Form Criticism
Form criticism, which was pioneered by German scholar Hermann Gunkel, is a method that identifies and classifies smaller textual units and determines the social setting within which these units were originally used. In addition, one must also consider the theme, structure, and vocabulary of the textual unit to come to a greater understanding of its purpose. The focus of form criticism is on the repeated use of the text, not the particular events that led to its creation. I will focus on the triplet stories of Abraham and Isaac told in Gen 12, 20, and 26 in order to demonstrate how one can use form criticism to evaluate textual units.
Many common themes emerge among these three stories. One of these common themes is the promise of an heir to Abraham. One interpretation of the two versions of the story involving Abraham is that he did not have faith in God to fulfill his promise. Abraham lies in an attempt to save his life because he is fearful of his own life and inability to produce an heir. Abraham did this because he thought that if he did not produce an heir, then he was letting God down so he would do anything he could to produce an heir. The stories of Abraham and Isaac do not show any concern for the well-being of Sarah and Rebekah. By pretending to be the brother of their wives, Sarah and Rebekah, both Abraham and Isaac are opening up their wives to the possibility of marriage and sexual advancement from the respective rulers. This is not a concern of Abraham or Isaac, nor is it necessarily a concern of the authors. However, each of the stories makes careful mention that Sarah and Rebekah were not molested in any way. This further proves that God was acting in protection of his chosen line because he intervenes just before the point impurity.
Another common theme is deception. In Gen 12:10-20, Abraham tells his wife to say that she is his sister when they enter the land of Egypt. Similarly, in Gen 20:1-7, Abraham lies to Abimelech, saying of Sarah, “She is my sister.” Finally, in Gen 26:6-11, Isaac says the same thing to Abimelech that Abraham said to him in Gen 20. In all three cases, either Abraham or Isaac lies about his respective wife. The results of these lies are most interesting when considering these are biblical stories because nothing bad happens to Abraham or Isaac. In fact, they are actually blessed after their actions. This seems quite contradictory to what we typically find in the Bible. A common theme throughout Genesis that surfaces in all three tales is the conclusion that God is protecting his chosen line. We would expect to see Abraham and Isaac to be killed once the ruler in each story found out about the lie which is what they expected if it was discovered that Sarah and Rebekah were not their sisters.
The thought that God is protecting his chosen line, makes it is also noteworthy to examine the ways in which he intervenes in each story. In Gen 12:10-20, God strikes the Pharaoh’s house with the ten plagues. God did this because he did not want the Pharaoh to commit adultery with Sarah. This stopped Pharaoh from sinning and also made Abraham have to continue to try to continue his line on his own just like God had intended for. Although we are not told how Pharaoh knew that the plagues were related to Sarah, but we can assume that God led him to this conclusion. In Gen 20:1-7, God appears to Abimelech in a dream. “But God came to Abimelech in a dream one night and said to him, ‘You are about to die because of the woman you have taken, for she has a husband.’” He then confronts Abraham about the lie he has told. In Gen 26, God again intervenes more subtly. Here, Abimelech looks out his window and happens to see Isaac fondling Rebekah and realizes that she must be his wife and not his sister. In each story the ruler finds out about the lie in different ways, but the outcome is the same. In the stories of Abraham and Isaac, they are blessed and given gifts, backing up the idea that even when there is overwhelming reason to curse his chosen line, God will protect his people.
Another point of comparison between the three stories is the structure. All three stories have six distinct structural elements. The first element is of the stories of Abraham and Isaac is them entering a foreign land. In Gen 12, Abraham and Sarah enter Egypt; while in Gen 20 and 26 Abraham and Isaac enter Gerar. The second major component of the stories of Abraham and Isaac is them lying about their wives being their sister. This component is the one that most readers notice because it stands out the most. The third element is Sarah and Rebekah being taken by Pharaoh and Abimelech to be their wives. The fourth component is that each ruler finds out that Abraham and Isaac are married to Sarah and Rebekah, even though they find out differently in each case. A source critical approach would use this difference to attribute the three passages to different sources and probably claim they originated from the same story. The fifth element of each story is the ruler that punishes Abraham and Isaac for lying about their wives being their sister. Finally, the sixth component is good fortune being bestowed upon Abraham and Isaac. This component makes one think why God blessed Abraham and Isaac for lying about their wives rather than punishing them. These six major plot developments indicate that all three stories are following a similar structure and originated from an oral tradition that emphasized the same six elements of the story.
