David M. Carr - Genesis 1-11

International Exegetical Commentary on

the Old Testament (IECOT)

Edited by:

Walter Dietrich, David M. Carr, Adele Berlin, Erhard Blum, ­Irmtraud Fischer, Shimon Gesundheit, Walter Groß, Gary Knoppers (†), Bernard M. Levinson, Ed Noort, Helmut Utzschneider and Beate Ego (Apocrypha/Deuterocanonical books)

Cover:

Top: Panel from a four-part relief on the “Black Obelisk of Shalmaneser III” (859–824 BCE) depicting the Israelite king Jehu (845–817 BCE; 2 Kings 9f) paying obeisance to the Assyrian “King of Kings.” The vassal has thrown himself to the ground in front of his overlord. Royal servants are standing behind the Assyrian king whereas Assyrian officers are standing behind Jehu. The remaining picture panels portray thirteen Israelite tribute bearers carrying heavy and precious gifts. Photo © Z.Radovan/BibleLandPictures.com Bottom left: One of ten reliefs on the bronze doors that constitute the eastern portal (the so-called “Gates of Paradise”) of the Baptistery of St. John of Florence, created 1424–1452 by Lorenzo Ghiberti (c. 1378–1455). Detail from the picture “Adam and Eve”; in the center is the creation of Eve: “And the rib that the LORD God had taken from the man he made into a woman and brought her to the man.” (Gen 2:22)Photograph by George Reader Bottom right: Detail of the Menorah in front of the Knesset in Jerusalem, created by Benno Elkan (1877–1960): Ezra reads the Law of Moses to the assembled nation (Neh 8). The bronze Menorah was created in London in 1956 and in the same year was given by the British as a gift to the State of Israel. A total of 29 reliefs portray scenes from the Hebrew bible and the history of the Jewish people.

David M. Carr

Genesis 1–11

Verlag W. Kohlhammer

1. Edition 2021

All rights reserved

© W. Kohlhammer GmbH, Stuttgart

Production: W. Kohlhammer GmbH, Stuttgart

Print:

ISBN 978-3-17-020623-6

E-Book-Formate:

pdf: ISBN 978-3-17-037512-3

epub: ISBN 978-3-17-037513-0

mobi: ISBN 978-3-17-037514-7

W. Kohlhammer bears no responsibility for the accuracy, legality or content of any external website that is linked or cited, or for that of subsequent links.

This commentary offers a synthesis of close readings of Genesis 1-11 and up-to-date study of the formation of these chapters in their ancient Near Eastern context. Each interpretation of these evocative and multilayered narratives is preceded with a new translation (with textual and philological commentary) and a concise overview of the ways in which each text bears the marks of its shaping over time. This prepares for a close reading that draws on the best of older and newer exegetical insights into these chapters, a reading that then connects to feminist, queer, ecocritical, and other contemporary approaches.

David M. Carr is Professor of Old Testament at the Union Theological Seminary, New York.

Editors’ Foreword

Preface and Acknowledgements

Introduction to the Commentary

Initial Overview of the Contents and Literary Patterns in Gen 1–11

Major Themes in the History of Interpretation of Gen 1:1–6:4

Major Contours of the Diachronic Background to Gen 1–11

Ancient Non-Biblical Precursors

The Character of Mesopotamian Primeval Texts and Traditions

The Limited Usefulness of the ‘Creation’ Category for Reading Gen 1–11

Literary Stages in the Formation of Gen 1–11

P, Non-P, and Models for their Relationship

Layers and Dating of the Pre-P Primeval History

Layers and Dating in the Priestly Levels of the Primeval History

Early Textual Transmission of Gen 1–11: The Three Major Traditions

Moving to Commentary

Genesis 1:1–2:3: The Seven Day Creation Account

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Genesis 1:1–2:3 as Priestly and Its Relations to Gen 2:4b–3:24

