while vv. 39–40 provide a conclusion.13 Verses 3–31 can be further subdivided into three smaller sections—vv. 3–7, 8–22, and 23–31—each of which makes its own contribution to the whole. Verses 3–7 give examples from the primeval history (Genesis 1–11), vv. 8–22 from the time of Abraham and the patriarchs (Genesis 12–50), and vv. 23–31 from the era that began with Moses and ended with the conquest (Exodus-Joshua). Since the primeval history sets the pattern for the whole, we will include vv. 3–7 with