Doy Moyer

A debate rages today over the authenticity of the Scriptures. Are they true accounts of history? Can they be relied upon for the facts? At the heart of this issue we grapple with who wrote the Scriptures. Of course, believers argue that God is the ultimate author of the Bible, as He inspired men through His Holy Spirit to write His words (2 Peter 1:20-21; 2 Timothy 3:16-17). Still, who were the human authors? Who were the men God used in writing His message? This study will focus specifically on who wrote the Pentateuch. Who wrote Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy? Since these books are the foundation for the rest of Scripture, it is important that we understand who wrote them because it bears upon the reliability of the New Testament. Ultimately, one must deal with Jesus Christ concerning this question.

It is my conviction that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch. Besides being the “traditional” position, this is the position which is best supported by the Scriptures themselves. Mosaic authorship is often denied in the modern school of thought. The following illustrates the significance of this issue:

“Mosaic authorship was vigorously attacked by German scholar J. Wellhausen in 1885. He argued that these first books of the Old Testament were created during or after the Babylonian exile of 598-539 BC. While the arguments Wellhausen advanced have long been disproved, his anti-Mosaic bias still dominates in scholarly schools. These schools of thought also reject the portrait of Israel’s history found in the Pentateuch. That history is vital because it lays the foundation for a biblical understanding of God, of humankind, and of the material universe.” (Richards 13)

“So the question is important. Is Genesis, with the other books of the Pentateuch, the patchwork creation of a committee of deceptive religious zealots, intent on inventing a history that might possibly hold a shaken Jewish community together? Or are these books substantially the work of Moses, who is portrayed in them as the agent not only of Israel’s deliverance from slavery in Egypt but also as the prototype prophet through whom God revealed himself and his will to his chosen people?” (ibid. 14)

It should be clarified that when we affirm that Moses wrote the Pentateuch, this does not necessarily mean that Moses himself wrote every word, but that he was the substantial and fundamental author (Young 45). This does not preclude Moses using parts of previous records; nor does it deny the possibility of inspired addition (e.g., Deuteronomy 34 as a possibility).

Evidence For Mosaic Authorship

Modern critics say that the Pentateuch was “patchwork.” Criticism says that the Pentateuch was derived over a period of time from several earlier documents, variously known as “J,” “E,” and “D,” with a few others sprinkled in. These are supposedly divided into separate documents based upon the names of God, as well as the use of other words or styles. All in all, there is no real objective evidence to prove these assumptions. They are generally based upon subjective thinking (Young 41-154). When a critic cannot reconcile how something is written with how he thinks it should have been written, he finds some way to rationalize the writing away as being inauthentic. This is apparent in the criticisms of the Pentateuch.

In contrast to the various views of skeptics, there are both external and internal evidences to support the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch.

1. External evidence. As far back as Jewish tradition can be traced, Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch is maintained (Richards 15). It would seem logical that the ancient Jews, known for their meticulous records, would know more about the authorship of these works than would skeptics several thousand years removed. The idea that Moses was not the author of the Pentateuch, and that it was written from various earlier documents, is a relatively new concept for which there is no real ancient evidence. Add to this the archaeological record, and there is a strong external case for Mosaic authorship.

2. Internal Evidence. “Internal evidence” refers to the Biblical testimony itself. What is the Bible’s own position on the authorship of the Pentateuch? While the books are technically anonymous, not naming a specific author, Moses is given the charge by God to write down historical facts and laws. The Pentateuch itself shows how Moses was to write these commands, laws and even journeys of the Israelites. Moses was told in Exodus 17:14, “Write this in a book as a memorial, and recite it to Joshua.” Exodus 24:4 says that “Moses wrote down all the words of the Lord.” In Exodus 34:27 Moses was told to “write down these words, for in accordance with these words I have made a covenant with you and with Israel.” With reference to the wilderness wanderings, Numbers 33:1-2 says that Moses “recorded their starting places according to their journeys by the command of the Lord...” Deuteronomy 31:9 says that Moses wrote “this law and gave it to the priests.” Verse 22 says that he wrote down a song and gave it to the children of Israel. That song is the bulk of chapter 32. Given this kind of evidence, it is certainly within reason to assume Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch. Moses was capable of such writing, he was told to write, and the Scriptures show him doing just that.

The rest of the Old Testament shows more of the same kind of testimony concerning Moses. The book of Joshua is filled with references to Moses, as Joshua acted “as the Lord commanded Moses” (cf., Joshua 11:15, 20; 14:2; 21:2, etc.). After Moses died, the Israelites, under the leadership of Joshua, were told to “do according to all the law which Moses My servant commanded you” (1:7). Then, verse 8 says, “this book of the law shall not depart from your mouth.” This shows that Moses issued a “book of the law” that they were to carefully follow. When Joshua built an altar, he did it “just as Moses the servant of the Lord had commanded the sons of Israel, as it is written in the book of the law of Moses” (8:31). “Then afterward he read all the words of the law, the blessing and the curse, according to all that is written in the book of the law. There was not a word of all that Moses had commanded which Joshua did not read before all the assembly of Israel” (vv. 34-35a). These verses make it clear that the law they were reading was written by Moses. Other Old Testament passages verify this also, but these should be sufficient to make the point (e.g., 1 Kings 2:3; 2 Kings 14:6; 21:8; Ezra 6:18; Neh. 13:1, etc.). The Old Testament clearly regards Moses as the author of the books of the Law (i.e., the Pentateuch).

