DOCSLIB.ORG

Hebrew Text in Praxis: Shaping Stories of Significance

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Hebrew Text in Praxis: Shaping Stories of Significance HEBREW TEXT IN PRAXIS: SHAPING STORIES OF SIGNIFICANCE Submitted by Catherine Jean Teller BTheol MTheol (Hons) A thesis submitted in total fulfilment of the requirements of the degree of Master of Philosophy National School of Theology Faculty of Theology and Philosophy Australian Catholic University 29th December 2009 ii Statement of sources This thesis contains no material published elsewhere or extracted in whole or in part from a thesis by which I have qualified for or been awarded another degree or diploma. No other person’s work has been used without due acknowledgment in the main text of the thesis. This thesis has not been submitted for the award of any degree or diploma in any other tertiary institution. ____________ Catherine Teller 29th December 2009 iii ABSTRACT The claim of this research, Hebrew Text in Praxis: Shaping Stories of Significance, is that textual narrative, discourse sentences or even single words disclose inner ideational sparks which shape stories of significance. This thesis will show, firstly that in keeping with the idea of Hebrew text in praxis, the entire act of carrying out modern midrash sits well within the traditions and history of the midrashic impulse, and secondly that for the midrashist the telling and retelling of Scripture is about perspective, the relativity of context, and above all an audience. Chapter One, presents an historical and literary discussion of the relationship between Buber’s dialogical hermeneutic and rabbinic midrash. It is the contention of this research that Buber was deeply influenced by midrashic thought and intimately understood the worldview of the Rabbis which led him to incorporate aspects of their hermeneutic treasury to his own reading of the Hebrew text. Chapter Two, explores textual and scholarly evidence of the Hebrew text as an aggadic trope, focusing in the main on the way this process manifests in the methods of parshanut (interpretation) and darshanut (transvaluation). Two areas of concern are explored in this chapter: the origins of making midrash aggada in the Hebrew text itself, and a focus on the pinnacles of development in the extra biblical midrashic recordings of the Rabbis. Chapter Three, attempts to show that the meeting of co-text and situation in equal partnership pact with the Hebrew text projects a cascade of meaning that drives the midrashic impulse and fulfils the midrashic moment. The purpose of this chapter is to contemporize traditional midrashic processes through two midrash models. The rabbinic midrash model and Buber’s leitwort model, incorporate simple and complex ways that embrace the exegetical and imaginative aspects of midrash. iv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Shalom rav ve toda raba – I wish to express my most sincere gratitude to: Dr. Laurence Woods, the Principal Supervisor, for his professional guidance, critical advice, encouragement, immense patience, and above all, his superior ability to carry out the task of supervision whatever the circumstances, even more in the context of Christian-Jewish discourse, which my thesis necessarily imposed on him. Dr. Terry Veling, the Co-Supervisor, for the valuable encouragement at the beginning of my enrolment as a research student and the ongoing professional support and sustained belief in my academic endeavour, coupled with a genuine interest in the subject matter which forms the core of this thesis. Carmen Ivers, the Candidature & Thesis Officer, Research Higher Degrees, for providing the administrative backbone to my research and for tirelessly offering expertise to assist me towards meeting every deadline and requirement. Prof. Robert Gascoigne, the Head of the National School of Theology, for the professional integrity shown in the making of sound and solid decisions pertaining to my thesis endeavours throughout the time of my enrolment as a research student. v CONTENTS Page Statement of sources ii Abstract iii Acknowledgements iv Introduction 1 Chapter One – 6 The Relationship Between Buber’s Dialogical Hermeneutic and Rabbinic Midrash Chapter Two – 56 Midrash Aggada: Word Begets World Chapter Three – 123 Toward a Modern Midrash: Renewing that Praxis Conclusion 169 Bibliography 176 Glossary 191 1 INTRODUCTION A belief endures within the heart of making midrash. It is the age old conviction that particular ethics and universal truths call out from the Scriptures. The first principle of midrash is that there is no single or correct way to hear the calling of Scripture. Midrash moves moment by moment across both text and time wearing a cape of creative enlightenment. The measure which empowers the delivery of midrash is its aggadic factor – the telling and retelling of “textual truths”. For the midrashist the telling and retelling of Scripture is about perspective, the relativity of context, the