The strange pericope of Ex 4:24–26 is discussed in numerous studies, mainly from the perspective of religious history or rhetorical criticism. Building on the results of previous research, this study confirms earlier suggestions that this passage cannot be connected well with its direct context, specifically with the larger call narrative of Ex 3:1–4:18, or with the smaller preceding unit in vv. 20–23. The observations regarding rhetorical and logical problems around Ex 4:19.24–27 are corroborated by independent text-historical arguments, derived mainly from the Old Greek version.
Sacra Scripta
The Book of Habakkuk is well-known for using a very sophisticated language in terms of semantics, poetics, or rhetorical structure, causing tremendous difficulties to later interpreters, both ancient and modern. For this reason, from a diachronic perspective, textual deviations from the canonical Massoretic tradition could be mere relics of the perplexity of confused translators or scribes.
According to Gen 1, the “classical” story of the origin of humanity, God began and finished the creation of man on the sixth day. In this view, creation is a one-time divine act dated to the dawn of history. Psalm 139,13-16 provides an alternative concept regarding human origins. The ideas permeating this Psalm are less widespread in the Bible, and they were far less influential for later theological works than the classical biblical accounts of creation. Nonetheless, these anthropological notions appear to be firmly rooted in folk religion.
