Historical And Archaeological

Research Of The New Testament (FD9310A)

Dr. Paul Watson

The Concept of Knowledge

In the Book of Exodus

March 16, 2015

By John (xxxx7386)

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Outline

I. Abbreviations vi-vii

II. Introduction 1-2

III. Occurrences of Knowledge 2-5

III. How Knowledge Relates to Exodus 6-17

A. The Beginning Narrative 6-7

B. Knowledge Connected with Revelation 7-10

C. Knowledge Connected with Signs 10-13

D. Knowledge Connected with Torah 13-16

IV. Conclusion 17-18

V. Bibliography 19-20

VI. Appendix 21-22

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Abbreviations

Abbreviations of Old Testament Books1

Book Abbreviation

Genesis Gen.Exodus Exod. Leviticus Lev. Numbers Num. Deuteronomy Deut. Joshua Josh. Judges Judg. Ruth Ruth 1 Samuel 1 Sam. 2 Samuel 2 Sam. 1 Kings 1 Kings 2 Kings 2 Kings 1 Chronicles 1 Chron. 2 Chronicles 2 Chron. Ezra Ezra Nehemiah Neh.Esther Esth. Job Job Psalms Ps. Proverbs Prov.

Ecclesiastes Eccles.

Song of Solomon Song

Isaiah Isa.

Jeremiah Jer.

Lamentations Lam.

Ezekiel Ezek.

Daniel Dan.

Hosea Hos.

Joel Joel

Amos Amos

1Don Meredith, Supplement to Turabian 8th Edition (Memphis: Harding School of Theology, 2013). www.hst.edu/wp-content/uploads/2013/08/Turabian-400-BW.pdf. Accessed March 11, 2015.

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Obadiah Obad.

Book Abbreviations

Biblical Hebraica Stuttgartensia BHS

Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament TDOT

Brown, Driver, Briggs B-D-B

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Concept of Knowledge

In the Book of Exodus

Introduction

In our seminar study of the Pentateuch and in particular the book of Exodus, the readings

and lectures brought several key themes to light. Some of the trajectories discovered so far

include redemption, God’s providential care, and remember/remembrance (focus on

remembering God’s covenant/promise to Abraham). But another important theme that one finds

in Exodus is the concept of knowledge. There are two books that introduced this student to the

idea of knowledge. The first book is T. Desmond Alexander’s work, From Paradise to the

Promise Land: An Introduction To The Pentateuch. The second book comes from the article on

Exodus by T.E. Fretheim in Dictionary of the Old Testament Pentateuch. This is a theme (how

one comes to know God, Pharaoh not knowing/acknowledging God, coming to know God

through the signs/wonders, and later the law) this student simply missed, but believe Alexander

is on to something here. To my knowledge little to no work on this theme exists (and I do not

believe any dissertations have been written on this theme either).

Over the years, a few scholars have studied the usage of in the Hebrew Bible. The

late Dr. Hugo McCord (who studied at New Orleans) examined the usage in the book of Psalms.

Our own Dr. Don Shackelford examined this same term in the book of Job.2 In his Wisdom

Literature class he taught here at Amridge, this is one of the concepts that this student remembers

him emphasizing. One of Shackelford’s students and later fellow professors at Harding, Neal

Pryor, focused upon knowledge in Proverbs. Yet to the knowledge of this student, no research or

2 The title of his dissertation: Robert Donald Shackelford, The Concept of Knowledge in the Book of Job (NOBTS: Unpublished Th.D. Dissertation, 1976).

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dissertations deals with in the book of Exodus. The premise can be made that the God

revealed in the Old Testament is a Deity “who wants to be known.” Due to the fact that knowing

God means experiencing him (and not merely propositional or head knowledge), this tends to

frighten mankind. In Exodus we find that experiencing God in a personal way leads to blessings,

while not acknowledging him leads to punishment.3

If there is sufficient material gleaned from this research paper, this student may propose

knowledge in Exodus as a dissertation topic. Knowledge of God and “to know” him is a “key”

concept in Exodus.4 This paper will begin by giving the usage of the verb and noun form in

Exodus. Then the paper will explore how Exodus differs from knowledge in the Wisdom Books.

The project will then examine the various ways one comes to ‘know’ about God. Finally, some

concluding remarks will be drawn from the evidence presented in this paper. Questions still

remain whether this topic is sufficient to merit a doctoral dissertation?

Occurrences of Knowledge in Hebrew Bible

The Hebrew verb, , occurs some 947 times in the whole Hebrew Bible. Out of over

900 usages in the Old Testament, 810 times the verb occurs in the Qal form and 70 times in the

Hiphil. The basic idea or meaning of the term is “to know.” The cognate verb occurs some 47

times in the Aramaic portions of the Old Testament.5 The verb occurs over 45 times in Exodus

3 O.A. Piper, “Knowledge,” in The Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible, K-Q, Ed. By George Arthur Buttrick (New York/Nashville: Abingdon Press, 1962), 45-46.