art of making midrash and above all an audience. This leads to a second principle of midrash that Scripture was given for human interpretation. The midrashic habit of freely interpreting Scripture derives from a rabbinical view that all words and phrases of the text have multiplicity of meaning.1 The many meanings of Scripture were not intended only for the cognoscenti, since the midrashic impulse, as Hillel instructed, must never be separated from the broad community.2 Therefore appreciation of the interpretative modes of midrash rests with an audience. Accordingly midrash is comprehended through a reciprocal relationship between delivery and the audience who hears it. Students of midrash aggada engage with a scriptural text which lends itself to a variety of hermeneutical methods. The unifying factor for analysis is human awareness in a current context. However, it is the contention of this thesis 2 that without awareness of past and current audiences the process of midrash and its various connections to the Divine cannot be fully experienced. The aim is not one where modern midrash needs to directly emulate rabbinical writings, or even for the modern midrash student to become a mirror image of a rabbinical aggadist. The aim is to encourage a review of the traditional methods for making midrash in order to recapture the intention, interpretative power and fascination of making midrash for an audience. In this way the modern student of midrash through the benefit of generational teachings may master the art of making midrash for current audiences. The claim of this thesis Hebrew Text in Praxis: Shaping Stories of Significance is that the making of modern midrash continues to engage with the ancient calling (ha-Mikra) of Scripture through the situational awareness of the modern reader. In the words of Jacobson modern midrash is not only, a continuation of the midrashic tradition of the rabbinic and medieval periods, but also a product of the revival of interest…that has spread throughout western culture (turning and returning) to the traditional narratives…as important sources of self-understanding.3 In general, the concern of the modern midrashic movement has been to respectfully lift the dynamic of midrash out of the rut of classical existence. Once set free the dynamics of making midrash were then rightfully directed into the present moment. Only in this way could midrash regain that rightful position as a process of contemporary renewal. But the matter of making 3 modern midrash is not just about setting midrash free to exist in a modern praxis. The making of modern midrash is largely dependent on process. In particular, it is the contention of this research that as midrash undergoes constant renewal in a modern context, so too must its very process be revised. Alongside the call for constant renewal of the midrashic process, this thesis also acknowledges that the character of midrash carries with it certain processes which are embedded in the tradition. These processes aid the renewal of midrash via a generational continuum of midrashic awareness. The first chapter of this thesis identifies specific aspects of the work of Martin Buber that make a major contribution to a renewal of the rabbinical midrash process. It is the contention of this research that Buber was deeply influenced by midrashic thought and intimately understood the worldview of the Rabbis which led him to incorporate aspects of their hermeneutic treasury to his own reading of the Hebrew text. While the notion and conventions of midrash have their roots in antiquity this thesis seeks to find a modern approach that respects the principles and methodology of traditional midrash. In fact, the midrashic impulse in the form of an aggadic trope is evidenced within Scripture itself. The second chapter of this thesis explores textual and scholarly evidence of the Hebrew text as an aggadic trope, focusing in the main on the way this process is discernible in the methods of parshanut (interpretation) and darshanut 4 (transvaluation). In particular two areas of concern to this thesis are explored, firstly the origins of making midrash aggada in the Hebrew text itself, and secondly a focus on the pinnacles of development in the extra biblical midrashic recordings of the Rabbis. As much as the making of modern midrash has undergone constant renewal very little work has been done on offering any process outside of encouraging approaches to Scripture which follow the division of the text into parashah and haftarah.4 To meet the demands of the modern world and the sharing of midrash with other faiths, modern midrashists may need to respectfully consider a more open approach to the Scriptures without the constraints of parashah and haftarah boundaries.5 This research offers a revision of two traditional midrashic processes put forward in a new form without the constraints of the division of the text into parashah and haftarah portions. Chapter three of this thesis puts forward these two models which are not dependent on liturgical divisions in the text. They are the “Rabbinic Midrash Model” and the “Buber Leitwort Model”. Each process gives a consideration to the reader in their own time and space.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • The Wife of Manoah, the Mother of Samson