The New Testament also bears witness to Moses as the author of the Pentateuch. In fact, there is no evidence of any dispute regarding authorship. The testimony of Jesus Christ will be considered shortly. First, consider what the other New Testament references teach. In Acts 3:22, Peter began a quote from Deuteronomy with, “Moses said.” Several passages refer to the Law as the “Law of Moses” (e.g., Acts 13:39; 15:5; 28:23; 1 Corinthians 9:9). As Paul stood before Agrippa, who himself was supposedly well-versed in the Law, he said that he was “stating nothing but what the Prophets and Moses said was going to take place” (Acts 26:22). Paul, referring to Leviticus 18:5, began Romans 10:5 with, “For Moses writes...” Later, quoting from Deuteronomy 32, he writes that “Moses says” (Romans 10:19). 2 Corinthians 15 refers to Moses being read. Thus, the apostles consistently testify that Moses was the author of the Pentateuch. They, being diligent students of the Old Testament, are much more credible in their testimony than modern skeptics nearly two thousand years later. To deny Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch is to call into question the integrity of the New Testament writers as well. This is simply not acceptable.

The Testimony Of Jesus Christ

The issue is finally determined by Jesus Christ. The importance of the issue now becomes most evident, for if Jesus was not correct in His support of Mosaic authorship, then on what basis can He be trusted for any matter pertaining to life and godliness? First, we will consider what Jesus said about Mosaic authorship; then, we will consider the reliability of Jesus.

That Jesus considered Moses to be the author of the Pentateuch is evident from various statements that He made. In Matthew 19:8 (and Mark 10:5), Jesus, referring to Deuteronomy 24, said, “Because of your hardness of heart, Moses permitted you to divorce your wives.” Does that not indicate Mosaic authorship? In various places, He referred to what “Moses commanded” (Matthew 8:4; Mark 1:44; Luke 5:14). Referring to the ten commandments in Exodus 20 and Deuteronomy 5, Jesus stated that “Moses said” (Mark 7:10). In Mark 12:26, He asked, “Have you not read in the book of Moses,” then referred to Exodus 3 (cf., Luke 20:37). In His story of the rich man and Lazarus, Abraham tells the rich man that his brothers have “Moses and the Prophets.” Then “... If they do not listen to Moses and the Prophets...” (Luke 16:29-31). All of these passages show that Jesus considered Moses to be the author of the Pentateuch.

Perhaps the greatest testimony from Jesus comes in the following passages: Luke 24:27 says, “And beginning with Moses and with all the prophets, He explained to them the things concerning Himself in all the Scriptures.” Clearly, Moses is a part of the Scriptures. In verse 44, Jesus referred to the things that were written about Him in “the Law of Moses and the Prophets and the Psalms.” When Jesus defended Himself, He appealed to what Moses wrote, and said, “For if you believed Moses, you would believe Me, for he wrote about Me. But if you do not believe his writings, how will you believe My words?” (John 5:45-47). There can be no question that Jesus is referring to the Pentateuch. Other Scriptures give more of the same. Jesus unequivocally attributed the books of the Pentateuch, including Genesis, to Moses.

Now the question is, can Jesus be trusted as a reliable witness? The bottom line is this: either Jesus spoke the truth, He lied, or He Himself was greatly deceived. Since no evidence has ever been produced to show that He was either deceived or a deceiver, then His testimony should be regarded as true. All the critics to the contrary, if Jesus is who He said He was (i.e., the Son of God), then His word is the final standard.

While it is not within the scope here to show all of the evidences for the integrity of Jesus Christ, we may note that the greatest evidence is the resurrection. Given the fact of His death, burial, the missing body on the third day, the eyewitnesses, and the behavioral changes in His disciples, the resurrection is the only satisfactory answer to the evidence.

What does this have to do with the Mosaic authorship of the Pentateuch? Very simply this: Jesus was shown to be the Son of God with power by the resurrection from the dead (Romans 1:4). Since He Himself is Deity (John 1:1), then He has the final word. Without question, He supported the Mosaic authorship of Moses. Therefore, the issue is settled. If people want to question who wrote the Pentateuch, then they must come face to face with Jesus Christ. If they deny Moses, they also deny the words of Jesus. Thus, in reality, the issue is of momentous import. The very integrity of Jesus is on the line.

Conclusion

Without being exhaustive, we have presented a case for the Mosaic authorship of Moses. Historically, this is the most well-documented position. More importantly, this is the position of the Bible itself. While it may seem an unimportant issue to some, the true nature of the issue is unveiled through Jesus Christ, who supported the fact that Moses wrote these books. For this reason, we cannot doubt that Moses is really the author. Of course, more fundamentally, God is the author of the Bible. Moses was simply the human instrument through which Jehovah worked. In our studies of the Scriptures, we must be keenly aware of the inspiration of the Bible. In the end, how we treat the Scriptures will determine our final standing in eternity.

Works Cited

Richards, Bible Difficulties Solved (Grand Rapids, MI: Fleming H. Revell, 1993).