DOCSLIB.ORG

The Concept of the Return of Elijah in Matthew 11:2-24 and Its Christological Implications

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Concept of the Return of Elijah in Matthew 11:2-24 and Its Christological Implications 1 The Concept of the Return of Elijah in Matthew 11:2-24 and its Christological implications Aaron William Geddis A thesis submitted in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Master of Theology at the University of Otago, Dunedin, New Zealand 2020 2 3 Abstract Over the last few decades, research into first century Jewish beliefs regarding the return of Elijah has been divided between the views that Elijah would return before YHWH and Elijah would return before the messiah. While some have argued that in pre-Christian Jewish belief, Elijah returns before YHWH, Gospel scholarship has continued to favour the suggestion that Elijah was to return before the messiah. Some Matthean commentators have been bold enough to argue that in Matthew, Elijah returns before someone greater than the messiah and they point to that individual’s divine identity. Others simply note that scholars dispute whether Elijah was believed to return before the messiah or before YHWH. In either case, among those who suspect that it was believed that Elijah was to return before YHWH and that this happens in Matthew’s Gospel, the logic of that theme is not consistently traced through the narrative of Matthew’s Gospel. In my thesis, I enter this debate and review all the arguments and evidence in pre- Christian Judaism for belief in Elijah’s return. I include the evidence of 4Q76’s version of Malachi 3:1 which up to this point has not been considered as evidence in this debate. I argue that in all the pre-Christian Jewish evidence we possess, Elijah always prepares the way for YHWH’s return. I bring this insight first to Mark’s Gospel on my way to Matthew’s Gospel in order to see if this insight is consistent with the claims of Matthew’s key source – Mark. I then build off the arguments and insights gleaned and argue that the historical and literary consideration that Elijah was believed to return before YHWH has both narrative and Christological implications for Matthew. I argue for the insight of some Matthean commentators that in Matthew, Elijah returns before YHWH and that this Christological thread is picked up within Matthew’s narrative and has implications for Jesus’ vocation and his identity. In Matthew I focus on Matthew 11:2–24 where I seek to demonstrate that Matthew is picking up this Malachian theme of Elijah returning before YHWH and using it as the structuring device for this pericope in his Gospel. I argue that in Matthew Elijah returns before YHWH, as Malachi 3:23-24 contends, but Elijah fails to turn the hearts of the children to the fathers and vice versa because of Israel’s hardness of heart. Israel’s leaders, along with many in Israel reject Elijah and this has implications for YHWH’s task when he comes after Elijah. YHWH, according to Malachi 3:24, now comes to strike the land of Israel with a curse. I argue that we see this exact narrative play out in micro form within Matthew 11:2-24. I conclude by suggesting that this is a fruitful place for future research. It has Christological implications beyond Matthew 11 in the transfiguration pericope where the Elijah forerunner concept is used along with the title the Son of Man. It also has vocational 4 implications and I suggest that this thematic thread could significantly impact the Matthean theme of judgment and Jesus’ action in the temple and that it is a tradition in Matthew that parallels the apocalyptic Son of Man. 5 Acknowledgements I want to thank my supervisor Paul Trebilco for his many insightful comments and guidance throughout the process. I want to thank the Librarians of the University of Otago Library who went in search of many obscure books for me and who always promptly posted them to me. I want to thank Mark Keown for his insightful comments at the beginning that helped me narrow down my thesis topic, James Harding who critically engaged with some of my early writing in a constructive manner and Philip Church who meticulously edited a near finished thesis. Finally I want to thank my amazing wife CoCo who has endured my busyness and given me permission and space to get this thesis finished. 6 Contents The Concept of the Return of Elijah in Matthew 11:2-24 and its Christological implications ....................................................................................................................................................1 Abstract .............................................................................................................................................3 Acknowledgements .....................................................................................................................5 Abbreviations...............................................................................................................................9 Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................................ 10 1.1 Introduction ....................................................................................................................... 10 1.2 The commentators’ differences on Elijah, John and Jesus in Matthew 11 .............. 13 1.3 Andrew Ferguson and the Elijah Forerunner concept ............................................... 18 1.4 Objection: YHWH’s return and agency......................................................................... 31 Chapter 2 Elijah’s Return in the Malachi Traditions .............................................................. 