Judges 19: The Levite's Concubine / Gibeah's Crime
Sometimes stories repeat themselves in the bible with different characters and dialogue, sort of the same way the Romeo and Juliet is updated in West Side Story. Or maybe you're watching a movie where a white man is thrown into a group of natives and learns something about them while still leading them in some way. Is that Dances With Wolves or Fern Gully or Avatar?
In any case, these story types repeat. Today we will see a repetition of the Sodom story in the "Gibeah's Crime" section below.
The Levite's Concubine: Judges 19.1-21
This is the third time in three chapters that the biblical author informs us that these stories take place in the days "when there was no king in Israel." These stories all exemplify in one way or another the normative lawlessness at the time.
And that thing about the repeating stories? It also appears here, with a new spin on the courtship scene between Jacob and Rachel
A Levite living in Ephraim takes a concubine for himself from Bethlehem in Judah. At some point the concubine becomes angry with the Levite and leaves for her father's house. Four months later the Levite sets out to woo her back. The father-in-law is overjoyed to see him and detains him five days. The Levite tries to leave with his concubine, but the father keeps insisting for some reason or another on eating in drinking (the antithesis of the Jacob story, in which he had to work for his wife).
The man leaves late on the fifth day and finds himself at Jebus (Jerusalem). His servant asks to stop there, but the Leivte insists on continuing to Gibeah, a city inhabited by Benjaminites, not the non-Israelite Jebusites. Apparently it is better to stay with family when you are out.
Gibeah is rather inhospitable. No one takes in the Levite, his concubine, and his servant, though they need no food or wine. They resolve to spend the night in the square when a man comes and offers him his house, saying, "Peace be to you. I will care for all your wants; only do not spend the night in the square."
Gibeah's Crime: Judges 19.22-30
That night a perverse lot surrounds the house and demands to have sexual intercourse with the Levite, the guest in this man's house. The man, as a sign of hospitality, offers his virgin daughter and the man's concubine, indicating their order of importance: daughter, female guest, male guest. (Where the servant figures in, it does not say.) The men will not listen, so Levite grabs his concubine and throws her outside, presumably to save himself. (In a perverse way, he returns the hospitality of the man by not throwing out the virgin daughter instead/as well.)
The men outside "wantonly raped her, and abused her all through the night until the morning. And as the dawn began to break, they let her go. As morning appeared, the woman came and fell down at the door of the man's house where her master was, until it was light." Besides the graphic (by biblical standards) depiction, the sheer length of this statement indicates the gruesomeness of the crime. Another important detail: the Levite is referred to the woman's master, though their relationship is man-concubine, not master-slave. Is it possible the biblical author's compassion for the woman has leaked into the writing?
The master awakes the next morning, finds his concubine lying at the door of the house with her hands on the threshold. She is at not only that literal threshold, but probably the threshold of death as well. If ever there was a symbolic, poetic description in the bible, this is it. But the Levite simply (coarsely?) tells his wife to get up so they can go. She does not answer. The author does not say if she is dead.
The Levite puts the concubine on his donkey and they head home. When the Levite arrives home, he uses a knife to cut his concubine limb from limb into 12 pieces, which he sends throughout Israel. It is to be delivered with this message: "Has such a thing ever happened since the day that the Israelites came up from the land of Egypt until this day? Consider it, take counsel, and speak out."
And there is speaking out, as we shall see tomorrow. And in the meantime we should dwell on the gruesomeness of the story - and the biblical author has given us many gruesome things to consider. Which is most disturbing - the homosexual tendencies of the men of Gibeah, the woman's treatment by the men of Gibeah, the Levite's treatment of his wife at the threshold, or the message sent limb by limb to the tribes of Israel?
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Judges 17-18: Micah and the Levite
Judges 17: Micah and the Levite
Judges 18: The Migration of Dan / The Danites Settle in Laish
After Joshua and before the Kings, Israel apparently did pretty much whatever it wanted with regards to worship, even though they have received strict commandments about proper practice. So why isn't the biblical author more critical of their practices? That is the question to consider today throughout the reading.
Micah and the Levite: Judges 17
The story of Micah, which serves as an introduction to the Danites apostasy, begins at the very end of a story. It is as though we came in exceptionally late to a movie and are at the point where all the plotlines converge.
There is a man in Ephraim whose name is Micah. He tells his mother that the eleven hundred pieces of silver she was looking for - well, he actually took that. But now he will return it. The mother plans to do something strange with it: "I consecrate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make an idol of cast metal." There are two problems with this statement. One, consecrated silver should go to the Levites as an offering to the Lord. Two, Israelite law strictly prohibits any portrayal of any god - even the God of Israel. It gets worse: Micah has a shrine, and makes an ephod and teraphim, and installs one of his sons as a priest. This parody of the Lord's servants is definitely not kosher. But, as the author explains: "In those days there was no ing in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes." Wait a minute - a king? Oh yes. Kings are fast approaching. But for now let's continue with judges.
The story shifts to a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. He journeys out to find a place and winds up living with Micah, who gives him ten pieces of silver a year, clothing, and living expenses in exchange for the man serving as priest and being "a father" for Micah. (The father part was foreshadowed by the fact that Micah stole money from his mother, not his father.
So we have Micah worshipping the Lord improperly with the help of a priest! And despite this (and not knowing any better) Micah says, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest."
The Migration of Dan: Judges 18.1-26
The biblical author reminds us as a prelude to the story that "In those days there was no king in Israel." And since no territory was allotted to the Danites, they are searching for a place to live. The Danites send five spies to scope out the land, and they somehow wind up at Micah's house. They recognize the Levite staying there, and ask him about how he came to be there, and whether their mission will be successful. The priest tells his story and assures them that their mission "is under the eye of the Lord." This fact is a bit unsettling, considering what comes later.
The spies travel to Laish, where they see people living in peace, quiet and unsuspecting and wealthy. Furthermore, they are far away from anyone who might come to their aid in battle. Upon returning the spies urge the Danites to take the good land quickly.