    546 THE WIFE OF MANOAH, THE MOTHER OF SAMSON Magdel le Roux University of South Africa P O Box 392, UNISA 0003 E-mail: [email protected] (Received 21/04/2016; accepted 06/07/2016) ABSTRACT The last account of the judges is that of Samson (Judges 13–16). This account has all the elements of a blockbuster. All the indications are that Samson would be an extraordinary person. And yet, even though Samson may be regarded as some sort of hero, the story suggests that Samson was also the weakest or most ineffective of the judges. Tension is created through the juxtaposition of “ideal” and “non-ideal” bodies. An alternative ideology, as a hidden polemic, is concealed in the account. As in the case of Achsah (Judges 1:11–15) and Deborah (Judges 4–5), the nameless wife of Manoah (the mother of Samson) serves as an illustration of “countercultural rhetoric” as a hidden polemic. INTRODUCTION In the dominant cultural ideology of the Israelite tribes, ideal, whole bodies were those of male Israelite soldiers without any defects. This is the image that comes to mind when one first reads about the strong man, Samson, although in time one becomes more aware of his weaknesses than his strengths. These accounts (Judges 14–16) are full of violence and of Samson’s personal revenge, but they also describe his weakness for women. In the case of Samson, an ideal male body develops into an “unwhole body” in that an aesthetic element is added to the story: God favours Samson despite his disobedience (Chs 14–16).
    [Show full text]
  • Samson Gods Strong Man English
    Bible for Children presents SAMSON, GOD’S STRONG MAN Written by: Edward Hughes Illustrated by: Janie Forest; Alastair Paterson Adapted by: Lyn Doerksen Produced by: Bible for Children www.M1914.org ©2021 Bible for Children, Inc. License: You have the right to copy or print this story, as long as you do not sell it. Long ago, in the land of Israel, lived a man named Manoah. He and his wife had no children. One day the Angel of the LORD appeared to Mrs. Manoah. "You will have a very special baby," He said. She told her husband the wonderful news. Manoah prayed, "Oh my Lord . come to us again. Teach us what we shall do for the child." The Angel told Manoah the child must never have his hair cut, must never drink alcohol, and must never eat certain foods. God had chosen this child to be a judge. He would lead Israel. God's people certainly needed help. They left God out of their lives, and then were bullied by their enemies, the Philistines. But when they prayed, God heard. He sent this baby who would become the world's strongest man. "So the woman bore a son and called his name Samson: and the child grew, and the LORD blessed him. And the spirit of the LORD began to move upon him." Samson became very strong. One day he fought a young lion with his bare hands - and killed it! Later, Samson tasted honey from a swarm of bees which had nested in the lion's dead body.
    [Show full text]
  • Dngd Zkqn Massekhet Hahammah
    dngd zkqn Massekhet HaHammah Compiled and Translated with Commentary by Abe Friedman A Project of the Commission on Social Justice and Public Policy of the Leadership Council of Conservative Judaism Rabbi Leonard Gordon, Chair [email protected] Table of Contents Preface i Introduction v Massekhet HaHammah 1. One Who Sees the Sun 1 2. Creation of the Lights 5 3. Righteous and Wicked 9 4. Sun and Sovereignty 15 5. The Fields of Heaven 20 6. Star-Worshippers 28 7. Astrology and Omens 32 8. Heavenly Praise 41 9. Return and Redemption 45 Siyyum for Massekhet HaHammah 51 Bibliography 54 Preface Massekhet HaHammah was developed with the support of the Commission on Social Justice and Public Policy of the Conservative Movement in response to the “blessing of the sun” (Birkat HaHammah), a ritual that takes place every 28 years and that will fall this year on April 8, 2009 / 14 Nisan 5769, the date of the Fast of the Firstborn on the eve of Passover. A collection of halakhic and aggadic texts, classic and contemporary, dealing with the sun, Massekhet HaHammah was prepared as a companion to the ritual for Birkat HaHammah. Our hope is that rabbis and communities will study this text in advance of the Fast and use it both for adult learning about this fascinating ritual and as the text around which to build a siyyum, a celebratory meal marking the conclusion of a block of text study and releasing firstborn in the community from the obligation to fast on the eve of the Passover seder.1 We are also struck this year by the renewed importance of our focus on the sun given the universal concern with global warming and the need for non-carbon-based renewable resources, like solar energy.