34 2.1 Malachi 3:1 in the Masoretic Text................................................................................... 34 2.2 Malachi 3:1 in the LXX .................................................................................................... 44 2.3 Malachi 3:1 in 4Q Minor Prophetsa ................................................................................ 47 2.4 Conclusion on the textual traditions of Malachi .......................................................... 50 Chapter 3 Other texts not dealt with sufficiently by Fergusson ........................................... 52 3.1 Hebrew of Sirach 48 ......................................................................................................... 52 3.2 Greek of Sirach 48 ............................................................................................................. 53 3.3 Dead Sea Scrolls: 4Q521 .................................................................................................. 57 3.4 4Qpap paraKings et al. or 4Q382 ................................................................................... 63 3.4.1 Conclusions on the above Qumran Texts that Clearly Speak about Elijah ..... 67 3.5 Pseudo-Philo (LAB) and Elijah’s priestly identity ........................................................ 68 Chapter 4 Elijah’s Return in Mark’s Gospel ............................................................................ 70 4.1 The Composite Citation: Mark 1:2–3 ............................................................................. 70 4.2 Other possible examples and further questions ........................................................... 77 4.2.1 The Fuzziness between Angels and Humans in the Second Temple Period .. 79 4.2.2 Fuzziness between angels and humans in the Hebrew Bible, 1 Enoch, Sirach and Jubilees ........................................................................................................................................ 82 4.2.3 Fuzziness between angels and humans in the Dead Sea Scrolls ........................ 85 4.2.4 Fuzziness between angels and humans in Josephus ............................................ 93 7 4.3 Elijah’s whereabouts and need for angelic transformation......................................... 96 4.3.1 The whereabouts of Elijah ....................................................................................... 96 4.3.2 Elijah’s need for transformation ........................................................................... 100 4.3.3 Responding to some objections ............................................................................ 101 4.3.4 Summary of above ................................................................................................... 103 4.4 Mark 9:2–13: The Transfiguration ................................................................................ 105 4.4.1 The Son of Man ....................................................................................................... 105 4.4.2 The Transfiguration, Elijah’s response and the Son of Man ............................ 110 4.5 Concluding remarks on Elijah’s Return in Mark’s Gospel ....................................... 113 4.6 Conclusions thus far........................................................................................................ 113 Chapter 5 Matthew’s Gospel .................................................................................................... 115 5.1 Exegesis of Matthew 11:2–24 ........................................................................................ 115 5.1.1 Introduction .............................................................................................................. 115 5.1.2 Context of Matthew 11:2-24 .................................................................................. 116 5.1.3 Focused Exegesis and Goals.................................................................................. 116 5.2 ὁ ἐρχόμενος ...................................................................................................................
Load more

Recommended publications
  • 4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7
    Chapter 20 4Q521 and What It Might Mean for Q 3–7 Gaye Strathearn am personally grateful for S. Kent Brown. He was a commit- I tee member for my master’s thesis, in which I examined 4Q521. Since that time he has been a wonderful colleague who has always encouraged me in my academic pursuits. The relationship between the Dead Sea Scrolls and Christian- ity has fueled the imagination of both scholar and layperson since their discovery in 1947. Were the early Christians aware of the com- munity at Qumran and their texts? Did these groups interact in any way? Was the Qumran community the source for nascent Chris- tianity, as some popular and scholarly sources have intimated,¹ or was it simply a parallel community? One Qumran fragment that 1. For an example from the popular press, see Richard N. Ostling, “Is Jesus in the Dead Sea Scrolls?” Time Magazine, 21 September 1992, 56–57. See also the claim that the scrolls are “the earliest Christian records” in the popular novel by Dan Brown, The Da Vinci Code (New York: Doubleday, 2003), 245. For examples from the academic arena, see André Dupont-Sommer, The Dead Sea Scrolls: A Preliminary Survey (New York: Mac- millan, 1952), 98–100; Robert Eisenman, James the Just in the Habakkuk Pesher (Leiden: Brill, 1986), 1–20; Barbara E. Thiering, The Gospels and Qumran: A New Hypothesis (Syd- ney: Theological Explorations, 1981), 3–11; Carsten P. Thiede, The Dead Sea Scrolls and the Jewish Origins of Christianity (New York: Palgrave, 2001), 152–81; José O’Callaghan, “Papiros neotestamentarios en la cueva 7 de Qumrān?,” Biblica 53/1 (1972): 91–100.
