These two chapters provide an excellent example demonstrating the difference between biblical prose and poetry and see how each genre uses different literary techniques to make its points.
BIBLICAL PROSE (Judges 4)
4:1-3 The first verse sets the scene by referring to the previous judge and alluding to the repeated pattern of disobedience. Except for the use of numbers as adjectives, there are no adjectives in these verses and only two adverbs, again and cruelly. It is the same in the rest of the chapter-- only a few adjectives and adverbs are used. So when they are present it is usually a tip-off that the author wanted to make an important point. This is true of all the prose accounts in the Bible. In biblical history the emphasis is on action; it is very concise, laconic. I am always surprised on re-reading familiar stories how much is crammed into a few verses. Cain killing Abel and being sent into exile- 9 verses, Tower of Babel story only 9 verses long.
By contrast, there was a cartoon in Christianity Today of Paul and Luke in a ship. Luke says, “Here's what I have so far, Paul. And as we sailed from Philippi, the rising sun shimmered in a thousand reflections on the blue waters of the Mediterranean.” Nothing in Biblical prose approaches the flowery language used here.
(spoiler alert) Let's jump to the very end of the story in Chapter 4.
SLIDE 4:23-24 “So on that day God subdued King Jabin of Canaan before the Israelites. Then the hand of the Israelites bore harder and harder on King Jabin of Canaan, until they destroyed King Jabin of Canaan.
This repetition of “King Jabin of Canaan” coupled to its appearance at the start of the story is a good example of what is called an inclusio. The similar language in both places acts as a pair of bookends.
“An inclusio functions to stamp a particular rhetorical meaning on a poem [or prose]. When it is repeated at the end of the poem, the opening line sounds both largely the same and slightly different at the same time. It sounds the same in the sense that the ideas of the phrase have not changed and are being repeated and so reemphasized. On the other hand, because of the poetry that has intervened, the phrase sounds a little different – perhaps more sad, or more poignant, or more joyful.” Rolf Jacobson, The Book of Psalms, p. 126.
At the start of the story Jabin is a formidable enemy oppressing the Israelites; at the end he is himself oppressed by the Israelites. Note the progression each time “King Jabin of Canaan” is repeated. The first time he is subdued, then oppressed, and finally destroyed by the Israelites. This reversal is stressed by repetition of the key word “hand” in each passage. Even though the account is quite concise, note that the whole phrase “King Jabin of Canaan” is repeated three times – Why? Mostly for literary effect.
Repetition of “king” may also be a subtle comment on the powerlessness of kings and God's disapproval of them. This will start to become an issue with the next judge, Gideon, because the people try to talk him into being a king over Israel. “Canaan” is also repeated three times to stress the fact that by this time the Jews should have conquered all of Canaan.
There is also the rule of three, a literary principle suggesting that things that come in threes are inherently funnier, more satisfying, or more effective than other numbers of things. Think of all the fairy tales like Goldilocks and the Three Bears that have groups of three in them. Or the story of the Three Little Pigs, etc.
At the end of John's Gospel. Jesus asks Peter three times if he loves him, Peter answers “yes” each time with increasing exasperation just as earlier he became increasingly angrier the three times he was asked if he was one of Jesus' followers. Then Jesus says, “Feed my sheep,” or the equivalent, three times to balance out the three denials.
Judges 4:4-5 Now we are introduced to one of the main characters in the story. We don't know how she came to be recognized as a leader, and this important role seems a bit surprising considering the general view of women in biblical times. And when she is called a prophetess, that should raise some red flags when we consider the only other female prophet in Israel mentioned up to this point in the Bible. It was Miriam, the sister of Moses, and she ended up rebelling against his leadership and being cursed with leprosy by God. So there is a subtle hint that perhaps Deborah will follow in Miriam's footsteps. To find out more about Deborah, we will need to center in on the subsequent action and dialogue, The author wants you to reach your own conclusion regarding the characters. A writer of good literature always demonstrates rather than tells.
