The Patriarchal Narratives - An Introduction

The 'Patriarchal Narratives' (PN) is the label given by biblical commentaries to Gen 12-40, which recounts the lives of Abraham (Abram), Isaac, Jacob and his children. It may be asked whether it may not properly be thought to begin at 11:10, the genealogy from Shem to Abram. It may; the genealogy contains vital information necessary for understanding the story of Abram. Traditionally, however, commentators have thought of this genealogy as transitional and has clearly linkages to what went before than after it.

With regards to the PN itself, it is customary also to think of it as composed of four accounts: the story of Abram/Abraham, the story of Isaac, the exploits of Jacob, and the account of Joseph. While these four persons are the most easily remembered the narrative itself does not divide so clearly into four. We suggest that Gen 12-50 divides into two parts: the account of Abraham (12-25:12) and the story of Jacob (25:19-50:26) with the genealogy of Ishmael (25:12-19) marking the boundary between them. From this perspective, Isaac is a transitory character serving rather to introduce Jacob into the story rather than being a star-figure who plays a major role in the PN. Other commentators will probably dispute this portrayal of the second half of the PN, but here are the reasons why I have adopted this perspective.