Anyone who reads the Bible attentively will notice that one of the key rhetorical devices the biblical authors use is repetition. Repetition is everywhere! You don’t have to read very far in the Bible in order to realize this – the very first chapter of the Bible is already full of repetition. This is somewhat strange for us, since we are taught to avoid repetition, at least exact repetition of words or phrases. In school we learn to use a synonym or to rephrase things in a different way. This is not the way the authors of the Bible write. They will purposefully repeat certain words or phrases in a text in order to make their point. Other times they will repeat something but make a slight change – we might call this repetition with variation. They don’t do this because it would be boring to use exact repetition but because they want to make a certain point through the variation. As readers it is therefore very important for us to notice both exact repetition as well as repetition with variation.
Unfortunately, many modern translations are not very helpful here. Because many translators have not realized how important repetition is for the biblical authors, they will often use several different English words to translate a certain Hebrew or Greek word. This means that in English the repetition of words and phrases is not always clearly visible. That’s why it’s important to know the original languages in which the Bible was written or, if that’s not possible, to use a translation that is as close as possible to the original language. Admittedly, even the most faithful translations are not always consistent when it comes to repetition of words and phrases but they are certainly better than more loose translations or paraphrases.
Here’s an example from the Joseph story that illustrates how a biblical author uses repetition to convey meaning. (Note also that the three examples I gave in the previous two posts work exactly the same way. In each case the author uses repetition to make his point.)
Example #1: Genesis 37-38
Genesis 37 describes how Joseph visits his brothers, is thrown into a pit and eventually sold into slavery. In order to cover up their crime the brothers do the following:
Then they took Joseph’s robe and slaughtered a goat and dipped the robe in the blood. And they sent the robe of many colors and brought it to their father and said, “This we have found; please identify whether it is your son’s robe or not.” And he identified it and said, “It is my son’s robe. A fierce animal has devoured him. Joseph is without doubt torn to pieces.” (Gen 37:31-33)
After describing Jacob’s grief at the apparent death of his son, the end of chapter 37 briefly reports that Joseph was sold to Potiphar in Egypt. The next chapter then suddenly shifts to a story about Judah. It is only in Genesis 39 that the story returns to Joseph. This shift in Gen 38 has puzzled many readers. Why this interlude about Judah? Why doesn’t the writer go directly to chapter 39? Many scholars have not seen any good reason for this shift and therefore concluded that chapter 38 is a later addition. But a careful reading of the text suggests that chapter 38 is placed in this particular position for a reason.
First of all we have to realize the importance of Judah in what we usually call “the story of Joseph” in Genesis 37-50. Like Joseph, Judah plays a key role in these chapters. Notice that it is Judah who saves Joseph from death by suggesting to the brothers that they sell Joseph to the Ishmaelites (Gen 37:26-27). Later on it is Judah who speaks on behalf of his brothers as they are standing before Joseph in Egypt. In light of the significant role of Judah in the overall story it should not surprise us that a whole chapter is devoted to an episode in his life. But why is the episode placed here?
For one thing, to show the contrast between Judah and Joseph. This becomes clear by comparing chapter 38 with chapter 39. While Judah yields to sexual temptation in Gen 38, Joseph flees from sexual temptation in Gen 39. But what about chapter 37? How does chapter 38 relate to chapter 37?
The problem in chapter 38 is that Judah’s daughter-in-law Tamar should be married to Judah’s youngest son Shela after her previous two husbands (Shela’s older brothers) have died. This arrangement was called a levirate marriage and ensured that the name of a man who had died without producing an heir would continue (see Deut 25:5-10). But since Shela is not given to Tamar she disguises herself and sits down by the side of the road. Judah sees her, thinks she is a prostitute and tells her that he wants to sleep with her. He promises to send her a kid from the flock as payment. She wants a pledge, however, until he sends the kid and so he gives her his seal and cord and his staff. After he sleeps with her she becomes pregnant. The story then continues as follows:
Now it was about three months later that Judah was informed, “Your daughter-in-law Tamar has played the harlot, and behold, she is also with child by harlotry.” Then Judah said, “Bring her out and let her be burned!” It was while she was being brought out that she sent to her father-in-law, saying, “I am with child by the man to whom these things belong.” And she said, “Please identify and see, whose signet ring and cords and staff are these?” And Judah identified them, and said, “She is more righteous than I, inasmuch as I did not give her to my son Shelah.” And he did not have relations with her again. (Gen 38:24-26)
Did you notice anything? What does this scene remind you of? Here is where attentiveness to repetition is very helpful. Notice how similar this scene is to the one at the end of chapter 37. In both scenes something is brought to a person with the request to identify it. In both cases the person identifies what is brought and then makes a statement. These similarities do not seem to be coincidental. Instead the biblical writer has intentionally put the story in chapter 38 after chapter 37 to show, among other things, how Judah is taken advantage of and deceived just as he and his brothers took advantage of and deceived their father. As he has done to others so it is done to him. Yet Judah’s reaction at the end of chapter 38 already hints at the change that takes place in his life throughout the larger story. Thus Genesis 38 is a key component of the Joseph story and makes perfect sense in the position it is in.
Coming up next: an example of repetition with variation.
The Word 