Exodus 1-18: A New Translation with Notes and Comments (Anchor Bible)

360 Pages·1999·7.76 MB·English

by  William H.C. Propp

THE ANCHOR BIBLE is a fresh approach to the world's greatest classic. Its object THE ANCHOR BIBLE
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EXODUS
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nificant historical and linguistic knowledge which bears on the interpretation
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THE ANCHOR BIBLE is aimed at the general reader with no special formal (cid:127)
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This project marks the beginning of a new era of cooperation among scholars in
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with Introduction and Commentary
William Foxwell Albright
David Noel Freedman
GENERAL EDITORS
WILLIAM H. C. PROPP
THE ANCHOR BIBLE
Doubleday
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Bible. O.T. Exodus I—XVIII. English. Propp. 1998.
Exodus 1-18: a new translation with introduction and commentary /
by William H. C. Propp. — 1st ed.
p. cm. — (The Anchor Bible; v. 2)
Includes bibliographical references and index.
1. Bible. O.T. Exodus I—XVIII—Commentaries. I. Propp, William
Henry Covici. II. Title. III. Series: Bible. English. Anchor Bible.
1964; v. 2.
BS 192.2.A1 1964 .G3 vol. 2
[BS 1243 1998]
220.7'7 s—dc21
[222'.12077] (cid:9) 97-37301
CIP
ISBN 0-385-14804-6
Copyright © 1999 by Doubleday, a division of Random House, Inc.
All Rights Reserved
Printed in the United States of America
September 1999
First Edition
10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
ACKNOWLEDGMENTS
I am deeply grateful to the friends who undertook to read some or all of this
work in manuscript, and favored me with helpful criticism:. Francis I. Ander-
sen, Louis Bookheim, Anna Propp Covici, the late Pascal Covici, Jr., Richard
Elliott Friedman, David M. Goodblatt, Ronald S. Hendel, James G. Propp,
Theodore Propp, Miriam Sherman, Donald F. Tuzin and John W. Wright.
Kevin G. O'Connell made me the princely gift of his unpublished notes on
Exodus 1-5, from which I learned much. I must acknowledge the contribu-
tions of students over many years in my Exodus Seminar at the University
California, San Diego: Mari Chernow, Augusto C. Felix, the late Lois Garber,
Jeffrey C. Geoghegan, Ronald S. Hendel, Michael M. Homan, Daniel Kirsch,
Risa Levitt Kohn, Raquel Tashman, Andrew Welch and Chien-pei Mark Yu. It
is chiefly for them and their successors that I have written this book. My most
heartfelt thanks go to my editor and colleague David Noel Freedman, whose
incisive commentary on this commentary has spared those to whom it is dedi-
cated much foolishness.
W.H.C.P.
CONTENTS
(cid:127)
Acknowledgments vii
List of Abbreviations and Terms xv
I.Symbols, Abbreviations and Terms xv
II.Bibliographical Abbreviations xxxiii
Transliteration System xxxix
Exodus 1-18: A Translation 1
INTRODUCTION 29
I.About Exodus 31
II.About This Commentary 39
BIBLIOGRAPHY 55
ANALYSIS, NOTES AND COMMENTS 117
Part I. Israel in Egypt (Exodus 1:1-11:10)
I. As ever they oppressed him, so he multiplied (1:1-14) 119
Translation 119
Analysis 119
Textual Notes 119
Source Analysis 125
Redaction Analysis 127
Notes 127
Comment 134
II. If he is a son, kill him (1:15-21) 136
Translation 136
Analysis 137
Textual Notes 137
Source Analysis 138
Redaction Analysis 138
Notes 139
Comment 141
x Contents Contents xi
III. For I drew him from the waters (1:22-2:10) 142 Notes 197
Translation 142 Comment 221
Analysis 143 VIII. A sword in their hand to kill us (5:1-6:1) 243
Textual Notes 143 Translation 243
Source Analysis 145 Analysis 244
Redaction Analysis 147 Textual Notes 244
Notes 147 Source Analysis 249
Comment 153 Redaction Analysis 251
IV. Who set you as a man, ruler and judge? (2:11-15a) 161 Notes 252
Translation 161 Comment 258