Six hundred Danite men head out for Laish and (surprise, surprise!) end up at Micah's RoadhouseTM. The spies tell the other soldiers of the shrine in Micah's house, and the army decides to pay a visit. As 600 men armed for battle stand outside the house, the five spies go into Micah's house to steal all the paraphernalia of worship. They then convince the priest to come with them (and in the same words as Micah, serve as both father and priest) with some simple logic: "Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one person, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?" Well, you can't argue with that - even though he is improperly practicing service to the Lord.
The Danites expect an attack from Micah, as when they head out they put the little ones, livestock, and goods in the front. Indeed, Micah comes with all his neighbors to overtake the Danites. The Danites ask what is the matter and Micah responds to the effect that they robbed him of the god he created. The Danites respond to the effect that he should pipe down lest some hot-tempered fellows attack him. Seeing that the army is too strong, Micah does not attacjk
The Danites Settle in Laish: Judges 18.27-31
The army travels on to Laish, which they conquer and rebuild to live in. There they set up the idol and a priesthood to maintain it. And now you know (as did the ancient audience this was intended for) why the Danites had such weird worship practices - like apostasy.
Judges 18: The Migration of Dan / The Danites Settle in Laish
After Joshua and before the Kings, Israel apparently did pretty much whatever it wanted with regards to worship, even though they have received strict commandments about proper practice. So why isn't the biblical author more critical of their practices? That is the question to consider today throughout the reading.
Micah and the Levite: Judges 17
The story of Micah, which serves as an introduction to the Danites apostasy, begins at the very end of a story. It is as though we came in exceptionally late to a movie and are at the point where all the plotlines converge.
There is a man in Ephraim whose name is Micah. He tells his mother that the eleven hundred pieces of silver she was looking for - well, he actually took that. But now he will return it. The mother plans to do something strange with it: "I consecrate the silver to the Lord from my hand for my son, to make an idol of cast metal." There are two problems with this statement. One, consecrated silver should go to the Levites as an offering to the Lord. Two, Israelite law strictly prohibits any portrayal of any god - even the God of Israel. It gets worse: Micah has a shrine, and makes an ephod and teraphim, and installs one of his sons as a priest. This parody of the Lord's servants is definitely not kosher. But, as the author explains: "In those days there was no ing in Israel; all the people did what was right in their own eyes." Wait a minute - a king? Oh yes. Kings are fast approaching. But for now let's continue with judges.
The story shifts to a Levite from Bethlehem in Judah. He journeys out to find a place and winds up living with Micah, who gives him ten pieces of silver a year, clothing, and living expenses in exchange for the man serving as priest and being "a father" for Micah. (The father part was foreshadowed by the fact that Micah stole money from his mother, not his father.
So we have Micah worshipping the Lord improperly with the help of a priest! And despite this (and not knowing any better) Micah says, "Now I know that the Lord will prosper me, because the Levite has become my priest."
The Migration of Dan: Judges 18.1-26
The biblical author reminds us as a prelude to the story that "In those days there was no king in Israel." And since no territory was allotted to the Danites, they are searching for a place to live. The Danites send five spies to scope out the land, and they somehow wind up at Micah's house. They recognize the Levite staying there, and ask him about how he came to be there, and whether their mission will be successful. The priest tells his story and assures them that their mission "is under the eye of the Lord." This fact is a bit unsettling, considering what comes later.
The spies travel to Laish, where they see people living in peace, quiet and unsuspecting and wealthy. Furthermore, they are far away from anyone who might come to their aid in battle. Upon returning the spies urge the Danites to take the good land quickly.
Six hundred Danite men head out for Laish and (surprise, surprise!) end up at Micah's RoadhouseTM. The spies tell the other soldiers of the shrine in Micah's house, and the army decides to pay a visit. As 600 men armed for battle stand outside the house, the five spies go into Micah's house to steal all the paraphernalia of worship. They then convince the priest to come with them (and in the same words as Micah, serve as both father and priest) with some simple logic: "Is it better for you to be priest to the house of one person, or to be priest to a tribe and clan in Israel?" Well, you can't argue with that - even though he is improperly practicing service to the Lord.
The Danites expect an attack from Micah, as when they head out they put the little ones, livestock, and goods in the front. Indeed, Micah comes with all his neighbors to overtake the Danites. The Danites ask what is the matter and Micah responds to the effect that they robbed him of the god he created. The Danites respond to the effect that he should pipe down lest some hot-tempered fellows attack him. Seeing that the army is too strong, Micah does not attacjk
The Danites Settle in Laish: Judges 18.27-31
The army travels on to Laish, which they conquer and rebuild to live in. There they set up the idol and a priesthood to maintain it. And now you know (as did the ancient audience this was intended for) why the Danites had such weird worship practices - like apostasy.
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Judges 15-16: Samson (Part II)
Judges 15: Samson Defeats the Philistines
Judges 16: Samson and Delilah / Samson's Death
Today's reading is a continuation of the Samson story line. Read Part I here. Samson is a strong nazirite who can speak in riddles and poetry and has a huge temper problem. But it is his temper that defines his Chuck Norris-like awesomeness, as he slays hundreds of men with the slightest provocation.
But Samson is only a vehicle for God's actions against the Philistines. Samson is able to engineer situations in which the Philistines wrong him, and then fights them as the spirit of the Lord is upon him.
Samson Defeats the Philistines: Judges 15
At the time of the wheat harvest Samson returns to Timnah in order to see his wife. The woman's father refuses on the grounds that Samson had seemed to reject her. Instead the man offers her sister instead, which to an ancient audience would not seem as strange as it might today.
But all this is simply more pretext to wreak havoc on the Philistines. Samson catches 300 foxes and ties them all tail to tail, with a lit torch in each pair of tails. He then lets them run wild in the grain, vineyards, and olive groves of the Philistines.
