Narrative art of the Bible

Author: Baeyerflat
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-07-01
Features: Most of the words in the stories of the Bible are informative, meaning their purpose is to obtain or provide information. In addition, they often play a role in character development. God asks Adam, "Did you eat from the tree of which I commanded you not to eat?" (Gen 3:11), and Adam replies, "The woman whom you gave to be with me, she gave me from the tree" (3:12). This shows Adam's intention to shift the blame to others—the woman who gave him the fruit from the tree, even to the God who gave him that woman. Cain's answer to God's question, "Where is your brother Abel?"—"I don't know! Am I my brother's keeper?" (Gen 4:9)—further reveals his sinister nature. His reply is a barefaced lie, and he even dares to mock and question God. When his son asks, "Look, there is fire and wood, but where is the lamb for the burnt offering?" (Gen 22:7–8), Abraham evasively replies, "My son, God will provide Himself the lamb for the burnt offering." This shows his kindness. This response indicates Abraham's attentiveness (he tries to avoid unnecessary harm to his son), honesty (he does not want to lie to his son), and deep religious devotion (his absolute faith in God). The way characters convey information often reflects their personalities. Sometimes, the choice and presentation of information by a character differ fundamentally from what the reader actually hears in the story. King Ahab of Israel coveted Naboth's vineyard and said to him, "You shall give me your vineyard as a vegetable garden, because it is near my palace; and I will give you a better vineyard in exchange, or if you prefer, I will give you the value in silver" (1 Kings 21:22). Naboth refused, so the king returned "angrily." Queen Jezebel asks him why he is upset, and he explains, "Because I said to the Israelite Naboth, 'You shall give me your vineyard, and I will give you the price for it, or if you prefer, I will give you another vineyard in exchange,' but he said, 'I will not give you my vineyard'" (21:6). The two accounts are largely similar, but the differences are worth noting. "The king's law says, '(The king) shall take your best fields, vineyards, and olive groves'" (1 Sam 8:14), but in contrast, what we can see from the conversation above is that the king of Israel could not seize the vineyards of his subjects at will; he could only ask them to give him the vineyard. To justify his request, Ahab explained that he wanted the vineyard to turn it into a vegetable garden, and this garden was near the palace. To persuade Naboth to agree, he offered him another vineyard—not just any vineyard, but a "better" one—and if Naboth preferred to receive silver in exchange, Ahab would give him the value. When he recounted the matter to his wife, Jezebel, he omitted the reason he had given for wanting the vineyard (to turn it into a vegetable garden) and did not mention offering Naboth a better vineyard. Instead, he said he had given Naboth a choice: either silver or another vineyard, but he reversed the order (mentioning silver first, then the vineyard) and used a less polite phrase ("or if you wish") instead of the original polite "or if it seems good to you." These changes suggest that when speaking to Naboth, Ahab lowered his status, but when recounting the matter to his wife, Jezebel, he tried to hide these details. The actual response of Naboth to Ahab's request also differs from Ahab's account to Jezebel. In his reply, Naboth hints at his reason for refusing: "I fear the Lord, and I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors" (21:3). These words reveal both religious and emotional reasons—the will of God and the connection to ancestral land. When Ahab told his wife, however, he omitted Naboth's reasons (in fact, when Ahab returned "angrily" earlier, he had already put aside the religious aspect of Naboth's refusal, "I will not give you the inheritance of my ancestors"). This makes Naboth's refusal seem purely stubborn: "I will not give you my vineyard" (21:6).