Jane Austen in Pride and Prejudice makes you wonder about the actual character of the hero, Mr. Darcy, until the end of the book. He appears to be cold-hearted and reserved throughout the book, but is revealed in the end by his actions to be kind and caring. The book would completely lose its power, suspense and appeal if Jane Austen had immediately told us what Darcy's innermost feelings were all along. This book spawned the whole later genre of Regency Romances, most of which are not as nearly well written.
Judges 4:6a Barak is now introduced. Dale Davis notes “Not much about Barak; no details about his journey to Deborah's palm; no greetings exchanged; no hint of whether he had taken ROTC at college.” Because none of that is important for the telling of the story, and we will see that even though Barak is chosen to be the commander of the army, he will really be only a minor figure in the story. Barak seems to have come the 17-mile journey without objection, which gives us a hint of Deborah's power within Israel.
Judges 4:6b Jumping ahead a little to verse 10, we see this same order is executed exactly by Barak, but the elements are given in reverse order as another inclusio.
10,000
Naphtali
Zebulun
---------
Zebulun
Naphtali
10,000
There are other reasons for this repetition of detail: “10,000 warriors” is actually mentioned three times: in verses 6, 10 and 14. Without getting into the technical issue of whether this should really be translated as 10 squads of soldiers, this specific number should remind us of another army of 10,000 that was defeated at the end of the previous chapter (3:29). This is an example of misdirection and suspense that causes you subliminally to wonder whether Barak's army of 10,000 will be the next one of that size to fall. Then there is the repeated mention of only two tribes, Zebulun and Naphtali. Why only two? Is it because they were the closest to the enemy in question, or is there another reason? We will have to wait for the next chapter to find out.
There are additional reasons that phrases are sometimes repeated within a story, as illustrated by looking at the familiar story of the three Jewish boys cast into the fiery furnace, found in Daniel 3.
The phrase “Peoples, nations, and languages” stresses great peer pressure in v. 4 (edict given), 7 (edict obeyed), and 29 (new edict given).
The list of eight types of officials (v. 2,3) “satraps, prefects, governors, counselors, treasurers, justices, magistrates, the officials of the provinces” dwindles to only four types after the miracle (v. 27).
The motley band of instruments in v. 4,7,10,15 “horn, pipe, lyre, trigon, harp, drum and the entire musical ensemble” becomes more silly with each reading. There is humor elsewhere in the story: King Nebuchanezzar issues an edict in order to control his whole kingdom and yet he can't even control his own temper. There is even a subtle comparison between the oven being heated super hot and the king turning red in the face.
Thirteen times the Babylonian names of three men “Shadrach, Meshach and Abednego” are used rather than their Jewish names, perhaps to stress their predicament as being caught between two cultures and to build up suspense as to whether they will give in.
But enough digressions.
Judges 4:8 What is Barak's response to Deborah's rather imperious command? “If you will go with me, I will go; but if you will not go with me, I will not go.” We are not informed of Barak's reason for setting out this demand. I can think of at least three possibilities: he is a total coward who hopes she will refuse to go and give him an out, he is testing her to see if she is a false or true prophet (Put your money where your mouth is), or in his mind she represents the presence and power of God, which he knows is needed for success in battle (much like the battles where the high priest or ark of the covenant accompanied the army or a prophet like Samuel blessed the troops beforehand). When she doesn't hesitate to go with him, all his doubts are removed and he promptly follows her orders to the letter, as we see in verse 10. So from his actions we can deduce that at least he is probably not a coward.
Judges 4:9 Deborah's reply to Barak is interesting. “I will surely go with you; nevertheless, the road on which you are going will not lead to your glory, for the LORD will sell Sisera into the hand of a woman.” Often biblical narratives don't comment directly on the right or wrong of a character's actions. We sometimes have to wait for subsequent events to see if God blesses or curses them. In this case, we can see that Barak is going to suffer the loss of honor because of his reply to Deborah, which is probably due to his lack of faith in her words. And we also assume that his loss of honor will be because Deborah will get the glory for the victory. This is another classic case of misdirection since it is another woman altogether to whom Deborah is referring.