The vocabulary also leads one to believe that these stories are really one story told several times. For example, one of the Hebrew words for relative is sister. “The ancient traditions on which this story and the parallel ones in Gn 20, 1-18 and 26, 6-11 are based, probably come from the Hurrian custom of wife-sister marriage” (Collins 22). According to the Hurrians, a man had the option of “adopting” his wife as his sister to give her a higher status in society. This word for sister appears in all three versions of the story. This shows the relationship between the triplet stories by way of form criticism. Another word that appears in all three stories is “kill.” The stories of Abraham and Isaac are afraid for their lives and are sure that they are going to be killed if the rulers find out that Sarah and Rebekah are their wives. The central belief that the stories revolve around is thought to be wrong. It is confusing why the rulers change from being upset to respectful once Abraham and Isaac explain their intentions. It may be that the rulers think that they were clever in their deception, or it could possibly be God further protecting them from the possibility of the rulers’ harsh punishment. Regardless, Abraham and Isaac and Sarah and Rebekah remain unscathed throughout their ordeals in each story. Where we expect to see irony, Abraham and Isaac being killed for their deceit, we instead see generosity. This is in sharp contrast to the vocabulary of being killed that is used by each of the patriarchs. Form criticism focuses on the different sources of the Bible in order to help compare and contrast stories. This is proven because form criticism looks at the earlier units and traditions that the Pentateuchal sources adapted and incorporated into their narratives. “The critical analysis started from the peculiar use of the divine names in Genesis, and the most successful demonstration of its propriety and utility has been in Genesis” (Fullerton 22). Also, “form criticism recognizes that the Pentateuchal sources were not constructed out of nothing, as it were; they used preexisting traditions” (Coogan 47). For example, Gen 20 uses the ‘E’ source because it “combines elements found in the two very similar but distinct stories of the Yahwist source in Gn 12, 10-20 and 26, 6-11” (Collins 30). For Gen 26:6-11, “the Yahwist’s version of the wife-sister episode at Gerar; the Elohist’s version (Gn 20, 1-18) is connected with Abraham and Sarah” (Collins 38). This shows that these three stories in Genesis mostly use the ‘J’ and the ‘E’ accounts. The etiological narrative focuses on the origin of a name, geographical feature, or religious custom. The “etymological legend” is very similar to the etiological narrative. This is seen many times throughout the book of Genesis with the use of both ‘J’ and ‘E.’ This can be noticed with the shrine at Beer-sheba and also when Abram’s name is changed to Abraham. All of these things are explained within the part of the Bible that the stories are told. The sitz im leben, or situation in life, was first used by Hermann Gunkel in order to determine how an oral tradition or story may have been used in ancient life. Several possible uses for this triplet are told in Genesis. They very well could have been used to illustrate the foolishness of trying to intervene in God’s work. God promised protection and an heir for Abraham, yet he took measures of his own in an attempt to save his life. God then revealed their deception to the rulers to teach them a lesson. In essence, God was trying to saying that he did not need help with his plan. Abraham was supposed to carry on his line on his own, not by deceiving someone else to sleep with his wife. A second possible explanation of how the stories functioned was to show that God will always fulfill his promises. God continued to provide protection for Abraham and Isaac even after their deceitful actions. A third explanation is that God was actually protecting the rulers. Both the Pharaoh and Abimelech find out that they are about to commit a grave sin if they have sexual relations with Sarah and Rebekah. The proof of this is in the fact that God warns each of the rulers at the moment before they are going to sin. In Gen 20 the Lord reveals to Abimelech in a dream that he is about to sin and Abimelech claims innocence because he did not know. “God answered him in the dream: ‘Yes, I know you did it in good faith. In fact, it was I who kept you from sinning against me; that is why I did not let you touch her’” (Gen 20:6). The Lord goes on to say that he must return Sarah to Abraham and that if he does not do so he “will certainly die.” From the word of God himself it appears that he was acting in favor of Abimelech just as much, if not more, as he was acting in favor of Abraham/Sarah. Gunkel also studied the stories of Genesis as legends, not as history. History-writing, according to Gunkel, was more public, whereas legends were more private and personal. “Gunkel’s theory is that the older legends are brief because they represent the oral tradition of preliterate people and would have been told in ‘not much over half an hour’” (Linsley). “Gunkel identifies the following categories of legends: aetiological legends, ethnological legends, etymological legends, ceremonial legends, geological legends, and mixed legends. Aetiological legends explain something, like why the serpent crawls on his belly. Ethnological legends speak of tribal identity and claims, such as why the well at Beer-sheba belongs to Judah, not to Gerar. Etymological legends make a linguistic connection between the older and the newer. Ceremonial legends explain ceremonies and prohibitions, such as why Israel may not eat the thigh muscle. Geological legends explain how the landscape came to be a certain way. Mixed legends have elements of several legend types” (Linsley). All of these legends are types of form criticism found throughout different points of the Bible. A form critical analysis of the Pentateuch can reveal a great deal about pre-biblical tradition and the function of oral stories. Through an evaluation of Gen 12:10-20, 20:1-7, and 26:6-11 using the sitz im leben, theme, structure, and vocabulary, the purpose of the stories can be defined. Three possible interpretations of the purpose these stories served in biblical and pre-biblical times are, first, the foolishness of doubting God’s plan, second, God always fulfills his promises, or, lastly, God protects and guides his rulers. These explanations are not exhaustive, and it is likely that these stories actually served more than one, if not all of the purposes highlighted in this discussion. The New Testament is the best example of where form criticism can be used because that is when all the parables start.
