The Expositors Bible Commentary: Genesis Leviticus

Genesis Copyright 2008 by John H. Sailhamer

Exodus Copyright 2008 by Walter C. Kaiser Jr.
Leviticus Copyright 2008 by Richard S. Hess

Requests for information should be addressed to:

Zondervan, Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

The expositors Bible commentary / [general editors], Tremper Longman III and David E. Garland. Rev.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
IBSN 978-0-310-23082-3 (hardcover)
1. Bible. N.T. Commentaries. I. Longman, Tremper. II. Garland, David E.
BS2341.53.E96 2005
220.7 dc22 2005006281

This edition printed on acid-free paper.

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

Scripture quotations marked NASB are taken from the New American Standard Bible, Copyright 1960, 1962, 1963, 1968, 1971, 1972,
1973, 1975, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission.

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmi!ed in any form or by
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prior permission of the publisher.

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Printed in the United States of America

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 Contents
Contributors to Volume One . . . . . . . . . 6
Preface . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7
Abbreviations . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

Genesis . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 21
Exodus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 333
Leviticus . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 563

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 Text and Exposition
I. Introduction to the Patriarchs and the Sinaitic
Covenant (1:1 11:26)
Overview
We have suggested that chs. 1 11 form an intro-
duction to the book of Genesis, the Pentateuch as
a whole, the Primary History (Ge 1:1 2Ki 25:30),
and the OT as a whole (Tanak). We should read
these chapters with that purpose in mind. They
thus set the stage for the narratives of the patri-
archs (Ge 12 50) as well as provide the appropri-
ate context for understanding the central topic of
the Pentateuch: the Sinaitic covenant (Exodus
Deuteronomy); the Primary History: the Davidic
kingship and its future (Joshua 2 Kings); and the
OT canon: blessing to the nations through the
coming Davidic king.
Indeed a close reading of the early chapters of
Genesis suggests that the author of the Pentateuch
has thoughtfully selected and arranged the material
in Genesis 1 11 to serve as an introduction, at least
to the Pentateuch but perhaps also beyond that lit-
erary unit. Whether intended or not, the layout of
A. The Land and the Blessing (1:1 2:25)
Overview
A close look at the narrative style of the opening
chapters of Genesis suggests that the first two chap-
ters form a single unit of narrative. This unit has
three primary sections.The first section is 1:1, which
stands apart from the rest of ch. 1. The remaining
two sections are 1:2 2:3 and 2:4b 25. The head-
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Genesis 1 11 serves remarkably well as an intro-
duction to the Primary History and the whole of
the OT canon. The scope and magnitude of the
events in the Primary History and the words of the
prophets lose a good deal of their gravity if we read
them outside the range of Genesis 1 11.
Behind the present shape of these narratives lies
a clear theological program. In nearly every section
of the work, the authors theological interest can
be seen. His theological perspective might be sum-
marized in two points: (1) the author draws a line
connecting the God of the fathers and the God of
the Abrahamic and Sinaitic covenants with the God
who created the world; and (2) the author shows
that the call of the patriarchs and the Sinaitic cove-
nant have as their ultimate goal the reestablishment
of Gods original purpose in creation. In a word,
the biblical covenants are marked off as the way
forward to a new covenant and a new creation.
ing tledt (generations; NIV,the account of ) in
2:4a serves to connect these last two sections. Two
primary themes dominate the creation account:
the creation and preparation of the world and the
promise of divine blessing. In recounting the events
of creation, the author has selected and arranged
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 Genesis 1:1
the narrative so that these themes are merged into
a single theme given full development.
The twin theme of the creation and prepara-
tion of the world as the place of divine blessing
is important to the author of Genesis (and the
1.The God of Creation (1:1)
1
In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth.
Commentary
1 The account opens with a clear, concise state-
ment about the Creator and the creation. Its sim-
plicity belies the depth of its content. These seven
Hebrew words are the foundation of all that is to
follow in the Bible. The purpose of the statement
is threefold: to identify the Creator, to explain the
origin of the world, and to tie the work of God in
the past to the work of God in the future.
The Creator is identified in 1:1 as God, that
is, Elohim (,elohm). Although God is not further
identified in v.1 (cf. 15:7; Ex 20:2), the author appears
confident that there will be no mistaking God with
any other than the God of the patriarchs and the
God of the covenant at Sinai.The proper context for
understanding this verse, in other words, is the whole
of the book of Genesis and the Pentateuch. Already
in Genesis 2:4b, God (Elohim) is identified with the
Lord (Yahweh), the God who called Abraham (12:1)
and delivered Israel from Egypt (Ex 3:15).
From the perspective of the Pentateuch as a
whole, the God in Genesis 1:1 is the God who has
promised the patriarchs a good earth (,eres.) and
has redeemed them from Egypt. He is the shep-
herd ... deliverer of Jacobs blessing in 48:15 16.
The purpose of 1:1 is not to identify God as such,
but to identify him as the Creator of both the uni-
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Pentateuch) because both themes form the basis
for the treatment of the patriarchal narratives and
the Sinaitic covenant. Nothing is here by chance;
everything must be considered carefully, deliber-
ately, and precisely (von Rad, 45).
verse and the earth, which is the place of divine
blessing.
It is not difficult to detect a polemic against idol-
atry behind the words of 1:1. By identifying God
as the Creator, a crucial distinction is introduced
between the God of the patriarchs and the gods of
the nations gods that to the biblical authors were
mere idols. God alone created the heavens and the
earth. The sense of 1:1 is similar to the message
relayed to Jeremiah: Tell them this, Jeremiah said:
These gods, who did not make the heavens and the
earth, will perish from the earth and from under
the heavens (Jer 10:11). Also Psalm 96:5 shows that
the full impact of Genesis 1:1 was appreciated by later
biblical writers: For all the gods of the nations are
idols, but the LORD [Yahweh] made the heavens.
The statement in 1:1 not only identifies the
Creator, it also explains the origin of the world.
According to the sense of 1:1 (see Notes), the nar-
rative states that God created all that exists. As it
stands, the statement is an affirmation that God
alone is eternal and that everything else owes its
origin and existence to him. The influence of this
verse is reflected in the thoughts found throughout
the work of later biblical writers (e.g., Ps 33:6; Jn
1:3; Heb 11:3).
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 Genesis 1:1

