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− | Several of the differences listed above can be easily explained via the | + | <p>Several of the differences listed above can be easily explained via the different genre and purpose of the two narratives.  Since Chapter 5 is a song of thanksgiving said after the victory, it is not surprising that it, rather than Chapter 4, contains praise of Hashem.  Similarly, it is fitting that Chapter 4's prosaic mention of facts such as the enemies' confusion or the death of Sisera are replaced in the poem with literary images such as warring stars and the mourning mother of Sisera.<fn>The nation's travails under enemy rule is similarly pictorialized in the song, with images of roundabout routes and the need for fortifications, while Chapter 4 suffices with matter of fact mention of the oppression.</fn>  Many of the other differences, however, are more difficult to explain, as they are not merely poetic flourishes but conflicting facts, incongruous with the description of Chapter 4. </p> |
+ | <p><b>Local Harmonization</b> – Many exegetes attempt to give local answers to each of the discrepancies: </p> | ||
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+ | <li>Number of soldiers: Rashi suggests that this refers to the number of enemy soldiers,<fn>To do so he must both invert the order and add words into the original verse so taht it reads ""</fn> while radak</li> | ||
+ | </ul> | ||
+ | <p> </p> | ||
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Version as of 00:15, 3 August 2016
Devorah's Battle in Prose and Poetry
Introduction
The tale of Devorah and Barak's clash with the Canaanite forces bears the distinction of being the only battle in the entire book of Judges described in both prose (Shofetim 4) and poetry (Shofetim 5). Despite the difference in genre, the two accounts share much in common and clearly tell the same overall story. In several instances the chapters supplement each other, each providing details lacking in the other. In other cases, however, the lyrical retelling diverges significantly from the original narrative, even appearing to contradict its version of events.
Points of Contrast
- Praise of Hashem – Devorah's song opens with praise to Hashem and a description of the revelation at Sinai, all of which is lacking from the original account of the battle in Chapter 4.
- Israelite leadership – While Chapter 4 emphasizes the military leadership of Barak,1 leaving Devorah to fade into the background,2 Chapter 5 features Devorah more prominently.3
- Participating tribes – In the prose account, only the tribes of Zevulun and Naftali are mentioned as participating in the battle (4:10). The poetic account, in contrast, speaks also of Ephraim, Binyamin, Menasseh, and Yissakhar (4:14-18).
- Number of soldiers – According to Chapter 4, Barak's army consisted of 10,000 soldiers (4:6,10,14), yet Chapter 5 speaks of 40,000 men (5:8).
- Enemy forces – The only enemies mentioned in the prose version are Yavin, the king of Canaan, and Sisera, his general (4:2-3, 23-24). The song, however, includes also the "kings of Canaan" (5:19).
- Location of the battle – Chapter 4 sets Mt. Tavor and Nachal Kishon as the site of the battle (4:13), while Chapter 5 mentions Ta'anakh and Megiddo as well (5:19,21).
- Hashem's role – While the prose account has Hashem causing pandemonium in Sisera's camp ("וַיָּהׇם י"י אֶת סִיסְרָא"), the poem speaks of the stars fighting and the Kishon River sweeping away the enemy (5:20-21).
- Sisera's mother – Devorah's song ends with an image of Sisera's mother worrying about her son's delay home. No equivalent is found in Chapter 4.
Analysis
Several of the differences listed above can be easily explained via the different genre and purpose of the two narratives. Since Chapter 5 is a song of thanksgiving said after the victory, it is not surprising that it, rather than Chapter 4, contains praise of Hashem. Similarly, it is fitting that Chapter 4's prosaic mention of facts such as the enemies' confusion or the death of Sisera are replaced in the poem with literary images such as warring stars and the mourning mother of Sisera.4 Many of the other differences, however, are more difficult to explain, as they are not merely poetic flourishes but conflicting facts, incongruous with the description of Chapter 4.
Local Harmonization – Many exegetes attempt to give local answers to each of the discrepancies:
- Number of soldiers: Rashi suggests that this refers to the number of enemy soldiers,5 while radak