Was Noah Good? Finding Favour in the Flood Narrative

The juxtaposition of 'favour' and 'righteousness' in the flood narrative raises an interpretative and theological problem: Is Noah chosen because of divine favour or because of his piety ? Source-critical scholars identify two different theologies by J and P: J understands Noah's election to be an act of grace whereas P emphasizes Noah's righteousness as the basis for his election. Scholars who interpret the flood narrative according to its final form argue that Noah is chosen because he is righteous. This view is problematic, however, since in the primaeval history grace is shown to the 'undeserving', thus it is characteristically unmerited.

This book entails an exegetical analysis of, and according to, the final form of the text, with particular attention being given to the meaning and function of these verses in the Toledot structure. Kaminski argues against the commonly held view that Noah finds favour because he is righteous, and seeks to demonstrate that divine favour is unmerited in accordance with the theme of grace in the primaeval history and in Genesis as a whole. Thus what sets the flood story in motion is not Noah's righteousness, but the divine favour he finds.

• CONTENTS
• Abbreviations xi
• Acknowledgments xiii
• INTRODUCTION 1
• • 1. Context 1
  • 2. Outline of the Present Study 3
• Chapter 1
• INTERPRETATIONS OF FAVOUR AND RIGHTEOUSNESS IN THE FLOOD NARRATIVE 6
  • 1. Interpretations of “Favour” and “Righteousness” from a Source-Critical Perspective 8
  • 2. Interpreting “Favour” and “Righteousness” According to the Final Form 13
  • 3. Summary 19
  • 4. Methodology 21
• Chapter 2
• ESTABLISHING THE LITERARY CONTEXT OF GENESIS 6:5–8 24
  • 1. Introduction 24
  • 2. Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as the Introduction to the Flood Narrative 28
    • a. Priority Given to Independent J and P Sources 28
    • b. Genesis 6:5 Is Understood to Be J’s Introduction to the Flood 31
    • c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Seen to Be an Independent Literary Unit 36
    • d. YHWH’s “Seeing” in Genesis 6:5 Thought to Introduce the Narrative 37
    • e. Linguistic Connections Between Genesis 6:5–8 and the Flood Narrative 38
    • f. Genesis 6:5 Is Recalled After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 39
  • 3. The Rationale for Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as Part of the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 40
    • a. The Priority of the Toledot Formula in Determining Literary Units 40
    • b. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to the Preceding Genealogy and to the Primaeval History 43
    • c. Genesis 6:1–4 Is Connected to Motifs in the Primaeval History 46
    • d. Genesis 6:5 Does Not Begin a New Section But Continues the Main Line of the Narrative 48
    • e. Genesis 6:1–4 and 6:5–8 Are to Be Read Together 50
  • 4. Interpreting Genesis 6:5–8 as the Conclusion to the Toledot of Adam (Genesis 5:1–6:8) 54
    • a. The Meaning of ?????? in the Toledot Heading of Genesis 5:1 54
    • b. The Verb ?????? in 6:7 and Its Connection to Genesis 5:1–3 58
    • c. Genesis 6:6 Is Connected to the Preceding Genealogy 59
    • d. Creation Language in Genesis 6:6–7 Recalls the Introduction to the Toledot of Adam 60
  • 5. Scholars Who Interpret Genesis 6:1–8 as the Conclusion to the Toledot of Adam 61
  • 6. Conclusion 63
• Chapter 3
• GOD’S ASSESSMENT OF HUMANITY AT THE CONCLUSION TO THE TOLEDOT OF ADAM (GENESIS 6:5–8) 64
  • 1. Introduction 64
  • 2. Chronological Issues Related to Genesis 6:1 64
  • 3. How Does Genesis 6:1 Relate Temporally to Genesis 5:1–32? 65
  • 4. The Signi??cance of the ???????? Clause in 6:1, “and it came to pass” 66
    • a. The Signi??cance of the ???????? Clause in Genesis 6:1 66
    • b. Resumptive Repetition as a Literary Device 68
    • c. The Temporal ???????? Clause in Exodus 6:28 70
    • d. The Temporal ???????? Clause in Numbers 7:1 71
    • e. The ???????? Clause in Genesis 6:1 Backtracks to an Earlier Period 72
