Texts in Conversation
Judith echoes 2 Chronicles 18, using the image of scattered sheep without a shepherd, an image of political collapse and no leaders. Judith uses this to place itself in the literary tradition of the Hebrew Bible, reinforcing its own narrative.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
2 Chronicles 18:16
Hebrew Bible
15 The king said to him, “How many times must I make you solemnly promise in the name of the Lord to tell me only the truth?” 16 Micaiah replied, “I saw all Israel scattered on the mountains like sheep that have no shepherd. Then the Lord said, ‘They have no master. They should go home in peace.’” 17 The king of Israel said to Jehoshaphat, “Didn’t I tell you he does not prophesy prosperity for me, but disaster?”
Date: 400–301 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Judith 11:20
Deuterocanon
18 Then I will come and tell you. Then you can go out with all your army, and there will be none of them that will resist you. 19 And I will lead you through the midst of Judea, until you come to Jerusalem. I will set your throne in the midst of it. You will drive them as sheep that have no shepherd, and a dog will not so much as open his mouth before you; for these things were told me according to my foreknowledge, and were declared to me, and I was sent to tell you.” 20 Her words were pleasing in the sight of Holofernes and of all his servants. They marveled at her wisdom, and said,
Date: 100 BCE (based on scholarly estimates)
Search:
Notes and References
"... “sheep without a shepherd ” The phrase, while not a direct quotation, has a strong Old Testament and early Jewish pedigree It is used in contexts of military and political upheaval. See Numbers 27:17, 2 Chronicles 18:16 and Judith 11:19. The phrase culminates in a Davidic messianic expectation. As in these other cases, the phrase connotes the predicament of Israel in the absence of a royal political figure. It implies the inauguration of the restoration of a territorial kingdom of Israel over which God’s Davidic Shepherd-King will reign with his under-shepherds (Matthew 10:1-5; 19:28) ..."
Joel Willitts, “Zionism in the Gospel of Matthew: Do the People of Israel and the Land of Israel Persist as Abiding Concerns in the Gospel of Matthew?” in The New Christian Zionism: Fresh Perspectives on Israel & the Land, ed. Gerald R. McDermott (Downers Grove, IL: InterVarsity, 2016), 107–140.
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.
User Comments
,