4T.E. Fretheim, “Book of Exodus,” in Dictionary Of The Old Testament Pentateuch: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, Ed. By T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker (Downers Grove, IL/Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 2003), 253.

5John R. Kohlenberger III and James A. Swanson, The Hebrew-English Concordance To The Old Testament With The New International Version (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998), 617, 1694. William L. Holladay, A Concise Hebrew And Aramaic Lexicon Of The Old Testament Based Upon The Lexical Work Of Ludwig Koehler And Walter Baumgartner (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983), 128-29.

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alone and the noun form only 2 times (for a total of some 48 instances in Exodus).6 The total

number of occurrences of the “derivatives” is some 1,058 times in the Hebrew Bible. The

root is “found throughout” the various Semitic languages, “with the possible exception of

Arabic.”7

The TDOT gives the variety of possible meanings of the know verb form. The verb can

mean to “be quiet” or humiliated” (Judg. 8:16; 16:9), to “leave alone” or “neglect” (see Exod.

3:7), to “save farewell, leave,” or “send away” (Exod. 3:7; 1 Sam. 21:3(2)), “to care for” (Exod.

2:25), to be “reconciled” (Amos 3:3), or even to “seek” or “ask after” (Hosea 6:3).8 The LXX

uses twenty-two different verbs, three nouns, and eight adjectives to render the form

throughout the Greek Old Testament (490 times they use gignoskein).9 The term appears in

Egyptian texts to refer to one who possesses knowledge and wisdom, one who is skilled in

magical arts or crafts, the human who cannot know the gods, knowledge that individuals must

take with them in the next life, and even knowledge in the “sexual sense.”10 The term appears in

Akkadian texts to refer to secular as well as religious knowledge of man, as well as the

knowledge one receives by revelation from the gods.11 Even Ugaritic literature carries the same

meanings as one finds in Egyptian and Akkadian texts.12

The meaning in the Hebrew Bible seems to be in line with that of other Semitic and Near

Eastern languages. The verb occurs in the Qal form with several meanings. First, the verb

6Kohlenberger and Swanson, 618, 417. I went back and found at least one occurrence in Exod. (Brown 2008) that Kohlenberger and Swanson missed. So we will go with 46 times in the verb form and 2 times in the noun form.7 Botterweck, “,” in Theological Dictionary Of The Old Testament, Volume V, , Ed. By G. Johannes Botterweck And Helmer Ringgren, Trans. by David E. Green (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986), 449.8 Ibid., 450-52.9 Ibid., 453. E.B. Schmitz, “Knowledge,” in The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Ed. By Colin Brown (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986), 391-99.10 Bergman, “Ancient Near East, ,” TDOT, 454-55. 11 Botterweck, 455-58. 12 Ibid., 459-61.

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means to “observe” or to “realize,” as in Exod. 2:4 where Moses’ sister wants to ‘know’ or see

what would happen to Moses after his mother placed him in a basket in the river. Second, the

verb know means to “find out information” or to experience something (see 2 Sam. 24:2; Isa.

47:8).13 Third, the terms means to “recognize” or “perceive” something (as in Gen. 15:8). In

Exod. 6:7, the LORD wants pharaoh and Egypt to know or recognize that I Am YHWH. Fourth,

know can also mean to “care about” or to “be concerned” about someone or something (Gen.

39:6). Fifth, one also notices that this term ()carries the idea of coming to “know

someone” in a personal way (Exod. 1:8, historically) or to “become better acquainted with

another. Sixth, the term is used in reference to sexual relations; sexual union between

man/woman, husband/wife (Gen. 4:1; 1 Kgs. 1:4) or even homosexual relations (Gen. 19:5).

Seventh, the verb is used in a theological sense to mean to care/be concerned about (2 Sam. 7:20;

Gen. 18:19). Ninth, know also means simply to “understand” something (Isa. 40:21; 1 Sam.

20:39). Finally, know means to have insight/judgment (Isa. 1:3).14

In the Niphal form, know means to “make oneself known” or for a person to reveal him

or herself (Exod. 6:3), to allow oneself to be “seen” (Ruth 3:3), to be “noticed” or “observed”

(Gen. 41:31), or to “become known” (1 Kgs. 18:36) or gain “insight (Jer. 31:19). The verb

occurs only once in the Piel form (Job 38:12) with the sense of causing something to know. The

verb occurs only twice in the Pual to mean someone who is an “acquaintance” or a “confidant”

(2 Kgs. 10:11) or to refer to something that is known (Isa. 12:5).15 There is a possible Polel form

in 1 Sam. 21:3). In the Hiphil, the term means: (1) to let someone know something or make

something known to another person (Gen. 41:39); (2) to inform or make something known (1

13Holladay, 128. 14Ibid. 15Ibid., 129.

