DOCSLIB.ORG

1 the GOLDEN CALF in PSALM 22 George W. Coats the Narrative In

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
1 the GOLDEN CALF in PSALM 22 George W. Coats the Narrative In THE GOLDEN CALF IN PSALM 22 George W. Coats The narrative in Exodus 32 describes the tragic event in Israel's wilderness experience marked by construction of the Golden Calf. According to the tale in these verses, Moses had left the people, apparently in the care of Aaron, in order to climb the Mountain for an audience with God. The problem posed by the narrative, the plot at the foundation of the tale, emerges with clarity in the first verses of the unit. Now anxious because Moses tarried so long on the Mountain, the people address Aaron with instructions designed to resolve the source of their anxiety: "Up! Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." In the face of their anxiety, the people call for Aaron to construct gods who could continue the leadership for the people in their journey through the wilderness. The present form of the text interprets this speech as rank heresy. Not only do the people request construction of an object that would serve as leader of the exodus and wilderness journey, an object defined as gods and thus as an idol that violates the second commandment, but they also identify the object as "gods" and thus violate the first commandment. Indeed, the noun is plural, constructed with a plural verb. The first commandment prohibits service of other gods, a noun also clearly defined as plural by the plural adjective that follows it. From the point of view of the storyteller, the event highlights the tragic apostasy of the people that violates the critical first two items in the Mosaic decalogue. Yet, it is important to note that the call for construction of gods to effect the leadership of the people in the wilderness journey is 1 2 not a call for replacement of the Lord as the God of the event. To be sure, the people ask for gods. But the gods defined by the people would replace Moses, not the Lord. "Up! Make us gods who shall go before us. As for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him. (Exodus 32:1)" The tradition carried by the narrative rests on an assumption that the "gods" to be constructed stand in very close association with Moses. Is it possible that behind the present polemic in the narrative lies a tradition that accepted a positive role for the golden calf in Israel's cult? Is it possible that positive tradition recognized a close association between the golden calf requested here and Moses? Was the object at one time, perhaps before its interpretation as an object of apostasy that would replace the absent Moses, a symbol of Moses' leadership? Perhaps the allusion to Moses in this verse, zeh moseh hä>Κ, hides a reference to the God of Moses: "This one of the man Moses who brought us up out of the land of Egypt...." Moses responds to God's announcement that the people have become apostate with the golden calf by interceding for the people and in fact securing their pardon, at least for the moment. God's intention was to destroy the apostates and begin a new with Moses. But Moses announces his unity with the worshippers of the golden calf and wins a stay of execution. Then Moses and Joshua descend the Mountain in order to confront the people involved with the new object that serves as leader for the people in the wilderness journey. In the descent, Joshua responds to the noise from the camp with an apparent foreboding announcement. "There is a noise of war in the camp." The noise, in Hebrew, the voice, qo Aof the people is iden- tified as the "voice" of war, the qol milhamah. But the play on the voice as the term for the noise coming from the foot of the mountain only highlights Moses' response to the event. "It is not the voice (qôn of shouting for victory. It is not the voice (qôn of shouting for defeat. It is the voice (qot7 of shouting that I hear." This strange exchange, a picturesque definition of the noise from the camp that.leaves the final stage unqualified in its effort to color the sound from the camp, fits into the picture of rank apostasy in the celebration with the golden calf. The following verses .
