#dinah the Bible

[artthatgivesmefeelings]

Sebastiano Ricci (Italian, 1659-1734) The Rape of Dinah, ca.1700 Kunsthalle Bremen

The painting tells the story of Joseph’s sister Dinah, who was abducted from Canaan and raped by Shechem, son of wealthy Prince Hamor (Gen. 34). Out of love for her, Shechem bade his father to let him marry Dinah. Hamor, in turn, spoke with Dinah’s father, Jacob, who agreed to the marriage under the condition that all men of Shechem’s lineage be circumcised according to the Old Covenant. However, three days later, when all the Shechemites had been weakened by the rite, Dinah’s brothers Simeon and Levi took revenge for the outrage done to their sister by attacking the city, killing the male inhabitants, and returning with Dinah against her will. Ricci’s painting describes the dramatic event of the abduction in a pyramidal composition, in which the still weak Prince Shechem, shown with a cane, is included at the left.

[mybeautifulchristianjourney]

Simeon and Levi Deceive Shechem

1 Now Dinah the daughter of Leah, whom she had borne to Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land. 2 Then Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the land, saw her and took her and lay with her and violated her. 3 And he was deeply attracted to Dinah the daughter of Jacob, and he loved the young woman and spoke to the heart of the young woman. 4 So Shechem spoke to his father Hamor, saying, “Get me this girl as a wife.” 5 Now Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter; but his sons were with his livestock in the field, so Jacob kept silent until they came in. 6 Then Hamor the father of Shechem went out to Jacob to speak with him. 7 Now the sons of Jacob came in from the field when they heard it; and the men were grieved, and they were very angry because he had done a disgraceful thing in Israel by lying with Jacob’s daughter, for such a thing ought not to be done.

8 But Hamor spoke with them, saying, “The soul of my son Shechem longs for your daughter; please give her to him as a wife. 9 And intermarry with us; give your daughters to us and take our daughters for yourselves. 10 Thus you shall live with us, and the land shall be open before you; live and trade in it and take possession of property in it.” 11 And Shechem also said to her father and to her brothers, “If I find favor in your sight, then I will give whatever you say to me. 12 Ask me ever so much bridal payment and gift, and I will give according as you say to me; but give me the girl as a wife.”

13 But Jacob’s sons answered Shechem and his father Hamor with deceit, and thus they spoke, because he had defiled Dinah their sister. 14 And they said to them, “We cannot do this thing, to give our sister to one who is uncircumcised, for that would be a reproach to us. 15 Only on this condition will we consent to you: if you will become like us, in that every male among you be circumcised, 16 then we will give our daughters to you, and we will take your daughters for ourselves, and we will live with you and become one people. 17 But if you will not listen to us to be circumcised, then we will take our daughter and go.”

18 Now their words seemed good in the sight of Hamor and Shechem, Hamor’s son. 19 So the young man did not delay to do the thing because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. Now he was more honored than all the household of his father. 20 So Hamor and his son Shechem came to the gate of their city and spoke to the men of their city, saying, 21 “These men are peaceful with us; therefore let them live in the land and trade in it, for behold, the land is large enough for them. Let us take their daughters for us as wives and give our daughters to them. 22 Only on this condition will the men consent to us to live with us, to become one people: that every male among us be circumcised as they are circumcised. 23 Will not their livestock and what they acquire and all their cattle be ours? Only let us consent to them, and they will live with us.” 24 And all who went out of the gate of his city listened to Hamor and to his son Shechem, and every male was circumcised, all who went out of the gate of his city.

25 Now it happened on the third day, when they were in pain, that two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, each took his sword and came upon the unsuspecting city and killed every male. 26 And they killed Hamor and his son Shechem with the edge of the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and went away. 27 Jacob’s sons came upon the slain and plundered the city because they had defiled their sister. 28 They took their flocks and their herds and their donkeys and that which was in the city and that which was in the field; 29 and they captured and plundered all their wealth and all their little ones and their wives, even all that was in the houses. 30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me odious among the inhabitants of the land, among the Canaanites and the Perizzites; and my men being few in number, they will gather together against me and strike me, and I will be destroyed, I and my household.” 31 But they said, “Should he treat our sister as a harlot?” — Genesis 34 | Legacy Standard Bible (LSB) Legacy Standard Bible Copyright ©2021 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved. Managed in partnership with Three Sixteen Publishing Inc. Cross References: Genesis 13:7; Genesis 13:9; Genesis 17:14; Genesis 23:10; Genesis 30:21; Genesis 35:1 Genesis 49:5; Exodus 22:17; Deuteronomy 7:3; Deuteronomy 21:14; Deuteronomy 22:20-21; Judges 14:2; Judges 19:3; Job 7:2; Ezekiel 39:10; Luke 21:24

On Dinah’s Defiling, Jacob’s Sons’ War Crimes…

[thetudorslovers]

Dinah is the only daughter of the patriarch Jacob—at least the only one named. Her mother Leah bore her after six sons and named her “Dinah” (30:21), meaning “her judgment,” although no explanation for her name is given in the biblical account.

