A study on the thematic parallels between the context in which the expression דע אשב is found in the narrative of Abraham and Genesis 1-3
Keywords:
Abraham, Creation, Genesis, Literary Unit.Abstract
The present study presents a brief overview of a theologically significant expression found repeated five times amidst the chapters that portray the life of the patriarch Abraham. The recurring expression is “lift up the eyes” in the Hebrew אשב דע The question I seek to clarify is: could there be any significance in the use of this repeated expression in the narrative of Abraham? What themes can be found in the immediate context in which the expression is inserted? Furthermore, in the chapters where the expression is located, what recurring themes already seen in the literary construction of Genesis can be identified? The outcome is a fascinating parallel between the story of Abraham and the theological themes already present in Genesis 1-3 that in the outset shed further light into the possibility of the literary unity of the book of Genesis as a whole.
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