i v a l
ref lec ted in Ex . 1 9 f f . to
the
p r e - m o n a r c h i c a l p e r i o d ,
he
does
no t
address
the
q u e s t i o n
o f
w h a t in the Sinai n a r r a t i v e is or i g i na l and c o n s t i t u t i v e , and
w h a t r e f l e c t s th e later i n f l u e n c e of the c u l t .
These gaps have been largely
filled
by subsequent l i t e ra tu re .
A l t h o u g h N o t h ' s t r e a t m e n t ^
is d i s a p p o i n t in g l y
b r i e f ,
a
t h o r o u g h
analysi s has been provided by BeyerlinT ̂ The m o s t recent
s u b s t a n t i a l
work
in the
area that
o f Halbe, -
1
again
c o n f i r m s
a
cultic
Sitz im
Leben, even though
the
su ggested location
at
Shechem is q u e r i e d . W hil e such l a te r d i scu ss io ns hav e add ed
detai l
t o v o n
Rad 's analysi s ,
his
basic
thesis h as n o t
been
ques t ioned bu t t a k e n as es tab l i shed .
D E F I N I T I O N
O F T E RM I N O L O G Y
Before one can o f f e r any a s s e s s m e n t o f this u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f
the Sinai na rra t iv e as a cult legend , it is im pe ra t iv e
c a r e f u l l y
to def i ne the m e a n i n g of the te rm s cu l t and legend s o tha t
it is clear what is be ing asserted.
i)
Legend
T he
w o r d
legend can c o n v e y
s ig n i f ic an t ly
d i f f e r e n t
meanings and has been used
a m b i g u o u s l y
and incons i s ten t ly in
m u c h r e c e n t l i t e r a t u r e . ' 1 B r o a d l y , one can f ind three mai n
usages
of the
t e r m . F i r s t ,
a
legend
can be an
u n h i s t o r i c a l ,
o r
l a rge ly
u nh is to r ical , s tory se t in an his to r ical co ntex t , perhaps
r e f l e c t i n g
or ig in a l hi s to r ica l event s which h a v e s i n c e
disappeared beneath later developments; such developments
tend
to
accrue
in
snowbal l
f a s h i o n . The
Epic
o f
Gi lg am e sh
o r
th e A r t h u r i a n stories cou ld come under th i s heading.^Secondly
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f Go d
a
legend
can be a
v i r t u e e m b o d i e d
in a deed . 3
ne
classic
e x a m p l e o f th i s is m e d i e v a l h a g i o g r a p h y w h e r e th e s a i n t wi l l
ac t i n su ch a w ay a s t o p ro v i d e a p e r f e c t e xa m pl e o f so m e
p a r t i c u l a r m o r a l v i r t u e , a n d t h e s t o r y i s to ld to
e d i f y
an d t o
i n s p i r e . I '* T h i r d l y , a l e ge n d can be the a c c o u n t of the
f o u n d i n g o f a
s h r i n e
or the b e g i n n i n g o f a
r i t u a l cu s t o m , w h i c h
i s read a t that
pa r t i c u l a r sh r i n e
or on t h e
occasion
of the
r i t u a l
c u s t o m . T h is
is a technical
usa ge , i n t ro d u c e d
by
f o r m critics.^
I t i s in the
t h i r d
o f
these senses tha t
th e
t e r m
is
used
by von
Rad . Ha l s obse rves tha t th e f o r m - c r i t i c a l d e s i g n a t i o n o f l e ge n d
i n ' t h i s sense is bas i c a l l y u n re l a t e d to l i t e r a r y f o r m . 16 T h a t is ,
o n e o f a
n u m b e r
o f possible l i t e ra ry types cou ld co n s t i t u t e the
n a r r a t i ve fo r t h e pa r t i c u l a r d ay o r o c cas io n . T h e n a r r a t i v e
could
be either
e n t i r e l y m y t h o l o g i c a l
o r
e n t i r e l y
historical, o r
s o m e w h e r e in
b e t w e e n .
For the f u n c t i o n o f be ing read a t a
par t i cu l a r sanc tuary
does
n o t
prescr ibe
th e genre o r content o f
w h a t
i s
be i n g r e ad
-
b e y o n d
th e
f a c t t h a t
i t
m u s t
relate t o t h e
s a n c t u a r y
in
q u e s t i o n .
I f the
S in a i n a r r a t i v e
w a s
read
ou t a t a
f e s t i v a l o f c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l a t S h e c h e m , G i l g a l , o r J e r u s a l e m ,
th i s w o u l d n o t o f i t se l f reveal a n y t h i n g a b o u t th e n a t u r e of the
n a r r a t i v e .
I t is of course possible to des igna te the n a r r a t i v e a s
l egendary
in the
f i r s t
of the
senses o u t l i n e d abo ve
on t he
gro u n d s
that the event is w r a p p ed in m y s t e r y , a n d w e a r e even
in th e d a r k a b o u t i ts h i s t o r i c a l b a c k g r o u n d a n d con tex t , 1 7
a n d be c au se a l m o s t
a l l the
p r e se n t n a r r a t i v e r e p r e s e n t s l a te r
e l a b o r a t i o n s . B u t su c h a c o n c lu s i o n m u s t be based o n h i s t o r i c a l
a n d
l i te r a r y a r g u m e n t s , w h i c h a r e q u i t e i n d e p e n d e n t o f t h e
des igna t i on
a s
legend
in the
t h i r d
sense.
I t i s
i m po r t an t c l e a r l y
to
d i s t i n gu i sh
these tw o
d i f f e r e n t
senses
o f
legend.
It is
possible
to
ho ld that
a
n a r r a t i v e
is
l e ge n d a ry i n bo t h these senses tog e the r , bu t t he use o f t he sam e
w o r d w i t h tw o
d i f f e r e n t
s i g n i f i c a t i o n s i s l ike ly to lead to
c o n f u s i o n . V o n
Ra d ' s d i scuss ion uses
th e
t e rm c o n s i s t e n t l y
in i ts
f o r m - c r i t i c a l
sense, a l t h o u g h w h e n h e r e f e r s to the l e g e n d a s
b e i n g m o u l d e d a n d f o r m e d by th e cul t i t i s d i f f i c u l t no t t o
i m p o r t
no t i ons o f l egend i n the sno wbal l
sense.
A c lea r con-
fus ion
can be
seen
in the
treatment
o f
M .
N e w m a n w h o sa ys o f
th e
J
a n d E covenan t t r ad i t i ons that
t hey bo th can be ca ll ed legends because i n the i r p resen t
f o r m t h e y n o t o n l y r e f l e c t th e o r i g i n a l e v e n t bu t a l so h ave
2
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t the Mountain of God
Eichrodt , f o l l o w i n g G . Q u e l l , takes the term cult (o r cul tus )
to m e a n
th e
express ion
of
r e l i g i o u s e x p e r i e n c e
in
c o n c r e t e
ex -
t e r n a l a c t i o n s
p e r f o r m e d w i t h i n th e
c o n g r e g a t i o n
o r
c o m m u n i t y , p r e f e r a b l y b y
o f f i c i a l l y
a p p o i n te d e x p o n e n t s
an d in set f o r m s . 2 1
B oth these
d e f i n i t i o n s lay
stress
on the
c o m m u n a l
an d ins t i -
t u t i o n a l n a t u r e of the c u l t , an d w i t h such a d e f i n i t i o n there is
n o
d i f f i c u l t y . W h e n cul t
is
u s e d w i t h o u t f u r t h e r
q u a l i f i c a t i o n
in
th e
subsequen t d i scuss ion , th i s
w i ll be the
m e a n i n g in t e n d e d .
I t
is
p o s s i b l e , h o w e v e r ,
to
o f f e r
a
d i f f e r e n t sor t
o f
d e f i n i t i o n
of
the same t e rm.
M o w i n c k e l
wr i t es :
T h e c u l t is not o n l y by i t s o r i g i n , but in a l l places a nd a t
a l l t i m e s , d r a m a .
T h e
cu l t
is
sacred ar t .
B ut a t the
s a m e
t i m e
it is
sacred rea l i t y ,
n ot
m e r e l y
an
acted
d r a m a
or a
p l a y ,
b u t a r e a l d r a m a a n d o n e that m a n i f e s t s r e a l i t y , a
d r a m a which rea l i zes th e d r a m a t i c e v e n t
w i t h
r e a l p o w e r ,
a rea l i t y
f r o m
w h i c h r e a l f o r c e s e m a n a t e , in o t h e r w o r d s
it is a s a c r a m e n t . T he c u l t of p r i m i t i v e man i s th i s , an d
n o t h i n g
less
.. . The
basic idea
is
this: that
t h r o u g h
th e
d r a m a t i c , s y m b o l ic p r e s e n t a t io n , r e a l i z a t i o n
a nd r e -
a n i m a t i o n of the par t i cu lar even t th i s even t is a c t u a l l y
an d r e a l l y
r e pe a t e d ;
it repeats i t se l f , happens a l l over
aga in
a n d
exerc ises
a f r e s h t h e s am e m i g h t y , r e d e m p t i v e
e f f e c t that
it
exercised
for our
salvation
on the
f i r s t
occasion at the
d a w n
o f t im e or i n the d i s t an t
pas t .22
T he
f i rs t pai r
o f
d e f i n i t i o n s
of
cul t presents
a
m o r e
static
concept ion than th e
latter
one; that is , t h e y a re c o n c e r n e d
p r i m a r i l y w i t h
th e
i n s t i t u t i o n
o f
w o r s h ip , w h e re a s
th e
d e f i n i t i o n
of c u l t a s d r a m a e m p h a s i z e s t h e a c t u a l
practice
a n d i n n e r
m e a n i n g
o f w o r s h i p . T h e r e is no a b s o l u t e d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n
these
tw o d i f f e r e n t m e a n i n g s , a n d s o m e t i m e s in
p ra c t i c e
i t may
b e
u n n e c e s s a r y
to
d i st in g u i sh b e t w e e n t h e m .
Yet the
d i f f e r e n c e
is
s ig n i f ic an t . For i t is to cul t in the sense of the actu al
practice o f w o r s h i p t h a t one c a n m o s t m e a n i n g f u l l y r e f e r in
t e r m s
of its
e n t a i l i n g d r a m a t i c i n v o l v e m e n t
an d reenactment. A
l egend
a u t h o r i z i n g
the
i n s t i t u t i o n
of
w o r s h i p
or the
f a c t
of
r i t u a l a t
some par t i cu lar cu l t i c
place is a u t h o r i z i n g
s o m e t h i n g
u n c h a n g i n g
w h i c h
it is
h a r d
to
conceive
of as
cons tan t ly
m o u l d i n g
i ts
a u t h o r i z i n g l eg e n d . T h a t
is, i t
says
w h y
r a t h e r t h a n
how w o r s h i p is car r i ed on a t a p ar t i c u l ar
place.
W h e n , h o w e v e r ,
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Three : Exodus 32-34 as a Cul t Legend
a
legend
is
used
in the c o n t e x t of a
specific f o r m
o f
worsh ip ,
as
a
p a r t
of an
a ct u al c e r e m o n y ( a u t h o r i z i n g
th e
h o w ra t h e r
t h an t h e w h y ) , t h en t h e i n h e re n t l y d y n a m i c n a t u r e o f w o rs h i p
could
m or e easi ly be conceived of as
m o u l d i n g
a n a r r a t i v e
w hi c h w as used in the course o f t h a t w o r s h i p . T h i s w o u l d m e a n
t h a t
a
l e g e n d a u t h o r i z i n g
a
s a n c t u a r y
w o u l d
h a v e
an
i n h e r e n t
s tab i l i ty w h i c h w o u l d not neces sar i ly be shared by a lege nd used
as a par t of the c e r e m o n y at
that
s a n c t u a r y . Jdg 17-18 as the
cul t legend of Dan
w o u l d
be a legend in the fo rm e r sense T h e
Sinai
pericope is envisaged as a cu l t legend in the latter sense
I t
w o u l d s e e m t h e r e f o r e that cul t in the te r m cul t legend as
appl ied
to the S i na i m a t e r i a l , w h e n th e t e r m is i n t e n d e d to
des igna te
th e
l i t e r a r y
f o r m
a n d n o t
m e r e l y
th e
f u n c t i o n
of t he
m a t e r i a l , m u s t m e a n t h e
a c t ua l p r ac t i ce
o f w or sh ip in it s
d r a m a t i c
an d
s y m b o li c sense
A
few
w o r d s m u s t
b e
said
o n
t h i s d r a m a t i c
an d c r e a t i v e
u n d e r s t an d i n g
o f
Israel 's worsh ip , par t i cu la r ly
in the
s t rong
f o r m in
which
it is set ou t by
M ow i nc k e l ; a l t h o u g h
an y
substantial discussion lies b e y o n d
o u r
p r e s e n t scope
F i r s t , th e d r a m a t i c concep t of the cul t , especial ly as
M ow i nc k e l deve lops it , d e r i v e s m a i n l y
f r o m
p h e n o m e n o l o g y o f
r e l ig ion
in
genera l
and f r o m the
w o r l d
o f
M e s o p o t a m i a
in
p a r t i c u l a r ,
and has
been app l i ed
to
Israe l largely
b y
an a l o g y .
In
th e realm o f re l ig ious practices a nd t he m e a n i n g a t t r ib u t e d to
t hem , such
a
c o m p a r a t i v e a p p r o a c h m u s t
b e
u s e d w i t h e x t r e m e
cau t ion .
W h i l e
the re l ig ion o f Israel m u s t b e unders tood wi th in
it s a n c ie n t N e a r E a s te r n e n v i r o n m e n t , i t i s m e t h o d o l o g i c a l l y
proper
that
o n e should
attempt
to c o m p r e h e n d
Israelite
re l ig ion
f i r s t on i t s own
t e r m s ,
as a
p a r t i cu l a r co h e re n t r e l i g i o u s
sy s t e m , b e fo re ad d u c i n g t r an s cu l t u ra l p a ral le l s
an d
a p p l y i n g
t h e m heur i s t i ca l ly .23
Secondly ,
th e fac t is
that
w e k n o w r e g r e t t a b l y l i tt l e a b o u t
th e p r ac t i ce s ch a r ac t e r i s t i c o f Israel ' s fes t iva l s , or the m e a n in g
t h a t these p rac t ices h a d f o r t h e w o r s h i p p e r s . W e k n o w so m e -
th ing about th e practice o f sacr i f ice , though little abou t its
m e a n i n g ,
s o m e t h i n g a b o u t h y m n o d y ,
a n d
s o m e t h i n g a b o u t
th e
natu re
o f
homi le t ic .
B u t
beyond th is
we a re
const rained
to
h y p o t h e s i z e . O n e m a y i n d e e d
o f f e r
an h y p o t h e s i s a b o u t a t y p e
of
w o r s h i p w h i ch
w o u l d
have incorpora ted
a
cul t
legend
in
such a w ay as to
m o u l d
a n d t r a n s f o r m i t a n d th e n a p p l y t h e
h y p o t h e s i s h e u r i s t i ca l l y to the f i n a l f o r m of the legend in
ques t ion . Bu t the
t e n t a t i v e
and specu la t ive n a tu re o f such an
u n d e r t a k i n g
sh o u l d
no t be
f o r g o t t e n .
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Three: E x o d u s 32-34 as a C u l t L e g e n d
of the term to go
u p
qy in Ex . 34:2 (cf . Ex. 19:3,24, 24:1,9,
32:30) is signif icant for the
cultic
mi l ieu of the passage,
because e l sewhere in the O T the
w o r d
is the technical term fo r
going
up to a sanctuary.26 Such a sugges t ion
takes
no a c c o u n t
of the obvious fac t that the use of the w o r d m ay h a v e - b e e n
d e t e r m i n e d by the wri ter ' s need to portray Moses physically
ascend ing
M t.
Sinai.
W h a t else
could he say but
that
Moses
went up , fo r which
c
lh is the n a t u r a l H e b r e w v e r b ?
W h e n
the
w o r d
can be n a t u r a l l y e x p l a in e d in this way it is i l l e g i t i m a t e
to deduce a cultic mil ieu f r o m the term.
It is
t rue that Beyerlin
and W i l m s
h a v e
other
weight ie r
evidence
which
they adduce
to
sh o w
the l inks of the Sinai
pericope
with
th e
cult.
T h e a r g u m e n t s d i sc u s se d a b o v e w e r e
adduced secondar i ly , as par t o f a total c u m u l a t i v e case, to
su ppo r t a position already
reached
o n
other
g r o u n d s , and their
lack
o f
validity need
no t
d i s t u r b
the
general posit ion.
B u t
such
q u e s t i o n - b e g g i n g a r g u m e n t s , w h e r e
th e
cen t ra l t e rm s legend ,
cult
and
cul t ic have
n o t
been care fu l ly de f ined
b u t
used
equ ivocal ly ,
are
u n f o r t u n a t e l y
no t
u n c o m m o n
in
discussions
o f
the Sinai material. A f res h exam inat ion , wi th m ore care fu l u se
of
terms,
is in o r d e r .
TH E
U S E O F
F O R M
CR I T I CI SM
Before t u r n i n g to discuss specific features which are adduced
as evidence for the cu lt as the Sitz im Leb en of the Sinai
pericope, it wi l l b e u s e f u l to cons ider th e m o r e g e n e r a l
principles
upon which
t h i s u n d e r s t a n d i n g of the m a t e r i a l has
been based.
The
di f f icul ty
o f establishing a sound method and approach is
cons iderab le .
H.-3.
K r a u s has w r i t t e n ,
The cultic legend
presents
u s with special d i f f i c u l t i e s .
Rel iable cr i ter ia are s t i ll la ck ing in this fie ld - and it is
no t l ikely
that
they will ever emerge . W h e n , fo r e x a m p l e ,
it is stated that the Sinai pericope wa s a festival legend ,
this i m m e d i a t e l y
raises
the ques t ion what the actual
re la t ionship be tween
th e
epic
account and the
c u l t i c
event was . It i s too easy to avo id ans w er in g th i s qu es t ion
by
asser t ing
that
t h e r e w a s a m u t u a l in te r act io n .27
And G.E.
W r i g h t ,
in a d i sc u s s i o n of the r e l a t io n s h i p b e tw e e n
c u l t a n d h i s t o r y , o b se r v es ,
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A t th e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
I n v o l v e d
a r e
p ro c e d u r a l a s s u m p t i o n s
w h i c h
d e t e r m i n e
c o n c l u s i o n s , b u t
w h i c h
i n t h e m s e l v e s c a n n o t b e tested
except a s th e q u e s ti o n o f c u l t a n d h i s t o r y i s s t u d i e d i n a
later
p e r i o d w h e r e
t h e
e v i d e n c e
c a n b e
m o r e a d e q u a t e l y
c o n t r o l l e d . ^ ^
T h e
critical approach u p o n w h i c h m o s t a n a l y s i s
o f t h e
S i n a i
pericope a s cu l t l egend h a s been based i s
f o r m
c r i t i c i s m . S o m e
b r i e f c o m m e n t s o n th e n a t u r e a n d scope o f f o r m c r i t i c i s m a r e
t h e r e f o r e
i n o r d e r . 29
T h e b a s i c a s s u m p t i o n o f
f o r m
c r i t i c i s m i s t h a t a n c i e n t N e a r
E a s t e r n
m a n w a s
i n f l u e n c e d
i n h i s
speech
a n d
l i t e r a r y c o m -
pos i t i on by
c u s t o m
a n d
c o n v e n t i o n ;
a n d
t h e s e c u s t o m s
a n d
c o n v e n t i o n s
c o r r e s p o n d
t o
c e r t a i n r e g u l a r l y r e c u r r i n g e v e n t s
i n
l i f e . A s a g e n e r a l iz a t i o n t h i s i s q u i t e acceptable. Bu t as a
u n i v e r s a l l y b i n d i n g p r i n c i p l e
i t m a y
b e c o m e q u e s t i o n a b l e .
O n
t h e o n e
h a n d
i t m a y
leave i n s u f f i ci e n t r o o m
f o r
i n d i v i d u a l i t y
a n d i n n o v a t i o n . O n t h e o t h e r
h a n d
i t can e a s i l y
o v e r s i m p l i fy
th e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tw e e n l i t e r a r y f o r m s a n d t h e d a i l y i n s t i t u t i o n s
w h i c h ,
i n
s o m e w a y , c o r r e s p o n d
to
t h e m .
Both o f
t h e s e p o i n t s
r e q u i r e
a m p l i f i c a t i o n .
First
t h e e m p h a s i s
upon
c u s t o m a n d c o n v e n t io n m e a n s t h a t
a n i n e v i t a b l e w e a k n e s s i n t h e f o r m - c r i t i c a l a p p r o a c h i s that i t
h a s t e n d e n c y t o f i n d g e n e r a l a n d t y pi c a l p a t t e r n s a t t h e
expense
o f t h e
i n d i v i d u a l
a n d t h e
u n i q u e . 3 0 j
t
j
s
a r g u e d t h a t
t h e S i na i
p e r i c o p e r e f l e c t s
a
r e g u l a r f e s t i v a l
i n
I s r a e l b e c a u s e
o f s i m i l a r i t i e s b e t w e e n i t a n d aspects o f t h e l a t e r w o r s h i p i n
I s rae l s cult. I f , h o w e v e r , o n e i m a g i n e s f o r t h e sake o f a r g u m e n t
that a t ra d i t i o n t o ld o f a n e n c o u n t e r a t S i n a i b e t w e e n Y a h w e h
a n d
c e r t a i n f o r e r u n n e r s
o f t h e
l a t e r p e o p l e
o f
I s r a e l ,
a n
e n c o u n t er u n i q u e i n
nature
31
a n d s i g n i f i c a n c e , a n d
that
t h i s
i n v o l v e d
a
t h e o p h a n y ,
a
r e v e l a t i o n
o f t h e
w i l l
o f
Y a h w e h ,
a n d a
c o m m i t m e n t b y t h e people t o Y a h w e h , a n d
that
t h i s e x p e r i e n c e
b e c a m e
t h e
bas i s
f o r
s u b se q u e n t e n c o u n t e rs b e t w e e n
Y a h w e h
a n d I s r a e l , s i m i l a r
i n
s o m e r e s p e c t s
t o , b u t n o t
i d e n t i ca l w i t h ,
th e
i n i t i a l e x p e r i e n c e
- i t
m u s t
b e
a sked
h o w f a r a
s t a n d a r d
f o r m - c r i t i c a l a p p r o a c h w o u l d b e a b l e to g i v e a n a d e q u a t e
a n a l y s i s o f
such
a
u n i q u e
a n d
c o n s ti tu t i v e t ra d i t i o n .
T o s a y
that
such
a t r a d i t i o n c o u l d n o t b e descr ibed except i n t h e l i g h t o f
s i m i l a r s u b s e q u e n t e v e n t s
w o u l d
be t o beg the
q u e s t i o n .
T o s a y
that such a t r a d i t i o n h a s n o t been descr ibed except i n t h e l i g h t
o f s i m i l a r s u b s e q u e n t c u l t i c e v e n t s a l so b e gs t h e q u e s t i o n . F o r
such
a p o s i t i o n c o u l d
o n l y
be e s t a b l i s h e d o n t h e bas i s , n o t o f
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
A N A L Y S I S O F E X . 33:19, 31:6f
t E P R O n o u n c e m e n t s in 33:19,
34:6f.
a re c l a s s i f i ed by
E i s s f e l d t
a s s o le m n c u l t s a y i n g s
w h i c h
h a d t h e i r s e t t i n g i n
p a r t i c u l a r p u b l i c f e s t i v a l s
fo r t he
w h o l e p e o p l e
o r t h e
w h o l e
c u l t - c o m m u n i t y . ^ ^ W e i s e r
c l a s s i f i e s
th e
ve r ses
a s
e p i p h a n y -
f o r m u l a s recited b y a priest w h e n th e p eo p l e c a m e together
fo r r e g u l a r l y r e c u r r i n g
c u l t i c
p u r p o s e s
a t t h e
s a n c t u a r y
o f t h e
covenant .^ j
n
a r g u m e n t a p p e a r s to be
t h a t t h e s e
s a y i n g s
h a v e
a
f o r m
w h i c h c a n b e
seen
to
c o r r e s p o n d
to
t h a t f o u n d
in
o t h e r s i m i l a r s a y i n g s e l s e w h e r e i n t h e O T , a n d t h a t t h i s f o r m
h a d i ts Si tz i m L e b e n i n t h e
cult.
I t m a y b e o b s e r v e d , f i r s t ,
t h a t
t h e r e i s s o m e
d i f f i c u l t y
i n
c l a s s i fy ing these tw o s a y i n g s a s b e i n g o f t h e s a m e f o r m . T h e y
h a v e i n c o m m o n
t h a t
t h e y a r e b o t h d i v i n e p r o n o u n c e m e n t s , b u t
th e s i m i l a r i t y b e t w e e n t h e m i s o n e o f c o n t e n t , ^ ? j
n
that t h e y
b o t h r e v e a l Y a h w e h a s b e i n g g r a c i o u s a n d
m e r c i f u l .
T h e y d i f f e r
f r o m o n e a n o t h e r in s h a p e
( f o r m )
a n d d i f f e r b o t h in sh ape a n d
c o n t e n t f r o m
o t h e r d i v i n e p r o n o u n c e m e n t s su c h
a s E x .
2 0 : 2 / / D e u t . .5:6, o r t h e o f t - r e p e a t e d I a m Y a h w e h i n L e v .
17-26.38
S e c o n d l y
t h e
f a c t
t h a t
s o m e d i v i n e p r o n o u n c e m e n t s
m a y
o r i g i n a t e i n t h e c u l t does n o t entail that a l l do . Th ere is great
d i v e r s i t y o f f o r m a n d
c o n t e n t
i n
d i v in e p ro n o u n c e m e n t s
recorded i n t h e O T . S i n c e , m o r e o v e r , t h e O T h a s m a n y
t r a d i t i o n s
o f
Y a h w e h a p p e a ri n g
a n d
s p e a k i n g o u t s id e
th e
s p h e r e
o f th e
c u l t ,
th e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f a d i v i n e p r o n o u n c e m e n t to a
c u l t i c
s e t t i n g
i s
c o m p l e x .
A re t h e r e clear
c r i t e r i a
o f
e i t h e r
f o r m o r c o n t e n t w h i c h d i s t i n g u i s h a s a y i n g w h i c h o r i g i n a t e s in
th e
c u l t f r o m
a
s a y i n g w h i c h o r i g i n a t e s
i n a
n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n ?
I t m a y also be a s k e d h o w f a r i t i s j u s t i f i a b l e to t a k e a s a y i n g
such a s 33:19 a s a n i n d e p e n d e n t s a y i n g ,
s e p a r a b l e f r o m
th e
rest
o f Y a h w e h ' s s p e e c h . A l t h o u g h
i t i s
poss ib l e
to se t the
w o r d s
o u t
a s a n
i n d ep e n d en t p r o n o u n c e m e n t ,3 9
i t is
clear that w h a t
m a k e s t h e w o r d s r e m a r k a b l e i s t h e i r s o l e m n a n d e m p h a t i c
c o n t e n t , w h i c h i s m o s t n a t u r a l l y e x p re s se d in a f o r m a l
p a r a l l e l i s m .
T h e
a s s u m p t i o n
o f th e
o r i g i n a l i n d e p e n d e n c e
o f
s u ch a s a y i n g u s u a l l y p o s t u l a t e s a c e r t a i n l o o s e n e s s o f t h e
s a y i n g
in i t s
p r e s e n t
c o n t e x t , ^ °
so
t h a t
th e
s a y i n g c o u l d
b e
s e c o n d a r i l y i n t r o d u c e d . I f e x e g e si s r e v e a l s i n t i m a t e
l i n k s
b e t w e e n
th e
s a y i n g
a n d i t s
n a r r a t i v e
context, th e
a s s u m p t i o n
o f
o r i g i n a l
i n d e p e n d e n c e b e co m e s m o r e p r o b le m a t i c .
I t
m u s t
b e
ask ed
h o w f a r
bo th
th e
f o r m
a n d
content
o f
33:19,
34:6f . may be
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Three : Ex odu s 32-34 as a C u l t Le g e n d
i n f l u e n c e d b y l i t e r a r y an d con tex tua l co ns ide ra t ions . In genera l
t e rms t h e o p h an ie s a re a l w ay s s e r i o u s occasions.^ B u t E x .
32-34 presents
the
p a r t i c u l a r l y g rav e
context o f
Israel 's
sin
ag a in s t
Y a h w e h
and the i r danger o f
t o t a l
d e s t ru c t i o n ; t h e i r
forg iveness
an d restoration is no
l igh t
matter b u t
possible on ly
t h r o u g h a reve la t ion o f the ve ry be ing o f God as a God who i s
g r ac i o us a n d m e r c i f u l . H o w else cou ld the t rad i t ion convey th i s
ad e q u a t e l y e x c e p t b y p r e s e n t i n g these w o r d s as a so l e mn d iv in e
p r o n o u n c e m e n t ?
Since the f o r m o f 34:6f. is mo re l i k e that of an in d e p e n d e n t
r i t u a l
p r o n o u n c e m e n t t h a n is the case with 33:19 , a few
e x t r a
c o m m e n t s on i t are in p l a c e .
F i r s t ,
t h e r e
i s d i s ag re e m e n t o v e r w h a t
k i n d
o f cu l t say ing i t
is ,
w h e t h e r
it is
spoken
to God or
b y
G od
(that
is , by his
r ep re sen ta t ive ) .
3. S c h a r b e r t interprets the verses as a
l i t u rg i c a l p ray e r o r
B e k e n n t n i s f o r m e l
s ince the u se of the
t h i r d pe rson s in gu la r ra th e r than the f i r s t pe rson , as i s
c u s t o m a r y in r e v e l a to r y f o r m u l a e , is d e e m e d a w k w a r d , and ou t
of
th e p re se n t c o n t e x t th e w o r d s a re n a t u r a l l y t ak e n as a
v o c a t i v e p ray e r
formula.^
E i s s f e l d t an d We i se r , on t he o the r
h a n d ,
i n t e r p r e t
th e
w o r d s
not as a
p r a y e r
bu t as a
p ro n o u n c e me n t b y t h e priest in l i eu o f God .^3 For them,
ap p a re n t l y , t h e t h i rd p e r so n f o r m u l a t i o n p re se n t s n o p ro b l e m.
Th e re
is ,
t h e r e f o r e ,
n o
obv ious
use of the
f o r m u l a
in the
regu la r cu l t
o f
Israe l .
B u t
su c h d i s ag re e me n t
is
p e rh ap s
in e v i t ab l e w h e n a s a y i n g is i n t e r p r e t e d in an h y p o t h e t i c a l
context an d does n o t show that th e w o r d s a re not a
p r o n o u n c e m e n t in the cu l t o f some sort.
Second ly , a l tho ug h i t i s ob v io us ly poss ib le to in t e rp re t
34:6f .
in
isolat ion
f r o m
i t s
p resen t
c o n t e x t
-
n u m e r o u s d i s c u s s i o n s
h av e d o n e so - the e x e g es i s sh o w e d s t r i k in g l y t h e aptness of the
w o r d i n g to the
p r es en t
context; so
m u c h
so
that
i t may be
correct t o c o n c l u d e t h a t th e w o r d i n g was in f ac t des igned fo r
th e
c o n t e x t .
Bu t i f the
s a y i n g
i s
t h u s ,
a t
least
to
so me
e x t e n t ,
c o n t e x t - d e p e n d e n t , t h e n t h e r e a re p a r t i c u l a r p ro b l e ms i n
o f f e r i n g an
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
in
i so la t ion
o f
t h a t
c o n t e x t .
T h e l i k e l y i n f l u e n c e
o f the p r e s e n t
context
on the
f o r m u l a t i o n o f 34:6f . st i l l does not show t h a t i t s con ten t s cou ld
n o t ,
in
s o m e
f o r m ,
h a v e
had a
p r io r
h i s t o r y
in the
c u l t .
O ne
also
h as t o a c c o u n t f o r t h e n u m e r o u s o t h e r p a ssag e s i n t h e O T w h e re
p a r t s
o f t he
f o r m u l a
of 34:6f .
recur.^
M a n y o f
t h e s e
passages most no tab ly
those in the
psa lms ,
are
u n q u e s t i o n ab l y
c u l t i c in the sense o f o r i g i n a t i n g in , and be ing used in, the
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At the
Mounta in
of God
f o r m a l w o r s h i p
of I s rae l .
W h a t is at issue
here,
and indeed lies at the h e a r t of the cult
legend analysis ,
is the
h az i ly -de f ined r e l a t i ons h ip be tw een cu l t
and
n a r r a t i ve t r ad i t i on .
If the
contents
o f
34:6f. originated
in
the
cul t
bu t
have been t ransposed into
th e
l i t e ra ry
context o f
the Sinai tradition, how is this process to be envisaged? ^
T he
hypothes i s tha t
the
t radi t ion
of Ex. 32-34
existed
in a f o r m
r o u g h l y r e s e m b l i n g that which
i t has a t
p r esen t ,
bu t
w i t h o u t
33:19, 34:6f.,
which
were only added into the t radition at a
c o m p a r a t i v e l y late
stage o f deve lopmen t i s un t enab le w hen the
l i te rary and theologica l development of Ex.
32-34
as a whole is
considered.
The verses are integral and
constitute
the h igh-
point
upon which
th e
s u r round i ng
n a r r a t i v e
is
dependent
and up
to which it
leads;
33:19 and 34:6f. m us t be r egarded as p r i m a ry
to the
t radi t ion.
If this is so, and yet it is
mainta ined
that the
verses had their or igin in the cul t , then the
wh o le
Sinai
t radi t ion of Ex.
32-34
m us t have been bu i l t up a round them a s a
special creation to
give
these
p ronouncements
a new existence
in
a na r r a t i ve setting. This c reat ion could have ut i l ized exis t ing
e l emen t s
o f
t r ad i t i on ,
but
they could
not
p r ev ious ly have
existed
in
anything l ike thei r
present
shape.
Some such
ex t r e m e ly com plex deve lop m en t o f t he t r ad i t ion m us t be env is -
aged, given
the
c en t r a l i t y
of
33:19, 34:6f.
to it . And
s om e
f o rm
of such complexi ty of ten is envisaged, though with less weight
attached
to the significance of 33:19, 34:6f. But w h i l e this is
possible,
one
m u s t
ask
w h e t h e r
it is
e i ther necessary
or
even
likely as an
account
of the
material.
A
d e v e l o p m e n t in the opposi te di rec t ion,
f r om
n a r r a t i v e
tradi t ion to use in the cult, p resents
less
d i f f i cu l ty . A t r ad i t ion
as
i m p o r t a n t
as Ex.
32-34
for
w h a t
it
says
about
the character
of
God and the
n a t u r e
of
Israel w ou ld n a t u r a l l y
be
taken
up in
the wo r s h i p of
I s rael .
Al l the
o ther
O T
uses
of the
e l emen t s
in
34:6f.
can be
understood
as
der ivative
f r o m , and
explici t ly
reca l l ing ,
the
sup r eme in s t ance
of God s
s e l f - r eve la t ion .
F or
w h a t
wou ld be mo re na tu r a l t han to u t i l ize th e t radi t ion and to
call
upon
Y a h w e h as being of the
character
which he h i m s e l f
had
r evealed
to
Moses?^°
T he
o r ig ina l i ty
of the f o r m u l a to
the na r ra t ive t r ad i t ion i s in no way incompat ib le w i t h its
f r e q u e n t usage thereafter
in the
cult.
T he
adoption
o f a
t r ad i t ion
o f
f u n d a m e n t a l
i m p o r t a n c e i n t o
the
con tex t
o f
w o r s h i p i s not only a
p a t t e r n
o f
d e v e l o p m e n t r e a d i l y u n d e r -
standable
in itself, but also can be
paral leled
elsewhere - not
least
in the h i s to ry o f the Ch r i s t i an
Church.
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Three: E xo du s 32-34
as
C ul t L e ge nd
S o m e c o m p r o m i s e
on the
re la t ion
of the
na r r a t i ve t r a d i t i on
to the
c u l t
is
a l so poss ible . That
is , the f o r m u l a o f
34 :6f .
m ay
h a v e o r i g i n a t e d w i t h i n th e Sinai t r a d i t i o n a n d b e e n i n c o r p o r a t e d
in to
th e
c u l t p r i o r
to i t s
p r e s e n t l i t e r a r y
f o r m u l a t i o n ,
bu t i t s
p r e s e n t f o r m u l a t i o n c ou l d r e f l e c t t he c u l t i c u s a ge . Such a
d e v e l o p m e n t
is
read i ly conce ivab le
and has an
obvious pa ra l l e l
in the t r a d i t i on o f the e u c h a r i s t i c w ord s o f Je s us . T he re a r e ,
h o w e v e r , t w o d i f f i c u l t i e s w i th t h i s . Th e f i r s t i s t he l ack of c l ea r
ev idence in i t s f a v o u r
g e n e r a l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s a p a r t ) . T h e r e
a re
no pa ra l l e l a c c oun t s o f 34:6f . , as t he re a re of t he euchar i s t i c
w o r d s
o f Jesus , to
p rove d i ve r s i t y
o f
w o r d i n g
in the
t r a d i t i on
an d
i n d i c a t e s o m e s u c h d e v e l o p m e n t .
N o n e
of the passages
re la ted
t o Ex .
34:6f .
ca n be
s h o w n
to be
pa ra l l e l
to i t , r a t h e r
t h a n d e p e n d e n t
u p o n
it or e ve n p r i o r to i t ) , and so show
e v i d e n c e o f
d i v e r s e c u l t i c u s a g e
of the o r i g i n a l
t r a d i t i o n .
S eco n d ly , th e i n f l u e n c e th t can most eas i ly b e a r g u e d to h a v e
shaped the w o r d i n g o f 34 :6f . is the c o n t e x t of the S i n a i
t r a d i t i on . N one t he l e s s , ne i t he r
o f t h e s e
fac tors dec i s ive ly ru l e s
o u t i n f l u e n c e f r o m th e
c u l t upon
th e w o r d i n g of the
s a y i n g .
I n s u m ,
t he se
b r i e f r e f l e c t i o n s s u g g e s t t h a t
th e
i m a g i n e d
d e v e l o p m e n t o f E x .
34:6f .
f r o m
c u l t
to
n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n
is
less l i ke ly t h a n
th e
d e v e l o p m e n t f r o m n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n
to use
in th e c u l t . W i t h i n t h i s de ve l opm e n t s om e r e c i p roc a l i n f l ue nc e
of th e c u l t
upon
th e f o r m u l a t i o n of the
s a y i n g
c a n n o t b e
d i s c oun t e d . B u t s u c h i n f l u e n c e , if it d id t ke p l a ce , w o u l d be a
s e c o n d a r y d e v e l o p m e n t
a n d
w o u l d
be f a r
f r o m
s h o w i n g
t h a t
th e
c u l t w a s t h e o r i g i n a l
s e t t i n g
for t he f o r m u l a a s a
w h o l e .
A l t h o u g h f u r t h e r w o r k i s ne cess a ry , i t m ay be sugges t ed th a t t o
v i ew the cul t as the Si tz im Leben for 34:6f . , or 33:19, is a less
l i ke ly
hy po t he s i s t ha n
th t
t h e y w e r e o r i g i n a l l y
a
p a r t
of the
n a r r a t i v e
t r a d i t i o n i n
w h ic h t h e y
n o w
s t a n d .
A N A L Y S I S O F E X .
34:11-26
I t i s ge ne ra l l y he l d t h a t th e l a w s o f 34 :11-26^8 r e f l e c t a
cu l t i c S i t z
im
L e b e n , t h a t
is ,
t h e y r e f l e c t
a
r i t e
o f
p r o c l a m a t i o n
of l a w s a t a c e r e m o n y o f c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l . T h e f o r m - c r i t i c a l
a r g u m e n t s
used to s u p p o r t t h i s t a k e m o r e t h a n o n e f o r m .
O ne
a r g u m e n t
is
t h a t
one can
d i s c e r n
in Ex. 34, as in Ex.
19 /20 , a c o v e n a n t - t r e a t y s t r u c t u r e p a r a l l e l to o t h e r a n c i e n t
N e a r E a s t e rn va s s a l t r e a t i e s , e s p e c i a l l y t hos e o f t he H i t t i t e s .
W
Beyer l in , ^9 fo r
e x a m p l e , f o l l o w i n g G . E .
M e n d e n h a l l , 5 0
pre-
s e n t s a n i n t e r p r e t a t i o n of the
S ina i
p e r i c op e a l on g t he s e l i ne s .
3
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Three: E x o d u s 3 2 -3 4 as a C u l t Legend
For the
p re sen t ,
w e w i l l
s i m p l y f o c u s
o n o n e
cons idera t ion
that
has
received little attention
in d i scuss ions o f 34:11-26, that
i s
the
c lose re la t ion
o f the
sec t ion
to i t s
n a r r a t i v e context. This
contextual approach
h a s
rece ived l i t t le
attention-^
p a r t l y
because
the
o r i g i n a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t e x i s t e n c e
o f the
l aws
has
been as sumed , an d pa r t l y b ec a u se
m o s t
i n t e r e s t has focussed o n
the q u e s t i o n s o f w h e t h e r or not a decalogue can be re-
cons t ruc ted
f r o m these
verses and o f how they
relate
as a
paral le l to the deca logue o f Ex . 20 . Despi te the assert ion that
this sect ion
w as
i n t r o d u c e d i n to
the
t e x t
o f
w i t h o u t
an y
r e f e r e n c e t o the n a r r a t i v e context, i t i s c lear
that
the
oppos i te i s the case. The exeges i s has s h o w n t h a t the overa l l
tenor of
34:11-26
i s
f u l ly
i n ha rm o n y w i th the concerns o f
32-34. In de tai l , the depend ence of 34:17, and perhaps also
34:14, upon ch. 32 is s t r i k ing .
G i v e n the cons iderable l i n k s between 34:11-26 an d the
context
o f 32-34 , how i s one to in te rpre t t h i s?
There
a re two
poss ib i l i t ies .
T he
f i r s t
i s to
ho ld t h a t w h i l e
the
l aws
a re
appropr ia te to the
n a r r a t i v e
in certain respects, they do no t as
a w ho le a r i se ou t o f the n a r r a t i v e s i t u a t i o n , an d the i r o r ig ina l
i n d e pe n d e n c e , f o l low e d by secon dary inc orpora t io n in to the
Sina i
t r a d i t i o n , i s t o b e m a i n t a i n e d . S e c o n d ly , o n e c o u ld a r g u e
t h a t the l a w s w e r e c o m pi l e d s pe c i f i c a l l y f o r thei r present
c o n t e x t , l a r g e ly ou t o f o ther laws a l ready con ta ined w i t h i n the
trad i t ion ( i .e . E x . 20-23) .
B e f o r e one can
choose
betw
een
these s o m e f u r t h e r
c l a r i f i c a t i o n i s req u i red . In the f i r s t p lace , g iven that legal and
paraenetic ma ter i a l a re d i f f e r e n t
l i t e r a r y
t ypes f r o m na r ra t ive ,
o n e m u s t a s k w ha t
s o r t
o f co r respondence o f c o n t e n t one cou ld
reasonably expect to f i n d be tween the two d i f f e r e n t
genres
i f
they were composed t o g e t h e r . C l e a r ly
i t
w o u l d
no t be the
s ame
as
that be tween
tw o i n t e r r e l a t ed
n a r r a t i v e
ep i sodes . 56
Nei ther paraenes i s
n o r
l aws cou ld
be
ex pec ted
to
s h o w f r e q u e n t
verba l l i nks t o the n a r r a t i v e ; a s i m i l a r t h e m a t i c c o n c e rn w o u l d
be
m o s t i m p o r t a n t .
A body o f l a w s can be c o n n e c ted w i th i ts n a r r a t i v e c o n t e x t i n
a
v a r i e t y
o f
w a y s .
O n e m a y
c o n s i d e r
the
r e l a t i o n s h i p
o f
N u m .
to
N u m . 13-14 . H e r e t h e r e
i s a
rea l re la t ion
of the
l a w s
to
the
p reced ing nar ra t ive , seen
i n
the
concern
for the
p r o m i s e d
l a n d ,
j e o p a r d i z e d bu t r e a f f i rm e d ( 15 :2 ) , and for the e ve n t o f the
w h o l e people being involved
i n s in
(15:26).^ N o n e the le s s ,
the
t h e m a t i c i n t e r e s t of ch. 15 bears n o i n t e g r a l c o n n e c t i o n to the
c o n t e x t and the present l inks m a y b e
seen
as a redact ional
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A t the M o u n t a i n o f God
re o rd e r in g o f t h e m a t e r i a l . T h e c o n t e n t o f Ex .
34:11-26
is far
more closely connected to its context t han is the case w i t h
N u m . 1 5 .
I t m us t
also b e a s k e d w h e t h e r a l t e r n a t i v e h y p o t h e t i c a l
contexts for the laws wou ld expla in the i r pecu l iar i t ies m ore
e f f e c t i v e l y
t han the i r p resen t
context. O n e wou ld
h a v e
to
i m a g i n e a s i t u a t i o n in
which
(a) the s t r o n g w a r n i n g s a g a i n s t
unf a i t h f u lnes s
were appropr ia te ,
(b) the cultic
emph as i s
o f the
l aws was a p p r o p r i a t e , and (c) the spec i f ic w o r d i n g o f an
i nd iv idua l u n i t
such
a s 34:17
c o u l d
be
a c c o u n t e d f o r .
T he
context o f a
fes t ival
in
Canaan
in , for
e x a m p l e ,
the
pre-
m o n a r c h i c a l
period
could
a c c o u n t
fo r the f i r s t two - t h o u g h
h a r d l y
b e t t e r t h an the t r ad i t ion o f Ex.
3 2 f f .
-
wh i l e
for the
th i rd poin t one would ha ve to confess igno rance of the poin t of
the
prohibition ^ or offer a speculative account of the
proh ib i t i on o f d i f f e r e n t types o f i d o l a t r y in I s rael s h i s t o ry .^9
And
even if 34:17 be d iscounted as a secondary addi t ion when
th e
laws wer e i n t r od uced i n to th e i r p r e s en t con tex t , t h e r e
i s no
o ther de ta i l
i n any
o t h e r
law which
g a ins expl ic i t po in t
t h ro u g h
the
pos tu la t ion
o f
such
an
a l t e rna t ive
setting. In
o the r wo rds ,
a
se t t ing fo r the laws a t a r egu la r f es t iva l seems to ex pla in th em
n o
better
t h a n t h e i r p r e s e n t n a r r a t i v e c o n t e x t .
To suggest
that the
laws
o f
34:1
I f f .
were assembled
fo r
the i r
con text does no t m ean tha t they had no p r io r existence.60
Fo r t h e y a re exp l ic i t ly a r e c a p i t u l a t i o n o f l aws a l ready g iven -
pa r t i cu l a r ly Ex . 23:12,14ff .
(13:12f.)
bu t
presuppo sing also
th e
f i r s t
tw o
(and
f o u r t h )
c o m m a n d m e n t s
o f
the d eca logue .
T h e
laws as an
expl ic i t response
to the
cu l t i c
s in of Ex. 32 can be
und e r s tood a s fo l lows. F i rs t , a gene r a l
h o m i l e t i c
w a r n i n g
a g a i n s t
u n f a i t h f u l n e s s (34:11-16)
d e v e l o p i n g th e w a r n i n g s o f
23:23ff. , a n d
t hen
a
r epe t i t i on
o f the
cu l t i c
laws
a l r e a d y
g iven
(23:14ff.) ,
the pa r t i cu la r selection o f l aws be ing de te rmined
less
by the
s i t ua t i on
of Ex. 32
t h a n
by the
f ac t tha t the y we re
the
m a i n
cu l t i c
laws
c o n t a i n e d
a t an
e a r l i e r po in t
in the
S ina i
t r ad i t ion , and the repe t i t i on o f such laws was seen as
a p p r o p r i a t e
a f t e r
I s rael s
cu l t i c s i n . A pa r t
f r o m th e
presence
o f
the
l aws
o f
13:12f.,
th e m a j o r d i f f e r e n c e o f
c o n t e n t b e t w e e n
23:14ff . a n d 34 : 17 f f .
6 1
is 34:17, which expl ic i t ly harks back to
Ex.
32 .
Such
a con gr uen ce b e tween
these
l aws and the i r
context
a t
least
p u t s
a
que s t i on
mark
a g a i n s t
th e
hypo thes i s tha t these
laws
we r e o r ig ina l ly
a n
i nd epe nd en t co llec ti on an d ,
if
t hey
wer e , t h a t t h ey r e f l ec t
th e
r e g u l a r c u l t
o f
I s rae l .
Much wo rk on the
q u e s t i o n ,
and in
p a r t i c u l a r
a p rob ing of the
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Three: Exodus
32-34 as a
Cul t Legend
socio logica l as sumpt ions o f se t t ing th e laws in the r egu la r cu l t ,
r e m a i n s
to be done T he
above a r gu m ent s
are an attempt not to
resolve
the
ques t ion
but to set i t in a new
l igh t .
T H E
P R O B L E M
O F
R E L I G I O U S L A N G U A G E
I t
i s t ime now to turn to a rguments about the Sina i pericope
as a
whole r e f l ec t i ng
the
regular cu l t
of
Israel .
To do
this
r i g h t l y , one f u r the r m ethod ological discuss ion is in order . This
is to do
w i t h
the
n a t u r e
o f
re l ig ious l anguage .
F o r
parts
of the
text
have f re qu en t ly been in t
erpreted
in a way that is
insensi t ive to the
t y p e
o f
l anguage be ing
used .^2
T he
attempt
to
describe
an encounter w i th G od w i l l
necessar i ly s t ra in
the
resources
o f
l a n g u a g e
an d wi l l necessitate
the use of me tapho r , im age ry and paradox by the w r i ter in the
a t t e m p t to convey h is m ean in g . Th i s m eans , fo r e x a m p l e ,
that
w hen
the wr i t e r uses the l anguage o f volcanic o r s torm
phe nom ena, as in Ex. 1 9, he m ay
have l i t t l e in tent ion
o f
t r y i n g
accur a t e l y
to
describe such, sti l l less
o f
ac tua l l y
g iv ing an
account
of a
volcanic erupt ion
or a
t h u n d e r s t o r m .
His a im
r a the r
is to
c o n v e y
the
awes omenes s
of the
c o m i n g
of
Y a h w e h
to his people, and for the ancient m an there were no p h e n o m e n a
m o r e
a w f u l
than
th e
vo l cano
an d
t h u n d e r s t o r m .
T h e
w r i t e r
could h a rd l y express
h is
m ean ing w i thou t such l anguage ,
and
such l anguage
is
p r i m a r i l y evoca t ive
and
only s e c o n d a r i l y ,
if at
al l , des cr ipt ive . T he acc ou nt , th ere fo re , i s not such as to a l low
us
to
reco ns t ru c t what r ea l ly happ ened . Indeed
to
a t t e m p t
to
do
such
is to
m i s u n d e r s t a n d
the
wr i t e r ' s
use of
l a n g u a g e .