The story of Dinah recounts an episode in which she goes out to see the “daughters of the land” but is raped, seduced, and/or abducted by Shechem, a Hivite prince, who subsequently falls in love with and wishes to marry her. While her father is silent, Dinah’s brothers negotiate marriage terms in guile. After all the male residents of the town circumcise themselves (a precondition for intermarrying with Jacob’s family), Simeon and Levy slaughter all the men and rescue Dinah from Shechem’s house. The various responses to the daughter’s debasement the residents of Shechem, Jacob’s, the brothers’, and even Dinah’s silence suggests a multivocal composition which centers on the question of intermarriage with the native “Canaanites” of the land.

With the exception of the opening verse, Dinah is wholly passive in the story; she is acted upon and given no voice.  After she returns to her father’s household, she is never heard of again in the biblical narrative, though she is mentioned along with the 66 descendants of Jacob who go down from Canaan to Egypt.

[misespinas]

Delilah. Lot's daughters. Herodias/Salome. Tamar. Jezebel. Potiphar's wife.

The Virgin Mary. Sarah. Ruth. Esther. Rachel. Mary Magdalene. Dinah. Bilhah/Zilpah. Hagar. Bathsheba. The Levite's concubine.

The stories of these figures always leaves me confused and wanting more answers even though I'm not practicing

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 34

34:1-4 Shechem, the son of Hamor, saw Dinah attractive and raped her. His "soul was strongly attracted" and he asked his father to get her as a wife.

34:5 Jacob was told of Dinah's defilement but held his cool until his sons returned from the field.

34:6-7 Hamor starts his trip to Jacob. The sons come back from the field. When they heard the news, they were "stunned and extremely grieved."

34:8-10 Hamor asks Jacob for Dinah's hand for his Shechem and suggests that the two families join in marriage.

34:11-12 Shechem seeks grace from their family and states for them to make the dowry however great to have Dinah as wife.

34:13-17 "The sons of Jacob...spoke deceitfully to" Hamor and Shechem because of Shechem's actions. Simeon and Levi (sons of Leah) demand every male from Shechem's city to be circumcised if they are to bridge the families.

34:18-24 Hamor and Shechem return to their city and ask all of their males to be circumcised for the sake of Shechem and the city to combine with that of Jacob.

34:25-29 Simeon and Levi took advantage of the weakness of all Shechem's men and killed all the men of their city, including Hamor and Shechem. After this, they plundered the city, taking all cattle, women, children, and other assets.

34:30-31 Jacob rejects the actions of Simeon and Levi, stating that now Jacob has become an object of hatred among the inhabitants of the land (Canaanites and Peizzites). Jacob also fears that since he is fewer in number, the others will team up and destroy everything he has. Simeon and Levi reply, "Should he treat our sister like a prostitute?'

Other Remarks:

When two people get intimate with each other, they form a soul tie as you give part of yourself to your partner. When an individual decides to sleep around, they leave parts of them everywhere they go. As this continues, the person becomes broken on the inside as they no longer have 'all' of their soul together when the other individuals leave. This is partly why it is important to not sleep with a great number of people, just so you can fulfill the desires of the flesh. (v.1-4)

Shechem creates a soul tie with Dinah, thus why he wants her as wife. Due to his behavior, this might be interpreted as not the first time he has taken advantage of a woman. However, if it was the first time, it would make sense as to why he felt so attracted to Dinah. (v.1-4)

Jacob hears his daughter was raped and holds "his peace." This is a great deal of self-control. (v.5)

Sex without marriage has been seen in the Bible before, such as Abraham and his concubines or Jacob with the maidservants. Dinah is the first individual case of non-consensual intercourse in the Bible, and it is heavily frowned upon. It also seems the background of the individual involved is significant, for those unnamed in the Bible, intimacy without marriage is not given too much attention; however, for those from important families, such as Jacob, there is serious consideration. (v.6-7)

Simeon and Levi demand the males to be circumcised. As we read before, circumcision is the sign of the covenant between man and God, thus in this request they are attempting to convert Shechem and his people to the God of Abraham. (v.13-17)

Simeon and Levi's actions to kill and plunder the city of Shechem were founded on the principle of revenge for their sister. Previously in the Bible, we have seen God not finding favor in revenge, namely in how He dealt with Cain. Thus it can be reasonably assumed that this is not an acceptable action, even if injustice was done to the family of Jacob first. (v.25-29)

Of the family, Jacob has been blessed, indicating the actions of Jacob are ordained. Jacob never wishes for revenge and rejects the actions of his sons. He also tells them about the consequences of their actions as now the others of the land will treat Jacob as an enemy. The two parties, Jacob and his sons, view this issue from different perspectives. Jacob applies long-term logic and potentially the goodness of God in his decisions, while Simeon and Levi take a more worldly "eye for eye" approach. Jacob's response teaches us that although our families and we might be troubled, it is important to view the situation with forgiveness, grace, and mercy, making sure to control our anger so it not turn into wrath. (v.30-31)

This story summarizes the circle of hatred. With one action of unjust intense passion by Shechem, Simeon and Levi turn to destroy their livelihood. But the actions of Simeon and Levi cause repercussions on a different level, implicating a future action against them. This cycle often repeats until a deliberate action to stop the cycle takes place. To stop this cycle, the person initiating this change is faced with bearing the burden of the cycle up to that point, while the others who have indulged in the cycle have gotten to partly release their emotions through revenge.