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Sam. 10:8), (3) to apprise someone about something (3) to apprise someone about something

(Deut. 8:3l Josh. 4:22; 1 Kgs. 1:27), and (4) to teach something to someone (Ps. 90:12), to give a

signal (2 Chon. 23:13). In the Hophal, the term means to set forth or to be made known (Isa

12:5), or to be brought to someone’s attention (Lev. 4:23, 28). The Hithpael depicts making

oneself known (Gen 45:1; Num 12:6).16

The Qal form of the verb occurs in Exod. 1:3; 10:2 (where the LORD says ‘know that I

Am YHWH’) and in 33:12 (two times). The Niphal occurs in Exod. 21:38 and 33:18 meaning to

be known or known of things. The Hiphil occurs in Exod. 18:20 meaning to declare something

or to make something known.17 When considering the term ‘knowledge,’ (a fem. Noun),

the word refers to a craftsman in Exod. 31:3 and 35:31. The noun is the term normally used in

Wisdom Literature for discernment, wisdom, or understanding. However, does not

appear to be used in Exodus in this latter sense.18

How “Know” Relates to the Exodus Narrative

The Beginning Narrative. The Book of Exodus is “about knowing God through personal

experience.”19 Knowledge of God and the various ways one comes to know” him is a “key” 16Ibid. 17F. Brown, S. Driver, and C. Briggs, The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon With an

appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic (Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008), 393-95.18Ibid., 395.

19 T. Desmond Alexander, From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction To The Pentateuch, Third Edition. (Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995, 2002, 2012), 187.

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concept in the book of Exodus.20 The first half of the book focuses upon the “theme of coming

to a personal knowledge of God.” Beginning in the opening verses of Chapter three, one finds

Moses’ encounter with God at the burning bush in 3:1-4:17 and continuing with his appearing

before Pharaoh, the book focuses upon this knowledge of God. Ironically, Pharaoh exhibits his

ignorance about God.21 He is the one who asks who is this Yahweh? (Exod. 5:2). “God himself,

who “knows” Israel’s suffering and sin (Exod. 2:25; 3:7; 32:22) and knows them “by name”

(Exod. 33:17), is caught up in the concern that this knowing be mutual.” Yahweh “speaks” and

shows his mighty works (to Israelites and Egyptians) so that all “may come to know the answer

to Pharaoh’s question.” This knowledge is to be taught to their children/grandchildren (Exod.

10:1-2) and Yahweh deserves our worship.22 The second half of Exodus continues this “theme

of knowing God by focusing on the establishment of a special relationship between Yahweh and

the Israelites.” Beginning with Exodus chapter 20 and going through the rest of the book, we

learn of that covenantal relationship that Israel enjoys with Yahweh.23

The book of Exodus begins with the theme of knowledge. In Exod. 1:8, the text tells us,

“And there arose a new (fresh) king over Egypt which knew not Joseph.”24 The sense of ‘know’

here suggests that he did not acknowledge the patriarch Joseph nor his people. This is what leads

the Pharaoh to utilize oppression to decrease the number of Hebrews, lest they turn and fight

against them (1:10-14). When this did not work, he began a program of eliminating all male

babies (1:15-22), which the midwives refused to follow. The next time ‘know’ enters the

narrative is when Moses’ parents make the decision to hide Moses in a basket along the river and

20 Fretheim, “Book of Exodus,” 253. 21 Alexander, 187. 22 T.E. Fretheim, “Book of Exodus,” 253.23 Alexander, 188. 24 A. Philip Brown II and Bryan W. Smith, A Reader’s Hebrew Bible (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008), 89.

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Moses’ sister waits to ‘know’ (to find out) what will become of him (2:4).25 Then the third

occurrence of knowledge in the Moses’ narrative is after he slays the Egyptian task master for

beating the Hebrew slave. When two Hebrew slaves are fighting one another and Moses

intervenes, they ask him if he would also slay them. The narrative says, “And Moses was afraid

and said, ‘Surely the matter is made known” (2:14). The plot then thickens as Moses flees to the

wilderness of Midian, encounters the family of Jethro, and marries Zipporah.

Knowledge Connected With Revelation. The next appearance of ‘know’ in the narrative,

we find Moses “tending the sheep of Jethro” in the wilderness (3:1). The “messenger of

YHWH” appeared (from the verb, ‘to see’) to Moses in the “midst of the flame of fire” (3:2).

Who or what this messenger (often rendered angel) is the text does not elaborate, but one might

argue this messenger is the same one who later the LORD would promise to send before them.

