From: RFaussette@aol.com
Date: Thu Dec 05 2002 - 07:50:10 EST
In a message dated 12/5/02 12:00:53 AM Eastern Standard Time,=20
rjschn39@bellsouth.net writes:
> Bob:
> And further, it is not clear that "In fact the Lord has already predicted
> that the older will serve the younger." The Hebrew of the oracle (Gen.
> 27:40) is ambiguous (as ancient oracles often are): it can read either,
> "the older shall serve the younger" or "the older, the younger shall serve=
."
> And when did Esau in fact serve Jacob? Even if one thinks that the Lord d=
id
> not condemn Jacob, it is certainly clear from his tragic and unhappy story
> that Jacob paid plenty for his trickery, which suggests to me that cunning
> is not favored in God's eyes. Isaac could not reassign the birthright,
> because once the blessing was given it could not be retracted. If you rea=
d
> carefully the episode of Jacob's return and meeting with Esau, Jacob
> repeatedly addresses Esau as "my lord" and himself as "your servant;" and=20=
he
> bestows upon Esau his blessing (Gen. 33:1-17). The oracle is fullfilled i=
n
> unexpected ways.
>=20
> Unfortunately, there is a widespread tendency to read these stories in
> Genesis superficially and not give close attention to the complexities and
> nuances of the narratives.
>=20
>=20
>=20
St. Augustine disagrees with your translation:
"That saying, "The elder shall serve the younger", is understood by our=20
writers, almost without exception, to mean that the elder people, the Jews,=20
shall serve the younger people, the Christians. And truly, although this=20
might seem to be fulfilled in the Idumean nation, which was born of the elde=
r=20
(who had two names, being called both Esau and Edom, whence the name=20
Idumeans), because it was afterwards to be overcome by the people which=20
sprang from the younger, that is, by the Israelites, and was to become=20
subject to them; yet it is more suitable to believe that, when it was said,=20
"The one people shall overcome the other people, and the elder shall serve=20
the younger," that prophecy meant some greater thing; and what is that excep=
t=20
what is evidently fulfilled in the Jews and in the Christians? [...] He=20
[Christ] is the Lord of His brethren, because His people rules over the=20
Jews."=A0=20
(The City of God, XVI:35, 37)=20
Could it be that my interpretation of 'the elder shall serve the younger' is=
=20
correct and that historical context such as this interpretation from=20
Augustine supports me in this regard? Augustine also remarks that 'our=20
writers, almost without exception' interpret the lines the way he does and I=
=20
do.
rich
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