The OSB highlights the attraction Shechem had for Dinah was not true love but rather a sinful passion, lust. (v.8)

The OSB highlights that Simeon and Levi repaid evil with evil and the punishment they gave outweighed the sins of the crime. This leads Simeon and Levi to be "worse sinners" than Shechem. (v.31)

Questions:

Things to Add to Prayer:

Like Jacob, help us to control our anger preventing wrath, keeping in mind Your plan over all of our troubles.

Help us to control our passions so they not take over us.

-Mikhael

[scripture-pictures]

[lordgodjehovahsway]

Genesis 34: Dinah Getting Raped Leads to the Downfall of the Shechemites

1 Now Dinah, the daughter Leah had borne to Jacob, went out to visit the women of the land. 

2 When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the ruler of that area, saw her, he took her and raped her. 

3 His heart was drawn to Dinah daughter of Jacob; he loved the young woman and spoke tenderly to her. 

4 And Shechem said to his father Hamor, “Get me this girl as my wife.”

5 When Jacob heard that his daughter Dinah had been defiled, his sons were in the fields with his livestock; so he did nothing about it until they came home.

6 Then Shechem’s father Hamor went out to talk with Jacob. 

7 Meanwhile, Jacob’s sons had come in from the fields as soon as they heard what had happened. They were shocked and furious, because Shechem had done an outrageous thing in Israel by sleeping with Jacob’s daughter—a thing that should not be done.

8 But Hamor said to them, “My son Shechem has his heart set on your daughter. Please give her to him as his wife. 

9 Intermarry with us; give us your daughters and take our daughters for yourselves. 

10 You can settle among us; the land is open to you. Live in it, trade in it, and acquire property in it.”

11 Then Shechem said to Dinah’s father and brothers, “Let me find favor in your eyes, and I will give you whatever you ask. 

12 Make the price for the bride and the gift I am to bring as great as you like, and I’ll pay whatever you ask me. Only give me the young woman as my wife.”

13 Because their sister Dinah had been defiled, Jacob’s sons replied deceitfully as they spoke to Shechem and his father Hamor. 

14 They said to them, “We can’t do such a thing; we can’t give our sister to a man who is not circumcised. That would be a disgrace to us. 

15 We will enter into an agreement with you on one condition only: that you become like us by circumcising all your males. 

16 Then we will give you our daughters and take your daughters for ourselves. We’ll settle among you and become one people with you. 

17 But if you will not agree to be circumcised, we’ll take our sister and go.”

18 Their proposal seemed good to Hamor and his son Shechem. 

19 The young man, who was the most honored of all his father’s family, lost no time in doing what they said, because he was delighted with Jacob’s daughter. 

20 So Hamor and his son Shechem went to the gate of their city to speak to the men of their city. 

21 “These men are friendly toward us,” they said. “Let them live in our land and trade in it; the land has plenty of room for them. We can marry their daughters and they can marry ours. 

22 But the men will agree to live with us as one people only on the condition that our males be circumcised, as they themselves are. 

23 Won’t their livestock, their property and all their other animals become ours? So let us agree to their terms, and they will settle among us.”

24 All the men who went out of the city gate agreed with Hamor and his son Shechem, and every male in the city was circumcised.

25 Three days later, while all of them were still in pain, two of Jacob’s sons, Simeon and Levi, Dinah’s brothers, took their swords and attacked the unsuspecting city, killing every male. 

26 They put Hamor and his son Shechem to the sword and took Dinah from Shechem’s house and left. 

27 The sons of Jacob came upon the dead bodies and looted the city where their sister had been defiled. 

28 They seized their flocks and herds and donkeys and everything else of theirs in the city and out in the fields. 

29 They carried off all their wealth and all their women and children, taking as plunder everything in the houses.

30 Then Jacob said to Simeon and Levi, “You have brought trouble on me by making me obnoxious to the Canaanites and Perizzites, the people living in this land. We are few in number, and if they join forces against me and attack me, I and my household will be destroyed.”

31 But they replied, “Should he have treated our sister like a prostitute?”

[biblechaptersummary]

Genesis 34   Dinah Raped and the Revenge

Jacob and his family had settled in the outskirts of the city of Shechem. One day Dinah, the daughter of Jacob and Leah, went to visit some of the young women who lived in the area. The the local prince, Shechem son of Ham or raped Dinah. After that he fell in love with Dinah and told his father Hamor he wanted to marry her. On knowing this, Jacob did nothing but waited for his sons to come back from the fields. His sons were filled with rage.

