The God Of Abraham -- By: G. T. Manley

Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 14:1 (Apr 1964)
Article: The God Of Abraham
Author: G. T. Manley


The God Of Abraham

G. T. Manley1

ACCORDING TO GENESIS 12:8 Abram, when he reached Shechem, built an altar and ‘called upon the name of Yahweh’. Many of those who still uphold the documentary theory challenge this. On the basis of the analysis and of a special interpretation of Exodus 6:2f. they assert that the Patriarchs used el shaddai as the name of God, and that the name of Yahweh was not known before the time of Moses.

It is the purpose of this paper to give some reasons for thinking that the author of Genesis has the better of the argument.

We shall assume that Abraham was a real person, and that, as Albright says, ‘there is no reason to doubt the general accuracy of the biographical details and the sketches of personality which make the Patriarchs come alive’ in the book of Genesis.2

Let us consider first the contents of Genesis 1-11. The opening account of the creation bears little mark of date or of authorship. It is different, however, with Genesis 2:4-11:32. Here the Babylonian background is unmistakable. The early character of these chapters has been vindicated. Hence there is no escaping the conclusion that they represent the ancestral beliefs and traditions which Abraham brought with him from Ur, and which were passed down by him to his descendants (whatever changes may have been made since). This collection is divided into five sections, described as ‘the generations’ (tôldōt) of the heavens and the earth (2:4), of Adam (5:1), of Noah (6:9), of the sons of Noah (10:1), and of Shem (11:10).

Let us first examine the two which consist of lines of descent, namely the tôldōt of Adam and of Shem. These have some striking points of similarity and also some differences. First, there are some likenesses:—

  1. Both consist of ten links.
  2. Both give the age of each member when his son was born, and the number of years longer that he lived.
  3. Both end with the name of a father and three sons.

This likeness can scarcely be fortuitous. On the other hand:—

  1. The second li...
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