Journal: Tyndale Bulletin
Volume: TYNBUL 61:2 (NA 2010)
Article: Manasseh And The Punishment Narrative
Author: Andrew Taehang Ohm

TynBull 61:2 (2010) p. 237

Manasseh And The Punishment Narrative1

Andrew Taehang Ohm

Summary

This paper examines the nature of the Manasseh account (2 Kgs 21:1-18) in the macrostructure of the Deuteronomistic literature, especially the books of Samuel and Kings, in which remarkably similar narrative schemes are embedded. They consist of ‘sin description’, ‘sin development’, ‘reminder’, ‘response’, and ‘punishment’. I call this unique literary genre ‘punishment narrative’. In the punishment itself several distinctive common devices (destruction of a cultic place, end of family/dynasty line, and a death of an innocent family group member) are employed to show a fulfilment of prophecy. A number of allusions and similarities between the death of Saul and the anonymous prophet in 1 Kings 13 and between the death of Abijah, Jeroboam’s son (1 Kgs 14:1-18) and Josiah (2 Kgs 23:28-30) are discussed as well. Thereby I put the Manasseh narrative in this category. A close reading shows that the Manasseh and Josiah narratives are not independent but, in effect, two different parts of one punishment narrative. This paper also suggests that these punishment narratives overarch one another in Samuel-Kings from the beginning to the end. Finally, it concludes that the work of Samuel-Kings was woven with different materials but woven into one narrative thread.

1. Introduction

As far as its literary formation is concerned the Manasseh narrative engenders many problems. Reading through the Manasseh narrative the

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reader encounters the accusation against Manasseh and the people of Judah. It seems that the anger of the Deity would immediately take revenge on all sinners and the betrayers of the covenant, who had defiled the holy place. However, unexpectedly, the urgency fades away and Amon’s brief account continues. The doom prophecy of 2 Kings 31:10-15 was not, in fact, fulfilled within the periphery of Manasseh’s narrative. No resolution of the issue, nor any just punishment takes place.2 To make matters worse, the unusually long reign of Manasseh makes things more complicated. This causes many questions not only about the text but also about the Deuteronomistic theology itself. The description in Deuteronomy 7:103 looks self-contradictory when we see it in the same ideological sphere....