Meanwhile, Hamor came to approach Jacob and his sons for permission for Shechem to marry Dinah. Hamor suggested Jacob's family and the people of the city intermarry. This would make them a single, prosperous people. However to get revenge and defend Dinah's honor, Jacob's sons (Simeon and Levi, Dinah's brothers by Leah) tricked the men of the city of Shechem into being circumcised and then slaughtered all of them when they were recovering, plundering all the wealth of the people. However Jacob feared there would be future retaliation from the Canaanites.

[edelweissacermacrophyllum]

Genesis 34-35, Psalm 10:1-11, Matthew 12:46-13:17

As much as I am a pacifist and don't believe in killing, I have felt hateful towards those who sexually assault people. So when, in this story, Jacob's daughter is taken by a man from a tribe she was visiting, I can't help but cheer a little at what her brothers did. They didn't just kill him. No, they convinced him and his supporters to curcumcise themselves. And then they killed them while they were still recovering.

It was a squabble between tribes, and without any institutions to mete out justice, this was as close as they were likely to get. But Pierce Brown wrote that, "Justice isn't about fixing the past. It's about fixing the future." And I can see the argument that the death penalty for these things might fix the future. But Jesus has other ideas when he told us to love our enemies a few chapters ago.

I've said before that these stories make a whole lot more sense when you understand the tribal semi-nomadic setting that they took place in. Cities are not cities, towns are not towns. There are landmarks, but the people follow the good grazing. There is not that much agriculture going on at this point. I don't think. They still have bread, so it must have been practiced a little. What we see here is Jacob's tribe, excercising its influence over the neighbouring tribes and having conflict with them from time to time.

Jesus has other ideas of the sort of tribe he wants as well. In this passage he seems to reject his biological family for those that have chosen to follow him. There's been a housing crisis in my city for a while and I heard recently that one of the causes is family breakdown. Five people who used to need one home now need four or five and our social services can't keep up. The solution I've become attached to is found family. A bunch of young people live together in a more intentional way than just room mates. We have lived together for a couple years now, basing our community off shared values and practices. I like to think that Jesus celebrates this kind of life. Communities in his day were much closer out of necessity and families were multigenerational and very tight. But today this sort of life is seen as something you do because you can't afford to be independent.

I'm soapboxing about one of my favourite topics, and being rather isogetical at the same time, so I'll stop. We are supposed to live in community and support our siblings who are hurt. We are also supposed to support our enemies, whatever that means.

[thejuveniledelinquent]

random headcanons/scenarios that i think are funky fun

Lex tried to copyright the word "lexicon" after releasing a book called "The Lexicon" (the capitialization is often debated; nobody agrees on anything or confirms it, especially not Lex) that details his vocabulary, phrases he often uses and quotes he claims are his, including but not limited to "you miss 100% of the shots you don't take," "all the world's a stage, and all the men and women merely players," and the entirety of the bible.

bro didn't even make it into court with that one

Kara was once supposed to write a memoir about krypton or something but ended up sending the publisher her K/S genderbend femslash fanfic instead :/

they published it without a word. she stayed on the nyt bestseller's list for like two years. lesbian Spirk is canon now.

Dick was a stripper for a few months. mostly just for funsies, but also because Bruce dies inside whenever he brings it up and he thinks that's the funniest shit in the world

also Bruce got sent to jail one time for reasons he refuses to elaborate on, and he was cellmates with Lex. he acted like Brucie the WHOLE TIME.

buddy did not drop the act. not even in his sleep. he is an actor committed to his craft.

on that note, Bruce has been in at least twenty-five romcoms, four horrors movies ("i can't do those anymore! they're just so terrifying," Brucie had told the press when speaking about his latest film, Movie That Is Not Scary That Nobody Knows The Name Of), ten movies about dogs, twelve animated films james corden style, one very emotional family-focused western considered a cult classic by hardcore fans, and three buddy cop films in the past month

Dick, Jason and Cass drag the rest of the family to see Hamilton on broadway during opening week. none of them initially want to be there, but they're all ugly crying at any character's slightest inconvenience and they somehow know all the lyrics within ten minutes because they're homosexuals like that.

Bart Allen bites people. he is an animal and humans are his chew toys.

Damian played Assassin's Creed 2 once, and it was on thin fucking ice purely because it wasn't realistic enough

"i am not caught up on my italian and vatican history, father, but i don't think the pope had a mind control staff. why does he need it? is he stupid?"

Oliver once sang Four Jews in a Room Bitching in front of Bruce, the resident bitching jew who has not seen Falsettos, and he got served the batglare of a lifetime

also, Oliver's favourite musical is Falsettos because i said so.