Analysis 161 IX. (cid:9) I am Yahweh (6:2-7:7) 261
Textual Notes 161 Translation 261
Source Analysis 162 Analysis 262
Redaction Analysis 162 Textual Notes 262
Notes 163 Source Analysis 266
Comment 165 Redaction Analysis 268
V. A sojourner was I in a foreign land (2:15b-23a) 169 Notes 270
Translation 169 Comment 283
Analysis 169 X. (cid:9) But Pharaoh's heart was strong; he did not release
Textual Notes 169 Israel's Sons (7:8-11:10) 286
Source Analysis 170 Translation 286
Redaction Analysis 171 Analysis 292
Notes 171 Textual Notes 292
Comment 174 Source Analysis 310
VI. And Deity remembered his covenant (2:23b-25) 177 Redaction Analysis 317
Translation 177 Notes 321
Analysis 177 Comment 345
Textual Notes 177 Part II. Liberation from Egypt (Exodus 12:1-15:21)
Source Analysis 178 XI. (cid:9) And you will observe this day as an eternal rule (12 :1-13:16) 355
Redaction Analysis 178 Translation 355
Notes 179 Analysis 3 58
Comment 179 Textual Notes 358
VII. Yahweh the Hebrews' deity happened upon us (3-4) 180 Source Analysis 373
Translation 180 Redaction Analysis 380
Analysis 183 Notes 382
Textual Notes 183 Comment 427
Source Analysis 190 XII. (cid:9) But Israel's Sons walked on the dry land in the
Redaction Analysis 194 Sea's midst (13:17-15:21) 461
xii (cid:9) Contents Contents xiii
Translation 461 Textual Notes 614
Analysis 464 Source Analysis 615
Textual Notes 464 Redaction Analysis 615
Source Analysis 476 Notes 616
Redaction Analysis 484 Comment 620
Notes 485 XVII. Men of competence, fearing Deity, men of
Excursus on Biblical Poetry and the Song of the Sea 502 reliability, hating gain (18) 622
Notes (resumed) 508 Translation 622
Comment 549 Analysis 624
Part III. Sojourn in the Wilderness (Exodus 15:22-18:27) Textual Notes 624
XIII. (cid:9) I, Yahweh, am your healer (15:22-26) 573 Source Analysis 627
Translation 573 Redaction Analysis 627
Analysis 573 Notes 628
Textual Notes 573 Comment 633
Source Analysis 574
637
Redaction Analysis 575 Index of Authors
646
Notes 576 Index of Subjects
Comment 579 Index of Scriptural and Ancient Sources 658
674
XIV. (cid:9) Bread from the heavens (15:27-16:36) 582 Index of Hebrew and Ancient Languages
Translation 582
Analysis 584
Textual Notes 584
Source Analysis 588
Redaction Analysis 590
Notes 592
Comment 599
XV.(cid:9) Is there Yahweh in our midst or not? (17:1-7) 601
Translation 601
Analysis 601
Textual Notes 601
Source Analysis 603
Redaction Analysis 604
Notes 604
Comment 606
XVI. I will eradicate, eradicate the name of Amalek
from under the heavens (17:8-16) 613
Translation 613
Analysis 614
LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS
(cid:127)
I. SYMBOLS, ABBREVIATIONS AND TERMS
omitted or unreadable words
[ ] (cid:9) reconstructed or restored text
reconstructed, unattested or erroneous form
develops out of
develops into
t (cid:9) original reading in doubt; translation follows BHS
t t (cid:9) translation does not follow BHS
I (cid:9) first dictionary definition
I- (cid:9) first radical (pe' of tri-literal root)
1 (cid:9) first person
1 Chr (cid:9) 1 Chronicles
1 Cor (cid:9) 1 Corinthians
1 Enoch (cid:9) Ethiopic Apocalypse of Enoch, c. 100 B.C.E. (OTP 1.13-89)
1 Esdr (cid:9) 1 Esdras
1 Kgs (cid:9) 1 Kings
1 Pet (cid:9) 1 Peter
1QExod (cid:9) DSS Exodus (DJD 1,50-51)
1QIsaa (cid:9) DSS Isaiah (Burrows 1950-51)
1QM(cid:9) DSS Milhämâ (War Scroll) (Sukenik 1955: pll. 16-34)
1QpHab (cid:9) DSS Pesher on Habbakuk (Cross et al. 1972: 149-63)
1QS (cid:9) DSS 1QSerek (Burrows 1950-51)
1 Sam (cid:9) 1 Samuel
1 Thess (cid:9) 1 Thessalonians
xvii
xvi List of Abbreviations and Terms List of Abbreviations and Terms
1 Tim 1 Timothy a first half of a verse
II second dictionary definition Abarbanel Isaac ben Judah Abarbanel, Iberian Jewish philosopher, com-
II- second radical (`ayin of tri-literal root) mentator, 1437-1508 C.E.
