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...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: York, Dan (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Fernleihe:Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste
Published: Catholic Biblical Association of America 2022
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
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
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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.
ISSN:2163-2529
Contains:Enthalten in: The catholic biblical quarterly
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1353/cbq.2022.0129