"the big grey block isn't real, Oliver. the big grey block can't hurt you," Dinah lied mere moments before the big grey block hurt him.

anyway give me YOUR headcanons and scenarios!!!!! give them to me and let me eat them :D

[cairavende]

Worm Arc 21 thoughts:

Well that was sure a turn around from last arc's "I'm going to rally the students so I don't get captured."

I know my daughter has made some . . . mistakes, but I'm not a fan of her turning herself into the openly corrupted and also bad at their job parahuman cops.

(Parahuman cops as in "cops who police parahumans" not "cops who are parahumans")

Like look, I get it. A precog told her to cut ties. I can't say it's wrong to follow that advice. But she could do that in a lot of ways that don't involve the PRT.

The second not from Dinah just being "I'm sorry" is brutal.

But before she can turn herself in she has to absolutely fucking crush the PRT/Protectorate for outing her civilian identity.

I love how fucking simple taking out the entire PRT headquarters was for Skitter and her girlfriends!

Who needs anyone else? Bitch brings muscle, Tattletale brings information, Skitter brings battlefield control. Lesbian polycule power activate!

Was it an overboard response? Maybe. Was it badass how she just took out so many heroes and PRT troops with ease? Yes.

Poor Dovetail has one of the most embarrassing introductions ever. First time we see her and Skitter is wiping the floor with her and thinking about her "crummy power".

God I hate Tagg so much that he makes me miss Piggot. Like she was absolutely terrible, but he's worse! And making me miss Piggot makes me hate Tagg even more!

Kindly old cemetery groundskeeper who doesn't pay much attention to the news! Never a bad trope.

They gave Butcher 15 to Cherish???!? Like sure they give all the reasoning for it but like ... it just seems like a really high risk situation. If she ever gets out it's going to suck. A lot.

THE SCENE AT RACHEL'S PLACE OH MY GOD!

SHE IS BUILDING A COMMUNITY! I LOVE HER SO MUCH!

Rachel just over here finding everyone like her and giving them a place. Legit crying. Look at that fucking growth!

(Also shout-out to my wife for having basically done the same thing. It's how I met her. It's how I met one of my girlfriends. And so many other important people. So ya. I fucking love this.)

Also you ever like a girl so much you try to give her an entire planet? Cause Taylor sure has.

"Rachel I don't want you to be sad when I'm gone so you can basically have this whole other planet we found."

GGGGGGGGGGAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!!!!!!!!!

Imp let Regent take control of her . . . welp. Like, I'm not really surprised by this. And in a different situation I wouldn't even really find it that weird. I'd do it with the right person. But combination of age and the situation they are in and Regent being Regent annnnnd ya. Welp.

I did love how much of the interactions between Skitter and Regent/Imp really was just her struggling with parenting two teenage supervillains.

IT'S NOT SO EASY, IS IT CHILD?!? MAYBE YOU'LL CUT ME SOME SLACK AND LISTEN TO MY ADVICE IN THE FUTURE!

(She won't)

I fucking LOVE that she made the bible themed hero kneel. Absolutely fucking amazing.

Oh shiiit, Skitter just flat dropped that guy multiple stories. Is she going to far?

. . . wellll, these guys do literally worship the Endbringers so I guess a little aggression is ok.

Damn, Valefor sure has some fucked up powers, I wonder what they're gonna do abou-

. . .

. . .

. . . . . .

. . . wellll, these guys do literally worship the Endbringers so I guess a little aggression is ok.

. . .

Yep.

. . .

. . . I think I preferred when she just used a knife.

So anyway

Not a fan of Taylor having more alone time with Brian (not because I have any issue with the idea, but because I think she needs to be focusing on her girlfriends), but I am a fan of her using bugs to clean her dress and fix her hair afterwords while Brian just kinda sits there and has to contemplate what he has gotten himself into. Queen shit.

Flechette was SO mad that Parian wasn't "cute" anymore, I couldn't stop laughing. Sure, she said "You had to take the playfulness away? The joy?" but we all know what she meant. Of course, it's won't take very long for the new costume to get Flechette's attention. (I have to mention that this is basically exactly what I said when reading the scene, and the interlude a few chapters later just proved me right.)

Flechette is just so hopelessly gay

Miss Militia is actually getting very mild respect from me right now. Like, she's still working for the cops but she is actually agreeing to silently push against some things. Now, she says she doesn't have more power then that but she is a very well known hero and if she would publicly speak out about certain things there is a decent chance she could do more. That would of course be putting her position at risk though. Which is why she only gets very mild respect right now.

OH MY GOD I DIDN'T JUST GET TO SEE TATTLETALE'S MURDER WALL, I GOT TO SEE HER ENTIRE MURDER ROOM!

Fucking multiple bulletin boards with threads connecting them. Everything color coded. Reference numbers to files with more details. Multiple TV screens, computer with constant information dump. God. It's like a literal representation of the inside of my mind while I read Worm. SO MANY THINGS TO FIGURE OUT!

