Genesis (Two Horizons Old Testament Commentary) by James McKeown

Author:James McKeown
Language: eng
Format: epub
Published: 2008-09-24T00:42:00+00:00

In this chapter I argue that there are unifying themes in Genesis that can be identified in every major narrative. These themes provide an explanation for the structure, content, and main emphasis of the work, and they also provide continuity between Genesis and the other books of the Pentateuch. Unifying themes are not just important topics such as "covenant," for example. No one can deny that "covenant" is important, but it is an event related to a theme rather than a theme in its own right. Unifying themes will not simply be recurring motifs but will easily be identified as the continual emphasis of the book woven into the woof and fabric of every passage. If we can identify themes that affect the structure and content of Genesis to the extent that they are essential for the cohesion and coherence of the work, then we will have identified the interpretative key to the message and significance of the text. If we fail to identify these themes, then we risk misunderstanding the book. We can never know even what a modern author's intention is for writing a particular book because we cannot access the writer's inner mind to discover his or her motivation; and in this sense it seems futile to attempt to understand the overall purpose of an author of an ancient book such as Genesis. Nevertheless, at a functional level, the themes that unite diverse material and give a book its final form will be invaluable in shedding light on the raison d'@tre and theological purpose that gave the book its final form. These themes will also have a bearing on the overall message of the Pentateuch and will show the significance of the message of Genesis in its canonical setting of the Torah and of the Hebrew Bible.

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