Biblical Parallels Index – Shemot 19
Overview
This index is meant to help the reader explore Biblical parallels, be they two accounts of the same event, stories with similar motifs and themes, or units of text which are linguistically similar and perhaps alluding one to the other. The page includes links to tools that aid in comparison, primary sources that touch upon the parallels, and summaries of and links to articles which analyze them in depth.Revelation
Hashem's revelation at Sinai is described at length in Shemot 19-20 and then recounted by Moshe to the nation in Devarim 4-5.
Tools
- Use the Tanakh Lab to compare the two sets of chapters from a linguistic perspective. Some of the differences between the accounts relate to the stated goal of the experience, the role of Moshe as intermediary and as lawgiver, and the emphasis (or lack thereof) on hearing but not seeing God.
Articles
- See Ma'amad Har Sinai in Shemot and Devarim for a table comparing the two accounts and analysis of the differences. The articles suggests that on the eve of the people's entry into the land, Moshe had two fundamental concerns regarding the nation. He feared that with foreign influences, they would stop believing in Hashem and turn to other gods, and additionally, that even if they retained belief, they would question the authority of the laws transmitted via Moshe and be lax in their observance. This agenda might account for the unique features of Moshe's retelling of the episode in Devarim 4-5
Wings of Eagles
The Torah uses the image of Hashem carrying Israel on eagles’ wings in both Shemot 19 and Devarim 32. Does the image convey the same message in both cases? What is the metaphor meant to invoke? How does each verse bear on the other?
Tools
- Concordance – A concordance search reveals that the word נשר appears just a handful of times in Torah, but is used twice as a metaphor for Hashem's interactions with the nation. In both Shemot 19:4 and Devarim 32:11, the nation is depicted as being carried on eagle's wings. Devarim 32, though, elaborates on the metaphor also speaking of the eagle hovering over its nest.
Primary Sources
- Ibn Ezra equates the two metaphors and in his comments on Devarim 32:11, explaining that the imagery reflects the majesty and speed with which they left Egypt.
Articles
- See “Upon the Wings of Eagles” and “Under the Wings of the Shekhinah”: Poetry, Conversion, and the Memorial Prayer by R. Yaakov Jaffe. This article explores different variations of the metaphor of eagles’ wings through the interpretations of classical commentators, relating these ideas to the liturgical use of this image.
Fire
In this chapter Hashem reveals himself to the nation amidst fire and smoke. This is a recurring motif in Tanakh, where fire often serves as a vehicle or symbol of Divine revelation.
Tools
- Concordance – Use the concordance to find where "fire" appears in Tanakh and what roles it plays. Previously fire has appeared in the context of the covenant between the pieces, the destruction of Sedom, the plagues, and the pillar of cloud and fire that led the Israelites in the desert. Subsequently in the Torah it appears many times as well, often in the context of divine wrath and destruction.
Articles
- See The Eternal Flame, by R. David Silverberg, for an analysis of consuming fire as a symbol of divine punishment and non-destructive fire as a symbol of Hashem’s presence.
- See קול אלקים מדבר מתוך האש, by R. Amnon Bazak, for analysis of how Torah’s descriptions of the fire of Sinai in Shemot and Devarim are meant to impart three fundamental religious beliefs: God’s incorporeality, the prohibition of idolatry, and the truth of Moshe’s prophecy.