S. Van Den Eynde, «Crying to God Prayer and Plot in the Book of Judith», Vol. 85 (2004) 217-231
If prayers are defined as communication in which prayers receive a response from God, this implies that they have a function as regards the plot of a story. As a test case, the impact of praying on the plot as well as the characterisation in the book of Judith (containing 21 references to praying) is analysed. The specific characterisation of God through prayer affects the plot. Apart from their importance for characterisation and plot, the prayers in Judith contribute in their own way to the development of its main theme: who is truly God, Nebuchadnezzar or YHWH?
222 S. Van Den Eynde
actions. God is portrayed as the main motor of the events, which are
likely to proceed in the same successful way as Simeon’s venture.
Moreover, the links between Judith and Simeon offer the readers
concrete keys of understanding the ensuing events (13). Just like
Simeon, who used deceit as well as the sword against his enemy, also
Judith will kill the enemy with his own sword after having used her
“deceitful lips†(Jdt 9,10). As Simeon took booty, Judith and her
people will take abundant booty too. And on top of that: just like
Simeon acted with God’s approval and on his assignment, also Judith
looks for God’s support and approval. For it is God who has to defeat
the enemy, and Judith is “but†his instrument. In the same way that
God gave Simeon a sword, God should give Judith’s hand the power
to defeat the enemy (Jdt 9,9; 13,7).
To conclude, the reference to the answered prayer of Simeon has,
as far as the plot is concerned, a double function. On the one hand, it
raises the readers’ expectation that Judith’s prayer will be answered
too, meanwhile guiding their interpretation by suggesting that in the
ensuing events, God is at work through Judith. On the other hand, this
part of the prayer offers the readers concrete keys as regards Judith’s
plans of action.
Jdt 9,5-14. In the last part of her prayer, Judith prays again to be
heard. The clues as regards the plot already present in Jdt 9,2-4 are
repeated and worked out. God should give Judith the strength to carry
out what she plans. Deceitful lips should strike down the slave with
the prince (Jdt 9,3.10). The latter expression is in Wisd 18,11 a
reference to the deaths of the firstborn of Egypt, which will ultimately
lead to the deliverance of Israel. This allusion gives the readers a hint
to what end Judith wants to “defeat slaves as well as princesâ€, namely
in order to deliver her people. Moreover, Judith will do so by using
deceit (Jdt 9,10.13, possibly somehow linked with a bed, see Jdt 9,3)
and the sword. This last aspect may also be evoked by Jdt 9,4 if the
request “hear me, a widow†is read as an allusion to Exod 22,22-24.
God will hear the widow and kill with the sword those who afflicted
her when she cries out to him.
The arrogance of the enemy should be crushed ‘by the hand of a
woman’. This phrase is taken out of the story of Jael (Judg 4-5). Since
(13) A situation of mixed reading positions is created. Judith does not say
straightforwardly what exactly she will do (character-elevating reading position).
Still, the readers know more than Judith’s leaders or Holofernes and his men
(reader-elevating reading position).