Texts in Conversation
Genesis 37 and 1 Samuel 16 both highlight the surprising choice of a younger son over older brothers. Joseph is favored by his father, and David is chosen by a prophet after being ignored. These stories follow a biblical pattern where younger sons are chosen for special roles.
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Genesis 37:3
Hebrew Bible
1 But Jacob lived in the land where his father had stayed, in the land of Canaan. 2 This is the account of Jacob. Joseph, his seventeen-year-old son, was taking care of the flocks with his brothers. Now he was a youngster working with the sons of Bilhah and Zilpah, his father’s wives. Joseph brought back a bad report about them to their father. 3 Now Israel loved Joseph more than all his sons because he was a son born to him late in life, and he made a special tunic for him. 4 When Joseph’s brothers saw that their father loved him more than any of them, they hated Joseph and were not able to speak to him kindly.
Date: 5th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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1 Samuel 16:11
Hebrew Bible
10 Jesse presented seven of his sons to Samuel. But Samuel said to Jesse, “The Lord has not chosen any of these.” 11 Then Samuel asked Jesse, “Is that all the young men?” Jesse replied, “There is still the youngest one, but he’s taking care of the flock.” Samuel said to Jesse, “Send and get him, for we cannot turn our attention to other things until he comes here.” 12 So Jesse had him brought in. Now he was ruddy, with attractive eyes and a handsome appearance. The Lord said, “Go and anoint him. This is the one.” 13 So Samuel took the horn full of olive oil and anointed him in the presence of his brothers. The Spirit of the Lord rushed upon David from that day onward. Then Samuel got up and went to Ramah.
Date: 6th Century B.C.E. (Final composition) (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... An intertextual association will be formed in the mind of authors, readers or hearers only upon recognizing the motif, and then recalling other instances in which it occurs. Within an oral–aural environment, the formation of such an association is probably contingent upon density of motif recurrence within the material regularly performed. For example, given the numerous recurrences of the ‘younger son preferred’ motif in Genesis (Genesis 4:1-5; 17:18-21; 21:12-13; 28:1-9; 37:3; 48:13-19) it seems likely that associations would be freely formed between these stories as they are performed, and that their hearers might also associate them with the similar motifs in 1 Samuel 9:20-21 and 16:8-12. By contrast, it seems less likely that aural competence would suffice in order to recognize the removal of foreign gods theme as a motif recurring within the widely diverse contexts of Genesis 35:2-4; Joshua 24:23-24; Judges 10:16 and 1 Samuel 7:3-4 ..."
Edinburg, Cynthia
Intertextuality, Literary Competence and the Question of Readership: Some Preliminary Observations
(pp. 131-148) Journal for the Study of the Old Testament, Vol. 35, No. 2, 2010
* 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.
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