Herbert Wolf - An Introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch

AN INTRODUCTION TO THE
OLD TESTAMENT
PENTATEUCH

HERBERT WOLF

M OODY P UBLISHERS
CHICAGO

1991 by
H ERBERT M. W OLF

All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced in any form without permission in writing from the publisher, except in the case of brief quotations embodied in critical articles or reviews.

All Scripture quotations, unless noted otherwise, are from the Holy Bible: New International Version. NIV. Copyright 1973, 1978, 1984 by International Bible Society. Used by permission of Zondervan. All rights reserved.

The use of selected references from various versions of the Bible in this publication does not necessarily imply publisher endorsement of the versions in their entirety.

Library of Congress Cataloguing in Publication Data

Wolf, Herbert M.
An introduction to the Old Testament Pentateuch / by Herbert M. Wolf.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references and index.
ISBN -10: 0-8024-4156-4
ISBN -13: 978-0-8024-4156-0
1. Bible. O.T. PentateuchIntroductions. I. Title.

BS1225.2.W655 1991
222.1061dc20

91-22824
CIP

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To my father and mother
Gottfried Hermann and Melanie Seyfert Wolf

A nyone who attempts to do justice to the words of Moses is facing a challenging assignment indeed. How can one adequately explain the wonders of creation or Gods miraculous dealings with the Israelites? From Genesis to Deuteronomy we are introduced to the person and work of the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob and to the marvelous potential of man created in His image but all too quickly expelled from Eden and overwhelmed by sin. The Pentateuch is the story of how God restored mankind, lovingly and graciously redeeming them out of sins slavery and raising up a people through whom He would touch the whole world. Although this book does deal with these tremendous themes, I realize that I have only begun to understand Moses teachings and their implications for our day and age.

During the years this manuscript was in preparation I have received help and encouragement from many quarters. The editorial staff of Moody Press has patiently worked with me and has seen this project through to the end, and I am particularly grateful for the strong support of Garry Knussman and Joe ODay. I wish to thank the administration of Wheaton College and Graduate School for a sabbatical leave that enabled me to concentrate solely upon this book.

As the individual chapters were finished, the secretaries of the Department of Biblical, Theological, and Archaeological Studies faithfully typed them into the computer, and I am indeed grateful to Janet Seaberg, Jayne Christianson, and Mary Lou McCurdy for all their help. Graduate assistants Peter Malvicini and Bill Pitkin have also contributed many hours of research and typing, without which the book could not have been completed. Similarly, I owe a great debt of gratitude to the students who over the years have taught me so much about these books through their perceptive comments in class and the papers that delved into many of the problem areas of the Pentateuch.

Finally I would like to thank my wife, Clara, for allowing me to spend several summers working on this manuscript when I could have been painting or otherwise contributing to the upkeep of house and home. Her understanding and love continue to be an inspiration to all of my work, and she has taught me to appreciate why the Lord said, It is not good for the man to be alone. But before I was united to my wife the Lord gave me two wonderful parents, who not only took me to church in infancy and put me under the teaching of Gods Word but also gave me an example of what a godly life was all about. To Gottfried Hermann and Melanie Seyfert Wolf I dedicate this book, thankful for their consistent walk with the Lord and for the way they impressed on me the commandments of the law about which I have tried to write (Deut. 6:7).

ABBREVIATIONS

T he abbreviations in this volume conform to those adopted by the Journal of Biblical Literature, with the following additions and exceptions.