Even before the LORD reveals himself to Moses, God demands that he take his shoes off

because ‘the place you are standing upon (it) is holy ground’ (3:5). The term here in Exod. 3:5 –

place () is “often a technical term” in the OT “for a sanctuary or holy place” (see Gen

28:11, 19).26 Holy ground also shows the sacredness of this place. Meyers notes that this should

not be interpreted as meaning that Sinai is to become a perpetual holy place where “heaven and

earth meet.”27 Moses takes his shoes off – sign of “respect” in accordance with culture of ANE.28

After Moses is told to remove his sandals, then God reveals himself as the God of the patriarchs

(Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, 3:6). This caused Moses to be afraid (vs. 7).

25 A Reader’s Hebrew Bible, 91. 26 Carol Meyers, Exodus, The New Cambridge Bible Commentary, Gen. Ed. Ben Witherington III (Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005), 53.

27Ibid., 53. 28Ibid.

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God reveals the purpose of his visitation unto Moses. He has a mission for him to go and

deliver his oppressed people from the Pharaoh of Egypt. The manifestation or “theophany” of

God appearing to Moses on this occasion “follows a pattern that long has been identified as a

prophetic call narrative which typically contains a series of exchanges between the deity and a

prophetic messenger.” Moses prophetic call is very similar to those of Isaiah, Jeremiah, and

Ezekiel.29 Meyers also notes that the form critical identification of the “genre and life setting” of

biblical narratives (such as this) “have identified a distinctive literary pattern in the call narrative,

which typically includes the appearance of God to the prophet (3:1-4a), an introductory

statement by the deity (3:4b-9), a statement of commission (3:10), an objection (3:11), and

reassurance along with an empowering sign (3:12).”30 Meyers’ notes: “The presence of this

genre in the Moses account has the effect of identifying him as a prophetic figure, even though

he is not explicitly identified as such until the end of the Pentateuch.” God’s promise to be with

him, but he does not specify how. The “sign” referred to here as signs or wonders Yahweh

attaches Himself to the sign (much like Jesus would in the Gospel of John).31

God would later reveal himself so that Israel would know him through the theophany or

manifestation of the pillar of cloud by day and the pillar of fire by night (Exod. 13:22). They

would also come to know God as their provider, as he gave them ‘manna’ and quail to eat in

Exod. 16 and sustained them with life giving water (Exod. 17). God also revealed himself at

Horeb/Mt. Sinai through the smoke, thunder, and lightning (Exod. 19:16-25). The theme of

knowing God in connection with this revelation occurs in Exod. 33:12ff. This is after the

incident of the golden calf and Moses seems to be at the end of his rope. Moses states that God

wants him to bring this people up, but he (Moses) has not known God’s name (33:12). Moses’ 29Ibid., 55. 30Ibid., 56. 31Ibid.

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requests to see the LORD’s glory (33:18). In the entire context of this passage (vv 12-23), one

finds Moses’ unusual request to see God continues the theme of knowing God (vv. 12-14). God

allows Moses’ to see not His face but His back (remember John says in John 1:18 that no one has

seen the Father at any time – does this mean His face?). This closeness between Yahweh and

Moses is expressed in 33:11 where the texts says that God spoke with him ‘face to face,’ as with

a friend. One other person in the Bible who is described as being a friend of God is Abraham

(James 2:23/Isa 41:8 – Abraham friend of God). Perhaps Paul has this in mind (1 Cor. 13) when

he writes that now we see through a glass or mirror darkly, but then face to face. Yahweh

assures Moses that not only will he reveal to him his glory (33:18), but that he does indeed know

him by name (33:17). Perhaps this acknowledgement of our name shows the intimate way God

knows and cares for our physical needs, as Jesus points out in the Sermon on the Mount (Matt.

6:25-34).

The last connection of knowledge with revelation in Exodus is found in Exod. 34

(following Moses’ seeing God’s glory and being with the LORD forty days and nights receiving

the covenant, 34:28) when Moses’ face shines bright from being in God’s presence (34:29-35).

The text states in vs. 29 that Moses did not know that the skin of his face was bright

().32 The verb for shine or “radiance” () in certain contexts

can mean “horn,” and commentators explain this is where the Latin Vulgate introduced the idea

of horns on Moses face. The mistranslation of the passage would lead to Michelangelo making a

sculpture of Moses with horns on his head.33 The people were afraid to approach him, thus

Moses would cover his face with a veil when in the presence of the people. What is at stake here

32 A. Alt, O. Eisfeldt, P. Khale, and R. Kittle, Eds. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia (Stuttgart: German Bible Society, 1987), 145. 33 Clyde M. Woods, Genesis-Exodus, Vol 1, The Living Way Commentary On The Old Testament (Shreveport, LA: Lambert Book House, 1972), 219. Meyers, 266, note 89.

