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?
228 S. Van Den Eynde
acted, makes of Judith a woman who can speak with authority when it
comes to the further destruction of the enemy.
By singing the song of victory, Judith takes up the traditional role
of a woman after the battle (compare Exod 15; Judg 5; 11,34; 1 Sam
18,6), at the same time also indicating her own important role in the
events. Judith portrays herself as a kind of “mother of Israelâ€. The
enemy endangered ‘her’ young men, ‘her’ infants, ‘her’ children, ‘her’
virgins (16,5). Poetically, Judith recalls how her beauty, deceit and the
sword were her weapons to defeat the enemy, in order to exalt the
oppressed people of Israel.
The song characterises God as the God who crushes wars, who
delivers both Judith and his people, who acts not by military force or
physical strength (not by giants or Titans, Jdt 16,7) , but by the hand of
a woman. The song confirms the characterisation of God (and the
Assyrians) as it occurred in Judith’s prayer (Jdt 9), that God’s power
exists in his being the God of the oppressed indeed. By the oppressed
and weak people (Jdt 16,11), the enemy was defeated. As God has
acted now, he will also act in the future. He will take vengeance on
those who raise against his people (Jdt 16,17). Moreover, God is
portrayed as the Creator, whom all his creatures should serve (Jdt
16,14). This is contrary to the idea that all creatures should serve
Nebuchadnezzar as Judith deceitfully suggested (Jdt 11,7).
4. Prayer and the theme of Judith
The main theme of the book of Judith concerns the identity of the
“true†God. Two possible candidates are mentioned: Nebuchadnezzar
and YHWH, the God of Israel. Many expressions said by or about
Nebuchadnezzar are in biblical texts mainly or even exclusively said
about YHWH. Nebuchadnezzar appropriates the power to judge and to
punish “the whole earth†of which he calls himself the lord (Jdt 2,5; cf.
Exod 8,18; Numb 14,21, etc.), he swears “as I live†(Jdt 2,12; cf. Ezek
5,11; Deut 32,37-41; Isa 49,18; Jer 22,34), and his hand will execute
what he has spoken (Jdt 2,12; cf. Deut 32,39; Isa 43:13). Moreover, it
turns out that all nations may worship only Nebuchadnezzar as their
god (Jdt 3,8). Instead of this worldly power which claims to be god, the
people of Israel support their own God, the Lord God of Israel.
Holofernes is the champion of Nebuchadnezzar, ready to defend
his claim by brutal military force. Judith (and the Israelites) counter
his attack while claiming that the God of Israel is the God of all power
and might. Judith manages to defeat Holofernes with his own