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Women in the Wilderness: The “Female Legislation” of

Article in The Catholic Biblical Quarterly · January 2021

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rescuing other child soldiers. In sum, God’s care for Israel and the church is celebrated as
standing over against the forces of hatred and violence.
Like deC.-W., T. also thinks the dynamic relationship between the individual and the
worshiping community is key to understanding the psalm. He likewise gives attention to
the intertextual connections with Exodus. He accents the picture of the “lone psalmist sur-
rounded by ‘all the nations’” but delivered by God and reintegrated back into the worship-
ing community (p. 680). He sees this picture as all the more poignant given the psalm’s
setting during the Persian period. By coordinating the psalmist’s own situation with God’s
deliverance in the exodus, the petitions are infused with hope and confidence in God’s
faithfulness. T. then traces these themes into the NT to show that, while the crucifixion was
certainly unexpected by humans, it was God’s messianic intention all along and modern
people too should be wary of assuming that God’s intentions revolve around them and will
conform to their expectations.
In his commentary, B. begins by noting the liturgical uses of Psalm 118, in connection
to the Festival of Booths in Judaism and as part of the eucharistic liturgy in Christianity
(118:26). This allows him to connect the psalm to the exodus as well, but with an accent on
the common element of singing. Yet central to B.’s exposition is the idea of surprise, both
that God often confounds expectations and that such surprise should produce praise. He
goes on to contemplate the unexpected nature of God’s choices in consistently surprising
ways, from the election of Israel, to providing salvation through crucifixion, to the surpris-
ing grafting of the gentiles into the people of Israel. All of these precisely as surprises should
lead to the celebration of God’s goodness, but also to humility. Then, in an insightful twist,
B. turns Psalm 118 back against supersessionist christological readings by pointing out that
those who wrongly presume that the Jewish people have been rejected will find out that
Psalm 118 is truer than they realized. To their surprise they will discover that the Jewish
people remain a precious cornerstone chosen by God.
All three commentaries are helpful and successful given their respective frameworks.
The works of both deC.-W. and T. and G. provide a nice balance between historical exege-
sis, literary sensitivity, and well-grounded theological insight. Judged on the terms of its
approach, I found B.’s commentary to be of high quality, but by its nature it will be most
appreciated by those interested in the use of the Psalms in Christian theology and ministry,
perhaps as a complement to more traditional commentaries.

Bradley C. Gregory, The Catholic University of America, Washington, DC 20064

francesco cocco, Women in the Wilderness: The “Female Legislation” of the Book of
Numbers (Num 5,11–31; 27,1–11; 30,2–17) (FAT 138; Tübingen: Mohr Siebeck, 2020).
Pp. vi + 235. €94.

This volume’s contribution to the field is evident even before one opens the first page;
the title indicates that three separate laws in Numbers form a single code dealing with
women. In support of this broad view, Cocco engages in a comprehensive and systematic
analysis of the details. The first chapter deals with the sotah (suspected adulteress), the
 BOOK REVIEWS 489

second with inheritance by daughters, and the third with female vows. Exegeting the
passages, C. focuses on terms and issues demanding particular attention, examining ancient
Near Eastern parallels and succinctly summarizing the principal approaches.
The writing style is clear and lucid, and the book will be of interest to anyone wishing
to understand these three units. The typography and aesthetics are characteristic of the series
of which it forms a part, also contributing to the overall reading experience.
Summarizing his methodological approach, C. notes:
The first stage of our study will be occupied with siting the pericope in its contexts,
remote and close. We shall then proceed to mark out the boundaries of the literary
unit. The second stage will turn to the internal organization of the pericope in order to
propose structure in thematic segments which enables us to have a better understand-
ing. Finally, we shall undertake the exegetical analysis proper by studying each of the
verses which make up the pericope in order to shed light on the purpose of the text in
its present form, as also – where possible – on the history of its literary formation and
its connections with texts that are thematically and literarily similar. (p. 118)
Identifying two stages in the formation of the law of the sotah (Num 5:11–31), C. argues
that both are designed to mitigate the husband’s jealousy. The first stage—prior to the inser-
tion of vv. 21 and 31—seeks to transfer responsibility for the woman from her husband to
the priest. The second elucidates that even if she miscarries (‫וצבתה בטנה ונפלה ירכה‬, “her
womb shall discharge, her uterus drop,” v. 27)—a proof of her guilt—no human agent
(husband, priest, or court) has the authority to punish her (v. 31), but only God.
Given that the laws of inheritance (Num 27:1–11) are not discussed systematically
anywhere else in the Pentateuch, the fact that the legislator focuses on women reflects his
concern for their rights. The story of Zelophehad’s daughters—etiologically explaining how
the Manassites dwelled east of the Jordan—serves as a platform for legal principles. The
ordinances pertaining to vows (Num 30:2–17) address non-independent women—the
exception being v. 10. This verse, which treats the vows made by widows and divorcees,
appears to be a later addition.
Cocco concludes that the three injunctions complement one another, all belonging to
a later editorial stage and seeking to update and complete the biblical law system. Contra
Origen and numerous others, the author “counts” women, thus seeking to care for them and
protect their rights.
The first two laws are easily intelligible within this framework, in particular with
respect to the husband in the first and the relatives in the second. The third case, the woman
submitting to a male—her father or husband—rather than being protected by him, is more
problematic, however. Although C. endeavors to demonstrate that all three laws follow the
same pattern, in the third case the woman needs protection from herself rather than from
any man. In Num 30:7, 9, this protection from the commitments she has taken upon herself
is most clearly reflected in the phrase ‫“( מבטא שפתיה אשר אסרה על נפשה‬the commitment
to which she bound herself,” v. 9 NRSV). According to C., this designates an invalid com-
mitment that she assumes idly. Although it constitutes only one of several formulations
in the law code and does not necessarily reflect the type of commitment with which the
ordinance in fact deals, a proper understanding of it may help us grasp the purpose of the
statute. We might thus have expected C. to have elaborated further on this aspect.
 490 THE CATHOLIC BIBLICAL QUARTERLY | 83, 2021