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is the “authority” of Moses. The “radiance” of Moses’ face is a feature of Ancient Near Eastern

reliefs which is “the characteristic luminosity of deities.” When this light is seen on “human

rulers,” then “royal effulgence is part of the poetic expression of the king’s divine authority.”34

This speaks also to Moses being God’s spokesperson or divine “mouthpiece” (verb for ‘speak’

occurs 7 times in vv. 29-35).35 When he would enter the tabernacle, he would remove the veil in

the LORD’s presence. The apostle Paul uses this event typologically (2 Cor. 3:12-18) to those

who read the covenant with a veil over their heart and cannot see Christ. Just as Moses saw the

Lord with an “unveiled face,” so also when the veil is removed by the Spirit, we can behold the

Lord’s glory.36

Knowledge Connected with Signs. When Moses inquires whom shall he say sent him,

the LORD responds in 3:14, ‘I Am Who I Am.’ This phrase is difficult to translate. The Hebrew

statement, ‘ehyeh ‘asher ‘ehyeh ()37 – I Am Who I Am – is how

God refers to himself. Commentators discuss how this phrase should best be translated. The

term ‘ehyeh appears to be from the verb , to be or become, “and thus asserts God’s

existence, God’s identity as one who brings about existence, and perhaps even God’s mystery as

the one who is whatever the one is.”38 Is this a Qal Imperfect, 1st person singular (as some

contend) stressing his existence or a Hiphil Imperfect 3rd Ms. Sing., which would emphasize he

brings or causes things to come into existence? The active meaning that is found in most English

34 Meyers, 266. 35 Ibid., 267. 36 R. Alan Cole, Exodus, An Introduction & Commentary, Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries, Gen. Ed. D.J. Wiseman (Downers Grove, IL/Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973), 232. 37 BHS, 89.

38Meyers, 57.

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translations (I Am) seems to be supported by the LXX with the rendering of e)gw/ ei)mi/ (also

the expression Jesus uses in John’s Gospel).39

Some also suggest the translation, “I will be what I will be.” This phrase is “clearly”

referring to the divine name, YHWH. The name YHWH is to be considered “as a shortening of

the whole phrase, and a running together of the clause into one word.”40 Perhaps the upcoming

signs that reveal the power of the LORD are what God intends to declare. That is the connection

in the Gospel of John between the I Am statements and the signs that point to Jesus’ deity.

God’s name is connected with “memory.” The Personal Name of God, Yahweh, is found some

6,823x in OT.41 His PN is also found in inscriptions from 10 th-6th centuries B.C.42 Commenting

on this passage, Woods notes in his commentary:

Moses realized that the Israelites, influenced by centuries of contact with Egyptian idolatry (compare Joshua 24:14), would ask the name of the

deity who had appeared to Moses, as though this deity, like those of Egypt, were limited in scope and power. It was believed the name of a deity expressed his nature and power. I Am Who I Am (14). This statement may also be rendered “I Am What I Am’ or “I Will Be What I Will Be”. These plural translation possibilities indicate the difficulty of the phrase, and it is not surprising that its precise significance has been disputed. Some insist that the expression proclaims the eternal self-existence of God. The Hebrew verb hayah, “to be”, however, conveys not inactive, abstract existence, but active, manifested existence. Further, the tense used (imperfect) expresses either habitual action or future action, thus yielding “I am being what I am being” or “I will be what I will be” … Unlike the gods of Egypt, He exists actively, and by his mighty acts Israel, and all mankind, will know His name.43

39 John J. Davis, Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studies in Exodus, 2nd Ed. (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1971, 1986, 1988), 72-73. 40 Cole, 69.

41Meyers., 57. 42Ibid., 58.

43 Woods, Genesis-Exodus, 132.

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Thus one cannot know who God is without knowing the power of God. Moses, however,

is not totally “convinced” that God’s “strategy” would be successful and Exodus 4 begins with a

third objection – that of the people (not the “elders” to whom he was supposed to bring the

message of deliverance) might not believe what he has to say.”44 God would provide ‘signs’ to

prove he is supreme. The word “sign” () here in Exod. 3:12 & 4:8 – found 6 times in this

narrative (Exod. 3:12; 4:8 – two times; 2:9; 4:17; 4:28; 4:30;) and 16 times total (7:3; 10:1, 2;

12:13; 13:9; 31:13; 31:17) in all of Exodus. “Signs and wonders”

()45 occurs in Ex. 7:3 “wonders” () occurs in

Exod. 11:9-10. The phrase “wonders” also occurs in Exod. 4:21.46 The first two signs God gives

Moses as a sign are: the staff to snake back to staff (4:2-3) and his hand becomes leprous and

then back to normal (4:4). If they would not believe these two (4:8-9), then the third would be

the first of ten that would follow: Water to blood (1st of 10 signs – at the Nile River).47

