Genesis as Dialogue: A Literary, Historical, & Theological CommentaryRecent years have seen a remarkable surge in interest in the book of Genesis-the first book of the Bible, and a foundational text of Western culture. This commentary aims to offer a complete and accessible overview of Genesis from literary, theological, and historical standpoints. The author's work is organized around three main ideas: the first is that the primary subject of Genesis is human existence-while full of historical echoes, it is primarily a sophisticated portrayal of the progress and pitfalls of human life. His second thesis is that Genesis' basic organizational unity is binary, or diptych: building on older insights that Genesis is somehow dialogical, he argues that the entire book is composed of diptychs-accounts which, like some paintings, consist of two parts or panels. Finally, Brodie contends that many of Genesis' sources still exist, and can be identified and verified. |
Contents
I The Text and Its Immediate Context GenesisKings The Primary History | 3 |
II Historical Background | 51 |
III Genesiss Content and Meaning | 87 |
COMMENTARY | 119 |
IV Beginnings | 121 |
V The Story of Abraham | 207 |
VI The Story of Jacob | 291 |
VII The Story of Joseph | 349 |
APPENDICES | 419 |
| 533 | |
| 563 | |
| 569 | |
Other editions - View all
Genesis As Dialogue: A Literary, Historical, and Theological Commentary Thomas L. Brodie Limited preview - 2001 |
Genesis As Dialogue: A Literary, Historical, and Theological Commentary Thomas L. Brodie Limited preview - 2001 |
Common terms and phrases
Abimelech Abraham Abram ancient apparently aspects Babel basic beginning betrothal biblical birth blessing brothers burial Cain Canaan chap chapter complementarity complex concerning conclusion context contrast covenant creation death dimension diptych diverse divine drama dream earth echoes Egypt Egyptian emphasis epic Epic of Gilgamesh epic poetry episode Esau especially evoking father flood story Fretheim further genealogy Genesis Genesis-Kings Genesis's God's Greek Hagar Hesiod historiography Hittites Homer human humankind indicated initial instance Introduction involves Isaac Ishmael Israel Jacob Japheth Joseph story journey Judah Kings Laban land later literary marriage narrative Noah Odysseus Odysseus's original Pentateuch Persian Persian empire Pharaoh picture portrayal Primary History promise prophets Rachel Rebekah reference relationship role Sarah Sarai scene second panel seems sense Seters Shechem Shem Sodom sons sources speaks structure table of nations Telemachus unity variation Westermann whole wife woman word writing Yhwh