Let the Daughters Live!: The Literary Architecture of Exodus 1-2 As a Key for Interpretation (Biblical Interpretation Series, Vol 37)

Deals with the structure, coherence and composition of the stories of Exodus 1 and 2. The method described and the analytical procedures employed provide an instructive introduction to the discussion on newer techniques of interpretation of biblical narrative. Title Page Copyright Page Table of Contents Preface Abbreviations Introduction A. Wilhelm Martin Leberecht de Wette 1. Theological Context 2. View of Historicity 3. Narrative Character: the Relation between Form and Content 4. De Wette and Source Criticism B. Juda L. Palache C. Martinus A. Beek D. Aleida G. van Daalen E. Karel A. Deurloo F. Object of Inquiry 1. Literary Architecture A. The First Phase: Features relating to the Inherent Auditory Character of the Text B. The Second Phase: Peculiarities reflecting the Basic Hebrew Character of the Text C. The Third Phase: The Segmentational Units within the Story D. The Fourth Phase: Word Repetitions 1. Key Word 2. Story Motif 3. Theme 4. Cumulative Series 5. Stereotype Situation E. The Fifth Phase: The Textual Structure 1. The Four Levels 2. Structural Patterns 3. Structure in the Syntax 4. Numerical Structure 5. Structures which connect the Text and Context F. The Sixth Phase: Polysemy 1. Associations with Other Stories 2. Play on Words 3. Hapax legomenon 2. The Annotated Translation Draft A. A Translation Draft of Exodus 1 and 2 B. Notes on the Draft Translation 1. [ARABIC TEXT] 'the hip of Jacob' (1:5) 2. [ARABIC TEXT] 'seventy' (1:5) 3. [ARABIC TEXT] 'should war break out' (1:10) 4. [ARABIC TEXT] 'and go up out of the land' (1:10) 5. [ARABIC TEXT] 'storage cities' (1:11) 6. [ARABIC TEXT] 'Pharaoh' (1:11) 7. [ARABIC TEXT] 'Pithom' (1:11) 8. [ARABIC TEXT] 'Ramses' (1:11) 9. [ARABIC TEXT] 'the midwives of the Hebrew women' (1:15) 10. [ARABIC TEXT] 'the two stones' (1:16) 11. [ARABIC TEXT] 'how is it that ...?' (1:18; 2:18) 12. [ARABIC TEXT] 'as a man who is chief and judge' (2:14) 3. The Architecture of Exodus 1 and 2 A. The Text and its Component Parts B. Functional Overlap C. Key Words 1. [ARABIC TEXT] 'sons of Israel' 2. [ARABIC TEXT] 'to know' 3. [ARABIC TEXT] 'to see' D. Literary Entity 4. The Architecture of the Individual Sections A. The First Section: Exodus 1:1-7 1. Division into Sequences 2. Structural Patterns 3. Key Words 4. Associations with Other Stories 4.1. they were fruitful, they increased 4.2. it swarmed with them 4.3. they increased and became numerous 4.4. more and more 5. Numerical Structure B. The Second Section: Exodus 1:8-22 1. Division into Sequences 2. Structural Patterns 3. Key Words 4. Associations with Other Stories 5. Play on Words 6. The Unity of Verses 21 and 22 C. The Third Section: Exodus 2:1-10 1. Division into Sequences 2. Structural Patterns 3. Key Words 4. Numerical Structure 5. Associations with Other Stories D. The Fourth Section: Exodus 2:11-22 1. Division into Sequences 2. Structural Patterns 3. Key Words 4. Numerical Structure 5. Associations with Other Stories E. The Fifth Section: Exodus 2:23-25 1. Division into Sequences 2. Structural Patterns 3. Key Words 4. Numerical Structure 5. Associations with Other Stories 5. The Broader Context of Exodus 1 and 2 A. Links with Genesis 1. The List of Names 2. The Order of the Names in the List 3. The Expression 'Sons of Israel' 4. The Verb [ARABIC TEXT] 'to look after, take care of, call to account 5. The verb [ARABIC TEXT] 'to go up, ascend' B. Links with Exodus 1. The King of Egypt died 2. Elohim heard 3. Elohim remembered 4. The Covenant with Abraham, Isaac and Jacob 5. Elohim saw 6. Elohim knew 6. The Exegetical Approach Exemplified A. Life or Death 1. Prior to the Birth of Moses: Life or Death 2. Egypt: Kingdom of Death? 3. The King of Egypt' or 'the Pharaoh'? 4. Life or Death: the Central Theme B. Hebrew Women are 'Life' Producers 1. Current Interpretations 2. The Position within the Context 3. Other Forms of the Root [ARABIC TEXT] in this Pericope 4. [ARABIC TEXT] as a Variant of [ARABIC TEXT] 5. 'Life' 6. Hebrew Women are 'Life' Producers 7. The Role of the Pharaoh 8. Polysemy C. Let the Daughters Live! 1. Daughters and Sons 2. Twelve Sons 3. Twelve Daughters 3.1. The midwives 3.2. The daughter of Levi [ARABIC TEXT] 'in the rushes' [ARABIC TEXT] 'upon the shore' [ARABIC TEXT] 'the river' 3.3. The sister of Moses 3.4. The daughter of the Pharaoh 3.5. The seven daughters of the priest 4. Gershom, and the Explanation given to his Name 5. The Priest of Midian D. Conclusion 1. Literary Architecture 2. The Composition 3. 'Foreshadowing' as an Indication for the Interpretation 4. The Internal Cohesion 5. Let the Daughters Live! Bibliography Index of Bible References Index of Subjects Bibical Interpretation Series This study deals with the structure, coherence and composition of the stories of Exodus 1 and 2 with a view to contributing to the interpretation of biblical narrative in general. In the first chapter the author introduces the method and analytical procedures employed. In the subsequent chapters the method is applied to the literary architecture of the stories in Exodus 1 and 2. The last chapter presents a sample of the exegesis as a practical demonstration of how the method described can be integrated into the interpretative procedure. The approach presented in this volume provides an instructive introduction to newer techniques in interpretation. Though of special interest to feminist interpreters, it also speaks to a broad range of those who are engaged in modern types of exegesis By Jopie Siebert-hommes. Includes Bibliographical References (p. [135]-139) And Indexes.