A Murderous Bridegroom

For some other TABS essays that take an intertextual approach, see Naomi Graetz, “The Dinah Story: A Missed Opportunity for Intermarriage and Conversion,” Shmuel Klitsner, “Literary Parallels between Bereishit 34-38 and 1 Samuel,” Judy Klitsner, “The Book of Job and its Paradoxical Relationship with the Akedah.”

Roland Barthes, “Theory of the Text,” in Untying the Text: A Post-Structural Reader (ed. Robert Young; Boston/London/Henley-on-Thames: Routledge and Kegan Paul, 1981), p. 39.

James Sanders, Biblical Intertextuality: The Bible Is Full of Itself (videorecording; Washington: Biblical Archaeology Society, 1999).

Although according to Exod 4:20 Moses set out for Egypt with his “sons” and Exod 18:3-5 clarifies that he and Zipporah had two children, Gershom and Eliezer, only Gershom is specifically mentioned, complete with an interpretation of his name, prior to the “nighttime circumcision” episode (Exod 2:22). In the narrative sense, Gershom is fully in the picture while Eliezer is barely there.

In my article on this story, I argue that he was hiding prior to the wrestling episode. Thereafter, he actually moves to the front of the pack (Gen 33:3), which suggests a modicum of change in his MO. See, Serge Frolov, “The Other Side of the Jabbok: Genesis 32 as a Fiasco of Patriarchy,” Journal for the Study of the Old Testament 91 (2000): 41-59.

Examples include, 2 Sam 16:8; Nah 3:1; Ps 5:7; 26:9; 55:24.

Not to mention that he may have had a hand in earlier deaths of Saul, Jonathan, Abner, and Ishbosheth – as suggested, for example, in Stefan Heym’s exquisite novel The King David Report (Northwestern University Press, 1973) as well as in chapter 4 of Baruch Halperin, David’s Secret Demons: Murderer, Messiah, Traitor, King (Bible in its World; Grand Rapids: Eerdmans, 2003), titled, “King David, Serial Killer.”

As it follows from Num 10:29-32 and Judg 4:11, only Jethro’s son Hobab and his descendants were spared. On Hobab’s transformation from Midianite in Num 10:29 into Kenite in Judg 4:11 (and apparently Judg 1:16) in terms of tradition history, see Zev Farber’s TABS essay, “Moses’ Father-in-Law: Kenite or Midianite?”