As evidenced in yesterday's reading, Samson is very good at having the Philistines get each other killed. This continues today, as the Philistines burn Samson's wife and her father for their relation with Samson.That doesn't make Samson any happier, and he strikes down all the men in vengeance and goes to stay in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
After the Philistines make a raid on Lehi searching for Samson, 3,000 men of Judah come to Samson at Etam and tell him not to bother the ruling Philistines. (3,000 men are sent to bind one - a testament to Samson's might.) Samson replies simply that he is repaying them for what they did to him. Nevertheless, the men of Judah bind Samson and give him to the Philistines.
When the Philistines rush at Samson, a new chapter of awesomeness begins as the spirit of the Lord comes upon him. The ropes holding Samson melt away, and then slays 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.
After that Samson is very thirsty and calls to the Lord. God splits open a hollow place and water bursts forth. Samson drinks and continues to be awesome. He judges Israel 20 years.
Samson and Delilah: Judges 16.1-22
A feat of wit and strength: Samson goes down to Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. When the Gazites hear of it, they wait at the city gate all night until the morning, when they plan to kill him. However, Samson rises at midnight, pulls up the city gate, and carries them 35 miles to the top of the hill in front of Hebron. This story serves as a prelude to the machinations of the Philistines ahead.
Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. When the lords of the Philistines hear this, they offer her 1,100 pieces of silver each if she can discover why his strength is so great.
When she asks how he might be bound, Samson responds that he can be bound with seven fresh bowstrings. Delilah binds him, and as the Philistines wait nearby, say to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But Samson breaks free.
The scene repeats two more times, the bowstrings replaced by new ropes and then by having seven locks of Samson's hair woven into a loom (which at least gives away a piece of the puzzle). But neither of these is successful, and Delilah continues to nag her husband. Finally Samson informs her that he is a nazirite, and that his strength will leave him if his head is shaved.
This time Delilah waits until Samson is asleep, has a man shave seven locks from his hair, and wakes him with the familiar cry, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But with his hair gone, the Lord has abandoned Samson. The Philisitnes seize him and gouge his eyes out. They imprison him in Gaza, where he grinds at a mill.
Soon, though, the hair begins to grow back.
Samson's Death: Judges 16.23-31
The Philistines gather a sacrifice for their god Dagon because they have finally captured Samson - and Samson is the source of entertainment at the affair. He performs between two pillars of a house full of men and women, with 3,000 on the roof alone. The blind Samson asks the attendant if he could lean against the pillars, as a way to judge their strength. Then he asks the Lord for the strength to pay back the Philistines - though he recognizes he too will die. In one last feat of strength, Samson strains against the pillars, causing the house to collapse and killing all who are inside it. "So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life."
Samson's family come to bury the hero, who through his own personal dealings with the Philistines was able to kill many of them for God and for Israel.
Judges 16: Samson and Delilah / Samson's Death
Today's reading is a continuation of the Samson story line. Read Part I here. Samson is a strong nazirite who can speak in riddles and poetry and has a huge temper problem. But it is his temper that defines his Chuck Norris-like awesomeness, as he slays hundreds of men with the slightest provocation.
But Samson is only a vehicle for God's actions against the Philistines. Samson is able to engineer situations in which the Philistines wrong him, and then fights them as the spirit of the Lord is upon him.
Samson Defeats the Philistines: Judges 15
At the time of the wheat harvest Samson returns to Timnah in order to see his wife. The woman's father refuses on the grounds that Samson had seemed to reject her. Instead the man offers her sister instead, which to an ancient audience would not seem as strange as it might today.
But all this is simply more pretext to wreak havoc on the Philistines. Samson catches 300 foxes and ties them all tail to tail, with a lit torch in each pair of tails. He then lets them run wild in the grain, vineyards, and olive groves of the Philistines.
As evidenced in yesterday's reading, Samson is very good at having the Philistines get each other killed. This continues today, as the Philistines burn Samson's wife and her father for their relation with Samson.That doesn't make Samson any happier, and he strikes down all the men in vengeance and goes to stay in the cleft of the rock of Etam.
After the Philistines make a raid on Lehi searching for Samson, 3,000 men of Judah come to Samson at Etam and tell him not to bother the ruling Philistines. (3,000 men are sent to bind one - a testament to Samson's might.) Samson replies simply that he is repaying them for what they did to him. Nevertheless, the men of Judah bind Samson and give him to the Philistines.
When the Philistines rush at Samson, a new chapter of awesomeness begins as the spirit of the Lord comes upon him. The ropes holding Samson melt away, and then slays 1,000 men with the jawbone of a donkey.
After that Samson is very thirsty and calls to the Lord. God splits open a hollow place and water bursts forth. Samson drinks and continues to be awesome. He judges Israel 20 years.
Samson and Delilah: Judges 16.1-22
A feat of wit and strength: Samson goes down to Gaza and sleeps with a prostitute. When the Gazites hear of it, they wait at the city gate all night until the morning, when they plan to kill him. However, Samson rises at midnight, pulls up the city gate, and carries them 35 miles to the top of the hill in front of Hebron. This story serves as a prelude to the machinations of the Philistines ahead.
Samson falls in love with a Philistine woman named Delilah. When the lords of the Philistines hear this, they offer her 1,100 pieces of silver each if she can discover why his strength is so great.
When she asks how he might be bound, Samson responds that he can be bound with seven fresh bowstrings. Delilah binds him, and as the Philistines wait nearby, say to him, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But Samson breaks free.
The scene repeats two more times, the bowstrings replaced by new ropes and then by having seven locks of Samson's hair woven into a loom (which at least gives away a piece of the puzzle). But neither of these is successful, and Delilah continues to nag her husband. Finally Samson informs her that he is a nazirite, and that his strength will leave him if his head is shaved.
This time Delilah waits until Samson is asleep, has a man shave seven locks from his hair, and wakes him with the familiar cry, "The Philistines are upon you, Samson!" But with his hair gone, the Lord has abandoned Samson. The Philisitnes seize him and gouge his eyes out. They imprison him in Gaza, where he grinds at a mill.
Soon, though, the hair begins to grow back.
