Women at Work in the Deuteronomistic History - International Voices ...

PROSTITUTES AND OTHER SEX WORKERS | 307
piece of information is provided: “Samson lay there until midnight and at
midnight he got up, took hold of the town gate and its two posts.”
Broida calls attention to the summary note at the end of chapter 15 on
Samson’s period as a judge. That is a “boundary marker” which leads the reader
to think Samson’s story is over; thus the surprise a new beginning causes. 104
Furthermore, the new beginning brings the audience back to his fateful marriage
with the Timnite at the beginning of chapter 14:
Judg
14: 1–2
Judg
16:1
Judg
14: 1–2
Judg
16:1
… דגיו לעיו ׃םיתשׁלפ תונבמ התנמתב השׁא אריו התנמת ןושׁמשׁ דריו
verb of
movement
(דריו)
verb of
movement
(ךליו)
Further
information
on the
woman
(she was a
Philistine)
personal
name
(Samson)
personal
name
(Samson)
Further
action by
Samson
(he came
up…)
Further
action by
Samson
(he went
to her)
׃הילא אביו הנוז השׁא םשׁ־אּריו התזע ןושׁמשׁ ךליו
city name
(Timnah)
city name
(Gaza)
verb of
perception
(אריו)
verb of
perception
(אריו) + local
adverb (םשׁ)
direct
object
(השׁא a
woman)
direct
object,
(a הנוזwoman)
local
adverb
(at
Timnah)
A careful audience would perceive these similarities and would imagine
both a new beginning and a dejá-vue situation: “How much is this new desire for
a Philistia-located (Philistine or foreigner, we do not know) woman going to
cost him?” and it would probably also perceive differences: Are “wages” of an
הנוז השׁא higher or lower than a relationship to a Timnite, with whom wedding
104
Broida, “Closure,” under “Unit Three: Judg 16:1–3”; on next page she also calls attention to
elements linking this short unit to unit IV.