Review in: Interpretation
2006 60: 222
Review door: Katharine
Doob SakenfeldGevonden op: http://int.sagepub.com/content/60/2/222.2.full.pdf+html
Ruth: A
Continental Commentary
by André LaCocque Fortress, Minneapolis, 2004. 187 pp. $28.00 (cloth). ISBN 0-8006-9515-1.
LACOCQUE ARGUES THAT the book of Ruth
functions as a commentary on the Torah, a commentary prepared in the
post-exilic era to subvert the narrowly nationalist policies of those holding
the perspective represented by Ezra. As commentary on Torah, the story is about
more than "a simple dispute between different schools" (p. 26), and
this is LaCocque's central emphasis. The author of Ruth wants to advocate for
the spirit of the law, rather than its literal meaning, and to present Ruth the
Moabite as the catalyst for moving the community toward such a perspective. At
every point the story is about hesed ("love," in LaCocque's
translation) as the meaning of the Torah; thus he consistently presents the
characters as concerned for the welfare of others. Readings against this
perspective by other commentators who see selfishness or other petty
possibilities underlying the characters' actions are treated dismissively.
Translated from French by K. C. Hanson, this version of
LaCocque's commentary interacts extensively with English language scholarship
on the book of Ruth, as well as with traditional rabbinic literature. LaCocque
believes that the book of Ruth was authored by a woman; he argued his case in a
previous work and it is simply presumed here. Although I doubt that the gender
of a biblical author can be determined with certainty, LaCocque's views of the
book itself do not appear to depend upon or require his female author.
His
sustained reasoning for the post-exilic placement of the book is attractive,
although inevitably it depends upon many assumptions about the dating of other
Old Testament texts. Imagining the subversiveness of the author of Ruth as
comparable to the subversiveness of Second Isaiah before and of Jesus later on
provides a broad canonical horizion.
The
commentary contains many excellent insights (and as with any commentary, many
debatable interpretive proposals). Yet it is not easy reading, and the
challenge goes beyond the assumption of facility with Hebrew characteristic of
this commentary series. Arguments are exceedingly compactly written and
treatments of details often seem to jump from one topic to another so that the
larger picture becomes hazy. Readers interested in advanced study of the book
of Ruth will benefit from placing this volume alongside other studies.
KATHARINE DOOB SAKENFELD
PRINCETON THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY
PRINCETON, NEW JERSEY
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