Between a rock and a hard place

“The narrative [Genesis 34, the rape of Dinah] refuses to speak monologically about the brothers’ response. It gives voice to Jacob’s perspective, who condemns them in both Gen 34:30 and 49:5–7. However, it does not allow this voice to triumph over the brothers, who are given the last word in the narrative (but not the last word in the book). When confronted by their father in 34:30, they ask, 'Should he make a whore out of our sister?' (34:31). Neither the narrator nor Jacob is able to answer this question directly. It lingers for readers to wrestle with, unanswered and perhaps unanswerable. It is wrong to slaughter the innocent, but it is also wrong to pretend that Shechem is guiltless. Amid the limited world that characters in Genesis inhabit, the brothers’ desire for justice (punishing Shechem) ironically leads to injustice (punishing all the other inhabitants of his city as well). Characters inhabit a broken world, where the right course of action with anger is not always apparent or even possible. Genesis does not place a veneer over the difficulties of the moral life or present a world in which moral perfection is still possible. In the cursed land outside Eden, humans often face few possibilities and must deal with anger’s deadly force even when all options are morally troublesome.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, page 161

<idle musing>
This brought to mind an old (2006!) post from Bonhoeffer's Ethics:

But even in a given place, responsible action cannot always immediately do what is ultimately right. It has to proceed step-by-step, ask what is possible, and entrust the ultimate step, and thus the ultimate responsibility, to another hand.

“God became human. That is why responsible action has to weigh, judge, and evaluate the matter within the human domain…However, because it was God who became human, responsible action, although conscious of the human character of its decision, must completely surrender to God both the judgment on this action and its consequences.”—Bonhoeffer Ethics, pages 224-225

The Bible is realistic—and includes the supernatural, which is also realistic—despite our Western attempts to exclude it!
</idle musing>

Another giant

I just heard that Frederick Danker of Greek lexicography fame died yesterday. Rod Decker has a nice little tribute and other ones are popping up around the web.

I met him once, about seven years ago at an SBL. I had just started at Eisenbrauns a year or so earlier and he was in the Eisenbrauns booth, perusing books. I told him that I had been using BAGD (the second edition of his lexicon) for many years as a non-professional. He said he was glad that non-professional scholars found it useful, but he convinced me on the spot that I needed to upgrade to the third edition. I'm glad I did.

Grab it, quick!

“If Genesis 13 points to the importance of seeking peace in response to anger when family members are involved, then Genesis 26 points to the importance of seeking peace when outsiders are involved. In both cases, the text suggests that it is better to relinquish land than to foster anger—a particularly bold message given the value and limited nature of fertile land in Palestine. Although YHWH has promised land to the patriarchs, this text does not advocate the seizure or even retention of land through violent means. With the death of Abel lurking in the background, readers see characters who place the highest value on the preservation of life, no matter how limited the options before them. They take anger quite seriously, particularly its potential for great harm. Abram and Isaac respond to this emotion by doing what is right, finding a path that leads to ׁשלום [Shalom](‘peace’, 26:29, 31) even though doing so involves personal sacrifice and hardship.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, pages 148-149

<idle musing>
Would that the leaders of nations—and their people (including the U.S.!)—would learn this lesson! Self-denial is a lost value, sadly.
</idle musing>

Sales, sales, and more sales

Actually, only two: the Monthly and the 10-day sale. Check out the monthly sale:

February 2012 Web Sale: Babel und Bibel Series at 68% off.

We've got a new book coming out in the Babel und Bibel series this month. We figured you might want to complete your collection—and who wouldn't at 68% off?
See them all here

And, the 10-day sale:

Mesopotamian Civilizations series 20-50% off

Looking through my records, I realized that the Mesopotamian Civilizations series hasn't been on sale since 2010. Time to fix that oversight!
Enjoy savings of 30-50% on these important titles.
See them all here

How about a graphic or two? Sure, why not!



and

An alternative

“In Abram, then, readers glimpse a clear alternative to Cain. They encounter someone who, at least on these occasions, responds to anger by doing what is good, serving as a ‘keeper' (שמר) [ShMR] for his nephew Lot. There are, of course, shortcomings to the ways that Abram provides for Lot. Most notably, the two have separated, and they never live together again. What community the “brothers” once had has been lost. Genesis makes clear that, even for a figure like Abram, the limitations of this world often disallow brothers’ living together, no matter how good and pleasing that sort of unity may be.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, pages 146-147

Abram's generosity

“Although he inhabits a world of limited resources, Abram acts with generosity, humility, and even self-sacrifice, offering Lot first choice of land. Instead of giving priority to his own needs and exercising the prerogatives of the paterfamilias, he gives priority to his relationship with Lot and yields to his nephew’s wishes. His generosity counteracts the strife and anger between himself, his nephew, and their shepherds, introducing an alternate logic, a different means of relating that diffuses the anger and conflict.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, page 145

<idle musing>
Selfless love, death to self, etc. Hey! I thought those were New Testament themes! :) So much for a strict dichotomy, eh? Amazing what the grace of God can do when it gets a hold on someone—no matter which 1/3 of the Bible they are in!
</idle musing>

Primal disobedience

“Remarkably, of all the ways that the narrator could have portrayed primal disobedience and sin outside Eden, anger is the one chosen. Genesis names this emotion as one of the most fundamental threats to moral living and human existence. It endangers one’s ability to do what is right and can lead to both the destruction of community and the slaughter of the innocent.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, page 140

<idle musing>
I'm back, as you can tell :)
</idle musing>

Vacation

I bet some of you (all two of you!) are wondering about the lack posting here this week. Well, I'm on vacation! Right now, we're in Grand Marais, Minnesota where it is about 18 degrees F and it's been snowing lightly. We look out the south window of Joel and Renee's place and see Lake Superior! What could be better than that?

Oh, and we are getting to play with 4 of our grand kids. And, great times with Joel and Renee, too :)

I may or may not post again, but regularly scheduled programming will resume on Monday, January 30...

Word play

“Cain’s name is significant for several other reasons as well. First, while Cain’s name initially refers to the gaining, acquisition, and creation of life (see ,)4:1he ironically is responsible for the losing, taking, and destruction of life. Second, his name is quite similar to both the verb קין [qyn], which in the Polel means ‘sing a funeral song’, and its related noun קינה [qynh], which refers to a ‘dirge’. It is striking that words closely associated with death are quite similar to the name of the individual who brings death into the world. Finally, it may not be accidental that Cain’s name has a homonym used in 2 Sam 21:16 to describe one of the weapons with which Ishbi-benov intends to kill David. Although readers are never told the means by which Cain strikes down his brother (Gen 4:8), the fact that Cain’s name sounds like an instrument of death does not bode well for Abel.”—From Fratricide to Forgiveness, page 132, footnote

<idle musing>
The Hebrew Bible loves word-play—most of which is lost in the English translations.
</idle musing>