Judges 13-21 : a new translation with commentary / Jack M. Sasson.

Format:

Book

Author/Creator:

Sasson, Jack M., author, translator.

Series:

Bible. English. Anchor Yale Bible. 2008 ; v. 6E.

The Anchor Yale Bible ; volume 6E

Standardized Title:

Bible. Judges, XIII-XXI. English. Sasson. 2025

Language:

English

Subjects (All):

Bible. Judges--Commentaries.

Bible.

Genre:

Commentaries

Physical Description:

xxiii, pages 597-1045 ; 25 cm

Place of Publication:

New Haven : Yale University Press, 2025

Summary:

"The second half of Judges is set when "there was no king in Israel; anyone could do whatever felt right." It narrates the tale of Samson, the would-be liberator of Israel who comes to a violent end; the conquest of the land of Laish; and a vicious rape that, when followed by a shocking dismemberment, ignites a war among the tribes. In the second installment of his authoritative two-volume commentary, Jack M. Sasson invites his readers to ponder the many levels of meaning in the Hebrew text through a careful survey of its contents, evolution, and reception. By situating the text alongside its earliest translations into Greek, Aramaic, and Latin, Sasson offers compelling observations on the characters, action, pacing, and style of the narrative, focusing on the characterization of Samson as a resourceful avenger of Philistine cruelties and as an instrument of God intended to humiliate false divinities. Sasson draws widely on comparative literature from Egypt, Greece, and Mesopotamia to enrich our understanding of how biblical writers adapted older regional sagas; and he derives insights from Hellenistic and rabbinic sources to re-create how Judges was understood by its earliest readers. Comprehensive and engagingly written, Judges 13-21 is an invitation to readers to rediscover these ancient stories and, in so doing, gain a greater appreciation for the art of Hebrew storytelling." -- Publisher, inside flaps of dust jacket.

Contents:

Preface

Acknowledgments

List of abbreviations

Bibliography

Translation: Judges 13-21

III. Notes and comments : The Judges (continued). IIIH. Samson

1. The Nazir (Judg 13)

Introductory remarks: The Nazir

2. Choice (Judg 14:1-4)

Introductory remarks : Marriage

3. Lions and bees : (Judg 14:5-9)

Introductory remarks : Lions

4. Riddles (Judg 14:10-15:8)

Introductory remarks : The riddle of riddles

5. Jawbones (Judg 15:9-20)

Introductory remarks : The Philistines

6. A gate in Gaza (Judg 16:1-3)

Introductory remarks : Samson's body

7. Delilah (Judg 16:4-22)

Introductory remarks : Love (healthy or not)

8. Sightless in Gaza (Judg 16:23-31)

Introductory remarks : Ritual executions

IV. Notes and comments : fractures. IVA. Micah

1. Micah's mother (Judg 17:1-6)

Introductory remarks : Oaths and curses

2. Micah's Levite (Judg 17:7-18:6)

Introductory remarks : On priests, Levites and shrines

IVB. Dan

1. Migration (Judg 18:7-31)

Introductory remarks : Dan, the tribe

IVC. Benjamin.

1. The concubine (Judg 19:1-21)

Introductory remarks : pîlegeš again

2. Outrage (Judg 19:22-30)

Introductory remarks : Rape

3. Fratricide (Judg 20)

Introductory remarks : Sieges

4. Restoration (Judg 21)

Introductory remarks : Remnants

V. Notes and comments : interpretation. Triptych

Samson : assessments

The final chapters

A coda...

...And final thoughts.

Notes:

Includes bibliographical references (pages 597-649) and indexes.

Other Format:

ebook version :

ISBN:

9780300278132

0300278136

OCLC:

1535172599

Publisher Number:

CIPO000271724