Genesis 1-15, Volume 1

Gordon John Wenham, David Allen Hubbard, Glenn W. Barker, John D. W. Watts, Ralph P. Martin, David Allen Hubbard, Glenn W. Barker, John D. W. Watts, Ralph P. Martin

• Publisher: Zondervan Academic
• Year: 2017
• eBook ISBN:
  9780310585855
• Print ISBN:
  9780310521761
• Subtopic: Biblical Criticism & Interpretation

Over 2 million copies sold in The Word Biblical Commentary series.

This commentary series delivers the best in biblical scholarship from the leading scholars of our day who share a commitment to Scripture as divine revelation.

It emphasizes a thorough analysis of textual, linguistic, structural, and theological evidence, resulting in judicious and balanced insight into the meanings of the text in the framework of biblical theology. These widely acclaimed commentaries serve as exceptional resources for the professional theologian and instructor, the seminary or university student, the working minister, and everyone concerned with building theological understanding from a solid base of biblical scholarship.

Overview of Commentary Organization:

• Introduction—covers issues pertaining to the whole book, including context, date, authorship, composition, interpretive issues, purpose, and theology.
• Pericope Bibliography—a helpful resource containing the most important works that pertain to each particular pericope.
• Translation—the author’s own translation of the biblical text, reflecting the end result of exegesis and attending to Hebrew and Greek idiomatic usage of words, phrases, and tenses, yet in reasonably good English.
• Notes—the author’s notes to the translation that address any textual variants, grammatical forms, syntactical constructions, basic meanings of words, and problems of translation.
• Form/Structure/Setting—a discussion of redaction, genre, sources, and tradition as they concern the origin of the pericope, its canonical form, and its relation to the biblical and extra-biblical contexts in order to illuminate the structure and character of the pericope. Rhetorical or compositional features important to understanding the passage are also introduced here.
• Comment—verse-by-verse interpretation of the text and dialogue with other interpreters, engaging with current opinion and scholarly research.
• Explanation—brings together all the results of the discussion in previous sections to expose the meaning and intention of the text at several levels: (1) within the context of the book itself; (2) its meaning in the OT or NT; (3) its place in the entire canon; (4) theological relevance to broader OT or NT issues.
• General Bibliography—occurring at the end of each volume, this extensive bibliography contains all sources used anywhere in the commentary.

In the Beginning (1:1–2:3)

Bibliography

(See also the Main Bibliography and the Genesis 1–11 bibliography.)