    [Show full text]
  • HOUSE Groups: Discussion Questions: Malachi 4:1-6 (Key
    HOUSE Groups: Discussion Questions: Malachi 4:1-6 (Key Verse) Malachi 4:2 NKJV - 2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; (Malachi 4:1): 1 "For behold, the day is coming, Burning like an oven, And all the proud, yes, all who do wickedly will be stubble. And the day which is coming shall burn them up," Says the LORD of hosts, "That will leave them neither root nor branch. READ: Proverbs 6:16-19 Question: God tells His people that He will judge the proud. Why is pride such a dangerous sin, and how is it that pride often goes hand- in-hand with wickedness? Question: As a Christian, how does the knowledge of God’s impending judgment upon the wicked impact your life, and affect your view of those that are without Christ? Question: Before the Great Day of God’s Judgment, how does the Lord work in giving every last person an opportunity to repent of their sin? (Malachi 4:2-3): 2 But to you who fear My name The Sun of Righteousness shall arise With healing in His wings; And you shall go out And grow fat like stall-fed calves. 3 You shall trample the wicked, For they shall be ashes under the soles of your feet On the day that I do [this]," Says the LORD of hosts. Question: In a world that dishonors God, how would you define fearing the name of the Lord? Question: What are some examples of the type of healing that is needed in the world today, and what type of healing can the people of God look forward to receiving? Question: In light of the wicked’s current prosperity, how does this passage contrast the longevity of the righteous with the brevity of the wicked? Question: We end verse 3 with the Lord saying, “On the day that I do this…” Why is it important to for us to personally realize that all the work that takes place is the Lord’s work, and how does knowing that allow us to rest in His timing for everything? Continued On Next Page… (Malachi 4:4-6): 4 "Remember the Law of Moses, My servant, Which I commanded him in Horeb for all Israel, [With the] statutes and judgments.
    [Show full text]
  • The Promise of the Arrival of Elijah in Malachi and the Gospels
    Grace Theological Journal 3.2 (1982) 221-33. [Copyright © 1982 Grace Theological Seminary; cited with permission; digitally prepared for use at Gordon and Grace Colleges and elsewhere] THE PROMISE OF THE ARRIVAL OF ELIJAH IN MALACHI AND THE GOSPELS WALTER C. KAISER, JR. Was John the Baptist the fulfillment of Malachi’s prediction about Elijah the prophet who was to come before that great day of the Lord comes? The hermeneutical solution to this question is offered in a generic fulfillment. or what the older theologians called the novissma. Therefore, Elijah has come "in the spirit and power" witnessed in John the Baptist and will yet come in the future. Generic prophecy has three foci: (1) the revelatory word, (2) all intervening historical events which perpetuate that word, and (3) the generic wholeness (one sense or meaning) in which the final or ultimate fulfillment participates in all the earnests that occupied the interim between the original revelatory word and this climactic realization. * * * THE NT's interest in the prophet Elijah may be easily assessed from the fact that he is the most frequently mentioned OT figure in the NT after Moses (80 times), Abraham (73), and David (59); Elijah's name appears 29 or 30 times.1 Even more significant, however, are the six major and explicit references to Elijah in the Synoptic Gospels. There, some of Jesus' contemporaries identified our Lord--in the second of three opinions-- as Elijah (Mark 6:14-16; Luke 9:7-9). Jesus' disciples were also aware of this popular confusion, for they too repeated it (Matt 16:13-20; Mark 8:27-30; Luke 9:18-21).
    [Show full text]
  • 12. Hosea 12-14.Indd
    ISRAEL’S FINAL YEARS YHWH’S FAITHFUL LOVE HOSEA 12-14 91 Betrayal of the prophetic word 11:12Ephraim has surrounded The English verse numbering follows the Latin me with lies, and the house of Vulgate. The Hebrew, followed by the Greek, Israel with deceit; but Judah numbers the opening verse here as 12:1 – which still walks with God, and is makes the English 12:1-14 the equivalent of the faithful to the Holy One. Hebrew 12:2-15. Verse 11:12 is best understood as a complaint ut- tered by Hosea. The second part of the verse may be a later gloss from a scribe of Judah, or it may be that, having lost all hope for a conversion in Israel, Hosea is looking south to find fidelity. 12:1Ephraim herds the wind, The bulk of verse 1 (verse 2 in Hebrew) speaks and pursues the east wind all of Ephraim’s attempts to do anything Assyria day long; they multiply false- (‘the east wind’) wants (see 2Kings 17:3). The hood and violence. They make last clause reveals attempts to get Egypt on side. a treaty with Assyria, and oil is This suggests the situation in the early years of carried to Egypt. Shalmaneser V, whose reign began in 727. It is possible that ‘Judah’ in verse 2 was a later 2YHWH has an indictment update. Hosea was more likely to have spoken of against Judah, and will punish Israel in this context. In verse 3 Hosea reflects on Jacob according to his ways, the story of the birth of Jacob and Esau, which and repay him according to his describes Jacob (the second twin) as emerging deeds.
