Thursday, May 02, 2013

The best defense is...a god

It is important to note that these names make no reference to offensive weapons or installations; only defensive functions are metaphorically ascribed to the deity. Although many metaphors may not immediately appear to be related to family religion, rocks, towers, fortifications, and explicit places of refuge were all places to which individuals or families might flee when they or their larger communities came under attack by an enemy (Jer 4:5–6, 29). Thus, these defensive attributions arise directly from typical village experiences and do not necessarily connote a dedicated military function. Such military metaphors in the belief system of family religion again reflect the keenly felt vulnerability of the individual. In this case, fear was allayed by confessing that god himself provided defense against enemies for the name bearer and rendered all enemies powerless, whether worldly or otherwise.—Family and Household Religion in Ancient Israel and the Levant, page 317

No comments: