Tuesday is for the Old Testament. My intent in these Tuesday posts is to share some observations found from books about different parts of the Old Testament, the writings recognized by Israel, which Jesus said all spoke of him. As I read books, my habit is to write a chapter-by-chapter summary. Often in biblical commentaries, since Bible chapters themselves are relatively short but are grouped into larger chunks, the commentary chapters are rather long and irregularly sized. I won’t necessarily divide these posts by Bible chapter or by commentary chapters, but will divide them somewhere, somehow. Please observe that some of the opinions expressed by the commentator will be opposed to mine. Sometimes I will note that, but most often I will let the author speak.
Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch As Narrative Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
Introduction, “Interpreting the Pentateuch” pp. 1-79
Part A, “The Pentateuch Is a Book” pp. 1-3
Sailhamer’s intent in this segment is to point out that the Pentateuch is, by its nature, a single book presented in five parts. “The name ‘Pentateuch,’ which meant simply ‘five-part book,’ came into use in the second century A.D., apparently as a translation of the Hebrew expression ‘the five-fifths of the Law’” (Sailhamer 1992, 1-2). A footnote on p. 2 indicates that it is not clear when the notations of the five parts of the Pentateuch were first made. They may not have been present at the start but seem to be known to Philo.
Sailhamer views the Pentateuch as having one author. He emphasizes the idea, based on 2 Timothy 3:16, that the Bible has a divine author. He discusses the idea that the human authors were moved by God to write as they did. He does not, at this point, discuss more than this. However, he does bring out the literary element. “The biblical books are not hastily written documents or mere historical records. These books are carefully constructed works of literature” (Ibid., 3). He will attempt to be sensitive to the literary nature of the writings.
Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch As Narrative Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.
Introduction, “Interpreting the Pentateuch” pp. 1-79
Part A, “The Pentateuch Is a Book” pp. 1-3
Sailhamer’s intent in this segment is to point out that the Pentateuch is, by its nature, a single book presented in five parts. “The name ‘Pentateuch,’ which meant simply ‘five-part book,’ came into use in the second century A.D., apparently as a translation of the Hebrew expression ‘the five-fifths of the Law’” (Sailhamer 1992, 1-2). A footnote on p. 2 indicates that it is not clear when the notations of the five parts of the Pentateuch were first made. They may not have been present at the start but seem to be known to Philo.
Sailhamer views the Pentateuch as having one author. He emphasizes the idea, based on 2 Timothy 3:16, that the Bible has a divine author. He discusses the idea that the human authors were moved by God to write as they did. He does not, at this point, discuss more than this. However, he does bring out the literary element. “The biblical books are not hastily written documents or mere historical records. These books are carefully constructed works of literature” (Ibid., 3). He will attempt to be sensitive to the literary nature of the writings.
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