earticle

영어

The Speeches of Reuben and Judah in Genesis 37: 21-22, 26-27: A Literary-Critical Study Dohyung Kim, Ph.D. Adjunct Professor, Department of Theology Seoul Christian University This paper reviews the pleas of mitigation by Reuben and Judah in Genesis 37:21-22, 26-27. Many historical-critical commentators of Genesis believe that a discrepancy exists between these two speeches, which have resulted in the theory of multiple sources, J(Judah and Israel) and E(Reuben and Jacob). They consider these speeches as duplicates or doublets, that is, ‘rival versions of the same story.’ However, I support a literary approach, which promotes ‘a literary unity’ in the narrative. A close reading of the text as a subtle communicative device of the author accounts for this variation better than the results of the conflation of sources. The text represents the technique of repetition in the chapter to compare and contrast the two characters. The main difference between the two characters is the explicit mention of Reuben’s motives and the hidden implication of Judah’s. Reuben has good intentions which are ultimately not realized. On the contrary, Judah’s intentions are enigmatic, but his actions ensure the continuation of the story, just as in the end it will prove, against the reader’s expectations, that it is his lineage, not Joseph’s, that will carry Israel’s story forward to the monarchy and beyond. The focus of chapter 37 is centered on Judah rather than Reuben, based on the results of their speeches towards the brothers in order to save Joseph. Judah’s speech is more systematic and persuasive so that the brothers accept his suggestion of selling Joseph to foreign traders. This serves as a stepping-stone for strengthening his leadership for the future. Finally, Judah’s ambiguous motivation against Joseph forms a significant prelude to the larger narrative of Jacob and his sons’(Gen. 37-50).

한국어

이 논문은 야곱의 첫째와 넷째 아들인 르우벤과 유다가 위기에 처한 요셉을 구해내기 위해 제시한 진술들(창 37장 21-22, 26-27절)을 분석한다. 저자는 이 두 인물의 발언이 ‘같은 이야기에 대한 라이벌 장면’으로써 쌍을 이루거나(duplicates) 중복(doublets)된 것이 아니라 내러티브 읽기의 관점에서 ‘하나의 문학적인 일치'를 보여주는 본문임을 주장한다.