Interludes and Irony in the Ancestral Narrative

“Musical composition, ventriloquy, narrative mimicry, and irony form Jonathan Kruschwitz’s analytical constellation to reassess the morally unsettling and hermeneutically controversial stories of Hagar, Dinah, and Tamar in the book of Genesis. Often seen as narrative cul-de-sacs enforcing a rigid construction of Israelite ancestral identity and destiny, these interludes are shown in Kruschwitz’s careful reading to be integral to a more expansive and dynamic understanding of communal identity. This is truly a timely interpretation in a world currently fraught with social exclusivism.”


—Danna Nolan Fewell, John Fletcher Hurst Professor of Hebrew Bible, Drew University, and author of The Children of Israel: Reading the Bible for the Sake of Our Children





“Jonathan Kruschwitz enriches our reading of Genesis, focusing on three stories often treated as diversions from its central narrative. In addition to a nuanced treatment of irony, he explores how structures developed by classical composers suggest parallels for biblical scholars. This elegant and timely study shows how these stories disrupt the dichotomy between insider and outsider to present a more inclusive understanding of identity, highly relevant to contemporary concerns.”


—Hugh S. Pyper, Emeritus Professor of Biblical Interpretation, Sheffield Institute for Interdisciplinary Biblical Studies, University of Sheffield





“Observing that the accounts of Hagar, Dinah, and Tamar all resist harmonization with the main storyline, Kruschwitz applies the concepts of the musical interlude and irony to highlight elements of the overall ancestral account that would otherwise be overlooked. For example, Hagar embodies the ‘porous inclusion of outsiders’ implicit in the sojourner theme of Genesis. Evidencing a refined literary sensibility, Kruschwitz’s study will become a benchmark in the study of the Bible’s ancestral narratives.”


—Mark E. Biddle, Acting Dean, Sophia Theological Seminary





“Weaving together perspectives from musicology and irony, Jonathan Kruschwitz offers an incisive analysis of the stories of Hagar, Dinah, and Tamar, who each in her own right has made her way into the ancestral narrative. Insightful, wise, and thoroughly convincing, Kruschwitz’s reading of these strange stories as interludes to the ancestral narrative demonstrates the importance of listening carefully to the new thematic overtones bestowed upon us by these interludes that forever changes how we view the dominant storyline.”


—L. Juliana Claassens, Professor of Old Testament, Stellenbosch University, South Africa





“Jonathan Kruschwitz weaves together a discerning reading of Genesis with a winsome knowledge of music composition in order to explain how the stories about Hagar, Dinah, and Tamar offer an ironic view on the most important themes in the ancestral narrative. Kruschwitz’s skilled readings helpfully challenge received ideas, invite the reader to their own fresh engagement with familiar texts, and demonstrate the power of a critically informed, interdisciplinary hermeneutic.”


—C. A. Strine, Senior Lecturer in Ancient Near Eastern History & Literature, University of Sheffield