A s
Buber
puts
it, when w r i t i n g of Ex. 19,
Every
a t t em pt to pen et ra te to some fac tu a l process
which
is
concealed behind
th e
a w e - i n s p i r i n g p i c t u r e
is
q u i t e
in
v a i n .
W e are n o longer in a pos i t ion to replace
that
i m m e n s e
im age by ac tua l
data °3
Y et n u m e r o u s m o d e r n t r e a t m e n t s
take little
cognizance of
this
aspect o f
r e l i g i o u s l an g u a g e . N o t h ,
fo r
e x a m p l e , a s s u m e s
tha t
Ex. 19
s hows
that
S ina i
was an
active
volcano
and a t t e m p t s
to locate it.6^ V on R ad , in a discussion of E x. 33:18ff. ,
i n t e r p r e t s th e passage as h a v i n g b ee n
or ig ina l ly
a cul t aet iology
which
jus t i f ied a theophan y r i tua l :
T he
congregat ion
would
ca l l upon Yahweh , Yahweh would
pass
by and
dec l a r e
h is
n a m e
an d
a t t r i bu t es ,
and the
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At the
M o u n t a i n
of G od
congrega t ion w o u l d pros t r a t e themse lves .65
V on
R ad
adds
in a
f o o t n o t e ,
It is
d i f f i c u l t
to say how we
o u g h t
to
i m a g i n e
th e
cu l t i c
process
by
w h ic h Y a h w e h
'passed
by
1
,
b u t
o f f e r s
a
t e n t a t i v e suggest ion
o f a
r i t u a l
of the
c a r r y i n g past
o f
c u l t i c e mb le ms .
B u t
s u r e l y
th e
ques t ion
i s no t how bu t
w h e t h e r
w e
sh ou ld
a t t e m p t
to i m a g i n e
th is cu l t i c
process. I. B a r b o u r h as
a rgue d
fo r
in t e rp re t ing
certain
rel igio us lang uag e seriously
b u t
no t l i t e r a l ly ,6o and he
w r i t e s ,
A n
a d d i t iona l s a fe gua rd
aga ins t l i t e ra l i sm is provided by the sense o f awe an d m y s t e r y
associa ted w i t h r e l i g i ous experience .^
Yet i t is
d i f f i c u l t
to
see how the evocation o f awe and my s t e ry , so c lea r ly central in
33:18ff.,
receives
suf f i c i en t recogni t i on
by von
R a d .
If one
takes
th e
l a ngua ge
o f 33:18ff .
se r ious ly ,
but no t
l i t e r a l l y ,
it is
d o u b t f u l w h e t h e r i t
cons t i t u t e s
th e
sor t
o f ma t e r i a l
f r o m
w h i c h
von
Rad's type o f r e c ons t ruc t i on c ou ld j us t i f i a b ly b e attempted.
E V I D E N C E F O R T H E I N F L U E N C E O F
I S R A E L ' S
C U L T U P O N
T H E
S I N A I
P E R I C O P E
It is in the l i gh t of such con sidera t ions abou t re l ig iou s
language
that
o n e
should
assess
th e
signi f icance
o f
those
f e a t u r e s
i n E x .
1 9 f f .
w h i c h a re
supposed
to
r e f l e c t
th e
i n f l u e n c e
of Israel 's c u l t . B e y e r l i n , w h o provides a t h o r o u g h g o i n g cu l t i c
i n t e rp re
tation of the
Sinai pericope, lists
th e
f o l l o w i n g
s ign i f i can t features:^
1 . P u r i f i c a t o r y rites (19:10-1
la ,
14-15a, 15b) re f lec t ing
th e preparat ion fo r w o r s h i p and the epiphany o f
Y a h w e h
in the festa l cult.
2. C lou d of smo k e (19 :9 ,16,18) . T his has i ts basis in an
incense rite, cf. Le v. 16 :2,1 2,1 3, Is. 6:4, 1 Kg. 8:10.
3. The
t r u m p e t blast (19:13b,16,19 , 20:18) , which
corresponds
to the
b l o w i n g
of the
t rump e t
at the
c u l t i c t h e op h a ny .
4. P r o c l a m a t i o n of n a m e of Ya h w e h (3 3 : 1 9 ,
34:6f.).
T h i s
re f lec t s th e practice o f i n v o k i n g th e d i v in e n a m e to
actualize th e t h e o p h a n y .
5. Th e act of obeisance
(33:10;
34:8).
6.
E a t i n g
o f a
c ove na n t me a l
(24:9-11) .
7. Ri te of
spr ink l ing
b lood of sac r i f ic ia l v ic t ims on
people
an d
a l t a r (24:3ff .) .
8. Proc lamat ion of c o v e n a n t law (20:2-17, 34:10-26).
9 . Th e f ix ing o f a t i m e an d
place
fo r Y a h w e h ' s
epiphany
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Three : Exodus 32-34 as a C ul t Legend
(19:10L,
32:2,4, 19:12-13a, 20-24,
34:3).
10.
A p p o i n t m e n t a n d r o l e o f a c o v e n a n t m e d i a t o r
(20:18-21,
cf.
19:9).
T he
va lue of these indica t ions
va r i e s .
It has already been
a r g u e d a bove that an ac t ion l ike ob e isance (no. 5) is not cultic
in
an y
s i gn i f i c a n t sense. M o r e o v e r , m a n y
o f
these fea tures
(1 ,5 ,6 ,7 ,9 ,10)
c a n b e u n d e r s t o o d w i t h o u t
d i f f i c u l t y
to be par t of
an a c tua l S i nai t r a d i t ion . A s s u m i ng t h a t
t h e r e
were ea r ly
t r a d i t i o n s
of an
e n c o u n t e r w i t h
Go d a t
S ina i ,
it is
h a r d
to
c o n c e i v e w h a t
these
t r a d i t i ons c ou l d ha ve c on t a i ne d ,
i f not
some such prac t i ces a s
these.
A n y t r a d i t i o n o f a n e n c o u n t e r
w i t h
Y a h w e h
w o u l d
necessa r i l y be expressed in
the se
cul t ic
t e r m s .
Fe a tures 4 and 8 hav e a l rea dy been d i scussed , and they l i ke -
wi se
c ons t i t u t e
an
i n t e g ra l pa r t
of the
S ina i t rad i t i on
and f i t a t
least as w e l l in
t h a t
t r a d i t i o n , as a
Sinai
t r a d i t i o n , as t h e y
w o u l d e l sewhere ;
indeed
one
might c l a im
on the
basis
of the
exeges i s
t h a t
t h e y f i t
b e t t e r
he re t ha n e l s e whe re .
T he
c loud
and
smoke ( they
can be
d i s t i ngui shed) need
not be a
p r o b l e m ,
for i t is h a r d l y j u s t i f i a b l e to
s e pa ra t e
th e
r e f e r e n c e s
to
them f rom
th e
o t h e r s torm
an d
vo l c an i c phe n om e na ( t hunde r
an d l i gh t n i ng , f i r e an d
q u a k i n g ) ,
th e p u r p o s e o f w h i c h is to
evoke
awe a t
Y a h w e h .
T he
or ig ins
o f
such language
are in
a c t ua l s t o rm s a nd vo l c a noe s a nd t he e f f e c t t he y ha ve on pe op l e ,
not in c l o u d s o f i nc e ns e , and the f u n c t i o n of the i m a g e r y is
m o r e e m o t i v e t h a n r e f e r e n t i a l .
G i v e n a
t r a d i t i o n
of an
a w e s o m e
e n c o u n t e r w i t h Y a h w e h
a t
S i na i ,
th e
l a n g u a g e
is
a p p r o p r i a t e
an d e x p l i c a b l e in t e rm s of the t r a d i t i o n .
T h e
t r u m p e t b l as t i s t h e o n e f e a t u r e w h i c h c a n n o t s o r e a d i l y
b e
a c c oun t e d
fo r p u r e l y in
t e r m s
o f a
Sinai t ra d i t io n . N e w m a n ,
for
e x a m p l e , w r i te s ,
the t rad i t i on is v i e we d s i m p l y as an a c c o u n t of the
e x p e r i e n c e
a t
S ina i ,
th e loud
t r u m p e t b l a s t w i t h
th e
t h u n d e r s , l i g h t n i n g s ,
and
thick c loud
is
mos t p e rp l ex ing .
W h o ,
o n e m i g h t a s k , w as b l o w i n g th e t r u m p e t on the top
of the
m o u n t a i n ?
W as i t t he
L o r d ?
But i f the
l e ge nd
is
associated w i t h
th e
c u l t ,
th e
t r u m p e t
ca n b e
u n d e r s t o o d
as a
c u l tic i n s t r u m e n t w h i c h
w as
blown
in
c o n n e c t i o n w i th
a l a t e r c o v e n a n t c e r e m o n y a n d w a s absorbed in to th e
l e ge nd .^ 9
It
is possible
that
th e t r u m p e t r e f e r e n c e s d o show
that
th e
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
t h e o p h a n y has t o some
extent
been w r i t t en u p i n a w ay that
ref lects th e
later
cu l t i c
practices
o f Israel . If so, i t
w o u l d
n o t
fol low
that
a ny o f t h e o ther details in the nar ra t ive shou ld a l so
be
expla ined thus
nor
that
the
n a r r a t i ve
as a
w h o l e
reflects
a
cu l t i c
Sitz
im L e b e n . M o r e o v e r , t h is m a y b e s o m e t h i n g p e c u li a r
to Ex. 1 9, a cha pter w i th several d is t in ct ive characteristics n o t
shared by the rest o f t he Sinai
pericope. The
t r u m p e t
refer-
ences do n o t recu r o u t si de t he cha p t e r , an d n eed show n o m o r e
t h a n
that
th e r e c o u n t i n g of Ex. 19 h a s been pa r t i a l l y i n f l u e n c e d
by th e experiences o f Israel s cult.
Even s o , h o w e v e r , t h e i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h e t r u m p e t r e f e r -
ences
n e e d s
f u r t h e r
i n ves t i ga t i o n . H o w a r e t hey to be
un ders tood ? I f they a re i n t e rpre ted l i t e ra l ly , t hen the que s t ion
of w ho blew the t r u m p e t can be
asked.
To say
that
G o d h i m s e lf
s o u n d ed th e t r u m p e t i s no t a s i m p l a u s i b l e a s N e w m a n impl ies;
cf . Zech.
9:14.
No n e t he l es s , su ch a n a n s w e r fi t s a w k w a r d l y w i t h
the
narrative.
V a r i o u s n o n - li t e ra l i n t e r p r e t a t io n s h a v e t h e r e f o r e b ee n
advan ced . C assu t o , fo r exam ple , s ays ,
It [ the sound o f a h o r n ] s i g n i f i e s th e s t r o n g w i n d that
blows v io len t ly through
th e
gorges
between
th e
m o u n -
t a i n s , r en d i n g t he a i r wi th a great no i se l ike the s o u n d o f
a h o rn . 7 0
This seems a s o m e w h a t r a t i o n a l i s t e x p l a n a t i o n . ? 1 G .
Friedr ich argues that the soun d o f horns probably denotes th e
i nexpress ib le
voice o f G o d a n d p o i n t s to Ex. 19:19 for the
t r u m p e t a n d God's vo ice a s
pa ra l l e l . 72
T|-,J
S
a lso hard ly does
just ice to t he c o n t e x t w h e r e th e t r u m p e t is a d i s t i nc t sound
which precedes a n d accom panies God's speech.
Th e
u n s a t i s f a c t o r y n a t u r e o f
these
i n t e rp re t a t i o n s sho w s
that
th e p r o b l e m i s no t eased bu t exacerba ted by po s i n g it in t e r m s
o f
a
literal
o r
non- l i t e ra l interpretation.
Th e
aw kw ardn ess
o f
a n s w e r i n g th e
qu e s ti o n W h o b l e w
th e
t ru m pe t ? su gges ts that
th is is an i n a p p r o p r i a t e q u e s t i o n to ask , a n d this is s i g n i f i c a n t
fo r
th e
gen re
o f t h e
m a t e r i a l .
T w o
th ings become clear.
First,
th e t r u m p e t references c a n n o t be taken in isolat ion
f rom
th e
s t o r m
a n d
v o l ca n i c p h e n o m e n a ; t h e y
are a l l o f a
piece.
Secondly ,
th e
t ru m pe t r e f e ren ces a r e , li ke
th e
rest
o f t he
n a r r a t i v e ,
evocative
rather than re feren t i a l . They are included
in th e
t h e o p h a n y a c c o u n t because
of the p r o f o u n d a n d
e m o t i v e
e f f e c t
that
a so l em n t ru m pe t b l a s t c an have o n a hea re r . I f t h i s
i s so , and one may no t u se such language to reconstruct events
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T h r e e : E x o d u s 32-34
a s a
C u l t L e g e n d
at Sinai, then it w i l l also be an i l l eg i t ima te u se o f the m a t e r i a l
to
attempt
t o r e c o n s t r u c t o r
d iscern
aspects o f the
r e g u l a r cult
o f
I s rael f r o m i t .
I t
m a y s t i l l b e as ked w hy the t r u m p et b la s t w a s co ns id er ed a n
a ppr o pr ia te e lement
of the
t h e o p h a n y
a n d
w h e t h e r t h i s does
n o t
s t i l l , in s o m e w a y , r e f le c t the r egu la r cu l t ic ex per iences o f
I s r a e l . Tha t
the u se o f the
t r u m p e t d o e s r e f l e c t s o m e p r i o r
e x p e r i e n c e
of its
s i g n i f i c a n c e
is
l i ke ly .
B u t
t h o u g h t h i s
ex -
perience m ay have been in the r e g u l a r c u l t o f Israel in C a na a n
i t c a n n o t be r e s t r ic ted to i t . The t r u m p e t w a s c o m m o n in the
a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t , w e l l attested
in the
t h i r d
a n d
second
m i l l e n n i a / ^ j
n
s o u n d o f t h e
t r u m p e t
m a y
wel l have been
a
c o m m o n e l e m e n t
in
m a n s e n co u n t e r w i t h
th e
d i v i n e t h r o u g h o u t
th e a n c i e n t N e a r
East.
T h e u s e , t h e r e f o r e , o f t he t r u m p e t a s a
s i g n i f i c a n t s y m b o l i n E x . 19 m a y r e f l e c t the r e g u l a r c u l t o f
Israel , but i t need no t . T h e q u e s t io n m u s t be decided in the
c o n t e x t o f
one s o v e r a l l u n d e r s t a n d i n g
of the
n a t u r e
of the
S ina i
t r a d i t i o n , n o t b eca u s e n o s a t i s f a c t o r y a c co u n t o f the t r u m p e t
can be g i v e n in d i f f e r e n t t e r m s .
To co nc lu d e , it can be said
that
n o n e of the cultic f e a t u r e s
o f
th e
S inai per ico p e r eq u i r es
an
e x p l a n a t i o n
in
t e r m s
of the
r e g u l a r
c u l t o f I s r a e l . A n d e v e n i f s o m e e l e m e n t s of the r e g u l a r
cu l t ma y ha ve in f lu en ced pa r t o f the d es c r ip t io n in Exodus., th i s
is far f r o m s h o w i n g that th e cu l t w a s t h e Sitz
im
Leben for the
c o n t e n t . A n
a l t e rn a t i v e e x p l a n a t i o n
o f the
s a m e data,
t h a t
t h e y
n o t o n l y a r e b u t a l w a y s w e r e p a r t o f a n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n
a t t e m p t i n g to relate an e n c o u n t e r w i t h G o d a t S ina i o f fe r s a
c o h e r e n t a n d c o m p r e h e n s i v e u n d e r s t a n d i n g . T h is d o es n o t m e a n
t h a t t h i s a l t e r n a t i v e i s correct. Bu t o n the pr in c ip le o f O cca m s
r a z o r ,
that
fo r p u r p o s e s o f e x p l a n a t i o n t h i n g s n o t
k n o w n
to
exist s ho u ld no t , u n les s it is a b s o lu te ly necessary, be p o s t u l a t e d
a s e x i s t i n g , th e c o m p a r a t i v e s i m p l i c i t y , y e t c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s ,
o f th e h y p o t h e s i s g i ve s i t a p r i m a f a c i e c l a i m to acceptance.
T h e a l t e r n a t i v e h y p o t h e s i s , w h i c h r e q u i r e s a l ong a n d c o m p l e x
d e v e l o p m e n t
and
t r a n s f o r m a t i o n
o f the
m a t e r i a l
in
q u e s t i o n ,
n o t o n l y d o e s n o t e x p l a i n t h e text a n y m o r e
u l l y
but a lso
p o s t u l a t e s
a
l a r ge
n u m b e r o f
f a c t o r s
which a re a t
b e s t i n v i s i b l e
an d a t w o r s t i l l u s o r y .
C O N C L U S I O N
T he
a r g u m e n t o f this c h a p t e r h as been to present a
c u m u l a t i v e case
in
f a v o u r
o f the S inai
m a t e r i a l
a s a
n a r r a t i v e
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A t the M oun ta in of God
t rad i t ion concern ing S ina i r a the r than as a cult legend , in the
sort
o f
sense
in
w h i ch
t h a t
t e r m
has
b e en c o m m o n l y u n d e r st o o d .
There
a re
perhaps
six
main e l e m e n t s
in the
a r g u m e n t .
There
has
been confusion
in the use of the
terms legend
and
cult in such a w ay as to be misleading.
2 ) A form -c r i t i ca l ana lys is has somet imes been used in such
a way as to beg the
ques t ion
of the
n a t u r e
of the
t r a d i t i on .
3 )
A n o r i g i n a l l y i n d e p e n d e n t ex i s t en c e in the c u l t fo r some
of the m os t cultic
e l e m e n t s
in the n a r r a t i v e is not
necessarily th e most l ike ly explana t ion.
4) T he adoption of a n a r r a t i v e t radi t ion for use in the cu l t is
a
process
a t least as
l ike ly
to
u n d e r l i e Ex. 32-34
as a
pos tu l a t ed h i s to r i c i z a t i on
o f
cul t ic r i tua l s .
5)
T oo l i t e ra l i s t an approach to the p rob lem of re l ig ious
language has resulted in
i l l eg i t ima te
inferences being
based on the material.
6 ) The cu l t legend hy po thes is does not in fac t exp la in any
e lements in the text w h ic h c a nno t equ a l ly be exp la ined by
the
acceptance
of the t r a d i t i on as g e n u i n e l y a Sinai
t rad i t ion .
If
these
points
are
accepted,
then serious doubts
are
cast
upon
the analysis of the Sinai pericope as a
cult legend.
A d m i t t e d l y
these a r g u m e n t s
do no t
d isprove
th e
cul t legend
hypothes i s . But that is la rgely because in this sort of problem
the a r g u m e n t s are no t such as to a d m i t o f proof ra ther than
probabi l i ty . It is also d i f f i c u l t to discuss an issue when many of
th e
a rguments advanced
a re
somewhat in tangible . This
is
p a r t i c u l a r l y th e case w h e n o n e
attempts
to interact w i t h v o n
R ad
an d
N o t h ,
the two
m os t i n f l u e n t i a l scholars
in
recent
pen ta teu cha l s tud ies. Both m a in ta in
that there
w as a
long
and
complex cultic t rad i t ion-h is to ry und e r ly ing th e Sinai pericope,
bu t ne i th e r o f f e r s m uc h a rgum en t as to why this should be the
case. R a th e r t h ey
t a k e fo r
g ra n ted
that it
m us t hav e been , th i s
a s su mp t i o n
be in g based on the i r l a rge r un de rs tan d in g of the
e a r l y h i s to ry o f Israe l and the g r o w t h o f pen ta t euc h a l
t rad i t ions . B u t w h a t e v e r m ay be t he case e lsewhere in the
Pentateuch, that should
no t be
allowed
to
pre judge
the
assessment of the Sinai material. Such dif f icul t ies attend the
ana lys i s
of Ex .
32 -34
as
cul t legend
that
it
becomes
a
d i f f i c u l t
h ypo th es i s to m a i n t a i n . A reasonable a l te rna t ive is to hold that
the
m a te r i a l
i s , and was f rom th e start, a
n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n
te l l ing o f Israel's encounte r w i th Yahw eh a t Mt. Sina i .
4
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C h a p t e r
t
E X . 32-34 A S L E G E N D
It has been argued th t E x. 32-34 is a genuine S inai t r ad i t ion .
It
r e m a i n s
to
e x a m i n e
f u r t h e r
w h a t k ind
of
t r a d i t io n
it is.
Th is
is imp o r t a n t for i ts own sake , to f u r t h e r ou r overal l
apprec ia t ion o f the na tu re o f the t rad i t ion . I t wi l l also bear
upon th e quest ion of how far i t may be p ro p e r to see the
na r ra t ive a s poss ib ly p re se rv ing ge nu ine ly h i s to r ica l t rad i t ion .
T H E
M O S E S T R A D I T IO N S
A S
L E G E N D
The discussion wi l l be approache d by ask ing w he the r the S ina i
m a t e r i a l
m ay
a p t l y
b e
d e s ig n a t e d
a s a
l egend
-
l egend
in the
genera l sense
of a
large ly unhis tor ica l
story set in an his tor ica l
con tex t
(Sage) .
T h e
v iew
th t
m a n y
of the
e a r l y n a r r a t i v e s
of the OT are
l egend
ra th e r than h is to r y w as sys te m at ica l ly deve loped in the
ea r ly yea rs of the 20 t h c e n t u ry , mo s t n o t a b l y b y H . G u n k e l an d
H . G r e s s m a n n in th e
c o n t e x t
of a history of re l igion s app roach
to the
O T . 2
w h i l e G u n k e l direc ted h is a t ten t ion
p r i m a r i l y
t o w a rd s Genes i s ,3 Gressmann p roduced a comprehens ive
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n
of the
M oses s tor ies
in
M o s e
u nd
seine Zei t .
Since then legend h as cont inued to play an impor tan t ro le in
t he ana lys i s o f ea r ly O T t r a d i t i o n s . ̂ A s such it has m ade the
q u e s t
f or
historical
e v e n t s
u n d e r l y i n g
th e
t radi t ions
a
so me w h a t
ne bu l o us
u n d e r t a k i n g , e v en t h ou g h th e
last
t h o ro u g h in t e rp re t -
at ion of the M oses
stories
as
saga,^
M . Buber 's M oses , was
c o m p a r a t i v e l y o p t imis t i c a b o u t th e h i s t o r i c a l c o n t e n t of the
t r a d i t io n s .
T he use of l egend to designate Israe l ' s ear ly t radi t ions has
n o t b e en u n c h a l l e n g e d . I n p a r t i c u l a r , i n th ose
re s
w h e r e t h e
b ib l ica l t heo logy movement wi th its e mp h a s i s on the cen t r a l i t y
of h is to ry wa s s t rong the use o f the t e rm l egend , w h i l e no t
e xp l i c i t l y
denied ,6
receded
into
th e
b a c k g r o u n d .
B u t
th t
m o v e m e n t fa i l ed to p rov ide a s u f f i c i e n t l y c o h e re n t a n d c o m-
prehens ive approach o f i t s own. '
7
A s t r o n g r e s t a t e m e n t of the l e g e n d a r y n a t u r e of I s rae l ' s ea r ly
t r a d i t io n s ,
w i t h a
c o r r e s p o n d i n g d e n i a l
of
t h e i r h i s t or i c a l v a l u e ,
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
is to e
f o u n d
in the recent Is rae l i t e an d Jud ae an His to ry in
w h i c h T.L. Th o mp s o n a n d D .
Irv in
c o n t r i b u t e th e discuss ion o f
th e Joseph a n d Moses n a r r a t i v e s . 8 T h o m p s o n a r g u e s for the
n o n - h i s t o r i c a l n a t u r e
of the
M o s e s t r a d i t i o n s p a r t l y b e c a u s e
o f
th e p o v e r t y o f h i s t o r i c a l a n d a r c h a e o l o g i c a l e v i d e n c e , bu t m o r e
f u n d a m e n t a l l y
b e ca u s e o f t h e na t u r e o f t h e t ra d i t i o n s a s h e ro i c
tales :
The
hero ic
tale a s a
n a r r a t i v e ty p e
is
m a r k e d l y
ah is to r ica l bo th
in
s t ru c t u r e
a n d d e v e l o p m e n t .9
I f t h e l i t e r a r y t yp e i s that o f h e r o i c
tale,
a n d t h e h e r o i c
tale
is
a
g e n r e
that
s h o w s
n o g e n u i n e
h i s t o r i o g r a p h i c a l interest, t h e n
there
s i m p l y
does not exis t the
k i n d
o f m a t e r i a l
f r o m
w h i c h
h i s t o r i c a l r e cons t r uc t i on cou l d be u n d e r ta k e n :
T h e
p r o b l e m
i s n o t
s i m p l y
that th e
na r r a t i v e s l a ck
h i s t o r i c i t y , b u t r a t h e r that th e p e n t a te u c h a l n a r ra t i v e s
a re i m p e r v i o u s a n d i r r e l e v a n t t o q u e s t i o n s a b o u t t h e
h i s t o r i c i t y o f
e v e n t s
o r f i g u r e s of the past. N o t h i n g
m o r e
h i s t o r i c a l l y
c o n c r e te a b o u t th e h i s t o r i c a l M o s e s a n d
Y a h w e h c an b e k n o w n
t h a n a b o u t
th e
his tor ica l
Tarn m u z
a n d
Ishtar ;
n o r is o u r k n o w l e d g e a b o u t t h e w a n d e r i n g i n
t h e w i ld e r n e s s q u a l i t a t i v e l y
d i f f e r e n t
f r o m w h a t w e k n o w
o f
Od y s s e us ' j o u r n e y .
10
I rv in
treats
th e M os e s s to r i e s a s c o m p a r a b l e
w i t h
o t h e r
a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n m a t e r i a l
w h i c h sh e
c l ass i f i es
a s
f i c t i on
o r
fo l k t a l e .
H er p r i m a r y
c o n c e r n
i s no t
h i s t o r i c a l
bu t
l i t e r a r y , s e e k i n g
to
g a i n i n s i g h t i n t o
th e f u n c t i o n a n d m e a n i n g
of t ra d i t i o n a l m o t i f s i n t h e i r
respective
contexts. But she t oo
c o n c l u d e s
by
r e f e r r i n g
to t he
q ue s t i on
o f
h is to ry
a n d a f f i r m i n g
t h a t
t h e l i t e r a r y f o r m o f t h e
n a r r a t i v e s
i s
s u c h t h a t
o n e
c a n n o t
a s s u m e
t h a t
a n y
s o r t
o f
h i s to r i c a l e v e n t s u n d e r l i e t h em .
12
Such a n
e x t r e m e d e n i a l
o f
h i s t o r i c i t y d o e s
n o t
r e p r e s e n t
a
s ch o l a r l y cons e ns us . N one t h e l e s s th e a p p r o a c h to t h e p r o b l e m ,
by w h i c h
d e t e r m i n a t i o n
o f
po ssib le h i s to r ica l w o r th shou ld
f o l lo w
u p o n
a n a l y z i n g th e l i t e r a r y t yp e a n d i n t e n t i o n o f the
m a t e r i a l ,
is
su re ly
correct.
It is
t h e r e f o r e
to the
q u e s t i o n
o f
l i t e r a r y
t y p e t h a t
w e
m u s t g i v e
f u r t h e r
a t t e n t i o n .
A
P R E L I M I N A R Y
C L A R IF I C A T I ON
Th e
p r o b l e m s
a n d
is sues
a t
s t a k e
a re
m a n i f o l d .
I f a ny
c l a r i f i c a t i o n is to
e m e r g e , c e r t a i n p o t e n t i a l s o u r c e s
o f
c o n -
4
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F o u r : E x o d u s 3 2 3 d
f u s i o n
m u s t
be dealt
w i t h
at the outset.
Fi r s t ,
it is
d a n g e r o u s
to
g e n e r a l i z e . T h o m p s o n ,
f o r
example ,
n o t o n l y treats th e
Joseph
an d
Moses na r ra t ives t oge ther
as the
same
k i n d
o f
ma te r i a l w i th
n o
r ega r d
f o r
the i r
d i f f e r e n c e s , ^
bu t also he a l lows fo r no d i f fe rences wi th in the Moses na r ra -
tives.
I r v i n
l i k ew i se s eems
to
a s s u m e
that th e charac te r i s t i c s
di scovered in the ear ly chapters o f E x o d u s d e t e r m i n e the g e n r e
o f the
r e m a i n d e r
o f the
Mo ses n a r r a t i ve s .
B u t
d i f f e r e n t
nar ra tives and trad i t i on s shou ld be s tud ied in the i r o w n r i g h t .
T he
Sina i na r ra t ive
i s i n
m a n y w a y s d i s t i n c t
f r o m
o ther Moses
n a r r a t i v e s
and i t s
g e n r e
s ho u ld n o t be
s u b s u m e d
u n d er that o f
o the r n a r r a t i ve s .
Secondly ,
there
is much diverse usage, wi th resu l tan t
c o n f u s i o n , o f
te rmin o log y . Terms li ke legend , saga ,
epic ,
hero ic
tale ,
fo lk tale , etc., ten d
to be
u sed
w i t h
i n s u f f i c i e n t
d e f i n i t i o n
an d
d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n .
I r v i n
de l ibera te ly e schews
the
d i s cu s s i o n
o f
t e r m i n o l o g y
o n
the
g r o u n d s
that th e
modern d i s t i nc t ion s
o f
l i terary type
were no t k n o w n or adhered to in the per io ds
f r o m
which
o u r stories date,
an d
modern appl ica t ion
o f
these
t e r m s
is
apt to be s o m e w h a t a r b i t r a r y , b e c a u s e i t i s no t clear
w hi c h
a n c i e n t
charac te r i s t i c s
deserve
w h i ch mo d e rn
labels. 1*
B oth these
p o i n t s
m ay
r ead i l y
be
gran ted . None the les s
th e
precise
d i f f e r e n t i a t i o n
o f
genre
can
ha r d l y
be a
mat te r
o f
i n d i f f e r e n c e . ' F o r
w e i g h t y h i s t o r i c a l
an d
t r ad i t i o - h i s t o r i ca l
c o n c l u s i o n s
are m a d e to d e p e n d o n t h e u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f gen r e ,
an d th e d i f f e r e n t gen res a re n o t iden t ical i n the i r h i s t o r ica l
impl ica t ion s . Legends ,
fo r
example ,
centre
o n
real
people
s et
w i t h i n h i s t o r i c a l t i m e ;
an d
a l t h o u g h
an
h i s t o r i c a l n u c l e u s
m ay
be so
o ve r l a id
as to be
u n r e c o v e r a b l e
i t may
also
be
poss ible
to
gain
d e f i n i t e h i s t o r i ca l k n o w l ed g e
f r o m
a legend .15 Fo lk ta le s ,
by contrast, a l t ho u gh
s et
w i th i n h i s to r i ca l t ime ,
d o n o t
deal
w i t h
real people
and are charac te r i zed by
t r i c k e r y
an d
i n g e n u i t y
as c e n t r a l concerns; ̂ o n a l m o s t n o r e c k o n i n g o f
f o l k t a l e w o u l d o n e be j u s t i f i e d in
t r e a t i n g
a
f o l k t a l e
as an
hi s to r ica l
source.
T h o m p s o n
bases
the ahi s to r ica l n a tu re o f the Mo se s t r ad i t i o n s
o n th e
fac t tha t they
are
hero ic
tales . B u t C .
C o n r o y ' -
7
a n a l y z e s
th e
character i s t ics
o f
h e r o i c l i t e r a t u r e
an d
s h o w s
that
nei ther
the
pat r iarchs
n o r
Moses
can be
cons idered hero ic
f i gu r e s in the technical sense. Fo r the m i l ieu o f hero ic
14 3
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A t
the Mounta in of G od
literature is
aristocratic,
the content is to do with banquets and
battles,
and the
purpose
is
p r imar i ly entertainment. Thompson
uses the t e rm in a compara t ive ly loose sense, to designate a
story
which
focusses
on one
chief
character,
irrespect ive
of
w h e t h e r
h is
stature
and qua lit ies are he roic in the technica l
sense.
Such
a
usage
of
heroic
may be legitimate. But it is
h a r d
to see why such a n a r r a t i v e should necessari ly be ahistorical ,
since i t does not en tail the use of t rad it io na l the m es and m ot ifs
in the way tha t t echn ical ly hero ic l i t e ra tu r e does. A hero ic
tale
( in
Thompson 's
sense)
m ay
indeed
by
ah i s to r i ca l ,
bu t that
m u s t
be decided on other grounds than the s imple fact
that
it is
heroic .
18
It is
obviously
beyond
the
scope
of
th is s tudy
to
of fe r
any
resolut ion
to the te rminolog ical p rob lem. Rather it wil l be
assumed that
the
de sign ation legend (Sage)
in
some sense
would be general ly agreed to be applicable to the Moses
t radi t ion
and may at least be
heurist ically applied
to the
Sinai
material. The discussion, however, will seek to fo cu s on
ana l yz i ng characteristics of the material rather than
build
a
case upon
debatable terminology.
O R A L
L I T E R A T U R E
It
would
be
helpful ini t ial ly
to
broaden
the scope of the
debate. Rather than discuss the applicabili ty of, and criteria
for ,
the designation legend , prior question is to ask w h e t h e r
the literature is oral
literature,
in the
sense
of
literature
which has come in to existence in an oral cul ture or group
w i t h ou t the use of writing .
19
Oral literature is a broader
category
than legend and subsumes i t . On most understandings
of legend, legendary material w as or ig inal ly composed and
t r ansmi t t ed o ra l ly
and it is in the
course
of
constan t re te l l ing
that
th e
h is to r ica l nucleus
( if
a n y )
wh i ch
orig ina l ly gave r ise
to
the legend is ove rlaid . I f, the ref ore , i t seems l ikely that the
material was not oral , i t
would
also be
unl ikely
that the
m a t e r i a l
is
legendary .
If it was
most
likely
oral,
it would not
t h e r e f o r e
follow
th at i t is leg en da ry, since the precise n at ur e of
th e
m a t e r i a l
would
still need
to be
decided;
though
legend
would
be the
mos t
l ikely
candidate
for the
major i ty
of
early
O T
n a r r a t i v e s .
T he
possibility
of
oral t radi t ion bears direct ly
upon the
quest ion of
historicity. O ral t rad it ion tends
to
m a k e
th e
historical value
o f a
t rad i t ion com para t ive ly l imi ted . Al though
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Four : E x o d u s 32-34 as Legend
oral t radi t ion
can
preserve
mater ia l accurately
and
unchanged ,
it can also change it beyond recognition. The problem of course
in
any
given
case is to know
which ,
and it is
uncer ta in ty here
that
largely accounts for the d i v e r s i t y o f v i e w s c o n c e r n i n g the
his tor ical re l iabi l i ty of Israel ' s ear ly t radi t ions . It can h a r d l y be
d e n i e d ,
h o w e v e r , that a c o n s i d e r a b l e d e g re e o f t r a n s f o r m a t i o n
is character is t ic of ora l t r ad i t ion , and as such necessitates
caution in histor ical
assessment.20
Significant though
the
implicat ions
o f
oral tradit ion are,
the
chief
d if f icu l ty
is to show that any par t icular t ra d i t ion does
genuinely represen t ora l tr ad i t ion . The problem of d i s t inguish -
ing
ora l
f rom
w r i t te n l i te r a t u r e
is
great
w i t h
n o
clear
consensus
as to the
d e m a r c a t i o n . 2 1 S u c h
is the
p r o b l e m a t i c
nature
of the
distinction
that
a r g u m e n t s a b o u t
an y
par t icular
text
wi l l
usual ly fal l shor t of demons t rab i l i ty . The argu-
m e n t a t i o n m u s t
be
c u m u l a t i v e
an d
applied heu rist ically.
First one is l o o k i n g fo r o r a l
characteristics
in a w r i t t e n text.
This obvious poin t in w o r t h e m p h a s i z i n g . For a l t h o u g h it is
possible
that th e
w r i t t e n
text is
s imply
a
d i rec t t r a ns cr ip t ion
o f
an oral t radi t ion,
the
t ransposi t ion into wr i t ing
can
introduce
scribal characteristics and obscure oral characteristics in the
t r ad i t ion . A l low ance m us t be m a d e for the possible loss of ora l
characteristics;
their absence
from
a
w r i t t e n
text does not
prec lude
the poss ibi l i ty of their or iginal
presence.
E q u a l l y ,
h o w e v e r ,
i t i s impor tan t not to a rgue f r o m a presupposed idea
of o r a l t r a d i t i o n to the pos i t ion that o r a l f e a t u r e s m u s t h a v e
o r ig ina l ly charac te r ized a par t icu lar s tory , even though mos t
s i gn i f i ca n t traces are no longer present in the text.22 Unless
there
r e m a i n s
a
subs tan tia l am ou nt
o f
oral
criteria
in the
w r i t t e n
text 23
then either the supposed oral original lies so
far behind w r i t ten recensions
as to
become
o f
m i n o r i m p o r t -
ance or else i t may be the case that the pos tu la t ion of ora l
origins
is s imply incor rec t .
The re la t ion o f ora l to w r i t te n t r ad i t ion i s var iab le .2^
Par t icular ly d i f f icu l t
to
assess
is the
possible transit ional
text
a text f rom a t i m e w h e n a l iving t radi t ion o f oral com-
position is g iv ing w ay to l i terary composi t ion and w h e n aspects
of
both modes of composit ion
wo u ld
be incorporated into the
text. Such a possibil i ty wo u ld m a k e
criteria
f o r d i s t i n g u i s h i n g
ora l from w r i t t e n characteristics
d i f f i c u l t
to establish f i r m l y .
Final ly , at this general level of d i s c u s s i o n , it m u s t be s t ressed
that
a r g u m e n t s a b o u t t h e
likelihood
of ora l t r ad i t ion , e spec ia l ly
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A t
the M o u n t a i n o f Go d
in
th e
context
o f
bibl ical literature w h e r e there
is little
e v i d e n c e o t h e r t h a n th e f i n a l
f o r m
o f t h e w r i t t e n
text,
wi l l
necessari ly
be
closely connected
to
one's ov era l l unders t and i ng
o f
the na tu re o f e a r l y I s r ae l and i t s cu l t u r e and the
l ike ly
extent of the use o f
w r i t i n g
a n d literacy.25
Such consider-
a t ion s p layed a no table ro le i n the p ion eer in g work o f G u n k e l ,
a n d
cons t i t u t e bo th
th e
s t r e n g t h
a n d t h e
w e a k n e s s
of h i s
w o r k .
They
are a s t r eng th in the c o m p r e h e n s i v e n e s s of the p i c tu re
that t h e r e b y emerges. T h e y are a weakness in
that
i f the
g ene ra l con s i de r a t i ons becom e susp ect , t h en
so
does
th e
w h o l e
posi t ion
that is
b u i l t a r o u n d t h e m .
S.M.
W a r n e r ,
fo r
e x a m p l e ,
s t rong ly criticizes the an th rop o l og i ca l a s sump t i ons that played
a p r o m i n e n t ro le in the f i r s t ed i t i on o f
G u n k e l ' s
Genes i s
commentary;^
O
n th e basis o f these G u n k e l a rg ued
that
bre vi ty an d lack of sophist icat ion we re sure ind icato rs of ea r ly
a n d
o r a l m a t e r i a l .
This
p o s i t i o n , h o w e v e r , s e e m s
to be
q u i t e
u n f o u n d e d , 2 7
f
ac
t which
raises
ser ious ques t ions abou t
Gunke l ' s
wh o l e p a t t e rn
o f
a rg u m e n t .
In the search for specif ic
criteria
to d i s t i ngu ish ora l f r o m
wri t ten t r ad i t i on , scholars have
n o t
i n f r e q u e n t ly e m p lo y e d
A .
Olrik's
f a m o u s epic
laws .28
These th i r t een
laws
o r
principles designate broad
characteristics o f a
type
o f
literature
which
Olr ik
called
Sage in i ts
broades t
sense.
Insofar
as the
laws
ar ise o u t o f
Olr ik ' s wide exper ience
o f folk
literature,
they
usefu l l y
conv ey th e feel o f a par t i cu lar type
o f p o p u l a r literature. I t has been i nc reas i ng l y q ues t i oned ,
h o w e v e r ,
whe the r Ol r i k ' s l aws
d o
g e n u i n e l y enab l e
o n e t o
d i f f e r en t i a t e be tween o r a l
a n d
w r i t t e n literature.29 There
are perhaps
f o u r
m a in cr i ti c i sm s o f the i r u se in th i s rega rd .
First,
Olr ik
worked
m a i n l y
wi t h E u r o p e a n
m a t e r i a l ,
a n d
th i s
will
no t necessar i ly be represen ta t ive o f l i t e ra ture
f ro m
d i f f e r e n t
cultures.
Secondly,
the
laws
are not
laws; they
are
genera l -
i z a t i o n s which
a d m i t
o f m a n y
excep t i ons .
Th i rd ly ,
m a n y
of the
laws are p rinc ip les va l id i n m os t l i t e ra ry com pos i t ion s .
F o u r t h l y ,
it is
u n c le a r
how to use t he
laws
in the sense that it
is
le f t u n c e r ta i n w h e t h e r
th e
presence
of few or m a n y of the
specified
characteristics
is necessary for the n a r r a t i v e to
q u a l i f y
a s
b e l o n g i n g
to the
genre
in
q u e s t io n .
Cer t a i n
o f
Olr ik ' s p r inc ip les
a re
c l ea r l y ap p l i cab l e
t o E x .
32-34. The Law of Two to a Scene can be seen in ch. 32: vv. 1-6,
A a ron and the
people;
vv. 7-14, Y a h we h a n d
Moses;
vv.
15-20,
M o s e s
a n d
J o s h u a ;
vv.
2 1 - 2 4 , Moses
a n d
A a r o n ;
vv.
25-29,
Moses
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F o u r :
E x o d u s 32-34 a s
Legend
and th e
Lev i tes ;
vv . 3 0 f f . , Moses and
Y a h w e h .
The Law o f
C o n t r a s t can p e r h a p s be seen in
32:21-24,
25-29. T h e
I m p o r t a n c e
o f
Final Posi t ion
is
e x e m p l i f i e d
in the wa y the
m ed iator M oses i s the object of a l l
attention
in
34 :29f f .
Other
principles a re only par t ia l ly appl icable . T h e Logic o f the Sage
for e x a m p l e , d e m a n d s
a n
i n t e r n a l v a l i d i t y
a n d
cons i s tency
in
th e
s t o r y ;
and
w h i l e t h e r e
is a
c o n s i s t e n c y
in E x .
32-34
it is a
highly t heo logica l , even parad ox ica l , cons i s tency , h a r d l y
th e
k i n d
o f
logic character is t ic
o f popular stories. T h e
p r inciple
o f
Concentra t ion on a L e a d i n g
Character
cannot real ly d o jus t ice
to the
f i ne
ba lance between Moses
a n d
Y a h w e h t h r o u g h o u t
th e
narrative.
30
Thi s
pa r t i a l appl icabi l i ty
o f O l ri k s
l a w s
i s not
w i t h o u t
s i gn i f i cance f o r t he n a t u r e o f t he n a r r a t i v e , b u t c o u l d h a r d l y be
said w i t h o u t f u r t h e r a do t o cons t i tu te ev id ence o f o r a l t r a d i t i o n
in
E x .
32-34.
D . M .
G u n n a rgues fo r p a t t e r n i n g in n a r r a t i v e as evidence o f
oral t r a d i t i o n . 31 T h e r ecur rence o f stereotyped and
c o n v e n t i o n a l d e s c r i p t i o n s r e f l e c t s
that
c o n s t a n t u s e o f
t r a d i t i o n a l m a t e r i a l
which
is a m a r k e d c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t he
ora l s to ry- te l le r . W h e t h e r s u c h p a t t e r n i n g in H e b r e w n a r r a t i v e
r e f l e c t s o r a l
o r
l i t e r a r y t e c h n i q u e
is un c lear .32 One of i t s
d r a w b a c k s
is
that
it is
only appl icable
to parts o f
n a r r a t i v e
t r a d i t i o n and not the whole ,33
anc
j
real ly needs the s u p p o r t
of o ther
criteria as
we l l .
E v e n if p a t t e r n i n g be
accepted
as a val id i nd ica to r o f o r a l
t r a d i t i o n , i ts a p p l i c a b i l i ty t o E x . 3 2 -3 4 i s q u e s t i o n a b l e . T h e
chief p r o b l e m h e r e , o f c o u r s e , i s t h e e x t r e m e l y l im i t e d c o m p a s s
of m a t e r i a l u n d e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n , w i t h i n w h i c h o ne wou ld h a r d l y
expect
to
f ind
such
repetition
a s
G u n n
posits.
Such pa t t e rn ing
could only be d i scerned in the compar i son o f E x . 32-34 wi th th e
l a rger con tex t o f E x o d u s , ye t h e r e th e d i s t i n c t i v e n e s s o f E x .
32-34 b e c o m e s e v i d e n t . T h e r e
a re
c e r t a i n p a r a l l e l s
t o E x .
3 2 - 3 4
e l s e w h e r e
in
E x o d u s ,
f o r
e x a m p l e
E x .
10:28f. , 17:1-7,3^
bu t
in s o fa r
a s the pa ral le l i s m is d el ibera te i t i s l ik ely , esp ecia l ly in
17:1-7,
to be a
l i t er a r y r e w o r k i n g d e p e n d e n t
on the
Sinai
tradition. T h e s t r i k ing para l le l ism be tween E x . 32-34 and G e n .
6-9 r e m a i n s to be invest igated , but in any case does no t show
that
k i nd
o f
s t e re o t y pe d p a t t e r n i n g
wh ic h
i s the
concern
here .35
T h e
a t t e m p t to
f i n d
o r a l c r i t e r i a i n E x . 32 - 34 is n o t ,
t h e r e f o r e , p a r t i c u l a r l y
f r u i t f u l .
T h e t enor o f t he a r g u m e n t s t h u s
far sugges ts the u n l ik e l ihood o f o ra l t rad i t ion c lose ly un d er ly in g
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A t
the M o u n t a i n of G od
the
material. Such
a suggestion is
fur ther supported
by Cuiley 's
i m p o r t an t
observat ion that
th e
phase
o f
oral composi t ion
is
a p p r o p r i a t e
to the
sm a l l e r u n i t , th e prose
s t o r y ,
th e ind iv idua l p o e m , o r
possibly even
a cycle o f stories, but not to
collections
c o n t a i n i n g d i f f e r e n t k i n d s o f m a t e r ia l h a v i n g d i f f e r e n t
styles
an d
language . Larger
co l l ec t i ons o f
m i x e d m a te r i a l
w o u l d
presuppose t h a t
th e
i n d i v i d u a l u n i t s
h a d
become
f ixed b e fo re b e in g b ro u gh t toge the r .
Al though
Ex. 32-34 is h a rd l y a larger collection of m a t e r i a l ,
the
variety
of i ts contents is notable.
Only
in ch. 32 is
there
co n t i n u o u s n a r r a t i v e (w h i ch
i s why Olrik 's
pr inc ip les
a re
m o s t
readily applicable there, r a t h e r th an in 33-34). In 33:12ff . ,
34:1 I f f . the
in tercession
and the l a w s are a d i f f e r e n t type o f
mate r i a l w i th a d i f f e r e n t style f r o m th e s u r r o u n d i n g n a r r a t i v e .
Yet i t has also
become
clear ho w
closely in te rw ove n
these
d i f f e r e n t types a re w i th th e i r n a r r a t i v e context. If th e y w e re
independent uni ts jo ined
to g e th e r
stil l
a t the
oral stage
o n e
w o u l d
expect
th e a r r a n g e m e n t to be s o m e w h a t loose,
characterized by ca t ch w o rd s o r
t h e m a t i c
g r o u p i n g . In fac t the
re l a t ionsh ip be tw een un i t s
is
close,
t h e r e
are no
catch-
words,
an d t h e r e is a co h e ren t d e v e l o p m e n t o f t h o u g h t
t h r o u g h o u t . T he
tight l inkage
of the
d i f f e r e n t
types o f
m a t e r i a l
is a
clear l i te ra ry ac hievem ent . This s ti ll leaves
the
possibi l i ty
that th e r e were independen t o ra l un i t s jo ined by a l i t e r a r y
process, bu t
th i s mus t
lie so far
below
th e
present
text
that
it is
doub t fu l
w h e t h e r i t can still be i n t e l l i g i b l y d i sce rned . In
conclus ion , then ,
there are no
clear i n d i ca t i o n s
o f
ora l t rad i t ion
u n d e r l y i n g
Ex .
32-34. This
is not to
d e n y
the
poss ib i l i ty
o f
or ig ina l
ora l t rad i t ion ,
but i t is to
q u e s t i o n w h e t h e r
the
hyp oth esis of oral or igin s is at al l i l l u m i n a t i n g fo r the t rad i t ion
as we now
h av e
it.
C R I T E R I A F O R L E G E N D
the case for ora l t rad i t ion in Ex. 32-34 is t e n u o u s , and i f
legend presupposes ora l t rad i t ion , then one might s i mp l y
c o n c l u d e w i t h o u t f u r t h e r a d o
t h a t
th e n o t i o n of Ex . 32-34 a s
legend is e q u a l l y t e n u o u s . B u t such is the d i f f i c u l t y in th i s
k in d
of discussion o f p r o d u c i n g d e m o n s t r a t i ve a r g u m e n t s r a t h e r t h a n
on l y probabi l i t ies o r possibili ties
that
it wi l l not be out of
place
to
consider
the question o f legend afresh f rom a d i f f e r e n t angle.
8
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Four:
Exodus 32-34 as
Legend
This d i f f e r e n t approach w i l l be to list a n u m b e r of criteria
which
are
generally considered
to be
indicative
of
legendary
material, and see how far Ex.
32-34
conforms to them. The list
of
criteria
o f f e r ed
here is not intended to be exhaustive but
representative,
and
w i l l
be
based largely
on the work of
those
scholars who have dealt specifically with the OT and are alert
to its
peculiarities.38
M a n y scholars have indeed made
much
use of
Olrik's Laws
in
this context,
and if
they
are
taken
as
indicative
of a type of narrative
w i t h o u t
p r e jud i ce to the
question
of
oral tradition then they
may
still
be
used with
p ro f i t . But
since Olrik's Laws
are not
orientated towards
OT
narrative,
and
since
not all
scholars make
use of
them, they
w i l l
not occupy the
f o r e f r o n t
of the discussion.
The f o l l ow i ng six features are generally considered as
indicative of legend. They are not listed in any order of
precedence.
First, oral tradition. Secondly, the presence of
miracles.
Th i r d l y , the
presence
of
aetiological motifs. Fourthly,
the use of
traditional motifs. F i f t h l y ,
a
typical dimension.
Six th ly ,
the lack of a
clear
distinction between
past
event and
subsequent
experience and interpretation.
1
Oral tradition
This has already been discussed. This is not based on any one
specific
trait but
represents
rather an
overall assessment
of the
nature of the material. A l though it has featured p r om inen t l y in
discussions since Gunkel,
its
significance
for Ex.
