By now, the reader should be well aware of the fact that discrepancies and contradictions existed in the Pentateuch’s various genealogies because many of them were doublets—similar genealogical lists from two once separate traditions that were brought together by a later editorial endeavor. We have already seen examples of this (#7-10, #20-21).
It should come as little surprise then that in P’s genealogical list Lot is presented as the son of Abraham’s brother Haran (Gen 11:27, 12:5), thus making him Abraham’s nephew. However, J mentions him as Abraham’s brother (Gen 13:8). Noteworthy as well is that Lot does not make it into the book of Chronicles’ genealogy. Why?
We might make an educated guess at what’s going on here as this tradition progresses by looking at how these textual traditions stack up chronologically:
The Yahwist, written c. 8th c. BC, presents Lot as Abraham’s brother.
The Priestly text, c. 6th-5th c. BC, presents Lot as Abraham’s nephew.
The Chronicler, c. 4th c. BC, omits Lot from the family genealogy all together!
It might be surmised that later traditions sought to distance the embarrassing incestuous Lot (Gen 19:30-38) from his brother Abraham by making him, first, his nephew (P), and then by outright suppressing him from the genealogical tree all together, as the author of Chronicles did!
This is just one of the ways in which examining the Bible’s different textual traditions—evidenced through its many contradictions—informs us about the Bible’s textual history, and how (and hopefully why) its various traditions and stories were modified, and even contradicted by later writers. Even still, at some later point in time these different, modified, and contradictory traditions were compiled together, authenticated as Scripture, and labeled as “the Book” by a later generation of readers who had their own agenda and reasons for doing so.
Seen this contradiction on countless sites, but the way you present them here and pay attention to the textual detail is unparalleled. Who would have known that the authors were weeding Lot out.
Thanks so much!!
Wait, so, who is the Chronicler…? Is that another source? How many sources are there? I thought there were only 5….
Frequently confused, but learning so much! Thanks
There are probably 60+ different sources/authors of the Bible. Right, there are 4 sources + 1 redactor if we’re only talking about the Pentateuch. Well there is also the H source…
There will be a number of contradictions between the author of the books of Chronicles’ “history” of the southern kingdom Judah and that of the books of Kings. Now, we’re just noting the discrepancies in the genealogical lists between Genesis and Chronicles.
The word used for “brother” in Genesis 13 is listed as variously meaning:
1) brother
a) brother of same parents
b) half-brother (same father)
c) relative, kinship, same tribe
d) each to the other (reciprocal relationship)
e) (fig.) of resemblance
How did you come to choose “brother” since most translations say “we’re brethren” or “kinsmen”? In Deuteronomy, a stranger to a man who is a neighbor is also, by the way, “a brother”.
The Hebrew word used here is definitely ‘brothers’ (’ahim), and the context almost cetainly necessitates this translation. However, like our English “brothers”, or even Paul’s use of the Greek adelphoi, the term does have a larger semantic usage. In Gen 19:7, for example, it is the same word which Lot uses to speak of the town folk he lives with. Certain translators might prefer ‘kinsmen’ here in Gen 13:8 since that would dilute the tension with Gen 11:27, etc. Or, perhaps I’ve translated it as ‘brothers’ to accentuate that tension !! lol