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Seth Postell

Israel College of the Bible, Netanya, Israel, Dean, Faculty Member

Israel College of the Bible, Netanya, Israel, Academic Dean, Faculty Member

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Seth D. Postell serves as the dean of Israel College of the Bible in Netanya, Israel. His PhD is in Hebrew Bible. Seth's publications are primarily focused on literary approaches, narrative analogy, and compositional analysis.

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Papers by Seth Postell

Potiphar’s Wife in David’s Looking Glass: Reading 2 Samuel 11–12 as a Reflection Story of Genesis 39

Tyndale bulletin, May 1, 2020

Though the parallels between Joseph and David have been well noted, the numerous literary links b... more Though the parallels between Joseph and David have been well noted, the numerous literary links between Joseph's exemplary behaviour with Potiphar's wife on the one hand and David's disgraceful behaviour with Bathsheba on the other has gone by largely unnoticed. In this article, we analyse 2 Samuel 11-12 as a reflection story of Genesis 39, noting the numerous parallels and striking contrasts. Given the many allusions to Joseph in 1 Samuel, the reader expects to see only Joseph's reflection in David's mirror in 2 Samuel 11-12, but finds Potiphar's wife looking back at David as well.

NARRATIVE ANALOGY AS AN APOLOGETIC FOR THE SYNCHRONIC AND UNIFIED READING OF GENESIS 1-3

by Seth Postell and Jonathan Shelton

JETS 66.4, 2023

Based on a synchronic literary reading, Jonathan Grossman concludes that Genesis 1-3 represents t... more Based on a synchronic literary reading, Jonathan Grossman concludes that Genesis 1-3 represents two autonomous creation stories that must be interpreted independently of one another. Grossman's conclusions, therefore, share much in common with classic diachronic scholarship. This article shows how the narrative analogy in Genesis 5-9 is the best defense for a synchronic, cohesive, and unified reading of Genesis 1-3, and consequently affirms an interpretation that is theologically consistent with the perspective of the New Testament.

Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh

in the "last days" ' (p. 3). Chapter 2 follows the history of interpretation of the first three c... more in the "last days" ' (p. 3). Chapter 2 follows the history of interpretation of the first three chapters of Genesis. He divides these into 'pre-critical' and 'critical', wherein he takes a 'pre-critical' stance, and also includes a section entitled 'Challenges to Critical Approaches' in which he discusses what he perceives to be failings on the part of critical scholars. Postell takes a sharp stance against source criticism and the tendency to separate Genesis 1:1-2:4a and 2:4b-3:24, choosing instead to read them together as a literary unit. Chapter 3 follows Chapter 2 in that it is a continued history of interpretation of the past two decades. He traces scholarship that discusses the unity of Genesis 1-3, including Thomas Keiser, André Sousan, C. John Collins, and others leading up to his own mentor, John Sailhammer. Chapter 4 discusses the methodology used in Postell's analysis of Genesis 1-3. He first defines what he means by text-centered approach by explaining what it is not and then what it is. He then discusses textuality and the seven standards of textuality (per de Beaugrande), which are 'cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality, and intertextuality' (p. 61). Focus is placed upon the fact that a text must have an author, and that author must be attempting to communicate something to his or her audience. This author, therefore, has an intention, and meaning cannot be divorced from this intention. Postell argues that the Old Testament, as a whole, is a text, which requires the Genesis 1-3 to be read as a part of a larger text instead of as a whole on its own. This approach to the Old Testament requires one Reviews 305

Does the Book of Psalms Present a Divine Messiah

Reading the Psalms Theologically, 2023

In this essay, the messianism of the Psalter is considered in light of the literary structure of ... more In this essay, the messianism of the Psalter is considered in light of the literary structure of the book of Psalms as a whole. By looking at several of the key psalms, this essay highlights a consistent conflation of the human and the divine identities of the Messiah. The Davidic king is the quintessential human being who fulfills the creation mandate on the one hand, and the divine figure worthy of worship on the other. The exegetical and theological conclusions about the Messiah's dual identity in the Psalter is supported by a close comparison of the messianism in the book of Daniel.

Learning from Israeli Scholars How to Read the New Testament: An Example from Mark 4:35-41 1

Learning from Israeli Scholars How to Read the New Testament: An Example from Mark 4:35-41, 2022

In this article I explain how studies focused on a literary reading of the Hebrew Bible published... more

READING GENESIS, SEEING MOSES: NARRATIVE ANALOGIES WITH MOSES IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2022

While analogies between Moses and other figures in the Prophets, Writings, and New Testament have... more While analogies between Moses and other figures in the Prophets, Writings, and New Testament have received a great deal of attention, no study has systematically explored narrative analogies with Moses in the Book of Genesis. This paper posits the presence of narrative analogies between the major figures in Genesis (God, Noah, Abram, Jacob, and Joseph) and Moses. Gaps in the analogous narratives in Genesis, moreover, suggest that a knowledge of the narratives about Moses in Exodus-Deuteronomy is required for the interpretation of Genesis.

