The term "Hexateuch" refers to the first six books of the Bible: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers, Deuteronomy, and Joshua. This collection is often considered as a unit in biblical studies, particularly in discussions of the composition and development of the Old Testament. The Hexateuch encompasses the narrative from the creation of the world to the conquest of the Promised Land, providing a continuous account of God's covenant relationship with His people, Israel.

Genesis
Genesis, the first book, lays the foundation for the entire biblical narrative. It begins with the creation account, detailing how God created the heavens and the earth (Genesis 1:1: "In the beginning God created the heavens and the earth."). It continues with the accounts of the patriarchs—Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and Joseph—highlighting God's promises and covenant with Abraham, which is central to the unfolding biblical account.

Exodus
Exodus recounts the deliverance of the Israelites from Egyptian bondage under the leadership of Moses. It includes the giving of the Law at Mount Sinai, where God establishes His covenant with Israel, declaring, "Now if you will indeed obey My voice and keep My covenant, you will be My treasured possession out of all the nations" (Exodus 19:5).

Leviticus
Leviticus focuses on the laws and rituals that define Israel's worship and ethical conduct. It emphasizes holiness and the sacrificial system, which foreshadows the ultimate sacrifice of Christ. Key themes include the holiness of God and the call for His people to be holy: "For I am the LORD your God. Consecrate yourselves, therefore, and be holy, because I am holy" (Leviticus 11:44).

Numbers
Numbers chronicles the Israelites' journey through the wilderness, highlighting their struggles with faith and obedience. Despite their rebellion, God remains faithful to His promises. The book underscores the importance of trust in God's provision and guidance, as seen in the account of the twelve spies and the subsequent wandering in the desert.

Deuteronomy
Deuteronomy is a series of speeches by Moses, reiterating the Law for a new generation poised to enter the Promised Land. It emphasizes covenant renewal and obedience to God's commandments as the basis for Israel's prosperity and success. Moses exhorts the people, "Love the LORD your God with all your heart and with all your soul and with all your strength" (Deuteronomy 6:5).

Joshua
Joshua details the conquest and settlement of Canaan, fulfilling God's promise to Abraham regarding the land. The book highlights God's faithfulness and the necessity of Israel's obedience to His commands. Joshua's leadership is marked by the famous declaration, "But as for me and my house, we will serve the LORD" (Joshua 24:15).

Theological Significance
The Hexateuch is foundational for understanding the narrative arc of the Bible. It introduces key theological themes such as creation, covenant, law, and redemption. The continuity from Genesis to Joshua demonstrates God's sovereign plan and His unwavering commitment to His covenant people. The Hexateuch sets the stage for the rest of the biblical narrative, pointing forward to the ultimate fulfillment of God's promises in Jesus Christ.(n.) The first six books of the Old Testament.HEXATEUCH

hek'-sa-tuk:

1. Evidence for:

This word, formed on the analogy of Pentateuch, Heptateuch, etc., is used by modern writers to denote the first six books of the Bible (i.e. the Law and Joshua) collectively. Many critics hold that these six books were composed out of the sources JEP, etc. (on which see PENTATEUCH), and only separated very much later into different works. The main grounds for this belief are:

(1) the obvious fact that Jos provides the sequel to the Pentateuch, narrating the conquest and settlement in Canaan to which the latter work looks forward, and

(2) certain material and stylistic resemblances. The composition of the respective works is considered in the articles PENTATEUCH and JOSHUA.

2. Evidence against:

Here we must glance at the evidence against theory of a Hexateuch. It is admitted that there is no trace of any such work as the Hexateuch anywhere in tradition. The Jewish Canon places the Pentateuch in a separate category from Joshua. The Samaritans went farther and adopted the Pentateuch alone. The orthography of the two works differs in certain important particulars (see E. Konig, Einleitung, 151, 250). Hence, a different literary history has to be postulated for the two works, even by those who adopt theory of a Hexateuch. But that theory is open to objection on other grounds. There are grave differences of opinion among its supporters as to whether all the supposed Pentateuchal documents are present in Joshua, and in any case it is held that they are quite differently worked up, the redactors having proceeded on one system in the Pentateuch and on quite another in Joshua. Arguments are given in the article PENTATEUCH to show the presence of Mosaic and pre-Mosaic elements in the Pentateuch and the unsoundness of the documentary theory in that work, and if these be correct theory of a Hexateuch necessarily falls to the ground.

