Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Dave Washburn" <dwashbur AT nyx.net>]

On Tue, August 14, 2007 3:04 pm, George Athas wrote:
> Yep, I can't take credit for the earlier email with the reference to the
> commentary -- thanks Dave.
>
> In regard to the downward spiral in Judges, I think the case can be made
> that it is there. The explanation in Jdg 2 about the cycle of
> sin-oppression-deliverance makes the point that the next time the cycle
> began the Israelites sinned even worse. That imples a downward spiral
> which,
> as Jerry and Bryant alluded to, ends with serious problems in the
> leadership.
>
> Also, whatever the historical situation of the period was, the book of
> Judges portrays the judges in a sequence, and this allows for the concept
> of
> a downward spiral. Whether the judges historically overlapped is, I think,
> beside the point when we consider the literary concerns and structure of
> Judges.

Fair enough.  I agree there was a downward spiral in the nation's
behavior/faithfulness.  I thought the poster who originally brought out
that term had said something about a downward spiral *in leadership*
specifically, and that Samson was the low point of that spiral.  That, I
don't necessarily see.  But it's true that the account depicts the nation
sliding further and further into idolatry with each cycle.  If I am
mistaken about the original "downward spiral" comment, I attribute it to
faulty LTMLV and apologize accordingly.

-- 
Dave Washburn
Why do it right when you can do it again?