Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 53:2 (Jun 2010)
Article: Literary Clues In Judges: A Response To Robert Chisholm
Author: Andrew E. Steinmann

JETS 53:2 (June 2010) p. 365

Literary Clues In Judges: A Response To Robert Chisholm

Andrew Steinmann

Andrew Steinmann is professor of theology and Hebrew at Concordia University Chicago, 7400 Augusta Street, River Forest, IL 60305-1499.

In a recent article, Robert Chisholm has proposed a chronology of the Book of Judges based on a perceived literary clue in the book itself.1 Chisholm is an accomplished scholar, and the literary pattern he points out in Judges is most certainly present in Judges and most assuredly points to something vital in the book’s message. The questions this article will seek to address are two: Is the pattern Chisholm identified a clue to the chronology of Judges or is it a clue to some other feature developed by the author of Judges? Are there other literary features of Judges that point to a different view of the chronology of Judges?

I. The Significance Of The Pattern Identified By Chisholm

1. The pattern. Chisholm points out that the central section of Judges (presumably Judg 3:7-16:31) divides into two panels based on the six refrains that state that the Israelites did evil in Yahweh’s eyes (Judg 3:7, 12; 4:1; 6:1; 10:6; 13:1).2 He notes that in the second, third, fifth, and sixth occurrences of this refrain the verb וַיֹּסִפוּ is used (with the infinitive לַעֲשׂוֹת), making the refrain “The Israelites again did evil. . . .” In contrast, the first and fourth occurrences of this refrain do not use וַיֹּסִפוּ but simply state, “The Israelites did (וַיֹּסִפוּ) evil. . . .” This creates two panels in this central section of Judges (Judg 3:7-5:31; 6:1-16:31). Each panel introduced by “The Israelites did evil . . .” and followed by two occurrences of “The Israelites again did evil. . . .” These two panels are further delineated by another pattern that can be seen in Yahweh’s response to Israel’s sin.3 In each panel, the verbs describing Yahweh’s action are chiastically arranged. In the first panel Yahweh “sold

JETS 53:2 (June 2010) p. 366

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