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God Sees and God Rescues: the Motif of Affliction in Genesis

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God Sees and God Rescues: the Motif of Affliction in Genesis LIBERTY UNIVERSITY God Sees and God Rescues: The Motif of Affliction in Genesis A Thesis Presented to the Faculty of the Rawlings School of Divinity In Fulfillment of the Requirements for Thesis Defense RTCH 690 by Emily C. Page 29 June 2020 Contents Chapter 1: Introduction................................................................................................................1 Literature Review.................................................................................................................2 Methodology........................................................................................................................4 Chapter Divisions.................................................................................................................8 Limitations and Delimitations..............................................................................................9 Chapter 2: The Announcement of Affliction in Genesis 15.....................................................11 Introduction........................................................................................................................11 Exegesis of Genesis 15:1–6...............................................................................................11 Exegesis of Genesis 15:7–21.............................................................................................15 Analysis: The Purpose of the Pronouncement of Enslavement.........................................24 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................29 Chapter 3: Hagar: The Afflicted Foreigner..............................................................................30 Introduction........................................................................................................................30 Exegesis of Genesis 16:1–6...............................................................................................30 Exegesis of Genesis 16:7–16.............................................................................................39 Exegesis of Genesis 21:8–17.............................................................................................44 Analysis..............................................................................................................................49 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................56 Chapter 4: Jacob: The Afflicted Deceiver.................................................................................57 Introduction........................................................................................................................57 Textual Background to the Jacob-Laban Narrative...........................................................57 ii Exegesis of Genesis 29:1–30.............................................................................................59 Exegesis of Genesis 30:25–3:1..........................................................................................62 Exegesis of Genesis 31:2–21.............................................................................................65 Exegesis of Genesis 31:22–42...........................................................................................68 Exegesis of Genesis 31:43–55...........................................................................................73 The Aftermath of Jacob-Laban Narrative: Genesis 32–35................................................73 Analysis..............................................................................................................................79 Conclusion.........................................................................................................................85 Chapter 5: Leah: The Afflicted Matriarch................................................................................86 Introduction........................................................................................................................86 Textual Background to Leah’s Affliction..........................................................................86 Exegesis of Genesis 29:31–30:24......................................................................................88 The Aftermath of the Affliction Scene............................................................................100 Analysis............................................................................................................................101 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................107 Chapter 6: Dinah: The Voiceless Afflicted..............................................................................108 Introduction......................................................................................................................108 Textual Background to the Dinah’s Narrative.................................................................109 Exegesis of Genesis 34:1–31...........................................................................................109 Analysis............................................................................................................................121 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................126 Chapter 7: Joseph: The Model Afflicted.................................................................................128 Introduction......................................................................................................................128 iii Background to the Jacob Narrative..................................................................................128 Exegesis of Relevant Passages.........................................................................................129 Analysis............................................................................................................................134 Conclusion.......................................................................................................................138 Chapter 8: Conclusion: The Theology of the Affliction Motif...............................................139 Introduction......................................................................................................................139 Tracing the Affliction Motif in Genesis...........................................................................139 Similarities Among the Affliction Narratives..................................................................141 The Affliction Motif in Exodus.......................................................................................143 The Affliction Motif and the Themes of Genesis............................................................145 The Theology of the Affliction Motif..............................................................................147 Suggestions for Further Research....................................................................................148 Bibliography...............................................................................................................................149 iv Chapter 1: Introduction Until the 1980s, studies in Genesis largely depended on the theory of the Documentary Hypothesis, which asserts that the Pentateuch was woven together from three or four distinct sources.1 Such an understanding of Scripture implies that an intentional coherence across a single book does not exist. In the late 70s and early 80s, guided mainly by Robert Alter, the tables began to turn to studying the books of the Bible as unified literary works.2 The book of Genesis was quickly recognized as an exceptional example of literary and narrative art.3 In 1978, David Clines published one of the earliest attempts at stating an overarching theme and plot for the whole Pentateuch. His statement is as follows: The theme of the Pentateuch is the partial fulfilment—which implies also the partial non- fulfilment—of the promise or blessing of the patriarchs. The promise or blessing is both the divine initiative in a world where human initiatives always lead to disaster, and are an affirmation of the primal divine intentions for humanity.4 Clines’ assertion encouraged exploration of thematic plots in Old Testament (OT). Alter states, “The redactors had a strong and often subtle sense of thematic and literary strands.”5 Current studies in Genesis generally work from the assumption that themes and larger plots exist in 1 Robert Alter, Genesis (New York: W. W. Norton & Co., 1996), xl. This theory is also known as “JEDP theory.” 2 Tremper Longman III, Genesis, The Story of God Bible Commentary series (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2016), 9. 3 Ibid. 4 David J. A. Clines, The Theme of the Pentateuch (Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1978), 30; italics in original. 5 Alter, Genesis, xlii. 1 Genesis and the Pentateuch.6 While most studies in Genesis focus on the themes of seed, blessing, and land, this project traces the motif of affliction in Genesis that helps propel the in this project is defined as “undeserved ( עֳנִי) ”fulfillment of the covenant promises. “Affliction mistreatment inflicted by a person in power onto a victim subordinate to them.”7 The pattern of the affliction of the innocent contributes something additional to thematic Genesis studies: the promised
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