    [Show full text]
  • Paul's Eucharistic Use of Malachi in 1 Corinthians 10:21
    The Table of the Lord: Paul’s Eucharistic Use of Malachi in 1 Corinthians 10:21 Jon R. Jordan | [email protected] | Faculty, Coram Deo Academy Abstract Paul is alone among New Testament authors in using LXX Malachi’s τραέζης κυρίου (trapeza kyriou, table of the Lord). In bringing his lengthy section on Christian freedom to a close, Paul addresses a specific concern of the Corinthian church: the eating of meat sacrificed to pagan idols. In 1 Cor 10:14–22 we see Paul use τρα$έ&'( )*"ίο* and other Eucharistic language to frame the celebration of the Lord’s Supper as the ideal counter-example to this Corinthian practice. Why, in this setting, would Paul make use of Malachi’s phrase? What does !"#$%&'( )*"ίο* communicate to Paul’s audience that other Eucharistic language can not? This paper will propose that Paul’s use of Malachi’s !"#$έ&'( )*"ίο* (trapez-s kyriou) allows him to speak of the Eucharist in sacrificial terms and provides later Christian writers a New Testament precedent for using Malachi in a Eucharistic sense. It will be argued (1) that Paul certainly has Malachi’s disputation with the Levitical priest in mind when he uses !"#$έ&'( )*"ίο* (trapez-s kyriou) in 1 Cor 10:21, (2) that the context of Malachi’s own use of !"#$έ&'( )*"ίο* (trapez-s kyriou) provides a vision of a future, sacrificial worship of Yahweh by “the nations,” and (3) that Paul intends for these sacrificial overtones to be heard in his use of the Eucharist as a counter-example to the consummation of idol meat.
    [Show full text]
  • Hosea 12:6 – “So You, by the Help of Your God, Return, Hold Fast to Love and Justice, and Wait Continually for Your God.”
    Memory Verse: Hosea 12:6 – “So you, by the help of your God, return, hold fast to love and justice, and wait continually for your God.” Icebreaker: When we were children, we all had dreams of incredible skills. If you could be famous for one skill or ability, what would you want to be known for? Why? 1. Martin Luther taught that the Christian life should be a life of repentance. In what way is the recognition of sinfulness crucial to the message of the Gospel? Why is repentance necessary to saving faith in Jesus? What happens if a person doesn’t recognize their sin? 2. Israel looked like it was in great shape as a nation from the outside, yet their hearts were sick. They continued to place their hope in dangerous political alliances rather than God. How were the alliances with Assyria and Egypt a false promise of hope? What are some false promises of hope people commonly look to today? How do these false promises typically end? Digging Deeper: James 1:17 tells us, “Every good gift and every perfect gift is from above…”. How can even a good gift of God become a false source of hope? 3. The Prosperity Gospel is not a new phenomenon. Even back in the time of Hosea, Israel considered their material wealth to be evidence of favor with God (see Hosea 12:8). What causes us to believe good outcomes prove God’s favor? In what way do good outcomes justify the actions taken to arrive there? Go further: How did Israel’s actions in Hosea 12:7 illustrate the false promise of self-preservation? What are some ways people pursue self-preservation at all costs today? 4.
