OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 1 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT BY William Henry Green OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 3 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT THE CANON by William Henry Green D.D., LL.D LATE PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL AND OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE IN PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY Quinta Press Weston Rhyn 2008 OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 4 Quinta Press Meadow View, Weston Rhyn, Oswestry, Shropshire, England, SY10 7RN General Introduction to the Old Testament first published by Charles Scribner in 1898. First Quinta Press edition 2008 Set in 10pt on 12 pt Bembo Standard ISBN 1 897856 xx x OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 5 BY THE SAME AUTHOR IN UNIFORM BINDING THE HIGHER CRITICISM OF THE PENTATEUCH. 8V0, $1.50 THE UNITY OF THE BOOK OF GENESIS. 8vo, $3.00 GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT THE CANON BY WILLIAM HENRY GREEN, D.D., LL.D. PROFESSOR OF ORIENTAL AND OLD TESTAMENT LITERATURE IN PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY LONDON JOHN MURRAY, ALBEMARLE STREET 1899 Copyright, 1898, by Charles Scribner’s Sons for the United States of America Printed by the Trow Directory Printing and Bookbinding Company, New York, USA. 5 OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 6 vii PREFACE ANY ONE who addresses himself to the study of the Old Testament will desire first to know something of its character. It comes to us as a collection of books which have been and still are esteemed peculiarly sacred. How did they come to be so regarded? Is it due simply to a veneration for antiquity? Is this a collection of the literature of ancient Israel, which later generations prized as a relic of early ages? Is it a body of Hebrew literature to which sanctity was attributed because of its being written in the sacred tongue? Is it a collection of the books containing the best thoughts of the most enlightened men of the Israelitish nation, embodying their religious faith and their conceptions of human duty? Or is it more than all this? Is it the record of a divine revelation, made through duly authorised and accredited messengers sent of God for this purpose? The first topic which is considered in this volume is accordingly that of the Canon of the Old Testament, which is here treated not theologically but historically. We meet at the outset two opposing views of the growth of the canon: one contained in the statements of the Old Testament itself, the other in the theories of modem critics, based upon the conception that these books gradually acquired a sacredness which did not at first belong to them, and which did not enter into viii the purpose for which they were written. This is tested on the one hand by the claims which the various writers make for themselves, and on the other by the regard shown for these books by those to whom they were originally given. The various arguments urged by critics in defence of their position that the 6 OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 7 proof reading draft–1 7 canon was not completed nor the collection made until several centuries after the time traditionally fixed and currently believed are considered; and reasons are given to show that it might have been and probably was collected by Ezra and Nehemiah or in their time. The question then arises as to the books of which the Old Testament properly consists. Can the books of which it was originally composed be certainly identified? And are they the same that are now in the Old Testament as we possess it, and neither more nor less? This is answered by tracing in succession the Old Testament as it was accepted by the Jews, as it was sanctioned by our Lord and the inspired writers of the New Testament, and as it has been received in the Christian Church from the beginning. The Apocrypha though declared to be canonical by the Council of Trent, and accepted as such by the Roman Catholic Church, are excluded from the canon by its history traced in the manner just suggested as well as by the character of their contents, which is incompatible with the idea of their authors being divinely inspired. PRINCETON, NJ, 3 October 1898. OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 8 8 general introduction to the old testament—the canon TABLE OF CONTENTS PAGE HISTORY OF INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT 1 Introduction, the term and the science modern; the early Christians, Origen, Augustin, Jerome, 1; Adrian, Eucherius, Cassiodorus; after the Reformation, Walther, Walton, Hobbes, Spinoza, Richard Simon, Carpzov, 2; Eichhorn, Jahn, Herbst, Welte, DeWette, 3; Hengstenberg, Hävernick, Horne; Keil, Kurtz, Nösgen, Bleek, Stähelin, 4; Reuss, Wellhausen, Kuenen; Strack, König; A Zahn, Rupprecht, Hoedemaker, Stosch; S Davidson, Robertson Smith, Driver; Douglas, Valpy French and his collaborators, 