Abram as Israel, Israel as Abram: Literary Analogy as Macro-Structural Strategy in the Torah

Tyndale Bulletin, 2016

The argument is made that through the use of literary devices, the individual stories of the Abra... more The argument is made that through the use of literary devices, the individual stories of the Abram narrative (Genesis 11-15) were strategically arranged to correspond with Israel's story as told in the Book of Exodus. Although previous commentators have observed some parallels between these two stories, this article asserts that the reach of this literary analogy extends further than a few identifiable similarities, and reveals an overarching compositional strategy. Potential meanings of this analogy vis-à-vis its similarities and differences are explored, and the use of this extended literary analogy is considered as a framework for appreciating the NT's figural interpretation of some Pentateuchal narratives.

Potiphar’s Wife in David’s Looking Glass: Reading 2 Samuel 11–12 as a Reflection Story of Genesis 39

Tyndale Bulletin, 2020

Adam as Israel: Genesis 1-3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh

Contents List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 Histor... more Contents List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 History of Interpretation 3 Recent Studies 4 Methodology 5 A Text-Centered Analysis of Genesis 1-3, Part 1 6 A Text-Centered Analysis of Genesis 1-3, Part 2 7 Genesis 1-3: An Introduction to the Tanakh? Bibliography Scripture Index Subject and Name Index

Abram as Israel Israel as Abram

Text and Canon: Essays in Honor of John H. Sailhamer, 2017

Messianism in the Hebrew Bible

Messianic Jewish Orthodoxy, 2019

The Messiah in the Torah

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, 2019

The Abrahamic Covenant

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, 2019

Typology in the Old Testament

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

The Old Testament in the Old Testament

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Psalm 16 The Resurrected Messiah

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Psalm 45 The Messiah as Bridegroom

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Genesis 3 15 The Promised Seed

Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Potiphar’s Wife in David’s Looking Glass: Reading 2 Samuel 11–12 as a Reflection Story of Genesis 39

Tyndale bulletin, May 1, 2020

Though the parallels between Joseph and David have been well noted, the numerous literary links b... more Though the parallels between Joseph and David have been well noted, the numerous literary links between Joseph's exemplary behaviour with Potiphar's wife on the one hand and David's disgraceful behaviour with Bathsheba on the other has gone by largely unnoticed. In this article, we analyse 2 Samuel 11-12 as a reflection story of Genesis 39, noting the numerous parallels and striking contrasts. Given the many allusions to Joseph in 1 Samuel, the reader expects to see only Joseph's reflection in David's mirror in 2 Samuel 11-12, but finds Potiphar's wife looking back at David as well.

NARRATIVE ANALOGY AS AN APOLOGETIC FOR THE SYNCHRONIC AND UNIFIED READING OF GENESIS 1-3

by Seth Postell and Jonathan Shelton

JETS 66.4, 2023

Based on a synchronic literary reading, Jonathan Grossman concludes that Genesis 1-3 represents t... more Based on a synchronic literary reading, Jonathan Grossman concludes that Genesis 1-3 represents two autonomous creation stories that must be interpreted independently of one another. Grossman's conclusions, therefore, share much in common with classic diachronic scholarship. This article shows how the narrative analogy in Genesis 5-9 is the best defense for a synchronic, cohesive, and unified reading of Genesis 1-3, and consequently affirms an interpretation that is theologically consistent with the perspective of the New Testament.

Adam as Israel: Genesis 1–3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh

in the "last days" ' (p. 3). Chapter 2 follows the history of interpretation of the first three c... more in the "last days" ' (p. 3). Chapter 2 follows the history of interpretation of the first three chapters of Genesis. He divides these into 'pre-critical' and 'critical', wherein he takes a 'pre-critical' stance, and also includes a section entitled 'Challenges to Critical Approaches' in which he discusses what he perceives to be failings on the part of critical scholars. Postell takes a sharp stance against source criticism and the tendency to separate Genesis 1:1-2:4a and 2:4b-3:24, choosing instead to read them together as a literary unit. Chapter 3 follows Chapter 2 in that it is a continued history of interpretation of the past two decades. He traces scholarship that discusses the unity of Genesis 1-3, including Thomas Keiser, André Sousan, C. John Collins, and others leading up to his own mentor, John Sailhammer. Chapter 4 discusses the methodology used in Postell's analysis of Genesis 1-3. He first defines what he means by text-centered approach by explaining what it is not and then what it is. He then discusses textuality and the seven standards of textuality (per de Beaugrande), which are 'cohesion, coherence, intentionality, acceptability, informativity, situationality, and intertextuality' (p. 61). Focus is placed upon the fact that a text must have an author, and that author must be attempting to communicate something to his or her audience. This author, therefore, has an intention, and meaning cannot be divorced from this intention. Postell argues that the Old Testament, as a whole, is a text, which requires the Genesis 1-3 to be read as a part of a larger text instead of as a whole on its own. This approach to the Old Testament requires one Reviews 305

