Word of Life

Disclaimer  –  The following article is meant for educational purposes only and not for any commercial purpose.   By Emmanuel Gomes Edited by  Fr Trevor D'Souza, OFM   Pentateuch refers to the first five books of the Bible (Genesis, Exodus, Numbers, Leviticus and Deuteronomy).   In this article we will share various views on the complex question regarding the origin of the Pentateuch. It is important to stress that the purpose of this article is not to settle any debate but to inform the reader of the many viewpoints on the authorship of the Pentateuch.   In Jewish and Christian tradition - The Pentatuech was always considered written by Moses. However, after the coming of scientific biblical studies, 19th century, biblical scholars have abandoned the idea that the Pentateuch was authored by Moses.    Regarding Moses as the principal author of the Pentatuch has been based on the internal evidence. There are various passages in the Bible that refer to Moses being the author. For exa

Note: It is recommended to read chapters 4 - 6 from the Book of Genesis before reading this article. Re-reading the article is also a suggestion to get a better understanding of the text. Disclaimer – The following article is meant for educational purposes only and not for any commercial purpose. By Fr Trevor D'Souza, OFM Co-authored by Adrian Mathew Genesis 4 The story of Adam and Eve, Cain and Abel are not historical stories. These  stories do not intend to explain the origin of the human race. These stories bring out the presence of violence and sin in the human race (family life and society).   Biblical scholars are of the opinion that the story of Cain and Abel have been taken from the legends of the tribe of Kenites (see Judges 1:16; 4:17) and inter-woven with the story of Adam and Eve, by making them their children.   The story of Cain and Abel shows how violence is deeply rooted in the human heart (Genesis 4:7). It also shows how rivals deal with each other when hurt by pr

By Adrian Mathew Note: It is recommended to read chapter 3 from the Book of Genesis before reading this article. Re-reading the article is also a suggestion to get a better understating of the text. Disclaimer – The following article is meant for educational purpose only and not for any commercial purpose. Genesis 3: With Genesis 3, we turn to what is perhaps one of the momentous chapters in the entire Old Testament: the account of the Fall. With this narrative, Genesis reveals to us the sin that lay at the origins of mankind and, therefore, the root cause of all moral evils with which human history has been inundated. The Inversion of norms: In the divinely established order in Genesis 1-2, Adam, God’s vice-regent, is to obey God. He is to communicate God’s will to Eve, his spouse, and together they are to rule over the animals. In the course of Genesis 3, the animal (the serpent) is going to rule over Eve, Eve is going to communicate the animal’s will to Adam, and together al

By Adrian Mathew Note: It is recommended to read chapters 1 and 2 from the Book of Genesis before reading this article. Re-reading the article is also a suggestion to get a better understating of the text. Disclaimer – The following article is meant for educational purpose only and not for any commercial purpose. A Re-look at the Structure of Genesis: Another legitimate way to understand the literary structure of the book is when the sacred author has used genealogical formulas to mark what he considered key divisions of his text. The stock phrase “these are generations of” (Hebrew ‘elleh toledoth) is used at the junctures between blocks of narrative called “cycles” that largely follow one of five dominant figures in the book: Adam, Noah, Abraham, Jacob, and Joseph. We discover that Genesis appears to have been compiled as five major cycles, each distinguished—and, at the same time, joined—by “ genealogical ” (toledoth) formulas . This five-cycle structural analysis is presente

By Adrian Mathew (Audio format click to listen ->  Spotify  narrated by  Suharsh Xavier ) Disclaimer   –  The following article is meant for educational purpose only and not for any commercial purpose. The word Genesis comes from the Greek word ‘geneseos’ which means birth or origin. The Book explains the origin of the world and Israel’s place in it. Genesis narrates sacred history from its commencement at the time of creation and rounds it off with the account of the Israelites’ descent into Egypt. In its rich theological theme, the Book points to the true God who created the heavens, the earth and all that’s in the universe and thereby dethroning all false claimants to divinity. Nothing in this world is god and nothing in this world deserves worship but all of creation comes from the true God, bears witness to God and is under the aegis of the true God. We human beings are the stewards of this creation. The Book is divided into two parts : - Primeval History (Chapters 1-11)