5. GENERAL INTRODUCTION TO THE OLD TESTAMENT 7 Introduction defined and limited; general and special; canon and text, 7, 8. THE CANON OF THE OLD TESTAMENT I THE CANON 9; Derivation and meaning of the word canon 9, 10. II TESTIMONY OF THE BIBLE IN REGARD TO THE FORMATION OF THE CANON 11 Directions by Moses respecting the law 11; thenceforth divinely authoritative 12, 13; addition by Joshua 19; Samuel 14; the law in the temple, other copies of the law 15, 16; books of the prophets also canonical, recapitulation 17,18. OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 9 proof reading draft–1 9 X III THE CRITICAL THEORY OF THE FORMATION OF THE CANON 19 Eichhorn admitted that the law was canonical from the time of Moses; this denied by more recent critics 19; Deuteronomy canonised under Josiah, the entire Pentateuch under Ezra as the first canon 20; a second canon of the prophets much later 21; the hagiographa, a third canon, later still 22; argued, 1, from late origin of certain books; 2, the threefold division of the canon, 23; 3, the Samaritan canon; 4, the Synagogue lessons, 24; 5, the law, or the law and the prophets, used to denote the whole Old Testament; 6, order of books in 2nd and 3rd divisions; 7, books disputed, 25. IV THE DETERMINING PRINCIPLE IN THE FORMATION OF THE CANON 26 Prime error of the critics, Ewald, Dillmann, 26, 27; Eichhorn, early national literature, 28; Hitzig, Hebrew literature, 29; religious character, Robertson Smith, 30, 31; claim made by the books of the Old Testament, 32; the law regarded from the first as a divine revelation, 33; so likewise the books of the prophets, 34; this not a theological speculation, but a historical fact, 35, 36. V THE COMPLETION OF THE CANON 87 Testimony of Josephus, 37; not merely his private opinion, 38; his mistake regarding the Persian kings, 39; he ascribes prophetic power to John Hyrcanus; critical allegations, presumption against OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 10 10 general introduction to the old testament—the canon them from the common belief of the Jewish nation, 40; Chronicles, no proof of late date from its genealogies, 41; Ezra and Nehemiah, the title King of Persia, 4244; Jaddua, Darius the Persian, 4548; the days of Nehemiah; Ezra 4:6–23,49,50; Ezra 7:1–10,51,52; long periods passed over in silence, 52; Ecclesiastes, governmental abuses, 53; its language and ideas, 54, 55; Esther, 55, 56; Daniel, statement of Delitzsch, 56; historical objections, a, put in the hagiographa, 57; b, not xi PAGE mentioned by the son of Sirach, 58; c, third year of Jehoiakim, 1:1; d, Chaldeans, a caste of wise men, 59; e, Belshazzar, king and son of Nebuchadnezzar, 60–65; f, Darius the Mede, 66; g, the books, 9:2; h, other indications of late date, 67; language of the book, 68–70; predictions of the remote future, 71,72; specific predictions do not end with Antiochus Epiphanes, 73; blends with Messiah’s reign as usual in prophecy, 74; the compromise attempted is futile, 75; genuine predictions admitted and traditional basis assumed, 76; Maccabean Psalms, 77; the statement of Josephus and the belief of the Jews not disproved, 78. VI THE THREEFOLD DIVISION OF THE CANON 79 The prologue to Ecclesiasticus 79; fourfold division of the Septuagint; the Hebrew division based, not on the character of the books, nor various grades of inspiration, but the official status of the writers, 80, 81; Dillmann’s objection; Moses Stuart, 82, 83; Ezra, Nehemiah, Chronicles, Daniel, 84–86; Lamentations, 87; Strack’s objections, 88; origin of the number 22, views of critics 89, 90; conclusion, 91, 92 OT Introduction.qxp:OT Introduction.Quark 5 12 2008 01:26 Page 11 proof reading draft–1 11 VII WHEN AND BY WHOM COLLECTED 93 Authority of the books not dependent on their collection; Elias Levita ascribed the collection to Ezra and the Great Synagogue, 93; the passage from Baba Bathra, 94, 95; theory of modern critics, 96; its mistakes corrected, 97; critics urge, 1, Ezra only bound the people to obey the law, 98; 2, Samaritans only acknowledge the Pentateuch, 99; 3, Scriptures read in the Synagogue, 100; 4, usage of terms ‘the law’ and ‘the law and the prophets’, 101, 102; 5, arguments based on certain critical conclusions: (1) discrepancies between Chronicles and Samuel or Kings; (2) composite character of Isaiah, 103, 104; (3) Zechariah 9, 14; (4) Daniel, 105; (5) books of prophets not canonical until prophecy had ceased, 106; it is alleged (1) that none of the k’thubhim were admitted until the second division was xii closed, 107; (2) late date of some books; (3) Chronicles preceded by Ezra and Nehemiah, 108; (4) additions to Esther and Daniel; canonisation not to be confounded with collection, Bellarmin, 109,110; prologue to Eccleslasticus, 111; attempts to weaken its force, 112; 2 Esdras 14:21ff, 113; 2 Maccabees 2:13, 114; 1, Ezra the scribe, 115; 2, needs of the period following the exile, 116; 3, private collections already existed; 4, all the sacred books then written; 5, the cessation of prophecy, 117, 118.