I love a lot of characters, but Tattletale always stays near the top. She gets me.

And from the fucking joy of getting to see that setup I come crashing the fuck down.

Like, I have completely figured out at this point that Skitter is turning herself in. I know what is coming. She's had her moment with everyone else and Tattletale is the last one.

And then. Then just . .

No goodbyes.

😭😭😭😭😭

HOW DARE THIS BOOK MAKE ME FEEL MY OWN FEELINGS!! I'M TOO GAY FOR THIS!

I do find it hysterical that the PRT officers working the front lobby don't all recognize Skitter on sight. Fucking gas station employees will manage to keep track of people with pictures on the "bad check" board, you'd think the PRT could manage to have their officers keep track of the face of one of the most well know villains in the country, if not the world, who also controls their city. PRT is forever bad at their job.

That one guy did notice her eventually though, so I guess he gets to be employee of the month.

The Number Man interlude thoughts:

The inside of this mans mind is one of the sexiest things I have ever seen and the constant reminder of the horrible things he is helping Cauldron do to all their prisoners was very helpful because it was the only thing keeping me from deciding that The Number Man is a perfect soul that can do no wrong.

I have no illusions here. I am weak. This man is a monster and I should not have any trouble remembering that.

But fuck shit fuck oh god fuck I don't even need him to touch me. I just need him to TALK to me. I just need him to get high with me and let me pick apart how his mind works!

He understood numbers, and through them, he understood everything.

That line. Absolute killer. Fucking take me.

. . . anyway yes it's a very interesting interlude!

Loved seeing more of the inner workings of Cauldron

I very much want to see the final level of their basement that only the Doctor goes into because I said that I thought Cauldron had a dead (for values of dead that are non-definable) higher dimensional being in their basement back during arc 15 and now I know for sure that there is something down there. I wanna know if I was right!

Oh my god he was friends with Jack

"Friends"

Look I make everything gay ok? It's not my choice! Sure it means I get to enjoy every tiny bit of Wolfspider and Chatterbug cause I see all of it. But it also means I see the ships I don't want to think about!

I men what was I supposed to think when Jack said “We can live this. Together. Every waking second…”?

Gay

Parian interlude thoughts:

And speaking of gay!

Fucking Flechette just full blown "Fuck all of this I want you to tell me what to do for the rest of my life!"

Full U-Haul lesbian.

GAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAYYYYYYYYYYYYYYYY!

This is Parian's new costume having an effect.

Just so gay. I love it.

Also Bitch just so fucking ready to break Skitter out. So fucking gay.

And the incredible loyalty, which is gonna hurt if she ends up feeling betrayed by Skitter.

Still gay though.

Tattletale, basically without powers, just completely giving Accord the "fuck off, we're in charge" was amazing. All she had to do was promise to consider his binders and he was all in. This poor man just wants somebody to read his ideas! He's like a aspiring screenwriter just begging people to read his script.

[eesirachs]

What would say are some of most interesting or thought provoking instances of violence in the Bible?

the rape, killing, and posthumous dismemberment of the unnamed woman in judges 19 (judg 19); elisha, in mourning, has foreign children mauled to death (2 kngs 2); jael impaling sisera, tent-peg into skull (judges 4); saul killing himself by lining his sword up to his chest and falling unto it (1 sam 31); a woman, called by scholars "the mother of the seven sons," watches each one die, one by one, and is then killed herself (though everyone knows that mothers die the moment a child is killed anyway) (2 macc 7); all that happens to jezebel's body (2 kings 9); hagar, thrown into the wilderness to die a second time by her enslavors, watches her son emaciate (gen 21); moses, in the wilderness, forcing the levites to murder their families (exod 32); all that happens to dinah's body (gen 34); god slaughters infants (exod 11); jephtheh killing his daughter because god told him to (judges 11); abraham killing his son because god told him to (yes, the aqadah did happen, in some sense) (gen 22); infants eaten by their mothers (2 kngs 6). god's body captured in war (1 sam 4)

[anniflamma]

HEY ! okay so this is rlly random but i was wondering if u had any book .. well really any piece of media that has to do with ur interests and the ships you like? ik u get stuff from the bible and etc but i need more content of Jonathan and David , you have me invested.  😭

Heheh! You have come to the right place!

First of all, the book that truly put me in a chokehold is The Prince's Psalm by Eric Shaw Quinn.

I was hooked and read it in less than a week. I think it's really well written in both storytelling and character development.

Then we have Beloved King: A Queer Bible Musical by J. Sylvan. Right now, there is only a demo with 6 songs. But I'm really eager for it to get a full release one day.

Then we have the opera David et Jonathas by Charpentier! I know it's an opera, but seriously, it's really good, and I'm gonna be honest, the song when Jonathan dies made me ugly cry. It's an opera, so they play heavily on the tropes. Jonathan plays the almost feminine damsel and David is the hero. Saul is the over protective/paranoid father role.

