Make a Fence for the Torah: A Positive Reading of the Woman's Words in Genesis 3:3
Modern commentators inculpate the woman in Gen 3:3, accusing her of altering the divine command and insinuating God's parsimony and severity. Significant voices from ancient Judaism and early Christianity, however, notice nothing wrong with her words. Rather—to anticipate a reading akin to m. A...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Catholic Biblical Association of America
2022
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| In: |
The catholic biblical quarterly
Year: 2022, Volume: 84, Issue: 4, Pages: 547-565 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
Bible. Exodus 19,12-13
/ Bible. Genesis 3,3
/ Torah
/ Fences
/ Text history
/ Woman
/ Bodily contact
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Further subjects: | B
23
B Genesis 3:3 B Bibel. Exodus, 19,23 B Exodus 19:12–13 B Touch B Torah B fence B the woman B Reception History |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | Modern commentators inculpate the woman in Gen 3:3, accusing her of altering the divine command and insinuating God's parsimony and severity. Significant voices from ancient Judaism and early Christianity, however, notice nothing wrong with her words. Rather—to anticipate a reading akin to m. Abot 1.1—her words construct a fence around the divine command. The Targum and the LXX provide the soil for this reading; Philo and Josephus provide the light for its growth. Jubilees, Abot de-Rabbi Natan, and Ephrem the Syrian provide categories to prune modern assumptions; the Sinai narrative (specifically, Exod 19:12-13a, 23) provides the exegetical ground to spark fresh growth. The proposed reading promotes a positive account of the woman and frees her from undeserved blame, thereby showcasing her proscription as an attempt to honor God rather than smear God's integrity. |
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| ISSN: | 2163-2529 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2022.0129 |