Equally important in 1:1 is the meaning of the
phrase in the beginning (bere ,t), especially within
the framework of the creation account and the
book of Genesis. The term beginning (re ,t; GK
8040) in biblical Hebrew marks the starting period
of a measured frame of time, as in the beginning of
the year (re ,t haan; Dt 11:12). The conclusion
of that period is called the end (,ah. art; GK 344),
as in Deuteronomy 11:12: the end of the year (,ah.
a
rt an, lit. trans.; H.-P. Muller, THAT, 709). The
beginning denoted by re ,t is not a momentary
point of time but a time period.The length or dura-
tion of the period is not specified by the term.
In biblical texts that speak of a kings reign, the
first part of the reign is usually not counted as part
of the length of his reign. Hence, in calculating
the duration of a kings reign, only the years of his
reign after an initial period of time, a beginning
(re ,t), were counted. The duration of this period
was sometimes only a few months but sometimes
as long as several years. In either case, the reckoning
of a kings reign was preceded by a notation of an
initial duration of time called the beginning of his
reign (cf. Jer 28:1).
If we take into consideration the authors choice
of words for the beginning, the text appears to
be telling us in 1:1 that God created the universe
during an unspecified length of time. That indef-
inite period of time was followed by a single seven-
day week. By placing the creation of the universe
(heavens and earth) within the re ,t of Genesis
1:1, the writer refuses to identify the length of cre-
ation with the seven-day week that followed.
By commencing his history with a beginning
(re ,t), a word often paired with the end (,ah. art),
the author also prepares the way for the consum-
mation of that history at the end of time, ,ah. art.
Already in Genesis 1:1 the concept of the last
days fills the mind of the reader (Procksch, 425).
The growing focus within the biblical canon on
the last days (,ah. ar t hayyamm) is an appropriate
extension of the end (,ah. ar t) already anticipated
in the beginning (re ,t) of Genesis 1:1. The fun-
damental principle reflected in 1:1 and the pro-
phetic vision of the future times of the end in the
rest of Scripture is that the last things will be like
the first things (Ernst Boklen, Die Verwandtscht
der jdisch-christlichen mit der Parsischen Eschatolo-
gie [Gttingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1902],
136): Behold, I will create new heavens and a new
earth (Isa 65:17); Then I saw a new heaven and a
new earth (Rev 21:1). The allusions to Genesis 1
and 2 in Revelation 22 illustrate the role these early
chapters of Genesis played in shaping the form and
content of the scriptural vision of the future (,ah. art
hayyamm).