    [Show full text]
  • Romanticizing Samson's Mother
    Romanticizing Samson’s Mother Romanticizing Samson’s Mother David J. Zucker, Aurora, Colorado, USA Abstract Samson’s mother is nameless in the Hebrew Bible. Little is said about her as a person. Roughly two millennia ago, in three sources of Rewritten Bibles her character is fleshed out, she becomes much more of a real figure. This article addresses specific verses pertaining to her in Judges 13 showing how they were recast in three pieces of literature from the Late Second Temple period and beyond. The three works are Josephus’ Judean Antiquities; Biblical Antiquities (Pseudo-Philo – Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum [L.A.B.]); and the homiletic discourse, Pseudo-Philo’s “On Samson.” Key Words: Biblical Antiquities (Pseudo-Philo – Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum [L.A.B.]); Josephus’ Judean Antiquities; Judges 13; Ms. Manoah/Eluma; Pseudo-Philo’s “On Samson.” Although anonymized in the biblical book of Judges, Samson’s mother increasingly is a person of interest in a number of writings created in the Late Second Temple period and after, i.e. the centuries around the time of the turning of the millennium two thousand years ago, about 200 BCE-200 CE and beyond. She becomes romanticized and idealized; she becomes more prominent and empowered in these works. Referring to specific verses which address her in Judges 13, this article shows how in three later texts a new picture of this woman emerges. The three sources under consideration are: Flavius Josephus’ Judean Antiquities (also known as the Antiquities of the Jews); a Pseudepigraphic work titled Biblical Antiquities (Pseudo-Philo – Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum [L.A.B.]) and a third source, the homiletic Pseudepigraphic work, Pseudo-Philo “On Samson.” All three of these texts come under the rubric, Rewritten Bible or Rewritten Scripture.
    [Show full text]
  • Duke University Dissertation Template
    The Male Coming-of-Age Theme in the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Michael Wilson Department of Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Carol L. Meyers, Supervisor ___________________________ Stephen Chapman ___________________________ Ellen F. Davis ___________________________ Eric M. Meyers ___________________________ Susan Niditch Dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2013 i v ABSTRACT The Male Coming-of-Age Theme in the Hebrew Bible by Stephen Michael Wilson Department of Religion Duke University Date:_______________________ Approved: ___________________________ Carol L. Meyers, Supervisor ___________________________ Stephen Chapman ___________________________ Ellen F. Davis ___________________________ Eric M. Meyers ___________________________ Susan Niditch An abstract of a dissertation submitted in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Department of Religion in the Graduate School of Duke University 2013 i v Copyright by Stephen Michael Wilson 2013 Abstract This study identifies and elaborates on a theme in the Hebrew Bible (HB) that has largely gone unnoticed by scholars: the transition of a male adolescent from boyhood to manhood. Beyond identifying the coming-of-age theme in different HB texts, the project also describes how the theme is employed by biblical narrators and redactors to highlight broader messages and transitions in the historical narratives of the HB. It also considers how these stories provide insight into the varying representations of biblical masculinity. The project begins by showing how the recent discussions on masculinity in the HB and biblical rites of passage are incomplete without an analysis of how a boy becomes a man in the biblical text.