32-34 would
appear
to be
small.
The
fact
of
oral tradition
is
sometimes
connected
with
a n o n y m i t y
of
authorship, this
a n o n y m i t y
reflecting the
anonymous totality
of the
tribes
and
their
several
clans
at
those
times
w hen
they were gathered
together, that
is,
preeminently
on
cultic occasions .39 ot only, however,
is it the
case
that
a n o n y m i t y
does not require corporate and oral
a u t ho r sh i p
as
opposed
to
individual
and scribal, but also
anonymity
is so
widespread
in ancient literature
that
it cannot
f unc t i on
as a
distinguishing
characteristic of
legend.
2
Miracles
The presence of miracle is one of the most widely agreed
characteristics
of legend and other non-historical narrative. To
say this is not, of course, to
p r e j udge
whether or not miracles
actually occur, for such an issue cannot be decided on literary
grounds ;
nor can it be
said that miracles appear on ly
in the
context
of
legend.
The
point
is s imp l y that it is characteristic
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
o f a pa r t i cu l a r t ype o f s t o r y to attract to itself
accounts
o f
m i r a c u l o u s
h a ppe n i n gs .
T h e r e a re i n d e e d m a n y m i r a c l e s i n t he n a r r a t i v e s o f E x o d u s
a n d
N u m b e r s . T h i s m a k e s t h e i r a b s e n ce
f r o m
th e
S i n a i
per icope
t h e m o r e s t r i k i n g . T h e l o n ge s t u n i t o f n a r r a t i ve
action
E x . 3 2 ,
i s e n t i r e ly u n m i r a c u l o u s . T h e t h e o p h a n y o f E x .
33-34
is
e x t r a - o r d i n a r y bu t i s
h a r d l y
a
m i r a c l e
i n t he
c u s t o m a r y
sense; i n
c o n t e n t ,
p r e s e n t a t i o n a n d r e s u l t i t is q u i t e d i s t i n c t i v e , a n d i t s
ethos
i s n o t that o f t h e l e ge n d a r y m i r a c l e . T h e r e is t he f a c t
that G o d wr i t es u p o n th e tablets
(34:28b),
a n d also th e descent
o f
M o s e s wi th
th e s h i n i n g
f a c e
(34:29f f . ) , b u t
t h e s e c a n n o t
b e
c o n s i d e re d d e t e r m i n a t i v e fo r t h e n a r r a t i v e a s a wh o l e .
3)
A e t i o l o gy
A e t i o l o g y
m a y b e i n d i c a t i v e o f l e g e n d
w h e n
th e a e t i o l o g y is a
p r i m a r y f a c t o r i n t h e t r a d i t i o n a n d n o t a s e c o n d a r y a d d i t i o n to
i t , as i s
o f t e n
th e
case
i n t h e
O T . ^ 0 T h e r e
i s ,
h o w e v e r , l i t t l e
that is
i n d i s p u t a b l y
aetiological i n E x . 32-34. T h e
a p p r o a c h
o f
B e y e r l i n , w h o
a r g u e s
f o r
a e t i o l o g i e s t h r o u g h o u t
th e
n a r r a t i v e ,
r a i s e s a c u t e l y
th e
p r o b l e m
o f
c r i t e r i a . T h e r e
i s no f o r m u l a
such
a s t o t h i s d a y . A l t h o u g h , f o r e x a m p l e , B e y e r l i n a r g u e s t h a t
t h e w o r d s
f rom
H o r e b o n w a r d s
( m e h a r
h S r e b )
a r e i n d i ca t i ve o f
th e f u n c t i o n o f 33 :3b-6 as ae t i o log ica l o f a l a t e r ce remony a t
S h e c h e m , th e w o r d s i n f a c t f u n c t i o n a s p a r t o f t h e p a r a l l e l
be t w e e n I s r a e l a n d t h e
E g y p t i a n s . ^ 1
There
is no
sho r t age
o f
m a t e r i a l
i n E x .
32-34 w h i c h
m a y b e
i n t e r p r e t e d a e t i o l o g i c a l l y .
T h e
go l d e n ca l f
m a y b e
c o n s i d e r e d
a e t i o l o g i ca l for the e s t a b l i s h m e n t o f
J e r o b o a m ' s
ca l ve s (o r fo r
t h e o p p o s i t io n t o t h e m ) ; t h e i n c i d e n t o f t h e L e v i t e s m a y b e
aetiological
fo r
later
Levi t i ca l pr iv i l ege ; th e
ro le
o f M o s e s m a y
b e
a e t i o l o g i c a l
fo r
s u b s e q u e n t c u l t i c f u n c t i o n a r i e s ;
a n d s o o n .
B u t
t h e r e
i s
l i t t l e f o r m a l i n d i c a t i o n
o f
s u ch co n ce r n s
i n t he
text. A n d whi le
th i s does
n o t
r u l e
o u t
a e t i o l o g i c a l i n t e r e s t
i n
th e
n a r r a t i v e ,
i t
d o e s m a ke
i t d i f f i c u l t to
d e c i d e
h o w f a r
ae t i o logy
h a s
g e n u i n e l y c o n t r o l l e d
th e
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f t h e
t r a d i t i o n . In g e n e r a l , th e r e s o l u t i o n o f such i s sues m u s t b e
s u b s e q u e n t to o n e ' s d e t a i l e d h i s t o r i c a l a n d t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
s t u d y o f th e m a t e r i a l a n d ca n n o t be d e c i d e d i n a d va n ce o n
l i t e r a r y g r o u n d s .
T h e r e is a sense in w h i ch th e t r a d i t i o n o f E x . 32-34, a s a S i n a i
t r a d i t i o n , f u n c t i o n s
a e t i o l o g i c a l l y .
It is
b e c a u s e
Y a h w e h
revealed
h i m s e l f
a n d
m a d e
a
c o v e n a n t w i t h I s r a e l
a t S i n a i
t h a t
I sr ae l su bseq u en t ly kn o ws i ts e lf a s the people o f Y a hwe h an d
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Four: Exodus
32-34 as
Legend
worships him in the cult. In particular, it is because Yahweh
f i r s t proclaimed
his
name
as
gracious that Israel
can
call upon
him as such.^ QU ^ to say this js to say no more tha
n that Ex
32-34
may
f u n c t i o n
as a cult legend in the technical
form-critical sense;^
anc
j
since such
a
f u n c t i o n
is
quite
independent
of
literary type,
it
cannot
be a
factor
in the
determination
of
literary type,
w h i c h is the
present concern.
4 )
Traditional M o t i f s
A
certain type of content is characteristic of legendary and
other non-historical narrative. The standard
w o r k
in this area is
S. Thompson's Mot i f - Index of Folk Literature w h i c h is a massive
compilation of the
content
and
m o t i f s
of
f o l k l o r e
(in the
broadest sense of the term). The work needs to be used with
care in that m a n y of the m o t i f s it contains, w h i l e present in
f o l k l o r e ,
are not
peculiar
to
f o lk lo re
and so are of
limited value
fo r i den t i fy ing it.
In this context the distinctiveness of the Sinai pericope f r o m
the rest of Exodus again becomes apparent.
3 G
Frazer,
T.H.
Caster and D. Irvin, ̂ all of
w ho m
cite abundant
folkloristic
parallels to the early chapters of Exodus, o f f e r no such parallels
to the narrative of Ex. 19-20,
24,
32-34. Ex. 32,
w i t h
its
continuous
narrative action, might seem
the
most likely locus
fo r
traditional motifs.
Yet
G r e s s m a n n
cites
parallels
on ly to the
book of life (32:32f.), w h i c h is an incidental
motif .**
5
Elements
of Ex.
32-34
can be
f ound
in
T h o m p s o n s I ndex ,
but
the significance of these is unclear. The m o t i f s of a b u l l -
god ̂ or a god assuming the
f o r m
of a calf' reveal little
about 32:1 ff. Fratricide is a c o m m o n folk
motif,^
anc
j may
be
discerned
in
32:29.
It
plays only
a minor
role, however,
in the
u n i t
and does not constitute a
g e n u i n e m o t i f
since it does not
f u r t h e r
the story in any way.^
9
Perhaps the two most s ign i f i -
cant
m o t i f s are the taboo on seeing the
deity
5
^
(cf. Ex.
33:20),
and the
Holy
man
radiant
51
(cf. Ex. 34:29ff.). Both
of these, however,
f u n c t i o n in a
s t r i k in g l y theological way,
and
their distinctive ethos is not directly suggestive of traditional
material.
5) Typical Significance
V on
Rad
argues
that
whi le
history
w r i t i n g
presents events
in
their isolated particularity, their historical contingency, legend
presents people
and
events
as
types:
W h a t e v e r tradition we select - the story of Cain, the
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A t t he M ou n ta in o f G od
b e t r a y a l of Sa ra h , the m a n n a , B a l a a m , or the Bless ing o f
Moses ( E x . 1 7 ) - it is p e r f e c t l y
clear
t h a t , w h i l e t h e y r e f e r
us to the
rea lm
of
h i s to ry , ye t ,
in
sp i te
of all the
concreteness
o f
the i r
p r e s e n t a t i o n ,
there
is
a lw a ys
at the
same
t im e a
certain
typica l s igni f icance . Co r respondingly ,
the men and w om en invo lved in the event are also to a
l a rge ex t en t types ,
in
t h a t
th e
w a y s
in
w h i c h t h e y
act are
not to be rega rded as h a v i n g o c c u r r e d on ly once : wha t
m a k e s t h e m i m p o r t a n t
is
p rec i s e ly t he i r m ore gene ra l
va l id i ty . They therefore possess a c o e f f i c i e n t o f present -
day
re l evance w h i c h th e doc um en ta ry p r e s en t a t i on o f
his tory
lacks.
There
is no
d o u b t
that certain
t rad i t ions
se t
o u t
to
relate
an e v e n t
w h i c h
o c c u r r e d
on ly
once,
ye t
g ive
i t the f o r m o f one w h i c h oc c ur r ed ove r an d over
again.
T h e
pe rc ep t ion t ha t c e r t a in
O T
t r a d i t i o n s h a v e
a
typ i c a l
s i g n i f i can ce i s i m p o r t a n t . I t is p r e s u m a b l y t h is t h a t i s in tended
by re fe rence to the poetic q u a l i t y o f such t radi t ions . A s K oc h
puts
it,
T he
k n o w l e d g e
that
a b ib l ica l s tory is l egenda ry does n o t
detract
f rom
its
s ignif icance.
Sagas
a re
r e a l i t y
po e t ic ized .53
Nonethe less , i t i s aga in s t r ik ing how little E x . 32-34 c o n f o r m s
to
such
a c r i t e r i o n .
First, typica l na r ra t ives t end
to
h a v e
a
c e r t a i n spac ious qu al i t y abou t them -
there
a re o n l y o n e o r
tw o c h a r a c t e r s , a l l u n n e c e s s a r y d e t a i l
fa l l s
o u t , t h e r e is an
u n h u r r i e d fee l in the ac t ion of the n a r r a t i v e . In Ex .
32-34,
by
c on t r a s t , th e c o n t e n t an d a c t i on is too dense; th e scenes
s h i f t
to o
q u i c k l y ,
th e
fee l
of the
n a r r a t i v e
is too
u r g e n t
to
c o n v e y
m u c h
typica l
o r
poetic
q u a l i t y .
Secondly,
there is a
s pec i f i c i t y a bou t m uc h
of Ex. 32-34
w hi c h depr ives
it of
typica l s ignif icance.
O n e m a y
c om pa re
Moses '
in te rcess ion in 33:12ff .
w i t h
the Bless ing of Mos es (Ex .
17 :8 f f . ) .
T h e
latter
indeed p r e s en t s a n a r c he typa l p i c tu r e , bu t
how
d i f f e r e n t
is the a g o n i z e d i n t e n s i t y o f 33:12f f . , c e n t r i n g on
the spec i f ic prob lem of the res tora t ion of God 's sh r in e in the
m i d s t
o f
s infu l
Is rae l .
N o w h e r e
in Ex.
32-34, except pe rha ps
34:29ff. , is Moses a typ i c a l f i gu re . T he p a r t i c u l a r i t y of the
promise to h im in
d i s t i nc t i on
f r o m
the
people
o f
Israel (32:10) ,
th e
harsh role
o f
j u d g m e n t (32:19f . , 25f f . ) ,
th e
u r g e n c y
of the
intercessions (32:1 I f f . , 30f f . , 33:12f f . )
and the
u n i q u e m e d i a ti o n
b e t w e e n Y a h w e h and Israel are no t such as one can eas i ly
i den t i fy wi th . There
is
e x e m p l a r y s i g n i f i c a n c e ,
b u t
that
is a
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Four : Exodus 32-34
as
Legend
d i f f e r e n t
matter.
E x . 32-34
does present
a
p a r a d i g m a t i c
accoun t
of sin and forg iven ess and the depen dence of Israel
upon the mercy of God, ̂ and the use of the genera l iz ing
expression s t i f f -neck
ed
people
is
perhaps
del ibe
rately
i n t ended
to genera l ize the s ign i f i cance and appl ica t ion of the
na r r a t i ve . B u t again th is i s q u i t e
d i f f e r e n t f r o m
a t y p i c a l
depict ion
of either
people
or events.
T h i r d l y , E x .
32-34
is d i f f e r e n t f r o m
mos t typ ica l nar ra t ives
in
that i ts bas ic presuppos i t ion is the pa r t i cu l a r i t y an d
exclus iveness of M osaic Y ahw ism . I t i s no table
that
those
t r a d i t i o n s
are
mos t typ ica l
in c ha r ac t e r
w h e r e
the
theology
o f
the Mosaic covenant is least in
evidence.
This is par t icular ly so
in
the
pa t r i a r cha l t r ad i t i ons wher e
the
absence
of any
exclus iveness
is a
s ign i f i can t
aspect of the e v e r y m a n
charac ter
of the
stories.
55
E x .
32-34 presupposes thro ug ho ut
a rel igio us exclus iveness , a
un i que
p h e n o m e n o n in the h i s t o r y of
r e l ig ion ,
5
^ and the
need
for
obedience
to the
mor a l
and
r i tua l
laws of the decalogue. Such concer ns are q u i t e d i f f e r e n t in
ethos
f r o m the
t y p i c a l
o r poetic.
6 ) T he Lack of Di s t i nc t i on b e t w e e n Past and Present
T he na rra to r of legend does not d is t in gu ish presen t and pas t
in a s t r i c t ly h i s tor ica l way. Ra ther , as von Rad puts i t ,
th e
na r r a to r
-
h i s to r i ca l cons ide r a ti ons no tw i th s t an d in g
-
repor t s
the
e v e n t s
as he
h imse l f conceives them
as h a v i n g
happened
... The event is
na iv e ly p laced w i th i n
the
hor izon of the
na r r a to r ' s
ow n
f a i t h ,
and he is of a
la ter
generat ion
...
Saga
is
qui te unable
to
sa feguard
its
or ig ina l
c o n t e n t
f r o m
la ter a l tera t ion s . On the co n tra ry , i t i s a
ready
vessel for new conten t s , i t adapts i t sel f to new
possibil i t ies
of interpretation, and in the
process
i t
o f t e n
leaves
i t s
or ig ina l subjec t
f ar beh ind .
W i t h
such legends
it is u n h e l p f u l to
d i s t ingu i sh be tween
an
authentic
his tor ical kernel
and a
f ic t ional over lay;
fo r
subsequen t
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s
and
exper iences
are
also his tor ical
and
bear wi tness
to God 's
con t inua l dea l ings w i th
h is people.
5
^
T he
concept
involved
in this criterion is
readi ly
c o m p r e -
hens ib le .
T he
d i f f i c u l t y
is to
know
how and
w h e r e
it is
g e n u i n e l y
appl icable.
Fo r to
recognize e lements
o f a
t rad i t ion
as
anachronis t ic presupposes
a
good knowledge
of the
respec t ive
per iods
in
ques t ion
so that one can be
reasonably sure what
is
appropr ia te
to
each. W i t h
ear ly
O T
t rad i t i on s
th is puts
one in a
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At the M o u n t a i n o f God
s o m e w h a t
paradoxical pos i t ion . O u r ch ie f , an d some t imes o u r
o n l y ,
source o f i n f o r m a t i o n fo r
Israel s
ear ly h is to ry is Israel s
ear ly traditions.^ A nd yet i t is on the basis o f these
t r ad i t ions ,
which
are
considered
to
present
an
inaccura te
his tor ical p icture , that one can apparen t l y acqu i r e a c o m p e t e n t
knowledge
of the periods in ques t i on . The logic o f this posit ion
should
not be
pushed
to o f a r . A c a r e f u l a t t e n t i o n to
peculiarities in
texts
and compar i son be tween d i f f e r e n t texts
can lead to l ike ly recons t ruc t ions . No ne the less , the tentative
an d
hypo the t i ca l n a tu r e of the task is a p p a r e n t a n d allows fo r
widely d ivergen t recons t ruc t ions . The problem is wel l
i l lustrated by the divers i ty o f v iews on the ques t i ons o f w h a t
k i nd
o f
m o n o t h e i s m ,
if
a n y ,
is
a t t r ibu t ab l e
to
M o s e s
an d
w h e t h e r the re lig iou s an d e th ical tea chin g of the decalogue can
be accepted as h a v ing existed as ear ly in Israel 's history as the
t ime o f Moses.
It
follows f rom
th is
that
it will be a scholar 's general
u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f
early Israel
in i ts
an c ien t Ne ar Eas te rn
context that will play a
m a j o r
role in the assessmen t of w he the r
a n d to
w h a t
extent a
t r ad i t i on con t a in s anachron i s t i c
a n d
unh i s t o r i ca l
elements . This obviously i n t r o d u c e s majo r issues
that
l ie beyon d ou r presen t pu rv iew .
Su ff ice
i t to say a t present
that
there
is
n o t h i n g p a t e n t l y a n a c h r o n i s t i c
in Ex.
32-34 that
could not f i t in i ts supposed h is tor ical context.60 if th is
con t en t i on is
correct,
then th e present cr i ter ion fo r
d i s t i ng u i s h i ng legend becomes d i f f i c u l t to apply
f r u i t f u l l y
to Ex.
32-34.
S U M M A R Y
A N D
C O N C L U S I O N
The above rapid rev iew o f c r i t e r i a fo r legend appl ied to Ex.
32-34 p ro d u c e s a n i n t e r e s t i n g conc lus ion - t ha t t he re i s
r e m a r k a b l y
l i t t le in Ex. 32-34 tha t wou ld
q u a l i f y
th e m a t e r i a l
fo r th e des igna t i on l egend .
Obvious ly
th e discuss ion h a s
h a r d l y
been
e x h a u s t i v e
an d i s
m o r e
in the
n a t u r e
of a few
p r e l i m i n a r y
sound ings . N o n e t h e l e s s ,
s u f f i c i e n t
h a s been sa id to j u s t i f y
d r a w i n g a
c onc lus i on
i n a t
leas t t en ta t ive te rms.
For the
discuss ion h a s enabled th e d i s t i nc t iveness of the chapters to
come more c l e a r l y i n t o f ocus .
Some
m a y
i n d e e d
f ee l
t h a t
th e
discussion
h a s
been
to
some ex ten t l a b o u r i n g
th e
obv ious .
For i t
m ay be a t least in par t because o f a r e c o g n i t i o n of the
d is t inc t iveness o f the
chap te r s t ha t
the
special
de s i g n a t i o n o f
cul t l egend ha s been so
wide ly
a d o p t e d . If, h o w e v e r , the
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Four: E x o d u s
32-34
as
Legend
designat ion of cult legend (in a sense which denotes the li terary
type
of the
nar ra t ive)
is
cons idered d ou bt fu l ,
it is
appropr iate
to consider al ternat ives , especial ly when th e te rm legend h a s
been applied so
f reely
to the M o s e s t r a d i t i o n s .
W h a t s ign i f icance m a y o n e
attach
to the conclus ion
that
th e
characteristics of legend are largely lacking in Ex.
32-34?
A
fe w suggest ions may b e made . F i r s t , a l though d i scuss ion of
legend tends to focus on the poss ible his tor ical value of the
con tent of legen d , the ch ief va lue of the above discus s ion has
been the i l luminat ion of aspects of Ex .
32-34
which were not
brought
out by the exegesis. One's und er s tan d ing of Moses
1
intercession in Ex. 33, for ex am ple , wh i le based p r i m a r i l y upon
th e
exegesis
in
c o n t e x t ,
is
f u r t h e r e d
b y
a p p r e c i a t i n g
h o w
d i f f e r e n t it is in ethos f rom a story l ike E x . 17:8ff .
Secondly, al though the discussion has argued the inadequacy
of the t e r m s "cult legend and legend , it is not
part
of the
present purpose to
replace these
b y some a l te rnat ive des ig-
nat ion
of any degree of precis ion. For any precise and specif ic
des ignat ion would proba bly have to be a rather baroq ue and
ungainly
term, coined for the purpose. A s such it would be of
l imited
value.
A term such as
"theological
story"
would be
possible, but is i n h e r e n t l y s o v a g u e
that
it c o u l d c o m p r i s e a
w i d e
var ie ty o f
d i f f e r e n t
types o f nar ra t ive . Bes ides , th e t e r m
has already been used by W e s te rm a n n , in his discussion of types
of
n a r r a t i v e
in Genesis,^ with a
specific m eaning ; that
is, a
s tory which i s e f fec t ive ly nar ra t ive theo logy , whereby some o ld
t r a d i t i o n h a s b e e n t r a n s f o r m e d i n t o a vehicle fo r p r e s e n t i n g
theological ques t ions
and
statements.
A nd
since
it is
u n c e r t a i n ,
or
at
least
u n p r o v e d , that such a process under l ies Ex. 32-34
(the
theological
shaping
of the
mater ia l
is
unques t ioned ,
bu t
t h e r e
is
more than
one way of
e x p l a i n i n g i t) ,
it
would
only
confuse
matters
to use a te rm w i t h p o t e n t i a l l y m i s l e a d i n g , o r
quest ion-begging, implicat ions . For the presen t , it
wil l
be
suff ic ient to acquiesce in us ing the general term "story". N o t ,
indeed, in a wholly
undi f fe ren t ia ted
sense, for many pecul i -
ar i t ies
of the
n a r r a t i v e h a v e e m e r g e d
in our
d i s c u s s i o n .
T he
i m p o r t a n t t h i n g
is so to
read
the
s to ry
that o ne
becomes aware
of
its
characteristics,
even if one lacks any precise term for
class i fying
it.
T h i r d l y ,
there is the bea r ing of l i terary genre upon th e
d e t e r m i n i n g of historici ty. I t has been seen that Ex. 32-34
general ly lacks cer tain
characteristics that
would tend
to
disqual i fy it
f r o m
bein g historical in inten t or content. But i t
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f God
w o u l d
b e
p r e m a t u r e
to
conc lude t ha t
th e
n a r r a t i v e t h e r e f o r e
i s
his to r ica l
a t
least
in
i n t e n t i o n w h e t h e r
o r no t in
a c t ua l f ac t .
For the
b e a r i n g
o f the
l i t e r a r y
an d
t he o log i ca l d i m e n s i o n s
o f
th e s tory
upon
i ts poss ib le h i s to r ica l i n t en t has no t ye t be e n
su f f i c i en t ly e x a m i n e d .
In
t e r m s
of the
d iscussion thus
far i t
w o u l d be appropr ia te to leave open the quest ion o f h is tor ica l
intent.
Th e n a t u r e of the ma t e r i a l a s t hu s fa r perce ived is st i l l
open to the
poss ib i l i ty
o f
g e n u i n e h i s to r ica l concern
in the
m a t e r i a l b u t cou ld no t be
said
t o r e q u i r e i t no r t o be
i n c o m p a t i b l e w i th i ts abse nce .
In
an y case
discuss ions
o f
l i t e r a ry ge n re
a re o n l y a
p r e l i m i n a r y t o the t ask o f h i s to r ica l s tudy proper . The ad-
vanc ing of any
h i s t o r i ca l conc lu s i ons
m u s t
be
based
upon
spec i f i ca l ly h i s to r ica l a rguments .
It is
appropr i a te t he r e fo re
to
tu rn aga in f r om l i t e rary considera t ions
to
consider f u r t h e r
some
of the
h i s to r ica l ly-or ien ta ted ques t ions
that may be put to
E x.
32-34.
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C ha p t e r
5
S E L E C T I V E C R I T I C A L A N A L Y S I S
O F E X .
32-34
In this f i n a l sect ion
w e
sha l l cons ide r some
of the
m os t
impor t a n t p rob l ems
that
c o n f r o n t
th e
i n t e r p r e t e r
a s he seeks to
discover
th e
o r i g i n s
a n d
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f E x .
32-34
i n the
l i gh t
of the f i n a l
f o r m
o f the
text. E v en
i f Ex . 32-34
does
no t owe i t s
s t r u c t u r e o r m a j o r e l e m e n t s t o th e h i s t o r i c i z a t i o n o f a r e gu l a r
cultic
r i t ua l , an d even if it does n o t show
clear
s igns o f
l e genda ry deve l opmen t , i ts i n t eg r i t y a s a n a r r a t i v e t r ad i t i on
m ay s t i l l b e ca l l ed in que s t i on o n a v a r i e t y o f g r o u n d s . I n
pa r t i cu l a r , w e ig h ty source -c ri ti c a l a n d t r ad i t i o -h i s to r i c a l
a rgumen t s have been adduced
to
show
the
c ompos i t e n a t u r e
o f
th e
material.
T he f o l l owing , necessa r i l y partial e x a m i n a t i o n o f
prev ious a n a l y t ic a l w o r k w i l l seek to d e t e r m i n e h o w f a r such
a r g u m e n t s
a f f e c t th e e s sen t ia l p lo t o f E x . 32-34 a n d a lso how
they
bea r o n e l e m e n t s
wh ich
a re
s econdary
to the
central
concern.
A N A N A L Y S I S
O F E X .
34:1-28
T h e r e a re two
central
issues in ex is t ing
treatments
o f E x .
32-34 . O n e i s the m a in ly l i t e ra r y ques t ion o f E x . 34 as a
c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l , * the other i s the
m a i n l y
t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
quest ion of the o r i g i n s of the golden ca l f s tory i n Ex . 32 .
A l t h o u g h
d i s t i nc t
issues
they
a re
inter-related.
For i f the
people s apos tasy w as o r i g i n a l to the t r a d i t i o n , t h e n s om e
r e n e w a l o f the
r u p t u r e d r e l a ti o n s h i p
w ou ld b e
r e q u i r e d .
I f the
c ove n a n t r e n e w a l w a s o r i g i n a l , t h en s om e t h i n g m u s t h a ve
required such a r e n e w a l . Conve r s e l y , th e d e n i a l that either
e l e m e n t w a s o r i g i na l c a r r i e s th e n a t u r a l c o r o l l a r y
that
th e
o t he r e l e m e n t
i s
l i kewi se
u n l i k e l y t o be
o r i g i n a l . G i ve n
th e
i n h e r e n t c o m p l e m e n t a r i t y o f the s tor ies a n d t h e close l i t e r a r y
an d theologica l
l i nks be tween t hem
i n t he p r e s e n t text th e
he u r i s t i c a s s um p t i o n
w i l l
b e
that
t h e two
s tor ies
d o
i n d e e d
b e l o n g
t oge the r to the s ame t r ad i t i on , un l e s s good r e a son c an
be f o u n d to d e n y
th i s .
F i r s t ,
E x . 34 a s a c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l . I t is w ide ly agreed that
E x . 34 was
o r i g i na l l y
the
a c c oun t
o f an
i n i ti a l c oven a n t
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A t
the M o u n t a i n o f Go d
m a k i n g ,
paral lel
to the E
vers ion
in Ex .
19-20; when
th e J a n d E
Sina i na r r a t i ve s we r e combine d ,
th e J
c o v e n a n t
w a s
preserved
bu t
r e d a c t i ona l l y t r a ns fo r me d i n t o
a
cove na n t
r enewa l .2
Five
pr inc ipa l cons ide ra tions can be advanced in f av o u r o f
this
pos i t ion.
First th e
hypothes i s
is part of the
l a r g e r d o c u m e n t a r y
ana lys i s
of the P e n t a t e u c h , th e
S ina i pe ri cope be in g con s id e r e d
a
s t r i k i n g e x a m p l e
o f
pa r a l l e l
J and E
ve r s i ons be ing p r e s e r ve d
t o g e t h e r ,
as can
also
be
obs e r ve d e l se wh e r e .
Secondly ,
the
s pe c i f i c r e f e r e nce s
to
r e n e w a l
in vv .
1 ,
4, 9 can
e a s i ly be r e cog n i ze d a s s e con d a r y m o d i f i ca t i o n s . Th e se
re fe rences a re :
v. 1. l ike the
f i r s t
( k r s V i y m )
... to the end o f the
verse.
v. 4 .
l ike
th e
f i r s t .
v. 9. E v e ry phrase in th is verse h a r k s ba ck to s ome pa r t o f
th e p r e c e d i n g n a r r a t i v e , a n d s o m u s t b e e n t i r e l y
s e c o n d a r y .
T h i r d l y , i t may be a r g u e d t h a t th e ch a p t e r r e a d s l ike a n
i n i t i a l
c o v e n a n t m a k i n g .
F o u r t h l y ,
the l a ws o f 34:11-26 have been seen as an
a l t e rn a t ive or pa ra l l e l t r ad i t io n to the deca log ue of Ex . 20 (or
even a J
para l le l
to the E
Book
of the
C o v e n a n t ) . T h i s
is u s u a l ly
suppo r ted by an appea l t o the ten w ords in
34:28,
u n d e r s t o o d
as in
s ome
w a y
d e s ig na t i ng
the
fo r e g o ing l a ws .
F i f t h l y , if the
s tory
of the
golden calf
is , on
o t h e r g r o u n d s ,
considered as a late addi t ion to the Sina i t r ad i t ion , yet the
covenant renewal presupposes it , then th e renewal mus t a l so b e
a late
a d d i t i on .
T h e s e a r g u m e n t s
a re
m a i n l y
to do
w i th broad con s ide ra t ions
of the role of Ex. 34 w i t h i n the Sina i
pericope.
C o m m e n t a t o r s
have indeed argued
in detail
pa r t i cu l a r l y conce r n ing
vv.
5-7,
9-10, 27-28
that
there
is
i ncoh e r e nce
in these verses a n d
that
m u c h is seconda ry. B ut the
exegesis
o f f e r e d a bove ^ h a s
shown that
m o s t
of the
d i f f i c u l t i e s f e l t
in
these
verses a re
u n f o u n d e d once
t h e d e ve l opme n t o f t h e na r r a t i ve a s a wh o l e i s
a ppr e c i a t e d . Th e r e is a s m o o t h n e s s a n d c o h e r e n c e w h i c h m o r e
l i ke ly sugges t s
o r i g i n a l u n i t y
t h a n s e c o n d a r y m o d i f i c a t i o n .
W h i l e
th e latter
pos s ib i l i t y
ca n
n e v e r
b e
ru l e d o u t ,
th e
exeges i s
o f
Ex . 34 may
we l l
be
t a k e n
to
e x e m p l i f y
ho w a
f r e sh
pe r ce p t i on
of the
f i n a l
text ca n
r e n d e r u n n e c e s s a r y c e r t a i n
a r g u m e n t s
for a
c o m p l e x
p r e h i s t o r y . ̂ A s s u m i n g
t h e r e f o r e
th e
s u b s t a n t i a l
co r rec tness o f the exeges i s , the presen t
d i scuss ion
wi l l
c o n c e n t r a t e
o n t h e
m o r e g e n e r a l q u e s t i o n s t h a t
m a y b e
raised.
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
to pos tu la te Ex. 34 a s th e para l le l to Ex. 20. But t h i s c a n n o t
be pu r su ed at present.
2)
M o t h
asserts that
the
r e f e r e n c e s
to
r e n e w a l
in vv. 1 ,
4,
9
are inse r ted
o n l y
lo o se ly an d can eas i l y b e sepa r a t ed a s
secondary .
7
Bu t i n fac t they f i t n a t u r a l l y a n d s m o o t h l y
wi t h i n
t he dev e lo pm en t o f t he s t o ry an d a r e n o t i n t hem se lv es
prob lemat ic . They
o n l y
need to be u n d e r s t o o d a s seco n da ry
w he n a
decision
h a s
a l ready been reached abo u t
the
chapter
o n
o t h e r g r o u n d s .
3) C h i l d s a r g u e s t h a t
Ex.
34 reads l ike
a n
i n i t i a l c o v e n a n t
m a k i ng . 8
Th e
n a tu ra l response
is to
ask,
H o w
else
w o u l d
o n e
expect
the account to appear? Unless one can plaus ib ly
d e m o n s t r a t e
wh ich
s i g n i f i c a n t d i f f e r e n c e s c o u l d
be
expected
to
d i s t i n gu i s h
a
c o v e n a n t re n e w a l f r o m
a n
i n i t i a l m a k i n g , t h i s
p o i n t lacks cogency.
9
In f a c t , o n e
w o u l d
n a t u r a l l y expec t th e
tw o
occas ions to be s i m i l a r . T h e d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n i n i t i a t i o n
a n d r e n e w a l
would
be m a d e clear c h i e f l y in two w a y s: t h r o u g h
th e o v e ra l l
context
a n d through spec i f ic references. W h e n th e
c o n t e x t
of Ex.
32f .
is
d i s c o u n t e d
a n d the
s p e c i f ic r e f e r e n c e s
in
vv .
1, 4, 9 are
c o n s i d e r e d s e c o n d a r y ,
it is h a r d l y
s u r p r i s i n g t h a t
there
m a y seem little i n d i c a t i o n o f r e n e w a l i n t h e c h a p t e r .
H av i n g
said th is , however , o n e c a n p o i n t o u t that
there
a re
i n deed v a r i o u s d i s t i n gu i sh in g
characteristics
of Ex. 34 that
appea r
i n t he
exegesis:
th e
p r i v a c y
o f t he
t h e o p h a n y
t o t he
f a i t h f u l
m e d i a t o r , a s opposed to the
pu b l i c i t y
o f Ex. 1 9; the
p a r t i c u l a r stress
upon
th e grace o f Y a h w e h in 34:6,9 as the
f o u n d a t i o n for a ren ewed co v en an t , a n em phas i s u n n ecessa ry in
Ex. 19-20 when the problem of
Israel's
sin had no t been ra i sed ;
th e h e i g h t e n e d e m p h a s i s
u p o n f a i t h f u l n e s s
to Y a h w e h i n
34:11-16; t h e c u l t i c l a w s a p p r o p r i a t e t o
Israel 's
cu l t i c s i n ; t he
absence , a f t e r I s rae l ' s u n f a i t h f u l n e s s , o f a n y a c c o u n t of the
people ' s response ( such as in Ex. 24) , appropr i a t e t o the
e m p h a s i s u p o n th e sovereign action o f Y a h w e h to w a r d s a n
u n f a i t h f u l
people. In context, these a r e a l l i m p o r t a n t f e a t u r e s
o f
c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l a n d
w o u l d
n o t r e a d m o r e n a t u r a l l y a s an
i n i t i a l c o v en a n t m a k i n g .
4) The next i ssue i s the re la t ionsh ip o f the l aws in
34:11-26
to
th e Decalogue a nd th e Book of the C o v e n a n t . Th e exegesis h a s
m a d e
t h e i r f u n c t i o n clear.
T h e
l aws
a re a
r e c a p i t u l a t i o n
o f t h e
e a r l i e r l a w s , s e le c ti n g th o s e r e l e v a n t t o t h e s i t u a t i o n . W h i l e i t
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F i v e : C r i t i c a l
A n a l y s i s
o f
E x o d u s 32-34
i s
p o s s i b l e
to
v i e w
th e
l a w s
a s a n
a l t e r n a t i v e
to
t h o s e g i v e n
e a r l i e r , t h e r e
i s n o
n e e d
t o d o s o . N o w
t h a t
th e
u n h e l p f u l
a n t i t h e s i s b e t w e e n a r i t u a l a n d e t h i c a l d e c a l o g u e h a s l o n g s i n c e
b ee n a b a n d o n e d , a n d t he p a r t i c u l a r e m p h a s i s o f t he l a w s o f E x .
34 c a n b e f u l l y
e x p l a i n e d
b y t h e
c o n t e x t , t h e r e
i s
l i t t l e r e a s o n
t o s e t u p t h e l a w s o f E x . 34 a s t h e m s e l v e s t h e o r i g i n a l bas i s o f a
c o v e n a n t .
I t has
b ee n s u g g e s t e d , m o r e o v e r ,
in the
e x e g e s i s
t h a t
th e
a t t e m p t
to
f i n d
a
d e c a l o g u e
in
3 4 : 1 1 - 2 6
o n t h e
b a s i s
o f
34:28
r e s t s u p o n a m i s i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f t h a t l a t t e r v e r s e . D e s p i t e a
c e r t a i n i n i t i a l p l a u s i b i l i t y
in
i d e n t i f y i n g
th e
l a w s
o f v v . 1 1 - 2 6
w i t h t h e c o v e n a n t w o r d s o f v v . 1 , 2 8 , t h i s cre tes t h e d o u b l e
t ens io n o f v . 28 wi th bo th vv .
1 1 - 2 6
an d v . 1 . S i nce b o th
d i f f i c u l t i e s
a r e s o s m o o t h l y s o l v ed b y t h e e x e g e s i s p r o p o s e d , i t
b e c o m e s
d o u b t f u l
w h e t h e r one i s s t i l l
j u s t i f i e d
in p o s t u l a t i n g
th e d i s p l a c e m e n t o f m a t e r i a l , a d i f f e r e n t d e c a l o g u e , o r
c o n f l i c t i n g t r a d i t i o n s . ^
T h e
l a w s
o f
3 4 : 1 1 - 2 6 p r o v i d e
i n -
s u f f i c i e n t r e a s o n to d o u b t th e n a t u r e o f t h e c h a p t e r a s a n
o r i g i n a l
r e n e w a l .
5 F i n a l l y , t h e r e i s the f a c t th t E x . 3 4 a s c o v e n a n t r e n e w a l
p r e s u p p o s e s t h e s t o r y o f E x . 3 2 . I t i s , t h e r e f o r e , to a n e x a m i n -
a t i o n o f t h e g o l d e n c a lf
t h a t
w e m u s t n o w t u r n . B e c au s e t h e
tw o stories a r e t o a
c o n s i d e r a b l e e x t e n t i n t e r d e p e n d e n t ,
i t is
n o t
o n l y th e
c se
t h a t i f the c a l f s t o r y c a n b e s h o w n t o b e
l a t e
a n d s e c o n d a r y , t he n d o u b t s
a re c st
u p o n
E x . 3 4 a s a r e -
n e w a l .
F o r , e q u a l l y ,
i f t h e r e i s
g o o d r e a s o n
to
s u p p o s e t h a t
E x . 3 4 a s a r e n e w a l is o r i g i n a l , t h i s c o n s t i t u t e s a n a r g u m e n t i n
f a v o u r o f
r e g a r d i n g
the s in
t h a t c a u se d
th e
renewal , i . e .
E x . 3 2 ,
a s
a l s o o r i g i n a l
to the
t r a d i t i o n .
A d m i t t e d l y ,
i f o n e a b a n d o n s t he g e n e r a l l y h e ld v i e w
t h a t
E x .
34 c o n t a i n s
an
e a r l y t r a d i t i o n ,
on e can see E x . 34 a s
i n d e e d
w r i t t e n a s a r e n e w a l b y i n t e r p r e t i n g i t as a d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
l i t e r a r y
c o n t e x t cre ted f o r t h e
go lden ca l f
s t o r y . 1 2 B u t t h e
g e n e r a l t e n o r
o f t h e
a r g u m e n t s
i n
t h i s s t u d y w o u l d
n o t
s u p p o r t
s u c h
a l a t e d a t e for the c r e a t i o n o f E x . 32-34 a s a w h o l e , g i v e n
i t s i m p o r t a n c e w i t h i n t h e t r a d i t io n s a n d w o r s h i p o f I s r a e l w h i c h
a r e
d e p en d e n t u p o n
i t .
A N A N A L Y S I S
O F E X .
32:1-6
T h e e x a m i n a t i o n o f the s t o r y o f the go lden ca l f i n E x . 3 2
i n v o l v e s
a c o m p l e x o f l i t e r a r y , h i s t o r i c a l , a n d t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l
i s s u e s .
6
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A t
the Moun t a i n of God
Taken by itself the story is, at f i rs t s igh t , s t ra igh t forward .
There are no real l i terary
unevennesses
in 32:1-6 such as m i g h t
suggest the
presence
of diverse trad i t ion s. Despite variou s
arguments
for
literary disunity,
13 tne narrative is in fact
clearly of one piece .
The cen t ra l
problem^
is posed by
ask ing w h a t
is the
re la t ionsh ip
o f Ex. 32 to the
story
o f
Jeroboam's golden calves in 1 Kg. 12:26-32. There is a certain
s imi la r i ty of o u t l in e be tween the two stories and also some
s imi l ar i ty
o f detail,
^
6
th e
most no tab le be ing
th e
ident ical
phrase, This is y o u r god, O Israel , w ho b r o u g h t you up out of
the
land
o f
E g y p t
1 7
in
both
Ex.
32:4,8
and 1 Kg.
12:28. That
there is some re l a t i onsh ip be tween the two narra t ives seems
clear.
Bu t the l i t era ry re la t io ns hip, no t in i tse lf com plex, is
genera l ly
considered as but a p o i n t e r to a com plex t rad i t i o -
his tor ica l
d e v e lo p m e n t u n d e r ly i n g Ex. 32.
T he
s ign i f ican ce of the s im i lar i t i es be tw een the two n ar ra -
tives, and in p a r t i c u l a r its b e a r i n g upon d e t e r m i n i n g the
re la t ive pr io r i ty o f the two texts, con s t i tu tes the m a i n prob lem
a t
issue.
T he
s im i l a r i ty
c a n n o t
o f
itself resolve
the
ques t ion
o f
pr io r i ty e ithe r wa y . Th e re l a t i on sh ip be tween the two na r ra -
t ives
may be
cons t rued
in a n u m b e r o f d i f f e r e n t
ways. Firs t ,
Ex.
32:1-6
in i t s
presen t
f o r m
may be t he
ea r l i e r na r r a t ive ,
th e
r e semblances in 1 Kg. 12 be ing i n t ended as d e l ib e r a t e ly r e m i n -
iscent.^ Secondly ,
whi le the
basic substance
of Ex. 32 may
be
ea r ly , its l i te rary presen ta t ion re f lec ts later po lemic aga ins t
J e r o b o a m . 19 Thi rd ly ,
the
c o n t e n t
and
presen t a t i on
of Ex. 32
m ay
have been en t i r e ly
created o u t o f
polemic aga ins t
Je ro bo am.20
F o u r t h l y ,
a n d
most complex ,
a
subs t an t i a l ly
d i f f e r e n t version
of Ex.
32:1-6
may be
o r i g i n a l ,
a
t r a d i t i o n
or ig ina l ly f avourab le
to
both
A a r o n an d the ca l f , and i t was to
such
a
f avourab le p receden t
that
Je roboam
w as
appea l i ng .
1
Kg. 12 is thus ear l i e r than Ex. 32 in its presen t f o r m , Ex. 32
being
a
ma j o r rew ork ing -o f
the
o lder ca l f t rad i t ion
a s
par t
o f a
po lemic a g a i n s t t h e n o r t h e r n k ingdom.21 Final ly , an alter-
na t ive
fo rm
of the preceding would be the more general
thesis
that
in
early Israel cultic calves were qui te acceptable
a n d
that
Jeroboam based himself upon such a t rad i t ion , th e connect ion
of
a calf with A a r o n (and Sinai) , as well as the polemical
presentation,being the retrojection of post-Jeroboa
m con-
flicts.
22
It
is one of
these
last three opt ions, par t icular ly the last two,
that the
substance
of Ex. 32 is
dependen t
upon the
Jeroboam
trad i t ion bu t that both reflect some early calf tradi t ion, n o w
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Fi v e : C r i t i c a l A n a l y s i s o f E x o d u s 32 -34
l o s t ,
t h a t
is
m o s t
w i d e l y
he l d t o d a y . S i n c e
3 e r o b o a m ' s c u l t i c
a c t i o n s c a n b e d a t ed w i t h r e as o n a b le c o n f i d e n c e to the
p e n u l t i m a t e d e c a d e o f the t e n t h c e n t u r y , t h i s w o u l d e n t a i l a
t e r m i n u s
p os t
q u e r n
fo r the Ex . 32
t r a d i t i o n
of the end of the
t e n t h c e n t u r y , a n d w o u l d m a k e i t a c o m p a r a t i v e l a te c o m e r i n t o
the
n a r r a t i v e t r a d i t i o n s
o f th e
P e n t a t e u c h .
It is n e c e s s a r y to e x a m i n e E x . 32 and i ts r e l a t i o n to 1 K g. 12
d e
n o v o .
T o
start w i t h
the
m o s t s t r i k i n g
l i nk
b e t w e e n
t h e t w o
n a r r a t i v e s , o n e m u s t d e t e r m i n e the s i g n i f i c a n c e of the sacral
c r y ,
'el leh
( h i n n e h )
e
loheka y i s r a ' e l
a
ser he
ce
luka
m e ' e r e s
m i s r a y i m . ( This
is
[ b e h o l d ] y o u r god,
O
I s r a e l ,
w ho
b r o u g h t
y o u
u p
o u t o f t he l a n d o f E g y p t ) . I t is c u s t o m a r i l y a r g u e d
t h a t
the
u n u s u a l
p l u r a l f o r m
o f the
v e r b a f t e r '
e
l o h i m
is
a p p r o p r i a t e
to the c o n t e x t o f 1 K g . 12 w h e re
t h e r e
is a p l u r a l i t y o f
c a l v e s
b u t i n a p p r o p r i a t e to the s i n g l e c a lf o f E x . 3 2 . T h e r e f o r e the
r e f e r e n c e in 1 K g. 12 is
o r i g i n a l
an d
that
in Ex . 32
d e p e n d e n t
u p o n
it .
T h e r e
a r e t w o
d i f f i c u l t i e s w i t h t h is .
T he
f i r s t
is t h a t the
p l u r a l
v e r b
i s no t i n
f a c t a p p r o p r i a t e
to the
s i t u a t i o n p i c t u r e d
in
K g. 12 . I t i s e v i d e n t that J e r o b o a m w a s n o t t r y i n g to
i n t r o d u c e
s om e n e w p o l y t h e i s m i n t o t he n o r t h e r n
k i n g d o m ,
b u t
r a t h e r a p a r t i c u l a r
f o r m
of the
w o r s h i p
o f t he o n e d e i t y
Y a h w e h . O n l y o n a c r a s s l y m a t e r i a l i s t i c u n d e r s t a n d i n g w o u l d a
p l u r a l i t y o f i m a g e s b e s ee n a s e n t a i l i n g a p l u r a l i t y o f go d s; a n d
o n e c a n
h a r d l y a sc r ibe such
a n
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
to
3 e r o b o a m .
3eroboam w a s s e t t i n g u p tw o c u l t ob jec t s for the w o r s h i p o f o n e
d e i t y .
T he p l u r a l
v e r b , w h e n
th e o n e
d e i t y
is
s u b j e c t ,
i s n o t
a p p r o p r i a t e .
S e c o n d l y , it has been seen in the exegesis^ that a p l u r a l
v e r b a f t e r
^ g l o h i m c a n b e
e m p l o y e d
b y a
w r i t e r
w i s h i n g to
c o n v e y
a
p a g a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f
G o d , w h i c h
is best
r e n d e r e d
in
E n g l i s h by g o d , an d
that
this is the l i k e l y s i g n i f ic a n c e of the
p l u r a l f o r m
i n E x . 3 2 .
This
is also the
l i k e l y s i g n i f i c a n c e
of the
v e r b
i n 1 K g .
12:28 w h e re ,
as in Ex. 32, the
w r i t e r c l e a r l y
d i s a p p r o v e s . T h i s m e a n s
that
in bo th E x . 32 and 1 K g. 12:28 the
p lu ra l ve rb conveys the w r i t e r ' s t h e o l o g i c a l i n t e r p r e t a t i o n o f
the i n c i d e n t s .
W h a t
of the
a p p r o p r i a t e n e s s
of the cry
i t s e l f ?
T he
r e f e r e n c e
to the i m m e d i a t e l y p r e c e d i n g e x o d u s f i t s w e l l in the context o f
E x . 3 2 .
L e a v i n g
as ide the h i s t o r i c a l problems,
the l i t e r a ry
p r e s e n t a t i o n o f E x . 3 2 p r e s u p p o s e s b o t h
t h a t
Y a h w e h ha s
b r o u g h t
the
I s r a e l i t e s
to
S i n a i
a n d
that
he w i l l
l e a d t he m a w a y
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At the Mo u n t a i n o f God
a g a i n .
A
sacral
c ry wh i ch
i d en t i f i e s
the
ca l f wi th
the God w ho
leads the people is app ropr i a t e .
T he sacral cry is less a p p r o p r i a t e to the s i t ua t ion o f
J e r o b o a m because , s t r ic t ly speaking,
i t
wo u ld
n o t be
r e l evan t
to
his a ims . Je robo am s gen e ra l con ce rn was t o p rov ide a r iva l to
th e
J e rusa l em t empl e ,
wh i ch
spec i f ica l ly inv olved es t abl i sh ing
a
r iva l to the J e r u s a l e m ark.25 S ince t he a rk was by t h en
settled
i n t he t empl e and may we l l have been seen less as a
sy m b o l o f the God who m o ved a ro u n d w i t h a n d gu ided h is people
a n d m o r e a s s i gn i fy ing t he one who protected th e chosen ci ty by
his p resence , an appeal t o the exodu s t ra d i t io n seems s l igh t ly
misplaced a s n o t p r o v i d i n g a t h eo l og ica l equ iva l en t t o the
s ignif icance of the ark.26
Given these
cons iderat ions ,
the
na tura l conclus ion
is that the
sacral
cry is o r ig ina l to Ex. 32 w h e re the w r i t e r ha s mod i f ied i t
slightly to
convey
h is
i n t e rp re t a t i on
of its
s ignif icance.
In 1 Kg.
12:28
the whole phrase represents the
interpretative
w o r k o f
the
redactor
w ho
w a n t s
to
show
ho w
Je roboa m s
a c t w as no
better t han the notor ious apostasy of Israel at Sinai.
Beyond the l i t e rary ques t ion , it r e m a i n s to discuss the
his tor ica l a n d
traditio-historical
p ro b l em s c o n c e r n i n g Ex. 32
an d 1 Kg. 12. These a re best a p p r o a c h e d by a sk ing f i r s t why i t
w a s that Je roboam chose t o se t up
cultic
calves, a n d secondly
w hy t h i s appa ren t l y d rew
n o
protes t u n t i l
the
t i m e
o f
Hosea ,
a p p r o x i m a t e l y 170 y e a r s
later.