Load more

Recommended publications
  • GOD's GREATEST SIN Rosh Hashanah Second Day October 1
    GOD’S GREATEST SIN Rosh Hashanah Second Day October 1, 2019 2 Tishri 5780 Rabbi Jennifer R. Greenspan I have found, at least in my life, that we are often our own worst critics. We expect too much of ourselves, and we overuse the word “should,” trying desperately to reach some unattainable goal of perfection. I should be able to work a full-time job, maintain a clean home, cook and serve three healthy meals a day, and find at least an hour a day for exercise. I should be able to find time to meditate, go to bed earlier, get up earlier, still get eight hours of sleep, drink more water, and start a yoga routine. I should stop buying things I don’t need and be better about saving money. I should stop using disposable bottles, plastic straws, and eating anything that isn’t organic. I should come to synagogue more often. I should stop looking at my phone. I should use my phone to make sure I’m on top of my calendar. I should spend more time with my family. I should figure out how to be perfect already. How many of those “should”s that we constantly tell ourselves are really true to who we are, and how many come from a culture of perfectionism? When we are sitting in a season of judgement, how are we to judge ourselves and our deeds and our sins when we know we’re not perfect? In the Talmud, Rabbi Abbahu asks: Why on Rosh Hashanah do we sound a shofar made from a ram’s horn? אמר הקדוש ברוך הוא: תקעו לפני בשופר של איל כדי שאזכור לכם עקידת יצחק The Holy Blessed One said: use a shofar made from a ram’s horn, so that I will be reminded of the
    [Show full text]
  • From Gods to God
    University of Nebraska - Lincoln DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln University of Nebraska Press -- Sample Books and Chapters University of Nebraska Press 2012 From Gods to God Avigdor Shinan Yair Zakovitch Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/unpresssamples Part of the Arts and Humanities Commons Shinan, Avigdor and Zakovitch, Yair, "From Gods to God" (2012). University of Nebraska Press -- Sample Books and Chapters. 130. https://digitalcommons.unl.edu/unpresssamples/130 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the University of Nebraska Press at DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. It has been accepted for inclusion in University of Nebraska Press -- Sample Books and Chapters by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@University of Nebraska - Lincoln. From Gods to God Buy the Book University of Nebraska Press | Lincoln Buy the Book FROM GODS TO God How the Bible Debunked, Suppressed, or Changed Ancient Myths & Legends avigdor shinan & yair zakovitch Translated by Valerie Zakovitch The Jewish Publication Society Philadelphia Buy the Book English translation © 2012 by Avigdor Shinan and Yair Zakovitch. Lo kakh katuv ba-Tanakh © 2004 by Miskal-Yedioth Ahronoth Books and Chemed Books. All rights reserved. Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book. Manufactured in the United States of America. ∞ Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Zakovitch, Yair. [Lo kakh katuv ba-Tanakh. English] From gods to God: how the Bible debunked, suppressed, or changed ancient myths and legends / Yair Zakovitch and Avigdor Shinan; translated by Valerie Zakovitch. p. cm. “Published by the University of Nebraska Press as a Jewish Publication Society book.” Includes bibliographical references and index.
    [Show full text]
  • B a P T I S M
    SCOUTING in AMERICA, BSA RELIGIOUS EMBLEMS for the Episcopal Church USA Grades 1-3 B A P T I S M I WANT TO WALK AS A CHILD OF THE LIGHT ADULT LEADER / COUNSELOR’S GUIDE I. HOLY BAPTISM (grades 1-3) II. COMMUNION (grades 4-6) III. CONFIRMATION (grades 7-9) IV. RELATIONSHIPS (grades 10-12) prepared by the Rev’d Edward K. Erb under the auspices of the Episcopal Scouters’ Association and the Brotherhood of St. Andrew with permission from P.R.A.Y. 10-2018 TABLE OF CONTENTS page 1 Introduction 2 Outline of the Student book and description of sessions 3 Suggestions & Helpful Hints 6 “Answer” sheets for Water and Word Search 7 Exodus: The Game, instructions, shopping list, and resources Additional Resources Good News Translation® (Today’s English Version, Second Edition) © 1992 American Bible Society. All rights reserved. Used by permission. Bible text from the Good News Translation (GNT) is not to be reproduced in copies or otherwise by any means except as permitted in writing by American Bible Society, 101 North Independence Mall East, Floor 8, Philadelphia, PA 19106-2155 (www.americanbible.org). INTRODUCTION Thank you for agreeing to help our (your) Scouts with their Religious Emblems. This set was written by an Episcopal priest, 30-year Adult Scouter, and recipient of the St. George Award. The series is conceived to be a via media between the Roman Catholic and the general Protestant awards. Subsequent editions are planned to include resources from The Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), The United Methodist Church (UMC) and other denominations in Full Communion with the Episcopal Church with a sacramental basis.
    [Show full text]
  • Aaron and the Golden Calf in the Rhetoric of the Pentateuch
    Syracuse University SURFACE Religion College of Arts and Sciences Fall 2011 Aaron and the Golden Calf in the Rhetoric of the Pentateuch James W. Watts Follow this and additional works at: https://surface.syr.edu/rel Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, and the Rhetoric Commons Recommended Citation Watts, James W. "Aaron and the Golden Calf in the Rhetoric of the Pentateuch." Journal of Biblical Literature 130 (2011), 417-430. This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the College of Arts and Sciences at SURFACE. It has been accepted for inclusion in Religion by an authorized administrator of SURFACE. For more information, please contact [email protected]. JBL 130, no. 3 (2011): 417–430 Aaron and the Golden Calf in the Rhetoric of the Pentateuch james w. watts [email protected] Syracuse University, Syracuse, NY 13244-1170 In the Pentateuch, the contrast between legal or instructional material, on the one hand, and stories, on the other, is nowhere more stark than in the relationship between the story of the golden calf (Exodus 32–34) and the instructions and nar- ratives (Exodus 25–31; 35–40) that surround it. The story tells of ritual failure with disastrous consequences, while the ritual instructions and narratives around it recount fulfilling those divine instructions to the letter. The contrast becomes most excruciating in each section’s characterization of the high priest: the golden calf story seems to vilify Aaron by placing him at the center of the idolatrous event, while the ritual texts celebrate Aaron and his sons as divinely consecrated priests.