I do have a much detailed review of these 3 adaptations from my Rating the most gayest King David adaptions. The other movies - adaptations there are for the memes.

Then we have books that I haven't read but want to: The Secret Chord by Geraldine Brooks and How Are the Mighty Fallen by Thomas Burnett Swann. I know that How Are the Mighty Fallen portrays David and Jonathan's relationship as romantic, but I'm not so sure about The Secret Chord. In case you are interested, you could take a look?

I also recommend non-fiction works such as Jacob's Wound: Homoerotic Narrative in the Literature of Ancient Israel by Theodore W. Jennings Jr. This book focuses on ancient Canaanite culture and narrative storytelling, explaining why David and Jonathan would be considered queer in that time. It's really interesting and provides some key details. The author mostly talks about the dynamics between David/Jonathan, Samuel/Saul, and Elisha/Elijah. But he also discusses Joseph and his gender nonconformity, as well as Ruth/Naomi.

And this is kind of non-David/Jonathan related, but I do really recommend the podcast It's in the Book: A Queer Bible Podcast. It's by the same person who's making the Beloved King musical. It has only 2 seasons and covers only Genesis, but gosh… I learned so much about queer themes in the Bible that, well, nobody really talks about. Like God having a womb, or Rebecca being called a twink 20 times, or the idea that Joseph and Dinah's souls were switched in the womb, explaining why Joseph is very feminine presenting. It's genuinely a really good podcast.

[thetudorslovers]

"We have been lost to each other for so long. My name means nothing to you. My memory is dust. This is not your fault, or mine. The chain connecting mother to daughter was broken and the word passed to the keeping of men, who had no way of knowing. That is why I became a footnote, my story a brief detour between the well-known history of my father, Jacob, and the celebrated chronicle of Joseph, my brother. On those rare occasions when I was remembered, it was as a victim. Near the beginning of your holy book, there is a passage that seems to say I was raped and continues with the bloody tale of how my honor was avenged. It’s a wonder that any mother ever called a daughter Dinah again. But some did. Maybe you guessed that there was more to me than the voiceless cipher in the text. Maybe you heard it in the music of my name: the first vowel high and clear, as when a mother calls to her child at dusk; the second sound soft, for whispering secrets on pillows. Dee-nah."

[celluloidrainbow]

LATE BLOOMERS (1996) dir. Julia Dyer Deep in the bible belt and surrounded by suburban monotony, two ordinary women work at a high school populated by square teachers and libidinous students. Carly is married with two kids, who works as the school secretary; Dinah is the single, lonely math teacher who coaches the girls' basketball team. Long time disinterest between the women evolves into a series of one-on-one basketball games, during which the two women grow closer physically and emotionally, until one heated game ends spontaneously in a kiss. The ensuing outcry from family, friends and the community as the relationship between these two women blooms proves to be a challenge they have to overcome. (link in title)

[archangels-bible-annotations]

Chapter 30

30:1 Rachel was envious of Leah and wanted Jacob to bear children with her. Rachel says, "Give me children, or else I die."

30:2-4 Jacob becomes angry and states that he is not God, the one who "withheld from you the fruit of the womb." Rachel then says to bear children through her maidservant, Bilhah.

30:5-6 Bilhah gave birth to a son, and Rachel named him Dan because "God has judged [Rachel]; and He has heard [Rachel's] voice and given [Rachel] a son."

30:7-8 Bilhah gives birth to a second son, named "Naphtali." Rachel states, "God has helped me, and I have wrestled with my sister; and indeed, I have prevailed."

30:9-11 Leah gives her handmaiden to Jacob to bear another son. Gad is born and Leah says, "Good fortune!"

30:12-13 Asher is born through Zilpah, Leah's handmaiden, and Leah says, "I am blessed, for the women will call me blessed."

30:14-15 Reuben finds mandrakes in the field and brings them to his mother Leah. Rachel asks for some but Leah accuses her of taking Leah's husband and now wanting mandrakes. Rachel says for Leah to sleep with Jacob tonight in exchange of the mandrakes.

30:16-18 Jacob sleeps with Leah and they give birth to Issachar stating, "God has given me my wages, because I have given my handmaiden to my husband." In verse 17 it says, "God listened to Leah..."

30:19-20 Leah bares Zebulun and says, "God has endowed me with a good endowment; now my husband will choose me, because I have borne him six sons."

30:21 Leah bore a daughter named Dinah.

30:22-24 We see the quote "God remembered Rachel." This is when God opened her womb and she bore Joseph

30:25-26 Jacob requests Laban to go home with his wives and kids.

30:27 This is a beautiful verse, "If I could find grace in your eyes, I would seek for it divinely, for God has blessed me by your coming."

30:28-30 Laban asks Joseph what his wages should be for working for so long. Joseph replies that since Joseph came, Laban's cattle/possesions have increased.