    [Show full text]
  • “Good Morning” Malachi 4:2 I Had an Interesting Conversation with a Former Student the Other Night. She Was Having a Hard T
    “GOoD Morning” Malachi 4:2 I had an interesting conversation with a former student the other night. She was having a hard time reconciling how her sister, who has cancer, got dealt that particular lot in life while others are seemingly living as if there is no God, living lengthy lives and prospering while doing so! I felt her pain because I HAVE ASKED GOD THIS SAME QUESTION ! I too have asked God, “Why?” I too have looked at my sick wife and asked God, “Is this really happening?” I too know the pain of facing a situation that you don’t feel like you “deserve ” which is a very difficult pill to swallow! As she poured her heart out to me, I started to pray and ask God for the words to say. I couldn’t just use some trite expression or some church cliché to make her feel better! She needed some consolation. Then God reminded me of how He helped me to get through my tough spots. Page 1 of 12 He said, remind her of the brokenness of the world! Remind her of how things aren’t as they should be because of the sinful condition of the world! Remind her that although I allow pain, I also give strength to the weary! Tell her how I gave you strength when you wanted to quit! Remind her that although the wicked look like they are prospering, to focus on strengthening the personal relationship with Me while not focusing on the wicked! NOTHING NEW This question of the wicked prospering is one that is asked throughout the Bible ! Habakkuk asked it: How long , O LORD, will I call for help, And You will not hear? I cry out to You, "Violence!" Yet You do not save.
    [Show full text]
  • Malachi 1:1 1 Malachi 1:8
    Malachi 1:1 1 Malachi 1:8 The Book of Malachi 1 A revelation, Yahweh’s* word to Israel by Malachi. 2 “I have loved you,” says Yahweh. Yet you say, “How have you loved us?” “Wasn’t Esau Jacob’s brother?” says Yahweh, “Yet I loved Jacob; 3 but Esau I hated, and made his mountains a desolation, and gave his heritage to the jackals of the wilderness.” 4 Whereas Edom says, “We are beaten down, but we will return and build the waste places,” Yahweh of Armies says, “They shall build, but I will throw down; and men will call them ‘The Wicked Land,’ even the people against whom Yahweh shows wrath forever.” 5 Your eyes will see, and you will say, “Yahweh is great —even beyond the border of Israel!” 6 “A son honors his father, and a servant his master. If I am a father, then where is my honor? And if I am a master, where is the respect due me?” says Yahweh of Armies to you priests who despise my name. “You say, ‘How have we despised your name?’ 7 You offer polluted bread on my altar. You say, ‘How have we polluted you?’ In that you say, ‘Yahweh’s table is contemptible.’ 8 When you offer the blind for sacrifice, isn’t that evil? And when you offer the lame and sick, isn’t that evil? Present it now to your governor! Will he be pleased with you? Or will he accept your person?” says Yahweh of Armies. * 1:1 “Yahweh” is God’s proper Name, sometimes rendered “LORD” (all caps) in other translations.
    [Show full text]
  • T3247.Hosea 7-10.021517.Pages
    THROUGH THE BIBLE STUDY HOSEA 7-10 The liberal assumption today is that humanity has progressed, or evolved, and is more sophisticated than in years gone by. Moderns are far more enlightened than their ancient counterparts. But this isn’t true. It’s certainly erroneous when it comes to how we view sex. The idea of sexual intimacy as nothing more than a biological function, a physical act, is a modern invention. The ancients viewed sex in a much more sophisticated, even spiritual way. They understood its impact on the human psyche and gave it higher value. They considered sexual intimacy as holy or sacred. Even the pagan cults saw sex as an act of worship. To engage in sexual intimacy was to become one with your partner, and to invite the gods to participate with their blessing. This is why nearly all the pagan temples employed sex workers - prostitutes called priestesses - to engage in sex as a religious ritual. The act of sex was seen as a spiritual experience. You became one with the other person, and their god. And this is why our God also saw idolatry in sexual terms. When an Israelite worshipped an idol, Yahweh considered it adultery. That person was being unfaithful to Him. Infidelity and idolatry went hand in hand. This is the background to the story of Hosea. !1 To illustrate Israel’s spiritual betrayal of the true God, Yahweh had the Prophet Hosea marry a prostitute. As his wife, Gomer, was unfaithful to Hosea, Israel had ignored its vows to God and went to bed with idols.
