Featured Robert Dick Wilson on the Pentateuch

Robert Dick Wilson on the Pentateuch, from his book A Scientific Investigation of the Old Testament, page 11:

“...the conservative position is, in general, that the Canon of the books of the Old Testament was completed in the fifth century B. C., before the succession of the prophets ceased. As to the particular portions of the Old Testament, their view is :

“1. That the Pentateuch as it stands is historical and from the time of Moses; and that Moses was its real author, though it may have been revised and edited by later redactors, the additions being just as much inspired and as true as the rest.”

Wilson is not the only conservative who holds this position, but above this view is stated precisely -- Moses is the real author of the Pentateuch, yet it may have had some later editing.

What do you think? Agree or disagree?

 

This sort of view seems fairly common in modern American evangelical scholarship.

The next three quotes from The Book of Genesis: An Introductory Commentary (Second Edition), Ronald Youngblood, Eugene, OR: Wipf and Stock Publishers, 1999

And from Merrill F. Unger, Introductory Guide to the Old Testament, Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan, 1951

 

I find it very common that people hold someone other than Moses wrote Deuteronomy chapter 34. Folks who won't admit to any other editorial changes to the Pentateuch -- such as Genesis 14:14; Genesis 36:31; and Genesis 47:11 (see Youngblood above) -- readily accept Deuteronomy 34 as an editorial addition not written by Moses.

 

Considering the miracle of inspiration and that Moses was a prophet, it is not inconceivable that God could have given him the words to write of his own passing.

 

That Moses could have prophetically written his own death record, or that God could have used editors?

To me it would not be a question of whether God could, but whether he did.

 

I am not saying he did, but there is nothing about it that seems wrong to me, or any reason that he could not have.

Why would you think it does not seem right?

 

To me it would seem that it would be the first chapter of Joshua if he wrote it. With that opinion and $5, you might be able to get a cup of coffee at Starbuck's!

Certainly, God gave it and it is the truth. Perhaps we may tend to get too hung up on the human author, especially in cases where God did not choose to make it clear.

 

Whether Moses or Joshua (or someone else) wrote Deuteronomy 34 is an interesting discussion. Yet, it still seems like a different sort of issue from what Unger calls the "modernization of archaic expressions and place names" by later editors who were copying the books. Are any of you willing to accept that as legitimate?