The Rhetoric of the Book of JudgesThis volume describes how the rhetorical devices used in Judges inspire its readers to support a divinely appointed Judahite king who endorses the deuteronomic agenda to rid the land of foreigners, to maintain inter-tribal loyalty to YHWH's cult, and to uphold social justice. Matters of rhetorical concern interpreted here include the superimposed cycle-motif and tribal-political schemata, concerns reflected in the plot-layers of each hero story, the force of narrative analogy for characterization, the strategy of entrapment which foreshadows portrayals of Saul and David in 1 Samuel, and the relation between Judges' implied situation of composition and its compiler's intention. In addition to offering new insights into the rhetorical strategy of the Judges compiler, this book illustrates a new method for understanding how plot-layered stories work. |
Contents
INTRODUCTION | 1 |
I RHETORICAL CONCERNS OF JUDGES TRIBALPOLITICAL AND DEUTERONOMIC SCHEMATA | 10 |
II RHETORICAL CONCERNS OF JUDGES AS A LITERARY FORM | 58 |
III THE RHETORICAL STRATEGY OF JUDGES | 268 |
IV THE RHETORICAL SITUATION IMPLIED BY JUDGES | 305 |
CONCLUSION | 343 |
Compilation Redaction and the Rhetoric of Judges | 345 |
Scribal Developments and the Rhetoric of Judges | 369 |
A Compilational Stratigraphy of the Text of Judges | 385 |
| 486 | |
| 505 | |
| 536 | |
Other editions - View all
Common terms and phrases
Abimelech Ammonites Barak battle Benjamin Benjaminites Biblical Boling book of Judges Book of Samuel Burney Canaanite compilation/redaction concern contrast covenant cult cultic cycle-motif Danites David deliverer accounts dénouement Deut deuteronomic Deuteronomistic History Eglon Ehud Ehud's emendation Ephraim exposition Garsiel Gibeah Gideon Gilead idealization implicit infer intertribal ISBN 90 Israel Israelites Jabesh-Gilead Jael Jael's Jephthah Jerusalem Josh Joshua JSOTS Judah Judges 2d edn Judges compiler/redactor Kethib king kingship land Levite Lindars monarchy Moore motif elements narrative analogy negative characterization OLat Othniel parallel Philistines Plot plot-structure portrayal portrayed Prologue-A Psht redaction reference rhetorical Richter Samson account Saul Saul's Shechem Shiloh Sisera situation Soggin Song of Deborah story Testament tion translation tribal tribal-political tribes Triumph of Irony verb Webb YHWH YHWH's καὶ איש אלהים אליו את בית בני ישראל העיר העם ואת וו ויאמר ויהי יהוה לו נא