III. THE FORM OF THE OLD TESTAMENT

IV. THE LANGUAGE OF THE ENGLIsh Bible

1. Peculiarity of "Biblical language:" reason for its peculiar form.

2. Source of the English words of the Bible: Advantages of these words over any others that could be chosen.

B. FIRST READING

STUDY OF THE NARRATIVES OF THE OLD TESTAMENT.

I. GROUP I. FROM THE BOOK OF GENESIS

1. The Book of Genesis.

Note 5.-The Book of Genesis, the first book of THE OLD TESTAMENT, takes its name from a Greek word meaning origin or generation. This book and the four following books of the Bible-Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy-are sometimes regarded as divisions of one work, known as the Pentateuch or five-fold book.

The Book of Genesis describes the beginnings of history from three points of view: (1) The beginnings of the world, chapters, i-ix. (2) The beginnings of the nations, chapters x-xxi. (3) The beginnings of the People Israel, chapters xxii-end. The third section is composed of incidents in the lives of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob or Israel, and the sons of Jacob, who are represented as successively the progenitors of the People Israel.

2. Selection 1.-The Story of the Flood. Genesis

vii-viii.

(The Beginnings of the World.)

a. Introductory Note. (See Text).
b. The Narrative.

Suggestion 2. Students are expected to read each
selection aloud in class and to reproduce the
narrative from memory after it has been read.

c. Topics for Special Study.

(1.) Noah's sons; the dove, the raven, and the olive leaf; the use of the word prevail; Mt. Ararat; Jehovah's promise; altars and burnt offerings.

Note 6.-Observe the combination of precision and elegance of diction with the utmost brevity and conciseness. This narrative cannot be read so rapidly as to obscure the sense or break the smoothness of the language.

3. Selection 2.-The Story of the Confusion of Tongues. Genesis xi., 1-9.

(The Beginnings of the Nations.)

a. Introductory Note. (See Text.)

b. The Narrative.

c. Topics for Special Study.

(1.) The vain attempt of the builders of Babel to defeat the purpose of Jehovah; the Tower of Babel..

Note 7.-The name Babel means "confusion." The Tower of Babel may be regarded as an idealized conception of the enormous brick buildings whose ruins still form artificial hills in this region.

Note 8.-The proper names of THE OLD TESTAMENT have become part of the English language in the form in which they appear in the King James Version. Since they are English words, they are subject to the varying fashions of pronunciation to which the English language, like all living languages, is liable. Consequently, Biblical names, as ordinarily pronounced in English, differ widely from the same names in their Semitic form, which the English version of the Jewish Scriptures prefers, and from the Latinized Greek form, which is in most cases retained by the Douay version.

4. Selection 3.-Abraham in Canaan. Genesis xiii-xiv. (The Beginnings of the Nations.)

a. Introductory Note. (See Text.)

b. The Narrative.

c. Topics for Special Study.

(1.) Geography of the story; the division of the land; cause of the separation; God's promise to Abraham.

Note 9.-In the "Revised Version" of the English Bible, the proper name "Jehovah" is, in many cases, substituted for the expression "The Lord," made familiar to all generations of English readers by the unvarying usage of previous versions.

In the original Hebrew, two words were used to express the idea of the Deity. Generally speaking, when the reference was to the Creator and Ruler of the Universe,

a word was used which conveys all the ideas expressed by the English word "God," and is so translated; when the reference was to the Ruler and Protector of Israel, another word was used which can only be rendered in English spelling as "Jehovah," although the modern pronunciation in English of the letters j and v puts the spoken word out of all relation with any Semitic speech. The word "Jehovah," though written, was, for religious reasons, never pronounced by the Jews. In reading the Scriptures, another word with the meaning "The Lord" was usually substituted, and this paraphrase has been inserted, instead of the actual name, in the text of all English versions of the Bible, with the exception above noted.

5. Selection 4.-The Wooing of Rebekah. Genesis xxiv.

(The Beginnings of the People Israel.)

a. Introductory Note. (See Text.)

b. The Narrative.

c. Topics for Special Study.

(1.) Geography of the narrative; Oriental customs described in the narrative; character of Rebekah as revealed by the story.

Note 10.-Observe the consummate skill with which the narrator interweaves, in this charming idyl of the domestic life of the patriarchs, the theme of the Divine Providence which guarded the beginnings of Israel.

6. Selection 5.-The Story of Jacob and Esau. Gen

esis xxvii, 1-40.

(The Beginnings of the People Israel.)

a. Introductory Note. (See Text.)
b. The Narrative.

c. Topics for Special Study.

(1.) Stratagem by which Jacob obtained his father's blessing; value and significance of the blessing; character of Esau, Jacob, and Rebecca as revealed by

narrative.

by this

Note 11.-Compare this story with selection 4 and note the ruggedness of style, the lowering of the moral tone, and the different class of episodes dwelt on. Two poetical fragments are incorporated in the narrative, stanzas 28-29 and 39-40. These are all characteristic features of the popular stories of a primitive people.

7. Selection 6.-The Story of Joseph.

a. Part 1.-Joseph and his Brethren. Genesis xxxvii.

(1.) Introductory Note. (See Text.)

(2) The Narrative.

(3.) Topics for Special Study.

(a.) Attitude of his brethren towards Joseph;

Joseph's dream and its effect upon his brothers; Reuben's part in the development of the story; Oriental customs described in the narrative.