Following in the main the literary analysis of Friedman (1987), this table
categorizes the legal collections and narratives of the book of Exodus according
to their reputed literary sources.
|
|
Yahwist (J) |
Elohist (E) |
Priestly (P) |
Editor |
|
Transition |
|
|
|
1:1-5 |
|
New Generation |
|
|
1:6-7 |
|
|
Enslavement |
|
1:8-12 |
1:13-14 |
|
|
Infanticide |
1:22 |
1:15-21 |
|
|
|
Moses' birth and early years |
2:1-23a |
|
|
|
|
Israel's cry |
|
|
2:23b-25 |
|
|
Moses' call |
3:1-8, 16-22; 4:1-31 |
3:9-15 |
6:2-25; 7:1-9 |
6:26-30 |
|
Plagues: Moses versus Pharaoh |
5:1-6:1; 7:14-29; 8:1-28;
9:1-7, 13-34; 10:1-29; 11:1-9 |
|
7:10-13; 9:8-12 |
11:9-10 |
|
Exodus |
12:21-23 |
12:24-39; 13:1-16 |
12:1-20, 40-49 |
12:50-51 |
|
Red Sea crossing |
14:5-7, 10b, 13-14, 19b, 20b,
21b, 24, 27b, 30-31; 15:1-18 |
13:17-19; 14:11-12, 19a, 20a,
25a; 15:20-21 |
13:21-22; 14:1-4, 8, 9b, 10a,
10c, 15-18, 21a, 21c, 22-23, 26-27a, 28-29 |
13:20; 15:19 |
|
Marah |
15:22b-25a |
|
|
15:22a, 27 |
|
Commands |
|
15:25b-26 |
|
|
|
Food |
|
|
16:2-36 |
16:1 |
|
Water |
|
17:2-7 |
|
17:1 |
|
Amalekites |
|
17:8-16 |
|
|
|
Jethro |
|
18:1-27 |
|
|
|
Horeb/Sinai |
19:10-25 |
19:2-9; 20:18-26 |
19:1 |
|
|
Decalogue |
|
20:1-17 |
additions |
|
|
Covenant Code |
|
21:1-23:33 |
|
|
|
Horeb/Sinai |
|
24:1-18 |
|
|
|
Tabernacle design |
|
|
25:1-31:11 |
|
|
Sabbath command |
|
|
31:12-18 |
|
|
Golden Calf |
|
32:1-33:11 |
|
|
|
Theophany |
34:1-13 |
33:12-23 |
|
|
|
Decalogue |
34:14-28 |
|
|
|
|
Moses' face aglow |
|
|
34:29-35 |
|
|
Tabernacle construction |
|
|
34-40 |
|
Hebrew and Habiru. Documents from Mesopotamia and Egypt from the second millennium to the twelfth century B.C.E. make frequent reference to groups of people associated with the term habiru. These habiru were evidently not a homogenous ethnic group but a class of social misfits and troublemakers. The term may be linguistically related to the biblical term for a Hebrew, 'ivri. The question has been raised whether the Israelites were originally such people. If so, this would have implications for the origin of the Israelites, their social formation, and their ethnic constitution or lack thereof (see Na'aman 1986).
Yahwist and Priestly Versions of the Plagues
The
Yahwist narrative supplied eight plagues. The plagues of gnats and boils were
added to the original series by the Priestly editor who was responsible for the
final edition. Priestly additions are marked in
purple.
|
Yahwist |
Completed Priestly Edition |
|
1. Water to blood 7:14-18,
20b-21a |
1. Water to blood
7:19-20a, 21b-22 |
|
2. Frogs 7:25, 8:1-4, 8-15 |
2. Frogs
8:5-7 |
|
|
3.
Gnats 8:16-19 |
|
3. Flies 8:20-32 |
4. Flies (J) |
|
4. Cattle plague 9:1-7 |
5. Cattle plague (J) |
|
|
6.
Boils on humans and animals 9:8-12 |
|
5. Hail 9:13-35 |
7. Hail (J) |
|
6. Locusts 10:1-20 |
8. Locusts (J) |
|
7. Darkness 10:21-29 |
9. Darkness (J) |
|
8. Death of firstborn 11:1-8 |
10. Death of firstborn (J) |