For i f t h e re w a s a n a n c i e n t
t r a d i t i o n o f Israel s apostasy at Sin ai , an apostasy ce nt red o n
th e w o r s h i p o f a c a l f , i t is p r i m a f a c ie r e m a r k a b l e that
J e r o b o a m should
have chosen a k n o w n symbol o f apos t asy to
establ ish
h is
c u l t
o f
Y a h w e h ,
a n d
s t i l l m o r e r e m a r k a b l e
that
such c o m m i t t e d Y a h w i s t s a s E l i j ah , E l i sha , J e h u (2 Kg.
O
10:28-31)
a n d
A m o s ^
7
should , apparen t ly , have
registered n o
protest.
The clue to un de rs t and in g Je roboa m s po li cy lies in the
c o n t e m p o r a r y r e l i g i o u s e n v i r o n m e n t . T h e bu l l was the mos t
w idespread re l ig iou s sym bo l in the re l ig io n of the Levan t . No t
only i n C anaan , bu t also i n Egypt , Ugar i t and Mesopotamia the
bull
w as
the s ymbol ,
pa r
excellence
o f
male de i ty ,
and i s
a b u n d a n t l y
attested
in the
literature
a n d
i conography
o f
these
areas. Je roboam had to p roduce an e f fect iv e r ival to the
Jerusalem temple.
W i t h i n h is
k i n gd o m
h e had
many d iverse
elements some
on ly
r ecen t ly inco rpora ted in to Y a h w i s m u n d e r
Dav id .
Fo r
m a n y
such i t is un l ike ly that t h e i r Y a h w i s m w a s
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Five: C r i t i ca l
A n a l y s i s o f
E x o d u s
32-3^
m o r e than a v e n e e r ; t h e i r b as i c r e l ig i o u s u n d e r s t a n d i n g
w o u ld
s t i l l
have been l a r ge l y
in the
t e r m s
o f
t r a d i t i o n a l C a n a a n i t e
re l ig ion .28 T O
w
j
n
the i r a l l eg iance , a pr e sen t a t i on o f
Y a h w i s m
in t e rm s o f the re lig iou s sym bol s a l ready fa m i l i a r to
t h e m ,
w o u l d
have seemed
th e o bv io u s
s o l u t i o n . H e n c e
th e
calves o f Bethel an d D a n .
W h a t
s i g n i f i c a n c e
w o u l d
h a v e
attached
to
these
calves?
It is
general ly h e ld^ ̂ that
the
calf (bu l l )
w as
in tended
as a
th r on e
o r
pedes t a l
for the inv i s ib le
de i t y above
it.30 This w o u l d
pr ov id e
a n exact pa ra l l e l t o the ark ( c f . Jer. 3:16f . ) a n d
cor respond w i th n u m ero u s i con ographic concept ions o f the
de i t y . 31
A s
N o t h p u t s
it ,
A s th e
an c i en t Near
E a s t ( in contrast to
E g y p t) k n o w s
n o
t h e r i o m o r p h i c
dei t i es
bu t o n ly th e
associat ion
o f
beas t s
w i t h de i t i e s p i c t u r ed
in h u m a n f o r m
w h o se c o m p a n i o n s
an d
bearer s they are ,
the
golden
calves of the
r o y a l
sanc tuar ies
o f
Jeroboam
are
also su r e l y m ean t m er e l y
as
pedes ta l s
fo r the G od w ho i s i m a g i n e d to be
s t a n d i n g
i nv i s ib ly
upon
t h e m . 3 2
T he
s i t u a t io n is n o t , h o w e v e r , s o clear-cut. Fir s t , i t i s not the
case that
th e a n c i e n t N e a r E a s t
k n e w
n o t h e r i o m o r p h i c
de i t ie s
or, at least,
deities that
could be the r i om or ph i ca l l y
con ce ived .33
A n i m a l s
were seen
to
e m b o d y
a
dei ty ' s attri-
bu tes such
as
s t rength , speed
o r
f e r t i l i t y ,
and an
a n i m a l i m a g e
could
be the
object
o f
worsh ip .3 ̂ Second ly ,
the
texts
o f E x .
32, 1 K g. 1 2 (and a l so the
bu l l
r e f e r e n c e s in
Hosea35)
gj
ve
o
h i n t
tha t the ca lves w ere con ceived of as
p e d e s t a l s .
Of cou r s e
s i lence does
n o t
e x c l u d e
the
pos s ib i l i t y ,
an d t he
p o r t r a y a l
of the
calf
a s
i den t i f i ed w i th
th e
dei ty
m ay
s i m p l y
represent
th e
T e n d e n z of the
w r i t e r . N o n e t h e l e s s
the absence o f
spec i f i c
ev iden ce should no t be f o r g o t t e n .
W h a t shou ld
be clear is that it is
d a n g e r o u s
to
dogm at i ze
o r
general ize about
an
issue such
as the
re la t ionship
o f a
dei ty
to
h is
cu l t ob jec t . A t t em pt s t o d e f i n e th e d i v i n e presence in the
cu l t
are
n o t o r i o u s l y
d i f f i c u l t an d con t rove r s i a l . 36
S o m e
m ay
have un de r s t ood
the
calf
as pedestal,
others
as an
actual
r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o r m ate r i a l i za t i on of the de i t y , an d o the r s m i g h t
have had
d i f fe r e n t
con cep t i on s o r n o coh eren t con cept ion a t al l .
Even
i f Jeroboam conceived of the calves as pede s ta l s , it is
d o u b t f u l w h e t h e r the o r d i n a r y Israelite w o u l d have shared h is
u n d e r s t a n d i n g . 3 7
W h a t
pr eceden t ,
if
a n y ,
w i t h i n
I s r ae l i t e t r ad i t i on
w o u l d
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Five: C ritical
Analys is
of Exodus 32-34
t i s m ,
th e
incorpora t ion into
Y a h w i s m o f
n o n - Y a h w i s t i c
rites
and pract ices) is not possible ; i l legi t imate w o r s h i p c a n n o t , by
de f i n i t i on , be
w o r s h i p
of the t rue God . This i s why a l thou gh th e
present text
of Ex. 32
c lear ly revea ls
the
i n t e n t i on
of the
people as syn cre ti s t ic , for the w r i te r th i s is tan tam o u n t to
total
apos tasy . T he d i s t i nc t ion be tween sync re t i sm an d fe t i sh i sm or
polytheism
is
alien
to
h i m . Such
a
perspective
is
basic
n ot only
to Ex.
32:1-6
bu t
also
to the
whole
of
chs. 32-34.^°
T he
issue
is not one of
v a ry i n g estimates
of the
ca l f ,
but of
the- particular
perspective of Mosaic Y ahw ism.
It has
been
fu r the r
ques t ioned whether
a
calf tradition
is
in tel l igible
as a Sinai
t rad i t ion
on the
g r ounds tha t
it
pre-
supposes the
se t t l emen t
in
C anaan ; po lem ic against
a
calf
wou ld
n o t
m ake sense ou ts ide
th e
c on t e x t
of the
s t ruggle aga ins t
Canaan i t e fe r t i l i ty re l ig ion .
S o
w i d e s p re a d , h owe v e r ,
w as the
calf as a religious symbol that a calf t radi t ion ,
wh i l e
of great
re levance wi th in Canaan , can hard ly be localized or
l imited
to
Canaan. Rather than asking h o w a ca l f t rad i t ion could make
sense outside Canaan, the d i f fe ren t ques t ion may be put: If the
Israelites even
at
Sinai, wished
to
express their Yahwis t ic fa i th
in an image of the de i ty , wha t would be more natural than for
them
to
choose
a
bu l l?
T he
tradit io-historical suggestion of an early calf tradit ion
probably favourable
to the
calf
an d probably
associated w i t h
either Bethel
or Dan is hard to
assess
in the
absence
of
f i rm
evidence, e i ther in Ex. 32 or elsewhere , that could be adduced
in suppor t .
T he
suggest ion depends ent i re ly
on a
general
unders tand ing of early
Israelite
religion and tradition. There
are , however, at
least
two serious diff icul t ies with regarding
E x.
32 as o riginally the cult
legend^
1
of
either
Bethel of Dan.
First Bethel
and Dan
already have cult legends recorded
in
Gen. 28,
Jdg.
17-18. M ore than one cult legend, in the
technical
sense of the
o f f ic ia l
story of the
fo und ing
of a par t icu la r
s an c t u a r y ,
w o u l d be inappropr ia te for any shr ine . A d m i t t e d l y
one could a rgu e that E x. 32 w as the cu lt legend of the object at
the
shr ine ,
as
N u m . 21:4-9 m i g h t
be for the
serpen t
in
Jerusalem (cf . 2 Kg. 18:4), distinct f rom the cult legend for
Jeru salem itself . B u t this m eets a second d i f f i cu l t y .
From
a
form-cri t ical
perspective
Ex. 32
lacks
the
char-
acteristics of a
cult legend.
The
calf
is
localized
not at
Bethel
or Dan bu t at Sinai, an d , w ith the possible exception o f N u m .
21:4-9, no other cu lt legend fo r X is
located
at Y. The story is
no t
linked
to any sanctuary at Sinai; and there is little evidence
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A t the
M o u n t a i n
o f God
of S ina i
f u n c t i o n i n g
a s a r e l i g i ous c en t re i n OT t imes , apa r t
f rom i n f e r e n c e s w h i c h
m a y
possibly
b e
d r a w n
f r om the j o u r n e y
of E l i j a h in 1 K g. 19 or the w i ldern ess i t i ne ra r ies , espec ia l ly
N u m .
33:1-49.^2
There
i s no
statement,
even impl i c i t , about
c o n t i n u i t y
o f
re l ig ious practice f rom w h a t
w a s
established
in
E x. 32 to the w ri ter s day. Indee d, suc h i s impossible wh e n the
cu l t ob j ec t created
i n the
s tory
is
destroyed.
B u t
then
E x . 3 2
could only
f u n c t i o n
a s the aet iology of the
idea
o r i n s t it u t i on o f
ca l f
wo r sh i p , no t the
w o r s h i p
o f s ome a c tua l c a l f ; a n d such a
t heore t i c a l a e t i o logy
w o u ld
h a v e n o exact pa ra l le l i n the OT.
O n e c o u l d o f c o u r s e a r g u e that a n e a r l i e r f o r m o f E x . 32
c on t a i ne d the necessa ry charac ter i s t i c s . Bu t s uch a n h y p o t h e s is
is
h a rd
to
c on t r o l i n a sm uc h
as i t has no
f o u n d a t i o n
in the
text.
T he most re levant para l le l , N u m .
21:4-9,
a lso argu es ag a inst
such a t r a n s f o r m a t i o n o f the
text.
W e k now that the serpent
fell i n to d i s repute
( 2 K g .
18:4),
ye t no
later po lemic
ha s
been
re ad b ac k i n t o N u m . 2 1 ,
w h ic h
p resent s th e s e rpen t in a w h o l l y
f a v o u r a b l e l i gh t . T he h ypo thes i s o f Ex . 32 as a cu l t l egend has ,
in shor t , l i t t le to c o m m e n d i t .
There r e m a i n s the l a rge i ssue of the use of images , and o f
oppos i t ion to them,
w i t h i n
ear ly
Israelite
r e l i g ion .
Even
i f
Jerobo am s
calves
needed little Yahwi s t i c
precedent, it may
still
b e
a sk e d wh y ,
if the
s e c ond c om m a nd m e n t ,
a nd Ex . 32
w h i c h
presupposes i t , is ea r ly , va r ious imag es w ere somet imes
used in ear ly Israelite r e li g ion (N u m . 21 :4 -9 , 2 K g . 18:4, Jdg.
8:24-27, 17f.) a n d there i s no recorded protest o r host i le ac t ion
of E l i j ah , E l isha , Jehu o r A m o s a g a i ns t Je robo am s calves.
It m u s t b e f r a nk ly a dmi t t ed
that
t here i s no en t i r e ly
s a t i s f a c t o r y e xp l a na t i on
o f
t h i s .
A t the
s ame t ime , a l t e rna t i ve
theor ies , accord ing
to
w h i c h
the
p r o h i b i t i o n
o f
i m a g e s
w a s a
c o m p a r a t i v e l y late
i n t r o d u c t i o n , a r e a lso
beset
w i t h d i f f i c u l ti e s .
M uc h of the problem
lies
i n our unce r t a i n ty a s t o t he mean ing
and scope of the proh ibi t io n of images; for th is i s ha rdly
self-evident . It is l ikely that t h i s unce r t a i n ty w a s also fe lt
wi th in
ea r ly Israel.
T he
s i ng u l a r i ty
o f
t h i s proh ib i t i on
w i th i n the
a n c i e n t wor ld should no t be o v e rloo k e d . As von R ad pu t s i t ,
He r e b ecomes m a n i f e s t s o m e t h i n g
o f the
m y s t e r y
o f
Israel ,
s o m e t h i n g
o f her
n a t u r e
a s a
s t r anger
a n d a
so jou rne r
a m o n g
th e
r e l i g ions . A n y o n e
w ho
se r ious ly
devotes
h imse l f to a s tudy o f r e l i g ions a s they appear a n d
to
t he i r worsh ip
o f
images
c an
f i nd absolu te ly
n o w a y o f
t rans i t i on f r o m t hem to
Israel s
p roh ib i t i on o f images.^
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Five: C ri tical Analys i s
of
E x o d u s
32-34
Given such
an
unnatura l p roh ib i t ion ,
it is
hard
to say how
ei ther
th e
o r d i n a r y ,
or the
theological ly aware , I s rael i te would
have comprehended it. On ly once does the OT o f f e r an y
exp lana t i on
of the
p r o h i b i t i o n ,
in
D eu t .
4:9f f . ,
and we
c a n n o t
k n o w e i ther
h ow
ancien t
or how
wide sp read
th e
d e u t e r o n o m i c
concept ion
was . T he
scope
of the prohibi t ion is not
se l f -ev iden t
in t h a t n o ob jec t ion is m a d e to the ark or the c h e r u b i m in the
off ic ia l cu l t o f Y a h w e h . B u t w hy these and no t
o t h e r s ?
T h e
answer probably l ies at least pa r t l y in the dis t inct ion between
those images
an d
r i t ua l s wh ich
are
o f f i c i a l ly prescribed
b y
Y ah we h and so are
l eg i t ima te ,
and
those
which are not
prescr ibed and are the re fo re illegitimate.^ B u t j u s t as no
single
accoun t
can be
given
of the
imagined relationship
of the
de i ty to a cult object such as a b u l l , so it is
d o u b t f u l
t h a t an y
un ivoca l
un d ers tan d in g o f the p roh ib i t ion o f im ages ex i s ted
w i t h i n
Israel.
T h e
s i n g u l a r i t y
and the
po ten t i a l amb igu i ty
of the
p r o h i b i t io n
m ay accoun t for the chequered history of its observance. A
h i s to ry in wh ich th e c o m m a n d m e n t w as con s tant ly ign ored , mis-
unders tood
o r
vary in g ly in t e rp reted
is
read i ly com prehens ib le .
T h e ma j o r d i f f i c u l t i e s o f theories which sugges t a
compara t ive ly late i n t roduc t i on
for the
p roh ib i t i on
o f
images
are twofo ld . First, there are
legal
texts
which contain th e
prohib i t ion an d
which
are
genera l ly cons idered
ear ly ,
especially
E x . 34:17,
Deu t .
27:15.
Secondly,
and
m o r e
s igni f icant ly , such
theories
f ind
it d i f f i c u l t to give a sat i s factory
a c c oun t
o f how a
c o m m a n d m e n t so out of k eeping wi th general ancient N ear
Eastern re l ig ious
pract ice w as
e i ther in trod uced
o r
accepted
wi th in
Israel. If the c o m m a n d m e n t was no t par t o f
t h a t
in i t i a l
creative
m ovement wh ich
gave
Y ah wi s m
a
dis t inct ive
exist-
ence, then whence c a m e it? It was clearly not the crea t ion o f
Hosea,
for his
l anguage
(8:5f.,
10:5, 13:2)
in no way
sugges ts
a
ma j o r theo log ical innovat ion . Tho ug h the d enu ncia t ion o f bu l l
worsh i p
is a s ig n i f ican t concern w i th in Hosea, its presen ta t ion
is not one of the m a j o r
t h e m e s
of the prophecy, as would be
natura l wi th a subs tan t ive inn ovat ion . T h e b u l l references are
all m a d e en passan t , and the
tone
of them is one of
scorn
-
A
w o r k m a n m a d e it; it is not G od ... Men k iss calves
Such bul l
wo r sh ip i s un w or th y o f the I s rae l i te , w ho shou ld k now
better. If
Hosea
presupposes ̂ th e
c o m m a n d m e n t ,
and the
O T gives no h in t of anyone else prior to Hosea w ho m i g h t have
been respons ible ,
th e
least d i f f i c u l t so lut ion
m ay
indeed
be to
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At the M oun t a i n o f God
a t t r i b u t e i t to the
b e g inn ings
o f
Mosa ic Y a h w i s m .
H ow t hen does one expla in the l ack o f any n i n t h c e n t u r y
oppos i t ion to Jeroboa m s ca lves? Severa l f a c to r s m u s t be t aken
in to account here . F i r s t , there i s a s i lence in our ev idence for
t h i s p e rio d c o n c e r n i n g a l m o s t a l l the p a t r i a r c h a l a n d M o s a i c
t r ad i t i ons ; the
p roh ib i t ion
o f
i m a g e s
and Ex. 32
shou ld
not be
t aken in i so la t ion . A n d w hi le the a t t e m p t i s s o m e t im e s m a d e to
l ower th e date o f the
m a j o r p e n t a t e u c h a l t r a d i t i o n s
to
n e a r
the
t ime o f t he
Exile,*^
t h i s
creates
m ore prob lem s than i t so lves
in exp la in in g the ea r ly h i s t o ry o f Israel. Secondly, i t is possible
(a l though
t h e a r g u m e n t i s a d m i tt e d ly c o n j e c t u r a l ) t h a t m o s t
t r ad i t i ons o f Israel s o r i g in s wh ich d id exist a t the t i m e of the
division
o f the
k ingdom
were , i n i t i a l ly
a t
least,
con f ined
to the
sou the rn k i n g d o m , th e w r i t ten acc ou n t be ing ava i lab le only in
J e r u s a l e m ; in the n o r t h e r n k ingdom they m ay have been largely
u n k n o w n . The
hypothesis
o f a selective
a ccoun t
o f
ear ly
Israelite
t r ad i t ions cur ren t
in the
no r the rn
k i n g d o m ,
such
as the
E d o c u m e n t would represent, i s not in
itself
un l ike ly but can
only be
u sed w i th cau t ion . Thi rd ly ,
the records
give
n o
evidence
of
any approval of the calves. It is not un reasonab le to s u rmi se
that
d isapproval
was
f e l t , wi thout be ing fe l t
as
s trongly
as by
the
deu teronomis t i c
redactor
of
K ings .
If,
therefore, the E x. 32 t radi t ion w i th i ts co nde m na t ion of
the calf was an ancient tradition antedating Jero
boam,
Jeroboam s es tab l ishm ent of the
calves
and the lack of
recorded
opposit ion
to h im
would
n o t
thereby
be
rendered un intel l ig ible .
Jerobo am s ac t ion
can be
seen
a s a
p laus ib le syncre t i sm.
The
u n f o r t u n a t e p recedent o f
Aa ron
cou ld e i ther be i gnored , i f the
t r a d i t i o n w a s n o t w ide ly
k n o w n ,
or to
some ex ten t j u s t i f i ed ,
de pe nd ing upon the
i n t e rp re t a t i on g iven
to the .prohibit ion o f
images , o r
ruled
out as i r relevant , i f a theological ly
crass
i n t e rp re t a t i o n w as g iven to Aa ron s ca l f wh i l e a theolog ica l ly
sophis t i ca ted in terpre ta t ion
w as given to
Jeroboam s.
This
b r ie f
discussion o f a
h igh ly
p r o b l e m a t i c
area
does no t , o f course ,
c la im t o have re so lved a l l t he p rob lems . The above a rg u m en t
ha s s o u g h t to re-open, rather than resolve, the genera l ly -
discounted poss ib i l i ty
of E x. 32 as an
an c ien t an t i -ca l f
t r ad i t i on . The r e su l t an t p i c tu re i s by no m e a n s f r e e
f rom
di f f icu l t ie s
( though
g rea ter o r
lesser
p r o b l e m s
c o n f r o n t
a ll
proposals) , bu t does possess a r easonab le overa l l coherence . A nd
it
wou ld
m e a n
that
the poss ib i l i ty of a t radi t ion of apostasy and
renewal in the early levels o f Ex . 32-34 wou ld r equi re ser ious
attention.
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Five: Critical Analysis of Exodus
32-34
Argum ents for the ant iqui ty of the t radi t ion are as such
i ndependen t of the exege t ica l a rguments for the coherence of
th e text. Th e re is no inh eren t reason why a uni f ied text should
be
early rather than
late.
Nonetheless
there
is
still
a
certain
re la t ionship between the two concerns. For i t was the
exegetical
s tudy
of Ex .
32:4 which prompted
a
reassessment
of
th e re la tionsh ip be tween it and 1 K g. 12:28 and so led on to a
discussion
of the
larger issues.
And it is at
least salutary
to be
reminded that proposals of a complex t rad i t ion h i s to ry of pro-
and
anti-calf polemic
un de r ly in g
Ex . 32 have rea l ly no
foundat ion
in the
present text. That does
not
mean that such
proposals are necessarily wrong , given tha t o ne must take in to
account
the
larger historical issues.
But i t
should
urge caut ion
in
advocat ing such proposals ,
and at
least
allow an
openness
to
an a l te rna t ive way of u nde r s t and ing th e t rad i t ion .
A N A N A L Y S I S O F E X . 33:7-11
The paragraph E x . 33:7-11 is almos t universa l ly agreed to be
an ind e p e nd e n t f r a g m e n t of t rad i t ion , now only loosely
connected to its present context by the c omm on t h eme of the
divine presence.
As
such
it
preserves
an
ancient ,
and
pro bably
historical, trad ition o f a tent of meeting much s impler than the
e labora te s t ruc ture of P. The fol lowing discussion
will
suggest a
d i f f e r e n t u nd e r s t a nd ing of the verses
which wil l
throw into
sharp
relief the problem of exegetical m etho d and the
di f f i cu l t i es
of
assessing
the
same mater ia l
in
terms both
of
l i terary unity and of underlying diversity.
A r g u m e n t s conce rn ing the origins of 33:7-11 are var ious ,
some based
on
fea tures
of the
text
others
on
larger
reconst ruct ions of early t radi t ions into
which
33:7-11 as an
independent uni t can be seen to f i t . The problem h as little to do
with
the
ques t ion
o f
sources. From
a
literary perspective there
is no
real unevenness
in the
p ara gr ap h , despi te occasional
suggestions that diverse traditions have been
combined.^
Source-crit ically the un i t is usually ascribed to E , bu t the re are
no
clear criteria
for
this
and
d isagreement
has remained. ^
The
problem is best approached through looking at those
e lements
in
33:7-11
which
are
held
to be
discordant with their
context. The mo st no table of these is the use of the verbs in the
imper f ec t
th rou gho u t the section. This is
usual ly
taken to
describe the habitual
practice
of Moses th roughout the wilder-
ness wander ings a t eve ry encampment that was set up.^9
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A t the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
Such a n in terpre ta t io n is possible but i t i s no t the o n ly, no r even
th e obviou s , i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . In the
exegesis
i t was suggested
t h a t th e f r e q u e n t a t i v e f o r c e o f t h e i m p e r f e c t o n t h e o n e h a n d
c o n v e y e d
th e
i m p e r m a n e n c e
o f t h e
a r ra n g e m e n t
-
t h i s
tent
w a
a
t e m p o r a r y e x p e d i e n t p e r i o d i c a l ly
p u t u p a n d
t a k e n
down a t
Sina i ,
p e n d i n g
th e r e s t o r a t i o n o f God's presence in the mi ds t
o f the people ; an d on the o the r
h a n d
that this is a
stylistic
device
to
slow
the
n a r r a t i v e
and
create
a
lull
and a
sense
of
t r a n s i t i o n
pr i o r to t h e i n t e n se i n t e r c e ss i o n o f M o ses.
H o w do e s
o n e
weigh t h e s e a l t e r n a t i v e ,
a n d
m u t u a l l y
e x c l u s iv e ,
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n s ? Bo th e n t a i l d i f f i c u l t i e s .
T h e
sug-
g est io n o f i m p e r m a n e n c e may b e c o u n t e r e d b y ap pe a l t o t he
f a c t
that
the
tent
o u t s i de
the
c amp was ,
on the
c o n t r a r y ,
a
p e r m a n e n t i n s t i t u t i o n , w h i c h i s r e f e r r e d to i n o t h e r c o n t e x t s
( N u m . 11:16,24-26,30; 12:4;
cf. D e u t .
31:14f.).50
i m p e r f e c t verbs descr ibe
th e
h a b i t u a l prac t i ce
o f
Moses
a t
every
e n c a m p m e n t , th e n th e prob lem is no t so
m u c h that
t h e y
a re i n c o n g r u o u s bu t
that
t h e y m a y e n t a i l a p u z z li n g i n c o n -
s is ten cy on the par t o f a redactor. If the un i t i s indeed an
a n c i e n t
t ra d i t i o n in c o rp o r a t ed w i t h o u t m o d i f i c a t i o n
o r
a d d i t i o n
by
th e
redactor
51
t h e n t h e r e
is no p ro b le m,
g r a n t e d
th e
g e n e r a l
c o n g r u i t y
of the
re-use
of the
t r a d i t i o n .
But i f i t
becomes
clear
that par t s o f the u n i t were composed for the i r
present context i.e. that
at
least some
of the details of the
u n i t
a re s p e c i f i c a l l y m a d e to f i t in t h e i r la r g e r c o n t e x t , t he n i t
b e c o me s implaus ib le to su p p o se t ha t t he r e dac t o r shou ld h a v e
a t t h e
same t i me r e t a i n e d
a n
obv ious i n c o n g r u i t y w i t h o u t
m a k i n g th e ap p r o p r i a t e
m i n o r
a d j u s t m e n t s .
Both
o f
these
d i f f i c u l t i e s d i rec t o n e t o t h e l arger ques t i ons o f t h e in te rpre t -
a t i o n of the u n i t , a n d c a n n o t be dec ided in i s o la t i o n .
T he
se c o n d m a i n c au se o f de b a t e i s t he r e f e r e n c e to t he t e n t
ou ts ide the c a m p . T o a r g u e o n t h e basis o f t h i s a l o n e t ha t t h i s
i s a
d i f f e r e n t sort
o f
t e n t which r e p r e se n t s
a n
a l t e r n a t i v e
t r ad i t i o n to the P
tent
i n t h e m i d s t o f t h e c a m p ,
would
be w i d e
o f th e m a r k . T h e contrast be tween th e t e m p o r a r y
tent
o u t s i de
(v. 7
th e
c a m p , b e c a u s e
th e
people have f o r f e i t e d Y a h w e h 's
presence
in
the i r midst (vv. 3 ,5 , b
e
q j rb
e
k a )
is one o f the
m a i n p o i n t s o f t h e s e c t i o n . T h e a r g u m e n t s m u s t a p p e a l
s i m u l t a n e o u s l y
t o t h e o t h e r
tent
p a ssa ge s ( N u m .
11:16,24-26,30,
12:4) w h i c h , t a k e n in c o n j u n c t i o n wi th Ex. 33,
show
th e
existence o f a n a n c i e n t t r a d i t i o n o f a
tent
o f me e t i n g , d i f f e r e n t
f r o m
the P t e n t of Ex . 25-31, 35-40. This t e n t is m u c h s impler
t h a n th e c o m p le x s t ru c t u r e of P. I t is s i t u a t e d o u t s i d e th e
7
f the
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A t
the
M o u n t a i n
o f Go d
b u i l d i n g of the a rk and tent w i t h i n E x. 25-3.1, 35-40 a re
secondary , then
a n
ea r l i e r accoun t bo th
o f
i n s t r u c t i o n s p r i o r
to
Ex.
32-34
a n d o f c o n s t r u c t i o n s u b s e q u e n t l y ha s been displaced.
T h e
appropr ia te locus
for the
los t accoun t
w o u l d
n o t b e
between 33:6
and
33:7.
F i f t h l y , a l t h o u g h th e r e l a t i o n s h i p o f Deu t . 9 -10 to Ex . 32-34
is a top ic r e q u i r i n g separate t r e a t m e n t , it is d o u b t f u l t h a t the
D e u t e r o n o m y
passage,
wh ich
i s c lea r ly a secondary homi le t ic
recas t ing o f e a r l i e r t r a d i t i o n , c a n b e used a s evidence to
d e t e r m i n e s o m e o r i g i n a l l y
d i f f e r e n t
sequence o f even ts in Ex .
32-34.
O n e f u r t h e r po in t i s that th e
tent
c o n t a i n i n g t h e a r k w o u l d
have been kep t i n s ide the camp , and any
tent
ou t s ide the camp
w o u l d n o t con t a in the a rk and m u s t b e d i s t i n g u i s h e d f r o m the
tent
t h a t
did ̂ In
c o n c l u s io n ,
th e
a r g u m e n t
is
essent ia l ly
o n e
f r o m
si lence; a n d w h e n the re a re posi t ive reasons w h y t h e
cons t ruc t i on
of the ark w o u l d b e
i n a p p r o p r i a t e
a t
th is po in t ,
t hen the h ypo thes is becomes un ne cessary.
This st i l l leaves th e u n q u e s t i o n a b l e r e f e r ences to a
tent
in
N u m . 11-12
t o b e
accoun ted f o r ;
E x.
33:7-11 should
n o t b e
exp la ined
w i t h o u t s o m e r e f e r e n c e
to these If the
r e l a t i o n s h i p
b e t w e e n
these
passages
is to be
exp la ined sa t i s f ac to r i ly ,
two
po in t s
o f
p r i nc ip le mu s t
b e
c l a r i f i e d .
F i rs t , a l l a c c o u n t s of the n a t u r e of the anc ien t p re-P tent
d e r i ve t h e ir u n d e r s t a n d i n g a l m o s t e n t i re l y
f r o m
E x . 33:7-11.
N u m . 11-12 and Deu t .
31 ) add n o n e w
i n f o r m a t i o n a b o u t
th e
tent
b u t
c o n f i r m ce r t a i n de t a i l s
o f t he
p ic tu re der ived f r o m
33:7-11,
v iz . tha t the
tent
was ou t s ide the c a m p and
that
the
c loud descended
at i t s
en t r ance .
If ,
h o w e v e r ,
th e
u n d e r st a n d i n g
of
33:7-11
w a s
based
o n a n
exegesis
wh ic h
d iscoun ted
its
c o n n e c t i o n s
w i th
i t s con text , then the
wh o l e
concept ion o f the
tent m u s t b e e x a m i n e d a f r e sh in the l i g h t of the new percept ion
o f th e
text
The r e fe r ences i n N u m . 11 -12 a r e ba s ica l ly s il en t
wi tnesses w h i ch
in
themselves y ie ld i n s u f f i c i e n t i n f o r m a t i o n
to
ga i n
a n y cl ea r u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t h e n a t u r e o f th e
tent
env i saged . They c a n n o t b e used to suppor t a n u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f
Ex. 33:7-11, w h i ch 33:7-11 i tself n o longer suppor ts .
Secondly, it is
correct
m e t h o d i n i t i a l l y to i n t e rp re t the
tent
r e f e r ences
in
N u m . 1 1 -1 2
in
t h e i r
o w n
c o n t e x t , w i t h o u t
cross-reference
to Ex. 33. To o
r ap id
a n
appea l
t o an
a p p a r e n t
para l le l ma y preven t sen s i t iv i ty to the pecu l i a r n ua nce s o f the
text in que s t ion . I f the re ferences to the tent i n N u m . 11-12 a re
n o t
read
in the
l i g h t
of Ex. 33,
t h e n
it
becomes possib le ,
a n d
7
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A t the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
while it certainly does not rule out the possibility of traditio-
h i s to r i c a l dev e lop men t ,
raises
the qu es t ion o f how fa r such an
h y po th es i s is
n ecessary
to
expla in
the
ma te r i a l ?
a d d i t i o n
to
th e se c o n s id e r a t i o n s a b o u t
th e
r e l a t i o n s h i p
o f
E x. 33:7-11 to N u m .
11-12 ,
it is necessa ry to e x a m i n e t h o s e
e l e m e n t s i n E x . 33:7-11 w h i c h w e r e m o s t
l ike ly
c omp osed fo r
t he i r p resen t c on tex t . F i r s t , th e e m p h a s i s o n t h e tent a s n o t
o n l y
ou t s i de th e c a m p
( m i h us
l a m m a h
a
neh , tw i c e in v. 7) bu t
fa r o ff f rom i t (harheq~
m i n -h a m m a h
a
n e h ,
v. 7) is sure ly
d e p e n d e n t
upon
t h e s i t u a t i o n o f t h e u n i t in
its
present context
f o l l o w i n g o n t h e d e n i a l o f Y a h w e h ' s presence in t he
m i d s t
o f t he
people (vv . 3,5 .*
9
Such a n e m p h a s i s s u g g e s ts a theo log i c a l
s i g n i f i c a n c e
in the
p os i t i on
o f the
tent,
a n d
w o u l d
be
h a r d e r
to
a c c o u n t f o r i f th e p o s i t i o n i n g o f t h e tent i s cons idered to be
descr ip t ive o f w h a t h a p p e n e d a t successive e n c a m p m e n t s
w i t h o u t i m p l i c a t i o n s o f
Y a h w e h ' s
d i s fa v o u r .
Secondly, it is probable that v. l l a was composed for its
c o n t e x t .
O n t h e on e
h a n d
t h e r e
is the
s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f
Y a h w e h
s p e a k ing
w i t h
M oses f a ce to f a c e
( p a n i m ' e l - p a n i m ) .
This is
th e f i r s t
p a r t
o f t h e
p r o f o u n d t r e a t m e n t
o f t h e
t h e m e
o f
m a n ' s
appr o ach t o t h e
presence
o f
G o d , c o n t i n u e d
in vv .
14f. ,20
w i t h
f u r t h e r
uses
of pan
i m .
In
p a r t i c u l a r ,
vv. 11,20
b e long together
as the two
poles
o f a
paradox .
O n t h e
o t h e r h a n d
v.
l l a
is
i m p o r t a n t
fo r the l a r g e r s t r u c t u r e o f t h e n a r r a t i v e . I t i s no t
on ly t h a t
th e f a v o u r
shown h e r e
to
M o s e s p rep a res
t h e w a y fo r
th e
bold
a n d
suc c ess f u l i n t e rc ess i on which
fo l l ows ,
t h o u g h that
is
the case, bu t also 33:11 can be seen as the h i n g e of the w h o l e
na r r a t iv e . oO j
n
p i v o t a l s i g n i f i c a nc e
of the
f a i t h f u l m e d i a t o r
is
part
o f
that
f i n e
d i v i n e - h u m a n b a la n ce wh i c h
h a s
been
seen
to be
c e n t r a l
to Ex .
32-34.
In
b o t h
these
w a y s
33:1 la
f i t s
so
i n t e g r a l l y i n to i t s c on tex t t ha t i t b ec omes a l ike ly a s s u m p t i o n
th a t i t wa s c omp osed for . i t .
It is these c o m p o s i t i o n a l e l e m e n t s i n v v .
7,11
that
cast
d o u b t
o n
the hyp o thes i s o f v v. 7 -1 1 a s a u n i t i nc o rpora t ed w i tho u t
a l t e r a t i on i n to th e l a rg e r t r a d i t i on . Bu t i f i t be
accepted
that
so me elements of vv. 7-11 presuppose thei r present
context,
t h e n i t m u s t be a sked why the f r e q u e n t a t i v e v e rb s, i f i m p l y i n g
s u c c e s s i v e e n c a m p m e n t s i n a w a y i n c o n g r u o u s w i t h th e p r e s e n t
c o n t e x t ,
shou ld
ha v e b een
l e f t
u n a l t e r e d .
It
does sug g es t
a n
i nc on s is t enc y on the p a r t o f t he redactor. O n e m i g h t a r g u e
that
th e
verbs or ig in a l ly impl ied
successive
e n c a m p m e n t s ,
bu t that
th e redactor sa w that they could be re-interpreted, perhaps
a l o n g th e l i nes sugges ted i n t h e exegesis , a n d t h u s t h e y w e r e
176
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Five: Cri t ical Ana l y s i s
o f
E x o d u s 32-34
retained.
But i t must be asked how far such an hypothesis is
still
necessary to
explain
the
text.
The
above d i scuss ion has no t dem on s t ra ted that Ex. 33:7-11
did
n o t have an i n d e p e n d e n t
existence
p r io r to its
inc lus ion
in
its present context. But i t has shown
that
the a r g u m e n t s
cus tomar i ly adduced
in fa vo u r of its
independence
are of
l imited cogency, an d that the lin ks betw een 33:7-11 and i ts
contex t requi re
a
m ore ca re fu l exp l ana t i on than they have
y e t
rece ived .
Un l ik e the
a r g u m e n t s c o n c e r n in g
E x .
34
as an or igina l
r enewa l
which are ,
in my
j u d g m e n t , r e la ti v el y clear-cut, one's
verdic t on the or igins o f
33:7-11
mus t , at the present t ime, be
non liquet. B u t
such
a
conclus ion,
in
contrast
to the
cus tomary
asses sment , does i l l us t ra te
well
the
k ind
o f d i f f e r e n c e
that
the
exeget ical approach here adv ocated m akes .
A N A N A L Y S I S
O F E X . 34:29-35
This is the one u n i t in Ex .
32-34
which has
cons is tent ly been
a t t r ibu ted
to P. The
basis
fo r
this
is the
presence
o f
vocabu la ry
characteristic
of P, in par t icular A a ron , the leaders of the
congregation (hann
e
si 'Tm
ba
c
edah ,
an d the
tables
of the
t e s t i mo n y
(lufrot ha
c
edut .
b
*
T he
presence
o f
these
t e r ms
raises m a n y ques t ions . Are they so characteristic of P that
the i r occur rence
in
non-P ma te r i a l becomes
un l i ke l y? If so, do
they ind icate m ore than a second ary P rew o rkin g of an older
t r ad i t i on?62 Even if the uni t as a whole did derive
f r om
P,
could
it
s t i l l have been composed
for its
context^
_
d e p e n d i n g on how one u n d e r s t a n d s the n a t u r e of P and P's
relat ion
to
ear l ie r t r ad i t ion ?
First,
i t may be
noted
that
against
these
a r g u me n t s
f r om
vocabulary, cons iderat ions
of content
suggest
close
connections
be tween
the un i t and i ts context. I n
p a r t i c u l a r
one may
po in t
out the use of qrn to
recal l
the
calf
and to
fo rm
an
i nc l u s i o
fo r
chs. 32-34 as a who le , the f u r t h e r d e v e l o p m e n t of the
p a n i m
m o t i f , and the s igni f icance
attached
to Moses wh ich so aptly
conc ludes h is un iq ue
med ia to r i a l r o l e t h roughou t
E x .
32-34.
I f ,
as i s cus tomary , the un i t i s sa id
or iginal ly
to have
fo l lowed
the
end of Ex. 31,
n o n e
o f
these fac tor s
would
reta in thei r
significance. This
raises
the
prob lem
of the
criteria
according
to
which
source-critical
ana lys i s
can
best
be
carried ou t .
Second ly ,
the
vocabu la ry ev idence
is of
d i f f e r i ng
v a l u e .
T he
r e fe r ence t o Aaron is the least s i g n i f i c a n t .
Al though A a r o n
appear s mos t f r equen t l y in P m ate r ia l , he i s no t res t ric ted to i t
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At the M o u n t a i n o f God
an d
a l ready be longs
to the
n o n - P t ra d i t i o n
o f Ex. 32. The
t ab le t s
a re
called
Ih t h
c
dt in 32:15, a n d
a l t h o u g h t h i s
could be
a P gloss, i t may more
l ikely
be tha t th is i s evidence for a pre-P
t r a d i t i o n d e s i g n a t i n g the t ab le t s a s
c
dt.
6
^
The use of
j d h
is the
s t r o n g e s t a r g u m e n t ,
fo r
t h i s t e rm
i s
s t rongly ch a rac -
teristic
o f P a n d n o w h e r e else i n the Penta teuch i s i t t o be
f o u n d in
n o n - P material.
65
A l t h o u g h o n e wou ld be
r e l u c t a n t
to
base
a
sou rce-cri ti ca l a rg u m e n t essent i a l ly
o n o n e w o r d , th e
presence of th i s d i s t inc t ive ly P t e rm m u st be g iven i t s due
weigh t ; a l though , aga in , o n e cou ld a rgue that th is is ev idence
fo r a
pre-P
t rad i t ion which r e fe r red to Israel a s ^dh .
The
suggestion
that
the P t e rminology represent s a secondary
gloss
raises
p roblems.
Fo r
wh i le
it is
possible
to
conceive
of the
story wi th
a
s l i gh t ly d i f f e re n t word i ng ,
i t is
h a rd
to see
w h y ,
given such a s tory, it should be glossed in the suggested way
when no clear point , theological or o therwise , is conveyed by it.
O n e
c o u l d t a k e
th e
t e r m s
a s
i n d i c a t i v e
o f a
m o r e t h o r o u g h g o i n
r e w r i t i n g o f the
t r a d i t i o n
by P, but
t h a t
wou ld u n d e r m i n e t h e
a r g u m e n t
t h a t
th e
t r a d i t i o n
a s a who le
does
n o t
fee l char-
acteristic
o f P.
6
Th e re
is no
good reason , the re fore ,
to
separate th e
t e r m i n o l o g y u n d e r d i scussion f r o m
th e
rest
o f the
u n i t .
These br ief considera t ions leave
o n e w i th tw o ma in
op t i ons .
O n e
cou ld
m i n i m i z e the
s i gn i f i cance
o f the
t e r m i n o l o g i c a l
a f f i n i t i e s
t o P and
a rgue
that th e content
shows
th e
u n i t ,
in i ts
present f o rm ,
to stand close to the basic t rad i t ion of Ex. 32-34.
Alte rna t ive ly , th e proposal
that
th e u n i t
stems f r o m
P bu t was
composed
for i ts
present
context would
expla in
all the
re levant
data. T he
f o r m e r
o f
these
is , in my
j u d g m e n t ,
the
more l ike ly .
Whatever th e source-critical
a r g u m e n t s c o n c e r n i n g
34:29-35
m a y s h o w ,
th e
rea l interest
in
m o s t
recent s t u d y h a s
been
i n the
t r ad i t i o -h i s t o r i ca l
i nve s t i ga t i on
o f
poss ib le ea r l i e r
f o r m s
o f the
t r ad i t i on , and i t i s these that m u s t n o w b e
b r i e f ly
cons i d e re d .
For the
s t ory
is
usua l ly
i n t e r p r e t e d
in the
l i gh t
o f the
widespread
r e l ig io-h i s tor ica l ev idence fo r pr iests
masks .
6
7
As
such the
passage
w as o r ig ina l ly a n
a e t i o logy
fo r
such
a mask
wi th in th e
ea r ly cul t
o f
Israel .
T h e
f ac t t h a t
i n the
p re se n t
text
it is c lear ly a veil a nd no t a m a s k t h a t is env i saged and the ve i l
f u n c t i o n s
d i f f e r e n t l y
f r om
a pr iest ly m ask ref lec ts the re-
in te rpre t a t ion
o f t he
t r ad i t i on accord i ng
to later Y ahw is t i c
s e n t i m e n t which n o longer f o u n d the mask acceptable.
Such
an hypothesis is
d i f f i cu l t
to assess l a rgely
because
it is
d i f f i c u l t to see
what evidence would
be
a l lowed
to fa ls ify i t ; o r,
178
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Five: Critical Analysis of E s 32-34
to put it
d i f f e r e n t l y ,
it is
u nc l ea r w ha t
are the
ob jec t ive
cr i ter ia
w h ich
could serve as a contro l
upon
such hypothes iz ing .
T he hypo thes i s is bu i l t upon tw o genera l cons idera t ions . T he
f i r s t
is an under s t and ing of the ear ly history o f
Israelite
re l ig ion .
T he
second
is the
s i gn i f i cance
o f
r e l ig io -his to r ica l
para l l e l s
to OT
practices f rom
d i f f er e n t cu l tu res . These
a re
both
vast issues
on
wh ich
it is not
possible here
to o f f e r
m o r e
than two
b r i e f c o m m e n t s .
First
the
na tu re
o f
ear ly
Israelite
r e l igion
is a
subject about
which
w e
k n o w
a l l too little.
G iven
th e k n o w n r e l ig ious
plura l ism o f the p rem on arc hic al per iod, the quest ion of the
degree
o f
r e l igious dis t inct iveness
a nd
theological depth that
m ay
r eason ably be ascr ibed to the ear l iest t rad i t ion s of M osaic
Yahwism is
d i f f i cu l t
to
answer .
For the present i t m ay
s im p ly
be observed
that
the the olog y and con ten t of Ex. 34:29-35
stands close to the theology and content of Ex. 32-34 as a
whole . I t would be dub ious , the refo re , to treat the q uest ion of
34:29-35
in
isolation.
E x .
32-34 ref lects
a
s t rong
and
d is t inct ive
Mosaic Y ahwi s m
t h r o u g h o u t . A nd if it is p l aus ib le to v iew the
substance of Ex. 32-34 as represent ing an ear ly t radi t ion, then
the
s am e
m ay
wel l
be
true
o f
34:29-35
a s
well .
At the
very
least
one should ask again whether i t is necessary or even
he lp fu l
to
postula te the
section
a s
r e f l ec t ing
a practice f ound
d i scordant
in later
Y a h w i s m .
Secondly ,
the interpretat ion of rel igio-histor ical paral le ls is a
co m p l ex
matter. If one is to
e m e rg e successful ly f rom
the
m aze , the one f u n d a m e n t a l p r inc ip l e that m us t be observed is
that
apparent s im ilar it ies should
no t be isolated f rom
their
cu l tu ra l context. A n
a tom is ti c app roach
wh ich f i nd s trans-
cu l tu r a l s im i la r i ti e s by in t e rp r e t ing ind iv id ua l
practices
in -
dependen t ly o f
t he i r cu l tu r a l m i l i e u
is
m e t ho dol o g ica l ly
unsound.°8 Jhi
s
b e i ng
so, the
r e l evance
o f
p r i e s t l y m ask s
to
Ex.
34:29ff .
is
h igh ly
p r o b le m a ti c . T he assertion o f a
real
para l le l in 34:29ff . i nvo lves not only t a k i n g the verses out of
their
larger
O T
context
bu t
a l so discounting Yahwist ic
elements
with in th e
un i t
i tself . It is
d i f f i c u l t
to see how this does o ther
than
to
d e m o n s tr a te w h a t
is
i n i t i a l l y a ssum ed ; that
i s , the
a r gu m e n t
i s c i r cu lar . The
exegesis
has suggested that par t of
the point of
34:29ff .
m ay l ie in the s pec if ic con trast to the idea
of the
de ity s r epresenta tive be ing m asked .
If
such
a
m ean i ng ,
re f lec t ing the p r esuppos i t ion o f
Y a h w eh s close
and per sonal
revela t ion
t o m en and
t h ro u g h m e n ,
is a
co he ren t e l em en t
o f
Mosaic Y ahwi s m a s a who le , t hen it is h a r d to
j u s t i fy ,
even
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Five: Critica l Ana ly s i s of E x o d u s 32-34
characters
i nc lud ing Aaron w ho
af ter 32:25 on ly appears ag ain
in 34:30, are only m e n t i on e d
when they
are
appropr ia te
to the
s tory. The s toryteller n atu ral ly focuss es attent ion on Moses and
Yahweh
as the central protagonis t s .
It
is
within
a
larger
OT
context
that the
story becomes
prob lemat ic . Tw o par t icu lar d i f f i cu l t i e s m a y be singled o u t .
First
the s to ry s tands in some tension with Deut . 33:8-11. Deut .
33:9
would
seem to r e f e r to the same episode as in Ex. 32, yet
33:8 locates this
at
Massah/Meribah,
n o t
Mt. Sinai . Secon dly ,
there
is a
tension with
the
s u r r o u n d i n g
P
ma t e r i a l
in Ex .
25-31,
35-40. In Ex . 28-29 Aaron and his sons are des i gna ted as priests
an d
their ord ina t ion rite is descr ibed , an d this is taken u p
again
in
E x .
39:1-31,4 1, 40 :12-15, Le v. 8-9.
H ow
does
th e
ord ina t ion
o f
th e Levi tes
relate
to th i s?
Both
these d i f f i cu l t i e s are
f u n d a m e n t a l l y
aspects
of the
larger p rob lem,
one of the
m o s t
complex
in OT s tu d y , of the o r i g i ns an d d e v e l o p m e n t of pries ts
and Levites. N o deci s ion about E x . 32:25-29 can be reached in
isolation o f a t r ea t men t o f this issue. A n d that lies far
beyond
the
scope
o f
th i s p resen t s t udy . Suf f ice
it to say
that there
are
considerable historical and
traditio-historical
di f f icu l t ies with
the s to ry o f Ex . 32:25-29 in its Sinai context such as make it a
n o t
unlikely
candidate
fo r
being
a
secondary addi t ion
to the
t r ad i t i on .
2) E x. 32:30-33;6
Little will be said about this section at the present t ime. As
has been seen , the section is reasonab ly un i f i ed with the
intercession o f Moses leading to the depar t u re o f Israel
f rom
Sinai, y et still u n d e r Yahweh ' s d i s f a v o u r .
The
sect ion plays
an
im po r t an t ro le
in the
d e v e l o p m e n t
of the
nar ra t ive ,
for the
res torat ion
o f
Yahweh ' s presence
in the
mid s t of the
people, here denied (33:3,5),
is
basic
to
33:7-34:9.
There
are also two of the f o u r occurrences of the s t i f f -necked
people mot i f
which is
cen t ra l
to the
theological m e a n in g
of the
narra t ive
as a
who l e .
The
co n t en t
of the
section
is
w i th o u t
ques t ion d eeply rooted in the Sinai tradition.^
None the le s s ,
the
u n i t y
of the sect ion seems s l ight ly
art i f ic ia l , and i t
lacks that coherence
which is
character i s t ic
o f
other uni t s
i n Ex .
32-34,
an
except ion
which
a d m i t s
of no
obvious exp l ana t i o n . W h a t sor t of d e v e l o p m e n t of the ma t e r i a l
is thereby indicated is unc lear , an d f u r t h e r s t udy will be needed
before ser ious proposals can be adv anced .
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
3) Ex.
33:12-23
T h r e e
p o i n t s m a y
b r i e f l y
b e m a d e a b o u t E x . 33 :12-23.
First
th e exegesis h a s s h o w n a co h e r e n ce a n d d e v e lo p m e n t
w i t h i n
th e
sect ion
such
a s
m a k e s
i t
u n c l e a r
w h e t h e r
i t is
n e ce ssa r y to p o s t u l a t e i n t e r n a l d i v e r s i t y a t t h e s o u r c e - c r i t i c a l
l eve l ,
i n t h e
sor t
o f w a y that i s
o f t e n p r o p o se d .
