The sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4 : analysis and history of exegesis
Author(s)
Bibliographic Information
The sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4 : analysis and history of exegesis
（Oudtestamentische studiën, v. 76）
Brill, 2019
- : hardback
Available at 4 libraries
Note
Bibliography: p. [297]-336
Includes indexes
Description and Table of Contents
Description
In The Sons of God in Genesis 6:1-4, Jaap Doedens offers an overview of the history of exegesis of the enigmatic text about the 'sons of God', the 'daughters of men', and the 'giants'. First, he analyzes the text of Gen 6:1-4. Subsequently, he tracks the different exegetical proposals from the earliest exegesis until those of modern times. He further provides the reader with an evaluation of the meaning of the expression 'sons of God' in the Old Testament and the Ancient Near East. In the last chapter, he concentrates on the message and function of Gen 6:1-4. This volume comprehensively gathers ancient and modern exegetical attempts, providing the means for an ongoing dialogue about this essentially complex and elusive passage.
Table of Contents
Contents
Acknowledgments
Abbreviations
1 Setting the Course: Introduction
1 From Boulder to Keystone to Stumbling Block
2 The Mainstream Solutions
3 Approach
2 A Quest for Meaning: Analyzing Genesis 6:1-4
1 Introduction
2 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:1
3 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:2
4 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:3
5 Lexical and Grammatical Analysis of Genesis 6:4
6 Content and Context: General Observations Relating to Genesis 6:1-4
7 Dramatis Personae: Provisional Conclusions Related to Genesis 6:1-4
3 Trodden Paths: History of Exegesis of the Expression 'Sons of God'
1 Introduction
2 The Ancient Versions
3 Philo of Alexandria
4 Flavius Josephus
5 Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha
6 Dead Sea Scrolls
7 Rabbinic Tradition
8 New Testament
9 The Church Fathers
10 Late Middle Ages and Reformation
11 Newer Exegesis
12 Conclusions to the History of Exegesis
4 At the Crossroads: Weighing Exegetical Solutions
1 Introduction
2 The Heavenly Category: 'Sons of God' Interpreted as Angels
3 The Social Category: 'Sons of God' Interpreted as Mighty-Ones
4 The Religious Category: 'Sons of God' Interpreted as Sethites
5 The Mythological Category: 'Sons of God' Interpreted as Divine Beings
6 Minor Variants and Combinations
7 Conclusions
5 Perspectives: The Functions of Genesis 6:1-4
1 Introduction
2 'Sons of God' and Biblical Monotheism
3 Genesis 6:1-4 and Myth in the Old Testament
4 Truth Claim and Functions of Genesis 6:1-4
5 Final Observations
Bibliography
Index of Ancient Sources
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