    [Show full text]
  • OF 17Th 2004 Gender Relationships in Marriage and Out.Pdf (1.542Mb)
    Gender Relationships In Marriage and Out Edited by Rivkah Blau Robert S. Hirt, Series Editor THE MICHAEL SCHARF PUBLICATION TRUST of the YESHIVA UNIVERSITY PRESs New York OF 17 r18 CS2ME draft 8 balancediii iii 9/2/2007 11:28:13 AM THE ORTHODOX FORUM The Orthodox Forum, initially convened by Dr. Norman Lamm, Chancellor of Yeshiva University, meets each year to consider major issues of concern to the Jewish community. Forum participants from throughout the world, including academicians in both Jewish and secular fields, rabbis,rashei yeshivah, Jewish educators, and Jewish communal professionals, gather in conference as a think tank to discuss and critique each other’s original papers, examining different aspects of a central theme. The purpose of the Forum is to create and disseminate a new and vibrant Torah literature addressing the critical issues facing Jewry today. The Orthodox Forum gratefully acknowledges the support of the Joseph J. and Bertha K. Green Memorial Fund at the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary established by Morris L. Green, of blessed memory. The Orthodox Forum Series is a project of the Rabbi Isaac Elchanan Theological Seminary, an affiliate of Yeshiva University OF 17 r18 CS2ME draft 8 balancedii ii 9/2/2007 11:28:13 AM Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Orthodox Forum (17th : 2004 : New York, NY) Gender relationships in marriage and out / edited by Rivkah Blau. p. cm. – (Orthodox Forum series) ISBN 978-0-88125-971-1 1. Marriage. 2. Marriage – Religious aspects – Judaism. 3. Marriage (Jewish law) 4. Man-woman relationships – Religious aspects – Judaism. I.
    [Show full text]
  • KINGDOMS Family Guide
    KINGDOMS Family Guide Welcome to IMMERSE The Bible Reading Experience Leading a family is arguably one of the most challenging tasks a person can undertake. And since families are the core unit in the church, their growth and development directly impacts the health of the communi- ties where they serve. The Immerse: Kingdoms Family Reading Guide is a resource designed to assist parents, guardians, and other family lead- ers to guide their families in the transformative Immerse experience. Planning Your Family Experience This family guide is essentially an abridged version of Immerse: King- doms. So it’s an excellent way for young readers in your family to par- ticipate in the Immerse experience without becoming overwhelmed. The readings are shorter than the readings in Immerse: Kingdoms and are always drawn from within a single day’s reading. This helps every- one in the family to stay together, whether reading from the family guide or the complete Kingdoms volume. Each daily Bible reading in the family guide is introduced by a short paragraph to orient young readers to what they are about to read. This paragraph will also help to connect the individual daily Scripture pas- sages to the big story revealed in the whole Bible. (This is an excellent tool for helping you guide your family discussions.) The family guide readings end with a feature called Thinking To- gether, created especially for young readers. These provide reflective statements and questions to help them think more deeply about the Scriptures they have read. (Thinking Together is also useful for guiding your family discussions.) The readings in the family guide are intended primarily for children i ii IMMERSE • KINGDOMS in grades 4 to 8.