Second ly , the sect ion is l i n k e d to i ts c o n t e x t b o t h in c o n t e n t
a n d
v o c a b u l a r y .
D e V a u x ' s
s t a t e m e n t t h a t "T h i s t e x t a l so
h a s
n o t h i n g t o co n n e c t i t w i t h t h e co n t e x t " -
7
j
s
h a r d l y
w e l l
f o u n d e d . T h e
m a j o r
d i f f i c u l t y is the
d i f f e r e n c e b e tw e e n
th e
t h e o p h a n y
f o r e t o l d
i n
33:19,20-23
a n d t h e
t h e o p h a n y
r e c o u n t e d
i n 34 :5 f f . N o n e t h e l e s s
th e
v e r b a l
l i n k s
b e t w e e n
t h e t w o
passages
show
that
th e
w r i t e r
o f
34:5ff
u n d e r s t o o d
th e
passage
a s a
f u l f i l m e n t
o f t h e f o r m e r ; a n d t h e
e xe g e t i ca l d i scu ss i o n
su g g e s t e d t h a t
th e d i f f e r e n c e s
b e t w e e n
t h e t w o
a c c o u n t s
m a y
in
f a c t
b e
e x p l i c a b l e
in
t e r m s
o f
l i t e r a r y
a n d
t h e o l o g ica l
cons ide ra t ions .
W h e t h e r o r n o t
t h e r e
is an u n d e r l y i n g
c o m -
p l e x i t y a t a
t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l l e v e l r e m a i n s
a d i f f i c u l t
issue
r e q u i r i n g
f u t h e r
c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
T h i r d l y ,
such a re the l i nks b e t w e e n 33:12ff a n d t h e si tu a t io n s
as dep ic ted in the
s u r r o u n d i n g
c o n t e x t t h a t i t b e c o m e s
q u e s t i o n a b l e
w h e t h e r
o n e
s h o u l d
p o s t u l a t e s o m e
o r i g i n a l l y
i n d e p e n d e n t
setting
f o r t h e p r ay e r . M u i l e n b e r g , f o r e x a m p l e ,
genera l izes 33 :12-17 in to a n " in t e rcess ion o f the c o v e n a n t
m e d i a t o r " ,
th e
p assag e be i n g
a l i t u r g y
u se d
a t
a m p h i c t y o n i c
centres in
C a n a a n
to celebrate th e
f a c t
that
Y a h w e h
h a s
a c c o m p a n i e d th e p e o p l e i n t o Can aan . 7 2 T o m a i n t a i n t h i s , th e
d e v e l o p m e n t o f
33:12-17
a s
o u t l i n e d
i n the
e xe g e s i s w o u l d n e e d
to a
c o n s i d e r a b l e e x t e n t
t o be s e t
as ide
a n d
r e i n t e r p r e t e d .
It
m a y b e m o r e n a t u r a l to suppose
that
th e p r ay e r is o r ig i n a l to i ts
p r e s e n t l i t e r a r y
context.
TH E
R E D A C T IO N O F E X . 32-34
A f t e r
th is
b r i e f
s u r v e y
o f
s o m e
o f t he i n d i v i d u a l u n i t s o f E x .
32-34 which h as a t t e m p t e d t o se t t h e i r p r o b l e m s i n a
fresh
l igh t ,
w e wi l l
t u r n , e v e n m o r e b r i e f l y ,
t o t he
qu e s t i o n
o f
r e d a c t i o n . T h e s t u d y t h u s fa r has sugges ted that a good case
c a n b e m a d e fo r a t r a d i t i o n
w h i c h
c o n t a i n s b o t h a p o s t a s y a n d
r e n e w a l
a s u n d e r l y i n g E x .
32-34.
T h e
l i t e r a r y
a n d
theo log ica l
co h e r e n ce
o f the
f i n a l text
i s n o t
s i m p l y
a
r e w o r k i n g
o f
d iscre t e
a n d
f r a g m e n t a r y t r a d i t i o n s , e ve n
t h o u g h
s o m e e l e m e n t s
m a y
i ndeed
b e
se co n d a r y ,
a n d n o attempt h a s
b e e n m a d e
to
discuss
18 2
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Five: C ri t ica l Analys i s o f E x o d u s 32-34
all d i f f i c u l t i e s . T h e f o l l o w i ng d i s cu s s i on w i ll seek not to e x h a u s t
th e ques t ion o f redac t i ona l ac t i v i t y , bu t ra the r to focus on the
r edac t i ona l con t r i bu t i on t ha t
is
both mo s t c learly d i scern ib le
an d
probably
also
the
f i na l
level
o f
redac t ion
in
tha t
it
presupposes the c o n t e n t o f m o s t of the rest o f E x . 32-34. Three
e lement s s t and ou t .
T he
f i r s t
i s Ex . 33:1 la.
Some re fe rence
to God
speaking
w i th
Moses
is
d e m a n d e d
by the
story.
But the way in wh ich
this
is
expressed
w i t h
the u se of face to face i n t roduces t he
theo logica l deve lopment o f p a n i m in w h at fo l lows . Whether the
use of
p a n i m
in
ei ther 33:14f.
or
33:20
is
a l so redac t iona l
is
less
clear in that both re ferences a re w e l l - e m b e d d e d in the
t r ad i t i on ,
a n d m a y
have sugges ted
to the
redac tor
th e
p a r a d o x -
ical h eig h ten in g of on e of the theolog ical issues a t stake. E i the r
w a y ,
th e in te res t in the pa radox i ca l na t u re o f man's possible
access to God
wh i ch
is indicated by 33:1 la may reason ably be
ascribed to a redactor.
Secondly ,
the re is the paragraph 32:7-14. A l t h o u g h some
or igina l
e l emen t
o f
d i alog ue be tw een M oses
an d
Yahweh upon
th e m o u n t a in is d e m a n d e d by t h e story/3 the section in its
present
fo rm
i s l a rge ly redac t iona l . The exeges i s showed
that
32:7-14
contains , in n u c e, m a n y of the
ma jo r
theological themes
m o re fu l ly developed elsewhere
in the
na r ra t i ve .
Its
p re sen t
pos i t ion ,
e n d i n g w i t h
the
note
o f
mercy
in v. 14,
provides
the
theological context in
w h i c h
• the fo l low ing na r ra t i ve of
j u d g m e n t
is to be read. Fo r these reasons the section may be
i n te rpre ted
as a
piece
o f
na r ra t i ve t heo logy whereby
the
redac tor eschew s o ver t co m m en t bu t
o f f e r s
a p r o g r a m m a t ic
in te rpre ta t ion
of the
m e a n i n g
of the
na r ra t i ve
by
deve lop ing
some ear l ier t radi t ion
o f
Y a h w e h ' s
d i scourse w i th M oses .
T he
section a lso int rod u ces the m o t i f of a s t i f f -ne cked people
(32:9),7^
an d
this const i tutes
th e
th i rd redac t iona l e leme n t .
The use of the
s t i ff -necked people mot i f
in
34:9 bears
the
mark of theo logica l re f lec t ion on the m e a n i n g of the Sinai
t radi t ion in con j u nc t ion w i t h the
flood
t r ad i t i on . It focusses the
theological s igni f icance al ready present , especial ly in 33:19,
34:6f. The
intercess ion
of
Moses
in
34:9 r ead s sm oo th ly w i t ho u t
th e clause ky
c
m-qs h-
c
rp
hw
1
an d co uld hav e exis ted
w i t h o u t
i t; the oth er e lem en ts of 34:9 ref le ct the co n cern s
deeply
e m b e d d e d
in ch. 33 and
r e a d n a t u r a l l y
as
pa r t
of the
t rad i t ion .75 T he intercession provided a convenien t locus fo r
th e in te rp re ta t ive phrase .
Which other uses o f s t i f f -neck ed people are redac t i ona l is
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A t the M o u n t a i n o f Go d
d i f f i c u l t to d e c i d e . T h e o c c u r r e n c e in 32:9 in a h i g h l y - re d a c t e d
s ec t i o n is m o s t l i k e l y p a r t of the r e d a c t i o n . In 33:3,5 th e p h r a s e
m a y
b e r e d a c t i o n a l or i t may be
o r i g i n a l
t o t he t r a d i t i o n .
F u r t h e r
s t u d y
o f
32:30-33:6
m a y h e l p
c l a r i f y
th e
p o i n t . T h a t
it is
th e u s a g e of the phr as e in 34:9 that m a k e s i t o f s i g n i f i c a n c e
w i t h i n th e t r ad i t i o n is , in any case clear.
I t is probab le that these t h r e e r e d a c t i o n a l e l e m e n t s a re a l l
the
w o r k
o f o n e
person.
T he
theo l o g i c a l pe r s pec t i ve
of 32:7-14
i s a k i n to t h a t o f 34:9. A n d t h e a u t h o r o f t he p a r a d o x i c a l
t r e a t m e n t
of the
pr es en ce
of God i n
33:11
is
e a s i l y i d e n t i f i e d
w i t h
th e a u t h o r o f t h e p a ra d o x i c a l t r e a t m e n t o f t h e gr ace o f
G od in 34:9.
T h e q u e s t i o n t h e n a ri se s w h e t h e r it is poss ib le to
locate
o r
i d e n t i f y th i s theo log i ca l redactor. One sugges t ion
w o u l d
be to
locate
h im in
d e u t e r o n o m i c
(o r
d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c )
circles.
L ing u i s t i c a l l y ,
s t if f -n ec k e d peo p l e c a n b e descr ibed a s a
d e u t e r o n o m i c / d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
express i o n ,
76
a n d
s o m e
of the
t e r m i n o l o g y
o f 32:7-14 h a s d e u t e r o n o m i c / d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
p a r a l l e l s . / /
M o r e
g e n e r a l l y , a l so , t h e r e
is
m u c h
i n E x .
32-34
t h a t
is
a p p a r e n t l y d e u t e r o n o m i c .
F o r
e x a m p l e , t h e r e
is the
r e q u i r e m e n t
o f
e x c l u s i v e
f a i t h f u l n e s s
to
Y a h w e h ;
th e
r o l e
o f
Moses a s m e d i a t o r ; t h e i m p o r t a n c e o f t h e d e c a l o g u e ; t h e
p r o h i b i t i o n
o f i m ages , e s pec i a l l y t he c a l f , w h i c h receives i ts
m a j o r
O T
treatment
in
D e u t e r o n o m y
a nd t h e
d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
r e d a c t i o n o f Kings ; a n d t h e v e r y m e n t i o n o f c o v e n a n t
(34:10,27,28) m a y b e d e e m e d d e u t e r o n o m i c . T h e d e u t e r o n o m i c
a f f i n i t y o f
m u c h
of t he
S i n a i
m a t e r i a l h a s b ee n e x t e n s i v e l y
a r g u e d
in
r e c e n t t i m e s
by
P e r l i t t , 7 8 w n o n a s b e en f o ll o w e d b y
Schmid/9
a n d
N i c h o l s o n .
T h e r e a r e se ri o u s d i f f i c u l t i e s , h o w e v e r , w i t h su c h a s e t ti n g
fo r
th e
redactor.
On the gene ra l l eve l the re a re co nc erns o f Ex .
32-34 n o t r e f l e c t ed in D e u t e r o n o m y o r d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
l i t e r a t u r e . T h e c o n c e r n for the
m o v a b l e s h r i n e
o f Y a h w e h ' s
presence is no t in
D e u t e r o n o m y ; ^ ^
th e c l ea r d e u t e r o n o m i c
d i s t i n c t i o n b e t w e e n th e d e c a l o g u e a n d a l l o t h e r l e g i s l a t i o n is
l a c k i n g
i n E x . 32-34; th e f i n e
d i v i n e - h u m a n
b a l a n c e o f E x . 32-34
i s no t
p a r a l l e l e d
in
D e u t e r o n o m y w h e r e t h e re
is a
m o r e
s t r a i g h t f o r w a r d
e m p h a s i s upon th e s o ver e i gn ty o f Y a h w e h .
Fu r the r , w ha tever t he p rec i se r e l a t i o n s h i p b e tween E x . 32-34
a n d
D e u t .
9:6-10:11,
it is clear
that
t h e y d o n o t e m e r ge
f r om
th e s a m e h a n d (o r schoo l ) .
N o n e
of the c e n t r a l t h e o l o g i c a l
c o n c e r n s o f Ex . 32-34 is
given
a n y s pec i a l s i g n i f i c a n c e in the
d e u t e r o n o m i c
r e n d e r i n g
o f t h e
t r a d i t i o n , e x c e p t
th e
im p o r t a n c e
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Five: C r i t i ca l A na ly s i s
o f
E x o d u s 32-34
o f M oses a s in te rcesso r . An d D eu t . 9 -10 conta ins e lem en ts
a bo u t w h ic h E x . 32-34 is silent e.g. Deut.
9:20).
Li n g u i s t i c a l l y t he s i t u a t i o n i s a ls o u nc l e a r . G e n e ra l l y
s pe a k ing ,
a f f i n i t i e s
w i t h d e u t e r o n o m i c l a n g u a g e , u n l e s s
e x t e n s i v e
and
close
m ay
i nd i c a t e p re -
o r
p r o t o - d e u t e r o n o m i c
t r a d i t i o n . ^ 2
\
s
fo r the
cent ra l phrase
c
m-qsh-
c
rp
i t in
f a c t only occurs
six
t imes
in the OT: f o u r
t imes
i n E x .
32-34
and
tw ic e
in the
D e u te ro no m y pa ss age D e u t . 9 :6 ,13 ) w h i c h
is
expl ic i t ly
a
recapi tula t ion
of the
o lder t radi t ion.
T h e
i n f l u e n c e
o f
E x o d u s
upon
D e u t e r o n o m y , r a t h e r t h a n th e r e ve r s e , w o u l d b e
th e
na tu ra l ded uc t ion . T here a re ,
o f course
occurrences
o f the
v e r b q§h
in
c o n j u n c t i o n w i t h
c
rp in d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c l i t e r a t u r e
b u t
t he y
a re
n e i t h e r e x t e n s i v e
n o r
c o n f i n e d
to
t h a t
l i t e r a t u r e . 8 3 T he ph ra s e o lo gy is a g e n e r a l H e b r e w , no t a
spec i f i ca l ly d e u t e r o n o m i s ti c , i d i o m .
Pe rha ps th e de c i s ive a rgum e n t a ga ins t th e d e u t e r o n o m i c
i d en t i ty o f the r e d a c t o r o f E x . 32-34 is the p a r a l l e l i s m of the
pa ra do x i c a l k _ I
clause in
both
E x .
34:9
and
Gen. 8:21 which
one
can
h a r d l y conce ive
o f as no t
be ing
f r o m th e
s a m e h a n d .
N o w
t he c o m po s i t io n a nd r e da c t i o n o f t he F lo o d na r r a t i v e i s a
q u e s t i o n w h i c h
th e
r e c e n t
s t ud i e s
o f
A n d e r s o n
an d
W e n h a m
h a v e r e -opened ,8 4 so t h a t one can no t appea l to an ana lys i s o f
that n a r r a t i v e w i t h t h e c o n f i d e n c e u s u a l l y
shown
in the
past.
N one the less no one to the best o f m y kn o w le d ge ) ha s s u gge s te d
a deu te ronomic redac t ion of the Flood t radi t ion o r
that
Gen.
8:21, even
wi th
its i n t e r p r e t a t i v e
|
c lause , does n o t b e l o n g to
th e older levels o f the t r ad i t ion . Unt i l th e accepted u n d e r -
s t a n d i n g
o f
Gen. 6:5, 8:21
is
o v e r t h r o w n ,
it
p ro v ide s s t r o n g
evidence f o r t h e n o n - d e u t e r o n o m i c i d e n t i t y o f the E x . 32-34
r e d a c t o r .
Since
the
r e da c to r
o f
Gen. 8:21
is
h e l d
to be the
Y a h w i s t ,
th i s means t h a t the reda c to r o f E x . 32 -34 w o u l d be the
Y a h w i s t .
w o r d o f c l a r i f i c a t i o n is in o r d e r
h e r e .
R e f e r e n c e has been
m a d e
to the
c u r r e n t que s t i o n ing
o f the
n a t u r e ,
an d existence o f
t h e Y a h w i s t , a n d t h e p r e s en t s t u d y h a s a rg u e d t h e i n a d e q u a c y
of the cu s to m ary 3 and E source ana lys i s , a t leas t in Ex. 32-34 .
I n w h a t sense t h e n , m a y o n e j u s t i f i a b l y a ppe a l t o t he Y a h w is t
as r e d a c t o r ?
T h e r e
i s no t
space
to
enter into
th e
d e b a t e
a b o u t
th e
Y a h w i s t . A ll t h a t w e wish to sugges t a t present i s tha t the
f i n a l
r edac t ion o f E x .
32-34
is to be
i d e n t i f i e d w i t h that level
o f
p e n t a t e u c h a l r e d a c t i o n
which is
ge ne ra l l y c o ns i de r e d
to be the
earliest
and
w h ic h
is
genera l ly cons idered
to be
d i s t inc t f r o m
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A t
the M o u n t a i n o f God
th e
d e u t e r o n o m i c
redaction. M a j o r i t y
o p i n i o n w o u ld locate this
r e d ac t i o n
i n
e i t h e r
th e
t e n t h
o r the
n i n t h c e n t u r y
a n d
w h i l e
w e
w o u l d
i n c l i n e
t o t he
f o r m e r
8 5
w e
c a n n o t p u r s u e
th e matter
here.
E v e n
a
n i n t h
c e n t u r y
f i n a l
r e d a c t i o n
w o u l d
show
a
g r e a t e r
a n t i q u i t y in the c o n t e n t o f E x .
32-34
t h an is o f t e n r e c o g n i z e d .
C O N C L U S I O N
G i v e n th e
u n c e r t a i n
state o f
c u r r e n t p e n t a t e u c h a l c r i t i c i s m
a n d t he fac t
that
E x . 32-34 ca nn o t be cons idered in co m ple te
isola t ion
f r o m
o th e r p e n t a t e u c h a l m a t e r i a l t h e a n a l y t i c a l
discussion o f
th is
chapter in
p a r t i c u l a r
th e
a t t e m p t
to locate
th e
f i na l
r e d a c t o r
o f E x .
32-34
m u s t b e re g a r d e d a s
t e n t a t i v e .
T h e re a re m o r e o v e r n u m e r o u s u n a n s w e r e d q u e s t io n s a b o u t
th e
o r i g i n s
a n d
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f E x .
32-34 which
w e
h a v e
n o t
e v e n
attempted
to
discuss
a n d these r e m a i n a s a
task
fo r f u r t h e r
s t u d y . A s a l r e a d y stated the a im of th is d iscuss ion ha s been to
give a practical d e mo n s t r a t i o n o f the k ind o f approach to
cr i t i ca l ana lys i s wh ich t h i s s t udy
advocates. I t i s
i n t e n d e d
n o t
to
foreclose
bu t to stimulate
f u r t h e r s t u d y
a n d t o
suggest
some
l ines a long
wh ich
that
s t u d y m i g h t m o s t
p r o f i t a b l y
d e v e l o p .
186
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E P I L O G U E
O ur revels now a re ended. B u t b e fo r e w e conc lude i t wi l l be
appropr ia te to add a few f ina l c o m m e n t s t o relate the f indings
of this s tudy to one or two areas o f c u r r e n t O T
debate.
Obvious ly th e p r e s e n t a r g u m e n t h as impl ica t ions fo r m a n y
issues in the l i t e ra tu re , t r ad i t ions and h i s t o r y o f I s rael , bu t only
tw o
wil l
be
s i ng led o u t .l
Fi r s t , the p r ob lem o f pen ta teucha l c r i t i c i sm. A l t h o u g h it is
peri lous
to
generalize
conclusions
based
on a
provisional
reassessment o f p a r t of the S inai ma te r ia l , ce r ta in indica t ions
e m e r g e . O n the one hand, l i t t l e suppor t is o f f e r e d for a
t rad i t iona l
do cu m en ta r y ana lys is .
A t
least
i n Ex . 32-34, the
major nar ra t ive sect ion in the Sinai t r ad i t i on , the hypothes i s o f
an
i ndependent
and E ,
whe the r documen t s
o r
t radi t ions,
has
no t been f ound h e u r i s t i c a l l y u s e f u l . I n so fa r as i t has seemed
he lp fu l
to r e ta in the des igna t ion
3 ,
this is not to denote a
l i t e ra ry source ,
b u t
r a the r
a
theological redactor
o f
sub-
s t a n t i a l l y
p r e - ex i s t i ng t r ad i t i on .
O n
the
o ther hand, R en d to r f f s a r g u m e n t s
fo r
i ndependent
blocks o f t radi t ion, as opposed to cont inuous threads, blocks
which a re l inked by a secondary Bea rbe i tung , h ave no t
c o m m e n d e d
n a t u r a l ly themse lves
either. The
s i gn i f i c a n t
l inks
betw een E x. 32-34 and G en. 6-9, w hich seem m ore than a
Bearbe i tung , do not in themselves dis turb h is posi t ion, which
cou ld
b e modi f ied a cco rd ing ly . M o r e ser ious are the implica-
tions
of a
literary
approach
in
which allusion
or
silence
is
al lowed to p r e suppose knowledge o f o ther t radi t ions. Since
R e nd to r f f s
approach depends cons ider ably
on
a r g u m e n t s
f r om
si lence and the supposi t ion that connect ive l inks r ep r esen t
secondary Bearbe i tung
i t w o u l d be
d i f f i c u l t ( t hou g h
no t
impossible) to adopt h is approach in conjunct ion with the
l i t e r a r y approach advoca ted .2
The p roblem
is that a new
comprehens ive mode l
o r
p a r a d ig m
for pen ta teucha l t r ad i t ions is r e q u i r e d . The old d o c u m e n t a r y
hypothes i s used the model o f h i s to r i ca l documen t s and sources.
Such a model has co-existed somewhat uneasi ly wi th the
g r o w i n g perception o f
d i f f e r e n t
l i t e ra ry types and also an
interest in
t radit ion history. W i t h
a consistent
approach
to the
mate r i a l
a s
l i t e r a t u r e ,
th e
documenta ry model becomes s t i l l
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
less a p p r o p r i a t e . L i t e r a r y w o r k s
d o n o t
e m p l o y so u r ce s
i n t he
s a m e w a y a s historical d o c u m e n t s. E v e n w h e n i t is l i ke ly
that
a
g e n u i n e l y
a n c i e n t s o u r c e
h a s
b e e n u t i l i z e d
as i n Ex .
32-34
i ts
r e l a t i o n
t o t h e
p r e s e n t
text
i s
such
as to
m a k e
i t
d o u b t f u l
w h e t h e r i t c an s t i l l b e i sola ted a n d i d e n t i f i e d .
I t i s h a rde r t o spe c i fy the k i n d o f m o d e l t h a t w o u l d b e
a p p r o p r i a t e . C l e a r l y
a n y
m o d e l m u s t take se r ious ly
th e
n a t u r e
o f
m u c h p e n t a t e u c h a l n a r r a t i v e a s l i t e r a t u r e a n d
a l low
f o r t he
w a y s
in
w h i ch s t o r y t e l l i n g co n ce r n s
m a y
m o u ld t ra d i t i o n a l
a n d
h i s t o r i c a l m a t e r i a l . B u t i f a n y n e w c o m p r e h e n si v e m o d e l f o r
p e n t a t e u c h a l t r a d i t i o n s
is to be
p r o p o s e d t h e r e
is m u c h
p r e l i m i n a r y
g r o u n d w o r k still t o b e
d o n e .
S e c o n d l y t h e
t h e o l o g y
of Ex. 32-34 is
i m p o r t a n t
fo r the
ques t i on
o f t h e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n
th e
M o s a i c
a n d
D a v i d i c
c o v e n a n t s . I t is c u s t o m a r y to pose a n a n t i t h e s i s b e t w e e n these
tw o c o v e n a n t t r a d i t io n s th e M o sa ic c o v e n a n t b e in g c o n d i t io n a l
w h i l e t h e D a v i d i c i s u n c o n d i t i o n a l . 3 Ye t E x .
32-34
is the
t r a d i t i o n
p a r
e x c e lle n c e
w h i c h
dea ls w i t h
th e
q u e s t i o n
o f
w h a t
h a p p e n s a f t e r Israel i s
u n f a i t h f u l
t o h e r co v e n a n t o b l i g a t i o n s . I t
p r e se n t s a t h e o l o g y o f t h e M o s a i c co v e n a n t i n w h i c h th e
c o v e n a n t
i s
r e n e w e d p r e c i se ly b e ca u se
i t
d e p e n d s
u p o n
th e
character o f Y a h w e h a s g r a c i o u s a n d m e r c i f u l a n d n o t o n t h e
p eo p le w h o c o n t i n u e t o b e s t i f f - n e c k e d a n d u n r e p e n t a n t .
A cco r d i n g t o o u r present text th e M o s a i c c o v e n a n t a s th e
D a v i d i c rests u l t i m a t e l y u p o n th e f a i t h f u l n e s s o f
Y a h w e h
a n d
a s such ca n h a r d l y b e less e n d u r i n g . ^
This i s n o t o f co u r se t o assert a n i d e n t i c a l t h e o l o g y f o r b o t h
c o v e n a n t s . M u c h d i f f e r e n c e o f e m p h a s i s r e m a i n s . T h e D a v i d i c
c o v e n a n t rests u p o n t h e e x p l i c i t w o r d o f Y a h w e h i n a w a y t h a t
th e
M o s a ic co v e n a n t d o e s n o t ;
th e
M o sa i c c o v e n a n t
stresses
th e
mo r a l o b l i g a t i o n s
o f t h e r e c i p i e n t i n a w a y
that
th e
Dav id ic
co v e n a n t d o e s n o t ; a n d t h e M o sa i c c o v e n a n t i s g i v e n t h r o u g h a
m e d i a t o r
i n a w a y
w h i c h
th e
D a v i d i c c o v e n a n t
is
n o t .
T h e
p o i n t
i s t h a t
i n
b o t h
th e
u l t i m a t e c o n t i n u a t i o n
o f t h e
c o v e n a n t e v en
w h e n th e r e c i p i e n t h a s
acted
in such a w a y a s t o f o r f e i t i t is
e n s u r e d because
i t
d e p e n d s u p o n
th e
f a i t h f u l n e s s
o f
Y a h w e h
h is
r e v e a l e d character o r h i s w o rd o f p ro m ise . As such the re i s a
deep theological c o n t i n u i t y b e t w e e n
t h e t w o
covenants.
It
w o u l d
be
i l l u m i n a t i n g
to see
w h e t h e r s u c h
a
t h e o l o g y
o f the
M o s a i c c o v e n a n t c a n b e d i s ce r n e d i n t h e l a t e r p r o p h e t i c
p r e a c h i n g . T h e r e i s
m u c h
i n Hosea t h a t s u g g e st s a s i m i l a r
theo log ica l p e rspec t ive an d pe rha ps i t i s t o be
f o u n d
i n
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E p i l o g u e
J e r e m i a h
an d
E z e k i e l
also
T .
R a i t t ,
fo r
e x a m p l e ,
in h is s t u d y o f
J e r e m i a h
a n d E z e k i e l , 5
m a k e s
m u c h o f the s h i f t
a f t e r
th e
j u d g m e n t o f ex i le t o a p roc lamat ion o f sa lva tion in wh ich God s
f o r g i v e n e s s i s
u n c o n d i t i o n a l
an d
does
n o t
s p e c i f y r e p e n t a n c e
o r
m o r a l t r a n s f o r m a t i o n a s a n e c e s s a r y p r e c o n d i t i o n o r a c c o m -
p a n i m e n t . Th is h e s ays t o be d i s c o n t i n u o u s w i t h e a r l i e r
c o v e n a n t t h e o l o g y
an d
w i t h o u t p r e c e d e n t
i n the OT. Yet i n
f a c t
E x.
32-34
contains prec ise ly such
a
t heo logy
of the
Mosa ic
c o v e n a n t ,
a n d
J e r e m i a h
a n d
E z e k i e l
m a y
h a v e b e e n e x p l i c i t l y
t a k i n g t he i r s t and w i t h i n
th e
a n c i e n t t r a d i t i o n . A m i d s t
a l l the
r i ch d iver s i ty o f OT theo logy ,
there
is
also
p r o f o u n d c o n t i n u i t y .
189
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N o t e s to I n t r o d u c t i o n
1 .
V T 28 (1978 ) , p .
3 8 1 .
2 . M . N o t h , T he H i s t o r y o f Is rae l ;
3 B r i g h t ,
A
H i s t o r y
o f
I srae l ; R . de
V a u x ,
T he E a r l y H i s t o r y of Is rae l ; S . H e r r m a n n , A
H is tory o f I s rae l i n Old T es t am ent T im es ;
J .H .
Ha ye s ,
J . M .
M i ll er (ed.) , I s rae l i t e an d J u d a e a n Hi s t o ry ; N . G o t t w a l d , T h e
Tr i be s o f Y a h w e h .
3 . W E i c h r o d t , T h e o l o g y of the Old T e s t a m e n t : G. von R a d ,
O ld
T e s t a m e n t The o log y ;
W .
Z i m m e r li ,
O ld
J estament T h e o l o g y
in Out l ine ; R .E .
C l e m e n ts ,
O ld
T e s ta m e n t T h e o lo g y .
4. Moses p.
149
5.
Exodus
p.
243
6 . A
H i s t o r y
of
P e n t a te u c h a l T r a d i t i o n s ,
p . 3 1 , n.
1 1 5 .
7 .
The Inte rcess ion
of the
C o v e n a n t M e d i a to r , E x o d u s
3 3 : l a , 1 2 - 1 7 , p . 1 6 2 .
8 .
H i s t o r y
I , p.
399 .
9 . T h e E l u s iv e P r e s e n c e , p . 158 , n. 63 .
L O
Tribes ,
p .
113.
1 1 . E x o d u s , pp . 557 f
1 2 .
F. -E . W i l m s , D as
J a h w i s t i s c h e
B u n d e s b u c h in
E x o d u s 34; 3
H a l b e ,
D a s P r i v i l e g r e c h t J a h w e s , E x . 34 .10-26 ; E . Z e n g e r , D ie
S i n a i t h e o p h a n i e .
N o t e s
to
C h a p t e r
O n e
M E T H O D IN
N A R R A T I V E
I N T E R P R E T A T I O N
1 .
See,
fo r
e x a m p l e ,
R .
R e n d t o r f f ,
P r o b l e m ; H . H .
S c h m i d ,
Per s o g e n a n n t e J a h w i s t ; JS OT 3
( 1 9 7 7 ) c on t a i n s a r t i c le s
discuss ing
th e i m p l i c a t i o n s o f R e n d t o r f f ' s an d
S c hm i d ' s
p roposa l s .
2 .
See,
fo r
e x a m p l e , D . A .
K n i g h t ,
R e d i s c o v e r i n g
th e
T r a d i -
t ions of Is rae l ;
J.
v a n Seters, A b r a h a m i n H i s t o r y a n d T r a d i t i o n ,
esp. p p .
139 f f . ;
R . P o l z in , M a r t i n N o t h ' s 'A H i s t o r y o f
P e n t a t e u c h a l
Trad i t ions ' ; S . M . W a r n e r , P r i m i ti v e S ag a M e n ;
W .
M c K a n e ,
S tud ie s
in the
P a t r i a r c h a l N a r r a t i v e s ,
p p .
1 0 5 f f . ,
e sp . p . 1 9 4 . The p ro b l e m i s c om p l i c a t e d by the l ac k o f
a g r e e m e n t
as to the
n a t u r e
o f
t r a d i t i o n h i s t o r y .
R e n d t o r f f ' s
c o n c e p t i o n , w h e r e b y d i f f e r e n t
stages o f t he
t rad i t i on
c a n
s t i l l
b e seen in the l i t e r a ry sources , is s i g n i f i c a n t ly d i f f e r e n t
f r o m
t h a t o f N o t h .
190
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N o t e s to
Chap t e r
O ne
3 .
See,
for
e xam p l e ,
T.L.
T h o m p s o n ,
The
Hi s t o r i c i t y
of the
Pa t r i a r cha l Nar r a t i ves ;
J.H.
H aye s ,
J . M . Mil le r
(ed.) , Israel i te
and
Judaean
His tory , pp . 7 0 f f .
4 .
3.H.
Hayes ,
A n
I n t r o du c t i o n
to Old
T e s t am e n t
Study
(1979) ,
pp . 1 9 4 f f . o f f e r s a
br ie f survey
of
cur ren t i s sues
in
pen ta teucha l s tudy.
5 . The tension betw een source cr i t ic ism and t radi t io-
his tor ical cr i t ic ism
is
pa r t i cu l a r l y
acute; c f . R e n d t o r f f ,
P r o b l e m .
6. The
term his tor ical -cr i t ical m ethod
is a
conven i en t
sho r t hand
for a w i d e va r i e t y o f analy t i ca l approaches which
share
certain general characteristics. Such
a use of the
term
has
been pop u la r i zed pa r t i cu l a r l y
t h r o u g h the
w ork
o f
B r e v a rd
Chi lds .
7 . It is apprec ia ted that
expressions such
as
th e final fo rm
of the text can raise
prob l ems bo th
on the
text-critical
level
of
es t ab l i sh ing wha t
the text
ac tua l l y
is, and
w i t h
respect
to
es tab l i sh ing
the f inal level of redact ion and re lat ing this to
subsequent glosses.
Nonethe less ,
the d i f f i c u l t y is not of
significance
for the
discussion.
For in genera l the
notion
of the
f ina l or
received
text is
pe r f e c t l y
clear. A nd
when
a
concern
for the
f ina l
text is
co m pa r e d
to the
inves t iga t ion
of i ts
prehistory, again
the
intent ion
is
clear.
The
fact
that
d i f f i cu l t i e s m ay ar ise in the
t r e a t m e n t
o f
spec i f i c p rob l emat i c
texts
need
no t
de ta in
us a t
this poin t .
8. Cf. the
in f luen t i a l work
of T.
K u h n ,
The
S t r u c t u r e
o f
Sc ien t i f i c
R e vo l u t i o n s . Al though
K u h n ' s
thesis
is
di rected
towards
th e sciences and
cannot
be
t ransfer red
s i m p l i c i t e r to
th e arts, its
suggest ive qual i t ies have gained
i t a
widespread
cu r r e n cy .
9. Cf. D.
R obertson, The Bible
as
Literature ,
p.
548;
3.D.
Crossan, Perspect ives
and
M e t ho ds
in
Co n t e m po r a r y B i b li ca l
Cr i t i c i sm ,
p. 40.
10 .
Chi lds ' fu l les t exposi t ion
of his
approach
is in his
In t roduc t ion
to the Old
T e s t am e n t
as
Scr ip ture ;
cf . ,
mos t
recen t ly , O n R e a d i n g the E l i j a h N a r r a t i ve s (1980) , and in
pa r t i cu lar , R esponse to R eview ers of In t ro du ct io n to the Old
T e s t am e n t
as
Scr ip tu r e ( 1980) .
11. The Them e of the
Pentateuch;
Story and Poem: The Old
T e s t am e n t as L i t e r a t u r e and as Scr ipture .
12. From M oses
t o
Pa t m o s .
13. Theology as N a r r a t i o n .
14.
E xo du s
3:14:
H i s t o ry , Ph i l o logy
and
Theology .
1 5.
From A na lys i s
to
Synthesis:
The
In t e rp r e t a ti on
of
Genesis
191
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G od
1 11 .
16. P. 1.
17 .
In t e rp re t i ng the N ew Tes t am en t Today , p . 4 .
18. A
use fu l
i n t r o d u c t i o n
to
R i c o e u r ' s w o r k ,
w i t h
b i b l i o -
g r a p h y ,
is p rov ided by the
a r t i c l e s
in Seme i a 4 (1975) .
1 9 .
The des igna t ion h i s to ry- l i k e w as sugges ted by Fre i
(Ecl ipse, p. 10) an d a wider use for i t has been advoca ted: c f. J.
B arr , S tory and H i s tory in B ib l i ca l Theo lo gy ,
J.J.
C o l l i n s , T h e
'H i s tor i ca l Charac te r
1
of the Old T e s t a m e n t in R ecent Bibl ica l
Theo logy .
20. The
Business
of
Cr i t i c i sm ,
p. 99.
21 . Ibid., p. 27.
22.
Li terary C r i tic i sm ,
p . 63 . M y
italics.
23.
Theory
of
L i t e r a t u r e ,
p. 73.
k
P. ix.
25. P. 9.
26 .
F r o m A n a l y s i s
to
Synthes i s ,
p. 26 .
27 . Ibid. , p. 27.
28 . E x o d u s 3:14 , p. 319 .
29. Ibid. , pp . 320 f.
3 0 . R e g r e t t a b ly c o n s i d e r a t io n s o f s p a e
at ion
o f
s t r u c t u r a l i s m
and i ts
r a p i d l y b u r g e o n i n g l i te r a t u r e .
A s
a g e n e r a l c o m m e n t , h o w e v e r , i t ma y be said
t h a t
a l t h o u g h
structuralists eschew the historical critical appro ach , the i r ow n
methods t end
to
ra i se
n o t
e n t i r e l y d i s s i m i l a r p r o b l e m s . T h a t
is ,
i nsofa r a s their p r i m a r y
interest
is to discern the
deep
s t r u c t u r e s o f a
work
and the w a y s in
which
the s t r u c t u r e s of the
m i n d are ref lected in i t ,
there
is a
s imi l a r tendency
to
d i scount
the
work
a s m e a n i n g f u l in i tself and to r e d u c e the t e x t to be ing
a
means
to the end of
d i scover ing meaning
e l sewhere
than
in
w h a t the
w ords a c tu a l l y s ay .
31 . S ee esp. Int ro duc t ion, pass im.
32. Cf.
The Sensus L i te ra l i s
o f
Sc r i p tu re ,
pp .
9 0 f .
33.
Exodus
3:14 , p.
319.
34. C f. the
p r e m o n i t i o n s
o f
J. B a r r ,
T he Bib le in the Mo de rn
W o r l d ,
p . 65;
idem , Chi lds
1
I n t r o d u c t i o n
to the O ld
T e s t a m e n t
as
Sc r i p tu re ,
p.
15.
35. An
excep t i on
may l ie in the
ea r l y chap te r s
o f
D e u t e r o n o m y
in the i r r e l a t i on sh ip t o the na r r a t i ve t r ad i t ion s o f
Exodus a n d N u m b e r s . T he d e u t e r o n o m i c f o r m u l a t i o n o f t r a d -
i ti on presents pecu l i a r p r ob lem s of i t s ow n w hic h need no t be
considered
here .
3 6 . W . Beye r l i n , O r i g i n s and H i s t o r y of the Oldes t
S ma i t i c
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N o t e s t Chap te r One
T r a d i t i o n s ;
E . Z en ge r , D i e S in a i theo phan i e ; F .-E . W i l m s , D as
Jahwis t i s che Bu n de sbuch in Exodus 34 ; E .W . N icho l son , Exo dus
and Sinai in H i s t o r y and T r a d i t i o n ; 3 .
H a l b e ,
D as P r i v i l e g r e c h t
Jahwes ;
cf .
a lso
E .
O t t o ,
D as
M a z z o t f e s t
in
G i l g a l ,
pp.
1 9 9 f f . ;
D.3 . M c C a r t h y , T r e a t y
and C o v e n a n t ,
2
pp.
2 4 3 f f . ;
H .
V a l e n t i n , A a r o n ,
p p . 2 0 5 f f .
37 . A t the ve ry le st these scho la rs have to o q u i c k l y a s s u m e d
t h a t
the
f r a g m e n t a r y n at u re
of the
ch a p t e r s
h as
been con-
c l u s i v e l y d e m o n s t ra te d w i t h o u t b o t h e r i n g t o v e r i f y f o r t h e m -
s e l ve s whe the r
or not
th i s ac tua l l y
i s so .
3 8 .
K . K o c h ,
fo r
e x a m p l e , d e s cr ib e s
the
task
of the
source
c r i t i c thus:
The l i t e ra ry critic .. . approaches the text w i t h , so
t o say , a d i s s e c t in g
k n i f e
in his h a n d , l o o k s o u t p a r t i c u l a r l y fo r
b r e a k s in c o n t i n u i t y , o r m i s s i n g
l i n k s
in the t r a i n o f t h o u g h t
( G r o w t h ,
p.
69) .
3 9 . S t o r y t e l l i n g , p p. 1 4 4 - 1 4 9 .
40 . Ibid . , p . 146 .
4 1 . T he
P r a c t i c e
o f H i s t o r y , pp. 1 0 3 f .
4 2 . F r o m A n a l y s i s to Syn thes i s .
4 3 .
The
C o h e r en c e
of the
Flood N a r ra t i v e .
4 4 . S ee above , p. 6, n. 2, for a b r i e f b i b l i o g r a p h y on the
n a t u r e
and p r a c t i c e o f
t r a d i t i o n h i s t o r y .
4 5 . T h i s is not the u n d e r s t a n d i n g o f t r a d i t i o n h i s t o r y h e l d b y
R e n d t o r f f ,
but i t i s
t h a t w h i c h
i s
w i d e l y h e l d , m o s t i n f l u e n t i a l l y
b y N o t h .
46. Cf . M c K a n e , S t u d i e s , p. 1 9 4 : 3 . B a r t o n , R e v i e w o f D . A .
K n i g h t
( ed . ) , T rad i t ion and T h e o l o g y in the OT, p. 242.
47 . Cf .
t h e T t r T c t u r e s
of van S e t e r s ,
A b r a h a m ,
pp . 1 3 9 f f . ,
esp.
p. 1 4 2 .
48. A u s e f u l b r i e f b i b l i o g r a p h y is p rov ided by S . B a r - E f r a t ,
An a ly s i s o f S t r u c t u r e in B i b l i c a l N a r r a t i v e , p . 1 5 4 , n. I . One
m ay no te a l so , S .
M c E v e n u e ,
T h e N a r r a t i v e S t y l e o f t h e
P r i e s t l y W r it e r; D . I r v i n ,
M y t h a r i o n .
49 . The 3oseph S to ry an d Pe n ta t eu cha l Cr i t i c i sm , p . 528 .
Some o the r scho la rs
a re
a l so re j ec t ing t rad i t iona l
sou rce
c r i t i c i s m
in
the i r a s s e s smen t
of the
3oseph s to ry ;
cf .
G . W .
Co a t s ,
F r o m C a n a a n to E g y p t ; H . D o n n e r , D i e l i t e r a r i s c h e
G e s t a l t
d e s a l t t e s t am e n t l i c h e n 3 o s ep h g e s c h i c h t e .
5 0 . S e e t he
con ven i en t d i s cus s i on
in
C .R . N o r t h ,
Pe n ta t eucha l Cr i t i ci sm .
5 1 .
Ci ted
in P .
H a z a r d ,
T he
E u r o p e a n i n d 1 6 8 0 - 1 7 1 5 ,
pp.
2 2 5 f .
5 2.
F r om A n al y s i s
to
Syn thes i s ,
p . 35 .
1 9 3
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At the
M o u n t a i n
of G od
5 3 .
G en. 7:17 does
no t use the
v e r b
gbr bu t
r a t h e r r b h .
A r g u a b l y i t e nh a nc e s th e e f f e c t to start th e a c c oun t w i t h th e
less
d r a m a t i c w o r d rbh and then to
replace
it , in two
stages
b y
th e m o r e
f o r c e f u l
gb r . T h us in v . 17 the
w a t e r s
inc reased
( rbh) ;
in v. 18 t h e y p r e va il e d ( gb r ) and i n cr e as e d ( r b h ) g r e a t l y (m'd) ;
t h e n ,
v. 19, the
waters preva i led (gb r ) exceed ing ly
g r ea t l y
(m 'd
m ' d ) ,
u n t i l
f i n a l l y , v . 20 , the y pre va i l e d (gbr ) over the
m o u n t a i n s , f i f t e e n
c ub i t s d e e p .
54.
N o t h , E x o d u s ,
p .
257; C h i l d s , E x o d u s ,
p .
595.
55. See the
exegesis
for a jus t i f i ca t ion of this.
5 6 .
L i c h t , S t o r y t e l l i n g ,
p p .
103-105, d i scusses
aesthetic an d
d r a m a t i c c o n s i d e r a t i o n s w h i c h
ma y
a l s o i n f l u e n c e
the use o f
s pe e c h - i n t r od uc i ng f o r m ul a e .
One may
also
c o m p a r e
the use of
w k
c
n t in
A r a m a i c .
57 . I n t r o d u c t i o n to the Old T e s t a m e n t, p . 9 1 .
58 .
H P T ,
p p .
2 1 f .
59. E x eg es e , p. 51. In n. 6 R i c h t e r lists o t h e r scholar ly
r e f e r e n c e s
to the
i m p o r t a n c e
of the
d oub l e t c r i t e r i on .
60. Ibid. , pp .
54f .
61 .
N o t h ( H P T ,
p. 23)
c o m m e n t s that W h a t
is
ve r y clear
in
th e A b r a h a m t r a d i t io n c a n b e c o n f i r m e d in a less s t r i k i n g w a y
in th e
e n t i r e
o ld
P e n t a t e uc h a l t r a d i ti on ,
b u t o f f e r s n o f u r t h e r
discuss ion. Three examples would b e genera l l y
cited
E x .
1 6 / / N u m . 11:4-35; E x . 17 : l - 7 / / N um . 20 :1 -13 ; E x . 20 / / E x .
34:11-26.
62 . Such 3 e l e m e n t s as are discerned in Ex. 19 are us ua l l y
c o m b i n e d w i t h th e n a r r a t i v e o f Ex .
34:1
ff .
63. See the
exeges i s ,
pp .
8 4 f ,
for a
j u s t i f i c a t i o n
o f th i s .
64. See
f u r t h e r
the
d iscuss ion,
p .
160.
65. A.
Ol r ik, Epic Law s
of
Folk
N a r r a t i v e ,
p .
137.
66. Cf .
C a i r d , L a n g u a g e
a n d
I m a g e r y ,
p p . 1 1 7 - 1 2 1 , fo r the
H e br a i c p r e d i l e c t ion f o r pa r a t a x i s , t h e j u x t a p os i t i on o f
a ppa r e n t l y c o n t r a d i c t o r y
usages
o f a w o r d .
67. See p. 200 , n. 79 for r e f e r e n c e s fo r such a sugges t ion .
68. OT
T h e o l ogy
I, pp.
2 3 4- 2 41 .
69. Ibid. , p . 237.
70 . See e .g . C lem en ts , G od and T e m p l e , pp. 37, 136.
71.
OT
T h e o l o g y
I, p.
239,
n.
115.
72 . Cf . L i c h t , S t o r y t e l l i ng , pp .
1 4 f f .
73. Cf. below p. 119 for further discussion of term and
also th e genera l d i scuss ion in ch. 4.
7 4 . M . B u b e r , fo r e x a m p l e , is c o n s i d e r a b l y m o r e o p t i m i s t i c
a b o u t th e h is tor ica l w or th of the Moses trad i t ion s (M oses, esp.
194
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N o t e s
to
C h a p t e r
T w o
p p . 13 - 19 ) t h a n is , s ay , K . K o c h in h is r e f l e c t i o n s on the n a t u r e
of
ea r ly I s r ae l i t e t r a d i t i o n s ( G r o w t h ,
pp. 148-158). See
f u r t h e r
be l ow ,
p p .
1 4 1 L
75 . Le
Deca l ogue ,
p .
120 .
7 6 . F o r m - C r i t i c a l P r o b l e m , p p . 2 0 f f .
77. Ibid. , p. 68.
78. C f . the t h i r t e e n t h o f O l r i k 's Ep i c L aw s , C onc en t r a t i on o n
a
L e a d i n g
C h a r a c te r .
79. C f . the s even t h of Olr ik ' s L a w s , T he I m p o r t a n c e o f F i na l
Pos i t i on .
80 . T h i s h i e r a r c h y is no t , o f c o u r s e , a r ig id ru le bu t a gene ra l
g u i d e l i n e
w h i c h
in p r a c t i c e w i l l
a d m i t
o f
m u c h v a r i a t i o n .
81 . C f . pp .
32 f .
82 . S t o r y t e l l i n g , p . 146 .
83.
]b_id.
84.
See be lo w, pp . 1 5 7 f f .
85. See
b e l o w ,
p p . 1 7 I f f
esp.
p .
175.
N o t e s
to
C h a p t e r
T w o
A N E X E G E S I S
O F
E X O D U S 32-34
1 . On l y in 19:5 and 24:8, and perhaps 24:7, is any
t e c h n i c a l
or
f o r m a l
des i gna t i on g i ven to t h i s r e l a t i o n s h i p , w h e r e th e t e r m
b e r i t
is used .
2. The
In sp i r ed
W o r d , p. 245.
3 . The re fe re nc e in Ex . 16 :34 wh ich p resupp oses t he a rk i s
a n a c h r o n i s t i c
o r
a n t i c i p a t o r y
o f a
l a t e r s i t u a t i o n .
4. C f . the
r e c e n t t h eo l ogy
of S.
T e r r i e n ,
T h e
E l u s i v e
P r e s e n c e ,
w h i c h is a r r a n g e d a r o u n d t h is
t h e m e .
5 .
S ince
th e
p r e s en t t a s k
is to
i n t e r p r e t
th e
t e x t
in i ts
f i n a l
f o r m , th e
ques t i on
of the
o r i g i n s
o f E x .
25-31 (35 -40) ca nn o t
b e
ra i sed
h e r e .
It w i l l , h o w e v e r , b e c o m e
c l e a r
t h a t even i f the
p r e s e n t
f o r m o f E x .
25-31
is
late s om e o t h e r , e a r l i e r
a c c o u n t
of
a
m o v a b l e s h r i n e
o f
Y a h w e h
is an
i m p o r t a n t p r e s u p p o si ti o n
for u n d e r s t a n d i n g E x . 32 -34 .
T h e a r g u m e n t t h a t
Y a h w e h ' s
a c c o m p a n i m e n t o f Is r a el i n a
s h r i n e is a m a j o r
c o n c e r n
o f Ex .
32 -34
w i l l be one of the
m o s t
n o v e l
f e a t u r e s
o f
t h i s
exeges i s .
R e c e n t w o r k s
o n
Y a h w e h ' s
p r e s ence w i t h , and ac co m pa n i m en t o f , Is r a e l i n t h e e a r l y p e r i o d
m a k e c o m p a r a t i v e l y l i tt le r e f e r e n c e
t o E x .
32 -34
a n d
n o n e
to a
s h r i n e t h e r e ; c f . e.g. H .D . P re us s , ... ic h w i l l m i t d ir
se in l ;
T . W . M a n n , D i v i n e P r e s e n c e a n d G u i d a n c e in I s rae l i t e Trad i -
t i on s ; Te r r i en ,
T h e E l u s i v e P r e s e n c e .
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A t t h e M o u n ta in o f G o d
6. This does n o t m e a n
th t
in v. 5 one shou ld fo l low th e
S y r i a c a n d read w a y y i r a ' ( so
N E B )
r a t h e r t h a n w a y y a r ' o f M T .
