# Dischronologized?



## arapahoepark (Apr 26, 2013)

> "As so often happens in Scripture, historical events have been dischronologized and reconstructed for theological reasons. For example, the nations listed in Genesis 10 came into existence after the confusion of languages at Babylon recounted in Genesis 11, but the writer has dischronologized events in order to put the nations under Noah’s blessing, not under the Babylon’s curse. According to Genesis 35:16-18, Benjamin was born in Canaan, but less than 10 verses later it lists Benjamin among Jacob’s sons born in Paddan-Aram, presumably to represent the youngest patriarch as taking part in the return of all Israel from the exile in Paddan-Aram. Biblical writers display a freedom in representing historical events for theological reasons.


What say you? Are there any other examples? I know Waltke wrote this in his defense of the framework somewhere. What else does this mean for the text and history?


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## Contra_Mundum (Apr 27, 2013)

It isn't a remarkable observation. You can find commentators as far back as the Reformation (and probably the ancients) who understand that the writers of Scripture might put strict chronology second to another purpose in writing. That acknowledgement is a far cry from asserting that the Bible has little or no concern for chronology, especially as it give us dates, ages, orders, ties to extrabiblical events, etc.

We should appreciate the sacred history as the Bible intends it to be received. The Bible is concerned for events in the real world God created. There is progression, start and finish, and we should accept that God meant to communicate to reasonable and rational men. There is a childish way of reading the Word, as well as an overly sophisticated one, and many places in between.

So, just because someone has used a tool of interpretation to justify his reading of the text, and it is a legitimate tool, doesn't mean that he's used it correctly or appropriately. That is subject to evaluation.


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