    [Show full text]
  • Parashat Vayetze אציו
    ויצא Parashat Vayetze Torah: Genesis 28:10–32:3 Haftarah: Hosea 12:13–14:10 The Battle Of The Wits General Overview The main character of Parashat Vayetze is Jacob. This portion begins as Jacob is busy packing his bags to flee from his angry brother, Esau, and closes with Jacob fleeing again, but this time from his angry father-in-law and uncle, Laban. During his journeys, we see Jacob caught in a cycle of deception. In this battle of wits, a younger Jacob, whose life has thus far been characterized by shrewdness, is pitted against an older more experienced conniver, Laban. Let us examine how Jacob conducts himself and what he learns during these difficult years in his life. In the process, we shall also see how God sovereignly uses all of the events in order to carry out His eternal will for Israel. Exposition The following outline represents our approach to this match of trickery: I. Preparations for the Battle: God Speaks to Jacob II. The Battle III. First Round: Laban Frustrates Jacob IV. Second Round: Jacob Out-Smarts Laban V. Third Round: Rachel Joins the Battle VI. The Aftermath of the Battle: God Speaks to Laban In this excerpt from Parashat Vayetze, we will focus on section I, Preparations for the Battle. I. Preparations for the Battle: God Speaks To Jacob In the first part of this sidra we shall examine Jacob’s famous dream. First, we shall look at some of the data, and then we shall continue by exploring some interpretations. Jacob was alone on his flight from the family home in Beer Sheba to his ancestral home in Haran.
    [Show full text]
  • Factors Promoting the Formation of the Old Testament Canon
    FACTORS PROMOTING THE FORMATION OF THE OLD TESTAMENT CANON R. LAIRD HARRIS, PH.D. Extra-Biblical witness to the origin of the Old Testament books is lacking. There are no copies of the Old Testament writings earlier than about 250 B.C. and no parallel ancient literature referring to them. Only two sources are available, therefore, for the present study: the claims of the Old Testament for itself, and the infallible teachings of Jesus Christ who, Christians believe, knew perfectly all the facts. If the topic concerned the collection of the Old Testament books and the acceptance of the Old Testament canon there would be a bit larger room for the investigation of post-Old Testament literature. Thanks to the Dead Sea discoveries and new knowledge of apocryphal books and similar literature one can trace back the recognition of some of the Old Testament books rather well. Still, the extra-Biblical witness fails to reach back to the Old Testament period. As to the formation of the Old Testament canon, historic Christianity insists that the Old Testament books were written by special divine in- spiration. They therefore came with inherent authority and were accepted by the faithful in Israel at once as the Word of God. In short, the canon was formed over the centuries as the books were written under the in- spiration of God. This view is usually thought of as the Protestant view, but the Roman Catholic Council of Trent and the Vatican Council I are in basic agree- ment with it. The latter says that the books of the Bible are held by the church to be "sacred and canonical, not because, having been carefully composed by mere human industry, they were afterwards approved by her authority, nor merely because they contain revelation, with no mixture of error, but because, having been written by the inspiration of the Holy Ghost, they have God for their author, and have been delivered as such to the Church herself/' (Chap.
    [Show full text]
  • Shabbat Vayetze November 27-28 Vayetze a Teaching from Rabbi
    Shabbat Vayetze November 27-28 Candle Lighting: 4:13 PM / Shabbat Ends: 5:16 PM Torah Reading: Genesis 28:10 - 32:3 Haftarah: Hosea 12:13 - 14:10 Vayetze A Teaching from Rabbi Weintraub--Your Whole Self As we completed last week’s Torah Portion, Toldot, Jacob was vulnerable, on the run, fleeing the wrath of his brother Esau to seek refuge with his Uncle Laban in Charan. In Parshat Vayetze, now in Charan, Laban becomes Jacob’s father-in-law and employer, and shamelessly deceives and exploits his nephew. Despite the abuse, Jacob makes it. He takes two wives and two concubines, fathers eleven children, and through relentless, backbreaking work,”grew exceedingly prosperous and came to own large flocks, maidservants and menservants, camels and asses” (Genesis 30:43). Then, suddenly, at this height of success, Jacob becomes uncomfortable and decides to flee. “Jacob also saw the countenance of Laban, and behold, it was not with him as in earlier days” (Genesis 31:2). What does it mean that Laban was “not with him as in earlier days”? Wasn’t Laban, always a crook, still a crook? Now, however, Jacob sees with new clarity his dependence on Laban. The dependence is not hard to understand. Jacob’s father, Isaac, had favored his brother Esau because Esau was able to hunt and provide: “Isaac loved Esau, because the hunt was in his mouth” (Genesis 25:28). So, displaced from his home but still longing for his father, Jacob struggles and establishes prosperous estates for his uncle, father-in-law, and substitute father, Laban.
    [Show full text]