7 . The o r g ia s ti c n a tu r e of t he w o r s h i p h a s been ques t ioned
by
J . M .
Sasson, Th e
W o r s h i p
o f the Go lden Ca l f . Sas son a rgues
t h a t
th e
w o r s h i p
w a s a n
o r d e r l y r i t u a l
f o l l o w i n g k n o w n
p r a c t i c e s .
On t h e
basis
o f
para l l e l s
in
o t h e r c u l t u r e s
h e
a r g u e s
t h a t shq
(P i . ) ,
u s u a l l y c o n s i d e r e d
to
h a v e s e x u a l c o n n o t a t i o n s
o n
th e
basis
o f Gen. 26:8, 39:14, s im p ly m ea n s r i tu a l s p o r ti n g
b e f o r e
a
d e i t y ,
a n d t h a t
m h l t ( E x . 3 2 : 1 9 ) m e a n s p r o b a b l y
a n t i ph ona l s in g in g , a d o u b l e g r o u p o f p e r f o r mer s w h ic h
i n c l u d e s f e m a l e s a n d m u s i c a l a c c o m p a n i m e n t , a n d r i t u a l
s p o r t i n g .
W h i l e
it is possible
t h a t
these t e r m s are in f a c t
n e u t r a l
in
i m p l i c a t i o n , t h e i r
use in
t h i s c o n t e x t w h e r e
th e
w r i t e r d i s a p p r o v es o f t h e w o r s h ip ( c f . v . 25) w o u l d sugges t t h a t
th e t r ad i t iona l in te rp re ta t io n is to be p r e f e r r ed . If the people
c st o f f r es t r a in t in the
p r e s e n c e
o f an i m a g e w h i c h w a s t h e
s y m b o l o f f e r t i l i t y , th e imp l i c a t i o n s a re obvious .
8 . The
H e b r e w
c
gl
is
t r a d i t i o n a l l y r e n d e r e d c alf .
It is
genera l ly ag reed th t in f a c t bul l o r y o u n g b u l l w o u l d b e
mo r e s t r i c t l y a c c u r a t e ; c f . Ps . 106:19f. w h e r e , in r e f e r e n c e to
th i s inc iden t ,
c
gj
a n d
sw r
a re
used
in
p a r a l l e l i s m .
F o r
con-
v e n i e n c e , h o w e v e r , t h e t r a d i t i o n a l r e n d e r i n g
w i l l
b e m a i n t a i n e d
h e r e .
The ques t ion o f w h e t h e r th e cal f wa s a f r e e - s t a n d i n g o b j e ct ,
and
if so of
w h a t s i ze ,
o r
w h e t h e r
i t was a
s t a n d a r d
o n a
pole
(cf . E iss fe ld t , Lade u n d
S t i e rb i ld ) ,
is of l i t t l e r e l e v a n c e to the
exeges i s , b u t
w i l l
be d iscussed la ter (be low , p . 221
n .29 ) .
9 . T he t echn i ca l p r o b l em c o n c e r n in g th e c o n s t r u c t i o n of the
cal f need no t be
d e a l t
w i t h
h e r e .
A c o n c i s e s t a t e m e n t of the
i ssues ,
w i t h
basic
b i b l i o g r a p h y ,
is
p r o v id ed
b y
C h i l d s , E x o d u s ,
555f .
10. The
v e r b s
in
32:6a
a re
p l u r a l
in the M T. In the
L X X ,
h o w e v e r , t h e y a r e s i n g u l a r , i n d i c a t i n g A a r o n a lo n e a s s u b j e c t .
T h e
r ea s o n
fo r
t h i s v a r i a t i o n
is
p e r h a p s
th e
l a t e r e m p h a s i s upon
A a r o n a s
p r i e s t
w h i c h s ugges t ed th t h e a lone , and no t t he
p eo p le g en e r a l l y , s h o u l d o f f e r sac r i f i ce s . T he re is no r eason to
p r e f e r t h e L X X r ea d in g to th t o f t h e M T .
11.
Cf . M .
A b e r b a c h ,
L .
S m o l a r , T h e G o l d e n C a l f E p i s o d e
in
Pos tb ib l i ca l
L i t e r a t u r e .
12 . E x c e p t p e r h a p s in the sense of Ex. 7:1.
13. Cf .
b e l o w ,
p p .
1 0 8 f .
14. For a d i s c u s s io n o f w h e t h e r or not the
b u l l
w as i n t e n d e d
a s a
pedes ta l
for the
d e i t y ,
a nd h ow
p r e c i s e l y
i t was
seen
to
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N o t e s
t o C h a p t e r T w o
e m b o d y
th e d i v i n e p resen ce , see be lo w , pp . 165 .
15.
A d m i t t e d l y t h e ve rb a l p a ra l l e l i s no t
exact
in
that
20:2
uses h w s y ' whereas 32:1,4 uses
h^Ui .
W h e th e r one m ay d i s ce rn
an y
systematic
d i s t i nc t ion
between
the two
w o r d s
is an
open
q u e s t i o n .
T h e a t t e m p t b y 1 W i j n g a a r d s , hwsy ' an d h
c
lh, A
T w o f o l d A p p r o a c h to the E x o d u s , to s ho w d i s t i n c t m e a n i n g s
an d
o r i g i n s for the two f o r m u l a e
d e p e n d s
on a n
a t o m i s t i c
a p p r o a c h w h i c h
treats
t h e m i n i s o l a t i on
f r o m
t h e i r c o n t e x t a n d
o t h e r m o t i f s .
16. F or a d i scu ss ion o f t he va ry i n g i m p l i c a t i on s o f
e
lohim
w i t h
p lu ra l ve rb o r predicate, see esp. H . D o n n e r , Hier s i nd
d e i n e Cotter,
Israel : : also
G K § 145 i ,
S . R . D r i v e r , D e u t e r o -
n o m y ,
6 5 .
17 . For the
b e a r i n g s
o f 1 K g .
12:28
u p o n Ex. 32, see
b e l o w ,
pp .
1 6 3 f .
18 . Cf .
C h i l d s , E x o d u s , 5 6 2 f .
19.
On the possible use of the i n t r o d u c t o ry f o r m u l a as a
device necessitated by t he
absence
o f p u n c t u a t i o n o r para-
g r a p h s , c f . a b o v e , p. 30.
20 . Cf . C h i l d s , E x o d u s , 563, 567.
21 . C f . W . M ic h a e l i s ,
hodos ,
5 I f f . ; c o n t ra K o c h , de r ek ,
283, who in te rpre ts derek in 32:8 as
s i g n i f y i n g
the
course
o f
sa lva t ion h i s to ry , a d i f f i c u l t m e a n i n g i n context.
2 2 . Th i s a s sumes that E x . 20:3 represents the f i r s t
c o m m a n d m e n t ,
wi th 20:2
as
p r e a m b l e ,
an d 20:4 is
d i s t i n c t
as a
s e c o n d c o m m a n d m e n t a n d n o t p a r t o f the sam e c o m m a n d m e n t
as
20:3.
23 . Cf .
b e l o w ,
pp .
1 6 6 f .
24. Cf . S. K a u f m a n ,
The S t ru c tu re
of the
D e u t e r o n o m i c
Law , esp. 12 1, 145.
25 . Cf . W . Z i m m e r l i ,
D as zw e i t e G e b o t ,
for the
close con-
n e c t i o n b e t w e e n th e f i r s t tw o c o m m a n d m e n t s e n t a i le d b y t h e
e x p a n s i o n of the
second
c o m m a n d m e n t in E x .
20:4-6.
26. The o m i s s i o n of v . 9 in the LX X is d i s cu s s e d b e l ow, p. 224
n . 74 .
27. In
32:8
on e
H e b .
M S , L X X a n d
V u l g a t e r ea d s i w w T t a m
rather th an
s i w w i t i m o f
M T.
Th i s
r e p o i n t i n g w o u l d
f i t
we l l w i th
v . 7 , and
EhrTich, R a n d g l o s s e n
I ,
3 9 1 , o b s e r v e s t h a t
th e f i r s t
person
s i n g u l a r
in
d e f e c t i v e s c r i p t
i s
e x t r e m e l y
rare.
On the
o t h e r h a n d t h e d e c a lo g u e i s d i s t i n c t i v e l y p r e s e n t e d a s t h e d i r e c t
a d d r e s s
o f G o d
b o t h
in
D e u t e r o n o m y
and in E x . 20
( c f .
N ic ho l s o n , The Deca logue
as the
D i r e c t A d d r e s s
o f
G o d )
-
w h ic h
supp orts the M T. The para l le l in D eut . 9 :12 does no t h e lp
197
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A t t h e
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
a s t h e s a m e p r o b l e m s a p p l y t h e r e . O n e c a n n o t b e s u r e w h i c h
p o i n t i n g i s
o r i g i n a l ,
n o r
d o e s
i t
m a t t e r g r e a t l y .
2 8 .
C f.
N u m . 1 4 : 1 1 ; also
E x .
32 :1 , Th is
M o s e s .
2 9 .
T h i s
h a s
b e e n d i s p u t e d .
E v e n
C a l v i n c o n s i d e r e d
th e
s u g g e s t i o n
to o s u b t l e
( H a r m o n y ,
I II , 338). T h e re a re o t h e r
passag es in 3 2 - 3 4 w h e r e t h e u s e o f t h e s u f f i x i s n o t s i g n i f i c a n t
(e .g . 33:1 , 34 :1 0) .
3 0 . C f . C h i l d s ,
Ex o d u j ; , 567
f
3 1 . A n a p p e a l o n th e s e t e r m s is o f c o u r s e
characteristic
o f
m a n y
o t h e r i n t e r c e s s i o n s
i n t h e O T . B u t
th is
i n n o w a y detracts
f r o m
i ts s i g n i f i c a n c e in t h e p r e s e n t context.
32. The r e a d i n g in S a m .
Pent
a n d L X X i s a n a c c o m m o d a t i o n
t o t h e
m o r e u s u a l
f o r m u l a .
T h e u s e o f
Israel
in a
p r a y e r
o f
p a r t i c u l a r s i g n i f i c a n c e is also f o u n d i n 1 K g . 18 :36, where i t
e m p h a s i z e s G o d ' s n a t i o n a l r o l e ( C h i l d s , E l i j a h N a r ra t i v e s ,
133).
33.
M o s e s ,
8 f.
3 4 . T h e Y a h w i s t , 1 5 8. C f . a ls o
G . A . F . K n i g h t ,
T h e o l o g y a s
N a r r a t i o n , i x - x .
35 .
M o s e s v e r su s A m a l e k ,
3 7 f f .
36.
Ib i d . ,
4 1 .
37 . I b i d . , 4 0 . C f .
i d e m , H i s to r y
a n d
T h e o l o g y
i n t h e S e a
T r a d i t i o n .
3 8 .
T h i s
i s
t r u e
n o t o n l y o f t h e
t e x t
i n i t s
p r e s e n t f o r m
bu t
a l s o ,
w i th o n l y s l i g h t l y v a r y i n g
e m p h a s e s ,
i n t h e
r e c o n s t r u c t e d
a n d
P
a c c o u n t s .
39. E x o d u s , 559, 563.
4 0 . E x o d u s ,
2 4 9 :
c f .
C o a t s , R e b e l l i o n
i n t h e
W i l d e r n e s s , 188.
4 1 . P . 4 5 .
4 2 .
T h e d e ci si o n a s t o w h a t c o n s t i t u t e s a s e p a r a t e
w o r d
i s
p r o b l e m a t i c . H e r e p r e p o s i t i o n s a n d
particles
a re t a k e n a s
separate
w o r d s , e v e n
w h e n j o i n e d b y a
m a q q e p h .
4 3.
A l t h o u g h th e
s p e a k e r
i n v . 1 8 i s n o t
s p e c i f i e d , c o n t e x t u a l
c o n s i d e r a t i o n s m a k e i t l i k e l y t h a t t h e s p e a k e r i s M o s es a n d n o t
J o s h u a .
4 4 .
Th e i n t e r p r e t a t i v e c r u x o f v . 1 8 n e e d n o t b e discussed
here.
S i n c e , h o w e v e r , t h e e x e g e s i s i s o f
interest
a n e x c u r s u s i s
a p p e n d e d a t t h e e n d o f th e c h a p t e r , pp . I f .
4 5 . T h e
p u z z l i n g
s e q u e n c e o f v e r b s i n v . 2 0 - h o w c a n g o ld b e
b u r n t ? - i s best
u n d e r s t o o d t h r o u g h
a
c o m p a r i s o n w i t h
th e
U g a r i t i c
t e x t
1 .6
11:31-37. ( T h e
n u m b e r i n g i s
t h a t
o f M .
D i e t r i c h ,
O .
L o r e t z ,
J.
S a n m a r t i n ,
D i e k e i l a l p h a b e t i s c h e n
T e x t e
a u s
U g a r i t . F o r a n E n g l i s h t r a n s l a t i o n se e
A N E T ^ ,
1 4 0 , o r
J.
1 98
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Note s to C h a p t e r T w o
G i b s o n , C a n a a n i t e
M y t h s
an d L e g e n d s , 7 7 ) .
W h e n
A n a t h k i l l s
M ot th e
v e r b s a p p e a r
in the
s e q u e n c e
o f
b u r n ,
g r i n d ,
scatter
an d seem to be a
l i t e r a r y i d i o m
fo r
exp r e s s i ng t ho roughnes s
o f
d e s t r u c t i o n .
It is
poss ib l e tha t
t h e r e
a re
a l so ove r t one s
o f a
f e r t i l i t y r i t u a l . C f . S . L o e w e n s t a m m , The M a k i n g an d Des-
t r u c t i o n
o f t h e G o l d en Ca l f ; F .C . Fe ns ham , The
B u r n i n g
of the
G o l den Ca l f and U g a r i t .
46 . The
s u p e r f i c i a l s i m i l a r i t y
o f
32:20
to the
o r d e a l
in
N u m .
5:1 I f f h as f r e q u e n t l y b e e n n o t e d . Th e r i t u a l in N u m . 5 does
n o t , h o w e v e r , g r e a t l y i l l u m i n a t e
th e
s i g n i f i c a n c e
of the action
in
th e
present
context w h e r e th e conce r n is to a d m i n i s t e r
p u n i s h m e n t
r a t h e r t h a n d e t e r m i n e g u i l t .
4 7 .
E x o d u s ,
570 .
48. Ib i d .
49 . Cf . G r e s s m a n n , M o s e , 2 0 2 .
5 0. Cf . H . R i n g g r e n , ~ ^ f c h , 1 9 0 .
5 1 .
T h e r e
is
l e s s ev i dence
for
bn b e i n g u s ed
in an
e x t e n d e d
sense than there
is for
_ | h _
One may a t least
note
its use for a
s u b o r d i n a t e w i t h i n
a
p r e s c r i b e d r e l a t i o n s h i p ,
cf . 2 K g.
16:7; also
A r a d Ost r aca
2 1 , 40
( L e m a i r e , I n s c r i p t i o n s Heb r a ' i ' q u e s , 1 8 6 ,
207) .
5 2. I t is of course possible that the t r a d i t i o n - h i s t o r y of the
s t o r y
m ay
a c c o u n t
for i t s i n n e r
t en s i on s .
Bu t t h e
p resen t t a sk
i s
to e x p l a i n th e t e x t as far as p o s s i b l e in i t s own r i g h t w i t h o u t
r e cou r se
to
q u e s t i o n s
of i ts
h i s t o r y
u n t i l a
second
stage
u n l e s s
n o
sa t i s f a c to r y
sense can b e
m a d e
of the f i n a l f o r m of the text.
5 3 . The K i n g ' s
L o y a l
O p p o s i t i o n , p a s s i m .
5 4 . C f .
C a s s u t o , E x o d u s , 4 2 1 .
5 5 . A n
a l t e r n a t i v e r e a d i n g
in the
S a m . P e n t ,
is prw
c
as in
v. 25 .
5 6. I t i s
p r o b a b l y
u n n e c e s s a r y t h e r e f o r e to e m e n d
b r
c
ji
in v .
17 to pr
c
even
shou l d
i t be correct to a d o p t
pr
c
in v . 22
( c o n t r a E h r l i c h ,
R a n d g l o s s e n ,
393 , G ressm an n , M ose, 200).
5 7. I t is u n n e c e s s a r y to f i n d th e i dea o f v i c a r i o u s
s u f f e r i n g
in
v. 32.
58 . On
t h i s q u e s t i o n ,
see
3 .3 . S t amm, E r l 5 sen un d V e r g e b e n
jmnjYT, an d r e c e n t l y T. R a i t t , T h e o l o g y o f E x i l e , 1 8 5 f f .
5 9. On the p r o b l e m s r ai se d b y th i s so r t o f l a n g u a g e , c f . b e l o w
p p .
6 1 f .
6 0 .
C h i l d s shows that
on s y n t a c t i c a l
g r o u n d s
on e c a n n o t
t r a n s l a t e
th e
w o r d s
b y
fo r wh a t t h ey
d id
w i t h
th e
c a l f
that
A a r o n m a d e ( E x o d u s , 557 ) .
61 . C f . N o t h ,
E x o d u s ,
2 5 4 , a s i n c e r e a n d l a s t i n g r e p e n t a n c e .
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
6 2 . T h e f u l l
s i g n i f i c a n c e
o f
t h i s m o t i f w i l l b e co m e a p p a r e n t
at
34:9.
6 3. T h e r e i s a s l i g h t v e r b a l v a r i a t i o n in t h a t t h e 2 n d p l u r a l ,
• t n n
i s
u s e d i n s t e a d
of the 2nd s i n g u l a r ,
_ ^ t h .
S i n c e
th e
rest
of the
verse
r e v e r t s
t o t h e 2 nd s i n g u l a r ,
there
i s no s i gn i f i c a n c e i n t h e
use o f t he
p l u r a l p r o n o u n , w h i c h
h a s be e n pu t i n t he p l u r a l u n d e r
th e
i n f l u e n c e
o f t h e
p l u r a l s u b s t a n t i v e i m m e d i a t e l y p r ec e d in g .
6 4. A n g e l i s n o t a w h o l l y s a t i s f a c to r y r e n d e r i n g o f
ml ' k
as i t
i s d i f f i c u l t to e s c a p e
o v e r t o n e s
o f l a t e r
a n g e l o l o g y .
It is
d o u b t f u l ,
h o w e v e r , w h e t h e r a m o r e n e u t r a l t e r m li k e m e s-
s e n g e r w o u l d e s c a p e b e i n g m i s l e a d i n g in a
d i f f e r e n t
w a y . A n d
so ,
w i t h r e se r v a t io n s , a n g e l w i l l
b e
r e t a i n e d .
6 5.
E x o d u s , 588.
66. Cf .
a b o v e ,
p. 33.
6 7 . S e e b el o w , p p .
9 i f .
68 . Fo r 'h i
m w C d
cf . Ex . 27:21; 28:43; 29:4,10,11 ,30,32 ,42;
30:16,18,20 ,36;
31:7.
6 9 . T h e L X X r e a d i n g , te n s k e n e n a u t o u , s h o w s t h a t th is w a s
t h e L X X i n t e r p r e t a t i o n . T h e r e a d i n g i s m o s t l i k e l y a n a t t e m p t
to e x p l i c a t e a n
a m b i g u i t y r a t h e r t h a n e v i d en c e
f o r a n alter
n a t i v e t e x t u a l t r a d i t i o n .
70. Cf. B u b e r , M o s e s , 133, 215, n. 193.
71 .
See b e l o w , p. 173.
72 . F o r t h e u se o f t h e
d e f i n i t e
a r t i c l e
w i t h i n d e f i n i t e
sense
see
G K
§ 126 ,
q, r , s .
73. C o n t r a e.g . D r i v e r , E x o d u s , 35 9, C h i l d s , E x o d u s , 5 84.
74. See f u r t h e r b e l o w , p p . 1 7 1 f f .
75. See
f u r t h e r be lo w ,
p p . 1 7 1 f f .
76. See a l s o b e l o w , p . 72 and also p .
91 .
77. V. 11 ,
e n o p i o s
enop id i ; v . 20 ou
d u n e s e i
i d e i n
m o u
to
p r o s o p o n .
78. So
T a r g u m s O n k e l o s, Jo n a t h a n
ben
U z z i e l
a n d
N e o f i t i
I .
O n
the i n t e rpre t a t i o n o f Ex . 33:11 in the LX X an d T a rg u m s , c f .
M . R . D ' A n g e l o , M o s es
i n t h e
L e t t e r
t o t h e
H e b r e w s , l O l f f .
79. So e.g. 3.E. H u e s m a n , E x o d u s , 6 5;
W .
Z i m m e r l i , OT
T h e o l o g y
in
O u t li n e ,
74;
A .W . J e n k s ,
T h e
E l o h i s t ,
53.
8 0 .
T h e r e
a re
p a r t i c u l a r
t e x t - c r i t i c a l
p r o b l e m s
i n
th i s sec t i on
a s t h e L X X
d i ve r ge s f r o m
th e
M T
a t
n u m e r o u s
a n d
s i g n i f i c a n t
p o i n t s .
T h i s
i s a
s u b j e c t
fo r
s t u d y
i n i t s o w n
r i g h t ,
a n d f o r t h e
p r e s e n t
o n l y a f ew b r i e f
c o m m e n t s
w i l l b e
m a d e .
A u s e f u l
rev iew of the issue is p r o v i d e d by D.P.
N i l e s ,
T h e N a m e o f G o d ,
1 4 7
n. 1 .
T h e f o l l o w i n g
c o n c l u s i o n s e m e r g e f r o m
a
c o m p a r i s o n
of the
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N o t e s to C h a p t e r T w o
M T a n d L X X :
i )
T h e M T i n i t s e l f p r e s en t n o p r o b l e m s . T h e r e i s no c r u x
w h i c h
t h e L X X h e lp s r e s o l v e ,
i i)
T h e s u b t l e d e v e l o p m e n t of the in te rces s ion i n t he M T (see
exeges i s ' be low) i s lost in the L X X .
i i i )
N o
s ing le
m p t i v e f o r t he L X X
d i v er g e n c e s
i s
d i sce rn ib le .
T h e L X X r e a d i n g s a r e s o m e t i m e s
less
a n d s o m e t i m e s
m o r e a n t h r o p o m o r p h i c ,
iv) T h e L X X b o t h s i m p l i f i e s a n d i n t e r p r e t s t h e M T .
F o r t h e s e
r ea so n s t h e M T w i l l b e a c c e p t e d as the bas is for
exeges i s .
81 . So e.g . N o th , E x o d u s , 2 5 7 ; R . C l e m e n t s , G o d a n d T e m p le ,
27;
3 .
M u i l e n b u r g ,
I n t e rc e s si o n , 1 7 3 f .
8 2 .
B e y e r l i n ,
O r i g i n s , 1 0 1 .
83 . For a
d i s c u s s i o n ,
see
B e y e r l i n , i b i d . , 1 0 2 .
84 . The
t r e a t m e n t
o f
man ' s p o s s i b l e access
to God i n 33 :11 ,
2 0 - 2 3 i s i n d e e d c o n c e r n e d w i t h a m e t a p h y s i c a l p r o b l e m , bu t o f
a d i f f e r e n t
k i n d ,
an d i t i s n o t t he t h e m e o f p r i m a r y i m p o r ta n c e
in t h e n a r r a t i v e .
8 5 . T e r r i e n c o m m e n t s o n th i s ve r s e , A m o d e o f p s y c h o l o g i ca l
c o m m u n i o n i s t h e r eb y im p l i ed , f o r t h e p h r a s e
c a r r i e s
n o h i n t o f
th e
l a t e r p r i e s t l y m o t i f
of the
c o l u m n
o f
f i r e
or of the
c l o u d
w h i c h jo u r n ey ed i n t h e w i l d e r n e s s ah ead o f th e p eo p l e ( E x o d .
1 3 : 2 I f . ,
etc.) ( E l u s i v e P r e s e n c e ,
1 4 0 ) .
U n f o r t u n a t e l y h e does
n o t
ra i s e th e p o s s i b i l i t y
t h a t
s o m e c o n c r e te m a n i f e s t a t i o n o t h e r
t h a n t h e f i r e a n d c lo u d m i g h t b e e n v i s a g e d .
8 6 . C f . a b o v e , p. 63 for the d a n g e r s o f Y a h w e h ' s s h r i n e .
87. Fo r the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f
34:9,
see
b e l o w ,
p p . 8 9 f f .
88 . I t ha s b een s u g g es t ed
t h a t
t h e r e a re s t r u c t u r a l p a r a l le l s
b e t w e e n
E x .
33:1-34:10
an d
G e n .
15:7.-21. S ee
D .P . N i l e s ,
T h e
N a m e
o f G o d , 1 4 2 f f . 1 5 5 , w h o d e v e l o p s a r g u m e n t s o f
Seebass ,
L o h f i n k , a n d B . W . A n d e r s on . In f a c t th e s i m i l a r i t i e s a r e n o m o r e
t h a n
o n e
w o u l d e x p e c t f r o m
tw o
a c c o u n t s
o f
Y a h w e h ' s g r a c io u s
d e a l i n g s
w i t h a c h o s e n i n d i v i d u a l . T h e p r e s en t exeges i s shows
th e t e n o r a n d d e v e l o p m e n t o f E x . 33-34 to be f u n d a m e n t a l l y
d i f f e r e n t
f r o m t h a t
o f
G e n . 15.
89 . So e.g. D . N . F r e e d m a n , T h e N a m e of the Go d of M o s e s ,
153: scho la r s r eso r t
to
d e s p e r a t e m e a s u r e s
to
s ecu r e co n -
t i n u i t y .
9 0 . E x o d u s ,
5 9 4 .
9 1 .
I n t e r ce s s i o n , 1 6 8 , 1 7 3 .
9 2 . N . M .
W a ld m a n ,
G o d ' s W a y s , 67 , n . 2 , n o t e s th e s t y l i s t i c
use o f c h i a s t i c p a t t e r n s in 3 3 : 1 2 f f . W h e t h e r t h e r e i s d e l i b e r a t e
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At the M o u n t a i n o f Go d
chiasm is
u n c l ea r ,
bu t
tha t t he re
a re
r e c u r r e n t
a n d
i n t e r lo c k i n g
m o t i f s
in no
str ic tly logical progressio n
is
ev iden t .
93. It is
som et im es suggested tha t
these
wo rds o r ig in a l ly
re fe r red to H o b a b , c f . N u m .
10:29ff .
94.
The them e o f N u m . 10 :29-32 i s no t Israel 's need of a
gu ide ,
bu t
w h e t h e r
or no t
H o b a b
wil l
share
in
Israel's good .
The
poss ibi l i ty
o f
Ho bab s e rv in g
as
eyes
is
i n t r o d u c e d o n l y
secondar i ly
i n t o
Moses '
request ,
giving
H o b a b
a
reason
to
s tay
by
v i r t u e
of his
sense
o f
be ing needed
an d
valued
by the
Israel i tes, a s M o s e s d e fe r e n t i a l l y p u t s it.
M o r e o v e r , the j u x t a p o s i t i o n of the ark
passage
in
10:33-36
w i t h th e
p rec ed in g v e rs es (both u s u a l l y as c r ibed
to the
s a m e
s o u r c e , e i t h e r
J
o r
JE )
s u g g es t s t h a t , t o o n e wr i t e r a t l e a s t , an y
h u m a n g u i d a n c e a n d h e l p w a s n o t i n c o m p a t i b l e w i t h , a n d w a s
c e r t a i n l y n o t a s u b s t i tu t e f o r , d iv in e g u i d a n c e .
95.
C.J. L a b u s c h a g n e , T h e e m p h a s i z i n g p a r t i c l e
ga m
and i t s
c o n n o t a t i o n s ,
2 0 0 , s u g g e s t s t h a t ga m i n E x . 33:17
f u n c t i o n s
a s
a p a r t i c l e o f em p h as i s . The exeg es i s i n d ic a t e s t h a t t he
c u s t o m a r y
m e a n i n g
also
shou ld be
r e t a i n e d .
96. It m ay also be possible to
detect
the presence of a w o r d
play
b e t w e e n
c
im
a n d
c
am;
cf .
W a l d m a n ,
God's
W ays ,
68 ,
n .
2 .
97. Cf.
M u i l e n b u r g , Intercession , 177.
W a l d m a n n ,
God's
Ways , 68, n. 3, o f f e r s
s eve ra l M es o p o tam ia n p a ra ll el s.
A
m o r e
general d iscuss ion
of the
issues
is
prov ided
by
H .H . R o w l e y ,
The
Biblical
Do c t r i n e
o f
Elec t i o n .
U n f o r t u n a t e l y R o w l e y
does
n o t
discuss ei ther
the
present passage
o r
G e n .
6:8
(see below ).
98. Cf.
E .A .
Speiser, Genesis , LXVI I ; W .
Z i m m e r l i ,
Ch ar i s ,
380.
99. E .g. G en . 18:3, 30:27,
50:4,
N u m . 32 :5, 1 Sam. 27:5, 2 Sam .
16:4,
Esth. 5:8,
7:3,8:5.
100. 1
Sa m . 20:29;
a n d wi th
s t ri k i n g p a r a d o x
in
N u m .
11:15.
1 0 1 . 1
Sa m . 1:18.
102 .
E.g.
1
Sa m . 16:22, 20:3,
2
S a m . 14:22,
R u t h
2 :1 0 ,1 3 .
103.
G en . 32:6 (ET 32:5), 33:8, 1 Sam. 25:8, 1 Kg. 11:19, R u t h
2:2.
104. G e n . 19:19; perhaps a l so Jdg. 6:17,
w h i c h is a k i n t o Ex .
33:13.
105.
See
f u r t h e r
b e l o w ,
p .
91
f.
106. C ha r is , 380.
107.
Cf . A . L a u r e n t i n ,
Wec
atta
h-Kai
n u n ,
1 7 1 .
108. Cf.
M u i l e n b u r g , Intercess io n , 1 76; G .A .F. K n i g h t ,
Theology a s N a r r a t i o n ,
195.
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N o t e s
to
C h a p t e r
T w o
109. It is possible that the word shou ld be poin ted in the
s i n gu l a r , c f .
G K
§
9 1 k .
A
p l u r a l
is
s u p p o r t e d
by the
S a m a r i t a n
text, bu t t h e S y r i a c ha s a s i ngu l a r . The LX X and V u lga t e
p resen t a
d i f f e r e n t w o r d i n g
in the
request.
Since derek in the
s i n g u l a r
(as app l i ed to G od) t ends to r e f e r to the way o f l i f e
G od app roves
o f ,
th i s
is
l ess appropr i a t e
in
context than
the
p l u r a l .
110 . C f. Deut . 32:4, Is. 55:8f., 58:18. One may a l so compare Ps.
103:7, H e m a d e
k n o w n
h is w a y s
( d r k y w )
to Moses ... . A l t ho u g h
th e
para l l e l
to
ways
is deeds (
c
l y l w t y w ) , th e
gene ra l
context, esp. v. 8, echoes Ex. 33-34 and i nd i c a t e s an i n t e r -
p r e t a t i o n of ways in t e r m s o f
God ' s
g r a c i o u s
character.
1 1 1 .
For a surv ey o f
recent research
on 2 Sam. 7 , see T .N.D.
M e t t i n g e r ,
K i n g and
M e s s i a h ,
4 8 f f . M e t t i n g e r ' s own
ana lys i s
o f
vv . 1 8 f f . is t h a t v v . 18-22a, 27-29 f o r m a p r e - d e u t e r o n o m i s t i c
u n i t y , w h i l e
v v .
2 2 b -2 6
are a
d e u t e r o n o m i s t ic e x p a n s io n .
112 . C f .
N o t h ,
E x odu s , 2 57 ; C h i l d s , E x odu s ,
594.
113. Theo logy ,
II, 38, n. 1.
114 . I t ha s been sugg ested that
w a h
a
n i h 5 t i
s h o u l d b e
e m e n d e d
to
w a h i n h e t T , and
I
w i l l lead y o u ( Eh r l i c h ,
Ra ndg l os s e n , 4 0 5; E i c h r od t , Theo logy
II , 38, n. 1). Th e
c h a n g e
is
unneces sa ry , and i s a t odds wi t h t h e con t ex t whe re d i v i n e
leadersh ip i s not the i ssue . The idea of g iv ing rest i s h a rd l y
imposs ib l e
in the
c o n t e x t
(so
Eh r l i c h ) , s ince nwl j
is
used
e l s e w h e r e
o f G o d g iv i ng rest in the
p r o m i s e d l and ( c f . D e u t .
3:30, 12:10, Josh . 1:13,15, etc.),
and is an
a p p r o p r i a t e w o r d
of
a s su rance .
115 . O n p a n T m , s e e A .R . Johnson , Aspec t s of the use of the
t e r m
P a n i m
in the Old Tes t am en t ; E i ch rod t , Theo logy I I , 35-39.
116 .
C f .
G . B . C a i r d , L a n g u a g e
an d
I m a g e r y ,
1 0 3 f f . , for a
d iscuss ion o f
d i f f e r e n t t ypes
o f
d e li b er a te a m b i g u i t y .
117 .
T he t ex t h e re is u n c e r t a i n . O n e s h o u l d p r o b a b l y
fol low
L X X ,
Pesh . ,
V u l g . in
r e a d i n g
b^irbarn (so
S .R . Dr i v e r , N o t e s ,
322). The para l le l to Ex. 33 w o u l d then be even closer.
118. C f.
Deut . 4:37,
Is .
63:9 , Lam. 4:16; perhaps also
Ex.
20:3
//
Deut . 5:7, Ps. 21 :10 .
119 .
A b o v e ,
p. 68.
120. Ex. 2 5 f f .
uses
th e
t e r m
p n y m on ly in
connec t i on wi t h
Y a h w e h ' s
presence in the t aberna c le in the
case
of the
shewbread , o r b read o f the Presence (25:30
Ihm
p n y m ) . Such a
pas s i ng r e f e rence
to the
she wbread p rob ab ly p re suppose s
th e
no t ion
of the
d i v i n e p n y m
in the
sanc t ua ry wh i ch need
not be
e labora ted s ince th e ex p re s s i on to see /appea r be f o re th e f ace
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A t
th e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
o f Y a h w e h i s a l r e a d y u s e d a s a s t a n d a r d e x p r e s s i o n fo r v i s i t i n g
a
s a n c t u a r y
i n
w h a t
a re
p o s s i b l y
th e e a r l i e s t
texts r e l a t i n g
to
th e
s u b j e c t ,
E x .
23:15,17,
34:20,23; cf.
N o t h , E x o d u s , 1 9 2 .
121 .
N o t h
( E x o d u s ,
2 57 ) c o m m e n t s
t h a t
I t i s n o t
sa id
h o w t h e
'presence',
th e s ide o f t h e
d i v i n e b e i n g p r e s e n t e d
t o m e n
w h i ch
g i v e s a p a r t i c u l a r l y d i r e c t r e p r e s e n t a t i o n o f t h i s b e i n g is to
m a n i f e s t i t s e l f
... ,
a n d s u g g e s t s that P e r h a p s th e t h o u g h t h e r e
i s o f t h e w o r s h i p o f Y a h w e h i n t h e c u l t a t t h e s a n c t u a r i e s o f
I s r a e l , to w h i c h m e n g o t o 'see' th e d i v i n e 'face' . Th is sug-
g e s ti o n , h o w e v e r , i g n o r e s t h e i m p o r t a n t d e t a i l o f G o d 's
p r e s e n c e
o n t h e
m o v e , w h i c h m u s t e n v i s a g e
a
p o r t a b l e
a n d n o t
a
f i x e d
s a n c t u a r y .
122.
F o r the use o f
p l h ,
to be d is t i n ct , c f . Ex. 8:18, 9:4,
11:7.
123. B e l ow, pp . 1 0 5 f .
124 . It is interesting to co m pare P s. 2 7 w here the psalm ist
seeks
G o d i n t h e s a n c t u a r y . T h e p s a l m is r e m i n i s c e n t of Ex. 33
a n d d r a w s o n s i m i l a r t e r m i n o l o g y . O n e m a y n o t e th e f o l l o w i n g
p a r a l l e l i s m :
v. 8 ' t p n y k y h w h 'bqs
c f .
Ex . 33 : 11 ,14 ,15 ,20 ,23 .
v .
h w r n y y h w h d r kk
cf . Ex . 33:13.
v. 13
I r ' w t
b t w b
y h w h
cf . Ex .
33:19.
v . 4
I h z w t b n
c
m - y h w h
cf . Ex. 33: 18 ,22 .
V . 4 is pu t last f o r t w o r e a s o n s . F i r s t , th e c h a n g e in t o n e
b e t w e e n v v . 1 - 6 a n d v v . 7 f f . h a s m a d e th e l i t e r a r y u n i ty o f t h e
psa lm a m a t t e r o f debate. S e c o n d l y , t h e r e i s no exact
p a r a l l e l
to
n
c
m
i n E x . 3 3 . V o n
R a d , h o w e v e r , c o m m e n t s t h a t
n
c
m i s
m o re o r less s yn o n y m o u s w i t h t h e 'g lory o f Y a h w e h ' (kbd
y h w h ) ,
( ' R i g h t e o u s n e s s ' a n d
' L i f e ' , 2 5 7 f . ) . N
c
m
i s a r a r e
w o r d
w h o s e p r e ci se m e a n i n g i s
d i f f i c u l t
t o a s c e r t a i n , b u t v o n
R a d ' s s u g g e s t i o n i s n o t
i m p l a u s i b l e
a n d e n h a n c e s th e p a r a l le l i s m
to Ex. 33.
125.
I t is
d i f f i c u l t
t o b e s u r e h o w f a r t h e r e q u e s t t o se e
Y a h w e h ' s
g l o r y p o i n t s
to a
d e s i r e
fo r a
v i s i b l e m a n i f e s t a t i o n
o f
Y a h w e h
a s s u c h . F o r i t i s a l w a y s c h a r a c t e r i s t i c o f t h e g l o r y to
b e h i d d e n i n t h e c l o u d , a n d b o t h th e c l o u d a n d t h e g l o r y a re
v i s ib le p h e n o m e n a . O n e w o u l d n e c e s s a r i l y r e f e r t o t h e g l o r y i n
t e r m s o f s e e i n g i t , w h e r e a s i n v . 1 3 M o s e s a s k s t h a t
G o d ' s
w a y s
b e
m a d e
k n o w n
to
h i m ,
s i n c e
th e
d i v i n e w a y s
a re
m o r e
n a t u r a l l y r e f e r r e d to i n t e r m s o f k n o w l e d g e r a t h e r t h a n v i s i o n .
126.
Cf.
Hos. 3:5, Jer. 3 1 : 1 2 , 1 4 ,
Ps.
27:13.
127.
O n t h i s f o r m u l a , se e D.P. N i l e s , T h e N a m e o f G o d , 5 2 f f . ,
1 2 3 f f .
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Note s to Chapter Two
128 . Gre s smann , Mose , 225.
129. O n
th is f o r m u l a ,
see
S .R . Dr ive r , Notes ,
185f. ;
i d e m ,
Exodus , 352 f . ; D . N . F r e e d m a n , T he N a m e of the Go d of
Moses ,
153L;
3 .R .
L u n d b o m ,
God's
Use of the
Idem
per
Idem
to
T e r m i n a t e Deba t e .
130. F r e e d m a n , ibid .
131 .
N otes , 186.
132.
N a m e o f G o d , 154; co nt ra e .g . G ress m an n , M ose , 229 ,
who characterizes
the
saying
as
showing
abso lu te Wi l lk i i r .
133.
Cf. the
i m p l i c a t i on s
of its
usage
in Ex.
4 :13,
1
Sam. 23 :13 ,
2 Sam. 15:20, 2 Kg. 8:1.
134.
Cf .
L u n d b o m ,
o p.
cit.
135.
On E x .
3:14,
see
m os t r ec en t ly B .3 . B e i t ze l , E xo du s 3 :14 ,
who argues agains t f i n d i n g any e tymologica l i n t e re s t i n the
passage.
136.
O n the
prob lem
o f
in t e rpre t ing this f o r m u l a ,
c f .
above ,
p.
30.
137.
Theophany and A n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m in the O T , 36.
138. Cf. Bar r , _ ib id . , 32 .
139.
Ex odu s , 596 .
140. Cf. Gen. 32:30, Deut . 4:33, 5:24,26,
Jdg.
6:22f . , 13:22, Is.
6:5.
141 .
In 33:20 there is perhaps
also
an
echo
o f Ex . 10:28f. There
Pharaoh says
to
M oses , N eve r
s ee my
face ( i . e . come into
m y
presence ) again ; fo r in the d ay tha t you see m y face you shal l
die . P haraoh , in c l a iming that to see his face m eans d ea th ,
pre t ends
to be God and so
becomes
the
a r che t ype
o f
h u m a n
hybr i s . Ex . 33 presents by contrast the true G od whose face
m ay i ndeed
not be
seen
bu t who
none the l e ss grac ious ly does
a l low some
access
to his
se rvant s .
142 .
F or
r e c e n t
discu ss ion s of Ge n. 16:13 , see H.C.
W h i t e ,
The
I n i t i a t i on
Legend
of I shm ae l ,
285f . ;
C.
W e s t e r m a n n , G e n es is
12-50, 296L; T. Booi j ,
Hagar 's
W o r d s
in Gen . 16:13b .
l i t e r a l r ende r i ng
of the M T of
G e n .
16:13b
w o u l d
be,
For
she said, Have I even here ( l i t . hi ther) seen af ter him that sees
m e ?
o r
... seen
the
back
of h im
that
sees
m e ?
In the f i r s t
case ^hry a f t e r
is
used
in a
spa ti al r a the r than t em po ra l sense ,
s om e w h a t r e m i n i s c e n t
o f Ex .
33:23.
The
a l t e r na t i ve , cons t r u i ng
'hry
as a
s u b s t a n t i v e ,
wou ld
m a k e
the
pa ra l l e l
t o E x .
33:23 close
indeed.
The i n t e rp r e t a t i on
is ,
h ow e ve r , p r ob l e m a t i c . F i r s t ,
the
t e x t
is
possibly cor rup t . The ch ie f d i f f i c u l t y is wit h h
a
l o m wh i ch
m ean s hi ther ra the r than here an d t h i s f i t s a w k w a r d l y . If
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
o n e
e m e n d s
this,
a s o f t e n
suggested,
to
> e
l o h T m t h e n , w i t h o r
w i t h o u t
f u r t h e r e m e n da t i o n s , t he r e a r e tw o conse quence s:
' I h y m , a n d n o t
'h ry
a s a
s u b s t a n t i v e , m u s t
be the
ob j e c t
o f
r ' y t y ;
a n d
'bry as an a d v e r b m u s t h a v e a t e m p o r a l r a t h e r t h a n a
s p a t i a l s ign i f icance . T h is w o u l d rob the paral le l with Ex. 33:23
of
its force.
S e c o n d l y , th e
c o n t e x t
o f
Gen. 16:7-16 bears
n o
r e s e m b l a n c e
to Ex. 33.
Gen. 16:7-12 lays
n o stress o n a n y
m a r v e l l o u s
a p p a r i t i o n
o f Y a h w e h ' s
a n g e l ,
w h o i s treated in a
m a t t e r - o f - f a c t
w a y .
It is
the r e f o r e
n o t clear h o w f a r t h e
play
o n seeing (r 'h), presen t in bo th
M T
a n d m o s t e m e n d a t i o n s ,
c o n v e y s th e
n u a n c e
o f
phys ica l s igh t
o r an
in t e r e s t
i n t h e o p h a n y
a s s u c h .
God ' s
see ing seems to m e a n h is p r o v i d e n t i a l c a r i n g
fo r
Ha ga r , wh i l e
H ag ar ' s seeing
s e e ms
to
r e f e r
t o h e r
g r a d u a l l y - d a w n i n g
awareness
of the
n a t u r e
of the
person
w h o
s po k e t o h e r . T h e r e i s t h u s n o c o n n e c t io n w i t h t h e e x p l i c i t
t h e o p h a n y
of Ex. 33.
143. Fo r
h i d i n g
one ' s
f a c e ,
cf .
Deut . 31:17,
Is. 53:3, Ps.
13:1,
Jo b 13:24,
etc.
Fo r t u r n i n g
one ' s back ,
cf. Jer.
2:27,
32:33, 2
Chr. 29:6.
144.
Cf. Ex.
26:12,
1 Kg.
7:25, Ezek. 8:16.
145.
C f.
M .
H a r a n , N a t u r e
of the
' Ohel
M p C e d h ,
57.
146. See
b e l o w ,
p. 86.
147. T he r e
a re
in te res t ing l inks b e t w e e n
33:18-23 a n d E x .
17:1-7,
th e m u r m u r i n g a t Massah a n d
M e r i b a h .
T h e
re fe rence
to
th e rock a t H o r e b (17:6) h a s occas ioned m u c h d i s cus s ion .
G e o g r a p h i c a l l y
it is d i f f i c u l t ,
u n l e s s
i t
de s igna t e s Hor e b
a s a
large district,
and i t i s u s u a l l y
deleted
a s a
gloss.
Bu t wh y
shou ld
a n y o n e h a v e
so glossed th e story? A t
Horeb
m a y b e a
r e da c t i ona l no t e o f t ypo l og ica l r a the r t ha n ge ogr a ph ica l
s i g n i f i c a n c e ,
s e e k i n g
to
po in t pa r a l l e l s be twe e n
th e
rock
a t
M a s s a h
a n d
that
a t
S i n a i . I n t e r e s t i n g l y ,
a t
M a s s a h
Y a h w e h
s tands be fore Moses
on the
rock (17:6),
a s
Moses
stands
b e f o r e
Y a h w e h (33:21,
34:2). Moses
passes (
c
br)
b e f o r e
th e
people
(17:5),
a s
Y a h w e h passes (
c
b r)
be fore Moses (33:19 ,22) . The
c o n c e r n
of the
people
in
17:7
is
sa id
to be
w h e t h e r
o r n o t
Y a h w e h is in
th e i r m ids t (bqr b ) , e ve n th o u gh th i s
is
n o w h e r e
expl ic i t
i n t he
preced ing n a r r a t i v e .
I t m a y b e a deliberate echo
of
Ex. 33,
esp.
33:3,5,
cf.
34:9a.
A t a
d i f f e r e n t l e v e l
there
is the
f a c t t h a t D e u t . 33:8f., w h i c h a p p e a r s to r e f e r t o t he s a m e
i n c i d e n t as Ex .
32:25-29,
locates
t h i s i n c i d e n t
i n t h e
t e s t i ng
a t
Massah
a n d M e r i b a h (cf . Ex. 17:7). Since the OT identif ies
M e r i b a h
w ith K ad esh (N u m . 20:1,13,14, 27:14, De ut . 32:51), th is
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
assessed in
excursus
2.
163. See the
b i b l i o g r a p h y
c i t ed in excur sus 2 .
164.
Buber
Moses
89.
165. For the s t r u c t u r e of the
f l ood
n a r r a t i v e , see B . W .
A n d e r s o n , F ro m A n a l y s i s to Syn thesis ;
G.J.
W e n h a m ,
Coherence .
166.
S ee A n d e r so n ,
ib id . ,
36, 38; W e n h a m ,
jbid.,
339f .
167. See ab o ve , pp . 7 0 f .
168.
For a
poss ib l e fu r the r par a l l e l i sm
between
N o a h
a n d
Moses in Ex .
1-2,
se e J.S.
A c k e r m a n , L i t e ra r y C o n t e x t ,
91.
169. C f. 1
H a l b e ,
D a s P r i v i l e g r e c h t J a h w e s , 283.
170.
T h e r e
is no
reason
to
s u p p o s e that
a n y
t he o l o g i ca l
s ign i f i cance , such
as in 32:7-14, is
i n t e n de d
in the use of the
s u f f i x here.
171. The use o f b q r b
h e r e
is
p e r h a p s
a
p u r e l y
l i t e r a r y e c h o
o f
t he p r e v i o u s u s e o f b q r b . I t is u n l i k e l y
that
there i s an y
s u b s t an t i ve i m p l i c a t i o n , s u ch
as
that
Israel
wi l l
be
d i s t inc t ive
in
th e m i d s t o f other peop le because Y a h w e h is in the m i d s t o f
t h e m .
172. Fo r
n p l ' w t
cf. Ex.
3:20, Josh. 3:5, Jer. 21:2,
Ps.
78:32,
105:2, etc.
For
n w r '
cf.
Deut.
10:21,
2
Sam. 7:23,
Ps.
65:5
(66:3,5). The two w o r ds are c o m b i n e d in Ps. 106:22 and,
d i f f e r e n t l y , in Ex.
15:1
Ic.
173. A d m i t t e d l y n o t
m u c h
c a n b e
b u i l t
o n t h i s us e o f
c
m fo r
in
e.g. Deut. 10:21
| t
is used in a way s i m i l a r to Cm h e r e to
denote
th ings done o n Israel's b e h a l f .
174. K . - H . B e r n h a r d t ,
bara ',
248.
175. See
f u r t h e r
b e l o w , p p .
131
ff . Fo r
recent
de t a i l e d
treatments, see E.
Otto,
Das
M a z z o t f e s t , 199ff . ; F.-E. Wi lms ,
B u n d e s b u c h ,
137ff. ;
and
esp. J. H a l b e ,
Privilegrecht, passim.
176. A b o v e , p. 37.
177.
E x o d u s ,
364.
178.
C f.
a b o v e ,
p. 49 .
179. On the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f Y a hw e h ' s n am e b e i n g je a lo u s , cf.
a b o v e ,
p. 79.
180. T h e
p l u r a l
in the
L X X
is an a c c o m m o d a t i o n to the
c u s t o m a r y f o r m u l a t i o n .
181. Such
a pattern o f
p r i n c i p l e
a n d
ap p l i c a t i o n
is
e v i de n t
e l s e w he r e
in the OT,
n o t a b l y
in
D e u te ro n o m y .
182. Cf.
C h i l d s ,
E x o d u s ,
6 1 4 .
183.
T h e
p a r t i c u l a r s e l e c t i o n
is to be seen a s
l a r g e l y
r e c a p i t u l a t i o n
o f
those l aw s a l r e ady co n t a i n e d
in the
S ina i
n a r r a t i v e , esp . 23:14f f . S e e f u r t h e r b e l o w , p p .
1 3 1 f f .
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N o t e s
t o C h a p t e r T w o
1 8 4 . W h e n
t a k e n
in
i so l a t i on
f r o m i t s
c o n t e x t , t h i s v e r b a l
c h a n g e has a p p e a r e d p u z z l i n g , an d has o f t e n b e e n t a k e n a s
e v i d e n c e
f o r d i f f e r e n t stages o f
d e v e l o p m e n t
o f
I s rae l i t e
oppos i t ion
to i m a g e s. T h e i n t e r p r e t a ti o n i n c o n t e x t
casts
d o u b t s
upon the
v a l i d i t y
o f
c e r t a i n s u c h r e c o n s t r u c t i o n s .
O n t h e
proh ib i t i on
o f
images
in
Israel ,
see
be low,
pp.