From 5:1 (when Moses and Aaron approach Pharaoh before the first sign) until 12:29

when the LORD strikes dead the firstborn of all the Egyptians (from the royal house, to the

servant, and to the cattle), notice how many times the term “know” is used: Exod. 5:2; 6:3, 7;

7:5, 17; 8:10, 22; 9:14, 29, 30; 10:2, 7, 26; 11:7. When Moses declares that Pharaoh is to let

them go and celebrate a feast, the Egyptian ruler asks, 'who is the LORD' (5:2)? He declares that

he does not ‘know’ him, he is informing “Moses that he did not recognize the power of the God

of the Hebrews over him. In the ancient Near East the power of a deity was often measured in

terms of the status of those who served him.” Pharaoh did not recognize Yahweh because Israel

was Pharaoh’s servant or “vassal.”48 44Meyers, 60.

45 BHS, 95. 46 Meyers, 76-77.

47Ibid., 61. 48 Woods, 136-37.

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The belief that knowledge or to know is a key in understanding the theology of Exodus

and specifically in connection to the signs/wonders can be seen in the controversial passage of

Exod. 6:2-3. Here the LORD tells Moses, ‘I appeared (Niphal Imperf. With vav consecutive

from , to see) unto Abraham, unto Isaac, and unto Jacob as El Shaddai, and my name

YHWH I was not known (Niphal Perf. From ) to them.’ The fact is that the book of Genesis

does use the divine name YHWH frequently (from Gen. 2:4-49:18), some 165 times. The LORD

addresses himself to the patriarch Jacob as YHWH (Gen. 28:13), Abram builds an altar to the

LORD and calls on the name of YHWY (Gen. 12:8), and even Abraham addresses him as

YHWH (Gen. 15:8).49 So this cannot be what God means here in Ex. 6:3, that the patriarchs

never ‘knew’ him as Yahweh. As demonstrated in the introduction to this research paper, the

term means coming to know through experience. Since knowing Yahweh’s name means

“much more than simply realizing that God is called Yahweh,” then the context shows that when

Israel sees the mighty “acts of God” (vv. 6-7) and are able to experience his covenant

“faithfulness,” then God’s people are able to “comprehend the greatness of Yahweh as the

covenant God more fully than did the patriarchs.”50 The focus of Exod. 6:3 is that God will

reveal his glory through “the events of the exodus.”51 Here again the theology of knowledge is

intertwined with self-revelation through signs. Knowledge of God’s mighty works is to be

taught to the children and grandchildren (Exod. 10:1-2),52 “and the worship life of Israel is to be

ordered in such a way that the people will know that Yahweh is their God” who lead them up out

of the land of Egypt (Exod. 29:46) and the one who “sanctifies them” (Exod. 31:13).53

49 Kohlenberger and Swanson, 630-31. 50 Woods, 138. 51 Ibid., 139. 52 Frethim, “Book of Exodus,” 253. 53 Ibid.

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Knowledge Connected with Torah. From Exodus chapter 20 until the close of the book

in chapter forty, most of the Exodus narrative deals with the covenant given at Sinai. Included

are the so-called words or the “ten words” (Exod. 34:28; Deut. 4:13; 10:4)54 or Decalogue in

Exod. 20:1-17, followed by the book of the covenant in Exodus 20:18-23:33 (including laws

governing slaves/property), the “ratification” of the covenant (Exod. 24), stipulations regarding

the construction, furnishings, priestly garments/functions, and proper worship in the tabernacle

(Exod. 25:1-31:18; 35:1-39:43). Then chapter 40 ends with consecration of the tabernacle.

Many other good outlines could be given for the second half of Exodus, but this one should

suffice to give the basic message and overview of the law given at Sinai.55

Through the giving of the Sinai covenant and a place to worship or commune with

Yahweh (in the tabernacle), God can be close to them and they can have a “more intimate

knowledge” of God through the law or Torah. If they obey God and keep the covenant

stipulations, then he will be in their midst and bless them.56 The purpose in giving this “Torah”

or instruction (the term actually occurs in Exod. only 7 times)57 is so that Israel can remain a

special people unto God, a nation that is holy and consist of a ‘kingdom of priests’ (Exod. 19:5-

6). Failure to keep the covenant will lead to God’s anger and visiting the sin of the fathers unto

the third and fourth generation (Exod. 34:7).

Although the term “instruction” occurs only seven times in Exodus, there are two

passages where the verb “know” and “instruction” occur together. In Exod. 18:16, ‘When it will

be to them a matter comes unto me, and I will judge between a man and between his friend, and I

will declare (cause to make known, Hiphil of ) the statutes of God and his Torah.’ Then

54 John H. Sailhamer, The Pentateuch As Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary. Library of Biblical Interpretation (Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992) (Klein 1993), 283. 55 Cole, 149-239. 56 Alexander, 195. 57 Kohlenberger and Swanson, 1657. Torah occurs in Ex. 12:49; 13:9; 16:4; 16:28; 18:16; 18:20; and 24:12.

