For Further Study

Genesis, for all its colorful stories and human interest, has inspired an explosion of provocative and exploratory treatments; see Bloom (1990), Rosenblatt and Horwitz (1995), Armstrong (1996), Visotzky (1996), Moyers (1996). Westermann's three-volume commentary (1984, 1985, 1986) is comprehensive and often technical; the general issues are distilled into one paperback (1992). Brueggemann (1982) is a theologically insightful commentary on Genesis.

Chapter 2 Bibliography. For translations and commentaries on the book of Genesis see Chapter 1 Bibliography.

Compare the accounts of God's covenant with Abraham in 13:14-17, 15:17-21, and 17:1-21. How are they alike and how are they different?
Define the term theophany. List the episodes where God appeared to people in the Ancestral Story. List the ways in which God appeared. Identify the typical ways God appeared to people in each of the three literary sources.
What changes did Abraham and Sarah undergo from the beginning of the Abraham cycle to the end? To what did Jacob's name change? Did Joseph's name change?
Trace the theme of blessing and curse through the Jacob cycle. What is the significance of blessing in the Ancestral Story as a whole?
What are the similarities among the stories about Sarah and the Pharaoh (12:14-20), Sarah and Abimelech (20:10-20), and Rebekah and Abimelech (26:6-11). How can we account for them?
How does the Joseph cycle differ from the preceding two cycles? How is it similar?
Which firstborn sons fail to inherit the richer divine promises, and which sons get them instead? Does the narrative provide a reason why they fail to inherit, or is the reason divine and/or patriarchal whim?

Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob are considered the fathers of the nation of Israel. In a way, telling their stories is telling the story of the Israelites. What episodes in the Ancestral Story reveals especially clearly the character of Israel? What episodes may have reinforced a northern Israelite identity? What episodes may have reinforced a southern Judean identity? How do we use stories to clarify our personal identities? Our national identities?
Which ancestral stories relate to the issue of faith in God? List some specific episodes that stand out in your mind that have to do with issues of belief, trust, and faith. What developments can you trace in the growth and quality of the ancestors' faith? What may the Ancestral Story as a whole say about the nature of faith and relationship to God?
What do the stories of the matriarchs reveal about the social roles of women in the ancestral period? How does the sociology of women in that time, in so far as you have been able to glean it from the texts, compare with your understanding of the role of women in society today?
Was Joseph malicious or justified in the way he treated his brothers in Egypt?
The main characters of the Ancestral Story, both male and female, are all strong and determined. How do you see the patriarchs and matriarchs as history creators in relation to the promises of God and his role in directing history?

ToC | Reading the Old Testament

. . . Chapter 2. Genesis 12-50 | ToC