2 second person ad sensum a commonsense reading or correction
2 Bar 2 Baruch Adv. haeres. Epiphanius, Adversus haereses
2 Chr 2 Chronicles a fortiori how much more so
2 Cor 2 Corinthians AHI G. I. Davies, Ancient Hebrew Inscriptions (Cambridge: Cam-
bridge University, 1991)
2 Esdr 2 Esdras
Akedah Binding of Isaac (Genesis 22)
2 Kgs 2 Kings
Akkadian Mesopotamian Semitic language; main dialects Assyrian
2 Pet 2 Peter
(north) and Babylonian (south)
2QExoda-b DSS Exodus (DJD 3.49-56)
'aleph first letter of the Hebrew alphabet
2 Sam 2 Samuel
Aleppo Codex important biblical MS written c. 925 C.E.; not extant for
2 Thess 2 Thessalonians Exodus
2 Tim 2 Timothy alloform alternate form
III- third radical (lamedh of tri-literal root) Amarna Egyptian site yielding tablets containing Egyptian diplomatic
correspondence (fourteenth century B.C.E.)
3 third person
Amon Chief god of New Kingdom Egypt
3 Enoch Hebrew Apocalypse of Enoch, c. 500 C.E. (OTP 1.255-315)
`Anatu Ugaritic goddess of passion
4 Bar 4 Baruch
ANEP J. B. Pritchard, ed. The Ancient Near East in Pictures Relat-
4QBibPar DSS biblical paraphrase (DJD 5.1-6)
ing to the Old Testament (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton Univer-
4QDti DSS Deuteronomy (Duncan 1992; DJD 14.75-91) sity, 1969)
4QDtq DSS Deuteronomy (Skehan 1954; DJD 14.137-42) ANET J. B. Pritchard, ed. Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the
4QExodb-g DSS Exodus (DJD 12.79-146) Old Testament (Princeton, N.J.: Princeton University, 1950)
4QGen-Exoda DSS Genesis-Exodus (DJD 12.1-30) ANET3 ANET, third edition with Supplement (1969)
4QMezG—Q DSS Mezuzah (DJD 6.31-91) Ant. Josephus, Jewish Antiquities
4QMismârôt DSS calendrical text (Talmon and Knohl 1995) anthropocentrism (cid:9) focus on humanity
4QpaleoExodm DSS Exodus (DJD 9.53-130) anthropomorphism (cid:9) imputing human traits to nonhuman beings
4QpaleoGen-Exod1 DSS Genesis-Exodus (DJD 9.17-50) Ap. Josephus, Against Apion
4QPhylA—R (cid:9) DSS phylacteries (DJD 6.48-77) apodictic law phrased as direct command
4QPsb (cid:9) DSS Psalms (Skehan 1964) apotropaic repelling evil forces
4QReworked Pentateuchc DSS periphrastic Torah (DJD 13.255-318) apud cited at second hand from
4QSama (cid:9) DSS Samuel (unpublished; for readings, see provisionally Aquila Jewish translator of Bible into Greek, c. 125 C.E.