1 6 4 f f .
185. Cf . R . de
V a u x ,
Studies i n O ld T e s t am e n t S a c ri f i ce ,
5 2 f f .
186. P.C. C r a ig i e , D e u t e ro n o m y an d U ga r i t ic Studies , 156-
159; J.C.L.
Gibson , Canaan i t e M y t h s an d Legends , 29 f . , 123 ; M .
H a r a n , See th ing
a Kid in i t s
Mothe r ' s Mi l k .
187. A n i n t e r e s ti n g m ode r n pa r al le l is g iven by N . G l u e c k , T he
Other Side
o f the Jo rdan , 9 . Bu t one
should also
note H a r a n ' s
s ce p ti ca l c o m m e n t
o n
Glu eck ' s
expe r i en ce ( See th in g ,
3 1 , n .
24)1
188 .
Cf . above , p . 45 .
189. So
Bub e r ,
Moses , 139; cf .
K n i g h t ,
T h e o l o g y as N a r ra t io n ,
203 .
190 .
A
h i s t o r y
of
m o d e r n s t u d y
of Ex. 34 is
c o n v e n i e n t l y
prov ided
by
W i l m s ,
B u n desb u ch , 1 5-1 35; see also Halbe,
P r i v i l e g r e c h t , 1 3 f f . T h e c o m p r e he n s iv e d o c u m e n t a ti o n p ro v i d ed
there
m a k e s
it
unneces sa r y
to list the
a d h e r e n t s
of the
v a r i o u s
v i e w p o i n t s
cited
in the presen t br ie f d i scuss ion .
191 . So
Chi lds , E xodu s , 608 . I n t e r e s t i ng ly ,
Perlitt w ho
a r gues
for 34:1-28 as a d e u t e r o n o m i c c o m p o s i t i o n in i t s e n t i r e t y an d
does
n o t
f i n d
a
d e c a l o g u e a n y w h e r e
i n vv .
1 1 - 2 6 ,
sees
the
ten
words
as a
s econdar y deu t e r on om is t ic g loss
o f n o specia l
s ign i f icance (Bundes theologie , 2 2 9 f . ) .
192 .
I t m ay also be n o t e d
that
t h e r e i s no o m i s s i o n or
d i s p l a c e m e n t of the w o r d s i n t h e MSS t r a d i t i o n . T h i s
w o u l d
a t
least
r u l e
o u t
t h e i r b e i n g
a v e r y
late gloss.
193. Se e the t ab l e in
W i l m s ,
B u n d e s b u c h , 2 0 0 - 2 0 5 . T he q u e s t i o n
of
s e c o n d a r y e x p a n s i o n
of the
laws does
n o t
a f f e c t
the
bas ic
p o i n t .
194. So
e.g. B e ye r l i n , O r ig in s , 7 7 f f .
195.
Cf . the
c o m m e n t s
an d
c i t a t i o n s
o f Perlitt
B u n d e s -
theo log ie ,
223 .
T he
table
in
W i l m s ,
B u n d e s b u c h ,
2 0 0 f f . ,
we l l
i l l u s t r a t e s
the
d ive r s i t y
o f
r econs t r uc t i on s .
196.
See
Halbe , Pr iv i l egrecht ,
23 , n . 65 , fo r
r e f e r e n c e
to on e
or two such doubts .
197.
T he
proposal
that i t was Y a h w e h w ho
wr o t e
on the tablets
i s no t
nove l ;
see
e.g. Ke i l
&
De l i tz s ch , D i l lm an n , H er t z , B ee r,
an d
Chi lds ,
ad loc. But the
a r g u m e n t
has
t ended
s i m p l y to
appeal
to
34 :1 w i t h o u t d e t a i le d c o n s i d e r a t io n
o f the
re la ted
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At the M ou nta in of God
issue of the re la t ionship between v. 28b and v. 27 and the laws
of vv. 11-26.
It is also possible
that
the ve rb w yk tb c ou ld be in t e rp re t e d in
an
i m p e r s o n a l
sense
( and
t h e r e
w as
wr i t t e n ) , t h e r e by in t e nd -
ing a more obl ique r e f e r en c e to Y a h w e h .
198. Prof. E . W . Nicholson h as suggested to me
that
the
uniqueness of the decalogue resides no t only in its being spoken
by G od
(cf .
h is
Decalogue
as
D irec t Add ress ) ,
bu t
also
in its
be i ng w r i t t e n
b y
h i m ;
th e
speaking
and the
w r i t i n g b e l o n g
together. I f th is is so, i t w o u l d f u r t h e r suppor t the conten t ion
that
in v. 28b the
writer need
n o t
ac tua l ly spec i fy Yahweh
as
w r i t i n g the ten words , on the g round s that h e takes fo r granted
that
it is
o n l y Y a h w e h
w h o
wou ld w r i te
the ten
words .
199. T h e wr i te r need n o t descr ibe th e
tablets
m o r e f u l ly
because tha t was a l ready done in 32:15f . and i t is assu m ed tha t
these r e ne we d t a b l e t s a re s i m i l a r . T h e r e is of course th e
d i f f e r e nc e
that th e
f o r m e r tablets
a re
said
to
have been
t hemse lves God's h a n d i w o r k , w h i l e w i t h the new tablets o n l y
th e
w r i t i n g
is
God's.
But no special
s igni f icance attaches
to
this
in th e na r r a t ive . A t mos t
there
m a y b e
tacit
sugges t ion
that
Israel 's s in has f o r f e i t e d s o m e t h i n g o f
u n i q u e
v a l u e an d t h a t the
covenant renewal does
n o t
s i m p l y
restore
th e
s t a tus
q u o
ante.
O ne
m ay
compare
the
discussion
in the
n e x t
three
pa ragraphs
about
th e
s igni f icance
of the
renewal be ing w i th
you and
w i t h
Israel .
200. The w ord occurs only h e r e , in vv. 33,34,35.
201. N oth , E xod us , 267 .
202. C on je c tu r e s a bo u t the t e r aph i m h a v i n g b e e n s o m e k ind o f
mask are precar ious .
203. Cf. K.
JaroS, D es
Mose
' s t rah l end e Haut ' , 2 7 5 f f .
204. Below, pp. 177ff.
205. The verb qrn appears
on ly
in Ex . 34:29,30,35 (Qal) and Ps .
69:32 (Hiph. ptc.). Since the Hiph . m e a n i n g in Ps . 69 is br ing
f o r t h h o r n s
it is
n a t u r a l
to
i n t e r p r e t
the Qal as
have horns .
The n o u n in the OT a lway s m eans horn . Even the a p p a r e n t
exception in Hab. 3:4 is p r o b a b l y no exception aft er a l l , cf.
Jaros,
o p .
cit., 277 . L inguis t i ca l ly , the re fore ,
the evidence in
favour of the ve rb m e a n ing to be h orne d is o v e rw h e l m i n g .
206. Th is m ea ni ng i s a l ready p resent in the LX X , dedox as ta i he
opsis.
207. J.P. Brow n, The Sacr i f ic ia l Cu l t and i t s C r i t i q u e in Gre e k
and Hebrew (I) , 171.
208.
J . M .
Sasson
sees
in Ex. 34:29-35 a f r a g m e n t of old pagan
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Notes t o Chap t e r Two
wor s h i p o f
S i n ,
a
m o o n
g od
r epresen t ed
by a
b u l l , h e r e s y m -
bo l i zed by
Moses
who is now
c o n f r o n t e d
by the new
de i ty
Y H W H w h o
g ives orders
an d
h e n c e f o r t h
asserts h is
d o m i n a n c e
( Bovine
S ym bol i sm in the Exo du s N ar ra t ive , 387). One cannot
bu t
feel
that
this
is a classic
e x a m p l e
o f
su ch m i s u n d e r s ta n d i n g .
209. The transit ion
f r o m
Y a h w e h ' s revelat ion on Sinai to his
revelat ion
in the tent h as
been p r epared
for by the
sub t l e
change to the f r e q u e n t a t i v e i m p e r f e c t in 34 :34f .
210 . Ch i lds ,
I n t r o d u c t i o n , 1 7 5.
Notes to E x c u r s u s O ne
1.
For
recent
discussions,
see F.
Ander sen ,
A
lexico-
graphical
note on
Ex od u s 32:18 ;
R .
E d e l m a n n ,
To
c
nwt
Exodus
32:18 ; R. W h y br ay , C
n
w t in E xo du s 32:18 ; H .
V a l e n t i n ,
A a r o n ,
2 1 2 f .
2. So
e.g. D i l l m a n n , E x o du s
u nd
L e v i t i c u s ,
340;
D r i v e r ,
Ex o dus , 353.
3. So
E d e l m a n n ,
op.
cit.;
W h y br ay , op .
cit .
4 . Cf . L X X ,
phonen
exarchon ton
oinou .
5.
G ressm ann, M ose, 202.
6. Ander sen ,
op.-cit., 111 .
7.
And ersen , ib id .
8 . V a l e n t i n , op . cit., 213 .
9 .
V a l e n t i n , i b i d .
10.
Loc. cit.
11. Loc. cit .
12.
E x o d u s ,
111 .
13.
Cf. the
play
on
pr
c
/br
c
h (above,
p.
56);
also the
deve lopment
of
pny m
in the narrat ive; and the subt le
d e v e l o p m e n t
of
m o t i f s
in 33 :12f f .
14. E d e l m a n n , loc.cit.
N o t e s
to E x c u r s u s T w o
1 .
A m o n g th e n u m e r o u s
treatments,
the fo l l owing m ay be
noted: R .
R e n d t o r f f ,
Genesis
8:21
und d ie
Urgeschichte
des
Jahwis ten ;
W . M .
C lark , The Flood
and the
S t r uc t u r e
of the
Pre -pa t r i a r cha l
H i sto ry ,
204-209;
O . Steck, Gen esis 12:1-3 u nd
d ie U rgesch ichte des Jahw is ten ; D .L.
Petersen,
T he Y a h w i s t
on the Flood ; R . A . F . M ackenz ie , The D i v i n e So l i l oqu ies in
Genesis ;
D.3 .A.
Cl ines , Theme , 70-72 .
A m o n g th e
c o m -
m e n t a r i e s ,
G. von R a d ,
Genesis^;
U . C a s s u t o , C o m m e n t a r y
21 1
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
o n
G e ne s i s II; B. V a w ter , On Genes i s ; C . W e s t e rm a n n , G e n e si s
1 11
2. W e s t e r m a n n , o p. cit ., 61 2.
No t e s to C h a p t e r Thre e
E X O D U S 32-34
A S A C U L T
L E G E N D
1.
A m o n g
th e n u m e r o u s i n t e r e s t i n g i s s u e s w h i c h m u s t b e
s h e l v e d ,
bu t
w h i c h
i t i s
h o p e d w i l l
b e
d i scussed
i n the
f u t u r e ,
three m a y b e
s i ng l e d
o u t f o r
m e n t i o n . First,
th e
r e l a t i o n s h i p
o f
E x.
32-34
t o E x .
19-24
m a y b e
f r u i t f u l l y r e - e x a m i n e d
in the
l i g h t o f t h e n u m e r o u s i ns t a nc e s w he re t he e xe g e s i s ha s
sug g ested th a t chs . 32-34 presu ppo se
th e
g e n e r a l c o n t e n t ,
a n d
som e t i m e s
th e precise w o r d i n g , o f
chs. 19-24. Secondly,
th e
exegesis h a s
suggested l i n k s b e t w e e n
E x.
32-34
a n d E x .
25-31
closer
t h a n h i t h e r t o
appreciated.
S u f f i c e
it at
presen t
to say
that
i f the
p r e s e n t f o r m
o f E x .
25-31
is
late, s o m e e a r l i e r
a c c o u n t o f a t
least
t h e a r k a n d s o m e k i n d of sacred tent m u s t
be
presupposed. This
is
s i m i l a r
to the
f r e q u e n t l y - m a d e
sugges t i on that some
earlier ( J E ) account o f t he a r k wa s
displaced
by the
later
a n d
more deve loped
P account.
T h i r d l y ,
i t
ha s b e e n sh own
that
t h e r e a r e s t r i k i n g
para l l e l s
i n l a n g u a g e ,
s t r u c t u r e
a n d
t h e o l o g y b e t w e e n
E x .
32-34
a n d
Gen. 6-9.
T h e
l i n k a g e of
these
two
stories
in the t r a d i t i on p rov i de s the
basis
fo r a n
i m p o r t a n t traditio-historical
a n d
redactional s t udy . Tha t
to o r e m a i n s a task for the f u t u r e .
2 . C f . No t h , HP T , 142; E i c h ro d t , C o ve n a n t a n d La w , 308;
P.P. E l li s , T h e Y a h w i s t , 8 7 .
3. J.
H a lb e calls the i r
w o r k
epoch m a k i n g
( P r i v i l e g r e c h t ,
325).
4. S. M o w i n c k e l , L e
D e c a l o g u e , 113ff . ;
G. von
R a d , T h e
F o r m - C r i t i c a l P r o b l e m o f t h e
H e x a t e u c h ,
esp. 20-26.
5 . D e c a l og u e , 12 0.
6. See
also above ,
p. 36.
7. Problem , 4 8 f f .
8. H PT , 59-62, 141-14 5.
9 . O r i g i n s a n d H i s t o r y o f t h e O l de st S i n a i t ic T r a d i t i o n s .
10. D a s P ri v i l e g r e c h t
J a h w e s .
11.
For a
su rve y
o f
recent
usages wi th
c o n s t r
uctive
c l a r i f i c a t i on , s ee R . M . Ha l s , Le g e nd : A C a se -S t u dy i n O T
F o r m - C r i t i c a l T e r m i n o l o g y .
12.
Th e G e r m a n te r m fo r th is is
Sage .
13.
Cf . A . Jolles, E i n f a c h e F o r m e n , 23-61.
212
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N o t e s
to
C h a p t e r T h r e e
1 4 .
T he
G e r m a n t e rm
fo r
thi s
is Legende .
15 . The G e r m a n t e r m fo r this is
K ul t (us)sage .
16 .
Legend ,
1 7 1 .
1 7 .
N o t h ,
H i s to r y ,
128 .
18 . The People o f t he C ov en an t , 54 .
19. Ibid.
20. The P s a l m s in Israel 's W o r s h i p , I, 15 .
21 .
The o logy
I, 98.
22 . P s a l m e n s t u d i e n II , 21,
ci ted
b y
H. 3.
K r a u s ,
W o r s h i p
in
I s r a e l , 9 .
23. For an
impor t an t d i scuss ion
of the
methodologica l
p r o b l e m , see S . Ta lm on , The ' C o m p a r a t i v e
M e th o d
1
in Bibl ical
I n t e r p r e ta t io n , A n o t h e r s i g n i f ic a n t t r e a t m e n t ,
w h i c h
i l l u s t -
rates
th e
p ra c t i c a l c onse que nc e s
of the
a p p r o a c h p r o p o s e d ,
is
M . N o t h , G o d , K i n g and N a t i o n in the OT .
24 .
T h e
same
is
t rue
of the
te rm cu l t
in the
phrase cul t
legend .
Al though a
subs t an t ive ,
it is
adjec t iva l
in
fo rc e .
25 .
Olde st S i na i t ic T ra d i t i on s ,
138.
26 . B u nd es bu ch ,
139.
27 .
Worsh ip ,
23.
28. Cul t and H i s t o ry , 14 .
29 . The
s t a n d a r d a c c o u n t
o f
f o r m
c r i t i c i s m
is
K o c h , G r o w t h ;
see also 3 .H . Ha y e s ( e d . ) , O l d _ T e s t a m e n t F o r m C r i t i c i s m . F o r
an
i m p o r t a n t c r i t ic a l a p p r a i s a l , s e e R . K n i e r i m , Old Te s t a m e n t
Form C r i t i c i s m R econs ide red ; a lso B .O. L on g, R e c e n t Field
Studies i n Ora l L i t e r a tu re and the Q ues t ion of Si tz im Leben ;
i d e m ,
R e c e n t F i e ld S t ud i e s in O r a l L i t e r a t u r e a n d t h e i r
B e a r i n g
on OT
C r i t ic i s m ; M . 3 . Bu ss , The Idea
of
Si tz
im
Leben ;
D .A . K n i g h t ,
T he U n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f 'Sitz im Leben
1
in
F orm C r i t i c i sm .
30. Cf . the c r i t i c i sms of 3 . M u i l e n b u r g , F orm C r i t i c i sm and
Beyond , 5 .
R i c h t e r ( E x e g e s e , 7 2 f f . ) a t t e m p t s
to
m e e t
th e
o b j e c t i o n b y d i s t i n g u i s h i n g
b e t w e e n F o r m
a n d
G a t t u n g :
D a m i t
bezieht s ich hie r
'Fo r m ' au f
e inen E inze l t ex t ,
' G a t t u n g ' au f
e inen
T e x t t y p u s ( 7 4 ) . A l t h o u g h th i s obv i a te s some d i f f i c u l t i e s ,
i t
raises
the new
p r o b l e m
of the
re l a t io n s h i p b e t w e e n F o r m
and
G a t t u n g . T h a t
is, the
p r o b l e m
of the
r e l a t i o n b e t w e e n
th e
ge ne ra l a nd t he p a r t i c u l a r i s r e d e f i n e d r a t he r t ha n so lve d .
31 .
T h is n a t u r a l l y
does
n o t
m e a n
that
t h e r e
a r e no t
s imi -
l a r i t i e s be tween th i s expe r i ence a n d o t h e r e nc oun t e r s w i t h
Y a h w e h , w i t h i n or ou t s ide the cu l t , bu t t h a t the ove ra l l course
an d
i m p a c t of the e n c o u n t e r is w i t h o u t s u b s e q u e n t p a r a l l e l .
32 .
See esp . R ece nt F i e ld S tu die s . .. Si tz im Leben .
2 1 3
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
33.
Ibid. ,
4 1 .
34.
Ibid. ,
44 .
35. I n t r o d u c t i o n , 73.
36.
j n t r o d u c t i o n ,
31 .
37. The r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n f o r m a n d c o n t e n t h a s a l w a y s
b e e n a n u n r e s o l ve d t e n s i o n i n f o r m c r i t i c i s m; c f .
J.A.
W i l c o x e n ,
N a r r a t i v e , 88.
38. On
these
say ings , see \V. Z i m m e r l i , Ich bin Ja h w e .
U n f o r t u n a t e l y
Z i m m e r l i m a k e s n o r e f e r e n c e t o E x . 33:19, 34:6f.
in h is d i s c u s s i o n .
39. Cf . E i s s f e ld t , I n t r o d u c t i o n , 73 .
40. See f u r t h e r b elo w , p. 130.
41 .
For a
ge n e r a l
t r e a t m e n t
of the
t o p i c ,
see
J.
Jeremias
Th e o ph a n i e .
J e r e m i a s
o f f e r s a
u s e f u l
s u r v e y o f a l l the r e l e v a n t
O T
m a t e r i a l ,
but the
v a l u e
o f
m u c h
o f h i s
a r g u m e n t a t i o n
a n d
c o n c l u s i o n s d e p e n d s l a r g e l y o n t h e a s s e s s m e n t o f t h e f o r m -
critical
a n d t r a d i t i o - h i s t o r i c a l a p p r o a c h
w h i c h
u n d e r l ie s t h e m .
H e
does c l e a r l y s h o w , h o w e ve r ,
th e
d i f f e r e n c e b e t w e e n
th e
Sina i t h e o p h a n y a n d
o t h e r
O T t h e o ph a n i e s (105f f . ) , a l t h o u g h
h a v i n g s h o w n
th e
o r i g i n s
o f t h e
l a t t e r i n d e p e n d e n t l y
o f t h e
f o r m e r
h e
o f f e r s
n o c o m p a r a b l e d i s c u s s i o n as t o the o r i g i n s o f
th e
f o r m e r .
H is
c r i t i c i sm s
o f t h e
c u l t
a s t h e
Sitz
im L e b e n fo r
t h e o p h a n y
( 1 1 8 f f . )
a re also r e l e v a n t t o t he p r e s e n t d i scuss ion .
4 2.
F o r m g e s c h i c h t e
u n d Exegese v o n E x . 3 4 .
6f. ,
esp.
1 3 I f .
4 3. Lo c. c i t . (n n . 34 , 35).
44 . See the
l i s t i n g
a n d
d i s c u s s i o n
o f
these passages
in
S c h a r b e r t ,
Joe,
cit.; R .C . D e n t a n , T h e L i t e r a r y
A f f i n i t i e s o f
Ex. 34:6f.
M
.
4 5. A l t h o u g h v o n R a d f r e q u e n t l y asserts that such a
t ra n s p o s it io n (a n d t r a n s f o r m a t i o n )
h a s
ta ke n p lace (e.g . Fo rm -
Cr i t i ca l Pro b lem , 68 ; T he o lo gy I , 39) , i t i s
u n f o r t u n a t e
t h a t h e
o f f e r s n o d et a ile d a c c o u n t o f h o w t h i s s h o u l d be u n d e r s t o o d to
h a v e t a k e n place.
46. See a b o ve , p. 77, for the s i g n i f i c a n c e o f the u n p a r a l l e l e d
usage o f the q r ' b s m f o r m u l a w i t h Y a h w e h a s s u b je c t.
47. Cf .
a b o v e ,
p p .
1 2 5 f ,
fo r
G . E . W r i g h t ' s c o m m e n t
o n t h e
i m p o r t a n c e o f u s i n g a c o n t r o l w h i c h c a n b e
tested.
48 . F o r
p r e s e n t p u r p o s e s
th e
d i f f e r e n c e b e tw e e n
th e
paraenetic
vv.
11-16
and the laws of vv. 17-26 i s o f no
s i gn i f i c a n c e .
4 9 . O l d e st S i n a i t i c T r a d i t i o n s , e sp .
51
f f . , 63f . , 1 4 5 f f . C f. also
H a l b e , P r i v i l e g r e c h t ,
4 3 f f .
5 0 . C o v e n a n t F o r m s i n I s ra e l i t e T r a d i t i o n .
4
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Notes to Chapter Three
51. See
D.3.
M c C a r t h y , O ld
Tes tament Covenant ;
A
Su rvey
of
Current Opin ions ; idem. , Trea ty
and
Covenant^ ; E.W. Nichol -
son, Exodus
and
Sinai
in
History
and
Tradit ion;
B.
Childs,
Exodus,
3 4 4 f f .
52. Co venant ,
184.
53 . See the
h i s to ry
o f
research
in
Wi lms , Bundesbuch , 15-135.
54.
O f all the
scholars discussed
in Wilms
1
his tory
of
research
only
H.L. Strack,
cited
on B u n d e s b u c h , 29, argued that the
context was the
de te rmining fac tor
for the content of
34:1 I f f .
55. So
3.A. Soggin, A nc ient Is ra e l i te Po etry
and
A n c i e n t
'Codes'
of
L a w ,
and the
Sources
'3' and 'E' of the
Penta teuc h ,
191:
There
is no
d i f f i cu l t y
in
ascer ta in ing
that there is a
lack
of
connection between
the
narrat ive
sections
of [3] and Ex.
34:10-25
[sic] .
56 . It is a
weakness
of
Soggin's discussion
(ibid. )
that
he
does
not raise the ques t i on of w h a t kind of connec t ion be tween
d i f f e r e n t types
of
ma te r i a l migh t reasonably
b e
expected.
57. Cf.
Chi lds , I n t ro du c t io n , 198 .
58. So N oth, Exodu s , 263 .
59. So e.g.
Mowinckel ,
Le Decalogue,
6 3 f f .
See most recently
Halbe , Pr iv i legrecht ,
2 1 5 f f . ,
for a res t ra ined account , bu t an
account s t i l l
in
these te rms .
If a cu l t ic co ntex t su b seque nt to 3eroboam were sugges ted ,
then
it would be
possible
to
interpret 34:17
in
t e rms
of
3eroboam's calves. A decision on this issue will depend largely
on one's view
of the
re la t ionship
of Ex. 3 2 to 1 K g.
12:26ff . ,
for
a
discuss ion
of which see
be low,
pp. 1 6 1 f f .
60. The
possibi l i ty
of a
pre-Israelite existence
for
some
of the
laws is nei ther a f f i rm e d nor denied . The issue is not the
originali ty
of the
laws
but how
they
became
a
part
of the
tradition of Ex. 32-34.
61. The present argument does not attempt to account for the
d i f f e r ences
in
order
and
w ord ing be tween
the
sets
of
laws.
The
hyp othesis that they w ere or igin al ly inde pen den t col lec tions, or
else two
recensions
of one
collection,
could explain the d i f f e r -
ences in
general terms,
but
still
leaves one in the
dark
as to
specif ic
reasons
for
d e t a i l e d d i f f e r e n c e s .
In any
case,
the
quest ion of the in t e rna l dev e lopm ent of the legal complexes and
thei r in terre la t ionship in detai l is dis t inc t
f ro m
that
of their
general relationship and incorporat ion into their
present
context.
62. For a general d iscuss ion of the n a t u r e of re l ig ious
language, see I . Barbour ,
Myths , Mode ls
and
P a r a d i g ms .
For a
215
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G od
discussion related speci f ica l ly
to the use of
l a n g u a g e
in the
Bible ,
see
G.B . C a i r d ,
T h e
L a n g u a g e
an d
I m a g e r y
of the
Bib le .
63.
Moses,
111 .
64.
H is tory , 131:
c f .
HPT, 204 ,
n .
553. A d m i t t e d l y N o t h
do es
al low t h a t it is jus t poss ib le
t h a t
a m o n g th e t ri b e s w a n d e r i n g
a b o u t i n s o u t h e r n a n d e a s t e r n P a l e st in e v o l c a n i c m a n i f e s t a t i o n s
w h i c h
w e r e w e l l k n o w n
in
n o r t h - w e s t e r n A r a b i a w e r e
t r a d i t i o n a l l y t h o u g h t of as p h e n o m e n a a c c o m p a n y i n g t h e o -
p h a n i e s , a n d t h a t t h e y w e r e m e n t i o n e d e v e n w h e n th e
t h e o p h a n y o c c u r re d i n a
p l a c e
w i t h n o v o l c a n o es . But even th i s
r e c o g n i t i o n ,
t o g e t h e r
w i t h
M o t h ' s
m o s t c a u t i o u s d i s c u s s i o n
o f
the i ssue in E xo du s , 157 , 160 , do es n o t s u f f i c i e n t l y c o m e t o
t e r m s
w i t h
th e
q u e s t i o n
o f
w h a t t y p e
o f
l a n g u a g e
it is
t h a t
is
u n d e r c o n s i d e r a t i o n .
65 . ' R ig h t e o u s n e s s ' an d 'Li fe ' ,
258.
66.
M y t h s ,
5 0 .
67 .
Ib id .
68. Fo r a
c o n v en ie n t s u m m a r y
o f
B e y e r l i n ' s a r g u m e n t ,
se e
E . W .
N i c h o l s o n , E x o d u s a n d
S ina i ,
43f .
69. People o f t he Co v en a n t , 5 2 .
70 .
Ex odus , 231.
7 1 .
A l t h o u g h
t h e r e a re i n s t a n c e s in
G r e e k
l i t e r a t u r e of the
t r u m p e t
as the
s o u n d
o f
t h u n d e r , e . g .
I l i ad 2 1 .
388,
a m p h i d e
s a l p i n x e n m e g a s
o u r a n o s , s u c h
a n
i d i o m
i s
u n p a r a l l e l e d
a n y w h e r e i n t h e O T , le t a l o n e E x . 1 9 w h e r e th e t r u m p e t b l a s t
does n o t f u n c t i o n i n a n a t u r a l i s t i c w a y . S i m i l a r c o n s i d e r a t i o n s
a p p l y to the p r o p o s a l o f 3 K o e n i g ( L a L o c a l i s a t i o n d u S ina i ,
17) t h a t th e
t r u m p e t b l a s t a t t e m p t s
to
d e s c r i b e
a n
a s p e c t
o f a
v o l c a n i c e r u p t i o n . T h e a p p a r e n t p a r a l l e l i n D i o C a s s i u s ' a c c o u n t
o f V e s u v i u s ,
k a i
s a l p i n g 5 n
t is
b o e
e k o u e t o ,
p r o v i d e s
n o
real
para l l e l
to the
f u n c t i o n
of t he
t r u m p e t b l a s t
in Ex . 19 .
7 2 .
Sa lp inx ,
8 0 .
73. Cf . G . Fr i ed r i ch , ib id . , 7 3.
N o t e s to C h a p t e r F o u r
E X O D U S
32-34 A S L E G E N D
1.
Cf.
a b o v e ,
p.
119.
2. See
also
J G
F r a z e r , F o l k l o r e
in the Old
T e s t a m e n t
(3
vo l s . ) .
3. See
esp.
th e
i n t r o d u c t i o n
to the
f i r s t e d i t i o
of the
G e n e s i s c o m m e n t a r y w h i c h
w a s
p u b l i s h e d s e p a r a t e l y
a n d
recen t ly r e - i s sued
in
t r a n s l a t i o n ,
T h e
L e g e n d s
o f
G e n e s i s
( 1 9 6 4 ) .
2 1 6
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Notes to Chapter Fou r
4. See the discussions in all the s t anda rd I n t roduc t ions .
5. For Buber ' s unders tand ing of the t e r m , see Moses,
13-19.
T he
term saga appears to be
s y n o n y m o u s
w i th legend as a
render ing
of the
German
Sage.
6. See e.g. A l b r i g h t ' s i n t r od u c t i on to the re- issue of The
Legends
of
Genesis , v i i - x i i .
7. Fo r a
survey
and
analys is
of the
bib l ical theology
m ov e m e n t , see B.S. Childs, Bibl ical Theology in
Cris is .
8. Pp.
149-212.
N.
Got twa ld ' s Tr ibes
of
Yahweh l ikewise
attaches
l i t t l e
h is tor ica l va lue to the Moses tradit ions (e.g. p .
32).
H is
d i s t i n c t i ve
an d
comprehens ive approach cannot
b e
treated
here, but i t may be ques tioned w hether h is c om m e n t s at
least
on the Sin ai trad it i on (c f . abo ve, p. 12 ) do not show an
i n su f f i c i en t appreciat ion
of the
na ture
of the
ma te r i a l .
9.
H istory , 173.
10 .
Ibid . ,
177.
11.
Ibid. ,
182.
12. jb id . , 210 .
13. Cf. the cr i t i c i sms of 3.B. G e y e r , The Joseph and Moses
Narrat ives: Folk-Tale
and
His tory ,
55.
14 .
His to ry ,
184.
15. So espec ial ly Buber ; cf. above , p. 141.
16. Cf. G.S.
K i r k ,
M y t h, 38.
17. H ebrew Epic: His tor ica l Notes
an d
Cr i t i ca l R eflections ,
19-22.
18 . A l t h o u g h i t m ig h t b e objected to th i s a rgumen t tha t the
de f i n i t i ons
o f f e r ed
of
legend , folk tale
an d
heroic tale
b eg
the ques t ion , the
essent ia l
po in t r ema ins
tha t
i t canno t b e
assumed that
the
d i f f e r e n t genres
are al l a l ike in
their
i m p l i c a t i o n s for the
his tor ical
an d
t rad i t io-h is tor ica l n a tu re
of
th e m a t e r i a l.
19. T he de f i n i t i on is tha t of R.C . Cul ley , A n A pp roac h to the
Problem
of Ora l Trad i t ion , 118.
20 . Amid the numerous discussions of this subject , see esp.
R .C . Cul ley , Ora l Trad i t ion an d Histor ic i ty , which also has a
usefu l b ib l iog raphy .
21. F or r e c en t ca re fu l d i s cuss ions , w i th b ib l iog raphy , see esp.
R .C . Cul ley , S tud ies in the S t ru c tu re of Heb rew Na rra t iv e ;
D. M .
G u n n , T he Story of
K i n g
Dav id ,
37-62.
22 . Cf . V an
Seters ' cr i t i c i sms
of
t rad i t i on - h i s to r y ( A b r a ham ,
139ff.) .
23. The
q ues t ion
of
w h a t co ns t i t u t e s
a
subs tan t ia l amount
is
of course
a
ma t t e r
for
d eb a t e ,
but the
general not ion
is
c lear .
217
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G o d
2k
S e e t h e li s t i n g o f a l t e r n a t i v e s i n C u l l e y , A n A p p r o a c h t o
th e P r o b l e m o f O r a l T r a d i t i o n , J 2 4 f . ; c f . G u n n , K i n g D a v i d , 5 9 .
2 5 . F o r t h e e v i d e n c e fo r w r i t i n g a n d l i t e r a c y , se e A . R .
M i l l a r d ,
The
P r a c t i c e
o f
W r i t i n g
i n
A n c i e n t I s r a e l .
2 6 . P r i m i t i v e Sa ga M e n ,
3 2 5 f f .
2 7 . C f .
G u n n ,
K i n g D a v i d , 5 9 f .
2 8 . A . O l r i k , E p i c L a w s o f F o l k N a r r a t i v e , E T o f Epische
Gesetze d e r
V o l k s d i c h t u n g
( 19 09 ). O n t h e qu e s t i o n o f o r a l
criteria,
c f . also
V o r l a n d e r ,
E n t s t e h u n g s z e i t ,
2 4 f .
2 9. Cf . e .g . K . K r o h n , Fo l k lo r e M e t h o d o l o g y ,
108 f f . ;
W . O .
H e n d r i c k s ,
F o l k l o r e
a n d t h e
S t r u c t u r a l A n a l y s i s
o f
L i t e r a r y
Texts ,
9 9 f f . ;
D . M . G u n n , O n O r a l T r a d i t i o n , 159; R . C . C u l l e y ,
S t u d i e s , 2 9 f .; S . M .
W a r n e r ,
P r i m i t i v e S ag a M e n , 3 3 2 f .
3 0 . Cf . a b o v e , pp . 3 7 f .
3 1 . N a r r a t i v e P a t t e r n s a n d O r a l T r a d i t i o n in J u d g e s a n d
S a m u e l , 3 1 I f f . ; K i n g D a v i d , 3 7 f f . This i s no t d i s s imi l a r t o
Olr ik 's
L a w o f
P a t t e r n i n g .
3 2 . C f . t h e d e b a t e b e t w e e n G u n n a n d V a n Seters in Senne ia 5 ,
1 3 9 f f .
3 3 . A s G u n n h i m s e l f f u l l y a d m i t s , K i n g D a v i d , 5 9 .
34 . Se e a b o v e , p .
205 ,
n .
HI;
p .
2 06 ,
n .
147 .
3 5 . T h e r e l a t i o n s h i p be t w e e n 1 K g . 19 a n d th e S i n a i t ra d i t i o n
i s l ikewise n o t t o b e e x p l a i n e d in t e r m s o f c o n v e n t i o n a l
p a t t e r n i n g .
3 6 . A n A p p ro a c h to the P r o b l e m o f O r a l T r a d i t i o n , 1 2 2 f .
3 7 . T h e r e c u r r e n t p a n i m m o t i f i s , o f course, q u i t e d i f f e r e n t
f r o m a c a t c h w o r d .
3 8 . S e e H . G u n k e l , L e g e n d s , p a s s im; H . G r e s s m a n n , M o s e ,
pass im; E . A u e r b a c h , M i m e s i s , 3 -2 3 ; M . B u b e r , M o s e s , 13 f f . ; O .
E i s s f e l d t ,
I n t r o d u c t i o n ,
3 2 f f . ; G . v o n
R a d , G e n e s i s ^ ,
3 I f f . ;
i d e m , T h e o l o g y
II ,
4 1 0 f f . ;
K .
K o c h , G r o w t h , 1 4 8f f . , 1 9 5 f f . ; B.O.
L o n g ,
T h e
P r o b l e m
o f E t i o l o g i c a l
N a r r a t i v e
in the Old
T e s ta m e n t ; R . M . H a l s, L e ge n d : A C a s e - S t u d y i n O T
F o r m - C r i t i c a l T e r m i n o l o g y ;
O .
K a i s e r ,
jn t r o d u c t i o n , 4 5 f f . ;
3
A .
W i l c o x e n ,
N a r ra t i v e ; J.
V a n
Seters,
A b r a h a m , 1 2 5 f f . ;
C .
W e s t e r m a n n , T h e P r o m i s e s
to
th e
F a t h e r s , 1-94;
i d e m , G e n e s i s
12-50, 4 0 f f . ; W . M c K a n e , S tu d i es i n t h e P a t r i a r c h a l N a r r a t i v e s ,
p a s s i m .
I t
wi l l
b e
n o te d t h a t
th e
m a j o r i t y
o f
d i s c u s s i o n s
a re
d i r e c t e d
t o w a r d s
th e
p a t r i a r c h a l n a r r a t i v e s . T h i s
i s a
p o t e n t i a l d r a w b a c k
in
th e d i s c u s s i o n , s i n c e o n e m u s t b e w a r e o f p r e j u d g i n g th e
e x t e n t to w h i c h
o t h e r e a r ly t ra d i t i o n s h a v e
c h a r a c t e r i s t i c s i n
c o m m o n w i t h
th e
p a t r i a r c h a l
stories.
2 18
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N o t e s to Chapter Four
39.
N o t h , H PT ,
44.
40. Cf. B. Childs, A
S tudy
of the
F o r m u l a ,
'Un t i l
This
Day
1
;
B.O. L ong , Pro blem , esp .
8 7 f f .
41.
C f.
above ,
p . 61.
42. Cf. abov e, p. 7 7 .
43. Cf.
above,
p.
120.
44 .
3.G. Fraze r , Fo lk lore ; T .H.
Caster,
M y t h , L e ge n d , an d
Cus to m
in the Old
T e s t a m e n t
(a
m o d e r n F r aze r ) ;
D . I r v i n ,
Israeli te
an d J u d a e a n
H i s t o r y , 180 f f .
45.
Mose ,
199f f . ,
esp. 203.
46. I n d e x , A . 132.9.
47 . I n d e x ,
D .I
33.4.1.
48 .
I n d e x ,
S.73.1.
49. For a recent
discussion
of
w h a t
constitutes a
m o t i f ,
see
D .
I rv in ,
M y t ha r io n ,
2 f f .
50 .
I n d e x ,
C .311 .1 .8 .
51 . I n d e x ,
F.574.3.2.
52.
Theology
II ,
420.
53. Gro w th, 156.
54. Cf .
above ,
pp . 9 0 f f .
55. For the
m arked ca tho l i c i t y
an d
lack
of
r e l ig ious
exclus iveness in Genesis, see B. Gem ser , God in Genesis ; G.
W e n h a m , The R eligion of the
Patriarchs .
A n
apparen t excep t ion
to
th is pr inc ip le ,
the E l i j ah
s tor ies ,
is
not in
f a c t
an
excep t ion .
For the
t heo logy
o f
M os a i c
Y a h w i s m
plays a
smal l ro le
in the stories. The
presenta t ion
is in
t e r m s
o f
the
so l i t a ry defender
o f
t r u t h
aga ins t the
hordes
o f
falsehood.
56. Cf . von
R ad , Theo logy
I , 2 0 3 f f .
57 .
Theology
I I ,
4 2 1 .
58 .
Ibid.;
cf.
G .W.
Coats,
H istory and Theo logy in the Sea
Tradit ion .
T he
impor t an t impl i ca t ions
of the
d i f f e r e n t
senses
in which historical is used here cannot be discussed a t th is
po in t .
59.
T.L. Thompson ( His tory
an d
Trad i t ion ,
58 )
r e f e r s
to
the
growing
abi l i ty o f historians an d
archaeologists
to w r i t e a
his to ry
of
I s rae l' s o r ig ins l a rge ly indep en den t
of
bib l ica l
i n t e r p r e t a t i o n ,
an d
says that
In
a p p r o a c h i n g
the or ig in o f
I srael , one can no longer t ake one ' s s t a r t ing-poin t f r o m w i t h i n
Israel's
traditions .
But it is
doub t fu l
whether such an approach
can in
f ac t
be
sustained.
60. The mos t obv ious
d i f f i c u l t y ,
the n a t u r e an d a n t i q u i t y o f
the ca l f t r ad i t ion , is br i e f ly discussed in the fo l lowing chap t e r ,
pp. 1 6 I f f . But see also the
br i e f comment s
on
32:25-29,
219
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At the
M o u n t a i n
o f G od
below,
pp . 1 8 0 f f .
61 .
P r o m i s e s
to the F a t h e r s ,
71-73.
W e s t e r m a n n ' s
t e r m
is
" theo log ische E r z a h l u n g e n " , w h i c h
h e cons i d e r s ap p l i cab l e t o
Gen. 22:1-19, 18:17-33, 12:1-3, 15:1-6.
N o t e s to Ch ap t e r F i ve
C R I T I C A L A N A L Y S I S
O F E X O D U S
32-34
1 .
For the fo rm -cr i t i ca l an d t r ad
itio-hist
orical p r o b l e m s
concerning 34:6f . , l
1-26,
see above, pp . 128 f f , 1 3 1 f f .
2. T his w as f i rs t suggested by
W e l l h a u s e n ,
D i e Comp os i t i on
d es
Hexa t euch s ,
pp .
8 5 f f . ,
a n d h a s c o m m a n d e d a scholar ly
cons ens us s i nc e .
3. Pp.
8 4 f f .
4. Cf.
above ,
p . 27.
5 . E v e n R u d o l p h w h o
a t t e m p t s
to
d i s p ens e
w i t h E
a l t o g e t h e r
g ives
n o
s e r i ous cons i d e r a t i on
to the
poss ibi l i ty
that
J
cou l d
h ave con t a i ned bo th a n i n i t i a t i on a n d r e n e w a l , a n d a r g u e s
that
the renewal i s
redactional,
E x.
34
h av i ng o r i g i na l l y f o l l owed E x .
19
("Der
A u f b a u
vo n
E x o d u s 19-34";
cf.
Per
"Eloh is t" ,
pp .
40-61) .
6 . S ee the
c o n v e n i e n t
table in
Zenge r , S i n a i t h e o p h a n i e ,
p p .
2 0 6 -2 3 1 . A n d t h a t i s o n l y a r ep r e s e n t a t i ve s e lec ti on
7. E xod us , p .
260.
8 . E x o d u s , p.
607.
9. Cf.
above ,
p . 31.
1 0 .
C o n t r a C h i l d s ,
E x o d u s , p p . 6 1 5 f .
11 . Cf . de V a u x, E a r l y H i s t o r y I, p.
447.
1 2.
S o
e.g.
Perlitt,
B u n d e s th e o l o g i e ,
pp .
2 0 3 f f .
13 . S ee
e.g.
S i m p s o n ,
Ea r ly
T r a d i t i o n s , pp .
204f f . ;
N o t h ,
Exodus ,
pp .
244f .
14. So Ch i lds , Exo dus , p . 559.
1 5 . A n o t h e r p r o b l e m b r o u g h t
to the
f o r e
by the
mos t
ex t ens i ve
r e c e n t w o r k on Ex. 32 ,
that
of H. V a l e n t i n
( A a r o n ,
pp .
205-303), con cerns the ro le o f Aa ro n . D esp i te the l i t e r a ry
i n t e g r i t y o f t h e
r e f e r e n c e s
to A a r o n pp. 2 1 6 - 2 3 1 , 266), V a l e n t i
cons ider s Aaron ' s ro le
w i t h i n th e
t r a d i t i o n
to be a
s e c o n d a r y
d e v e l o p m e n t . S p a ce f o r b i d s
a n y
de ta i l ed d i scuss ion
o f
V a l e n t i n ' s
an a lys i s . Bu t s ince V alen t in ' s t r ad i t i o -h i s to r ica l hy po thes i s i s a
co r o l l a r y
o f the
cu l t l egend i n t e r p r e t a t i on
of Ex. 32, the
cr i t i c i sms
above
o f that
i n t e r p r e t a t i on h ave we i gh ty i mp l i ca t -
ions
for the
a s su m p t io n s u p o n w h i c h V a l e n t in ' s
case rests.
1 6.
Th e r e
is a list o f
t h i r t e e n s imi l a r i t i e s ,
o f
v a r y i n g degrees
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Notes to Chapte r
F ive
of subs tance , be tw een the two accoun ts in M . A berb ach , L .
Sm o l a r ,
A aron , 3eroboam , and the G olden Calves .
1 7 .
There
is a
var ia t ion on ly
in the
i n t r odu c t o r y w o r d :
in Ex .
32:4,8,
this
is Celleh), in 1 K g.
12:28, behold
(h inneh) .
18. Cf .
Cassu to , Exodus ,
pp.
408f . ; Buber , Moses ,
pp.
1 4 7 f .
19. Cf . Chi lds , Exodus, pp. 559-561; de V a u x , T he Rel ig ious
Schism of 3eroboam I , p. 101.
20. Cf . Noth , HPT , p. 143; idem , Ex odus, p. 246; T.L.
Thompson, The Joseph
and
Moses Narra t ives ,
p.
162.
21 . Cf . M . N ew m an , The People of the Cov enan t , p . 182; 3.P.
H y a t t , E x odu s , p. 301; W . Z i m m e r l i , D as B i l d e rv e rb o t in der
Gesch i ch t e
d es
A l t e n Israel ,
pp . 2 5 I f f . ; A . W .
3enks ,
T he
Elohis t , p . 51 ; P .M . Cross , Can aan i te
M y t h
and Hebrew Epic , p .
7 4 .
22 . Cf . G .W . Coats R ebel l ion in the W ilderness , pp. 185f .
23.
Above ,
p. 47.
24 . The
histor ical connect ion
of the Sinai tradit ion with the
exodus tradit ion is too big an issue to
discuss here.
S u f f i c e it to
say that von
Rad 's
a r gu men t s for the original separateness of
the
themes
are now
w ide l y criticized. See,
f or
example ,
E . W .
Nichol son , E xo d us and S in ai, esp. p. 84; de
V a u x ,
Ea r l y H i s to ry ,
I , pp.
4 0 I f f .
25. Cf .
B ub er , M oses,
p.
147; N ew m an , People
of the
Covenant , p . 182 .
26 . Cf .
Buber , i b id . Th i s pa r t i cu l a r a rgumen t
is
necessari ly
very tentative.
27. The
ev idence
of A m o s is amb iguous . A l though he makes
no specif ic reference to the
calves
he is never theless
st rong
in
his denun ciat ion of Bethel (A m . 4 :4 ,
5:5f.) .
28. Cf . A .
A l t , The Form a t ion
of the
Is rae l i te
State
in
Pales t ine , pp. 224L ; 3 .
Br igh t , H i s to ry
of Israe l? , pp.
2 1 9 ,
234 , 242;
3 .A .
Sogg in , Der o f f i z i e l l
g e f o r d e r t e
S y n k r e t i smu s in
Israel w a h r e n d
des 10 .
3ah rhun de r t s ,
pp.
1 7 9 f f .
29. A
m i n o r i ty
of
scholars have argued
tha t the b u l l was not a
f r ee - s t and ing
ob jec t but a s tandard on a pole; see O. E i s s fe l d t ,
Lade und
St ierbi ld ;
T .W. Ma n n , D iv i n e
Presence
p. 155. Such
a suggestion has two
ad van t ag e s .
Fi rs t , there is good icono-
graphic ev idence
for
bu l l s tand ards . Secondly , this w ou l d
b e a
paral lel
to the se rpent of
N u m .
21:4-9.
th is were accepted discussion about
the
b u l l
as a
throne
or
pedestal
wou ld
b e c o m e r e d u n d a n t .
T he
t r a d i t i on a l u n de r -
s t a n d i n g
of the b u l l as a f r ee - s t an d in g ob jec t shou ld , how ever ,
b e r e t a i n ed . The i conograph ic ev idence f or f r e e - s t an d i n g b u l l s ,
221
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A t
the M o u n t a i n o f G od
espec i a l ly in c u l t i c c o n t ex t s , i s c o n s id e ra b ly m o r e a b u n d a n t
t h a n
th e ev i d en c e fo r s t a n d a r d s . A n d n e i t h e r Ex . 32 no r 1 K g .
12 g i ves an y h i n t
that
a s t a n d a r d i s i n t e n d e d .
3 0.
This
w a s
o r i g i n a l l y
sugges ted
by
H . T . O bb i n k ,
Jahwe-
bi lder , a n d w a s f u r t h e r d e ve lo p ed a n d p o p u l a r iz e d b y A l b r i g h t ,
F r o m th e S t o n e A g e t o C h r i s t i a n i t y , pp. 2 9 9 - 3 0 1 .
3 1 . Cf . J.B. P r i t c h a r d , T h e A n c i e n t N e a r E a s t i n P i c t u r e s , p .
170 , n o s. 500, 501; cf. p. 163, p. 1 8 1 , no . 537.
3 2 . E x o d u s , p.
2 4 7 .
33. Cf . L.R. Ba i l ey , The G olden C a l f , p. 100.
3 4. C f. A N E P , p. 2 0 2 , n o . 616.
35. Cf . H. W o lf f, H ose a , p. 1 4 1 .
36. Cf .
abo ve ,
p. 62.
3 7 . Cf . N o t h , H i s t o r y , p . 2 33 ; P . M . C r o s s , C a n a a n i t e M y t h , p.
73 , n . 1 1 7 .
38 . See e .g . H a lpern , L e v i t i c P a r t i c i p a t i o n , p. 36.
39. E x o d u s , p. 566.
40 . It is also characteristic o f E l i j a h , Hosea , a n d D e u -
t e r o n o m y .
41. Cf . a b o v e , pp. 1 1 9 f f . , esp. p . 1 2 3 , for the m e a n i n g o f cul t
legend . Ex. 32 w o u l d , i n t h i s c o n t e x t , be a cu l t l egend in the
s a m e sense a s J d g .
1 7 - 1 8 .
4 2 . C f . N o t h , D er W a l lf a h r ts w e g z u m S in ai ( N u m .
33) .
43. Old
T e s ta m e n t Theo logy ,
I, pp.
2 1 4 f .
44. C f. J. F a u r , The Bibl ical Idea o f
Ido la t ry ,
p. 1. See also
th e
discuss ion
in
R . P . C a r ro l l, T h e A n i c o n i c
G o d a n d t h e
C u l t
o f Images , pp.
5 I f f .
45 . It is po ssible t h a t Hosea 's w o rd s cou ld a l so be t a ke n in the
o p p o s i t e way , to a r g u e a g a i n s t th e e x i s t e n c e o f such a
c o m m a n d m e n t ,
th e
Israelites'
behav iou r be ing l abe l l ed
a s
s t u p i d
r a t h e r t h an s i n f u l . Bu t the context o f the verses does
stress
t h a t the ca lves a re s i n f u l a n d n o t m e r e l y f o o l i sh .
46. In
a d d i t i o n
to the
s t a t e m e n t s
o f
s o m e s u c h p o s i t i o n
by H.
S c h m i d , D e r s o g e n a n n t e J a h w i s t , a n d
3
V a n Se te r s , A b r a h a m in
H i s t o r y a n d
T r a d i t i o n , t h e r e
i s the recent
a r g u m e n t
fo r a
post-exilic date fo r
J
f r o m H .
V o r l a n d e r ,
D i e E n t s t e h u n g s z e i t
d es jehowis t ischen G e sch i ch t swe r k e s .