Samson's Death: Judges 16.23-31
The Philistines gather a sacrifice for their god Dagon because they have finally captured Samson - and Samson is the source of entertainment at the affair. He performs between two pillars of a house full of men and women, with 3,000 on the roof alone. The blind Samson asks the attendant if he could lean against the pillars, as a way to judge their strength. Then he asks the Lord for the strength to pay back the Philistines - though he recognizes he too will die. In one last feat of strength, Samson strains against the pillars, causing the house to collapse and killing all who are inside it. "So those he killed at his death were more than those he had killed during his life."
Samson's family come to bury the hero, who through his own personal dealings with the Philistines was able to kill many of them for God and for Israel.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Judges 13-14: Samson (Part I)
Judges 13: Samson's Birth
Judges 14: Samson's Marriage
Today we begin the first part of a two-part story about Samson, that guy with the hair. Samson is a pretty well-known biblical character, but the popular image of a character might be more informed by contemporary culture than by the bible. Samson is strong, yes, but he also has a temper and problems with women (meaning he isn't interested in Israelite females. And did you know he could speak in poetry and make riddles? If not, come find out.
Samson's Birth: Judges 13
Again the Israelites fall into their old ways (the first step the unfaithfulness cycle) and the Lord gives them into the hand of the Philistins for forty years - which actually may be a lot longer because 40 is a symbolic number meaning a long amount of time.
Samson's birth, like a number of other births in the bible, comes as a collaboration between the God and humans (see, for example, Isaac and Jacob, and later on Jesus). In these stories the Lord comes down to the mother or father and promises a son.
Samson's father's name is Manoah, but his wife (though she gives birth to Samson) remains unnamed. The angel of the Lord visits this apparently barren woman to inform her that she will bear a son, a boy to be a nazirite from birth. A nazirite (meaning "one consecrated") is a person who devotes him or herself to God through certain practices (cf. Numbers 6.1-21). This state of dedication is generally temporary and broken when one of the practices is not observed. This boy is to be a nazirite from birth, and so his mother is not to drink wine or eat unclean foods while she is pregnant. After birth, the boy is to abstain from these things as well and his head will never be shaved. The purpose of all this, says the angel of the Lord, is that the woman's son will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
The woman tells her husband Manoah of the visitation, and he prays to the Lord to send the angel again so that he may see him and learn more about what to do concerning the boy. God listens and sends an angel to the woman as she sits in a field. She runs to get her husband, who - thinking the angel is only a man - questions the angel about the boy's purpose. The angel gives an indirect answer, stating that the woman should observe the words already spoken to her.
Manoah offers to prepare a kid for who he thinks is a man, but the angel refuses, saying the man should give a burnt offering instead. Still thinking the angel is a man, Manoah asks his name so that he may honor him when the son is born. This is a big faux pas on Manoah's part. Knowing a name allows one to honor a person, but it also gives power over that person. This is why Jacob asks the name of the being he wrestles with - to have the name of the person gives power. For this reason God always remains aloof about his name, speaking in riddles like "I am what I am." Indeed, Jews do not pronounce the tetragrammaton YHWH to this day. So of course the angel of the Lord responds, "Why do you ask my name? It is too wonderful."
Manoah still does not seem to understand as he prepares the sacrifice. But when the angel of the Lord ascends with the flame, Manoah and his wife fall to their faces. Manoah panics in the traditional way people panic when they encounter God in person: "We shall surely die." His wife, however, reassures him that God would not have accepted the sacrifice or announced the coming of the child if he had meant to kill them.
The woman bears a son, whom she names Samson. As he grows, the spirit of the Lord begins to stir in him.
Samson's Birth: Judges 14
The cardinal rule of God's renewed covenant with the Israelites is that they are not to worship other gods. And the easiest way to fall into this pattern is to intermarry. To put is succinclty: Exogamy leads to apostasy.
Nevertheless, Samson, the man to begin the deliverance of Israel, has a soft spot for Philistine women. His parents try to dissuade him (and actually in this culture it is they that will arrange the marriage) but are unsuccessful. The biblical author creates some dramatic irony here, informing the reader that Samson's taste in women is the doing of the Lord, who is seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines, who have dominion over Israel.
Samnson goes down with his mother and father to Timnah, where the Philistine woman lives. Along the way a young lion roars at him and the spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he tears the creature apart. He does not inform his parents of this.
A while later Samson returns to marry the woman. On the way, he sees a swarm of bees in the lion carcass, and they have produced honey. He scoops out some honey and eats it as he walks, giving some to his mother and father as well. He does not tell them where he got the honey from.
Why doesn't Samson tell his parents about killing the lion or about where he got the honey? Well, we're being set up for a story...
At the marriage feast Samson is given 30 Philistine companions, who - rather than acting as an entourage - might be there to keep the Philistines safe from him. Samson challenges them to a riddle contest. If they can decipher his riddle within seven days, he will give them 30 linen garments and 30 festal garments. If he stumps them, he will receive 30 linen garments and 30 festal garments. The riddle:
On the fourth day the men threaten to burn the houses of Samson's wife and her father if she does not coax the answer from her husband. Samson's wife accuses her husband of not loving her, but that does not work; he has not told even his father or mother. She weeps and nags him seven days, and on the final day he tells her.
The 30 men return to Samson with the answer - in the form of a new riddle:
The spirit of the Lord again rushes on Samson, but he does not kill the 30 companions. Rather, he goes down to Ashkelon and kills 30 men there, taking their spoil to pay back his companions. The joke's on the Philistines. They might have gotten what they wanted, but now the Lord has pretext to act against them, and the 30 Philistine residents of Ashkelon have been killed.
The wife? She is given to Samson's best man.
Judges 14: Samson's Marriage
Today we begin the first part of a two-part story about Samson, that guy with the hair. Samson is a pretty well-known biblical character, but the popular image of a character might be more informed by contemporary culture than by the bible. Samson is strong, yes, but he also has a temper and problems with women (meaning he isn't interested in Israelite females. And did you know he could speak in poetry and make riddles? If not, come find out.
Samson's Birth: Judges 13
Again the Israelites fall into their old ways (the first step the unfaithfulness cycle) and the Lord gives them into the hand of the Philistins for forty years - which actually may be a lot longer because 40 is a symbolic number meaning a long amount of time.
