From: Robert Schneider (rjschn39@bellsouth.net)
Date: Thu Dec 05 2002 - 08:49:27 EST
In reply to my note Rich writes:
St. Augustine disagrees with your translation:=20
"That saying, "The elder shall serve the younger", is understood by our =
writers, almost without exception, to mean that the elder people, the =
Jews, shall serve the younger people, the Christians. And truly, =
although this might seem to be fulfilled in the Idumean nation, which =
was born of the elder (who had two names, being called both Esau and =
Edom, whence the name Idumeans), because it was afterwards to be =
overcome by the people which sprang from the younger, that is, by the =
Israelites, and was to become subject to them; yet it is more suitable =
to believe that, when it was said, "The one people shall overcome the =
other people, and the elder shall serve the younger," that prophecy =
meant some greater thing; and what is that except what is evidently =
fulfilled in the Jews and in the Christians? [...] He [Christ] is the =
Lord of His brethren, because His people rules over the Jews." =20
(The City of God, XVI:35, 37)=20
Could it be that my interpretation of 'the elder shall serve the =
younger' is correct and that historical context such as this =
interpretation from Augustine supports me in this regard? Augustine also =
remarks that 'our writers, almost without exception' interpret the lines =
the way he does and I do.=20
rich=20
Bob's comment:
This translation is not mine but Richard Elliot Friedman's, in his =
reading of Genesis, and it is discussed positively by Robert Alter, an =
expert in Hebrew and on Genesis, in the notes to his superb translation, =
_Genesis_ [W. W. Norton, 1996]). Furthermoe, Augustine did not read =
Hebrew, and relied on the Old Latin translation for his text. The OL is =
based on the Grk. Septuagint translation, and not the Hebrew. The =
interpretation by Augustine is an allegorical one, and in my view it has =
the same value as the interpretation of the rabbis in Midrash Genesis =
Rabbah; they suggested that God favored Jacob because he was a "dweller =
in tents," meaning, they said, that instead of running around and =
getting into trouble like Esau, he spent his time in Torah school! When =
you interpret a text allegorically, you can make it mean anything you =
want. And, I repeat my previous question: Where in the story does Esau =
in fact serve Jacob? It is not clear that he ever "becomes subject" to =
his older brother. Augustine's interpretation is not only allegorical, =
it seems hardly grounded in the text as it is. He is reading a =
Christian triumphalist view regarding the Jews back into this ancient =
text; that he claims his interpretation is supported by other =
interpreters gives it no value in itself.
In an previous note Rich also writes:
Even Isaac refuses to grant esau the birthright and his blessing to esau =
is a form of curse "your
dwelling shall be far from the richness of the earth."
Isaac doesn't grant Esau the birthright for the reason I've already =
stated. Yet when Jacob finally faces the music with his brother (Gen. =
33) he finds that Esau has done very well, indeed--hardly deprived of =
"the riches of the earth." He is a wealthy man with a large family, =
some 400 retainers, flocks; he has done at least as well as Jacob, and =
when Jacob offers him substantial gifts, he says, "No brother, I have =
much, keep what you have." If this was a curse, it certainly was not =
fulfilled in the long run.
I don't wish to overwork this text, but my point still remains: we =
should carefully read the text and see what it really says, and not =
impose our own meanings upon it; that is eisegesis, not exegesis.
Bob Schneider
=20
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