30:31-33 Joseph demands no wages and states that if Laban allows Joseph to take all of the gray sheep and the spotted/speckled goats then Joseph promises to "again feed and keep your sheep." He also states that if Laban is missing any pure-colored cattle, it would mean it was stolen.

30:34-36 Laban agreed to Joseph's request, and the cattle were given to Jospeh's sons. Jacob fed the rest of Laban's flocks as per his word.

30:37-40 Joseph collects green poplar, almond, and chestnut rods (branches?) and makes rods that help the animals conceive.

30:41-43 Joseph essentially repeats the process and gains a massive flock of sheep and goats that make him rich.

Other Remarks:

The name Dan means "Judge." (v.5-6)

The name Naphtali means "my wrestling" or "crafty, cunning one." (v.7-8)

At the birth of Naphtali, Rachel states that she has won victory over her sister. It is hard as the reader to say she has won 'full victory' considering that her sister bore 4 sons and Rachel was only able to conceive through her maidservant. The only view that Rachel has won is if she is looking at who conceived the most recent. She could also try to make a case that Jacob loves her more than Leah, but she never needed to prove that because Jacob went through so many trials and tribulations for her, not Leah. (v.7-8)

Leah gives her handmaiden to Jacob to continue to bear offspring. This could be seen as a dig at Rachel for trying to conceive the youngest son. Leah did not bear Gad herself, implying she became too old or her womb closed. This tied in with the struggle for Jacob's love would give enough motivation for her actions. Leah's acts show that she has not rid of her feelings to 'win' her husband's love and respect. (v.9-11)

The name Gad means "Good Fortune." Gad more accurately is defined as a cut that later reveals treasure. This name was intentionally chosen by Leah rather than the many different names for good fortune probably to symbolize her struggle with Rachel to win her husband's love. (v.9-11)

The name Asher means "happy" or "to go right on." (v.12-13)

Mandrakes are root plants. A quick search tells us that they have various properties such as sedative and hallucinogenic. (v.14-15)

Jacob seems to intentionally avoid Leah, which is evident by Leah's statement to Rachel for stealing her husband. It is also evident that Rachel controls Jacob, in at least the emotional aspect because she says that Jacob will sleep with Leah tonight for exchange of the mandrakes. (v.14-15)

Leah's wordage is interesting as she uses "wages" when she describes the blessing of another son. She is trying to say that her time has finally come as a mother because after birthing 4 sons, her womb was closed, which is why she gave over her maidservant to bare children in her steed. I still see this as one wife trying to one-up the other. It also seems that to get pregnant was Leah's intention from the exchange of the mandrakes rather than "love and affection" from her husband. I think it is a little funny how when Leah says she hired Jacob for the night, Jacob is not seen to complain and just goes with it. (v.16-18)

Issachar means "Man of Hire," which immortalizes the struggle for attention and the circumstances in which Issachar was conceived. (v.16-18)

Leah still has not learned her lesson to stop proving the need to fight for love and attention because she says that after the 6th son, now Jacob should give her attention. If giving sons was the factor, wouldn't the first few been more than enough? Especially considering Rachel was unable to conceive for a long time. (v.18-20)

Zebulun means "Glorious Dwelling Place." (v.18-20)

Since Dinah is explicitly mentioned, it can be assumed that she is the only daughter in the string of births between Leah, Rachel, and the two maidservants. (v.21)

Dinah means "Judgement" and is the female version of Dan. (v.21)

The phrase of "God remembering" appears again. Another instance we see this is when Noah leaves the ark. This is not to say that God forgot and then remembered; rather, it is time to fulfill a promise. In this case, it would be to make Jacob multiply among nations. (v.22-24)

Joesph means "Increaser" as Rachel says "The Lord shall add another son to me." (v.24)

If we interpret the gray and speckled cattle to be 'imperfect,' then it might not be a stretch to consider this small portion of the story a premonition of Christ. Christ takes care of those who are lost or are 'imperfect' by sin. (v.31-33)

Questions

Rachel says that she would die if she does not bear children with Jacob. Is this a suicide threat? (v.1)

What does it mean that "God has judged [Rachel]"? Usually "judge" implies a negative connotation and we see punishment follow. However, this time it seems that this 'judgment' is a blessing. (v.5-6)

Dinah's name means judgment, but why. Is this implying that negative judgment has come across Leah because of a birth of a daughter rather than a son? Another aspect to consider is that Leah does not bear anymore children after Dinah. (v.21)

Why does Joseph want the speckled and gray cattle? Are they considered inferior, or was it just cosmetic differences? (v.31-33)

What does "[Laban] put three days' journey between himself and Jacob" mean? Originally I would have thought it meant there was 3-days worth of travel between the two people but this is followed up by Joseph feeding the rest of Laban's flocks, which couldn't be 3-days away from Laban. (v.36)

How do the different rods make the animals conceive? (v.37-43)

Things to Add to Prayer:

Reference this quote when talking about guests: "If I could find grace in your eyes, I would seek for it divinely, for God has blessed me by your coming."

-Mikhael