martin noth
TRANSCRIPT
I. The goal for this lecture are as follows
A. to explain several major literary phenomenon in the narrative hebrew
bible
B. to explain how various schools of though have attempted to explain
these phenomenon
C. In the following lecture, I will propose an alternative approach to
understand these literary phenomenon.
II. Elements that can be recognized in the Hebrew narrative.
A. Multiple names for Gott
1. Multiple names for God are use, but two are the most
commonly used.
2. Elohim and YHWH
a) Sometimes narrative sections (Abschnitte) use the same
name
b) Sometimes both names are used in the same paragraph
or sentence
3. In Exodus [3.4] Als aber der HERR sah, daß er hinging, um zu
sehen, rief Gott ihn aus dem Busch und sprach:
B. Some stories are told more than once.
1. Two creation accounts (Gen 1,2)
2. Exod 19:16 cf 20:18
a) [19.16] Als nun der dritte Tag kam und es Morgen ward,
da erhob sich ein Donnern und Blitzen und eine dichte
Wolke auf dem Berge und der Ton einer sehr starken
Posaune. Das ganze Volk aber, das im Lager war,
erschrak.
b) [20.18] Und alles Volk wurde Zeuge von dem Donner und
Blitz und dem Ton der Posaune und dem Rauchen des
Berges. Als sie aber solches sahen, flohen sie und blieben
in der Ferne stehen
C. Some events are not in chronological order
1. The days of creation in Genesis 1 and 2 are not in the same
order
2. In 2 Samuel, the major accomplishments of David’s life are not
in chronological order
3. Even in the book of exodus, the events are not in chronological
order
a) First example
(1) [4.14] Da wurde der HERR sehr zornig über Mose
[b] und sprach: [c]Weiß ich denn nicht, daß dein
Bruder Aaron aus dem Stamm Levi beredt ist?
[d]Und siehe, er wird dir entgegenkommen, [e]und
wenn er dich sieht, wird er sich von Herzen freuen.
(2) [4.27] Und der HERR sprach zu Aaron: [b] Geh hin
Mose entgegen in die Wüste. [c]Und er ging hin
[d]und begegnete ihm am Berge Gottes [e]und
küßte ihn.
(3) Note what the logical order is. [4.27a] Und der
HERR sprach zu Aaron: [4.27b] Geh hin Mose
entgegen in die Wüste. [4.27c]Und er ging hin,
[4.14d]Und siehe, er wird dir entgegenkommen,
[4.14e] und wenn er dich sieht, wird er sich von
Herzen freuen, [4.27d]und begegnete ihm am
Berge Gottes [4.27e]und küßte ihn.
b) Second example:
(1) Exod 19:3-6, have announcement they will be a
kingdom of priests, and they should keep the laws
(2) Exod 24:4-8 have the radification of the written
covenant and a proclaimation that they will keep
the commandments.
D. Some statements seem to contridict each other.
1. As an example, Exod states that no one can see God and live;
yet, God spoke to Moses as a man, face to face.
III. Before we look at the different explanations for the phenomonom, we must
understand several philosophies which have heavily influenced biblical
scholarship.
A. Beginning in the enlightment, scholars argued that the bible could
not be accept as true soley because one claimed that it was an
infaliable Word of God. They argued that the bible should be
analyzed critically like any other historical document..1
B. Next Spinoza in 1670 argued that the historical books contained
many inconsistent and conflicting statements and therefore could not
be from the hands of the contemporary author.2
C. In the field of philosophy, Hegel proposed that ideas and concepts
are constantly changing. His well known concept of thesis, antithesis,
and synthesis have been accepted for years..
D. In the field of science, Darwin proposed the theory of evolution to
explain the origin of the species which did not require a creator. In
his theory, basic material elements became simple life by accident.
The natural environment and accidental change modified the simple
forms to become more complex life forms. Thus the the number of
species increased over long periods of time. The fundamental
concept of his theory is that the simple evolves into the more
complex over long periods of time. This is the exact opposite of the
1 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@7>.
2 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@7>.
Genesis account where God created classes of life forms were made
at the same time. The Genesis accounts specifically states that all the
animal life was made at one time and that each reproduced
according to its own kind. In other words, one species did not merge
with another.
IV. From these basic concepts, several theorms are used for bible
interpretation.
A. Supernatural events or miracles that are recorded in the bible are
not possible. Stories that include supernatural events are either false
or myths.
B. Inspired authors did not write the bible. Rather the bible is the result
of a long process of revision and modification from a large body of
unknown and unnamed editors and contributors.