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second occurrence of ‘know’ and Torah in the same passage is found in Exod. 18:20. ‘And you

will teach them the statutes and the instructions, and you will declare (cause to make known) to

them the path they will walk in it and the work they will do.’

In these two verses, we find ‘law’ terms (if you will) that connect with the importance of

knowledge in Exodus. The word ‘matter’ or ‘thing’ or ‘word’ () occurs in vs. 16 (if they

have a matter between them (same term used in Exod. 20:1, ‘these are the words …’). The verb

‘to judge’ (, the verb from which is based) also occurs in vs. 16 (‘I will judge’).

The term statute or statutes (from the verb , to inscribe, cut in, or decree) and

instruction () is found in vs. 16 and vs. 20.58 One cannot really know God without having

proper boundaries to keep one holy. The apostle Paul acknowledges that he could not have

known about sin (what is sin) without the law. He would not have known about covetousness

had the law not condemned coveting another’s possessions (Rom. 7:7-8). Every Ancient Near

Eastern society had codified law. The most famous is that of Hammurabi, who ruled Babylon

from 1792-1750 B.C. There are two classifications of law in the Ancient Near East: the first

type is casuistic (or case) law and the second is apodictic (or absolute) law. The code of

Hammurabi is set forth in the casuistic form (if a man …). We find similar judgments in Exod.

21-23.59 The apodictic form “primarily treats civil or criminal cases rather than religious

ones.”60 The second type is not as frequent in other law codes. When one reads the direct

addresses or prohibitions in the Old Testament (you shall/you shall not …), then they are dealing

with apodictic laws. Laws given in the imperative case (such as “Honor your father and mother

58 B-D-B, 349, 1047-48. Kohlenberger and Swanson, 1657. 59 Meyers, 184-85. 60 Dr. William W. Klein, Dr. Craig L. Blomberg ,and Dr. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction To Biblical Interpretation (Dallas: Word, 1993), 276.

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…”) are also absolute laws. The apodictic law from “primarily treat moral and religious

matters.”61

One way in which the regulations of the Pentateuch are similar to surrounding law codes

is the fact that “none of them is truly comprehensive or exhaustive.”62 Although the Jewish

rabbis debated on the exact number of statutes (611 or 613), the fact remains that this number

pales in comparison to our modern law code or even the exhaustive commentaries the rabbis

expounded. The first four of Exod. 20 deal with our relationship to God and the last six deal

with our relationship with community and fellow man. Jesus would deal with this question on

which is the greatest (Matt. 22:34-40) and our Lord said the whole law could be summed up by

saying: Love God with your whole heart (Deut. 6:5 – our responsibility to God) and love

neighbor as yourself (Lev. 19:18 – our responsibility to community and fellow man). Obviously,

later Jewish interpreters missed the essence of the law. The statutes were given as a boundary to

keep them pure and holy. One sees quickly what happens when Moses is away in Exod. 32. The

people tell Aaron to make them gods to go before them (32:1). They do not ‘know’ what has

happened to Moses (32:1). When Moses asks Aaron why he caused this, he blames the people.

‘You know they are set on evil’ (vs. 22). Thus Israel needs to have law or instruction and they

need to know the ramifications of violating that law.

Conclusion

From the opening verses of Exodus till the end of the book, the author makes a

theological argument showing how one comes to have a close, personal relationship with

Yahweh. God’s people come to this relationship through knowledge. This knowledge is

demonstrated through his mighty acts/signs, through manifestations, and through his covenant.

61 Ibid. 62 Meyers, 183.

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While modern man do not see these miraculous events (signs, wonders, and manifestations or a

theophany), yet we can declare as the Psalmist did in Psalm 19 that the heavens declare his glory

and the firmament exclaim his handiwork (paraphrasing). We can also see his marvels through

the eye of faith. Jesus pronounced a blessing upon those who do not see, yet believe (Jn. 20:29).

A personal knowledge of God is discovered not only through the signs or mighty works of

Yahweh, but also through his spoken (and later written) word. “When the events of which God

speaks do take place, they enhance the already-existing knowledge of God.” The LORD’s

“personal encounter” with Moses at the burning bush and at Mt. Sinai allows the prophet of God

“to see the “something more” in the event when it does occur.”63

The question is not whether or not the theme of knowledge is found in Exodus. The real

question one needs to be asking is if one can find enough material to make this topic dissertation

worthy? That question remains to be answered. That knowledge has been dealt with in the

Wisdom Literature by other scholars is apparent. If you agree with Alexander’s thesis, as does

this author, that this is a key theme in Exodus, then much more needs to be written on this

subject. There is much connection between Exodus and the Gospel of John (a point brought out

by Dr. Fletcher, a specialist in John’s Gospel, in the courses he teaches at Amridge; this student

considers a privilege to study under him). The apostle Paul also writes about developing this

knowledge or relationship with the risen Lord in Philippians 3:10-11. The people of God, in

both covenants, serve a living God, not a dead one as did the Egyptians. Hopefully this brief

paper will shine the light on an overlooked trajectory in Exodus, knowing God in a personal way

and how one comes to know him.

