PUNISHMENT for PHARAOH's STUBBORNNESS (Exod 7:8-11:10)

CHAPTER III

PUNISHMENT FOR PHARAOH'S STUBBORNNESS (Exod 7:8-11:10)

Modern interpreters of the biblical story of the plagues in Egypt generally devote much attention to literary, form-critical, and traditio-historical prob- lems. The recognized view is that the Exodus text is constructed from three sources: Yahwist, Elohist, and Priestly.' There are, however, cogent argu- ments against a monopoly of the exegetical field by source criticism, and some scholars prefer to concentrate on the final form of the text so as to fo- cus more sharply on its theological meaning. 2 What do the content and the stylistic devices of the narrative indicate in this context? The first point to note is that the introduction (7:8-13) and the conclusion (11: 1-10) balance one another. The introduction shows Moses and Aaron, as God's deputies, performing a wonder (mopet) before Pharaoh: Aaron's rod turns into a snake. The court magicians match the performance, but Aaron's rod swallows theirs. Pharaoh's heart then hardens and he re- fuses to comply with Moses' demand that the Israelites be released from

, See. however, F. Kohata, Jahwist und Priesterschrift in Exodus 3-14 (BZAW 166; Ber- lin: W. de Gruyter, 1986), who concludes that the Jahwist, Elohist, and Priestly sources are rep- resented in chaps. 3-7 and 12-14, but only the Jahwist and Priestly sources in 7:8-11:10. See especially tables on pp. 126 and 128. See also M. Noth, Das zweite Buch Mose: Exodus (ATD 5; 2nd ed.; Gtittingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1961),52-53; English translation, Exodus: A Commentary (OTL; London: SCM Press, 1962),69-71. 2 See especially C. F. Keil and F. Delitzsch, Genesis und Exodus (BC; 3rd ed.; Leipzig: Dtirffling & Franke, 1878; 4th ed.; GieBen I Basel: Brunnen-Veriag, 1983),398--423; English translation, Biblical Commentary on the Old Testament, vol. I: The Pentateuch (CFThL III/22; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1964),472-501; E. Galbiati, La struftura letteraria dell'Esodo (STh 3; Roma: Edizione Paoline, 1956), esp. pp. 111-163; U. Cassuto, A Commentary 011 the Book of Exodus (Jerusalem: Magnes Press, 1967), 92-135; D. J. McCarthy, "Moses' Dealings with Pharaoh: Ex 7,8-10,27," CBQ 27 (1965), 336--347; idem, "Plagues and the Sea of Reeds: Exo- dus 5-14," JBL 85 (1966), 137-158; M. Greenberg, "The Thematic Unity of Exodus III-XI," Fourth World Congress of Jewish Studies, vol. I (Jerusalem: World Union of Jewish Studies, 1967), 151-154; idem, Understanding Exodus (New York: Behrman House, 1969), esp. pp. 151-92; idem, "The Redaction of the Plague Narrative in Exodus," Near Eastern Studies in Honor of W. E. Albright (ed. H. Goedicke; Baltimore, Md.: Johns Hopkins University Press, 1971), 234-252; J. van Seters, The Life of Moses: The Yah wist As Historian in Exodus- Numbers (Kampen: Kok, 1994); F. Ahuis, Exodus JI,J-J3, 16 lind die Bedeutung der Triiger- gruppen fiir das Verstiindnis des Passa (FRLANT 168; Gtittingen: Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, 1996); M. Vervenne, Studies in the Book of Exodus: Redactioll-Reception-lnterpretation (BEThL 126; Leuven: University Press I Peeters, 1996); J. G. Janzen, Exodus (Louisville, Ky.: Westminster John Knox Press, 1997); G. Ravasi, Esodo (5th ed.; Brescia: Ed. Queriniana, 1997); M. S. Smith, The Pilgrimage Pattern in Exodus (with contributions by E. M. Boch- Smith; JSOT.S 239; Sheffield: Sheffield Academic Press, 1997); B. Jacob, Das Buch Exodus (ed. S. Mayer; Stuttgart: Calwer, 1997). PUNISHMENT FOR PHARAOH'S STUBBORNNESS ... 67

Egypt. A similar hardening of heart is reported in the last two verses of the narrative (11:9-10). The consequence of Pharaoh's resistance to God results in Egypt being stricken with ten plagues, of which nine are grouped together in chapters 7- 10, while the tenth stands apart in chapters 11-12. The description given in- dicates that the nine plagues can be divided into three groups of three plagues each. In each group, the first and second plagues occur only after Moses has served notice on Pharaoh, whereas the third plague follows without warning. In the case of the first, fourth and seventh plagues, Moses receives the di- vine command to appear before Pharaoh "in the morning." It should also be noted that the first three plagues affect all the inhabitants, Egyptians and Is- raelites alike, while the other six strike only the Egyptians-thus emphasiz- ing the difference between the two groups. A point of special importance is that the plagues become more terrible as the hardness of Pharaoh's heart in- creases. Their effects persuade him several times to confess his guilt and to plead for God's forbearance, but the change is transient: in the end, repeated signs and wonders do not persuade Pharaoh to release the Israelites. It follows that God, for his part, has to set limits to his readiness to pardon Phar- aoh's guilt and to save him from perdition. God's repeated demands and Pharaoh's failure to submit to them-even though he recognizes his fault-are the main (though not the only) unifying elements of the narrative. The inner unity of its themes is evidently the re- sult of theological elaboration on original historical material as part of a systematic process of revision. An investigation of the text must, therefore, take account of continuing interaction between historical and theological truth; and this means that the literary-rhetorical devices of the biblical narrative have to be carefully considered.3

3 We find strong support for such an approach in some recent publications: J. Muilenburg, "Form Criticism and Beyond," JBL 88 (1969), 1-18; J. 1. Jackson and M. Kessler (eds.), Rhetori- cal Criticism: Essays in Honor ofJames Muilenburg (PThMS 1; Pittsburgh, Pa.: Pickwick Press, 1974); D. J. A. Clines, The Theme of the Pentateuch (JSOT.S 10; Sheffield: JSOT Press, 1974); D. Patte, What is Structural Exegesis? (Philadelphia, Pa.: Fortress Press, 1976); R. M. Polzin, Biblical Structuralism: Method and Subjectivity in the Study ofAllcielll Texts (SS 6; Philadelphia, Pa.: Fortress Press; Missoula, Mont.: Scholars Press, 1977); R. Alter, The Art of Biblical Narra- tive (New York: Basic Books, 1981); N. Frye, The Great Code: The Bible alld Literature (Lon- don: Routledge & Kegan Paul, 1982); R. M. Polzin and E. Rothman (eds.), The Biblical Mosaic: Challging Perspectives (SBL.SS; Philadelphia, Pa.: Fortress Press; Chico, Calif.: Scholars Press, 1982); R. Alter and F. Kermode (eds.), The Literary Guide to the Bible (London: Collins, 1987); M. Sternberg, 11le Poetics of Biblical Narrative: Ideological Literature and the Drama of Read- ing (Bloomington; Ind.: Indiana University Press, 1987); A. Berlin, Poetics and Illterpretation of Biblical Narrative (Winona Lake, Ind.: Eisenbrauns, 1994); D. F. Watson and A. J. Hauser, Rhe- torical Criticism of the Bible: A Comprehensive Bibliography with Notes 011 History alld Method (BIS 4; Leiden / New York / Cologne: E. J. Brill, 1994); R. H. O'Connell, The Rhetoric of tlze Book ofJudges (VT.S 63; Leiden /New York/Cologne: E. J. Brill, 1996).