Exegetical Exercise on Gen 11:1-9 (OT626)

Seong Hyun Park, PhD
GCTS-Boston, OT626

Fall, 2012

1. TEXT

1.1 Read the section "of Noah's sons" (Gen 10:1-11:9) several times in translation. What subsections can you identify? Does Gen 11:1-9 seem to be an appropriate unit to take for an exegetical work? Give your reasons:

1.2 Read Gen 11:1-9 in Hebrew. BHS's critical apparatus cites three major textual variants for the passage. Decide whether to accept the variants or not. Give your reasons:

1.3 Present your Hebrew text of Gen 11:1-9 on the basis of the textual decisions you've made in 1.2 (for the purposes of this exercise, you will do this on a separate sheet, and does not need to be handed in).

 

2. Translation

2.1 Give an English translation (i.e., yours!) of the Hebrew text of Gen 11:1-9 that you have reconstructed in 1.3 (You should aim at conveying the correct meaning of the Hebrew text at the clause level):

 

3. Grammatical Data

3.1 Using the "Index of Scripture References" (pg. 752) in Waltke & O'connor (1990), study the grammatical (i.e., syntax) discussions that are relevant to Gen 11:1-9, and footnote these grammatical points in your translation.

Waltke & O'connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax
Jouon & Muraoka, A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew
Gesenius, Hebrew Grammar

* Grammatical analysis는 본인이 하는 것 보다는 다른 책의 도움을 받는 것이 핵심이다. Waltke & O'connor의 Syntax 책의 뒤에 있는 Index를 해당 본문과 관련된 내용이 있는지 체크해서 그 내용을 점검해 보는 것이 좋다. 본인이 히브리어에 정통한 대 학자가 아니라면 스스로가 뭔가 찾아보려고 노력하지 말고 다른 학자들이 이미 정리해 놓은 외부 소스들의 도움을 받자. 이 부분을 무시했다가 망했다.

3.2 On the basis of 3.1 return to 2.1 and refine your translation of Gen 11:1-9, and foot note these grammatical points in your translation.

3.3 Notice the play on the sound between נִלְבְּנָה (Gen 11:3) and נָבְלָה (Gen 11:7), and another one between בָּבֶל and בָּלַל (Gen 11:9). What do you think are the intended effects? Summarize your answer:

 

4. Lexical Data

4.1 Note that Gen 11:1-9 makes use of words that are reminiscent of Gen 1, 3, 4, 6 and 10.

4.2 Of these, we will focus on קֶדֶם (Gen 11:2) and פּוּץ (Gen 11:4, 8, 9). The first word is interesting because it connects Gen 11:1-9 with Gen 3 and 4, while the second word is repeated three times in the passage and serves as the main verb with which both God's action and the narrative concludes. So, do a wordstudy on these two words, limiting your concodance-search to the range specified in the parenthesis:

* Lexical Data는 특정 단어가 성경의 다른 곳에서 어떤 의미로 사용이 되었는지를 알아보는 것으로 이 부분을 알아보기 위해서는 Concodance를 사용해야 한다. Lexical Data를 알아보기 위해 Concodance를 체크하는 것은 필수이다. 건너뛰지 말자.
http://www.biblestudytools.com/nas/ 사이트에서는 NASB를 기준으로 Strong's Concodance를 제공한다. Concodance를 체크하기 위해 주변 도서관을 갈 수 있는 상황이 아니라면 이 사이트에 가서 체크를 해 보는 것도 도움이 된다.

* קֶדֶם (Gen 1:1-11:9). What theological connotation does the term seem to carry?

* פּוּץ (Gen-Deut). What will happen to Israel when they rebel against the Lord?

 

5. Form

5.1 What can you say about the genre of Gen 11:1-9?

* Genesis는 Narrative로 되어 있다. 각 Genre 에 따라서 내용을 분석하는 방법들이 소개되어 있다. 그 방법에 따라 해당 내용을 분석해 보는 것이 도움이 될 것이다. Narrative를 분석하는 간단한 방법은 Waltke가 쓴 "Commentary: A Genesis"의 Introduction 부분에 소개가 되어 있다.

6. Structure

6.1 Is there a literary structure discernible in Gen 11:1-9?

6.2 If so, how does it facilitate the generation and the transmission of the message (i.e., author's intended meaning)?

* 구조는 Chiastic 구조나 Inclusio 구조와 같은 구조론으로 분석한다. 이 구조를 분석하기 위해서 박 교수님께서 제안하시는 방법은 히브리어의 동사에 맞춰서 해당 본문의 내용을 모두 분해해 보는 것이다. 이번 페이퍼를 써 내는데 내가 사용했었던 방법으로 굉장히 유용하다. 단, 나는 히브리어가 아닌 영어 동사를 활용했다.
구조를 분석하는 이유는 이렇게 하면 그 가운데 반복되는 내용이나 강조되고 있는 내용을 찾아내기가 용이하기 때문이다. 이렇게 반복되는 내용이나 다른 방법으로 강조되고 있는 내용이 있는지 살펴보고 그 강조점을 중심으로 썰을 풀어나가면 된다.

7. Historical Context

7.1 What can we know about "a plain in Shinar" from the information given in Gen 10? Is there anything you know about the "city, with a tower" in "a plain in Shinar"? The lecture notes from our Orientation session should help you with this.

7.2 Who's telling this story and who's the audience? What is the purpose of telling this story to that particular audience?

 

8. Literary Context

8.1 Observe the contextual relationship between Gen 10 and Gen 11:1-9.

8.2 Do you think that the events described in Gen 11:1-9 happens after the spread of humanity described in Gen 10 or before? Why is the story told in this order?

 

9. Biblical Context

9.1 Your lexical study in 4.2 should have prepared you for this step. Revisit your findings there within the context of the Pentateuch, the context of Israel that has come out of the cities of Egypt and readying themselves to conquer, inherit and build their own cities in the Promised Land.

9.2 What message would Gen 11:1-9 have had for later generations of Israel, especially when God exiled and "scattered" them throughout the land of Babylon in the time of Jeremiah, Daniel and Ezekiel?

9.3 What message would Gen 11:1-9 have had for the New Testament community which has gone through the experience of Acts 2?

 

10. Theology

10.1 What is, then, the central theological principle that you are grasping in Gen 11:1-9?

10.2 Can the principle be validated in light of broader principles (i.e., Biblical theology, systematic theology, etc)?

 

11. Application

11.3. So, how, does this principle work for you, for your congregation, etc.?

 

12. Secondary Literature

For this exercise you would have used at least the following two resources:

. Jouon, P. & Muraoka, T. (2006). A Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, 2nd edn. (Subsidia Biblica, 27). Roma: Pontificio Istituto Biblico

. Waltke, B.K., & O'Connor, M. (1990). An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax. Winona Lake, IN:Eisenbrauns