63 Fretheim, 253.

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Bibliography

Alexander, T. Desmond. From Paradise to the Promised Land: An Introduction To The Pentateuch. Third. Grand Rapids: Baker Academic, 1995, 2002, 2012.

Alt, A., O. Eisfeldt, P. Khale, and R. Kittle. Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Stuttgart: German Bible Society, 1987.

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Bergman, G. Johannes. "(dy, Ancient Near East." In Theological Dictionary Dictionary Of The Old Testament, Volume V, rmx-hwhy, Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Translated by David E. Green. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. 454-455.

Botterweck, G. Johannes. "(dy." In Theological Dictionary Dictionary Of The Old Testament, Volume V, rmx-hwhy, Edited by G. Johannes Botterweck and Helmer Ringgren, Translated by David E. Green. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1986. 448-454, 455-481.

Brown, A. Philip, II andBryan W. Smith. A Reader's Hebrew Bible. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.

Brown, F., S. Driver, and C. Briggs. The Brown-Driver-Briggs Hebrew and English Lexicon With an appendix containing the Biblical Aramaic. Peabody, MA: Hendrickson Publishers, 2008.

Cole, R. Alan. Exodus, An Introduction & Commentary. Tyndale Old Testament Commentaries. Edited by Gen. Ed. D.J. Wiseman. Downers Grove, IL/Leicester, England: Inter-Varsity Press, 1973.

Davis, John J. Moses and the Gods of Egypt: Studie in Exodus. 2nd. Grand Rapids: Baker, 1988.

Fretheim, T.E. "Book of Exodus." In Dictionary Of The Old Testament Pentateuch: A Compendium of Contemporary Biblical Scholarship, by T. Desmond Alexander and David W. Baker, 249-258. Downers Grove, IL/Leicester, England: InterVarsity Press, 2003.

Holladay, William L. A Concise Hebrew And Aramaic Lexicon Of The Old Testament Based Upon The Lexical Work Of Ludwig Koehler And Walter Baumgartner. Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 1983.

Klein, Dr. William W., Dr. Craig L. Blomberg, and Dr. Robert L. Hubbard, Jr. Introduction To Biblical Interpretation. Dallas: Word, 1993.

Kohlenberger III, John R. and James A. Swanson. The Hebrew-English Concordance To The Old Testament With The New International Version. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1998.

Meredith, Don. Supplement to Turabian 8th Edition. Memphis: Harding School of Theology, March 2015, 2013.

Meyers, Carol. Exodus. The New Cambridge Bible Commentary. Edited by Ben Witherington III. Cambridge: Cambridge Univ. Press, 2005.

Pipper,O.A. "Knowledge." The Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible, K-Q. Edited by George Arthur Buttrick. New York/Nashville: Abingdon, 1962, 42-48.

Sailhamer, John H. The Pentateuch As Narrative: A Biblical-Theological Commentary. Library of Biblical Interpretation. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1992.

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Schmitz, E.D. "Knowledge." The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology, Vol. 2. Edited by Colin Brown. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 1986, 391-399.

Shackelford, Robert Donald. The Concept of Knowledgein the Book of Job. New Orleans Baptist Theological Seminary: Unpublished Th.D. Dissertation, 1976.

Woods, Clyde M. Genesis-Exodus. The Living Way Commentary On The Old Testament. Vol. 1. Shreveport, LA: Lambert Book House, 1972.

Appendix

Every Occurrence of “to know” and “knowledge” in Exodus

Exod. 1:8Exod. 2:4

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Exod. 2:14Exod. 2:25Exod. 3:7Exod. 3:19Exod. 4:14Exod. 5:2Exod. 6:3Exod. 6:7Exod. 7:5Exod. 7:17Exod. 8:10Exod. 8:22Exod. 9:14Exod. 9:29Exod. 9:30Exod. 10:2Exod. 10:7Exod. 10:26Exod. 11:7Exod. 14:4Exod. 14:18Exod. 16:6Exod. 16:12Exod. 16:15Exod. 18:11Exod. 18:16Exod. 18:20Exod. 21:36Exod. 23:9Exod. 29:46Exod. 31:13Exod. 32:1Exod. 32:22Exod. 33:5Exod. 33:12Exod. 33:13 (2x)Exod. 33:16Exod. 33:17Exod. 34:29Exod. 36:1

Noun form Exod. 31:3Exod. 35:31

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