Separate Precursors to Gen 1:1–2:3: The Enuma Elish Epic and Psalm 104

The Question of Stratification within Gen 1:1–2:3 Itself

Synchronic Analysis

Overview of Gen 1:3–31

Commentary

Conclusion: Divergent Patterns Spanning Gen 1:1–2:3

Synthesis

Genesis 2:4–3:24: The Origins of Adult Human Life in the Garden of Eden

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Genesis 2:4a as a Conflational Superscription

Genesis 2:4b–3:24 (Gen 2–3) as a Pre-Priestly Creation Narrative

Non-Biblical (Mesopotamian) Precursors to Gen 2–3

Other Precursors to Gen 2–3

Synchronic Analysis

Overview

Commentary

Temporal Placement

Genesis 2:4b–17: Scene One in the Concentric Structure(cf. Scene Seven in 3:22–24)

Genesis 2:18–25: Scene Two in the Concentric Structure (cf. Scene Six, 3:14–21)

Genesis 3:1–5: Scene Three in the Concentric Structure(cf. Scene Five, 3:8–13)

Genesis 3:6–7: Scene Four, The Central Scene in the Concentric Structure

Genesis 3:8–13: Scene Five in the Concentric Structure(cf. Scene Three, 3:8–13)

Genesis 3:14–21: Scene Six in the Concentric Structure(cf. especially Scene Two, 2:18–25)

Genesis 3:22–24: Scene Seven in the Concentric Structure(cf. Scene One, 2:4b–17)

Conclusion to Synchronic Analysis of Gen 2:4b–3:24 (in its Pre-P Context)

Synthesis

Genesis 4:1–26: First Descendants of the Initial Human Couple

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Synchronic Analysis

Overview

Commentary

Genesis 4:1–5: Narrative Background—Part One of the Concentric Structure (cf. Part Five, 4:16)

Genesis 4:6–7: ’s Instruction—Part Two of the Concentric Structure (cf. Part Four, 4:9–15)

Genesis 4:8: The Central Crime—Part Three of the Concentric Structure

Genesis 4:9–15: Consequences for Cain—Part Four of the Concentric Structure (cf. Part Two, 4:6–7)

Genesis 4:16: Narrative conclusion—Part Five of the Concentric Structure (cf. Part One, 4:1–5)

Genesis 4:17–18

Genesis 4:19–24

Genesis 4:25–26

Conclusion to the Synchronic Analysis

Diachronic Analysis

Synthesis

Genesis 5:1–32: The Genealogical Line from Adam to Noah and his Sons

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Part One: P and Non-P in Gen 5 (and Relations to non-P in Gen 4)

Part Two: A Priestly Toledot Book Standing Behind (most of) Gen 5

Part Three: Links of the Toledot Book to (a Late Iteration of) the Sumerian King List Tradition

Part Four: Scribal Adaptations of the Chronological System

Conclusion to the Diachronic Prologue

Synchronic Analysis

Overview

Commentary

Synthesis

Genesis 6:1–4: The Marriages of Sons of God with Human Daughters and Their Effects

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Genesis 6:1–4 as a Part of the Pre-P Primeval History

Traditional Precursors to Gen 6:1–4

Conclusion to the Diachronic Prologue

Synchronic Analysis

Overview

Commentary

Conclusion to the Synchronic Analysis

Synthesis

Genesis 6:5–9:17; 9:28–29: Noah and the Flood

Notes on Text and Translation

Diachronic Prologue

Preliminary Source Analysis of Gen 6:5–9:17

Non-Biblical Precursors to the Noah and Flood Story

Synchronic Analysis

Commentary on the Non-Priestly Story of the Flood and Noah

Diachronic Conclusions on the Non-P Synchronic Level of the Flood Narrative

Commentary on the Priestly Story of Noah and the Flood

Diachronic Conclusions on the Priestly Synchronic Level of the Flood Narrative

Comments on the Present Combined P/non-P Noah-Flood Story

Synthesis