500 Bible readings

Hebrew scriptures

The Yahwist saga

We are making the effort here to follow some sort of chronological order of composition  -  necessarily very rough  -  so the first block of readings is selected from the  J  saga.   But often we cannot avoid having some material from later writers or editors mixed in with the original text.
 

The Hebrew tradition did not develop a 'Fall' theology on the basis of this story.
 

J's picture of the heavenly realm is not far evolved from that of other Canaanite religion.
 

The confusions and duplications in the Flood stories are due to the efforts of much later priestly editors to get their own point of view across.   For example,  the priests didn't believe animal sacrifice was in order before there were priests,  so for them two of each animal was enough.   J  intended to have Noah offer sacrifices so,  as he saw it,  Noah needed to carry seven of each clean animal.
 

When Abram does a notable service Melchizedek pronounces a blessing in the name of God Most High.   Abram is scrupulous to accept blessing only from Yahweh,  and he sees this title as a reference to Yahweh.   Therefore he is able to accept the tenth of the booty that Melchizedek offers him.   The Hebrew is not specific,  but this is obviously the way the gift went.
 

This story is now a mixture of J and E.
 

Exodus

It seems that Israel actually emerged as a more or less distinct people over a couple of centuries,  as social conditions,  and perhaps technological advances in farming,  encouraged the migration of Canaanites from the territories of city-states to the highlands.   It may well be that one group that had had a bad experience in Egypt became part of the mix.
 

J implies that Yahweh chose Moses as liberator because of his two specific acts of siding with the oppressed.
 

The first 8 verses are mainly from J,  the rest from E.
 

The Elohist additions

It is clear that,  despite the early schism,  there were groups in Judah that had considerable respect for northern religion.   The Hebrew Bible in its final form,  as developed in Judah,  contains much material that can be traced back to the prophetic and scribal traditions of Israel.
 

Proverbs

The Song of Songs

Psalms

Amos

Hosea

Micah

This passage will be from a later hand.
 

Isaiah of Jerusalem

Isaiah was a Jerusalemite of some standing.   He argued not so much from the ancient Moses/exodus traditions as from the perspective of Jerusalem and the temple,  the dwelling-place of Yahweh.   He believed that Yahweh's patience with Judah was at an end and that punishment must come,  through the Assyrian power,  after which restoration would be possible.   The ancient tradition that Yahweh promised the throne in perpetuity to David's line (#109) remained in mind,  as did the thought that the holy city and temple would never be entirely forsaken by Yahweh.
 

In Isaiah's scheme of things,  restoration will come after Yahweh has used Assyria to punish Judah.   The renewal is here pictured as bringing a new Davidic king  -  just,  righteous,  mighty,  God-like.   (The NEB gives the more satisfactory translation.)   'Being born'  may refer to the moment when God adopts and acknowledges the king,  as in Psalm 2:7.
 

For an extraordinary J account of feasting with Yahweh see Exodus 24 9-11.
 

The Deuteronomist writings

There is another version in Exodus 20.
 

Concentrate everything on Jerusalem and the temple.
 

This story is 'getting at' the worship at the northern shrine of Bethel,  and is likely to be a Deuteronomist creation.
 

There was no walled city at Jericho at any time when these events could have happened.   Moreover,  The destruction of the city of Ai,  Joshua's supposed next target,  had taken place centuries before.   The 'history' recorded in the book of Joshua is particularly fanciful.
 

In the surrounding story Abimelech,  a worthless son of Gideon,  has had himself chosen king of Shechem,  after slaughterimg all but one of his brothers.   Jotham,  the survivor,  tells this story of the trees seeking a king.
 

Dan was the second of the two major sanctuaries set up by Jeroboam after Israel seceded from Judah.   The Deuteronomist scribe wants to give it a sordid origin.
 

The Deuteronomists were prepared to say nice things about Josiah,  but they had grave misgivings about kings in general.
 

Just for the record  -  in 2 Samuel 21:19 the slaying of Goliath is credited to Elhanan son of Jaareoregim.   It doesn't seem likely that Gath produced two Goliaths.
 

and sheds (crocodile?) tears.
 

It is not safe to assume that this is a kind of eye-witness account of David's doings.   Very likely someone at a later time grew a story intended to entertain,  or perhaps to instruct,  from a small seed of real information.
 

It helps to have the military on your side.
 

Verse 10 contains what is in fact a sexual boast,  rather delicately translated in most versions.
 

