Gender Confusion
“And you shall circumcise the flesh of your foreskin. And it shall be a token of the covenant between Me and you.” Genesis 17:11
Foreskin – God has an amazing sense of humor. Deliberate gender confusion is a prime example. It has to make you laugh. Just consider the following:
The Hebrew word for foreskin is ‘orlah. It is used dozens of times in descriptions of circumcision. There could hardly be a more explicitly male noun. In fact, it is sometimes used euphemistically for the penis. But, the Hebrew noun is feminine! Either someone had no idea what makes a person male or this is an absolutely exquisite gender joke. Fortunately for men, the Hebrew word for testicle is actually a male noun.
Ah, but that’s not all. The Hebrew word rechem means womb. It’s pretty hard to not associate this with female, but this Hebrew noun is masculine. So are the nouns for breast and nipple. Maybe God just got confused and mixed up His genders. What do you think? Pretty funny, huh?
Aside from the humor of these upside-down gender associations, there’s a good lesson here. The sexual distinctions we put so much emphasis on in our culture might not be as important as we think. God’s view might suggest our preoccupation with gender differences needs a little levity. Maybe Sha’ul’s exhortation to care for each other as we care for our own bodies is a bigger play on words than we originally thought. After all, from a Hebrew perspective, the distinctively sexual components of males and females seem to carry a little reminder of the opposite gender, don’t they? If you and I recognize that what makes us sexual beings is described in the gender of the opposite sex, it just might help us appreciate the union of one flesh even more. Perhaps the Genesis 2:24 standard is quite a bit more eloquent than we imagined.
There is one other characteristic of Hebrew that helps us redefine the proper place of sexuality. Once again, this additional characteristic employs a bit of humor. Hebrew is particularly metaphorical and euphemistic when it comes to describing sexual organs. It uses phrases like “covering the feet,” “socket,” “heel” and “seed” rather than our explicit descriptions. But just the opposite is true when Hebrew speaks about sexual behavior. Then the language drops the euphemisms and provides straight talk. Apparently, God is far less interested in how you are built than what you do with how you are built.
All of this imagery offers an insight into the Garden story. We were made for each other, right down to the nouns. Furthermore, sexuality seems to originate in play. It’s the physical version of linguistic humor. It brings a smile and a laugh. But it is also subject to God’s parameters. There are fences to protect those who can laugh about it.
Topical Index: gender, foreskin, ‘orlah, rechem, womb, Genesis 17:11
So God created man in his own image, in the image of God created he him; male and female created he them. (Genesis 1:27)
Male and female created he them; and blessed them, and called their name Adam, in the day when they were created. (Genesis 5:2)
There is neither Jew nor Greek, there is neither bond nor free, there is neither male nor female: for you are all one in Christ Jesus. (Galatians 3:28) (v29-If you belong to Christ, then you are Abraham’s seed, and heirs according to the promise.
I don’t exactly know where to begin this reply. All my (short) life long, I’ve heard of “G-d the Father and I’ve heard of G-d the Son. I’ve known Jesus to be the “perfect man.” He is the complete and total package of what I need to be. However, (and this is where is gets interesting!), He is also the perfect woman! (how dare I make a statement like that!). He is the ideal man and He is the “ideal” woman. We (both male and female) are made in His perfect image. Brennan Manning writes about the “tender warrior” who is Christ. Manly in every virtue, yet compassionate and caring, even “motherly” when it come to caring for His own. Have you ever considered the “mother heart” of YHWH? (Isaiah 49:15) I am not denying G-d as Father, but I am also including in my worship of Him the compassion of a mother. Who is a G-d like our G-d? Who is like unto thee, O LORD, among the gods? (Exodus 15.11)
Didn’t He make Adam in His image, complete with all the maleness and femaleness in one person, then take woman out of Adam, so they could be joined again as one in perfect union? hummm…..