Judges 4:11 And now we have a strange flashback to an earlier time period. Sometimes in telling a story, it is necessary to set the stage at some point by explaining to the reader a details that will become important later on. Here, the most we can make of this digression is that the people involved live near the chosen battle site. But we are left in suspense as to whether they will be allies (they are related to Moses) or enemies (they have separated themselves). The author specifically points out both of these conflicting facts to us to keep us wondering.
Judges 4:15-16 Often in narratives it is mentioned that God did or said something, and we would like to know exactly how this was done. Again, this detail is withheld from us until the next chapter.
Judges 4:17-18 Now we see why the detail regarding the Kenites was given earlier and we find out that they are actually allies of Israel's enemy. So, again by misdirection, we are led to believe that she will help Sisera. Sisera must have looked pretty pathetic and panicky from the comment Jael makes, “Don't be afraid.”
Judges 4:19-21 Here we have a dramatic change of expectations at the end of the story. We suspected earlier that it was Barak who was hiding behind a woman's skirts, but find out it is Sisera instead. We thought that Deborah was the one who would steal glory from Barak, but it was Jael instead. We don't suspect her because she treats Sisera with such hospitality that she gives him more than he asks. And then more than he expects.
Judges 4:22-23 The phrase “Jael went out to meet ... and said to him” is identical to the words used when she greeted Sisera; the same woman has humbled two men, not one. Also, there is a similarity in the scene here where a man comes into a tent and discovers a dead body on the ground who has been killed by a lone woman, and the previous chapter involving a left-handed assassin Ehud in which the guards discover the dead body of their king on the floor. The similarity implies that God can use supposed weaknesses to accomplish his will.
Before we get into Chapter 5 which will retell the same story, people often ask why it needs to be repeated-- for example, why do we need four gospels.
There is an advantage to new details being slowly revealed each time, and a story often gains in being told from different perspectives. Look at Saul's conversion on the road to Damascus in Acts 9:1-9, 22:5-11, and 26:12-20 as an example.
And now for something completely different, we are going to leave the world of prose and enter into the world of Hebrew poetry. First we need to recognize how it is structured, not through the use of rhyme or rhythm, but with parallel ideas.
Identical Parallelism-- Ps. 1:1
Happy are those
who walk not in the counsel of the wicked,
or stand in the way of sinners,
or sit in the seat of scoffers.
There may be some progression of thought in the verbs here (walk, stand, sit), but not so in the nouns. It is best understood as one idea – don't associate with ungodly people.
Incomplete Parallelism-- Ps. 1:5
Therefore the wicked will not stand in the judgment,
nor sinners (stand) in the congregation of the righteous.
Introverted Parallelism-- Ps. 1:2
But their delight is in the law of the LORD
and on his law they meditate day and night
Antithetic Parallelism-- Ps. 1:6
For the LORD watches over the way of the righteous,
but the way of the wicked will perish.
Judges 5:2 So let's go to the beginning of Judges 5 to compress the thought into prose.
When the princes in Israel take the lead,
when the people willingly offer themselves.
Praise the LORD!
In other words, when all the people of Israel are willingly united.
The poetic introduction to the story lasts through verse 9. We know this because that is where the second half of the inclusio appears.
Judges 5:9 My heart goes out to the commanders of Israel who offered themselves willingly among the people.
Praise the LORD!
Note the repetition of the chorus: “praise the LORD!” as well as typical reversal in the language at the end, an example of chiasm:
people
willingly
offer themselves
--------------------
offer themselves
willingly
people
Judges 5:3 Hear, O kings;
give ear, O princes.
This is another example of identical parallelism. It begins a series of verses where Deborah and Barak address kings, princes, God, themselves, those who ride on donkeys or sit on rich carpets or those who walk by the way, Benjamin, Reuben, Dan, and finally Deborah's own soul in verse 21. This type of figure of speech is called apostrophe, addressing someone who may not be present.
Judges 5:4-5 Next are examples of hyperbole (exaggeration) and anthropomorphism (or personification).
LORD, when you went out...
the earth trembled
and the heavens poured
the clouds indeed poured water
the mountains quaked
before the LORD...
