The Disclosure of Porousness in the Binary Oppositions Concerning Gender in Judges 1:11-15
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The purpose of this paper is to explore the porousness of binary oppositions concerning gender in Judges 1:11-15. This passage has garnered significant attention due to the unusual portrayal of a female character, Achsah. Scholars have often diminished her agency, instead emphasizing the role of her husband, Othniel, or presenting her as an exemplary female resisting ancient patriarchy. However, these interpretations paradoxically reinforce hierarchical gender dynamics, thereby perpetuating a dichotomy between male and female. This paper does not seek to subvert the gender hierarchy but aims to illuminate the permeable nature of binary oppositions concerning gender in Judges 1:11-15 through deconstructive criticism. First, the ambiguous description of Achsah’s action ‘to incite him’ (WhteysiT.w: [wattĕsîṯēhû/and she incited him]) in the Masoretic Text of Judges 1:14a raises the question, “Who incited whom?”. Neither the male characters, Caleb and Othniel, nor the female character, Achsah, consistently occupy the roles of subject and object; rather, they fluctuate between these positions. Second, the binary opposition of fertility versus barrenness is addressed through Achsah’s request for a field and the acquisition of springs of water in Judges 1:15. While her request could be interpreted as a complaint about arid land or a protest against her father Caleb’s mistreatment, it can also be seen as her strategic move to mitigate the risk of barrenness and secure fertility. Consequently, this deconstructive reading of Judges 1:11-15 reveals that the distinctions between subject and object, as well as fertility and barrenness, in relation to gender, are blurred and porous.
Abstract
The purpose of this paper is to explore the porousness of binary oppositions concerning gender in Judges 1:11-15. This passage has garnered significant attention due to the unusual portrayal of a female character, Achsah. Scholars have often diminished her agency, instead emphasizing the role of her husband, Othniel, or presenting her as an exemplary female resisting ancient patriarchy. However, these interpretations paradoxically reinforce hierarchical gender dynamics, thereby perpetuating a dichotomy between male and female. This paper does not seek to subvert the gender hierarchy but aims to illuminate the permeable nature of binary oppositions concerning gender in Judges 1:11-15 through deconstructive criticism. First, the ambiguous description of Achsah’s action ‘to incite him’ (WhteysiT.w: [wattĕsîṯēhû/and she incited him]) in the Masoretic Text of Judges 1:14a raises the question, “Who incited whom?”. Neither the male characters, Caleb and Othniel, nor the female character, Achsah, consistently occupy the roles of subject and object; rather, they fluctuate between these positions. Second, the binary opposition of fertility versus barrenness is addressed through Achsah’s request for a field and the acquisition of springs of water in Judges 1:15. While her request could be interpreted as a complaint about arid land or a protest against her father Caleb’s mistreatment, it can also be seen as her strategic move to mitigate the risk of barrenness and secure fertility. Consequently, this deconstructive reading of Judges 1:11-15 reveals that the distinctions between subject and object, as well as fertility and barrenness, in relation to gender, are blurred and porous.
참고문헌 (38)
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