Difference between revisions of "Literary Devices – Shemot 12/0"
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<h1>Literary Devices – Shemot 12</h1> | <h1>Literary Devices – Shemot 12</h1> | ||
<div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | <div><b><center><span class="highlighted-notice">This topic has not yet undergone editorial review</span></center></b></div> | ||
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<category>Structure | <category>Structure | ||
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<category>Parallels and Contrasts | <category>Parallels and Contrasts | ||
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<category>Key Words | <category>Key Words | ||
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<category>Character Titles | <category>Character Titles | ||
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<category>Symbolism | <category>Symbolism | ||
| − | <p>Blood is an important symbol in the story of the Exodus, related to both punishment and covenant / redemption. </p><ul> | + | <p>Blood is an important symbol in the story of the Exodus, related to both punishment and covenant / redemption. </p> |
| − | <li>Blood appears twice in | + | <ul> |
| + | <li>Blood appears twice in Shemot 4, first in the context of the miracle of turning water to blood and then in the story of the circumcision of Moshe’s son. </li> | ||
<li>Later in the narrative, the plagues begin with blood.</li> | <li>Later in the narrative, the plagues begin with blood.</li> | ||
| − | <li> | + | <li>In Shemot 12, the Israelites smear the blood of the Passover offering on their doorposts, leading into the actual exodus from Egypt.<fn>In his commentary on the Torah, Dr. Robert Alter points out that the language of the instruction to touch the blood to the lintel (12:22) is parallel to the language that describes Zipporah’s touching her son’s foreskin to Moshe's feet (4:25), in another story having to do with the symbol of blood. This strengthens the connection between these two narratives in which the symbol of blood relates to the covenant between Hashem and the Israelites.</fn></li> |
| − | <li> | + | <li><b></b>Blood, thus, represents Hashem’s violent confrontation with Paroh and the culture of Egypt. Moreover, the alternating symbols of blood as punitive plague and blood as symbol of the covenant (both circumcision and the Paschal sacrifice) hint to the underlying theme of the Exodus as representing the transition from being slaves of Paroh to being servants of Hashem.</li> |
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Version as of 00:28, 11 December 2023
Literary Devices – Shemot 12
Structure
Parallels and Contrasts
Key Words
Character Titles
Symbolism
Blood is an important symbol in the story of the Exodus, related to both punishment and covenant / redemption.
- Blood appears twice in Shemot 4, first in the context of the miracle of turning water to blood and then in the story of the circumcision of Moshe’s son.
- Later in the narrative, the plagues begin with blood.
- In Shemot 12, the Israelites smear the blood of the Passover offering on their doorposts, leading into the actual exodus from Egypt.1
- Blood, thus, represents Hashem’s violent confrontation with Paroh and the culture of Egypt. Moreover, the alternating symbols of blood as punitive plague and blood as symbol of the covenant (both circumcision and the Paschal sacrifice) hint to the underlying theme of the Exodus as representing the transition from being slaves of Paroh to being servants of Hashem.
