Reviews Of Books -- By: Anonymous

Journal: Westminster Theological Journal
Volume: WTJ 77:1 (Spring 2015)
Article: Reviews Of Books
Author: Anonymous


Reviews Of Books

Biblical Studies

Charlie Trimm, “Yhwh Fights for Them!” The Divine Warrior in the Exodus Narrative. Gorgias Biblical Studies 58. Piscataway, N.J.: Gorgias, 2014. Pp. 328. $95.00, cloth.

This work is Charlie Trimm’s published dissertation, which he wrote at Wheaton College under the supervision of Daniel Block. He is now Assistant Professor of Biblical and Theological Studies at Biola University. He begins by summarizing previous studies on the divine warrior motif, noting that most have focused on poetic portraits (pp. 1–10). The aim for his study is to make a contribution by first establishing the characteristics of the divine warrior topos from the poetic texts, and then determining whether Yhwh is presented as the same sort of divine warrior in Exod 1–15.

In chapter 2 he briefly surveys several poetic divine warrior texts, extracting several common characteristics. These include martial epithets, Yhwh’s march from the south to defeat his enemy and reign as king in his temple, the trembling of the earth and mountains, Yhwh’s judging of his enemies, and the use of natural forces to destroy the enemy (pp. 11–42).

Chapter 3 searches for these criteria in Exod 1–14 (excluding the poetic Exod 15). Trimm shows martial terminology throughout, Yhwh’s use of nature against Pharoah and the Egyptians through the plagues and his use of the sea to destroy the army, and a portrayal of the enemy’s weakness compared to Yhwh (pp. 43–61). The “destroyer” is a supernatural enemy employed against the Egyptians (pp. 62–67), and there is an emphasis on Yhwh’s relationship with his people and his desire that his enemy would know that he is supreme (pp. 67–75). The description of Yhwh in Exod 1–14 therefore matches broadly with his depiction in the poetic texts.

The next three chapters examine additional elements of the portrayal of Yhwh, which Trimm argues are expansions of the themes rather than deviations from it. Chapter 4 discusses the narratival expansions of the motif. First, the narrator makes clear a cause of war against Egypt, namely, Pharaoh’s failure as vassal to honor Yhwh his suzerain and release Yhwh’s people (pp. 77–97). Second, the narrative gives a greater role ...

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