    [Show full text]
  • The Torah As an Enactivist Model: Legal Thinking Beyond Natural Law and Positive Law
    Ancilla Iuris Special Issue: Natural Law? Conceptions and Implications of Natural Law Elements of Religious Legal Discourse Prof. Dr. Ronen Reichman Dr. Britta Müller-Schauenburg (Guest Editors) Die Tora als enaktivistisches Muster: Rechtsdenken jenseits von Naturrecht und positivem Recht The Torah as an Enactivist Model: Legal thinking beyond natural law and positive law Asher J. Mattern* Translated by Jacob Watson Ancilla Iuris, 2017 Lagen des Rechts Synopsis E-ISSN 1661-8610 Constellations of Law DOAJ 1661-8610 ASHER J. MATTERN – THE TORAH AS AN ENACTIVIST MODEL Abstract Abstract Die abendländische, klassische wie moderne, Refle- The occidental reflexions on Law, classical as xion über das Recht wird durch den Gegensatz zwi- modern, is determined by the opposition between schen Naturrecht und positivem Recht bestimmt. natural and positive law. The Jewish understanding Das jüdische Verständnis des Gesetzes transzen- of Law transcends this dichotomy by projecting a diert diese Dichotomie durch die Projektion eines circular model: The divine Law is developped con- zirkulären Modells: Das göttliche Gesetz wird kon- cretely in the discussion of rabbinical scholars and kret in der Diskussion der rabbinischen Gelehrten this discussion has itself, as Oral Law, the status of entwickelt, und diese Diskussion hat selbst als being god-given. The Torah as the basis of the Jewish mündliches Gesetz den Status des gottgegebenen law is thus interpreted in the rabbinic tradition as Gesetzes. Die Tora als Grundlage des jüdischen the idea of a law in which the constructive interpre- Gesetzes wird also in der rabbinischen Tradition als tation is understood as a more precise discovery of die Idee eines Gesetzes interpretiert, in dem die kon- that what really is, that means an interpretation in struktive Interpretation als eine genauere Entde- which coincides with the invention and exploration ckung dessen, was wirklich ist, verstanden wird, d.h.
    [Show full text]
  • Through the Bible Study Judges 13-16
    THROUGH THE BIBLE STUDY JUDGES 13-16 The California redwoods are one of the wonders of nature. They’re colossal. The trees are skyscrapers - their girth is gigantic - they’re kings of the forest. And nothing is as impressive as the falling of one of these redwoods… The cutters score the tree trunk. They move the saw back and forth, and the cut deepens. Soon, the tree starts to bend. It leans further and further from the cutters. Before long you hear the cracking of wood fibers. With each slice of the saw the noise builds. Eventually, it swells to a roar. The tree begins to fall. If you’re underneath it seems that the sky is falling. The trunk explodes along the cut-line, and the tree crashes to the forest floor. It sounds like thunder. Tonight, I need to yell “TIIIIIIMBEEEER…” - for we’re going to watch the falling of a redwood… not of a giant tree, but a giant of a man. Samson was huge – not necessarily in physical stature, but in privilege, and power, and effectiveness for God. Samson was a Nazirite (dedicated to God). He came from a godly home - served in an important post - was feared by his enemies - was used by God in supernatural ways. Samson was God’s Strongman. He was a divine vigilante – a one-man wrecking crew. Samson was a redwood. Yet Samson fell… The saw slides back and forth - the !1 slender score line around his heart deepens – he leans – finally cracks – Samson falls hard. We’ve all met a Samson – a person who had it all… beautiful spouse, good job, healthy kids, good reputation, effective ministry.
    [Show full text]
  • Humor in Talmud and Midrash