Anderson, B. W. “A Stylistic Study of the Priestly Creation Story.” In Canon and Authority, ed. G. W. Coats and B. W. Long. Philadelphia: Fortress Press, 1977. 148–62. ———. Creation in the OT. Philadelphia: Fortress, 1984. Auzou, G. Au commencement Dieu créa la monde. Paris: Editions du Cerf, 1973. Bauer, B. “Der priesterliche Schöpfungshymnus in Gen 1.” TZ 20 (1964) 1–9. Beauchamp, P. Création et séparation. Paris: Desclée, 1969. Beyer, K. “Althebräische Syntax in Prosa und Poesie.” In Tradition und Glaube, K. G. Kuhn FS, ed. G. Jeremias, H. W. Kuhn, and H. Stegemann. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1971. 76–96. Blenkinsopp, J. “The Structure of P.” CBQ 38 (1976) 275–92. Cook, J. “Gen 1 in the Septuagint as an Example of the Problem: Text and Tradition.” JNSL 10 (1982) 25–36. Cross, F. M. “The ‘Olden Gods’ in Ancient Near Eastern Creation Myths.” In Magnalia Dei: The Mighty Acts of God. Essays on the Bible and Archaeology in Memory of G. E. Wright, ed. F. M. Cross, W. E. Lemke, and P. D. Miller. Garden City: Doubleday, 1976. 329–38. Dantinne, E. “Création et séparation.” Le Muséon 74 (1961) 441–51. Day, J. God’s Conflict with the Dragon and the Sea. Cambridge: CUP, 1985. Doukhan, J. The Literary Structure of the Genesis Creation Story. Ph.D. Diss.: Andrews University, 1978. Fisher, L. R. “Creation at Ugarit and in the Old Testament.” VT 15 (1965) 313–24. Garbini, G. “The Creation of Light in the First Chapter of Genesis.” PWCJS 5 (1971) 1–4. Gordon, C. H. “Build-Up and Climax.” In Studies in Bible and the Ancient Near East Presented to S. E. Loewenstamm, ed. Y. Avishur and J. Blau. Jerusalem: Rubinstein, 1978. 29–34. Hasel, G. F. “The Significance of the Cosmology in Gen 1 in Relation to Ancient Near Eastern Parallels.” AUSS 10 (1972) 1–20. ———. “The Polemic Nature of the Genesis Cosmology.” EvQ 46 (1974) 81–102. Heidel, A. The Babylonian Genesis. 2d ed. Chicago: University Press, 1954. Hermant, D. “Analyse littéraire du premier récit de la création.” VT 15 (1965) 437–51. Herrmann, S. “Die Naturlehre des Schöpfungsberichtes.” TLZ 86 (1961) 413–24. Holwerda, D. “The Historicity of Genesis 1–3.” Reformed Journal 17.8 (1967) 11–15. Kapelrud, A. S. “The Mythological Features in Genesis 1 and the Author’s Intentions.” VT 24 (1974) 178–86. Koole, J. L. “Het Litterair Genre van Genesis 1–3.” GTT 63 (1963) 81–122. Kselman, J. S. “The Recovery of Poetic Fragments from the Pentateuchal Priestly Source.” JBL 97 (1978) 161–73. Landes, G. M. “Creation Tradition in Prov 8:22–31 and Gen 1.” In A Light unto My Path: Old Testament Studies in Honor of J. M. Myers, ed. H. N. Bream, R. D. Heim, and C. A. Moore. Philadelphia: Temple UP, 1974. 279–93. Lane, W. R. “The Initiation of Creation.” VT 13 (1963) 63–73. Lella, A. A. di. “Gen 1:1–10: A Formal Introduction to P’s Creation Account.” In Mélanges bibliques et orientaux en l’honneur de M. Delcor, ed. A. Caquot, S. Légasse, and M. Tardieu. AOAT 215. Kevelaer: Butzon and Bercker, 1985. 127–37. Loader, J. A. “Onqelos Gen 1 and the Structure of the Hebrew Text.” JSJ 9 (1978) 198–204. Loewenstamm, S. E. “The Seven-Day-Unit in Ugaritic Epic Literature.” IEJ. 15 (1965) 122–33. Loretz, O. “Wortbericht-Vorlage und Tatbericht-Interpretation im Schöpfungsbericht Gen 1:1–2:4a.” UF 7 (1975) 279–87. Lubsczyk, H. “Wortschöpfung und Tatschöpfung.” BibLeb 6 (1965) 191–208. Nielsen, E. “Creation and the Fall of Man.” HUCA 43 (1972) 1–22. Pasinya, L. M. “Le cadre littéraire de Gen 1.” Bib 57 (1976) 225–41. Payne, D. F. Genesis 1 Reconsidered. London: Tyndale, 1964. Ricoeur, P. “Sur l’exégèse de Gen 1:1–2:4a.” In Exégèse et herméneutique, ed. R. Barthes. Paris: de Seuil, 1971.67–84. Sailhammer, J. “Exegetical Notes: Gen 1:1–2:4a.” TJ 5 (1984) 73–82. Schmid, H. “Die ‘Mutter-Erde’ in der Schöpfungsgeschichte der Priesterschrift.” Judaica 22 (1966) 237–43. Schmidt, W. H. Die Schöpfungsgeschichte der Priesterschrift. 2d ed. WMANT 17. Neukirchen: Neukirchener Verlag, 1967. Siegwalt, G “L’actualité de Gen 1.” RHPR 59 (1979) 319–25. Ska, J. L. “Séparation des eaux de la terre ferme dans le récit sacerdotal.” NRT 103 (1981) 512–32. Southwell, P. J. M. “Gen 1 Is a Wisdom Story.” Studia Evangelica. Texte und Untersuchungen 126 (1982) 467–82. Steck, O. H. Der Schöpfungsbericht der Priesterschrift. Göttingen: Vandenhoeck und Ruprecht, 1975. Ultvedt, A. W. “Genesis 1 og dens litteraere kilder.” NorTT 81 (1980) 37–54. Weinfeld, M. “God the Creator in Genesis 1 and in the Prophecy of Second Isaiah.” (Heb.) Tarbiz 37 (1967/68) 105–32. ———. “Sabbath, Temple and the Enthronement of the LORD—The Problem of the Sitz im Leben of Genesis 1:1–2:3.” Mélanges bibliques et orientaux en l’honneur de M. Henri Cazelles, ed. A. Caquot and M. Delcor. AOAT 212. Kevelaer: Verlag Butzon und Bercker, 1981. 501–12. Wifall, W. “God’s Accession Year According to P.” Bib 62 (1981) 527–34. Wyatt, N. “Killing and Cosmogony in Canaanite and Biblical Thought.” UF 17 (1986) 375–81. Young, E. J. “The Days of Genesis.” WTJ 25 (1962/63) 1–34, 143–71. Zimmerli, W. “Der Mensch im Rahmen der Natur nach den Aussagen des ersten biblischen Schöpfungsberichtes.” ZTK 59 (1979) 139–58.

Translation

1Ina the bbeginning God created the heaven and the earth.

2Now the earth was total chaos,b and darkness covered the deep and the Wind of God hoveredc over the waters.a 3Then God said, “Let there bea light,” and there wasb light. 4And God sawa that the lightb was good, and God made a divisionc between the light and the darkness. 5Goda called the light day and the darkness he called night,a There was evening and morning, a firstb day.

6Then God said, “Let there be a firmament in the midst of the waters and let there be a dividera between the waters.” 7So God madea the firmament, and he divided the waters under the firmament from the waters above the firmamentb and it was so.b 8God called the firmament heaven,a There was evening and morning, a second day.

9Then God said, “Let the waters under the heaven gathera in one placeb and let the dry land appear.”c And it was so.d 10Goda called the dry land earth and the gathering of the waters he called seas.a And God saw that it was good. 11Then God said, “Let the earth make itself greena with grass, with seed-bearingb plants, withc fruit trees bearing fruit according to their types with their seed in them on the earth.” And it was so. 12So the earth produceda grass, seed-bearing plants according to their types, fruit trees with their seed in them according to their types. And God saw th...

Table of contents

• Cover
• Title Page
• Copyright Page
• Table of Contents
• Author’s Preface
• Editorial Preface
• Abbreviations
• Main Bibliography
• Introduction
• In the Beginning (1:1–2:3)
• The Garden of Eden (2:4–3:24)
• The First Human Family (4:1–26)
• Adam’s Family Tree (5:1–32)
• Spirit-Human Marriages and Their Aftermath (6:1–8)
• The Story of Noah (6:9–9:29)
• From Flood to Babel (10:1–11:9)
• The Family History of Shem (11:10–26)
• Patriarchal History (12–50)
• The Story of Abraham (11:27–25:11)
• Indexes