Elijah and Elisha

Jeremiah

When Josiah died in a confrontation with Egyptian forces his reform programme came to a halt.   Babylon was the growing threat,  and there were two factions amongst the Jerusalem elite,  one favouring resistance,  the other submission.   Jeremiah was in the second camp, which did not prevail.
 

The mockery of idol worship found in various places in the Hebrew scriptures is actually rather cheap.   Religions that use crafted objects to focus their awareness of the divine do not pretend that the image is itself their god.
 

Ezekiel

Lamentations

Second Isaiah

We would not expect a convinced Yahwist to show much insight into other faiths.
 

The question as to who Second Isaiah was thinking of is still open.   It was inevitable that Christians should apply this to Jesus,  though its primary reference must be in its proper context.   We should not distort our awareness of Jesus to make him agree with this text.   Jesus did not live only to fit an ancient scriptural formula.
 

The priestly revision

We are fortunate that in general the ancient editors and revisers had sufficient respect for the traditions they worked with to preserve them alongside their amendments.   It makes for some confusing narrative,  but it does help us to understand what was going on.

The creation account in Genesis 1  points to the heart of priestly belief.   God made a world in perfection,  and pronounced it good.   Humanity is the crown of creation,  made in God's image,  and the priests no doubt saw themselves as the crown of humanity.   The strict seven-day week which Genesis 1  enforces seems to have originated with them.
 

The balanced reference to male and female should not lead us to imagine that the priests built equality into their system.   They were of course thoroughly patriarchal in their outlook.
 

In the priestly creation account humanity is vegetarian.  Only now,  in the wake of the flood,  are they allowed to eat flesh.  The rainbow covenant is a priestly idea,  and it includes this new food provision.
 

The priests were as eager as anybody else to give their rules and regulations the authority that came with the revelation at Sinai.   Exodus 25 begins a long section of priestly legislation that continues through Leviticus and into Numbers.   Of course this particular extract is in reality a description of what the well-dressed high priest wore in the Persian period.
 

The whole chapter gives explicit rules about what sexual connections are permitted and what are not.   In particular,  homosexual relationships are forbidden.   You have to have a wooden approach to scripture to suppose that priestly opinion sets the rules for us now  -  coupled with some clever rationalizations to explain why you yourself don't,  in fact,  stick to all the biblical rules.
 

This story functions as an Aaronid (priestly) warning to Levites to keep to their proper station.
 

Ezra and Nehemiah

Ruth

Third Isaiah

In this vision of the just society God intends to establish,  the needs of children will be provided for and they will have the prospect of a good life.   The elderly will be honoured and cared for.   There will be work for people to do and they will enjoy the fruits of their labours.   They will not be exploited.
 

An elitist psalm,  with echoes of Genesis 1.
 

It may be that this psalm was composed to honour one of the Maccabean kings  -  who took the High Priesthood to themselves,  though they were not of the accepted priestly lineage.
 

A psalm that deserves to be better known.   It could well have been composed by a woman.
 

Job

There is not much in the book of Job that helps us to fix its date of composition.  It may have been written in the century or so after the exile.
 

Job's friends are getting impatient that he will not admit wrongdoing that would justify the level of his suffering as a punishment from God.   They are now prepared to tell him just what is wrong with him.
 

Finally God responds to Job  -  but in such a way as to make clear how inadequate Job's conception of God is.
 

Job's direct encounter with God  -  at last  -  suddenly shows him how inappropriate it is that a human should expect to fathom all God's reasons.   Somehow,  this 'answer' meets his need.   He now sees differently.   From this point we go back to the once-upon-a-time tale,  and Job's fortunes are restored.
 

Ecclesiastes

Some commentators regard bracketing sections of this book as being from different authors.   However it is possible to suppose that all is from one hand,  with the apparent divisions a literary device.
 

We have been given a sense of time past and future (v.11) but no insight into why things work out as they do.
 

Don't play games with God.   Don't be surprised at the oppression of the poor,  or the corruption of bureaucrats.   Don't just hoard money for its own sake.
 

This is not a standard summons to the religious life.   What you need to be aware of is that God will inevitably call back the breath loaned to you.   The injunction is to remember your death,  and therefore to make what you can of whatever is given to you.   The obscure imagery seems to relate mainly to elements of funeral rites.   What is offered is a prevision of one's own death.
 

Jonah

Esther

Daniel

The heroes thrive on a vegetable diet,  not because it is good for them,  but through a miracle of God.
 

(compiled by Evan R. Lewis)

>>>   Home Page

>>>   Site Index