Samson's birth, like a number of other births in the bible, comes as a collaboration between the God and humans (see, for example, Isaac and Jacob, and later on Jesus). In these stories the Lord comes down to the mother or father and promises a son.
Samson's father's name is Manoah, but his wife (though she gives birth to Samson) remains unnamed. The angel of the Lord visits this apparently barren woman to inform her that she will bear a son, a boy to be a nazirite from birth. A nazirite (meaning "one consecrated") is a person who devotes him or herself to God through certain practices (cf. Numbers 6.1-21). This state of dedication is generally temporary and broken when one of the practices is not observed. This boy is to be a nazirite from birth, and so his mother is not to drink wine or eat unclean foods while she is pregnant. After birth, the boy is to abstain from these things as well and his head will never be shaved. The purpose of all this, says the angel of the Lord, is that the woman's son will begin to deliver Israel from the Philistines.
The woman tells her husband Manoah of the visitation, and he prays to the Lord to send the angel again so that he may see him and learn more about what to do concerning the boy. God listens and sends an angel to the woman as she sits in a field. She runs to get her husband, who - thinking the angel is only a man - questions the angel about the boy's purpose. The angel gives an indirect answer, stating that the woman should observe the words already spoken to her.
Manoah offers to prepare a kid for who he thinks is a man, but the angel refuses, saying the man should give a burnt offering instead. Still thinking the angel is a man, Manoah asks his name so that he may honor him when the son is born. This is a big faux pas on Manoah's part. Knowing a name allows one to honor a person, but it also gives power over that person. This is why Jacob asks the name of the being he wrestles with - to have the name of the person gives power. For this reason God always remains aloof about his name, speaking in riddles like "I am what I am." Indeed, Jews do not pronounce the tetragrammaton YHWH to this day. So of course the angel of the Lord responds, "Why do you ask my name? It is too wonderful."
Manoah still does not seem to understand as he prepares the sacrifice. But when the angel of the Lord ascends with the flame, Manoah and his wife fall to their faces. Manoah panics in the traditional way people panic when they encounter God in person: "We shall surely die." His wife, however, reassures him that God would not have accepted the sacrifice or announced the coming of the child if he had meant to kill them.
The woman bears a son, whom she names Samson. As he grows, the spirit of the Lord begins to stir in him.
Samson's Birth: Judges 14
The cardinal rule of God's renewed covenant with the Israelites is that they are not to worship other gods. And the easiest way to fall into this pattern is to intermarry. To put is succinclty: Exogamy leads to apostasy.
Nevertheless, Samson, the man to begin the deliverance of Israel, has a soft spot for Philistine women. His parents try to dissuade him (and actually in this culture it is they that will arrange the marriage) but are unsuccessful. The biblical author creates some dramatic irony here, informing the reader that Samson's taste in women is the doing of the Lord, who is seeking a pretext to act against the Philistines, who have dominion over Israel.
Samnson goes down with his mother and father to Timnah, where the Philistine woman lives. Along the way a young lion roars at him and the spirit of the Lord comes upon him and he tears the creature apart. He does not inform his parents of this.
A while later Samson returns to marry the woman. On the way, he sees a swarm of bees in the lion carcass, and they have produced honey. He scoops out some honey and eats it as he walks, giving some to his mother and father as well. He does not tell them where he got the honey from.
Why doesn't Samson tell his parents about killing the lion or about where he got the honey? Well, we're being set up for a story...
At the marriage feast Samson is given 30 Philistine companions, who - rather than acting as an entourage - might be there to keep the Philistines safe from him. Samson challenges them to a riddle contest. If they can decipher his riddle within seven days, he will give them 30 linen garments and 30 festal garments. If he stumps them, he will receive 30 linen garments and 30 festal garments. The riddle:
Out of the eater came something to eat.What could it be? For three days the men cannot figure it out.
Out of the strong came something sweet.
On the fourth day the men threaten to burn the houses of Samson's wife and her father if she does not coax the answer from her husband. Samson's wife accuses her husband of not loving her, but that does not work; he has not told even his father or mother. She weeps and nags him seven days, and on the final day he tells her.
The 30 men return to Samson with the answer - in the form of a new riddle:
What is sweeter than honey?The answer to this one is not given (though HarperCollins think it might be "love"). Samson responds in bawdy poetry, which actually resembles riddle form with its use of metaphor:
What is stronger than a lion?
If you had not plowed with my heifer,Store that one away to whip out next time you're in a similar situation. Your opposition will be dumbfounded and your significant other greatly insulted.
you would not have found out my riddle.
The spirit of the Lord again rushes on Samson, but he does not kill the 30 companions. Rather, he goes down to Ashkelon and kills 30 men there, taking their spoil to pay back his companions. The joke's on the Philistines. They might have gotten what they wanted, but now the Lord has pretext to act against them, and the 30 Philistine residents of Ashkelon have been killed.
The wife? She is given to Samson's best man.
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Judges 11-12: Jephthah (Part II - a rash vow)
Judges 11: Jephthah's Vow / Jephtah's Daughter
Judges 12: Intertribal Dissension / Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
This is the second part in a two-part series on the judge Jephthah. Read Part I here.
Jephthah's Vow: Judges 11.29-33
The spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah, and he is empowered by it and so goes to face off against the Ammonites. He makes a vow to the Lord: If the Lord delivers the Ammonites into his hand, he will offer as a burnt offering the first person to come out of the doors of his house when he returns home victorious.
Just who does Jephthah expect to come out of his doors? He never says. Perhaps a servant. And when he subdues the Ammonites does his mind still weigh heavy with his vow? The biblical author does not tell us. All we know is that Jephthah is victorious.
Jephthah's Daughter: Judges 11.34-40
Jephthah is greeted by his only child, his daughter, "coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing." He tears his clothes in mourning, realizing the tragedy of the situation. The way he speaks of it deserves analysis:
"Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow."
