Page:Catholic Encyclopedia, volume 11.djvu/712

 PENTATEUCH

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PENTATEUCH

acmeron; it teaches the power and goodness of God as manifested in the creation of the world, and also the dependence of creatures on the dominion of the Creator.

(1) General Hisl07~y, ii, 4-xi, 26. — Man did not acknowledge his dependence on God. Hence, leaving the disobedient to their own devices, God chose one special family or one individual as the depositary of His Revelation.

(a) History of Heaven and Earth, ii, 4-iv, 26. — Here we have the stoi-y of the fall of our first parents, ii, 5-iii, 24; of the fratricide of Cain, iv, 1-16; the posterity of Cain and its eUmination, iv, 17-26.

(b) Historj- of Adam, v, 1-vi, 8. — The writer enu- merates the Sethites, another line of Adam's descend- ants, V, 1-32, but shows that they too became so corrupt that only one among them found favour be- fore CJod, vi, 1-8.

(c) History of Noe, vi, 9-ix, 29. — Neither the Del- uge which destroyed the whole human race excepting Noe's family, vi, 11-viii, 19, nor God's covenant with Noe and his sons, viii, 20-ix, 17, brought about the amendment of the human family, and only one of Noe's sons was chosen as the bearer of the Divine blessings, ix, 18-29.

(d) History of the Sons of Noe, x, 1-xi, 9. — The posterity of the non-chosen sons, x, 1-32, brought a new punishment on the human race by its pride, xi, 1-9.

(e) History of Sem, xi, 10-26. — The posterity of Sem is enumerated down to Thare the father of Abra- ham, in whose seed all the nations of the earth shall be blessed.

(2) Special History, xi, 27-1, 26. — Here the inspired writer describes the special Providence watching over Abraham and his offspring which developed in Egypt into a large nation. At the same time, he eliminates the sons of Abraham who were not children of God's promise. This teaches the Israelites that carnal de- scent from Abraham does not suffice to make them true sons of Abraham.

(a) Historj' of Thare, xi, 27-xxv, 11. — This section tells of the call of Abraham, his transmigration into Chanaan, his covenant with God, and His promises.

(b) History of Ismael, xxv, 12-18. — This section eUminates the tribes springing from Ismael.

(c) History of Isaac, xxv, 19-x.xxv, 29. — Here we have the history of Isaac's sons, Esau and Jacob.

(d) History of Esau, xxxvi, 1-xxxvii, 1. — The sa- cred writer gives a list of Esau's posterity; it does not belong to the number of the Chosen People.

(e) History of Jacob, xxxvii, 2-1, 26. — This final portion of Genesis tells of the fate of Jacob's family down to the death of the Patriarch and of Joseph.

^VTiat has been said shows a uniform plan in the structure of Genesis, which some scholars prefer to call "schematism", (i) The whole book is divided into ten sections, (ii) Each section is introduced by the same formula, (iii) The sections are arranged accord- ing to a definite plan, the history of the lateral genea- logical branches always preceding that of the cor- responding part of the main line, (iv) Within the sections, the introductorj' formula or the title is usually followed by a brief repetition of some prominent fea- ture of the preceding section, a fact duly noted and explained by as early a writer as Rhabanus Maurus ((Comment. "in Gen., II, xii; P. L., CVII, 531-2), but misconstrued by our recent critics into an argument for a diversity of sources, (v) The history of each Patriarch tells of the development of his family during his lifetime, while the account of his life varies be- tween a bare notice consisting of a few words or lines, and a more lengthy description, (vi) When the life of the Patriarch is given more in detail, the account usually ends in an almost uniform way, indicating the length of his life and his burial with his ancestors (of. ix, 29; xi, 32; xxv, 7; xxxv, 28; xlvii, 28). Such a

definite plan of the book shows that it was written with a definite end in view and according to precon- ceived arrangement. The critics attribute this to the final "redactor" of the Pentateuch who ailii])l('(l, ac- cording to their views, the genealogical framework and the "schematism" from tlic I'licstly Code. 'J'he value of these views will be disciis.sc'd luter; for the present, it suilices to know that a striking unity pre- vails throughout the Book of Genesis (cf. Kurtz, "Die Einheit der Genesis", Berhn, 1846; Dclattre, "Plan de la Gencse" in "Revue des quest, hist.", July, 1876; XX, pp. 5-43; Delattre, " Le plan de la Cienese et lea gdnijrations du ciel et de la terre" in "La science cath.", 15 Oct., 1891, V, pp. 978-89; de Broglie, "Etude sur les genealogies bibliques" in "Le oongres Bcientif. internat. des catholiques de 1888", Paris, 1889, I, pp. 94-101; Julian, "Etude critique sur la composition de la Gendse", Paris, 1888, pp. 232-50).

B. Exodus. — After the death of Joseph, Israel had grown into a people, and its history deals no longer with mere genealogies, but with the people's national and religious development. T'le various laws are given and promulgated as occasion required them; hence they are intimately connected with the history of the people, and the Pentateuchal books in which they are recorded are rightly numbered among the historical books of Scripture. Only the third book of the Pentateuch exhibits rather the features of a legal code. The Book of Exodus consists of a brief intro- duction and three main parts:

Introduclion, i, 1-7. — A brief summary of the his- tory of Jacob connects Genesis with Exodus, and serves at the same time as transition from the former to the latter.

(1) First Part, i, 8-xiii, 16. — It treats of the events preceding and preparing the exit of Israel from Egypt.

(a) Ex., i, 8-ii, 25: the Israelites are oppressed by the new Pharao "that knew not Joseph", but God prepares them a liberator in Moses.

(b) iii, 1-iv, 31. — Moses is called to free his people; his brother Aaron is given him as companion; their reception by the Israelites.

(c) V, 1-x, 29. — Pharao refuses to listen to Moses and Aaron; God renews his promises; genealogies of Moses and Aaron; the heart of Pharao is not moved by the first nine plagues.

(d) xi, 1-xiii, 16. — The tenth plague consists in the death of the first-born; Pharao dismisses the people; law of the annual celebration of the pasch in memory of the liberation from Egypt.

(2) Second Part, xiii, 17-xviii, 27. — Journey of Israel to Mt. Sinai and miracles preparing the people for the Sinaitic Law.

(a) xiii, 17-xv, 21. — The Israehtes, led and pro- tected by a pillar of cloud and fire, cross the Red Sea, but the persecuting J2gyptians perish in the waters.

(b) XV, 22-xvii, 16. — The route of Israel is passing through Sur, Mara, Elim, Sin, Raphidim. At Mara the bitter waters are made sweet ; in the Desert of Sin God sent quails and manna to the children of Israel; at Raphidim God gave them water from the rock, and defeated Amalec through the prayers of Moses.

(c) xviii, 1-27. — Jethro visits his kinsmen, and at his suggestion Moses institutes the judges of the people.

(3) Third Part, xix, 1-xl, 38.— Conclusion of the Sinaitic covenant and its renewal. Here Exodus assumes more the character of a legal code.

(a) xix, l-x,x, 21. — The people journey to Sinai,

f)repare for the coming legislation, receive the deca- ogue, and ask to have the future laws promulgated through Moses.

(b) XX, 22-xxiv, 8. — Moses promulgates certain laws together with promises for their observance, and confirms the covenant between God and the people with a sacrifice. The portion xx, 1-xxiii, 33, is also called the Book of the Covenant.