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mong the various attempts that with his rallying the men of Ephraim
have been made to identify the and leading them in battle at the fords of
Astructure of the book of Judges, Jordan. Jephthah’s mission, too, begins
one of the most useful, as well as influen- with a message to the King of Ammon
tial, is that proposed by the late Professor and ends at the fords of Jordan, with the
David Gooding. In his important article involvement, once again, of the men of
“The Literary Composition of the Book of Ephraim. The third narrative, of Barak
Judges,” Gooding outlines a convincing and Deborah, is echoed by the sad story
chiastic structure for the book. Although of Abimelech: both involve the slaying of
1
his approach includes the introduction a commander by a woman, both of whom
(chapters 1 and 2) and the conclusion employ unconventional weapons, and
(chapters 17 to 21), and although a central both of whom inflict head injuries.
element of the article is its forceful and Two things are notable, based on this
compelling argument for the unity of the analysis. The first is that in each of these
book of Judges, we will focus here on his pairs, “the second member presents a
analysis as it relates to the central section deterioration from, or a worse example
of the book. of, the position presented by the first
In this section, Gooding argues, the member.” Samson’s marital and sexual
2
narratives of the major characters are ar- shenanigans stand in sad and striking
ranged so that the accounts in the second contrast to the exemplary union between
half mirror those in the first half, with Othniel and Achsah. It is also interesting
each pair connected by shared concerns to note that Othniel is the only judge that
and motifs. So, for example, the opening we meet before he becomes a judge; we
account of Othniel, which focuses on the have already learned something of his
importance of his marriage, is echoed by quality before the LORD raises him up
the closing account of Samson’s career, a as a deliverer (3:9). By contrast, Samson
story in which relationships with women is the only judge whose role is foretold
in general, as well as marriage in particu- before his birth. The implication seems
lar, loom large. Similarly, the account of to be that the nation is now so depleted
Ehud in 3:12-30 is echoed by that of Jeph- that no one currently alive can be raised
thah in 10:6-12:7. Ehud’s deliverance of up to deliver God’s people; a deliverer,
Israel begins with his bringing a message we might say, must be built from scratch.
to Eglon, king of Moab, and culminates Ehud’s leadership of the men of Ephraim
to victory at the fords of Jordan contrasts
1 D.W. Gooding, “The Composition of the Book tragically with their slaughter at the hands
of Judges,” in B.A. Levine and A. Malamat of Jephthah at the same location. And the
(eds), Harry M. Orlinsky Volume (Eretz-Israel
16; Jerusalem: Israel Exploration Society, 1982), slaying of Sisera, a foreign commander,
70-79. Gooding’s conclusions have not been by Jael stands in contrast with the killing
universally accepted. For example, Gregory of Abimelech, an internal oppressor, by
T.K. Wong, Compositional Strategy of the Book of the woman of Shechem. This structure
Judges: An Inductive, Rhetorical Study (Leiden: reinforces the fact that the story of Judges
Brill, 2006), 22, makes some legitimate criticisms
(though these are in large measure motivated by is not just a cyclical tale of departure and
a belief that the book should not be approached
as “an integrated whole”). 2 Gooding, 74

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