Journal: Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
Volume: JETS 64:1 (Mar 2021)
Article: Pimps Or Protectors? A Reexamination Of The Wife-Sister Deceptions
Author: Matthew Newkirk

JETS 64:1 (March 2021) p. 45

Pimps Or Protectors? A Reexamination Of The Wife-Sister Deceptions

Matthew Newkirk*

^* Matthew Newkirk is President and Professor of Old Testament at Christ Bible Seminary in Nagoya, Japan. He may be contacted at [email protected].

Abstract: The purpose of this article is to reevaluate the portrayal of deception in the wife-sister episodes of Genesis (12:10–20; 20:1–18; 26:1–17). After exploring the motives and results of these deceptions and the literary portrayal of the deceivers in each passage, the article argues that rather than attempting to trade their wives for personal safety or gain, the patriarchs were deceiving in order to protect both themselves and their wives. By claiming to be their wives’ full maternal brothers, the patriarchs presented themselves as their prime protectors, the ones with whom potential suitors must negotiate in order to pursue marriage. What the patriarchs did not anticipate was the king bypassing negotiations and simply taking their wife for himself, which necessitated God intervening to protect the endangered woman. Interpreted this way, the patriarchs’ deceptions should not be viewed negatively as selfish attempts to save themselves at the expense of their wives’ safety.

Key words: Genesis, lying, deception, wife-sister episodes, ethics, patriarchs, Abraham, Isaac

In recent years the phenomenon of deception in the Bible has increasingly piqued the interest of both biblical scholars and theologians. Simply defined, to “deceive” means intentionally to cause someone to believe something one knows to be false.1 Deception may therefore be committed by means of lying (stating an explicit falsehood that another person believes), or it may be achieved by less overt means, such as ambiguous language or physical motions, neither of which are true or false in themselves but may nevertheless cause someone to believe something false. Although some have argued that the Bible proscribes all forms of deception by means of lying,2 recent research has suggested that such a view is unsustainable in light of the positive portrayals of certain lies and deceptions in biblical narratives.3 For this reason, close analyses of narratives involving deceptive activity are critical for a properly nuanced theology of deception.

JETS 64:1 (March 2021) p. 46

After the primordial account of the serpent deceiving t...