The subject-verb-object construction addressing the daughter directly makes the "you have" statements seem accusatory, when it is not really her fault; she did not know about his vow. Yet everything is based on the vow. The vow cannot be revoked, and for this reason Jephthah must kill his daughter.
Jephthah's pious and courageous daughter reassures her father by telling him that he is bound by his vow to the Lord. She only asks that she may go to the mountains with her companions to bewail her virginity (in this culture it was seen as a terrible misfortune to die a virgin). She returns after two months and her father makes good on his vow to the Lord.
This story is apparently etiological; the closing statement of the chapter informs us, "So there arose an Israelite custom that for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite" (Judg. 11.39-40).
Intertribal Dissension: Judges 12.1-7
The Ephraimites come to Jephthah to tell him how incensed they are that the judge did not call them when he fought the Ammonites. [This is not simply an issue of pride, but of land rights as well. The Ephraimites seem to have a history of this, confronting Gideon about nearly the same thing in Judges 8.] Jephthah replies that the Ephraimites were called upon but were not able to deliver Jephthah and the Gileadites from the hand of the Ammonites. There is no biblical record of this, but we must also consider that the biblical author is quite laconic. So who are we to believe?
The smaller group of Gileadites faces off against Ephraim and are able to take the fords of the Jordan, where they develop a clever trick for distinguishing whether men trying to cross are Ephraimite or Gileadite. They tell the man to say "Shibboleth," and if the man mispronounces it as "Sibboleth" he is killed. This points to a dialectical difference between the two groups.
Jephthah judges Israel a total of six years. Whether there is peace after his death, the biblical author does not say.
Jephthah's death raises an interesting issue. The concluding story does not mention Jephthah. Then we are informed of his death, which transitions us into a few minor prophets. The interesting part is that Jephthah's death is written in the same style as the minor judges that follow. In this way Jephthah is both a minor and major prophet. Perhaps his story was expanded upon by the biblical authors?
Intertribal Dissension: Judges 12.8-15
After Jephthah's death, Ibzan of Bethlehem judges Israel. He is pretty big on intermarriage; having his thirty daughters marry outside the clan and having his thirty sons marry women outside the clan. He judges Israel seven years
After him comes Elon the Zebulunite, who judges Israel ten years.
After him comes Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite. He judges Israel eight years.
Judges 12: Intertribal Dissension / Ibzan, Elon, and Abdon
This is the second part in a two-part series on the judge Jephthah. Read Part I here.
Jephthah's Vow: Judges 11.29-33
The spirit of the Lord comes upon Jephthah, and he is empowered by it and so goes to face off against the Ammonites. He makes a vow to the Lord: If the Lord delivers the Ammonites into his hand, he will offer as a burnt offering the first person to come out of the doors of his house when he returns home victorious.
Just who does Jephthah expect to come out of his doors? He never says. Perhaps a servant. And when he subdues the Ammonites does his mind still weigh heavy with his vow? The biblical author does not tell us. All we know is that Jephthah is victorious.
Jephthah's Daughter: Judges 11.34-40
Jephthah is greeted by his only child, his daughter, "coming out to meet him with timbrels and with dancing." He tears his clothes in mourning, realizing the tragedy of the situation. The way he speaks of it deserves analysis:
"Alas, my daughter! You have brought me very low; you have become the cause of great trouble to me. For I have opened my mouth to the Lord, and I cannot take back my vow."
The subject-verb-object construction addressing the daughter directly makes the "you have" statements seem accusatory, when it is not really her fault; she did not know about his vow. Yet everything is based on the vow. The vow cannot be revoked, and for this reason Jephthah must kill his daughter.
Jephthah's pious and courageous daughter reassures her father by telling him that he is bound by his vow to the Lord. She only asks that she may go to the mountains with her companions to bewail her virginity (in this culture it was seen as a terrible misfortune to die a virgin). She returns after two months and her father makes good on his vow to the Lord.
This story is apparently etiological; the closing statement of the chapter informs us, "So there arose an Israelite custom that for four days every year the daughters of Israel would go out to lament the daughter of Jephthah the Gileadite" (Judg. 11.39-40).
Intertribal Dissension: Judges 12.1-7
The Ephraimites come to Jephthah to tell him how incensed they are that the judge did not call them when he fought the Ammonites. [This is not simply an issue of pride, but of land rights as well. The Ephraimites seem to have a history of this, confronting Gideon about nearly the same thing in Judges 8.] Jephthah replies that the Ephraimites were called upon but were not able to deliver Jephthah and the Gileadites from the hand of the Ammonites. There is no biblical record of this, but we must also consider that the biblical author is quite laconic. So who are we to believe?
The smaller group of Gileadites faces off against Ephraim and are able to take the fords of the Jordan, where they develop a clever trick for distinguishing whether men trying to cross are Ephraimite or Gileadite. They tell the man to say "Shibboleth," and if the man mispronounces it as "Sibboleth" he is killed. This points to a dialectical difference between the two groups.
Jephthah judges Israel a total of six years. Whether there is peace after his death, the biblical author does not say.
Jephthah's death raises an interesting issue. The concluding story does not mention Jephthah. Then we are informed of his death, which transitions us into a few minor prophets. The interesting part is that Jephthah's death is written in the same style as the minor judges that follow. In this way Jephthah is both a minor and major prophet. Perhaps his story was expanded upon by the biblical authors?
Intertribal Dissension: Judges 12.8-15
After Jephthah's death, Ibzan of Bethlehem judges Israel. He is pretty big on intermarriage; having his thirty daughters marry outside the clan and having his thirty sons marry women outside the clan. He judges Israel seven years
After him comes Elon the Zebulunite, who judges Israel ten years.
After him comes Abdon son of Hillel the Pirathonite. He judges Israel eight years.
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Judges 10-11: Jephthah (Part I)
Judges 10: Tola and Jair / Oppression by the Ammonites / Jephthah
Judges 11(a): Jephthah
Abimelech's tenure was something of a mess for Israel. Now a new leader comes to straighten things out.
