Editing Book of Genesis (section)

=== Promises to the ancestors ===
In 1978, [[David Clines]] published ''The Theme of the Pentateuch''. Considered influential as one of the first authors to take up the question of the overarching theme of the Pentateuch, Clines' conclusion was that the overall theme is "the partial fulfilment—which implies also the partial nonfulfillment—of the promise to or blessing of the Patriarchs". (By calling the fulfilment "partial", Clines was drawing attention to the fact that at the end of Deuteronomy the people of Israel are still outside Canaan.){{Sfn|Clines|1997|p=30}}

The [[Patriarchs (Bible)|patriarchs]], or ancestors, are Abraham, Isaac and Jacob, with their wives (Joseph is normally excluded).{{Sfn|Hamilton|1990|p=50}} Since the name YHWH had not been revealed to them, they worshipped El in his various manifestations.{{Sfn|Collins|2007|p=47}} (It is, however, worth noting that in the Jahwist source, the patriarchs refer to deity by the name YHWH, for example in Genesis 15.) Through the patriarchs, God announces the election of Israel, that is, he chooses Israel to be his special people and commits himself to their future.{{Sfn|Brueggemann|2002|p=61}} God tells the patriarchs that he will be faithful to their descendants (i.e. to Israel), and Israel is expected to have faith in God and his promise. ("Faith" in the context of Genesis and the Hebrew Bible means an agreement to the promissory relationship, not a body of a belief.){{Sfn|Brueggemann|2002|p=78}}

The promise itself has three parts: offspring, blessings, and land.{{Sfn|McKeown|2008|p=4}} The fulfilment of the promise to each patriarch depends on having a male heir, and the story is constantly complicated by the fact that each prospective mother—[[Sarah]], [[Rebekah]] and [[Rachel]]—is barren. The ancestors, however, retain their faith in God and God in each case gives a son—in Jacob's case, twelve sons, the foundation of the chosen [[Israelites]]. Each succeeding generation of the three promises attains a more rich fulfilment, until through Joseph "all the world" attains salvation from famine,{{Sfn|Wenham|2003|p=34}} and by bringing the children of Israel down to Egypt he becomes the means through which the promise can be fulfilled.{{Sfn|Hamilton|1990|p=50}}