C. Following the general concepts of evolution, the biblical stories,
content, or text grow from the simple to the complex. In other words,
the original stories were short and simple oral stories.
1. Each story begins as a simple story that raises in a parcular
setting or culture. Early stories were simple and were passed
by oral tradition. Each generation added material and changed
it.As the story is retold and passed to following generations,
the story changes and more detail is added.
2. Thus the bible we have today is the end or final result of a long
process of change and growth. Thus a complex narrative text is
always later than a simple one.
3. At some late point in the growth process, the stories were
written down. An editor incorporated all the stories and pieces
of written documents into the final form we have today.
D. In summary, the historical books are not a record of the historical
events that shaped the relationship between God and His people, but
rather the history of the changes in the relegion of Israel over the
ages.
V. These biblical observations and the secular philosophies are the basis for
the various theories for the formation of the biblical texts. We will examin
them in the order in which they developed.
A. The Documentary Hyopthesis
1. Several early scholars argued that the Pentateuch contain at
two source documents. The source could be identified solely on
the use of the divine name, elohim or JHWH. The sources were
called the E and J documents depending upon the name that is
used for God.. These scholars includt Astruc, J. G. Eichhorn, H.
G. A. Ewald.
2. In 1805 W. M. L. DeWette proposed the third, or D document.
He based his argument on 2 Kgs 22 where Josiah found a copy
of Deuternomny. Rather that accepting the text as stated, that
a copy of Deuternomy was found which inspired a reform, he
argued that the Josiah started the political reform and wrote
Deuternomy to justify it. Thus the book of Deuternomy is dated
to 622 BC, the date it was found.3
3. In 1853 Hermann Hepfeld argued the what was considered “E”
could be divided further into two other documents based on
linguistic features and theological message. In other words,
there appeared to be two different theological messages, one
that was dealt with the priesthood and the cult and one that did
not. Thus anything that dealt with the cult or priesthood was
considered to be a “P” or priestly document.
4. At this point, it was considered that none of the four sources to
the Pentateuch had beenn written by Moses.
5. In line with what I mentioned earlier, K. Graf maintained that
the highly organized cultic religion such as that outlined in the
P texts is always the last stage of expression andnot the
earliest. Religion always progressed from the primitive
animism, to pantheism, to polytheism, to heotheism and finally
to monotheism. Because the “P” document is so elaborate, it
just be dated to the post-exilic date.
6. In 1884, Julius Wellhausen articulated the documentary
hypothesis. Although Wellhausen is generally credited with the
3 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@9>.
documentary hypothesis, or the theory of the JEDP documents,
he actually borrowed from the work of the earlier schholars.
7. Although there is a lot of disagreement over the dates of the
documents, most of these scholars would date the “P” as post
exilic, “D” at 622 BC and J and E in the 7-8th century BC. Note
that this dates the writing of the events in the Pentateuch at
least 5 centuries after the time the events recurred.
B. Form Criticisms
1. Hermann Gunkel rejected the documentary hypothesis
primarily because it did not explain the sources for the sources.
In other words, it did not explain the origin of the sources that
were used to form the biblical text. Again, returning to a
evolutionary perspective, Gunkel proposed that the original
content of the sources came from stories that were passed from
one generation to the next orally. Because the stories became
more embellished, the original story must be short, simple. It
would likewise be difficult to recognize because so much had
been added to it over the generations.
2. Gunkel proposed that rather than following documents, the
stories followed forms. In other words, a particular type of
story would always be told in a particular form. Each form had
a particular style and structure. Each form originated from a
particular socio-cultural-religion background. Thus if one could
identify the form, he could identify the source of the original
story.
3. Gunkel was heavily influenced by Grimm brothers. He adapted
a similar process for the formation of the biblical text. (See
Kurus) See reading
C. Tradition Criticism
1. the attempts of Gunkel and subsequent generations of form
critics to trace the source of the oral and written traditions
which gave rise to the present literary compositions led
inevitably to still another method – the tratio-historical
criticism.4 This criticism assumes that both oral and written
continuities play a role in the shaping of the traditions that
finally culminated in Scripture.
2. Von Rad and Martin Noth advanced Gunkel’s basic concept
that the basis for the biblical texts were more than simple
stories, but were rather collections of stories that had become
part of the primitives societies.
