THE ALLEGED DISCONTINUITIES IN THE TEXT
OF THE BOOK OF EXODUS 1–18
cont
- THE CALL OF MOSES: Exo 3–4 and Exo 6,2–8
- two descriptions of the only one event?
- two consecutive events?
- DID THE GOD WANT TO KILL MOSES? – Exo 4,24–26.
24 On the journey, at a place where they spent the night, the Lord came upon Moses and would have killed him. 25 But Zipporah took a piece of flint and cut off her son’s foreskin and, touching his person, she said, “You are a spouse of blood to me.” 26 Then God let Moses go. At that time she said, “A spouse of blood,” in regard to the circumcision.
Biblicists and editors in whose judgement there are two descriptions of the only one event:
J. Frankowski, S. Łach (in both editions of his translation of The Book of Exodus [1]), Biblia Poznańska [2], Die Heilige Schrift des Alten Bundes [3], The Jerusalem Bible [4], J. F. Craghan [5], R.J. Clifford [6], A. Spreafico [7], J. Plastaras [8], J. L. McKenzie [9], Cz. Jakubiec [10].
Biblicists and editors in whose judgement there are two consecutive events:
S. Styś [11] (6,2–7,13: Powtórne posłannictwo Mojżesza – The second mission of Moses), Das Alte Testament [12] (5,20–6,13: Klage des Mose und Verheißung Gottes – The Moses’ complaint and the God’s promise), The New American Bible [13] (5,22–6,13: Renewal of God’s Promise), La Bible (6,2–13: Dieu promet à Moïse de délivrer Israël – God promises Moses to liberate Israel), J. Blenkinsopp [14].
[1] S. Łach,
Księga Wyjścia. Wstęp – przekład z oryginału – komentarz, Poznań 1964 and
Księga Wyjścia in
Biblia Tysiąclecia (1965). See also footnote to Exo 6,2–7,13 in the first edition (p. 117).
[2] Pismo Święte Starego i Nowego Testamentu w przekładzie z języków oryginalnych ze wstępami i komentarzami. Opracował zespół tłumaczy pod redakcją ks. M. Petera (Stary Testament), ks. M. Wolniewicza (Nowy Testament), 3rd edition, Poznań 1991 – cf. footnote to Exo 6,2.
[3] 6,2–13:
Neuer Bericht über die Berufung des Mose (
the new relation about the call of Moses).
[4] 6,1–13: Another account of the call of Moses.
[5] Cf. J. F. Craghan,
Księga Wyjścia, [in:] W. R. Farmer (red.); S. McEvenue, A. J. Levoratti, D. L. Dungan (joint editors); W. Chrostowski (red. nauk. wyd. polskiego), T. Mieszkowski, P. Pachciarek (joint editors),
Międzynarodowy komentarz do Pisma Świętego: komentarz katolicki i ekumeniczny na XXI wiek, Warszawa 2000, 314, 331.
[6] Cf. R. J. Clifford,
Księga Wyjścia, [in:] R. E. Brown, J. A. Fitzmyer, R. E. Murphy (red.), W. Chrostowski (red. nauk. wyd. polskiego),
Katolicki komentarz biblijny, translated by K. Bardski and others, Warszawa 2001, 77: Biblicist sees the resemblance in the analogous beginning (the revelation of the name JHWH: 3,14–15 and 6,2–8) and end (God gives the promise: 6,1 and 7,3–5) and in the analogous content: from the call of Moses (3,1ff and 6,2ff) to the first his confrontation with Pharaoh (5,1–6,1 and 7,8–13); he finds the existence of differences as result of the more compact construction of the second description.
[7] Cf. A. Spreafico,
Księga Wyjścia, translated by J. Dembska, red. nauk. T. M. Dąbek, Kraków 1998, 53.
[8] Cf. J. Plastaras,
Il Dio dell’Esodo, Torino 1976, 28–72: Exo 2,23–4,31 and Exo 6,2–7,13. Cf. also B. Poniży,
Motyw Wyjścia w Biblii: od historii do teologii, Poznań 2001, 19.
[9] Cf. J. L. McKenzie,
Dictionary of the Bible, London – Dublin 1965, 257–258 (
Exodus, Book of).
[10] Cf. Cz. Jakubiec,
Stare i Nowe Przymierze. Biblia i Ewangelia, Warszawa 1961, 66.
[11] Pismo Święte Starego Testamentu w przekładzie polskim o. Jakuba Wujka T. J. Tekst poprawił oraz wstępami i krótkim komentarzem opatrzył ks. Stanisław Styś T. J., 2nd edition corrected, Kraków 1956.
[12] Das Alte Testament, Stuttgart 1974. (Einheitsübersetzung der Heiligen Schrift. Katholische Bibelanstalt).
[13] The New American Bible. Translated from the Original Languages with Critical Use of All the Ancient Sources by Members of the Catholic Biblical Association of America, Sponsored by the Bishops’ Committee of the Confraternity of Christian Doctrine, Wichita, Kansas 1972–1973 edition.
[14] J. Blenkinsopp,
The Pentateuch. An Introduction to the First Five Books of the Bible (The Anchor Bible Reference Library), New York–London–Toronto–Sydney–Auckland 1992, 153