Lexham Research Commentary

Genesis 1–11

Miles Custis

Douglas Mangum

Wendy Widder

Authors

Douglas Mangum

Volume and Series Editor

Jim LePage

Graphic Designer

Lexham Press, 2012

Preface

The variety of views in biblical studies presents a maze of complexity. There are often as many interpretations as interpreters. With the Lexham Research Commentaries, we start from the premise that the best solution is to provide a map of the maze. The series is designed to be a research tool. Each guide presents a wide range of interpretive issues raised by Bible scholars. These resources meet the needs of those studying the Bible in academic settings, but the broad scope of coverage also makes them useful for preaching preparation.

The research engages with critical biblical scholarship and explains scholarly interpretations. Undoubtedly you will agree with some interpretations, disagree with others, and encounter some for the first time. Whatever the case, these are issues you will run across. We’re here to guide you through this rough terrain.

Each volume in the series links to standard scholarly works on the Bible. The authors of the Lexham Research Commentaries have made no attempt to identify where particular interpretations fall along the theological or denominational spectrum. This is a mark of the diversity of biblical interpretation, not a mark of implicit endorsement by the guides’ authors. Interpreters from different theological perspectives often have conflicting views on the same texts. As you encounter these views, we urge you to keep the biblical text itself central to your study.

The Lexham Research Commentaries provide the information you need to reach your own conclusions. Our summary will explain the issue and the main options. The annotated links will point you to a variety of resources that engage the issue in more depth. If all you need is an overview, the guide alone will give you easy access to the essential information. If you need to research a passage in depth, we will point you to the most relevant discussions among the thousands of available resources in the Logos library. Research takes time. The Lexham Research Commentaries save time.

Introduction to Genesis 1–11

Message

At first glance Genesis 1–11 appears to be a random, loosely related collection of stories and lists. The rest of the ot focuses on God working through Israel, but in these chapters, God engages with the world on a broad scale. The characters and themes of Gen 1–11 seem to have little connection with Gen 12–50 or the Pentateuch as a whole. The stories aren’t essential for understanding the patriarchal narratives in the book. The events aren’t directly connected to the historical narratives, legal sections, psalms, or prophecies found in the rest of the ot.

Yet there is clearly a purpose for the placement of these chapters at the beginning of Genesis. In a literary sense, Gen 1–11 serves as a prequel to Genesis and the Pentateuch. Israel’s origin is placed within the ...