These verses may be attributing human characteristics to forces of nature. But they could also be literal, as we shall see later.
Judges 5:7 Here Deborah is not pictured as a prophet, judge or army commander, but a mother – an image that shows the love and care she had for her people. This brings in an emotional component we didn't get in Judges 4, and introduces the whole idea of imagery used in the Bible (especially in poetry), which is a huge subject in itself.
Judges 5:14-18 Then we have a list of the various tribes who followed Barak into battle and get some clarification as to why only two tribes are mentioned in Chapter 4. But this appears to be a contradiction with that previous chapter where it seemed as if only the two tribes were commanded to come by God. It is through these apparent contradictions in parallel accounts that we are sometimes forced to wrestle with the Word to try to make sense of it. It may lead to insights into God's foreknowledge and predestination-- did he know in advance that only two tribes would obey the command?
In any case, through the use of sarcasm, irony, personification, and rhetorical questions, the tribes that chose not to follow are subjected to a taunt song. And here it is important to recognize the use of some figures of speech where the intended meaning is the exact opposite of the literal meaning – and this has been greatly misunderstood at times. The most famous taunt songs are found in Job 38-39, Isaiah 14 and Ezekiel 28.
Judges 5:20-21 Here are examples of hyperbole and apostrophe. These verses also clarify the question in Judges 4 about how God threw panic into the enemy and chariots. He caused the dry river bed to flood, miring all the chariots and neutralizing their strategic value in a battle on level ground. At this point, an alert reader might be reminded of another time when God caused a flood that wiped out an army on chariots, followed by a female prophet bursting into song to commemorate the victory. The crossing of the Red Sea followed by Miriam's song. This repeated theme shows that God is still protecting the people of Israel.
Judges 5:22 “Then loud beat the horses' hoofs with the galloping, galloping of his steeds.” This is an example of onomatopoeia: dahara dahara in Hebrew.
Judges 5:25-26 “He asked water and she gave him milk, she brought him curds in a lordly bowl. She put her hand to the tent peg and her right hand to the workman's mallet; she struck Sisera a blow, she crushed his head, she shattered and pierced his temple.” He initiates the action as if he were in charge, but it is she who is fully in control from that point on. Notice that the poet has left out Sisera's request to say he wasn't there to anyone coming to the door since that would slow down the action and take away from the ironic contrasts.
Judges 5:27 And then we end up with a staccato repetition of one-syllable words that mimic a series of hammer blows.
He sank,
he fell,
he lay still
at her feet
at her feet
he sank,
he fell;
where he sank, there he fell dead.
At this point we shouldn't get hung up on the apparent contradiction with the previous chapter as to whether he was struck while he was up or lying down or whether he got up after the first blow. Just appreciate the literary skill with which the story is being told.
Now we come to an almost cinematic technique called cross-cutting or parallel editing, where scenes taking place at the same time but at different locations are spliced together to build suspense. In the early cowboy movies, for example, the audience wasn't that sophisticated so they would have to rely on signs like “Meanwhile Back at the Ranch.”
Judges 5:28-30 This is a total change of perspective with imaginative conversation between Sisera's mother and her ladies-in-waiting back at the enemy camp. As in the movies, cross-cutting is an especially useful technique for illustrating ironic contrasts. In Francis Ford Coppola’s The Godfather (1972), parallel editing is used in one sequence that has been called “one of the most powerful and beautifully written scenes in movie history.” The cross-cutting back and forth during the christening scene shows the contradictory lives of Michael Corleone (Al Pacino). In the church, Michael accepts God and renounces Satan. But parallel editing shows the hit men recruited by Michael murdering his the same time. The paradox is evident. While Michael is fulfilling his religious obligations, he is also using the occasion to give himself an alibi for the murders. The same technique was used millennia earlier in Judges where the reality of Sisera's death is starkly contrasted with his mother's high expectations.
Judges 5:31 “So perish all your enemies, O LORD! But may your friends be like the sun as it rises in its might.”
Then with this thunderbolt,
the poet brings us back to reality. Another reversal of expectations
like that of Sisera in the tent.
Posts
No comments:
Post a Comment
Comments