You May Also Find These Documents Helpful
-
the author and Old Testament scholar John W. Oswalt begins with an introduction in which he presents the argument for the book. In this book, it is divided into two main sections: The Bible and Myth and The Bible and History. However, Oswalt puts emphases on myth and history. Oswalt addresses the Bible and myth, the Bible and history, the Old Testament, and the Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) myth all in ten chapters. However, revelation, myth, and history are the main topics of this book. Oswalt further discusses the differences between Scripture and myth; as well as the issues involved in the Bible’s relationship to history and historiography. Oswalt argues that while there are undoubtedly many surface comparisons among the Old Testament and…
- 209 Words
- 1 Page
Satisfactory Essays -
Genesis 25 is primarily written in prose, but God’s words to Rebekah in poetic form about her pregnancy emphasize the importance of what He is saying to her and the fate of her sons. The poem reads, “Two nations are in your womb, and two peoples born of you shall be divided; the one shall be stronger than the other, the elder shall serve the younger” (Gen. 25:23). God has foretold that the two brothers will have numerous descendants that are able to form two nations, but he does not explain why they will be in conflict. As is common in the Bible, the younger son achieves superiority over his elder brother. There is an odd choice of words in this poem though. By saying that Esau will “serve” Jacob it implies that he will forever be in his shadow, however they are separated for many years and Esau was never submissive toward Jacob. Nonetheless, God’s words to her about her sons could explain why Rebekah favored Jacob and why she helped him deceive Isaac. The favoritism Jacob and Esau’s parents show also has a great significance on how their lives will transpire.…
- 1113 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Carson, D. A., and Douglas J. Moo. An Introduction to the New Testament. 2d ed. Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 2005.…
- 1544 Words
- 7 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Genesis 38 tells the story of how Judah, one the twelve sons of Jacob, is deceived by his daughter-in law Tamar. Throughout the text, many themes are present including deceit, prostitution, anxiety, importance of law, and honor. This essay will analyze how the characters, their actions, and Judah’s pronouncement in Genesis 38:26 demonstrate these themes.…
- 644 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
Esau is the elder twin brother of Jacob and were the sons of Isaac and Rebekah. They were also the grandsons of Abraham and Sarah. The book of Genesis, “identifies Isaac as God’s chosen son of the promise as well as Isaac’s youngest son Jacob.” (Towns, 1996) The theme of dishonesty happens repeatedly through the course of Jacob’s life. Jacob deceives his father Isaac and took the blessing from under his Brother Esau’s nose. Jacob departed from his home to a town named Haran, which was his mother’s ancestral home. Jacob then married Leah and Rachael, which produce twelve children. God came to Jacob in a dream and revealed the angelic stairs, which was perceive as gate of heaven, in the eyes of Jacob. From that point on Jacob vowed that the Lord will be the God he serve. The book of Genesis is where this particular story is found. The author of the book of Genesis is Moses. The setting of this story takes place in Israel. The Abrahamic covenant included Jacob and his father and Jacob’s twelve son’s. The Abrahamic covenant was a treaty between Abraham and God. The promises, land, seed, and blessings were to be given to the descendants of Abraham.…
- 672 Words
- 3 Pages
Good Essays -
The first half of the book, “The Bible and Myth,” Oswalt takes the time to define what a myth is and what differentiates the Bible from a myth. The first chapter deals with the Bible in the framework of its backgrounds and its influence to humanity at large. The second half of the book, “The Bible and History,” look at several philosophical thoughts proposed by others that attempt to explain the Bible’s importance separate from historical authority.…
- 1067 Words
- 5 Pages
Good Essays -
Abraham reflects this idea of imitatio dei or emulation of God by setting a paradigm to be followed, one that is worthy of imitation (Levine). By striving to immolate a representative or prophet of God, Jews are helping themselves to greater immediacy with connection to God. They are drawing near to God by immolating his agents on earth. This reoccurring idea of being tested throughout Abraham’s journey, from rejecting the idolatry religion of his father Terach to undergoing painful circumcision at 99 years of age and so on, Abraham demonstrates that followers of God should do what they are asked especially if one is convicted by the existence of a perfect Creator. At the end of Genesis 11, the genealogy listed Abraham as the new hope for…