Tola and Jair: Judges 10.1-5
A brief interlude between Abimelech and Jephthah describes the two intervening judges: Tola son of Puah son of Dodo, of Isaachar judges Israel 23 years. He is succeeded by Jair the Gileadite, who judges Israel 22 years.
Oppression by the Ammonites: Judges 10.6-18
After this interlude, the unfaithfulness cycle picks back up again. Again the Israelites fall into apostasy, worshipping a veritable pantheon of different gods. This kindles the anger of the Lord, who actually "sells" them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites. The Israelites suffer 18 years under them.
As per the unfaithfulness cycle, the Israelites cry out to the Lord and acknowledge their sin. The Lord responds that that he will not deliver them from their oppressors; he has delivered them many times, yet each time they seem to forget him. The Israelites put away their foreign gods and worship the Lord, and finally the Lord's sympathy for Israel wins out.
Jephthah: Judges 11.1-28
Enter Jephthah, a mighty warrior whose mother is a prostitute and whose father is Gilead himself. His half brothers - the sons of Gilead's wife - are not his biggest fans. They drive him out of Gilead to Tob and he becomes an outlaw, raiding with a band of others.
Clearly Jephthah has some military prowess from his raiding experience, because when the Ammonites attack Israel, the elders of Gilead approach him to offer him a job as commander. Jephthah sees this as something of a conspiracy. He responds, "Are you not the very ones who rejected me and drove me out of my father's house? So why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?" (Judg. 11.7). In fact, it was not they who drove him out, but his brothers. Jephthah smells a conspiracy, and perhaps is not far off, because the elders do not deny their connection. Indeed, they offer him a better position of leader over all of them. Jephthah agrees that if he conquers the Ammonites, he will serve as leader.
Jephthah begins his campaign rather diplomatically by sending a message to the king of the Ammonites asking why he is at war with Israel. The king responds that Israel took his land (Moabite territory) upon their exodus from Egypt. Jephthah succinctly recounts the wandering in the desert, and asserts that in fact Israel did not take the land of the Moabites. Rather, they conquered the Amorites, a divine act of the Lord. And, in fact, they lived in the territory 300 years, during which time the Ammonites did not attempt to conquer the land. Jephthah asks rhetorically if the king possesses land that his god Chemosh has given. But the king does not listen, and continues his conquest against Israel.
Judges 11(a): Jephthah
Abimelech's tenure was something of a mess for Israel. Now a new leader comes to straighten things out.
Tola and Jair: Judges 10.1-5
A brief interlude between Abimelech and Jephthah describes the two intervening judges: Tola son of Puah son of Dodo, of Isaachar judges Israel 23 years. He is succeeded by Jair the Gileadite, who judges Israel 22 years.
Oppression by the Ammonites: Judges 10.6-18
After this interlude, the unfaithfulness cycle picks back up again. Again the Israelites fall into apostasy, worshipping a veritable pantheon of different gods. This kindles the anger of the Lord, who actually "sells" them into the hands of the Philistines and Ammonites. The Israelites suffer 18 years under them.
As per the unfaithfulness cycle, the Israelites cry out to the Lord and acknowledge their sin. The Lord responds that that he will not deliver them from their oppressors; he has delivered them many times, yet each time they seem to forget him. The Israelites put away their foreign gods and worship the Lord, and finally the Lord's sympathy for Israel wins out.
Jephthah: Judges 11.1-28
Enter Jephthah, a mighty warrior whose mother is a prostitute and whose father is Gilead himself. His half brothers - the sons of Gilead's wife - are not his biggest fans. They drive him out of Gilead to Tob and he becomes an outlaw, raiding with a band of others.
Clearly Jephthah has some military prowess from his raiding experience, because when the Ammonites attack Israel, the elders of Gilead approach him to offer him a job as commander. Jephthah sees this as something of a conspiracy. He responds, "Are you not the very ones who rejected me and drove me out of my father's house? So why do you come to me now when you are in trouble?" (Judg. 11.7). In fact, it was not they who drove him out, but his brothers. Jephthah smells a conspiracy, and perhaps is not far off, because the elders do not deny their connection. Indeed, they offer him a better position of leader over all of them. Jephthah agrees that if he conquers the Ammonites, he will serve as leader.
Jephthah begins his campaign rather diplomatically by sending a message to the king of the Ammonites asking why he is at war with Israel. The king responds that Israel took his land (Moabite territory) upon their exodus from Egypt. Jephthah succinctly recounts the wandering in the desert, and asserts that in fact Israel did not take the land of the Moabites. Rather, they conquered the Amorites, a divine act of the Lord. And, in fact, they lived in the territory 300 years, during which time the Ammonites did not attempt to conquer the land. Jephthah asks rhetorically if the king possesses land that his god Chemosh has given. But the king does not listen, and continues his conquest against Israel.
Friday, October 15, 2010
Judges 9: Abimelech
Judges 9: Abimelech Attempts to Establish a Monarchy / The Parable of the Trees / The Downfall of Abimelech
Abimelech is a judge who isn't so great at that whole "peace in Israel" thing. Oh, and he's prone to fratricide.
Abimelech Attempts to Establish a Monarchy: Judges 9.1-6
Abimelech son of Gideon/Jerubbaal approaches his family with a proposition: It is better for him to rule over the family than all 70 sons of Jerubbaal. His family consents to this because of their kinship but it turns out this is a bad idea. Abimelech is given 70 pieces of silver from the temple, with which he hires an entourage of worthless and reckless men. He takes them to kill all 69 of his brothers at once - Jotham, the youngest, hides himself [remember that one of the characteristics of Hebrew scriptures is favoritism for the youngest]. Abimelech is then pronounced the king of Shechem.
The Parable of the Trees: Judges 9.7-21
Upon hearing that his brother is king, Jotham recites a parable to the lords of Shechem from the top of Mount Gerizim. The parable tells of trees that wish to anoint a king over themselves. The olive tree declines because it would stop producing oil. The fig tree declines because it would stop producing fruit. The vine declines because it would stop producing wine [well, grapes, but metonymy happens]. Finally, the bramble accepts, but only conditionally. If it is anointed king in good faith, then it offers its shade as refuge [which isn't much]. If not anointed in good faith, however, fire will come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
The lesson of this parable is that even though many others may have more to offer, only lesser people seek kingship. And if this kingship is not granted in good faith...watch out. There will be blood.
