Try free for 30 days

  • Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible

  • Indiana Studies in Biblical Literature
  • By: Carolyn J. Sharp
  • Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
  • Length: 13 hrs and 39 mins

1 credit a month to use on any title, yours to keep (you’ll use your first credit on this title).
Stream or download thousands of included titles.
Access to exclusive deals and discounts.
$16.45 a month after 30 day trial. Cancel anytime.
Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible cover art

Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible

By: Carolyn J. Sharp
Narrated by: Jason Zenobia
Try for $0.00

$16.45 per month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $27.99

Buy Now for $27.99

Pay using voucher balance (if applicable) then card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions Of Use and Privacy Notice and authorise Audible to charge your designated credit card or another available credit card on file.

Publisher's Summary

Was God being ironic in commanding Eve not to eat fruit from the tree of wisdom? Carolyn J. Sharp suggests that many stories in the Hebrew Scriptures may be ironically intended. Deftly interweaving literary theory and exegesis, Sharp illumines the power of the unspoken in a wide variety of texts from the Pentateuch, the Prophets, and the Writings. She argues that reading with irony in mind creates a charged and open rhetorical space in the texts that allows character, narration, and authorial voice to develop in unexpected ways.

Main themes explored here include the ironizing of foreign rulers, the prostitute as icon of the ironic gaze, indeterminacy and dramatic irony in prophetic performance, and irony in ancient Israel's wisdom traditions. Sharp devotes special attention to how irony destabilizes dominant ways in which the Bible is read today, especially when it touches on questions of conflict, gender, and the other.

Published by Indiana University Press.

©2009 Carolyn J. Sharp (P)2017 Redwood Audiobooks

Critic Reviews

"Engaging, erudite, and rich with insight.... This is a must-read for anyone interested in literary criticism, theory, and the Hebrew Bible." (Timothy K. Beal, Case Western Reserve University)

"This book offers a fascinating exploration of the the presence and the power of irony in the Hebrew bible." (Tony Cartledge, Campbell University Divinity School)

"Carolyn Sharp has offered a magnificent exhibit of the thickness of the Hebrew Bible. Her work is a profound and exquisite invitation to reflect on prophetic imagination in its subtle subversion." (Walter Brueggemann, Columbia Theological Seminary)

What listeners say about Irony and Meaning in the Hebrew Bible

Average Customer Ratings

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

In the spirit of reconciliation, Audible acknowledges the Traditional Custodians of country throughout Australia and their connections to land, sea and community. We pay our respect to their elders past and present and extend that respect to all Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples today.