Similar reference to a rash commitment occurs in two other places—Lev 5:4 and Ps
106:33. The parallelism indicates that the psalmist is referring to Israel who, “having
exchanged God’s glory” (Ps 106:20) prompted Yhwh to swear to Moses and Aaron: “there-
fore you shall not lead this congregation into the land that I have given them” (Num 20:12).
All four incidences of the phrase evince that it refers to a binding statement—whether
in the form of an oath, a vow, or a voluntary offering. Does it thus relate at all to the way
in which one takes a commitment upon oneself? According to Prov 12:18, “There is blunt
talk like sword-thrusts / But the speech of the wise is healing.” The ‫ בוטה‬is the person who
makes an utterance. The term is not neutral but carries a negative connotation signifying to
“speak rashly, thoughtlessly, unadvisedly, one that babbleth” (BDB). G. B. Gray (Numbers,
ICC [Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 1956] 416 [as quoted by C.]) notes, “To judge from some
biblical references . . . and still more from the Mishnaic tracts Nasir and Nedarim, vows
were frequently taken very rashly.”
Qoheleth 5:1–4 states, “Keep your mouth from being rash, and let not your throat be
quick to bring forth speech before God. . . . It is better not to vow at all than to vow and not
fulfill.” Proverbs 20:25 likewise observes, “It is a snare for a man to pledge a sacred gift
rashly and to give thought to his vows only after they have been made.” The phenomenon
of the reckless vow is also reflected in Sirach’s recommendation: “Before making a vow
prepare yourself” (18:23), hinting that vows may be made without adequate forethought.
This insight may account for some puzzling aspects—Jephthah’s lament (Judg 11:35) and
perhaps Hannah’s total surrender of Samuel (1 Sam 1:11).
The expression ‫ מבטא שפתיה‬thus refers not only to the commitment itself but also to
the thoughtless manner in which it is undertaken. Thus, Lev 5:4 sets out to explain how a
person can forget making it (‫)ונעלם ממנו‬. Psalm 106 similarly presents the divine oath as
unmeasured and taken in anger. This idea is well illustrated in the charge that Moses (and
Aaron) was punished for the people’s sin rather than his own (Deut 4:21; cf. 1:37; 3:26).
In contrast to her male counterpart (“If a man makes a vow to the Lord . . . he shall
not break his pledge,” Num 30:3), when a woman vows rashly she is protected by being
allowed to break it. As C. argues, this principle closely corresponds to that embodied in the
laws of the sotah and the inheritance by daughters.

Micha Roi, Oranim Academic College, Tivon, Israel 36006

william g. dever, Has Archaeology Buried the Bible? (Grand Rapids: Eerdmans,
2020). Pp. ix + 158. $25.99.

Over many years and in many books William (Bill) Dever has sought to clarify the
relationship between archaeology and the Bible. Early on, he strongly argued against what
was known as “biblical archaeology,” whose main purpose was to verify as historical the
accounts in the Bible. Rather, he wanted an archaeology of the land of ancient Israel/Pales-
tine that sought the best scientific methods and the best available information from the
ground. And if that information happened to support or contradict the Bible, so be it.
Later he strongly argued against the “minimalist” movement that often denied the verac-
ity of any of the historical accounts in the Bible. On the other hand, he certainly was not

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