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  • From: "Lisbeth S. Fried" <lizfried AT umich.edu>
  • To: "B Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT franklin.oit.unc.edu>
  • Subject: RE: Gen 15:17
  • Date: Fri, 18 Jan 2002 09:11:29 -0500


Hasn't he already cut off the tip of his penis?
What more do you want????
Liz

> -----Original Message-----
> From: Jonathan D. Safren [mailto:yonsaf AT beitberl.ac.il]
> Sent: Fri, January 18, 2002 12:57 AM
> To: Biblical Hebrew
> Subject: Re: Gen 15:17
>
>
> >
> > In Genesis 15 God is "Cutting a Covenant" with Abram. Abram does the
> > "cutting", but God "passes between the pieces" in token that
> He, for His
> > part, will certainly keep and perform His covenant promises.
> Abraham did
> > not pass between the pieces. He was a sleeping spectator of the vision
> > (verse 12). This Covenant is a unilaterally imposed covenant of Grace.
> >
>
> Unlike typical suzerainty treaty ceeremonies in the Bible (Circumcision,
> Gen. 18: the Sinai Covenant, Ex. 20-24; the Shechem Covenant; Josh. 24),
> here in Gen. 15 it is only God who is undertaking a treaty
> obligation, which
> is why He passes through the two rows of dismembered animals. Abraham
> undertakes no obligations at all. Abraham is not so much a "sleeping
> spectator" (even though that is what he was doing at the time) as a
> "beneficiary" of the covenant promise. He asked for proof of God's
> intentions towards him, and this is what God is giving him. I would call
> this a "role reversal". most definitely not the typical
> suzerainty treaty in
> which the Divine suzerain, or his human representative (Joshua) makes
> promises, or states that He has fulfiled His promises, and the Israelite
> vassal undertakes all the obligations.
> Sincerely,
> ---
> Jonathan D. Safren
> Dept. of Biblical Studies
> Beit Berl College
> Beit Berl Post Office
> 44905 Israel
>
>
> ---
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