    [Show full text]
  • “Turn in Repentance to Your Creator, Then Slay Yourselves”: the Levitical Election, Atonement, and Secession in Early and Classical Islamic Exegesis1
    [CIS 6.1–2 (2010) 101–150] Comparative Islamic Studies (print) ISSN 1740-7125 doi: 10.1558/cis.v6i1–2.101 Comparative Islamic Studies (online) ISSN 1743-1638 “Turn in Repentance to your Creator, then Slay Yourselves”: The Levitical Election, Atonement, and Secession in Early and Classical Islamic Exegesis1 Michael E. Pregill Elon University, Elon, NC [email protected] In memory of Thomas Sizgorich ABSTR A CT The quranic retelling of the Golden Calf story found at 2:51–54 contains a unique allusion to what is arguably one of the most important elements in the biblical precursor in Exodus, the so-called Levitical election. This paper will explore the interpretation of Moses’ puzzling command to the Israelite idolaters to “slay yourselves” in early and classical tafsīr. I will argue that the subtle changes in Muslim exegetes’ understanding of this aspect of the episode reflect important developments in early Islamic soci- ety, in particular the emergence of the accommodationist political ideol- ogy that would become one of the defining features of classical Sunnism. Keywords Biblical stories in Islam, Exodus in Islam, Golden Calf in Islam, Quran, sectarianism, Tafsīr, violence 1. ������������������������������������������������������������������������������������I delivered an early draft of this paper at the Society of Biblical Literature meet- ing in Boston in 2008, on a panel I organized entitled “The Muslim Bible: Islamic Visions of Israel’s History.” I thank the attendees and my fellow panelists for their helpful comments and questions.
    [Show full text]
  • The Golden Calf: NO Idols Exodus 32:1-14 When the People Saw That
    The Golden Calf: NO Idols Exodus 32:1-14 When the people saw that Moses delayed to come down from the mountain, the people gathered around Aaron, and said to him, "Come, make gods for us, who shall go before us; as for this Moses, the man who brought us up out of the land of Egypt, we do not know what has become of him." He took the gold from them, formed it in a mold, and cast an image of a calf; and they said, "These are your gods, O Israel, who brought you up out of the land of Egypt!" Exodus 32:1, 4 For a while, the Israelites stopped worshipping God who brought them out of slavery in Egypt. THEY MADE their own god to worship—a golden calf. God did not like it! We only should worship our one, true God—not things made by ourselves or others. Supplies: 1 paper plate 2 wooden clothes pins or something else to use as legs Golden calf head template Tape Yellow/gold crayon Scissors 1. Color the golden calf head cut out gold/yellow. 2. Either write on the outer side of the paper plate (with a marker) or cut out pieces of paper and write the name of things we sometimes can love too much—even more than God to remind us to be careful to love God first and most. (things like money, stuff) 3. Color the paper plate golden 4. Fold the paper plate in half and put two clothes pins at the bottom for its feet.
    [Show full text]
  • Archangel Michaelʼs Rosary
    Archangel Michaelʼs Rosary Section 1. darkness from entering my being. Archangel Michael, protect all people from all imperfect In the name of the unconditional love of the energies and dark spirits. Father, the Son, the Holy Spirit and the Miracle Mother, Amen. Hail Michael Hail Archangel Michael, Lord of Angels, Beloved Archangel Michael, I dedicate this ro- Your Presence is always with us. sary to the manifestation of God’s will and Protect us from all forces of darkness, God’s kingdom in . and bind the enemy within us. We take dominion over our lives, (Describe the situations and conditions that and manifest God’s kingdom on Earth. you want Archangel Michael and his angels to resolve.) Holy Michael, Defender of Faith. we invoke your Blue-flame Sword. Cut us free from the lies of anti-christ, Lordʼs Prayer so we can pierce the veil of separation. Our Father-Mother God who is within all life, We affirm our oneness with God, we honor your Presence, the I AM, within us. and form the Body of God on Earth. We accept your kingdom manifest on Earth through us. We accept our responsibility to 2. Archangel Michael, manifest your Flaming manifest your will on Earth, as it is manifest in Presence within my energy field. Bind and con- Heaven. sume all vortexes of imperfect energies that We accept that you are giving us our daily threaten to overpower my mind and emotions. opportunity to be all that you are. We acknowl- Cut me free from all connection to the plane- edge that you forgive us our imperfections, as tary vortexes of negative energies.