McCarter 1980, 1984) Arabic Semitic language; also, daughter translation of LXX
8QPhyl (cid:9) DSS phylactery (DJD 3.149-56) Aramaic Semitic language of Syria, closely akin to Hebrew
11QTemple (cid:9) DSS Temple Scroll (Yadin 1983) archaic old-fashioned
xix
xviii (cid:9) List of Abbreviations'ârôbTerms List of Abbreviations and Terms
archaistic artificially made to look old-fashioned CAD (cid:9) The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the Uni-
A'Attarulus lost historical work on Judaism, c. 150 B.C.E. (OTP 2.837-42) versity of Chicago (Chicago Assyrian Dictionary) (Chicago:
Oriental Institute, 1956—)
ARM Archives royales de Mari (Mari tablets)
Cairo Genizah repository for discarded scrolls in Ezra Synagogue of Cairo
`ârôb swarming insects
(since eighth century C.E.)
Artapan Jewish historian, c. 200 B.C.E. (OTP 2.897-903) Calvin (cid:9) John Calvin, Protestant reformer and Bible commentator,
hkenazic pertaining to Central and East European Jewry 1509-64 C.E.
assimilatio becoming similar or identical Cant (cid:9) Canticles, Song of Songs
Ba'lundeton underuse of conjunctions cantillation (cid:9) Massoretic musical/accentual/syntactic notation (trope)
'Atiratu Ugaritic chief goddess case ending (cid:9) final vowel in some Semitic languages indicating grammati-
cal fu..tion for nouns and adjectives
`Attaru Ugaritic god of the morning star
casuistic (cid:9) law phrased as a condition ("if .; then")
Augustine Bishop of Hippo, Christian theologian, 354-430 C.E.
CD (cid:9) Damascus Covenant (Rabin 1958)
autograph original MS
'`aayyiinn sixteenth letter of the Hebrew alphabet C.E. (cid:9) Common Era (= A.D.)
cf. (cid:9) compare (confer)
b second half of a verse
chiasm (cid:9) symmetrical ABB'A'"structure
b. Babylonian Talmud
chthonian (cid:9) pertaining to the underworld
B. Bat. tractate Baba Batra
Clementine edition 1502 edition of Vg
B. Qam. tractate Baba Qamma
Clement of Alexandria Titus Flavius Clemens, Christian theologian, third
Ba`lu "Lord," Ugaritic storm god; also called Haddu
century C.E.
Bar Baruch (Apocrypha)
clipping (cid:9) misdivision of morphemes
B.C.E. Before the Common Era (= B.C.)
cognate (cid:9) etymologically related
BDB F. Brown, S. R. Driver, C. A. Briggs, A Hebrew and English
cognate accusative direct object sharing root of verb
Lexicon of the Old Testament (Boston/New York: Houghton,
Mifflin, 1907) cohortative (cid:9) first-person command/exhortation
Bek. tractate Bekorot Col (cid:9) Colossians
Bekhor Shor Joseph ben Isaac Bekhor Shor, French Jewish exegete, twelfth composite text Torah composed of JEDP sources
century C.E. conflation (cid:9) combination
ben Naphthali scantily attested school of Massoretes conjectural emendation emendation without textual basis
Ber. tractate Berakot construct bound form of noun or adjective (samîkût)
beth second letter of the Hebrew alphabet continuous writing omitting spaces between words
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibel- corvée (cid:9) mass forced labor
gesellschaft, 1983) (cid:9)
cosmogony cosmic creation
Bib. Ant. Pseudo-Philo, Biblical Antiquities, c. 50 C.E. (OTP 2.304-77) (cid:9)
D source of Deuteronomy
byform alternate form (cid:9)
daghesh point placed in letter to indicate doubling or, in bgdkpt, plo-
c. approximately (circa) sive pronunciation
Xxl
List of Abbreviations and Terms
xx (cid:9) List of Abbreviations and Terms
(cid:9)
daleth fourth letter of the Hebrew alphabet epanalepsis (cid:9) resumptive repetition (Wiederaufnahme)
(cid:9)
Dan Daniel Eph (cid:9) Ephesians
Day of Expiation Yom Kippur (tenth day of seventh month) Epiphanius (cid:9) Epiphanius of Constantia, Palestinian Church Father, fourth
(cid:9) century C.E.