Then Jotham runs and hides - his brother is after him, after all.
The Downfall of Abimelech: Judges 9.22-57
Abimelech rules over Israel three years before God sends "an evil spirit" between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem to avenge Jerubbaal's sons - both their slayer (Abimelech) and the men that gave him power (the lords of Shechem).
The lords of Shechem sets ambushes on the mountain tops and rob people as a way to undermine Abimelech. Then Gaal moves into town, and talks trash about Abimelech, adding that he should rule the city instead. When Zebul - the ruler of the city - hears this, he gets angry. He devises a plan to attack Gaal and his troops in the city: "and when he and the troops that are with him come out against you, you may deal with them as best you can."
Now, "as best you can" is not exactly what Abimelech has been doing to people. Abimelech is one for completely destroying. This shows how far he has fallen from the Lord's grace. And how different are Gaal and Abimelech anyway? Both are men who seek to change the social order and become king - certainly at the cost of others.
The next morning Abimelech and his army pour down form the mountain tops when Gaal appears at the city gates. When Gaal tells Zebul that he sees people coming, Zebul responds it is mere shadows. Gaal insists, and Zebul replies, "Where is your boast now?" and insists he should go to fight Abimelech. In the end Gaal flees, many people die, and Zebul rids himself of the obnoxious Gaal and his kinsfolk.
Abimelech then focuses on killing the common folk of the city, those who work in the fields. When they are dead he takes Shechem, kills all its inhabitant, razes it, and sows it with salt, so nothing will grow there.
Abimelech then turns his attention toward the lords of the Tower of Shechem, who have holed themselves up in the Tower (of Shechem). Abimelech slays them too by burning down the tower.
Abimelech then takes all of Thebez with the exception of the tower. He attempts to burn it down as he did the last tower, but an unnamed woman crushes his skull by throwing a millstone on his head. Abimelech, not wanting to die at the hands of a woman, has the young man who carries his armor kill him with his own sword.
At Abimelech's death, all of Israel returns home. So God repays Abimelech for the sin he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. God also repays Israel in accordance with Jotham's curse.
What a bloodbath. There is no peace in Israel.
Abimelech is a judge who isn't so great at that whole "peace in Israel" thing. Oh, and he's prone to fratricide.
Abimelech Attempts to Establish a Monarchy: Judges 9.1-6
Abimelech son of Gideon/Jerubbaal approaches his family with a proposition: It is better for him to rule over the family than all 70 sons of Jerubbaal. His family consents to this because of their kinship but it turns out this is a bad idea. Abimelech is given 70 pieces of silver from the temple, with which he hires an entourage of worthless and reckless men. He takes them to kill all 69 of his brothers at once - Jotham, the youngest, hides himself [remember that one of the characteristics of Hebrew scriptures is favoritism for the youngest]. Abimelech is then pronounced the king of Shechem.
The Parable of the Trees: Judges 9.7-21
Upon hearing that his brother is king, Jotham recites a parable to the lords of Shechem from the top of Mount Gerizim. The parable tells of trees that wish to anoint a king over themselves. The olive tree declines because it would stop producing oil. The fig tree declines because it would stop producing fruit. The vine declines because it would stop producing wine [well, grapes, but metonymy happens]. Finally, the bramble accepts, but only conditionally. If it is anointed king in good faith, then it offers its shade as refuge [which isn't much]. If not anointed in good faith, however, fire will come out of the bramble and devour the cedars of Lebanon.
The lesson of this parable is that even though many others may have more to offer, only lesser people seek kingship. And if this kingship is not granted in good faith...watch out. There will be blood.
Then Jotham runs and hides - his brother is after him, after all.
The Downfall of Abimelech: Judges 9.22-57
Abimelech rules over Israel three years before God sends "an evil spirit" between Abimelech and the lords of Shechem to avenge Jerubbaal's sons - both their slayer (Abimelech) and the men that gave him power (the lords of Shechem).
The lords of Shechem sets ambushes on the mountain tops and rob people as a way to undermine Abimelech. Then Gaal moves into town, and talks trash about Abimelech, adding that he should rule the city instead. When Zebul - the ruler of the city - hears this, he gets angry. He devises a plan to attack Gaal and his troops in the city: "and when he and the troops that are with him come out against you, you may deal with them as best you can."
Now, "as best you can" is not exactly what Abimelech has been doing to people. Abimelech is one for completely destroying. This shows how far he has fallen from the Lord's grace. And how different are Gaal and Abimelech anyway? Both are men who seek to change the social order and become king - certainly at the cost of others.
The next morning Abimelech and his army pour down form the mountain tops when Gaal appears at the city gates. When Gaal tells Zebul that he sees people coming, Zebul responds it is mere shadows. Gaal insists, and Zebul replies, "Where is your boast now?" and insists he should go to fight Abimelech. In the end Gaal flees, many people die, and Zebul rids himself of the obnoxious Gaal and his kinsfolk.
Abimelech then focuses on killing the common folk of the city, those who work in the fields. When they are dead he takes Shechem, kills all its inhabitant, razes it, and sows it with salt, so nothing will grow there.
Abimelech then turns his attention toward the lords of the Tower of Shechem, who have holed themselves up in the Tower (of Shechem). Abimelech slays them too by burning down the tower.
Abimelech then takes all of Thebez with the exception of the tower. He attempts to burn it down as he did the last tower, but an unnamed woman crushes his skull by throwing a millstone on his head. Abimelech, not wanting to die at the hands of a woman, has the young man who carries his armor kill him with his own sword.
At Abimelech's death, all of Israel returns home. So God repays Abimelech for the sin he committed against his father in killing his seventy brothers. God also repays Israel in accordance with Jotham's curse.
What a bloodbath. There is no peace in Israel.
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