    [Show full text]
  • The Golden Calf Exodus 32 Story 12: the Golden Calf Exodus 32 Moses Was on the Top of Mount Sinai for 40 Days and 40 Nights Meeting with God
    Story 12: The Golden Calf Exodus 32 Story 12: The Golden Calf Exodus 32 Moses was on the top of Mount Sinai for 40 days and 40 nights meeting with God. While he was there, he received the 10 Commandments and the instructions of how to build the Tabernacle. But while he was away, the Israelite people became impatient in waiting on him. The people came to Aaron and said, “Your brother Moses is the one who led us out of Egypt, but we don’t know what’s happened to him. Come now, make gods for us who will lead us.” So Aaron told the people, “Take off all your gold earrings and bring them to me.” The people did just as Aaron asked. He took the gold from them, melted it down, and formed it into the image of a calf. After he had finished, the people raised their voices and said, “Israel, these are your gods who brought you out of the land of Egypt.” The LORD told Moses, “Go down to the people at once! Look how quickly they have turned away from me. They have made for themselves a golden calf. They have bowed down to it, sacrificed to it, and said, ‘Here are your gods, Israel, who brought you out of Egypt.’ Now, leave me, so that my anger may burn against them. I will destroy them for their stubbornness and make you into a great nation.” But Moses begged God, “LORD, please don’t destroy your people. You brought them out of Egypt with your great power and strength.
    [Show full text]
  • TORAH STUDY Parashat Vayera : GEN 18:1-22:24
    TORAH STUDY Parashat Vayera : GEN 18:1-22:24 Blessed are You, Adonai, our God, Sovereign of the Universe, who makes us holy by giving us commandment, and commands us to engage in the study of Torah. ISHMAEL AND ISAAC “PLAYING” GENESIS 22 RASHI Gen 21 9 This means worshipping idols, as it is said in reference of the Golden Calf, (Exodus 32:6) Another explanation is that it refers to immoral ”.( לצחק) And they rose up to make merry“ at ( לצחק) conduct, just as you say in reference to Potiphar’s wife, (Genesis 39:17) “To mock me.” Another explanation is that it refers to murder, as (2 Samuel 2:14) “Let the young men, before us” (where they fought with and killed one (וישחקו) I pray thee, arise and make sport another) From Sarah’s reply — “for the son of this bondwoman shall not be heir with my ,you may infer that he (Ishmael) was quarrelling with Isaac about the inheritance — ״son saying, “I am the first-born and will, therefore, take a double portion”. They went into the field and he (Ishmael) took his and shot arrows at him (Isaac), just as you say (Proverbs 26:18-19) “As a madman who casteth firebrands, [arrows and death] and says: I am only .(mocking” (Bereishit Rabbah 53:11 מצחק SFORNO: Making fun of the big party Avraham had given to mark the weaning of Yitzchok, He claimed that surely Sarah must have become pregnant from Avimelech. The reason he had not made such remarks already at the time when Yitzchok had been born, was because he had only overheard wicked gossip about this at a later stage, and now he repeated what he had heard.