defective written without matres lectionis
(cid:9) Epist. ad Fabiolem Jerome, Epist Fabiolem
Deity translation for'élôhîm `God' (NOTE to 1:17)
(cid:9) eponymous (cid:9) that for which something or someone is named
Demetrius Demetrius the Chronographer, biblical commentator, c. 200
B.C.E. (OTP 2.848-54) '`EErruubb..(cid:9) tractate 'Em bin
desacralization making sacred goods available for human use Eschaton (cid:9) the end of time
(cid:9)
De spec. leg. Philo, De specialibus legibus Esth (cid:9) Esther
(cid:9)
Deut Deuteronomy Ethiopic (cid:9) GGee`'eezz,, classical Semitic language of Ethiopia
Deuteronomistic pertaining to the editorial stratum of the Deuteronomistic etiology (cid:9) explanation of origins
History Eupolemus (cid:9) Jewish historian, c. 150 B.C.E. (OTP 2.865-72)
Deuteronom(ist)ic pertaining to either D or Dtr
Eusebius (cid:9) Eusebius of Caesarea, Christian theologian and historian,
Deuteronomistic History Deuteronomy through 2 Kings c. 260-339 C.E.
Deut. Rab. (cid:9) Deuteronomy Rabba, midrashic compendium exegesis (cid:9) interpretation
direct object marker preposition 'et exilic (cid:9) pertaining to the Jews' Babylonian exile, 587-539 B.C.E.
dittography (cid:9) accidental double writing Exod (cid:9) Exodus
DJD (cid:9) Discoveries in the Judaean Desert (Oxford: Clarendon Press) Exod. Rab. (cid:9) Exodus Rabba, midrashic compendium
Documentary Hypothesis theory that Torah is composed of several sources expansion (cid:9) scribal addition
(cid:9)
doublet second version of an account Ezek (cid:9) Ezekiel
(cid:9)
DSS Dead Sea Scroll( Ezekiel the Tragedian author of Exagoge, Greek play based on Exodus, c. 200
Dtr (cid:9) Deuteronomistic History B.C.E. (OTP 2.808-19)
(cid:9)
dual noun form indicating a pair (e.g., yydäddaayyiimm `two hands') f. (cid:9) feminine
(cid:9)
durative describing ongoing action fem. (cid:9) (the same)
(cid:9)
E Elohistic source fig. (cid:9) figure
(cid:9)
EA El Amarna (Egypt) first hand (cid:9) the original text of a MS, later altered
(cid:9)
Eccl Ecclesiastes, Qohelet Fragmentary Targum imperfectly preserved Palestinian Targum(s) (Klein
(cid:9) 1980)
eisegesis reading into a text
(cid:9) Gal (cid:9) Galatians
ellipsis omission of a word or words that are nevertheless to be
understood Gaonic (cid:9) describing the early post-Talmudic period, c. 600-1100 C.E.
(cid:9)
Elohist author of E Gen (cid:9) Genesis
enclitic (mem) final m attached to words in Hebrew and Ugaritic, signifi- gentilic (cid:9) suffixed -î indicating national origin (e.g., misrî 'Egyptian'),
cance uncertain also called nisbe
(cid:9)
enjambment discrepancy between versification and syntax gimel(cid:9) third letter of the Hebrew alphabet
(cid:9)
Enûma elis Babylonian creation myth Git. (cid:9) tractate Gitxxi