    Tue 14, 21, 28 Apr 2015 B”H Dr Maurice M. Mizrahi Jewish Community Center of Northern Virginia Adult Learning Institute Jewish Humor Through the Sages Contents Introduction Warning Humor in Tanach Humor in Talmud and Midrash Desire for accuracy Humor in the phrasing The A-Fortiori argument Stories of the rabbis Not for ladies The Jewish Sherlock Holmes Checks and balances Trying to fault the Torah Fervor Dreams Lying How many infractions? Conclusion Introduction -Not general presentation on Jewish humor: Just humor in Tanach, Talmud, Midrash, and other ancient Jewish sources. -Far from exhaustive. -Tanach mentions “laughter” 50 times (root: tz-cho-q) [excluding Yitzhaq] -Talmud: Records teachings of more than 1,000 rabbis spanning 7 centuries (2nd BCE to 5th CE). Basis of all Jewish law. -Savoraim improved style in 6th-7th centuries CE. -Rabbis dream up hypothetical situations that are strange, farfetched, improbable, or even impossible. -To illustrate legal issues, entertain to make study less boring, and sharpen the mind with brainteasers. 1 -Going to extremes helps to understand difficult concepts. (E.g., Einstein's “thought experiments”.) -Some commentators say humor is not intentional: -Maybe sometimes, but one cannot avoid the feeling it is. -Reason for humor not always clear. -Rabbah (4th century CE) always began his lectures with a joke: Before he began his lecture to the scholars, [Rabbah] used to say something funny, and the scholars were cheered. After that, he sat in awe and began the lecture. [Shabbat 30b] -Laughing and entertaining are important. Talmud: -Rabbi Beroka Hoza'ah often went to the marketplace at Be Lapat, where [the prophet] Elijah often appeared to him.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblical Names in Amharic
    2 ëAņŖŠŸŶ ëŸǬă ųǫĈŖŠŸ ëģǖþƭ Ŧǐë Ĉîė ƻûų ûŸǰĈŘɈ ŃûǘŦŵŖŠŸ ŃINjĔĘ ƐĐĘřĘ ŃǯřŠ ǯŖŠŸ ƐńĐ ĘĀ ŖîĨ ĀĘǮŶŠŸŸ EŶģĐņëŸɅ 3 4 We present our many thanks to Our God-Father and to Our King of Kings, to His Imperial Majesty, HAILE SELLASSIE I’s Kingdome in the Glorious name of Iyesus Kristos, Our Saviour – Our Lord of Lords. AMEN AND AMEN. 5 6 THE BIBLE SOCIETY OF HIS IMPERIAL MAJESTY (BSHIM) PUBLISHED BY: H.H. RAS IADONIS TAFARI, & H.H. WOIZERO TEHETENA GIRMA-ASFAW OF THE LION OF JUDAH SOCIETY (LOJS) IMPERIAL PUBLISHERS TO THE H.I.M. UNIVERSITIES,COLLEGES & CHRISTIAN [TEWAHEDO]CHURCHES 1991-2011 BSHIM-LOJ 7 ©2011 by LION OF JUDAH SOCIETY PUBLISHERS & PRINTING PRESS All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted for commercial purposes, except for brief quotations in printed reviews, without written permission of the publishers’. Churches and other noncommercial interests may reproduce portions of this book without the express written permission of the LOJS PRINTING PRESS, provided that the text does not exceed 500 words and that the text is not material quoted from another publisher. When reproducing text from this book, include the following credit line: “From the Amharic Book of Ruth, A translation & interpretation by Ras Iadonis Tafari, published by the Lion of Judah Society. Used by permission.” All English-language scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken from the King James Version of the 1611 A.D. Holy Bible [KJV]. All Amharic-language scripture quotations, unless otherwise noted, are taken the Emperor’s Bible, the 1961/2 A.D.
    [Show full text]
  • The Failure of the Family in Judges, Part 2: Samson
    Liberty University DigitalCommons@Liberty University Faculty Publications and Presentations School of Religion 2005 The aiF lure of the Family in Judges, Part 2: Samson Michael J. Smith Liberty University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sor_fac_pubs Recommended Citation Smith, Michael J., "The aiF lure of the Family in Judges, Part 2: Samson" (2005). Faculty Publications and Presentations. Paper 116. http://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/sor_fac_pubs/116 This Article is brought to you for free and open access by the School of Religion at DigitalCommons@Liberty University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Publications and Presentations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Liberty University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. BiBLiOTHECA SACRA 162 (October-December 2005): 424-36 THE FAILURE OF THE FAMILY IN JUDGES, PART 2: SAMSON Michael J. Smith HE FAILURE OF THE FAMILY IN THE BOOK OF JUDGES is seen in many of the judges, including especially the twelfth and final Tjudge, Samson.1 In his case the paradigm of the judge cycle from Judges 2:11-18 appears for the last time in the book, but only two of the elements are given.2 "Now the sons of Israel again did evil in the sight of the LORD, so that the LORD gave them into the hands of the Philistines forty years" (13:1). Though this is the long­ est period of time in which Israel was under another nation, there is no record of the Israelites crying out to the Lord for deliverance as they had done in the past.
    [Show full text]