Does the Book of Psalms Present a Divine Messiah

Reading the Psalms Theologically, 2023

In this essay, the messianism of the Psalter is considered in light of the literary structure of ... more In this essay, the messianism of the Psalter is considered in light of the literary structure of the book of Psalms as a whole. By looking at several of the key psalms, this essay highlights a consistent conflation of the human and the divine identities of the Messiah. The Davidic king is the quintessential human being who fulfills the creation mandate on the one hand, and the divine figure worthy of worship on the other. The exegetical and theological conclusions about the Messiah's dual identity in the Psalter is supported by a close comparison of the messianism in the book of Daniel.

Learning from Israeli Scholars How to Read the New Testament: An Example from Mark 4:35-41 1

Learning from Israeli Scholars How to Read the New Testament: An Example from Mark 4:35-41, 2022

In this article I explain how studies focused on a literary reading of the Hebrew Bible published... more

READING GENESIS, SEEING MOSES: NARRATIVE ANALOGIES WITH MOSES IN THE BOOK OF GENESIS

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, 2022

While analogies between Moses and other figures in the Prophets, Writings, and New Testament have... more While analogies between Moses and other figures in the Prophets, Writings, and New Testament have received a great deal of attention, no study has systematically explored narrative analogies with Moses in the Book of Genesis. This paper posits the presence of narrative analogies between the major figures in Genesis (God, Noah, Abram, Jacob, and Joseph) and Moses. Gaps in the analogous narratives in Genesis, moreover, suggest that a knowledge of the narratives about Moses in Exodus-Deuteronomy is required for the interpretation of Genesis.

Abram as Israel, Israel as Abram: Literary Analogy as Macro-Structural Strategy in the Torah

Tyndale Bulletin, 2016

The argument is made that through the use of literary devices, the individual stories of the Abra... more The argument is made that through the use of literary devices, the individual stories of the Abram narrative (Genesis 11-15) were strategically arranged to correspond with Israel's story as told in the Book of Exodus. Although previous commentators have observed some parallels between these two stories, this article asserts that the reach of this literary analogy extends further than a few identifiable similarities, and reveals an overarching compositional strategy. Potential meanings of this analogy vis-à-vis its similarities and differences are explored, and the use of this extended literary analogy is considered as a framework for appreciating the NT's figural interpretation of some Pentateuchal narratives.

Potiphar’s Wife in David’s Looking Glass: Reading 2 Samuel 11–12 as a Reflection Story of Genesis 39

Tyndale Bulletin, 2020

Adam as Israel: Genesis 1-3 as the Introduction to the Torah and Tanakh

Contents List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 Histor... more Contents List of Tables and Figures Acknowledgments List of Abbreviations 1 Introduction 2 History of Interpretation 3 Recent Studies 4 Methodology 5 A Text-Centered Analysis of Genesis 1-3, Part 1 6 A Text-Centered Analysis of Genesis 1-3, Part 2 7 Genesis 1-3: An Introduction to the Tanakh? Bibliography Scripture Index Subject and Name Index

Abram as Israel Israel as Abram

Text and Canon: Essays in Honor of John H. Sailhamer, 2017

Messianism in the Hebrew Bible

Messianic Jewish Orthodoxy, 2019

The Messiah in the Torah

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, 2019

The Abrahamic Covenant

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Christian Faith, 2019

Typology in the Old Testament

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

The Old Testament in the Old Testament

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Psalm 16 The Resurrected Messiah

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Psalm 45 The Messiah as Bridegroom

Moody Dictionary of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Genesis 3 15 The Promised Seed

Moody Handbook of Messianic Prophecy, 2020

Jesus [Not] as Moses in the Gospel of Matthew

A Handbook on the Jewish Roots of the Gospels, 2021

In this article, I consider the macrostructure of the Gospel of Matthew as an extended narrative ... more In this article, I consider the macrostructure of the Gospel of Matthew as an extended narrative analogy between Jesus and Moses. It is argued that any assessment of Matthew's compositional strategy and theology must give careful attention to both the similarities as well as the marked differences between Jesus and Moses.

A LITERARY, COMPOSITIONAL, AND INTERTEXTUAL ANALYSIS OF PSALM 45

Bibliotheca Sacra 176, 2019

Though the author of Hebrews interprets Psalm 45 messianically, many scholars have denied that th... more Though the author of Hebrews interprets Psalm 45 messianically, many scholars have denied that the psalm speaks directly about the Messiah. Contrary to their concerns, a direct messianic interpretation of this psalm is supported by a literary analysis of the psalm, an analysis of Psalm 45 in the context of the psalms of the Sons of Korah (Pss 42-49) and the Psalter as a whole, and by the matrix of echoes and allusions to other messianic prophecies in the Hebrew Bible.