3. Von Rad argued that the Pentateuch was based unto collections
of stories that centered around three sections of schripture that
contained professions of faith (Deut 6:20-24; 26:5b-9; Josh
24:2b-13). Because these passaged refer to the Exodus,
wilderness and conquest (not Sinai), he argued these traditions
4 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@11>.
were incorporated into the cultic worship.5 Martin Noth argued
that the Pentateuch was compiled from five different traditions
that originated independent of each other. they include the
Deliverance from Egypt, settlement in the land, promise to the
patriarchs, leadershhip in the wilderness and the revelation at
Sinai. Noth believes that these various tehems were lriginally
known only to individual tribes or tribal associations which
over a long period of time, began to form a twelve-tribe
confederation. (amphictyony)
4. For example, the festivals at different times of the years used
the stories in the celebrations. For exmple story of Santa Claus
is part of our Xmas tradition.
5. Both scholars recognized that historical events could be either
the origin of a tradition or were incorporated later into a
tradition. However, both claimed that the traditions had
evolved so much that any history that may be part of the
tradition could not be recognized.
6. Scholars were also proposing that the biblical text was a
collection of traditions that were collected into the final
version. In some cases, the traditions may have contributed to
the sources.
5 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@13>;<Noth, 1972, History>;<Rad, 1966, Problem>;
7. Noth did identify the five major narrative sections of the
Exodus-Joshua books called them the Exodus, the Wanderings,
the Conquest, and the revelation at Sinai. He proposed that
each tradition originally separately and was later incorporated
into the biblical narrative.
8.
VI. Summary:
These critical methods deny the verbal-plenary inspiration of the bible,
reject the nnotion of direct, propositional revelation, insists on treating hte
biblical text as the product of human reflection on the acts of God in history and
circumstances and assumes that the biblical record is not historically reliale but
is a theological interpretation of real or imagined events by succedding
generations of Israelite traditionists. The Pentateuch thus is not the work of
Moses, but, in tis present form, the final edition of a centuries-long accumulation
fo texts and traditions wich may or may not confirm to theh realities of thich tehy
testify.6
VII. The reason for this explanation.
A. As you read the literature, you note references to many of these
theories. For example, there will be discussions of the sources, either
J, E, D, or P, or even some variant of these.
B. You will also read about the traditions. In commentaries on the book
fo exodus, you will read about the various traditions, the
6 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@13>.
exodus,Sinai, or the wanderings traditions. There will be lots of
references to the insertion, rearrangement, and expansion of various
sources or traditions.
LECTURE 3
VIII. Another important point is that biblical scholars have generally regarded
the narrative books as history rather than theological books.
A. They have viewed the narrative as primarily a history of the religion
of Israel. In other words, it describes the evolution of the practice of
religion in Israel though its history.
B. But the narrative books are nor primarily history, but rather
theological. Each author, in this case Moses, wrote the book because
they wanted to explain the present condition or status of the people
in their lifetime. Or they wanted to warn a future generation or they
wanted to explain why something might happen in the future. The
best examples are Kings and Chronicles. Kings tends to explain the
reason for the exile. Chronicles tends to set the expectataion for the
coming King of Israel
C. Exodus is the same. As stated in the syllubus, your primary job for
this course is to discover and write a paper than explains why Moses
wrote the book of Exodus.
IX. An alternative proposal.
A. There are multiple passages in the OT that specifically state that a
particular person wrote a part of the text (deut 1:5;4:44; 31:9; 33:4;
Josh 8:31-34; 1 Kgs 2:3; 2 Kgs 14:6; 23:25; Ezra 3:2; Neh 8:1; Mal
4:4)7 The narrative texts, in particular the book of Exodus was written
by one author.
B. Propose that the Hebrew narrative is neither history nor fiction as
defined by contemporary standards.
1. Although the narrative man record events that actually
happened, the goal of the writer it not to provide a
comprehensive and detailed historical account of the things
that actually happened.
2. The primary purpose of the Hebrew narrative is to
C. There was a unique narrative style that was used by the ancient
writers.
1. Just reading the OT and the NT, one notices that narrative style
is very different. The NT style is easier to read because it is
closer to a modern style.
2. Some of the narrative style is still used in modern literature.
a) For example, flashback
b) Commentary
7 <Merrill, n. d., Pentateuch@1>.
c) Background information
3. Some of the narrative techniques are present today
a) Telling the story twice from different perspectives. See
movie “point of view.”
b) Telling the most important facts first. For example, a
newspaper articles typically gives the most important
details first, and then may retell the parts of the story
several times to provide more detail
D. In the next lecture, we will look at these narrative techniques in more
detail.
E. For our exegesis, we will assume that the author, in this case Moses,
wrote the entire book of Exodus and that He had a purpose for doing
so.
1. Exodus, like most of the Old Testament.
Exod 3:4, 13, 14
Flashback: Exod 4:19
Theming to show break: Exod 4:19, 20
4:21