    [Show full text]
  • The Riddles of Solomon in Rabbinic Literature
    Folklore ISSN: 0015-587X (Print) 1469-8315 (Online) Journal homepage: http://www.tandfonline.com/loi/rfol20 The Riddles of Solomon in Rabbinic Literature S. Schechter To cite this article: S. Schechter (1890) The Riddles of Solomon in Rabbinic Literature, Folklore, 1:3, 349-358, DOI: 10.1080/0015587X.1890.9720020 To link to this article: http://dx.doi.org/10.1080/0015587X.1890.9720020 Published online: 14 Feb 2012. Submit your article to this journal Article views: 1 View related articles Full Terms & Conditions of access and use can be found at http://www.tandfonline.com/action/journalInformation?journalCode=rfol20 Download by: [University of Sussex Library] Date: 22 June 2016, At: 06:22 THE RIDDLES .OF SOLOMON IN RABBINIC LITERATURE. HE place which the Solomon Riddles occupy in the T literature of almost every nation suggested to me that the publication of a previously inedited Hebrew text on the subject, with an English translation and a few introductory ^explanatory remarks, will not be without interest to the. readers of FOLK-LORE. As to the Hebrew text, it is edited for the first time from the Midrash Hacliephez, existing only in Yemen MSS., 'of which the British Museum has four copies, bearing the Press marks Oriental 2351 and Or. 2380-82. Our copy is 'Prepared from Or. 2382. The MSS. vary very little, and the only essential variation we found we have inserted in its Place. The Bodleian (see Dr. Neubauer's Catalogue, No. 2492) and the Royal Library in Berlin also possess copies of this Midrash. In the catalogue of the latter, by Dr.
    [Show full text]
  • 1.12.0 Afgg'x COLLEGE
    ' ' ' -- _. lo‘+ @515 , ‘ 1.12.0 afgg‘x COLLEGE INTRODUCEION “‘ED‘RARY The greatest; really needs a series of talks to himself Many books written about him: Freud, Buber, Fleg, Neher, Sandmel, Daiches But well blown; therefore let us survey main episodes of life (considering how credible the Bible is), then attempt general asssssment BIOGRAPHY 1. Birth V Did he exist? No extra—biblical evidence, but... Time and place: 13th century Egypt (Ramsss II 1290—1223) I Le. 400 years after Patriarchs l'I‘hird child of Amram and Jochebed, Levite's Name: Biblical pun Ex. 2:10; probably Egyptian for "born" Birth narrative (Ex. 2:1—10) probably legend. Purpose? 2. Childhood Bible silent; of. gap between Ex. 2:10 and 2:11 Education of Egyptian prince But retained Hebrew consciousness — thanks to Jochebed? 3. Earlx Manhood _ Incident of tasktnaster (Ex. 2:11—14); discuss justification, motives, impetuosity Flight to Midian (Ex. 2:15—22) Incident at well Identity of Reuel—Jethro+Hobab of mianites—Kenites 1:16, I Sam. {$133}? (Jud. 4:11, 15(6ff) discuss Burning Bush (Ex. 3:1—15) ; Hore‘b—Sinai—Mountain of God, Bedoin Yahweh worship attested in that region by K 14th cent. Egyptian references; cf. Jochebed and Joshua Missiozj and fourfokd refusal (Ex. 3:11, 3:13, 4:1, 4:10) showing diffidence Tgree miracles (rod-snake, leprous hand, Nile water-blood; Ex. 4:2—9) Purpose of miracles; not magic Partnership with Aaron 4. Exodus Return to Egypt with (Ex. 4:20) or without (EX. 18:2) family Negotiations with Pharaoh Ten Pfagues; discuss C’onssing of "Red" Sea; discuss fi} 5.
    [Show full text]
  • And I Saw There the Likeness of the Idol of Jealousy” the Apocalypse of Abraham and Jewish Idolatry
    CHAPTER EIGHT “AND I SAW THERE THE LIKENESS OF THE IDOL OF JEALOUSY” THE APOCALYPSE OF ABRAHAM AND JEWISH IDOLATRY It is perhaps natural that an aniconic religion would have a conflicted relationship with idolatry. That there should be external conflict against those who worship idols is not surprising. It might be a little more surprising that there would be internal conflict, as well. For the Jews of Antiquity, living in the midst of, and often in subordination to, peoples who worshipped idols, their own rejection of idols was a strong mark of separation, but also for some Jews the wellspring of a desire to conform to pagan practices. Even as Moses descended from his meeting with God on the summit of Mount Sinai carrying with him the tablets containing God’s com- mandments for Israel, chief among which were the first and second demanding that Israel worship God alone and avoid all idols, the Isra- elites left in the charge of his brother Aaron had already constructed an idol in the form of a golden calf that they might worship it (Exod 32). After breaking the tablets and killing about 3000 of the people Moses ascended the mountain again and managed to obtain forgive- ness for Israel and a new set of tablets. Nevertheless, the attraction of idols continued to plague Israel down through the centuries. The temptations of idolatry were especially strong for the kings of Israel and Judah. Among them it was Manasseh’s adoption that brought the most trouble for his kingdom and people (2 Kgs 21.1–18; 2 Chr 33.1–20).
    [Show full text]