Note

1 As noted above, the Hebrew word tyviare (re ,t, GK 8040), beginning, refers to an extended but
unspecified duration of time. It is a period of time that precedes an extended series of time periods. It is
a time before time. In Job 8:7, for example, Jobs re ,t is the early part of his life, before his misfortunes
overtook him. During that time Job grew into full manhood, raised his family, and gained renown for his
wisdom and prosperity. Jobs re ,t was an unspecified but lengthy period in his life.
Within Genesis, the author uses the term re ,t for the early part of Nimrods kingdom, the beginning
[re ,t] of his kingdom was Babel ... (Ge 10:10 NASB). The NIV translates re ,t in that verse as the first
centers [re ,t] of his kingdom were Babylon, Erech, Akkad, and Calneh....

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 Genesis 1:1

No one knows for certain the origin of this system of reckoning, but we know it was practiced through-
out the ancient Near East. The writer of Genesis uses the same system of reckoning a seven-day week
and precedes it by an indefinite period of time he calls the beginning (re ,t). The general chronological
framework of the first chapter is illustrated in the following chart:

THE BEGINNING OF CREATION + ONE WEEK

THE BEGINNING + DAYS 1 2 3 4 5 6 7

On the basis of style and content, Wenham, 5, sets 1:1 2:3 apart from the following narratives (chs.
2:4 3:24) and makes it an overture to the whole work (v.1). This explanation, based as it is on a source-
critical conclusion (style and content), misses the point that in the final shape of the text Genesis 1:1ff. is
closely linked to what follows.
Wenham suggests that 2:1 3 is a chiastic inclusio to 1:1 by isolating the three expressions from 1:1
in 2:1 3, that is, heaven and earth (Ge 2:1), God (2:2), and created (2:3). If this were intended, we
might have expected the events of the seventh day (2:1 3) to repeat those of the first day (creation of
light) rather than what apparently preceded the first day in 1:1 2. Not only is the symmetry off, but also
the content of 2:1 3 does not closely parallel 1:1. The title phrase in 2:4a has more the kind of verbal
repetition from 1:1 that might be expected for an inclusio: heavens and earth, followed (chiastically) by
when they were created. (Wenham, 49, acknowledges this point.) As such, Wenham connects 2:4a with
2:4bff. rather than with the conclusion to 1:1ff., as do most commentaries.
Wenhams paralleling of days one through three and four through six overlooks the seventh day, which is
clearly the focus of the narrative. He acknowledges this and takes it to be a way of setting the seventh day
apart both formally and materially (rest vs. work). The parallel pattern, however, is not very well formed.
The second days creation of the sky parallels the creation of the birds on day five, but not the fish, which
seem to parallel the seas of water created on the third day.Yet day six does not have fish only land animals
and human beings. Thus:

Day 1 Light Day 4 Luminaries

Day 2 Sky Day 5 Birds
Day 3 Water Day 5 Fish, water creatures
Land Day 6 Animals and humans
Fruit trees Fruit trees, green shrubs

The interpretation given to v.1 rests on the traditional reading of tyviareB] (bere ,t) in the absolute state
rather than the construct state. A strong case, however, can be made for reading the phrase as a construct
and subordinating v.1 to vv.2 3: When God set about to create the heavens and the earth the world
being then a formless waste.... For a complete exploration of this issue, see the first edition of this Genesis
commentary (21 23).

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