The purpose of this dissertation is to complete a narrative analysis of Exod 19-34 in order to demonstrate the existence of synoptic-resumptive technique and its function for reading the final form as a consistent and coherent whole. The methodology of the narrative analysis includes identifying the parameters of episodes within the text by observing verbal pattern changes and the use of resumptive repetition. Once identified, the episodes are evaluated to detect patterns in the organization of the text. The patterns are then evaluated for potential rationale for the existing structure of the narrative. These three steps—the isolation of episodes, assessment of episodes for patterns, and evaluation of patterns for rationale of structure—are carried out on each of the four major narrative blocks of the Sinai event in Exod 19-34. The final step of the methodology is to evaluate the overall findings of the analysis in order to determine if any larger structures or patterns occur over the entirety of Exod 19-34.

The conclusion of this work is that the literary difficulties of Exod 19-34 may be explained when the reader understands the intentional literary devices being employed in the text. The writer of Exod 19-34 used the synoptic-resumptive technique to show simultaneous actions, to give different points of view of the same event, to provide juxtaposition of statements for dramatic effect, and to create repetition to emphasize the leitwort and motif. The consistent features and usage of the synoptic-resumptive technique across the whole of the Sinai event supports the coherence of Exod 19-34.