Literary Devices – Bereshit 19/0
Literary Devices – Bereshit 19
Key Words
איש
Tanakh Lab demonstrates that the word "אִישׁ” is a guiding word of the story of the angels visiting Sedom in Bereshit 19:1-17. The word--which is often used in Tanakh to connote gravitas and leadership--is used in relation to the angels, the residents of Sedom, and Lot, making one question: who in this narrative holds genuine power and what does it means to behave with moral authority and strength.
ידע
- The root “ידע“ (to know, sometimes with a sexual connotation) appears six times in the story of Sedom (18:16-19:38). While this is not one of the most frequently appearing words, it is thematically significant. It refers to the violent sexual knowledge sought by the men of Sedom and offered to them by Lot, Lot’s lack of knowledge when he is in turn abused by his daughters, and most significantly hearkens back to Hashem’s statement that he has “known” Avraham for his righteousness and that He will “know” if Sedom’s behavior warrants destruction.
- As with the usage of the word “איש,”, the various usages of the root "ידע" hint to the idea that the knowledge and power that people seek may not be knowledge worth having, and can ultimately be turned against them by God, Who is the source of all knowledge.
Allusions
Flood
The story of the destruction of Sedom might allude back to the Flood narrative:
- The concordance demonstrates that the root "שחת" (meaning both destruction and corruption) pervades the stories of both the Flood and the destruction of Sedom. The first seven times that it appears in the Torah are in the context of the Flood, and the following nine times are in the context of Sedom. As such, usage of this word in Bereshit 18-19 alludes to both the total destruction of the Flood, and the immoral behaviors that led to it.
- Another root which is shared by both stories and might be used to allude to the Flood story is "מטר", to rain down upon. The root comes up only three times in Sefer Bereshit: in the story of Creation, the Flood and here.
Laughter
The word “מצחק” appears in 19:14 in the context of Lot’s sons-in-laws’ disbelief at his warning of the destruction of Sedom. This word calls to mind the many times in which the same root appeared in the narrative about the divine promise of the birth of Yitzchak. In the story of Yitzchak’s birth, the word represents disbelief at being blessed; here it represents disbelief at being cursed. This serves to highlight the difference between the character and legacy of Avraham and of Lot.