  • 5. Genesis 6:1–8 Is a Telescoped Narrative 74
  • 6. Interpreting Human Wickedness in 6:5 in View of 6:1 76
  • 7. The Meaning of ???????? in Genesis 6:1–8 78
    • a. ???????? in Genesis 6:1–4 78
    • b. ???????? in Genesis 6:5 81
  • 8. Is Noah Exempt from Human Depravity or Only from the Judgment? 84
  • 9. Genesis 6:5 Is Reiterated After the Flood in Genesis 8:21 87
  • 10. Humanity’s Evil Inclination Is “From His Youth” 87
  • 11. Genesis 8:21 and the Curse Against the Ground (Genesis 3:17) 90
  • 12. The Meaning of ?????? in Genesis 8:21 92
  • 13. Interpreting Genesis 8:21 in View of Genesis 3:17 and Genesis 6:5 97
  • 14. The Story of Noah’s Drunkenness in Genesis 9:20–27 100
  • 15. Conclusion 103
• Chapter 4
• INTERPRETING NOAH’S “FINDING FAVOUR” IN ITS LITERARY CONTEXT (5:1–6:8) 105
  • 1. Introduction 105
  • 2. A Survey of the Verb ?????? and the Noun ???? in the Book of Genesis 106
  • 3. General Observations About the Idiom “To Find Favour in the Eyes of” 107
  • 4. Does Noah Deserve the Favour He Finds? 110
  • 5. Can Favour Be Merited? 112
    • a. Texts That Support the View That Favour Can Be Merited 112
    • b. Favour Can Be Refused—Even When Behaviour Is Commendable (1 Samuel 25) 114
    • c. Commendable Behaviour Does Not Merit Favour (Ruth) 114
  • 6. Can “Finding Favour” Mean Finding Unmerited Grace? 116
    • a. Jacob’s “Finding Favour” in the Eyes of Esau (Genesis 32–33) 116
    • b. Divine Favour in the Golden Calf Story (Exodus 32–34) 121
    • c. Parallels Between God’s Grace in Exodus 34:9 and Genesis 8:21 125
  • 7. The Theme of Grace in the Flood Story 126
  • 8. Noah and Moses as Recipients of Divine Favour 128
    • a. Moses’ Finding Favour Entails God’s Election 128
    • b. Does Noah’s Finding Favour Entail God’s Election of Him? 130
  • 9. Von Rad’s “Sin–Judgment–Grace” Schema 133
  • 10. Westermann’s “Sin–Speech–Judgment” Schema 134
  • 11. Clines’s “Sin–Speech–Grace–Judgment” Schema 134
  • 12. Interpreting Genesis 6:8 in View of the Theme of Grace in the Patriarchal Narratives 136
  • 13. Conclusion 137
• Chapter 5
• THE MEANING OF ???????? IN GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 139
  • 1. Introduction 139
  • 2. ?????? Terminology in Genesis and the Pentateuch 140
  • 3. The Adjective ???????? in the Sodom and Gomorrah Story 141
    • a. Parallel Features in the Flood Narrative and the Story of Sodom and Gomorrah 141
    • b. The Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33 142
    • c. The Meaning of ???????? in Genesis 18:16–33 148
  • 4. The Adjective ???????? in the Story of Abimelech (Genesis 20:1–18) 150
  • 5. The “Non-Israelite” Context for ???????? in Genesis 18:16–33 and 20:1–18 153
  • 6. Is the Interpretive Context for ???????? Covenantal? 154
  • 7. God Is Establishing a Covenant with Noah, Not Renewing a Covenant 158
  • 8. Does the Judicial Context of Genesis 18:16–33 and 20:1–18 Have Any Bearing on the Meaning of ???????? in Genesis 6:9 and 7:1? 161
  • 9. Legal Referents in Genesis Are Not Covenantal But Creational 164
  • 10. Conclusion 168
• Chapter 6
• INTERPRETING GENESIS 6:9 AND 7:1 IN THEIR LITERARY CONTEXTS 169
  • 1. Introduction 169
  • 2. Does Genesis 7:1 Entail Divine Election? 170
  • 3. The Judicial Context of Divine “Seeing” and Genesis 7:1 174
  • 4. Interpreting ???????? in 7:1 in Its Immediate Literary Context (6:9–22) 177
  • 5. Interpreting Noah’s Obedience in View of the Garden Narrative 181
  • 6. The Creational Context for the Divine Verdict in Genesis 7:1 182
  • 7. The Divine Verdict in 7:1 Occurs After Noah Has Obeyed God’s Commands 183
  • 8. The Signi??cance of the Toledot Formula in Genesis 6:9 Without a Coordinating Waw 184
  • 9. Genesis 6:9 Anticipates the Divine Assessment in Genesis 7:1 188
  • 10. The Relationship of Noah’s Righteous to Favour in Genesis 6:8 191
• CONCLUSION 194
  • 1. Implications for Further Research 198
  • 2. The Priority of Divine Grace 200
• Bibliography 201
• Index of References 209
• Index of Authors 221