Highlighting the Bible, part XIII: The Pentateuch (Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy)

A.Hanson, Amsterdam, 2009

Christians refer to the first five books of the Hebrew Bible as the Pentateuch. The Jewish community refers to these same books as the Torah. There are a variety of potential authors for these books, with very distinct writing styles, and much debate among scholars.

These books tell the story of God and God's people in the world.  These books of the Hebrew Bible (I am deliberately not describing this as the Old Testament, because that is taking a Christo-centric view) are important for Christians for they tell our story of creation and identity as God's people also, and tell of the faithfulness of God's promises in the midst of a broken world.

A. The following portions from Genesis do not appear in the lectionary:

Gen 2:4b-14 (Another account of creation)

Gen 3:16-24 (more comment about the first sin)

Gen 4-8 (Cain murders Abel;  Beginnings of Civilization; Adam's descendants; the wickedness of humankind; Noah pleases God; The Great Flood; The flood subsides; God's promise to Noah)

Gen 9:1-7 (a portion of the covenant with Noah)

Gen 9:18-28 (Noah and his sons)

Gen 10 (Nations descended from Noah)

Gen 11:10-32 (Descendants of Shem; Descendants of Terah)

Gen 12:4b-20 (Abram and Sarai in Egypt)

Gen 13-14 (Abram and Lot Separate; Lot's captivity and rescue; Abram blessed by Melchizedek)

Gen 16 (Birth of Ishmael)

Gen 17:8-14 (discussion of covenant with Abraham)

Gen 17:18-27 (announcement that Sarah will bear a son and he shall be named Isaac)

Gen 18:11-19 (Sarah laughs; Judgment pronounced on Sodom)

Gen 19-31 (Depravity of Sodom; Sodom and Gomorrah destroyed; Shameful origin of Moab and Ammon; Abraham and Sarah at Gerar; The birth of Isaac; Hagar and Ishamael sent away; Abraham and Abimelech make a covenant; The command to sacrifice Isaac; Sarah's death and burial; Marriage of Isaac and Rebekah; Abraham marries Keturah; Death of Abraham; Ishmael's descendants; Birth and youth of Esau and Jacob; Esau sells his birthright; Isaac and Abimelech; Isaac blesses Jacob; Esau's lost blessing; Jacob escapes Esau's fury; Esau marries Ishmael's daughter; Jacob's dream at Bethel; Jacob meets Rachel; Jacob marries Laban's daughters; Jacob prospers at Laban's expense; Jacob flees with family and flocks; Laban overtakes Jacob; Laban and Jacob make a covenant)

Gen 32:1-21 (Jacob sends presents to appease Esau)

Gen 33-49 (Jacob and Esau meet; rape of Dinah; Jacob returns to Bethel; many records of descendants; the story of Joseph; Judah and Tamar; Joseph interpreting dreams; Joseph's brothers in Egypt; Joseph reveals himself to his brothers; Joseph brings his family to Egypt)

Gen 50:1-14 (death of Jacob)

Gen 50:22-26 (death of Joseph)


B. The following passages from Exodus do not appear in the lectionary:

Exodus 1-11 (Moses' birth and youth; Moses and the burning bush; God reveals God's name; Moses' power revealed; Moses goes to Egypt; hard working conditions in Egypt; Israel's delivery assured; Moses and Aaron; the plagues)

Exodus 12:15-51; 13(death of the firstborn; Exodus to Succoth; festival of unleavened bread; consecration of firstborn; pillars of cloud and fire)

Exod 14-15 (Crossing the red sea; Song of Moses; Song of Miriam)

Exod 16:16-36 (Manna in the desert)

Exod 17:8-16 (Amalek attacks Israel and is defeated)

Exod 18-19 (Jethro's advice; Israelites reach Mt Sinai)

Exod 20:22-26 (law concerning the altar)

Exod 21-24:1-11 (a variety of laws)

Exod 25-31 (description of the tabernacle and priesthood)

Exod 32:1-6 (the making of the golden calf)

Exod 32:15-35 (Moses gets angry and breaks the stone tablets)

Exod 33-Exod 34:1-27 (Command to leave Sinai; Moses makes new tablets; Covenant renewed)

Exod 35-40 (more discussion about the construction of the tabernacle)


C. The following passage is the ONLY passage from Leviticus that appears in the lectionary:

Lev 19:1-2, 9-18 (Ritual and moral holiness)


D. The following passages are the ONLY passages from Numbers that appear in the lectionary:

Numbers 11:4-6, 10-16 (the people complaining in the desert

Numbers 11:24-30 (the spirit of God anoints 70 elders of the people)

Numbers 21:4-9 (Moses and the bronze serpent)


E. The following passages from Deuteronomy do not appear in the lectionary:

Deut 1-3 (events in Horeb; the desert years; defeat of King Og)

Deut 4:10-49 (more discussion of Moses commanding obedience)

Deut 5 (the 10 commandments; Moses the mediator of God's will)

Deut 6:10-25 (Caution against disobedience)

Deut 7 (A chosen people; blessings for obedience)

Deut 8:1-6 (a warning not to forget God in prosperity)

Deut 9-17 (Consequences of rebelling against God; Second pair of tablets; Essence of the law; rewards for obedience; Pagan shrines to be destroyed; prescribed place of worship; warning against idolatry; a variety of laws; passover revisited)

Deut 18:1-14 (privileges of priests; child sacrifice, divination and magic prohibited

Deut 19-25 (various laws)

Deut 26:12-19 (discussion of first fruits and tithes; concluding exhortation)

Deut 27-29 (blessings and warnings for disobedience)

Deut 30:1-8 (God's fidelity assured)

Deut 31-24 (Joshua chosen to succeed Moses; Song of Moses; Moses' final blessing; Moses' death and burial)