Jehova, Jehova, Jehova!

Any Excuse for some Monty Python ;) (Deuteronomy of Gath??? Lol)

If you're late to the party:

1. DH Explained Part 1
2. DH Explained Part 2
3. The Flood Narrative
4. Summing Up The "Elohist"

Okay we've looked at various passages using the name Elohim and shown the seemingly similar vocabulary between them. We dealt with two "genres" - the narrative genres of creation and the flood and the genre of God blessing Adam, Noach and the Patriarchs (the latter appeared in the former)

Let's start by looking at how God talks to the patriarchs when using the name YHWH.

Important: This may or may not be meaningful (more study required) but the word adama for ground, is found 3 times in the passages using the name Elohim (Gen 1:25 6:20 9:2)

Compare this to a superficial sampling of corresponding genres using the name YHWH (parts of the creation story using the name YHWH, the parts of Noach using YHWH, and the blessings of the patriarchs using YHWH) you come up with 2:5, 2:6, 2:7, 2:9, 2:19, 6:1, 6:7, 7:4, 7:8, 7:23, 8:21, 12:3, 28:14, 28:15 - 14X

Important: The word anokhi to mean I (as opposed to regular old Ani) NEVER appears in a passage using the name Elohim. However using the same sampling as adama above. We come up with 7:4, 15:1, 15:2, 15:4, 16:14, 16:8, 28:15, 28:16 - 8X


A. Genesis 12:1-3 God Tells Avraham to leave Canaan

1. וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ, כֹּל מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה. - And the families of the earth will be blessed through you
2. The word אֲדָמָה for ground

B. Genesis 13:14-18 God Tells Avraham that he gets to keep Canaan

1. "All the land that you see"
2. וְשַׂמְתִּי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ, כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ "Like the dust of the earth" - Theme of "uncountable" offspring
3. Building of an altar subsequent to revelation
4. North, South, East, West (28:14)

C. Genesis 15 Brit Bein HaBetarim

1. Simile of stars and offspring - Theme of "uncountable" offspring
2. אנכי Anokhi - I (15:1, 15:2, 15:4)

D. Genesis 16 An Angel of God speaks to Hagar in the wilderness

1. וְלֹא יִסָּפֵר, מֵרֹב - they will not be counted from size - Theme of "uncountable" offspring

E. Genesis 26:1-5 God Tells Yitzchak to Stay in Canaan

1. וְהִרְבֵּיתִי אֶת-זַרְעֲךָ, כְּכוֹכְבֵי הַשָּׁמַיִם Simile of stars and offspring - Theme of "uncountable" offspring
2. וְהִתְבָּרְכוּ בְזַרְעֲךָ, כֹּל גּוֹיֵי הָאָרֶץ And the nations of the earth will be blessed through your offspring

F. Genesis 28:12-15

1. וְהָיָה זַרְעֲךָ כַּעֲפַר הָאָרֶץ "Like the dust of the earth" - Theme of "uncountable" offspring
2. יָמָּה וָקֵדְמָה וְצָפֹנָה וָנֶגְבָּה West, East, North, South
3. וְנִבְרְכוּ בְךָ כָּל-מִשְׁפְּחֹת הָאֲדָמָה, וּבְזַרְעֶךָ - And the families of the earth will be blessed through you and your offspring
4. אנוכי Anokhi - I (28:15)
5. The word adama for ground (28:14)
6. Building of an altar subsequent to revelation

AND notice that none of the distinct terminology found in "Elohist" passages appears in any of these passages.

It would appear that we have two types of Patriarchal blessings. Each type using it's own terminology and style yet both types essentially saying the same thing: "You get Canaan, you'll have a lotta kids, and I think you guys generally are pretty cool"

Any words, phrases, or ideas I'm missing?

The next logical step is to compare these passages with the name YHWH to the parts of the creation and flood narrative using the name YHWH. But another time.