Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Bill,

You write:

>Perhaps this comes under Ian's heading of "taking the text seriously".
>I agree with you, there are a lot of things in the Hebrew Scriptures
>which we find repugnant but which seem to have been regarded with
>pride. For example when Sisera's mother wonders why he is dealyed
>the description of the rape of the women of the defeated seems to
>be described with pride by the women of the victors.

Perhaps I am being picky, but Judges 5:29-30 does not speak of rape but
rather of dividing the spoil. Since other laws concern taking wives of war
captives, that may be in part what was involved. Since further Scriptures
speak of making servants of war captives, a man might take two women, one
as a wife and the other as a household servant. So it is not necessary to
interpret the passage of rape, even if that was a practice in the ancient
(and modern) world of war.

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard