Matthew J. Lynch, «Neglected Physical Dimensions of “Shame” Terminology in the Hebrew Bible», Vol. 91 (2010) 499-517
Psychological and social paradigms have dominated translations and interpretations of shame terminology in the Hebrew Bible. Scholars often adopt modern notions of shame as either internal feelings of worthlessness or external social sanction, and then apply those notions to the biblical text. I suggest that there is need to reevaluate whether or not such psychological and social frames are appropriate to biblical terminology of shame. My essay contends that shame terms, such as #$wb, Mlk, and their cognates and synonyms, frequently denote the experience of 'diminishment' or 'harm' in ways far more physical than typically reflected in modern renderings.
506 MATTHEW J. LYNCH
aberrations of famine. Both sight and sound testify to a grave
situation and hopefully increase the odds that God will see their
affliction and respond with compassion 25.
In addition to the aforementioned symmetry between humans
and vegetation, the passage also establishes symmetry between the
imperatives to farmers and vinedressers on the one hand and priests
on the other. Notice the sequence of imperatives in vv. 11 and 13,
and the parallel physical behaviors, calls to wail and mourn, and
rationales for complaint:
Become diminished, O farmers. Wail, for the harvest is destroyed.
(v. 11)
Put on sackcloth, and mourn ... wail, for offering and libation are
withheld from the house of God. (v. 13)
The parallel between vwb and putting on sackcloth in mourning
is not surprising. As already seen in Jer 14, “diminishment†(vwb)
and “covering one’s head†in mourning constitute one behavioral
unit. Ezek 7,18 depicts those who “put on sackcloth†and who
have dismay (hvwb) on their faces because of impending doom 26,
and the psalmist pleas repeatedly for God to “clothe†his enemies
with “shame†27.
The parallel thus becomes clear. Joel enjoins the farmers and
vinedressers to “become diminished and wail†(1,11) just as he calls
the priests to “put on (sackcloth) and lament†only two verses later
(1,13). The proximate basis for such acts is that the goods essential
for personal and cultic survival had ceased 28. The ultimate rhetorical
goal for these two acts, as Joel suggests, is to become diminished
and cry out to God in solidarity with the dry land and wild animals
(1,18.20) 29. The phrase “become diminished†thus stands as a call
for Joel’s audience to visually heighten the severity of their plight
before a merciful God. In sum, vwb (a) marks a behavior that fits
STUART, Hosea-Jonah, 244.
25
Cf. Isa 3,24; 15,2; Jer 48,37; Ezek 27,31; Amos 8,10. These texts
26
suggest that hvwb denotes a response of personal undoing, fear and ruin,
notions that are far from personal embarrassment.
Ps 35,26; 109,29; 132,18 (cf. Job 8,22).
27
Each motivation clause begins with the preposition yk, as they did in Jer
28
14. Note also the imperative “wail†(yla) in v. 8.
Vv. 18-20 call attention to the groaning cattle, suffering sheep, and
29
panting wild animals. For fasting as appeal, see LAMBERT, “Fastingâ€, 493-494.