- 446 Words
- 2 Pages
Good Essays -
31. Redaction criticism tries to determine the particular intentions of New Testament authors by analyzing how they…
- 2456 Words
- 10 Pages
Good Essays -
LaSor, William Sanford, David Allan Hubbard, and Frederic William Bush. Old Testament Survey: the Message, Form, and Background of the Old Testament. 2 Sub ed. Grand Rapids, Mich.: Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Company, 1996.…
- 1997 Words
- 8 Pages
Powerful Essays -
In the Old Testament, Abraham and Moses were two very prominent leaders chosen by God to do his will. Throughout Genesis and Exodus, both men play important roles in fulfilling God's will. They are put to many tests, given covenants, and communicate constantly with God. Although they have many similarities such as being leaders and men of God, there are also many differences between the two.…
- 1302 Words
- 6 Pages
Good Essays -
He points out how the modern-day scholars are now comparing the Bible to other religious documents and considering it as just another mythical belief. Oswalt credits this world-view change to a study of similarities between the Bible and like Near Eastern writings rather than before when perhaps more interest was placed on viewing the differences. These studies are explained in the first half of this publication and sub-titled The Bible and Myth.…
- 9041 Words
- 25 Pages
Good Essays -
The biblical context of Genesis, divides it into two sections. Genesis 1-10 describes the creation story and the flood. Genesis 11-50 provides the genealogy of Abraham’s family, back to Noah, followed by the tradition of the earliest ancestors of Israel (Abraham, Isaac and Jacob known as the ‘Patriarchs’) wherein their faith is rooted and articulated (Brueggemann, 2003:43.) It is essentially a book of promises, a preface to the history of the Israel; identifying the nation of Israel and its God (Barton 2001:39).In Genesis 12 we see God choosing Abram, like Noah. A relationship ensues whereby Abram obediently follows God’s commands. God graciously acts in his life, providing him with a much wanted son and heir from his barren wife, Sarai. Abram pleases God who establishes covenants (God initiated agreements with man (Holdsworth 2005:59) with him, renaming him Abraham (and his wife Sarah); making them founders of the nation of Israel. The final chapter finds Jacob and his family in Egypt; precluding a central storyline the ‘Exodus’ ;the foundation of Jewish history and faith (Barton…
- 2399 Words
- 10 Pages
Powerful Essays -
Abraham not only did this once but twice. Another example Hauer and Young used was when he took Hagar as a concubine, to hurry the promised child of the covenant along. When God renamed Abram to Abraham (Genesis 17:5), he was changing his name to mean “father of many (Hauer and Young, 61).” Understandably, when Sarah doesn’t produce children for him, Abraham, as does Sarah, came to understand they must provide Abraham with a woman to produce him a child. Having this child was important on Abraham’s end of the covenant with God but doesn’t realize that God is to provide that child; it wasn’t up to the humans to determine when and who the child would be.…
- 1475 Words
- 6 Pages
Better Essays -
Abrahm lied telling one king that his beautiful wife Sarai was his sister, because he didn’t trust God to protect him. He was afraid they would kill him to take Sarai for themselves. (Genesis 12:10-20[->5]) Later Abrahm was Abraham and he told yet another king the same lie about his wife Sarah, again not trusting God to protect him. (Genesis 20[->6]) He told the same lie twice and both time failed to trust in God’s protection!…
- 2868 Words
- 12 Pages
Powerful Essays -
The first 39 books of the larger work called the Bible, is called the Old Testament. The Bible itself is arguably the best selling and most read book of all time, yet it’s well known to be quite challenging to read through and understand. The Old Testament portion of the Bible, notably the most difficult portion of the Bible for most to study and follow, yields 39 books from multiple authors, and spans over 4000 years of crucial world and church history. If that were not enough to take on, the Old Testament comes our way through multiple styles of authorship and formats, including but not limited to, books of history, law, proverbs, ethics, philosophy, treatises, dramas, songs, epics, biographies, and letters. There have been many books written and published to survey, explain, and/or bring to light the Old Testament, but none more helpful to me than the review subject of this paper, the work of Dr. Elmer L. Towns, entitled “A Journey Through the Old Testament”.…
- 2696 Words
- 11 Pages
Good Essays