Abstract

A response to Van der Watt’s article on ‘Intertextuality and over-interpretation: References to Genesis 28:12 in John 1:51?’ This article is a response to an article of Van der Watt titled ‘Intertextuality and over-interpretation: References to Genesis 28:12 in John 1:51?’ (2016). He states in this article that his aim is ‘to illustrate the dangers of over-interpretation when dealing with intertextual relations between texts, especially when allusion is assumed’. He then gives a brief survey of different interpretations of John 1:51. Van der Watt shows in his article how theologians use themes from Genesis 28:12 (like the ladder, Jacob or Bethel, which are not mentioned in John 1:51) in their expositions of John 1:51. Van der Watt regards some of these expositions as examples of over-interpretation. The aim of my article is to show how Church Fathers interpreted Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51. I show in my article that the Church Fathers saw several parallels between these two sections from the Bible. Furthermore, I suggest that the early theologians’ interpretations formed a tradition that probably influenced modern interpreters of the Bible. I also discuss the role of typology in the history of interpretation, specifically also in the case of Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51. I then argue that it is perhaps not so far-fetched to see an intertextual relation between Genesis 28:12 and John 1:51.

Highlights

  • Van der Watt (2016)1 wys in sy artikel (‘Intertekstualiteit en oorinterpretasie: Verwysings na Genesis 28:12 in Johannes 1:51?’) op die gevaar daarvan om ’n teks te ‘oorinterpreteer’ wanneer daar met intertekstualiteit tussen tekste omgegaan word – veral wanneer sinspeling veronderstel word

  • Om sy punt te staaf, gee hy dan voorbeelde van teoloë wat Johannes 1:51 in terme van Genesis 28:12 verklaar

  • Hy redeneer dus dat Johannes se verhaal uniek is en dat die evangelis slegs een enkele aspek uit Genesis 28:12 wou beklemtoon, en dat hy nie die hele konteks van Genesis 28:12 met die verstaan van Johannes 1:51 wou integreer nie

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Summary

Original Research

Repliek op Van der Watt se artikel oor ‘Intertekstualiteit en oorinterpretasie: Verwysings na Genesis 28:12 in Johannes 1:51?’. A response to Van der Watt’s article on ‘Intertextuality and over-interpretation: References to Genesis 28:12 in John 1:51?’ This article is a response to an article of Van der Watt titled ‘Intertextuality and over-interpretation: References to Genesis 28:12 in John 1:51?’ (2016) He states in this article that his aim is ‘to illustrate the dangers of over-interpretation when dealing with intertextual relations between texts, especially when allusion is assumed’. Van der Watt (2016) wys in sy artikel (‘Intertekstualiteit en oorinterpretasie: Verwysings na Genesis 28:12 in Johannes 1:51?’) op die gevaar daarvan om ’n teks te ‘oorinterpreteer’ wanneer daar met intertekstualiteit tussen tekste omgegaan word – veral wanneer sinspeling veronderstel word. Hy wys hoe dit deur al die fasette van Genesis 28 se verhaal uitborduur word met die aanname dat Johannes 1:51 juis dít wil interpreteer. 1.Alle verdere verwysings na Van der Watt word uit hierdie artikel aangehaal en sal slegs met bladsynommers aangedui word

Open Access
Die antieke teoloë se hantering van die twee verhale
Intertekstualiteit en tipologie
Mededingende belange
Full Text
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