47. So e.g. H . G r e ss m a n n , M o se , p. 240 ; Beyer l in , Or ig ins , pp.
2 2 ,
1 1 2 f f
48 . Cf . G o r g , Z el t , p. 151 . See the t ab le i n Ze n ge r , D ie
S i n a i t h e o p h a n i e ,
pp .
2 2 4 f .
49 .
T . W . M a n n
( D i v i n e P r e s e n c e , p. 1 4 4 ) cites E x . 13 :21-22 ,
N u m .
9:15-23
a s
paral le ls
t o E x .
33 :7 f f .
B u t
these
passages a re
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Not e s to Chap ter F ive
expl ic i t summar ies of what happened as Israel travelled, which
could not be
under s tood o the rwi se ,
which is not the case
w i t h
E x.
33:7ff.
50. So
e.g.
M c N e i l e , Exodus ,
p.
212 ; No t h , Exodus ,
p.
255;
Chi lds , Exodus , p. 590.
51. So
Chi lds , Exod us ,
p . 591.
52. Cf.
M .
H a r an , T he N a t u r e of the
Ohel M pC
e
dh .
53. In the
earliest
f o r m of the
suggest ion
that
there
was an
accoun t which told of w h a t w as cons t ruc ted wi th the o r n a m e n t s
and which o r ig ina l l y
fo l lowed
33:6, i t was proposed
that
a
tent,
perhaps containing
the
ark ,
was the
object
constructed
(Knobel ,
Exodus , pp . 32 I f . ; c f. D i l l m a n n and D r i v e r ad loc.). R e c e n t l y ,
however , commenta tor s have usual ly
suggested
that
i t was jus t
the ark t h a t w as m ad e (e.g . E issfe ldt , Lad e und St ierbi ld , pp .
19I f . ; von
R a d ,
O T
Theo logy
I, p.
237; B ey er l in , Or ig ins,
p. 110;
de V a u x ,
A rk
of the
Covenan t ,
p . 141 ) ,
though some have
expressed reservat ions as to the l ikel ihood of the whole
hy pothesis (e.g. N oth , E xo du s, p. 254; Clem ents , God and
T e m p l e ,
p. 36;
Zenger ,
Sinai theophanie , p . 89;
Chi lds ,
E xodus, p.
585;
Fritz,
Tem pel und
Z el t,
pp .
10 I f . ) .
54 . C f. H aran , 'Ohel M pCedh , pp . 53ff . ; F r i t z , T empe l und
Zelt, p. 102.
55. Cf. D .
Jobl ing,
The
Sense
of
Bibl ical Narrat ive,
pp.
50-52.
The
va l i d i t y
of
this point
is
i ndependen t
of 3obling's
overa l l
approach
and
analys is which
is not
a lways
persuasive.
56. The locat ion of the
tent
envisaged by N u m .
11 -12
canno t ,
of course, be co nclu s ively resolved by those
texts
alone, and so
it is r i gh t to appeal to other
passages.
T he ques t i on is w h e th e r
E x. 33:7-11 is the
passage
to
appeal
to . Al though it is
c u s to m a r y
to exclude any
perspective
characteristic
o f P
f r o m
N u m .
11 -12 ,
it is
qui te poss ible
that the
no t ion
of a
shr ine
in the
mids t
of the
camp belonged
to pre-P
t radi t ions
and so may be
app r op r i a t e
to
N u m . 1 1 - 1 2 e ve n w h e n ta k e n
in
isolat ion
f r o m
the P
ma t e r i a l .
A t least it is
app r op r i a t e
to t ry out the
perspective
heur is t ical ly in
one s
r ead i ng o f Num.
11-12.
57 . It is , of
course, poss ible
that
there could
be
r e l i g ious
reasons
fo r locating a sanctuary outs ide a camp, analogous to
the s i tua t ion of sanctuar ies out s ide
cities.
The possible
s ign i f icance o f
posi t ion requires
f u r t h e r
s t udy .
58. The
proposal
to
r egard
the tent of 33:7-11 as a
t e m p o r a r y
sanc tua ry i s no t n e w . See e.g. Kei l & Del i t zsch and Cassuto ad
loc.
Bu t the
a r g u m e n t
has
no t previous ly cons idered
the
ques t ion o f
m e t h o d .
The
presen t
discussion is
concerned
not
223
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At the M o u n t a i n o f G o d
w i t h h a r m o n y
f o r i t s o w n sake b u t
w i t h
th e
g r o u n d s
u p o n
w h i ch
one ' s a s ses smen t
s h o u l d
be b a s e d .
59 . T h e p h r a s e m h w s I m h n h m a k e s c le a r t h a t a lo c a t i o n
o u t s i d e
th e
p e r i m e t e r
o f t h e
c a m p
i s
e n v i s a g e d ,
u n l i k e
th e
l a n g u a g e o f N u m .
1 1 - 1 2
w h e re n o s i m i l a r p h r a s e is used .
60. See
a b o v e ,
p . 91.
61. See
e .g . H o l z i n ge r ,
E x o d u s , p . 116 ;
B e e r , E x o d u s ,
p .
163;
N o t h , E x o d u s , p . 267 ; B e ye r l i n , O r i g i n s , p . 3.
62. See N o t h , ibid. ; d e V a u x , E a r l y H i s t o r y I , p . 394; cf . also
E i s s f e l d t , H e x a t e u c h - S y n o p s e , p p . 56f .
6 3 . S o C r o s s, C a n a a n i t e M y t h , p . 3 1 4 .
64 . C f . C r o ss , C a n a a n i t e M y t h , p p . 314 , 322 .
65. On
P s
u s e o f
c
dh,
cf.
D r i v e r, E x o d u s ,
p. 88.
6 6. A s a r gu e d b y N o t h a n d d e V a u x (n. 62) .
6 7 . C f . e .g . G r e s s m a n n , M o s e , p p . 2 4 6 f f . ; N o t h , E x o d u s , p .
267; K . Ja roS , Des M o s e
's t ra h l e n d e
H a u t
1
; L . R . B a i l e y , H o r n s
o f
M oses , p p . 4 1 9 f . For a s i gn i f i c a n t d i s s e n t i e n t v o i c e , see F.
D u m e r m u t h ,
M o s e s s t ra h l e n d e s G e s ic h t ;
cf .
also E . G . S u h r ,
T h e H o r n e d M o s e s .
68. Cf. a b o ve , p . 2 1 3 , n . 23 .
69 . There a r e e x c e p t i o n s , o n e o f t h e m o s t n o t a b l e b e i n g th e
h yp o t h e s i s
o f
E i s s f e l d t
o f a
s h o r t
o r i g i n a l ve r s i o n
of the
S i n a i
c o v e n a n t
w h i c h
i n c l u d e d t h i s p e r ic o p e . E i s s f e l d t ' s r e co n -
s t r u c t i o n i s c o n v e n i e n t l y o u t l i n e d ,
w i t h
b i b l i o g r a p h y , i n d e
V a u x ,
E a r l y H i s t o r y I , p . 4 00 . T h e re c o n s t r u c t i o n i s, h o w e v e r ,
s o m e w h a t a r b i t r a r y a n d h a s w o n little acceptance.
70. The
a r g u m e n t t h a t
th e
t h e m e
o f
t r a v e l
a n d
g u i d a n c e
is
o u t o f p l a c e in t he S in a i t r a d i t i o n (so e.g . N o t h , H P T , p p . 1 4 4 ,
2 04f . ) r a i s e s th e q u e s t i o n o f h o w b r o a d l y o r n a r r o w l y o n e s h o u l d
d e f i n e
th e
t h e m e s p r o p e r
to
Sina i .
I t i s
i m p o r ta n t
n o t t o
a d o p t
a
n a r r o w
d e f i n i t i o n w h i c h
begs th e q u e s t i o n .
71 . E a r l y H i s t o r y I , p . 399.
7 2 .
In t e rcess i on ,
p p .
168, 181;
cf .
T e r r i e n , E l u s i v e P r e s e n c e ,
p . 138.
73. Cf .
C h i l d s , E x o d u s ,
p p .
559, 567.
74 .
T h e r e
i s a
t e x t u a l p r o b l e m
in
t h a t 32:9
is
o m i t t e d
by the
L X X . Si n ce t h e v e r s e i s p r e s e n t i n th e a l t e r n a t i v e r e n d e r i n g o f
th e s t o ry in D e u t . 9:13, i t may be
sugges ted
that th e verse is
s e c o n d a r y a d d i t i o n i n t o
i ts
E x o d u s
c o n t e x t
a s
p a r t
o f
h a r m o n i z a t i o n
w i t h (o r u n d e r th e i n f l u e n c e o f ) D e u t e ro n o m y .
T h e r e a r e , h o w e v e r , s e v e ra l c o n s i d e r a t i o n s in
f a v o u r
o f t h e
M T. First,
th e
s t i f f - n e c k e d p e o p l e m o t i f
i s an
i m p o r t a n t
c o n n e c t i v e l i nk w i t h i n E x . 32 - 34 , a n d t h e s i gn i f i c a n c e i t i s g i ve n
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N o t e s
to
Chap te r F ive
in 34:9 p resupp oses ear l ie r usage of the ph rase . In ad di t ion to
33:3 5 i ts use in ch. 32, in the
in i t i a l
context of Israel 's
s i n ,
is
par t icu la r ly approp r ia te . Secondly , the way in which th e phrase
f u n c t i o n s
in
32:9
as a
g r o u n d
fo r Y ahweh 's
j u d g m e n t
is
cong ruous w i t h its usages in 33:3,5. T h i r d l y , 32:7-14 is a
ca re fu l l y r edac t ed u n i t in which v . 9 f i t s smoo th ly ( even t hough
its
omiss ion
is not
d i s rup t ive )
an d
which conveys
an
u n d e r s t a n d i n g
o f Y a h w e h 's m e r cy s i m i l a r to
t h a t
conveyed b y
34:9.
F o u r t h l y ,
w hen the
s t i f f - n eck ed peop le ph ra se ca r ri e s
a
deep s ign i f ican ce in Ex . 32-34 and no special s ig n i f ican ce a t a l l
in Deut . 9-10 which is a loose recas t ing of ea r l ie r t r ad i t io n , its
or ig ina l i ty to the context in which it is of s ign i f icance is l ike ly.
Fi f t h l y ,
t h e r e
is no
o t h e r
M SS
e v i d e n c e
in
s u p p o r t
of
32:9
as an
i n t e r p o l a t i o n .
A d m i t t e d l y
this leaves
th e
L X X o m i s s i o n u n e x p l a i n e d .
B u t
that is less of a d i f f i c u l t y than the supposit ion of 32:9 as a
late
in te rpola t ion .
75. The
fac t t h a t
the
k _ clause
is
a t tached
to the
w o r d s
of
M o ses and so
d i f f e r s f rom
Gen. 8:21 where the k _ clause is
a t t a c hed
to the
w o r d s
o f
Y a h w e h s u p p o r t s
th e
c o n t e n t i o n t h a t
i t was
added
to an
already-exist ing
e l e m e n t in the
t rad i t ion .
76. So G .W .
Coats
Rebel l ion , p. 69.
77. See e.g. H. Holz i nge r , Exodus , p . 108.
7 8 .
Bundes theo log i e ,
pp .
156ff .
7 9 .
Per s o g e n a n n t e Jahwis t ,
pp .
8 3 f f .
80 .
Exodus
an d
Sinai ,
pp . 6 I f f . ;
idem , The Decalogue
as the
d i r ec t
address
of
God ,
pp .
4 2 2 f f .
81 . Deu t . 4:37 uses p a n i m in a way r e m i n i s c e n t of Ex. 33:14
but in
f a c t m o r e abstract
in
con n o ta t ion . Such
a
usage
o f
p a n i m
is a lso w i tho ut other para l le l in D e u te r o n o m y . D e u te r o n o m y
characteristically
expressed
Yahweh ' s presence in t e r m s of his
n a m e .
82. Cf . C. B r e k e l m a n s , Die s o g e n a n n t e n d e u t e r o n o m i s ti s c h e n
E l e m e n t e
in
Genes is
b is
N u m e r i .
E in
Be i t r ag
zu r
Vorge sch ich t e
des
D e u t e r o n o m iu m s ;
k le m ,
Elemen ts d e u t e r o n o m i q u e s dan s
le
Pen ta t euque ; W . Z i m m e r l i , Erwagun gen zum 'Bund' ; d ie
Aussagen i iber
die
3 a h w e - b r y t
in Ex.
19-34 ;
3 .
Ha lbe ,
P r iv i l eg rech t ,
p p .
256f f .
83 .
A p a r t
f rom
the
sole ad j ec t i va l usage
of
q a j e h
w i t h
c
orep in Dt .
31:27,
occurrences of the
verb qsh with
c
rp a re
equal ly d ivided be tween d t . an d
non-dt.
literature:
Dt. lit.; Dt. 10:16, 2 K g.
17:14,
3er. 7:26, 17:23, 19:15.
225
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A t t he M o u n t a i n o f G o d
N o n - D t . lit.: P r o v .
29:1,
N e h .
9:16,17,
2 C h ro n . 30:8, 36:13.
T h e r e a r e e x a m p l e s o f s t u b b o r n n e s s b e i n g d e p ic te d b y t h e u s e
o f
e i t h e r
qSh
o r
c
rp
in
c o n j u n c t i o n
w i t h o t h e r w o r d s ,
b u t
t h e y
a r e n o t r e l e v a n t t o t h e p r e s e n t po i n t .
84.
C f. a b o v e , p. 27.
85. A t e n t h c e n t u r y r e d a c t i o n o f Ex .
32-34
f aces n o o bv i o u s
d i f f i c u l t y . I f b o t h th e h i s t o r i c a l c o n t e n t a n d t h e l i t e r a r y
p r e s e n t a t i o n o f 1 K g . 12:26ff . is m o s t l i k e l y s u b s e q u e n t to Ex.
3 2 , a n d n o t
v i ce ve r sa ,
there i s no
e l e m e n t
i n Ex .
32-34,
except
perhaps 32:25-29, which n eed be t a k e n to s h o w k n o w l e d g e o f a n
h i s t o r i ca l s i t u a t i o n l a t e r t h a n t h e t e n t h c e n t u r y . I n d e e d , m u c h
o f
the c o n ten t o f Ex . 32-34, e spec i a l ly the con ce rn f o r a
m o v a b l e s h r i n e , f i t s n a t u r a l l y i n t o t h e earliest p e r i o d o f Is rae l ' s
h i s t o r y .
N o t e s
to E p i l o g u e
1.
E n o u g h h a s a l r e a d y be e n s a i d o n t h e g e n e r a l
m e t h o d o l o g i c a l i s s u e s , a n d t h e y n e e d n o t b e r e c a p i t u l a t e d h e r e .
2. If the d i s s o c i a t i o n o f Ex . 32-34 f r o m a d e u t e r o n o m i c
redactor is correct and yet these c h a p t e r s are the m o s t
a p p a r e n t l y d e u t e r o n o m i c sec t i o n in G e n . - N u m . , th i s sugges t s
t h e n e e d f o r a r e - e x a m i n a t i o n o f t h e n a t u r e a n d e x t e n t o f
d e u t e r o n o m i c r e d a c t io n o r B e a r b e i t u n g e l se w h e r e i n t h e
Tetrateuch.
3 . S e e e.g. J. B r i g h t , C o v e n a n t a n d P r o m i s e , p a s si m ; D . N .
F re e d m a n , D i vin e C o m m i t m e n t a n d H u m a n O b l i g a t i o n ; T .
Raitt
T h e o l o gy
of Exi l e , pp . 2 I f . ; S .
T e r r i e n , E l u s i v e
Pr e s e n c e ,
pp .
23f. ;
W .
B ru e g g e m a n n ,
T r a j e c t o r i e s
in
OT
L i t e r a t u r e . J.D.
L e v e n s o n ( T h e D a v i d i c C o v e n a n t
a n d i t s
M o d e r n I n t e r p r e t e r s )
c a u t i o u s l y a r g u e s a g a i n s t a s s e r t i n g a n y s i n g l e o r d e f i n i t i v e
r e l a t i o n s h i p b e t w e e n t h e c o v e n a n t s b u t d o es n o t d e n y th e
d i s t i n c t i v e n e s s
o f the i n d e f e a s i b i l i t y o f the D a v i d i c c o v e n a n t .
4. The
c o n d i ti o n a l n a t u r e
o f the
M o s a ic c o v e n a n t
is
f r e q u e n t l y based
u p o n a n
a p p e a l
to Ex .
19:5 w i t h
i ts
c o n d i t io n a l
if .
B u t
a l t h o u g h
th e
g r a m m a t i c a l f o r m
o f
19:5
is
co n d i t io n a l ,
that
n e e d
n o t
d e t e r m i n e
i ts
m e a n i n g .
In
f a c t
i t is
d o u b t f u l
whether 19:5 is t r u l y c o n d i t i o n a l in
sense
(cf . D . Pa t r i c k , T h e
C o v e n a n t C o d e S o u r ce , p . 149). In the t yp i ca l c o n d i t i o n a l s o f
D e u t . 2 8 t h e p r o t a s i s states a c o n d i t i o n a n d t h e a p o d o s i s th e
r e s u l t o f m e e t i n g th e c o n d i t i o n - A n d i f you o be y th e voice o f
226
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Notes to E p i l o g u e
Y a h w e h
y o u r
God .. .
Y a h w e h y o u r
G od
w i l l
set you on
h i g h ... .
In
E x . 19:5, ho w ev er , the re la t ionsh ip betw een obeying God s
voice
and
be ing
h is
possession
i s not
t h a t b e t w e e n
an
ac t ion
and
a subsequent r esu l t . The p ro tas i s i s a
d e f i n i t i on
o f the
r e q u i r e m e n t s o f t h e
pos i t ion
o r
voca t i on des i gna t ed
by the
titles
o f the
apodosis;
i t
exp la ins w h a t be ing God s peop le
m e a n s .
To break the requ i rem ents o f the p ro tasi s (obey ing God s
voice
a nd
k e e p i n g
h i s
c o v e n a n t )
w o u l d no t
m e a n s u b s e q u e n t ly
ceas ing to be God s peop le . R a th er the ac t o f
u n f a i t h f u l n e s s
i tsel f w o u l d be a den ia l o f t he i r pos i t ion a s God s peop le. B u t
such
a
denia l
o f
t he i r
status
need
not
en ta i l
th e
abroga t ion
o f
that status
5.
T h e o l o g y
o f
E x i l e , esp .
p p .
1 0 6 f f .
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LIS T O F A B B R E V I A T I O N S
A n c i e n t N e a r E a s t e r n T e x t s R e l a t i n g t o t h e O l d
T e s t a m e n t , e d .
J.B. P r i t c h a r d 3rd ed., P r i n c e -
ton, 1969).
A l t e r O r i e n t u n d
A l t e s
T e s t a m e n t
A n n u a l o f the Swedish Theolog ica l In s t i t u te
T he
B i b l i c a l A r c h a e o l o g i s t
B u l l e t i n
of the
A m e r i c a n S c ho ols
o f
O r i e n t a l
R e s e a r c h
B o n n e r
B i b l i s c h e B e i t r a g e
A H e b r e w and Eng l i sh Lex icon of the Old
T e s t a m e n t ,
ed . F . B r o w n , S.R. D r i v e r , C . A .
B r i g g s ( O x f o r d , 1953 [1907]).
B u l l e t i n o f the
J o h n R y l a n d s L i b r a r y
Bib l i c a l R e s e a r c h
B e i t r a g e z u r W issenschaf t
v o m
A l t e n u n d N e u e n
T e s t a m e n t
B e i h e f t e
z u r
Z e i t s c h r i f t
f u r d i e
alttesta-
m e n t l ic h e W i s s e n s c h a ft
C a t h o li c B i b li c a l Q u a r t e r l y
C a th o l ic B i b li c a l Q u a r t e r l y M o n o g r a p h S e r ie s
Eng l i s h T rans la t ion
E x p o s i t o r y T i m e s
F o r s c h u n g e n z u r R e l i g i o n u n d L i t e r a t u r d e s
A l t e n
u n d N e u e n T e s t a m e n t s
G e se n iu s H e b re w G r a m m a r a s
e d i t e d
a n d e n -
larged
by the
late
E .
K a u t z s c h ,
e d .
A . E .
Cowley
( 2 n d e d . , O x f o r d ,
1910).
H a n d b u c h z u m A l t e n T e s t a m e n t
M . N o t h , A H i s t o r y o f P e n t a t e u c h a l T r a d i t i o n s ,
E T
( E n g le w o o d
C l i f f s ,
N . J . , 1972)
H a r v a r d
T h e o l o g i c a l R e v i e w
H e b r e w U n i o n Col lege A n n u a l
T h e I n t e r n a t i o n a l C r i t i c a l C o m m e n t a r y
( E d i n b u r g h )
T he
I n t e r p r e t e r s D i c t i o n a r y o f t h e B i b le , e d .
G .A . B u t t r i c k , e t
al.
( N e w Y o r k , N a s h v i l le , 1 96 2)
T h e I n t e r p r e t e r s D i c t i o n a r y o f t h e B i ble ,
S u p p l e m e n t a r y V o l u m e , e d . K . C r i m , e t a l .
( N a s h v i l l e , 1976)
228
A N E J 3
O T
STI
SOR
O
B 3 R L
B R
W N T
Z W
C Q
C B Q M S
E T
Exp T
F R L A N T
GK
H A T
H P T
H T R
HUC
ICC
I D S
I D B S u p p l .
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A b b r e v i a t i o n s
I E 3
3 B L
3 3 S
3 Q R
3 S O T
3 S O T S u p p l .
3 SS
3 TS
LXX
MT
N E B
N I V
NT
OBO
OT
O TS
PE Q
R H P B
R S V
SANT
SB L
S3 T
ST
TDNT
T D O T
Th.LZ.
T y n d . B .
TZ
V T
V T S u p p l .
WMANT
Z A W
I s r a e l E x p l p r a t i o n 3 o u r n a l
T h e
3 e r u s a l e m
B i b l e ( L o n d o n , 1 9 6 6 )
3 o u r n a l o f B i b l i c a l L i t e r a t u r e
3 o u r n a l
o f
3 e w i s h S t u d i e s
3 e w i s h
Q u a r t e r l y Re v i e w
3 o u r n a l
f o r t h e S t u d y o f t h e O l d T e s t a m e n t
3 o u r n a l f o r t h e S t u d y o f t h e
Old
T e s t a m e n t ,
S u p p l e m e n t
S e r i e s
3 o u r n a l
o f
S e m i t i c Studies ;
J o u r n a l
o f T h e o l o g i c a l S t u d i e s
S e p t u a g i n t
M a s o r e t i c
T e x t
N e w
E n g l i s h B i b le (O x f o r d
C a m b r i d g e , 1 9 7 0 )
N e w I n t e r n a t i o n a l V e r s i o n ( L o n d o n , 1 97 9)
N e w T e s t a m e n t
O r b u s B i b l i c u s
e t
O r i e n t a l i s
Old T e s t a m e n t
O u d t e s t a m e n t i s c h e
Stud i e ' n
P a l e s t i n e E x p l o r a t i o n Q u a r t e r l y
R e v u e d ' H i s t o i r e e t d e P h i l o s o p h i c R e l i g i e u s e s
R e v i s e d S t a n d a r d V e r s i o n ( L o n d o n , 1 9 5 2 )
S t u d i e n
z u m A l t e n u n d N e u e n
T e s t a m e n t
S o c i e ty o f B i b l i c a l L i t e r a t u r e
S c o t t i s h J o u r n a l o f J T h e o l o g y
S t u d i a T h e o l o g i c a
T h e o l o g i c a l D i c t i o n a r y o f
t h e
N e w T e s t a m e n t
( G r a n d R a p i d s , 1 9 6 4 - 7 4 ) .
E T
f r o m T h e o l o g i s c h e s
W o r t e r b u c h z u m N e u e n T e s t a m e n t , e d . G .
K i t t e l
( V o l s .
I ^ V) ,
G .
F r i e d r i c h ( V o l s .
V - I X
( S t u t t g a r t ,
1 9 3 3 - 7 3 )
T h e o l o g i c a l D i c t i o n a r y o f t h e O l d T e s t a m e n t ,
I - I I I ( G r a n d R a p i d s , 1 9 7 4 , 1977 1978 ) . ET f r om
T h e o l o g i s c h e s W o r t e r b u c h z u m A l t e n T e s t a m e n t ,
e d .
G . 3 . B o t t e r w e c k ,
H . R i n g g r e n ( S t u t t g a r t ,
1970 75 .
T h e o l o g i s c h e L i t e r a t u r z e i t u n g
T y n d a le B u l l e t i n
T h e o l o g i s c h e Z e i t s c h r i f t
V e t u s
T e s t a m e n t u m
S u p p l e m e n t s
t o
V e t u s T e s t a m e n t u m
W i s s e n s c h a f t l i c h e
M o n o g r a p h i e n
z u m
A l t e n
u n d
N e u e n
T e s t a m e n t
Z e i t s c h r i f t f u r d i e a l t t e s t a m e n t l i c h e W i s s e n s c h a f t
229
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B I B L I O G R A P H Y
A b e r b a c h , M .,
&
S m o l a r,
L .
A a r o n ,
J e r o b o am, and the Golden Calves , JB L 86 (1967) , pp.
129 140
The Golden Calf Episode
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Postbiblical Literature , H U C A
39 (1968), pp. 91-116.
A c k e r m a n , J.S.
The L i te ra ry C onte xt o f the M oses B i r th S tory
( E x o d u s
1-2) ,
in
K . R . R . G r o s L o u i s e t al.
(ed.).,
L i t e r a r y I n t e r p r e t a t i o n s of
Bibl ical
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Inspired Word (London, 1967).
ET f r o m L a Palabra
jnspirada (Barcelona, 1966).
H e r m e n e u t i c a l
P r o b l e m s
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L i t e r a r y S t u d y
of the
B ible ,
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Suppl .
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(1974) ,
pp.
1-15.
A l t ,
A .
T h e F o r m at i o n
of the
I s rae l i t e State
in
Palestine ,
in his
Essays on O ld Te s tam ent H is tory and R el ig ion (O xfo rd, 1966),
pp. 171-237. Or ig inal ly publ ished in German in 1930 and later
in his
Kle ine
Sch rif ten II (M u nic h, 1953), pp. 1-65.
The O r ig ins
of
Israelite L a w ,
in his
Essays
on O ld
Testament
His tory
and
Religion (Oxford, 1966),
pp. 79-132.
O r i g i n a l l y p ub l i s h ed in G e rm a n in 1934 and later in his K l e i n e
Schr i f ten I
( M u n i ch ,
1953),
pp.
278-332.
A n d e r s e n ,
F.I.
A L ex i co g r ap h i ca l N o t e on Exodus 32:18 , V T 1 6 (1966) , pp.
108-112.
A n d er s o n , B . W .
From A nalys is
to
Synthesis:
T he
In te rpre ta t ion
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Genesis
1-11 , O BL
97
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pp.
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A u e r b a c h , E .
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230
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B i b l i o g r a p h y
E x o d u s ,
L e v i t i c u s ,
N u m e r i
( G o t t i n g e n ,
1903) .
B a i l e y , L . R .
T h e G o l d e n C a l f ,
H U C A
4 2 ( 1 9 7 1 ) , p p . 9 7 - 1 1 5 .
H o r n s
o f
M o s e s ,
ID B
S u p p l . , p p .
4 1 9 - 4 2 0 .
B a r b o u r ,
I .
M y t h s ,
M o d e l s a n d P a r a d i g m s ( L o n d o n , 1 9 7 4) .
B a r - E f r a t , S .
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A n a l y s i s
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S t r u c t u r e
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B a r r , 3 .
T h e o p h a n y a n d
A n t h r o p o m o r p h i s m
in t h e O ld Testament ,
VT S u p p l .
7
( 1 9 5 9 ) ,
p p .
3 1 - 3 8 .
T h e
S e m a n t i c s
o f
B i b l i ca l L a n g u a g e ( O x f o r d , 1 9 6 1 ).
C o v e n a n t , i n H a s t i n g s ' D i c t i o n a r y o f t h e B i b l e ( 2 n d ed .:
E d i n b u r g h , 1963 ) , pp . 183-185 .
T h e B i b l e i n t h e M o d e r n W o r l d ( L o n d o n , 1 9 7 3 ) .
R e a d i n g th e B i b l e a s
L i t e r a t u r e ,
B J R L 5 6 ( 1 9 7 3 ) , p p .
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S to ry
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56 ( 1 9 7 6 ) , p p . 1 - 1 7 . R e p r i n t e d in h i s E x p l o r a t i o n s in T h e o l o g y
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a n d t h e
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B i b l i o g r a p h y
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47
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A n
I n t e r -
p r e t a t i o n
o f
E x o d u s 3 3:1 9 , J o u r n a l
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T h e o -
l og ica l Soc iety
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Dis t inc t i ons , S JT 3 2 ( 1 9 7 9 ) , p p . 1 1 3 - 1 3 7 .
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...
ich
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D o x a , T D N T
I I , p p . 2 3 8 - 2 4 2 .
2 4 5
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At the
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The
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' Righteousness
1
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Genesis 8:21 und die Urgeschichte des Jahwisten , Ke ryg m a
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W a ld ma n , N . M .
God's
W a y s - A C o m p a r a t i v e N o t e , 3 Q R 70 ( 1 9 7 9 ) , pp.
67-72.
W a lk er ,
N .
C o n c e r n i n g E x o d . 34:6 , JB L
79
(1960) ,
p.
277.
W a rn e r,
S .M.
P r i m i t i v e S a g a M e n , VT 29 ( 1 9 7 9 ) , pp. 325-335.
W e in f eld , M .
berith ,
T D O T
II, pp.
253-279.
W e is er , A .
I n t r o d u c t i o n t o t h e O l d T e s t a m e n t ( L o n d o n , 1961) . E T f r o m
E i n l e i t u n g in das Alte Testament (4th ed.: Gottingen, 1957).
W eiss, M .
E in iges iiber d ie
B a u f o r m e n
d es E r z a h l e n s in der Bib el , VT
13
(1963), pp.
456-475.
W e ll ek , R . & W a r r e n , A .
T h e o r y o f
Literature
( H a r m o n d s w o r t h , 1 95 6).
W e llh a u s e n ,
J.
D i e C o m p o s i t i o n
d e s
H e x a t e u c h s
u n d d e r
h i s t o r i s c h e n B u c h e r
des
Al t e n Testaments (2nd ed.; Ber l in , 1889^
W e n h a m , G.J.
T he
Coherence
o f t he F lood N a r ra t ive , VT 28 (197 8) , pp .
336-348.
The Rel ig ion of the Patriarchs , i n A . M i l l a r d , D . W i se m an
(ed.),
Essays on the Patriarchal Narratives (Leicester,
1980),
pp .
157-188.
W e ste rm a n n ,
C.
Genesis 1-11
( N e u k i r c h e n ,
1974).
T h e
Promises to the
Fathers
(Ph ilad elph ia , 1980). ET f r o m
D ie
V e r h e i s s u n g e n
a n d i e V a t e r ( G o t t i n g e n , 1976).
250
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A t t h e M o u n t a i n o f G o d
Ich b i n J a h w e ,
G e s c h i c h t e u n d
A l t s
T e s t a m e n t ,
A . A l t
F e s t s c h r i f t ( T u b i n g e n , 1 95 3),
p p .
1 7 9 - 2 0 9 . R e p r i n t e d
i n h i s
G o t t e s
O f f e n b a r u n g ( M u n i c h , 1 9 6 3 ) ,
p p . 1 1 - 4 0 .
E r w a g u n g e n
z u m
' B u n d ' ;
d i e A u s s a g e n u b e r d i e J a h w e - b e r i t h
in E x . 19-34 , in H.3. S t o e b e
( e d . ) , W o r t , G e b o t , G l a u b e ,
W .
E i c h r o d t F e s t s c h r i f t ( Z u r i c h , 1 9 7 0 ) ,
p p .
1 7 1 - 1 9 0 .
D as B i l d e r v e r b o t i n d e r G e s c h i c h t e d e s A l t e n I s r a e l , i n K . H .
B e r n h a r d t
(ed . ) , S c h a l o m , S t u d i e n
z u
G l a u b e
u n d
G e s c h i c h t e
I s r a e l s ,
A .
J e p s e n
F e s t sc h r i f t ( B e r l i n ,
197D7
R e p r i n t e d
i n h i s
S t u d i e n z u r
a l t t e s ta m e n t l i c h e n T h eo l o g ie
u n d _ P r o p h e t i e
(Munich
1974 7
pp.
2 4 7 - 2 6 0 .
O ld T e s t a m e n t
T h e o l o g y
i n
O u t l i n e ( E d i n b u r g h , 1 97 8).
E T
f r o m
G r u n d r i s s d e r a l t t e s t a m e n t l i c h e n T h e o l o g i e ( S t u t t g a r t ,
1 9 7 5 .
T h e
H i s t o r y
o f
I s ra e l i te R e l i g i o n ,
i n
G . W . A n d e r s o n (e d .) ,
T r a d i t i o n a n d I n t e r p r e t a t i o n
( O x f o r d , 1979) ,
p p .
3 5 1 - 3 8 4 .
2 5 2
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INDEX OF
AUTHORS
51,
55, 193n49,
198n40, 219n58,
221n22, 225n76
192nl9
1 3
209nl86
221n21,
222n37
224nn63 64
191n9
148,
217nnl9,
20,21, 218n24,
218nn29,36
200n78
214n44
211n2, 221nlO,
223n53
193n49, 197nl6
78, 95,
197nl6,
200n73
2 0 3 n l l 7
205nl29 211n2
2 2 3 n 5 3 2 2 4 n 6 5
224n67
2 1 i n n l 3 l l 1 4
197n27
11
7 4
122
2 0 3 n n l l 4 1 1 5
212n2
1 2 8 f 2 1 4 n 3 9
2 1 8 n 3 8 2 2 1 n 2 9
2 2 3 n n 5 3 6 2
2 2 4 n 6 9
5 1 2 1 2 n 2
26
29
222n44
199n45
151
2 1 6 n 2
219n44
78,
201n8 9
2 0 5 n n l 2 9 1 3 0
2 2 6 n 3
19 192n l9
138
2 1 6 n 7 3
2 2 3 n n 5 3 5 4
19
18 19
151 2 1 9 n 4 4
219n55
2 1 7 n l 3
2 0 9 n l 8 6
209n l 87
2 2 2 n 4 8
11 12
2 1 7 n 8
253
Aberbach, M .
A c k e r m a n
1
A l b r i g h t W . F .
Alonso
S c h o k e l L .
Ande r se n F . I .
A n d e r s o n B . W .
A u e r b a c h
E.
B a i l e y
L.R.
Barbour, I.
B a r - E f r a t S.
B a r r J.
B a r t o n
1
Beer, G.
Beitzel, B.J.
B e r n h a r d t K . - H .
B e y e r l i n W .
Booi j T.
Brekelmans,
C.
B r i g h t J.
B r o w n
3.P.
B u b e r
M .
Buss
M I
Caird, G.B.
Calvin,
J.
Carroll, R.P.
Cassuto,
U.
Childs, B.S.
Clements, R . E .
Clines,
D.J.A.
1 9 6 n l l 2 2 0 n l 6
2 0 8 n l 6 8
217n6
45
2 1 1 n n l 6 7 2 1 7 n 6
16 19 27 30
2 0 8 n n l 6 5 1 6 6
2 1 8 n 3 8
222n33 224n67
136, 215n62
193n48
79, 132, 192nnl9,
34 205nl38,
209nl89
193n46
224n61
205nl35
208nl74
119,
124f, 1 3 1
150,
192n36,
201nn82,83,
209nl94, 216n68,
222n47
223n53
224n61
205nl42
225n82
1 1 221n28,
226n3
210n207
12,
135, 14 1, 194n
74 200n70
208nl64,
217nn5,15, 218n38,
221nnl8,25,26
213n29
203nll6,
216n62
198n29
222n44
138,
199n54,
221nl8, 223n58
13, 16, 17, 20f 30
52, 54, 61,68, 81,
160,
166,
49nnl8,20,
50n30
191n6,
198n32, 199n60,
200n73,203nll2,
208nl82,
209nl91,
211n210, 215nn51,57,
217n7, 219n40,
220nnlO,14,73,
221nl9, 223nn50
51,53,
224n73
1 1
194n70,
201n81,
223n53
16
Coats, G . W .
C ol l in s
1 1
C o n r o y C.
Craigie,
P.C.
Cross, F.M.
Crossan l D
Culley
R.C.
D Angelo, M . R .
Dentan, R . C .
D i l l m a n n
A .
Conner H.
Driver S.R.
D u m e r m u t h
F.
E d e l m a n n R.
E h r l i c h
A .
E i c h r o d t W .
E i s s f e l d t
O.
E l l i s
P.F.
Elton, G.
E n g n e l l I .
Faur,
1
Fensham, F.C.
Frazer,
J.G.
Freedman, D . N .
Frei, H.
Friedrich, G.
Fritz,
V .
Frye,
N .
G a r d n e r
H.
Caster, T .H.
Gemser, B.
Geyer,
J.B.
G i b s o n l C L
G l u e c k
N .
Gorg, M .
G o t t w a l d N .
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t the Mo od
25
Gressmann,
H.
Gunkel, H.
Gunn, D.M.
Halbe,
J.
Halpern,
B.
Hals,
R.M.
Haran,
M.
Hayes,
J.H.
Hazard, P.
Herrmann, S.
Holzinger, H.
Huesman, J.E.
Hyatt, J.P.
Irvin,
D.
Jaros,
K.
Jenks,
A.\V.
Jeremias,
J.
Jobling, D.
Johnson, A.R.
Kaiser,
O.
Kaufman,
S.
Kirk,
G.S.
Knierim, R.
Knight, D.A.
Knight,
G.A.F.
Knobel, A.
Koch,
K.
Koenig, J.
Kraus, H.-J.
Krohn,
K.
Kuhn,
T.
Labuschagne,
C.J.
Laurentin, A.
Lemaire, A.
Levenson, J.D.
Licht,
J.
Loewenstamm, S.
Long, B.O.
Lundbom,
3
Mackenzie, R.A.F.
1 1 , 1 5 1 , 122n 7,
199nn 9,56, 205nn
128,132,
211n5,
218n38, 22 n67
1 1 ,
1 6, 1 9,
218n38
1 7, 217n21,
218nn2 ,27,29,32
1 ,119,193n36,
208nnl69,175,
209nnl90,196,
212n3, 215n59
222n38
120, 2 1 2 n l l , 218n38
206nl 5, 209nl86,
209nl87,
223nn52,5
1 1 ,
191n3, 191n ,
2I3n29
193n51
22 n61,
225n77
n79
221n21
1 5 1 , l 2f, 193n 8,
219n
210n203,
22 n67
200n79,
221n21
21 n 0
223n55
203nll5
30,
218n38
197n2
217nl6
213n29
190n2, 213n29
16,
202nI08,
209nl89
223n53
152, 193n38,
197n21, 213n29,
218n38
2I6n71
125
218n29
191n8
202n95
202nl07,
205nl3
199n51
226n3
25, 39, 19 n56,72
199n 5
127, 213n29,
218n38, 219n 0
2 0 5 n l 2 9
11
Mann, T . V V .
McCarthy, D.J.
McEvenue,
S.
McKane, W .
McNeile,
A.
Mendenhall, G.E.
Mettinger,
T.N.D
Michaelis,
W .
Millard, A.R.
Miller, J.M.
Mowinckel,
S.
Muilenburg,
J.
Newman,
M.
Nicholson,
E .W.
Niles,
D.P.
North,
C.R.
Noth,
M.
Obbink, H.T.
Olrik,
A.
Otto, E.
Patrick, D.
Perlitt, L.
Petersen,
D.L.
Piper, J.
Polzin, R.
Preuss, H.D.
Pritchard,
J.B.
195n5, 207n l56,
221n29, 222n 9
16 ,
20f,
193n36
215n51
193n 8
11, 190n2,
193n 6,
218n38
223n50
3
2 3 n l l l
197n21
218n25
11, 191n3
36, 118, 121 ff,
215n59
12, 68,
201n81,
202nn97,108,
207nl57, 213n30
120f ,
137f,
221nn2I,25
18 ,
193n36,
197n27, 210nl98,
213n51,
216n68,
22In2
200n80, 201n88,
20 nl27,
207nl51
193n50
11, 12, 16, 30,
31, 53,
119, 1
0
165, 190n2,
193n 5, 19 n61,
199n61,
201n81,
203nnll2,120,
20 nl21, 210n201,
2l2n2, 2I3nl7,23,
2I5n58, 216n6 ,
219n39, 220nl3,
22ln20,
222nn37,
2,
223nn50,53,
22 nn6 1,62,66,67,
70
222n30
32, 35,
1 6f,
l 8f,
195n78,
218nn28,31
193n36, 208nl75
226n
18 , 209nnl91,
195, 220nl2
1 1
207nl53
190n2
195n5
222n31
122
UELL G.
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Inde x o f A u t h o r s
255
von Ra d , G .
Raitt T.
R e n d t o r f f ,
R.
Richter W .
Ricoeur
P.
R i n g g r e n ,
H .
Robertson D.
Ro w l e y , H . H .
R u d o l p h , W .
Sa ken fe ld , K .
Sasson J.M.
S a w y e r , 3.F.A.
Scharbert 3.
Schmid, H.H.
Simpson,
C.A.
S i mo n , R.
Smoler L.
Soggin 3.A.
Speiser E.
Stamm 3.3.
Stan
ton,
G . N .
Strack H.L.
Suhr, E.G.
T a l m o n , S.
Terrien S.
Thompson, T.L.
V a l e n t i n ,
H.
11 ,
21 ,
33i
36,
51 ,
1 1 8 f , 1 2 0,
135f , 1 0 , 1 5 1 ,
153, 168,
2 0 4 n l 2 4 ,
2 1 4 n 4 5 ,
2 1 6 n 6 5 ,
218n38
21 9n56 ,
223n53
189, 1 99n58, 226 n3
1 1 , I 1 3 f , 187,
1 9 0 n l , 1 9 1 n 5 ,
193n45
31 ,
2 1 3 n 3 0
17
199n50
191n9
202n97
220n5
87
196n7, 210n208
16, 19
129
184 190nl
2 2 0 n l 3
29
2 2 1 n l 6
2 1 5 n n 5 5 , 5 6 , 2 2 1 n 2 8
202n98
199n58
17
2 1 5 n 5 4
224 n67
2 1 3 n 2 3
1 2,
I 9 5 n n 4 , 5 ,
2 0 1 n 8 5 , 226n3
1 4 2 f f , 1 5 1 , 1 9 1 n 3 ,
2 1 9 n 5 9 , 2 2 1 n 2 0
1 9 3 n 3 6 , 2 1 1 n n l , 8 , 9 ,
2 2 0 n l 5
W e s te r m a n n ,
C.
W h i t e ,
H.C.
W h y b r a y ,
R . N .
W i j n g aa r d s , 3.
W i lc o x e n ,
3.A.
W i l m s ,
F.-E.
W i n k , W .
W o l f f ,
H . W .
W r i g h t ,
G.E.
Zenger E.
Z i m m e r l i , W .
Van Seters, 3.
de Vaux,
R.
Vorlander,
H.
Vriezen, T.C.
Waldman N.
Warner, S.M.
Warren,
A.
Weiser,
A.
Wellhausen, 3.
Wellek, R.
Wenham
G.3.
lUf
155,
205nl42, 218n38,
220n61
205nl42
28,
2 1 1 n l
122
197nl5
214n37, 218n38
1 , 124f,
193n36,
208nl75,
209nnl90,193,195,
215nn53,54
17
222n35
125f, 2l^n 7
14,
193n36,
207nl60
220n6
222n48 223n53
1 1 197n25,
200n79
202nn98
106,
214n38,
221n21
190n2,193n47,
217n22, 218nn32,38,
222n46
1 1
12, 182,
209nl85, 220nll,
221nnl9,24,
223n53,
224n62 66 69
218n28,
222n46
89
207nl57
201n92,
202nn96 97
146,
190n2,
218n29
19
128f
220n2
19
27, 208nnl65,166,
219n55
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I N D E X O F B I B L I C L R E F E R E N C E S
256
Genesis
1: 26
3
3:5
4:26
5:29
6-9
6:5
6:8
7:17-20
8:21
1 2 - 25
12:
3
12:10-20
1 6
1 6 : 1
3
20:1-18
20:13
21:8-21
26:6-11
34
35:4
35 :
7
37-50
49:5ff
Exodus
1 - 1 8
1 - 1 4
3
3 : 1
2
3: 14
3:22
7:8-13
9:27
9:34
10:16f
10:28f
12:36
1 3 : 1 2 f
1 4 : 1 - 1 5 : 2 1
15:
2
15:3
1 6 : 9 f f
16:34
1 7 : 1 - 7
1 7 : 8 f f
18:7
19 -24
19 20
24
108
54
59
77
7 1
27, 9If, 147, 187
91
70,
71,92,
202n97
29f
91, 1 1 3 f f 185, 225n75
52
50, 52
3 1
3 1
81, 205nl42
3 1
47
3 1
3 1
55
60
48
29
55
32
36
7 1 f
69
20, 78f
6 1
67
78
78
78
1 47 205nl41
6 1
134
5 1 f
78
79
77
195n3
1 4 7
206nl47
1 5 2
155
64
1 2 13, 32, 36,
44,
HSf,
159
3 1 1 3 1 f 1 6 0
Exodus cont.)
1 9
19:
55
19:13,16,19
20:2
20:3
20:4
20:5
20:5 f
20:18
20:23
23:12,14ff
23:20-33
23:20,23
24
24:7,8
24:1
2
2 5 - 3
1
25-27
25:1-9
25:8
29:42-45
29:45f
29:46
32
32:1-6
32 :
1
32:4
32:7-14
32:8
32:9
32:10-14
3 2 : 10
3 2 : 1 1 - 1 3
32:15-20
32:15
3 2 : 18
32:1
9
32:21-24
32:25-29
32:25
32:29
32:30-35
32:33
32:34
32:35
33
33:1-6
33:1
33:2
84f 135
1 9 5 n l 226n4
1 3 6 f f
47,94, 128
197n22
49, 99
97
87f
1 3 6 f f
49, 57
134
45, 60, 62f, 134
48, 61
45
1 9 5 n l
45
32 64
172ff,
181,
195n5, 203nl20
45
47
62
34, 74, 76
62
47
1 2
146,
150
42, 46ff, 54, 59
1 6 1 f f
1 8 0
198n28
42, 47, 162,171
48ff, 183f
197n27
1 8 3 224n74
57
7 1 f
72, 74
53f
178
l l l f
196n7
54, 56, 147
54ff, 147, 180
226n85
56
1 5 1
56ff, 1 8 1
57f
71
69
57, 59
58, 62
60ff, 67, 69, 1 8 1
69, 75, 198n29
69
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I n d e x
of
Biblical References
N u m b e r s
5:3
5:1 I f f
6:23-26
10:29-32
10:33-36
10:35f
1 1 : 1 6
24-26,
30
12:4
1 2 :
8
1 3 - 1 4
1 4 : 1 0 - 1 2
14 : 17 f
1 4:20f f
1 4 :
3 9
14:42, 44
15
1 6 - 7
1 6 : 1 9 f
f
21:4-9
22-24
2 2 :
6
25:6
ff
33:1-49
Deuteronomy
4:7
4:9 ff
4:37
6 - 1 1
9-10
9:
:
10:1-4
13
27:15
3 1 : 1 4 f
33 :8 f f
3 4 :
Joshua
24:26f
Judges
8:24-27
1 7 - 1
I Samuel
4:8
6 : 19 f
45
199n46
12 4
2 2nn93 94
1 7 3 2 0 2 n 9 4
45
1 7 2 1 7 4 f f
172,
1 7 4 f f
65
133
77
2 0 7 n l 5 1
58
60
62
13 3
63
77
1 6 7 f 2 2 1 n 2 9
52
52
55
16 8
48
169
225n81
49
1 7 3 f 184f
56 185
54
1 4
55
16 9
1 7 2
I 7 4 f f
5 5 1 8 1 206nl47
65 81
45
16 8
1 2 3
166f, 168,
2 2 2 n 4 1
47
63
257
E x o d u s cont.)
33:3,5
33:3-6
3 3 :6
33:7-11
3 3 :
7
33:11
33:12-23
3 3 : 12
33:13
3 3 : 1
4
3 3 : 15
3 3 : 1
6
3 3 : 17
33:18-34:9
33:18-23
3 3 : 18
33:19-21
3 3 : 19
33:20-23
33:20
33:22
34
34:1-28
34:1-9
3 4
:1
3 4 :1 4
3 4 :2
34:5-7
34:6
f
3 4 :8
3 4 :9
3 4 : 1
34:11-26
34:11
3 4 : 1
4
34:17-26
3 4 : 1
7
34:27-28
34:28
34:29-35
35-40
40:3 4f
48, 69,
172, 176,
1 8 4 2 2 4 n 7 4
6 9 1 5 0
1 7 3
4 2 6 3 f f 6 7 106,
1 7 1 f f
1 8 0
1 7 3
176
33, 63, 65, 72, 82,
9 1 176, 1 83
38,
6 6 f f
90,
152,
1 5 5 182
6 9 f
71 f , 75,92
7 0 7 3 f
33, 40, 66,
68f,
74,
183, 203nll4, 225n81
69, 75
40,
56, 63, 69f, 75
66,
6 8 f f
75
38
68, 76f,
8 5 f f
107, 135f
76
30
58, 68,
7 6 f f
80, 87,
1 2 8 f
13 6
7 9 f f
8 5
3 3 6 5 8 1 151, 176,
183,
2 0 5 n l 4 1
7 6f
3 1
41f ,
8 3
131f
1 5 7 f f
1 8 0
8 4
f f
l O l f f 1 6 1
84 103, 158, 160f
125
7 7 8 3 8 5 f f 1 8 2
58, 68, 77, 80,
87f, 107,
1 2 8 f f 136, 150,
1 6 0
124
40, 63, 68, 8 8 f f 158,
1 6 0
183f, 185
9 3 f f 184, 198n29
3 7 5 5 9 5 f f 1 3 1 f f 158,
1 6 0 f 180
96
7 9 9 7 1 3 3
9
8ff
9 9 f
133f , 169,
2 1 5 n 5 9
l O l f f
158,
1 8 4
l O l f f
150, 158,
1 6 1
37, 46, 66,
1 0 6 f f
147,
1 5 0 f
1 7 7 f f
1 80
1 0 9 f
1 7 2 f f 1 8 1
7 6 1 1 0
8/18/2019 At the Mountain of God_ Story and Theology in Exodus 32-34.pdf
http://slidepdf.com/reader/full/at-the-mountain-of-god-story-and-theology-in-exodus-32-34pdf 259/259
I I
Samuel
6:6ff
7:6
7 : 18 f f
7:23
63
45
73
48
At
the M o u n t a i n of God
Psalms cont.)
103:7f
10
6:19f
jsaiah
2 3nllO
96n8
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