For Bibliography see PENTATEUCH; JOSHUA.

Harold M. Wiener

Preface
... [Footnote 1: Pentateuch and Hexateuch are used in this volume to indicate the first
five and the first six books of the Old Testament respectively, without ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/preface.htm

Sources of the Pentateuch.
... He goes through the whole of the Pentateuch and the Book of Joshua,"the Hexateuch,
as it is now called,"and picks out of every chapter those verses ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iii sources of the.htm

The Prophetic and Priestly Documents
... Of the three principal documents, J, E and P, to whose fusion is due the account
of Israel's origin and early history contained in the Hexateuch, nothing can ...
/.../introduction to the old testament/the prophetic and priestly documents.htm

Judges
... Further, it is important to note that, just as in the prophetic portions of the
Hexateuch, duplicates are often present"very probably in the stories of Ehud ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/judges.htm

Genesis
... in Professor Driver's elaborate and admirable Introduction to the Literature of
the Old Testament, where every section throughout the Hexateuch is referred to ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/genesis.htm

Samuel
... 22, xxiii.8-39. In the book of Samuel, even more distinctly than in the
Hexateuch, composite authorship is apparent. Little or no ...
//christianbookshelf.org/mcfadyen/introduction to the old testament/samuel.htm

What did Moses Write?
... hand. "The Hexateuch," or Six-fold Work, has taken the place in these later
discussions of the Pentateuch, or Five-fold Work. Doubtless ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter ii what did moses.htm

The Earlier Hebrew Histories.
... If the Book of Joshua was, as we have assumed, originally connected with the first
five books, constituting what is now called the Hexateuch, if these six ...
/.../gladden/who wrote the bible/chapter iv the earlier hebrew.htm

The Formation of the Old Testament Canon
... So far as we are able to observe, the final editor of the Hexateuch preserved, like
Tatian, most of the material in his older sources, except where a parallel ...
/.../xiii the formation of the.htm

The Septuagint as a Version.
... Thus plstym is uniformly represented in the Hexateuch by Phulistieim, but in Judges
and the later books by allophuloi; psch is phasek or phasech in Chronicles ...
/.../chapter v the septuagint as.htm

Hexateuch
... Int. Standard Bible Encyclopedia. HEXATEUCH. ... 2. Evidence against: Here we
must glance at the evidence against theory of a Hexateuch. ...
/h/hexateuch.htm - 8k

Korah (51 Occurrences)
... If, however, one has committed himself to certain critical traditions concerning
the Hexateuch, that brings him under obligation to lead this story into ...
/k/korah.htm - 44k

Numbers (136 Occurrences)
... The 4th book of the Pentateuch (or of the Hexateuch, according to criticism) was
designated Arithmoi in the Septuagint, and Numeri in the Vulgate, and from ...
/n/numbers.htm - 71k

Pentateuch
... Probably that was done by the LXX. translators. Some modern critics speak of a
Hexateuch, introducing the Book of Joshua as one of the group. ...
/p/pentateuch.htm - 77k

Jeremy (2 Occurrences)
... March, Chisl, in the Syriac Hexateuch), it follows Lamentations as an
independent piece, closing the supposed writings of Jeremiah. ...
/j/jeremy.htm - 12k

Lasha (1 Occurrence)
... des Hexateuch., 15) thinks we should read lesham, since the Hebrew letters, "m"
(mem) and " ` " (`ayin), are like each other in their Palmyrene form. ...
/l/lasha.htm - 8k

Septuagint
... CHARACTERISTICS OF THE VERSION AND ITS COMPONENT PARTS 1. Grouping of Books on Internal
Evidence (1) The Hexateuch (2) The "Latter" Prophets (3) Partial ...
/s/septuagint.htm - 38k

Hezeki (1 Occurrence)

/h/hezeki.htm - 6k

Hews (4 Occurrences)

/h/hews.htm - 7k

Ten (234 Occurrences)
... Oehler, Old Testament Theology, I, 267;; Dillmann, Exodus-Leviticus, 200-219; Kuenen,
Origin and Composition of the Hexateuch, 244; Wellhausen, Code of ...
/t/ten.htm - 60k

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