The narrative of Samson (Judg 13-16) occupies a prominent place within the book of Judges. Settled between the failed kingship of Abimelech in Judges 9, and several narratives containing the refrain “in those days there was no king in Israel” (Judg 17:6, 18:1, 19:1, 21:25; indicating the apparent societal failures in the absence of a … Read more
Recent scholarship has rightly challenged the long-standing tendency to access the Chronicler’s thought-world primarily through analyzing divergences from his Vorlage. However, despite this corrective, interpretation of the Josianic Reformation in 2 Chronicles 34–35 remains overly influenced by parallel readings, most explicitly observable in the persistent tendency amongst scholars to undervalue the role of the rediscovered … Read more
When one reads similar accounts in Samuel-Kings and in Chronicles, the question of their relationship naturally arises. Since W.M.L. de Wette the consensus of OT scholarship has considered Samuel-Kings to be the Vorlage of Chronicles. However, the discovery of the Dead Sea Scrolls required a qualification of this relationship since, as Werner Lemke and others … Read more
When the Israelites complain in Numbers 21, God sends נחשים שרפים as agents of judgment (v. 6). Usually translated “fiery serpents,” the Hebrew terms here seem to blur the line with angel-like creatures, as seraphim also means burning ones. This paper will explore the relationship between snakes, humans, and seraphim in this passage. The Old … Read more
The penalty of sin in the garden, a long-standing crux of the fall narrative, presents the reader with surprise when the snake appears to be right (more than once), contradicting God’s stated command. Numerous commentators have sided with the snake and assumed what appears to be a straightforward understanding of the penalty (e.g. J Barr, … Read more
“Divine Mandate and Dynastic Mechanism: Succession Protocol in the Kings of Judah from David to Amaziah ” The transition of royal power in the kingdom of Judah from David to Amaziah reflects a complex interplay of divine selection, dynastic legitimacy, and political pragmatism. This paper proposes a critical examination of the succession protocol among the … Read more
After the Israelites entered the promised land and conquered Jericho, they ascended into the hill country to attack the fortress of Ai. Joshua 7 records Israel’s defeat at Ai, whereas Joshua 8 recounts their victory. In this presentation I demonstrate how the rhetorical elements in these two literary accounts advance the narrator’s argument. My research … Read more
By highlighting the setting of the Abimelech narrative through a connection with the great tree at Shechem, the author of Judges 9 positions the story as a foil to the Abrahamic promise that was fully enacted and experienced at the same great tree in Genesis 12. The culmination of Yahweh’s initial promise to Abram in … Read more
The story of the mixed marriage crisis in Ezra 9–10 has generated much emotional debate as Christian interpreters have attempted to explain the narrative’s ethics and how to apply them to the church. From some contemporary perspectives, the decision to send away foreign wives appears racist or misogynistic. Important questions arise. Do Ezra and the … Read more
God using human agents to deliverer (his) people from death and oppression constitutes a major recurring storyline in the Bible in general and the Old Testament in particular. Despite its frequency—or perhaps because of it—deliverance as a literary convention remains underdeveloped. Current scholarship instead focuses on exodus motifs (e.g., Estelle 2018, Roberts and Wilson 2018, … Read more