Noah’s Covenant, also referred to as the Perpetual or Everlasting Covenant, is the third in Genesis, the first book of the Pentateuch at the beginning of the Hebrew Scriptures. Historically speaking, Genesis is a representation of the creation and this exegesis seeks to decipher the literal truths from symbolic statements. The three primary methods of exegesis, namely historical, literal and rhetorical (Collins, 2014a) with some others including reader-response, have been intentionally intertwined herein in order to create an extensively linked and innovatively structured essay in an original format. First, a background into Noah.
Noah himself is a somewhat preternatural historical character who appears in 9 books of the Bible. He first emerges in the biblical record at an extraordinary age of 500 years with Shem, his first of three pre-flood sons, thence goes on to live to 950 years. The symbolism of his inhuman age reflects Genesis’s inaccuracies of scientific timekeeping (Eliyahuk, 2012), but moreso shows him as timeless, ageless, wise and righteous. Adam, likewise, lived for 930 years (Gen 5:5) in an age when most lived for centuries, each of these men had significant longevity.
He lived in a time when men were universally corrupt, so much so that Yahweh (to be referred to henceforth herein as God) said He …show more content…
Often Gen 9:6 is printed as a stanza, there is no distinct rhythm and only a weak rhyming pattern provided by the alliteration of the consonant sounds of “b”, “d”, “g” and “k”. This is likely a result of its translation from Hebrew and even in English the bitter issue dealt with by this verse is given a certain harshness by these sounds. However, its layout nonetheless draws one’s attention. Most verses begin a sentence break, although, there is one clear case of enjambment where verses are broken in Gen 9:9-10. Euphemisms and connotations are used, particularly in describing murder and death in Gen
Noah himself is a somewhat preternatural historical character who appears in 9 books of the Bible. He first emerges in the biblical record at an extraordinary age of 500 years with Shem, his first of three pre-flood sons, thence goes on to live to 950 years. The symbolism of his inhuman age reflects Genesis’s inaccuracies of scientific timekeeping (Eliyahuk, 2012), but moreso shows him as timeless, ageless, wise and righteous. Adam, likewise, lived for 930 years (Gen 5:5) in an age when most lived for centuries, each of these men had significant longevity.
He lived in a time when men were universally corrupt, so much so that Yahweh (to be referred to henceforth herein as God) said He …show more content…
Often Gen 9:6 is printed as a stanza, there is no distinct rhythm and only a weak rhyming pattern provided by the alliteration of the consonant sounds of “b”, “d”, “g” and “k”. This is likely a result of its translation from Hebrew and even in English the bitter issue dealt with by this verse is given a certain harshness by these sounds. However, its layout nonetheless draws one’s attention. Most verses begin a sentence break, although, there is one clear case of enjambment where verses are broken in Gen 9:9-10. Euphemisms and connotations are used, particularly in describing murder and death in Gen