Lesson 29

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IT WILL be our purpose in this lesson to show that the usage of the Divine names in Genesis is not a sufficient criterion for dividing the book into different documents, each of which had a different author. Since this lesson is somewhat involved and detailed, it may be used merely for reference by those students who so desire.

In Genesis there are 1534 verses. Of these some destructive critics say that the document J has 802 verses, the document P 343, and the document E 364. (Note: there may be minor variations among different men, but this is the average allotment of verses to each document.) At the present time destructive critics believe that J was written about 850—800 B. C.

E was written about 760 B. C.

P was written about 450 B, C.

If this is true, not only did Moses not write Genesis, but some parts of Genesis were not even written unto 450 B. C. The critics also say that P has a very distinct style, but that the two documents J and E are very similar and closely related.

We claim that the critics who attack the Bible have no right to divide up Old Testament books into documents merely upon the basis of the Divine names. There are other variations in the use of the names in the Old Testament which are almost as striking as the variations in the use of the Divine names. We shall study only one example, namely, the variations in the use of the names "Jacob" and "Israel."

In Genesis 32:28 the name Jacob is changed to Israel. This passage is said by the critics to belong to the document J. In Genesis 35:10 we again find the name changed, but this is said to be merely a parallel passage, and so the critics assign it to P. Now, if the critics are right, we should expect that from Genesis 32:1-32 to the end of the book the name ISRAEL would always occur in every section which they assign to J, and we should not expect to see the name JACOB anymore. But what do we find?

The document J uses the name Jacob, NOT Israel, thirteen times after Genesis 32:1-32, and it does not change to Israel until after Genesis 35:1-29 (which the critics say is P). But if this is P, then we should expect this document P to use the word Israel consistently from Genesis 35:1-29 to the end of the book. But, on the contrary, we DO NOT FIND THE NAME ISRAEL USED ONCE, but always the name Jacob. (Genesis 40:8 may possibly be an exception.) The student may examine these instances for himself. They are: Genesis 35:6, 9, 10, 15, 27, 29; 37:1-2. In Genesis 46:1-34 JACOB is used eleven times, in Genesis 47:1-31 seven times, in Genesis 48:1-22 once, and in Genesis 49:1-33 twice. It will well repay the student to think this through carefully. This one variation in the use of the names JACOB and ISRAEL is sufficient to show the utter fallacy of this whole elaborate attempt of the destructive critics to divide up Genesis into documents.

Let us now study these two names JEHOVAH and ELOHIM.

Neither JEHOVAH nor ELOHIM occurs at all in Genesis 23:1-20; 24:1-67; 36:1-43; 37:1-36; and 47:1-31, (Note: Jehovah in the King James version is translated LORD and Elohim is translated God.)

JEHOVAH does not occur at all in seventeen chapters of Genesis. These chapters are Gen. 1:1-31; 23:1-20; 33:1-20; 34:1-31; 35:1-29; 36:1-43; 371:36; 40:1-23; 41:1-57; 42:1-38; 43:1-34; 44:1-34; 45:1-28; 46:1-34; 47:1-31; 48:1-22; 50:1-26. The word occurs only ONCE in the last eleven chapters of Genesis, i.e., Genesis 49:18. It occurs only FIFTEEN times in the last TWENTY chapters of Genesis. (Three of these are in Genesis 38, and eight are in Genesis 39.) And yet the critics tell us that traces or passages of the document occur in EVERY ONE of these twenty chapters.

ELOHIM does not occur in sixteen chapters of Genesis. They are Gen. 10:1-32; 11:1-32; 12:1-20; 13:1-18; 14:1-24; 15:1-21; 16:1-16; 17:1-27; 23:1-20; 29:1-35; 34:1-31; 36:1-43; 37:1-36; 38:1-30; 47:1-31; 49:1-33. Yet we are told that passages belonging to the document P are found in eleven or twelve of these chapters. In answer to these facts, we are forced to say that the Divine names are NOT SUFFICIENT CRITERIA for dividing Genesis into documents.

It should be pointed out to the student that the distinction in the use of these names is most marked in the first four chapters of Genesis.

In Genesis 1:1—2:3 ELOHIM occurs 35 times. In Genesis 2:4—3:24 JEHOVAH ELOHIM occurs 20 times. In al! the remainder of the Pentateuch this phrase occurs only once (Exodus 9:30).

In Genesis 4:1-26 JEHOVAH is used alone, with two exceptions.

We believe that we have shown that there is no good reason for assuming that these variations in the use of the names must be accounted for by assigning to each name a different author. How, then, shall we account for these names? Why did Moses use Jehovah one time and Elohim another? There are several possible explanations:

a. There may be theological reasons for the variations. Thus, in Genesis 3:1 we find JEHOVAH. But the serpent does not use this sacred name; rather, he uses the name ELOHIM. "Hath God (Elohim) said?" not "Hath Jehovah said?" is the question which he asks.

b. It may be that the variations are due to literary form.

c. Perhaps they are used for the sake of variety or emphasis.

The analysis of Genesis into documents, based upon the use of the Divine names, simply chops up the book into meaningless pieces. For example, study Genesis 7:16 where both Jehovah and Elohim are used. Are we to suppose that this verse was really written by two different men, perhaps living some hundred years apart, and that later it was pieced together by a redactor or editor? This process simply renders Genesis meaningless.

Note also Genesis 17:1 which the critics say is a part of the P document. How, then, account for the word Jehovah in a P document? The critics say that the redactor who compiled all of these documents into the present book of Genesis is responsible for this phenomenon. Here we are met with another striking point, namely, when the critics get into difficulty, they call in the help of this imaginary redactor. Thus, in accord with the critical theory which is now being taught as the "ASSURED RESULTS" of scientific scholars, we have in the book of Genesis naught but a FRAUD.

We have studied this critical theory only as it is applied to the book of Genesis and only in the merest outline form. Recommended books will be given in the bibliography at the end of this course. But since this theory is being taught in practically all schools and colleges, and since it at least implies that our Lord was mistaken, and since it is the basis of the Modernist view of the Bible, we feel that it is necessary that the student see how utterly untenable a theory it is.

EXERCISES

When do the critics believe that J was written?
When do they believe that E was written?
When do they believe that P was written?
Do variations in the use of names occur in the Old Testament?
To what document is Genesis 32:28 said to belong?
What is described in this passage?
Should we expect the J passages to use the name Israel?
When do the J passages begin to use the name Israel?
What is described in Genesis 35:10?
To what document do the critics assign this passage?
Does the P document from Genesis 35 to 50 use the name Israel?
Are the Divine names sufficiently distributed throughout Genesis to form the basis for dividing the book into documents?
How many chapters have neither the word Jehovah nor Elohim?
In how many chapters does JEHOVAH not occur?
In how many chapters does ELOHIM not occur?
What possibly may explain the use of the variations of these names?

HYMNS FOR STUDY

No. 157: "The Spirit Breathes Upon The Word."

No. 151: "O Word of God Incarnate"

1 Cf. Lesson Twenty- eight.

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