The Pentateuch: Exodus–Deuteronomy

Abstract

The PentateuchExodus–Deuteronomy Christopher T. Begg, Isaac M. Alderman, and Fred W. Guyette 1800. [Exodus] Pablo R. Andinach, “Encuetro entre la terra y el cielo en la liberación de los esclavos de Egipto,” RevCT 24 (2016) 41–65. A. reads the Book of Exodus as the presentation of a God who opens up a space that makes possible a meeting between himself and his people. This space is a privileged place to which one gains access by faith, whereby in times of oppression, anguish, and hopelessness [End Page 627] people turn to God as one who is solicitous of the needs of the poor and oppressed. Among the book’s key texts that serve to ground such a reading are those concerning the birth of Moses, the plagues of Egypt, the revelation of the divine name and its meaning, etc. Throughout the book, one notices God’s predilection for those who suffer oppression and put their faith in his liberating will. The approach to the book taken by A. favors a literary and symbolic reading of its narrative that seeks to explore the dynamics of the interactions among its characters and their function within the story’s unfolding. By way of conclusion, A. offers a synthesis of the biblical theology that emerges from his reading of Exodus. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1801. [Exodus] Siegbert Riecker, “Die Erkenntnisverheißung im Buch Exodus: Ein verunglückter Sprechakt?” JAJ 8 (2017) 26–41. The impact of the exodus tradition on ancient Judaism has been the subject of various investigations that, in turn, have led to further questions about the formative and normative force (J. Assmann) of the exodus narrative. Rather than focus on the effect of this force, R.’s article employs a speech-act analysis of the biblical text in order to shed light on the causation of this. With reference to the “theory of infelicities” associated with J. Austin and R. Grimes, R. addresses the question of why the promise of Pharaoh’s coming to know Yhwh in the Exodus account apparently does not find fulfillment in the book. Five possible points for a “happy” fulfillment can be identified. However, at each of these points, a particular form of infelicity surfaces: (1) Pharaoh’s confessions of guilt (hitch); (2) his release of the Israelites (flaw) and even (3) the outcry of his drowning army (non-play) do not give convincing evidence of the king’s having attained knowledge of Yhwh. Ultimately, it is not (4) the Egyptians (contagion) but rather (5) the Midianite Jethro (substitution) who is described as coming to know Yhwh. It is the tenth in the series of ten recognition formulas used in reference to non-Israelites in Exod 18:11 in connection with the figure of Jethro that seems to provide a fulfillment for the book’s promise of non-Israelites would come to knowledge of Yhwh. This finding has implications for the structure of the exodus narrative as well as for its intended effect on readers of each new generation. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1802. [Exod 1:15–22] Facundo Mela, fdp, “Propuesta de estructura y análisis de Ex 1,15–22,” RevistB 79 (2017) 75–87. M.’s article proposes and analyzes in detail a narrative structure for the account of the heroic midwives in Exod 1:15–22. On this basis, he then offers his reflections on the message that the structure proposed by him is intended to convey. [Adapted from published abstract—C.T.B.] 1803. [Exod 2:1–3:15] Zdzisław Pawłowski, “Bóg i tożsamość Mojżesza: Lektura narracyjna Exodus 2,1–3,15 [God and Moses’s Identity: A Narrative Reading of Exod 2:1–3:15],” BibAn 7 (2017) 187–205. This article provides a narrative reading of Exod 2:1–3:15, which P. envisages as a more appropriate approach to the text than the traditional historical-critical one with its focus on the text’s origin and literary evolution. The passage consists of a number of well-conceived episodes which serve to establish Moses’ multi-faceted identity...