The idea that Adam was created androgynous has been a part of ancient Jewish interpretation for about 1000 years. However, recent scholarship finds this interpretation unsustainable (see Davidson, Flame of Yahweh). The text does not suggest sexual unicity, but rather essential humanity. That is, what it means to be human requires that Woman be brought out of Man, not that femaleness be constructed from maleness. Human beings are embodied as either male or female, but the sexual difference does not make a difference to their essential humanity. However, lack of community, lack of interpersonal communication, lack of intimate partnership and lack of shared responsibility does make a difference. I have a lot more to say about this in my (hopefully) forthcoming book, The Perfect Enemy.
Interesting…I’ve always wondered how men REALLY accepted being referred to as “the bride” of Christ. What about women as “priests and kings”?
Hi Mary,
I don’t mind thinking about women as priests and kings but being the bride of Christ is not an appealing image to me because he is a man.
socket? Where is that one Skip?
Jacob wrestles with the mysterious stranger who eventually defeats him by touching him in the “socket” of his hip. Of course, the same word is used in Exodus to suggest that all of the offspring of Jacob come from his “socket.” Duh!
Don’t worry, Michael. This reference to the bride appears to be allegory, representing the relationship of God’s people to Himself. Completeness, security, fidelity and consummate love. True love at first sight on His part! Then He persued and wooed us and drew us near to Him…isn’t He Wonderful!! Bless you this day.
Try re-reading Song of Songs to gain an appreciation for the deepest sense of love and lover.
Hi Mary,
I agree with your statement that:
This reference to the bride appears to be allegory, representing the relationship of God’s people to Himself. Completeness, security, fidelity and consummate love. True love at first sight on His part! Then He persued and wooed us and drew us near to Him…isn’t He Wonderful!!
And thanks for the blessing 🙂
Bergman’s The Seventh Seal (1956) might be the greatest movie ever made IMO and it is almost pure allegory. I have no problem with allegory.
But I don’t normally think in allegorical mode and allegory is not my favorite literary genre, although I wrote my dissertation on The Scarlet Letter and argued the along with American, Adam, Able, and Action, Hester’s badge of shame also stands for Alienation and Androgyny.
Like Jesus, Hawthorne’s Hero is the Good Shepard, the Sacrificial Lamb, and an Androgynous Soul (“Heart”).
In any case, the “bride of Christ” may be theologically correct, but I prefer to think of Jesus out in the boat in Mark or teaching us the Lord’s Prayer in Matthew.
Borrowing a (now famous) phrase from Rick Warren… “it’s not about you”.. He is (of course) right! This, (as brother Skip has been pounding away for quite some time now..) -This- “it’s all about me” attitude is the culmination of “Greek” thinking- basically revolving around the letter “I”.
It is Nebuchadnezzar (deju vu!) all over again. “I” will exalt my kingdom..,”I” will excel, “I” will prosper. “I” will rise to prominence.. etc.,ad naueum.. “I,I,I! I’ve got something in my “I”! I need to go see the “I” doctor!
Yes, RW is right! “It’s not about you.” It’s not about me, or him, or her, or (yes, my friend), you either. Then.. (narrowing the field!).. “what’s it all about? (for those who are old enuf- “Alfie”?).
It is about “us!”. “We” (together) are the body of Christ. And yes, Michael (together) -we are the bride of Christ. “We” (together or collectively) are “Adam”. (remember Genesis 5.2?).
Sister Mary..I don’t have an “easy” answer for you. I doubt whether most of us male types are willing to “let go” (of what?) and “come out” to say.. “I am (part of) the bride of Christ”.
But facts is facts and we are what we are. Again.. (together) we are (both!) His body (on this side) and we are (today and tomorrow)- the bride of Christ. Until you can wrap your (male or female) head around this (and confess or say the same thing as) – we will be stuck in “Lodebar!” (look it up!-) lol!..
More good news.. Because we belong to Him (bought with a price) and because He is our Shepherd/King, our daily living is in the process of a radical change. (if you don’t see this “change” happening- ask G-d to “kick it up a notch”- He will be glad to assist you..!)
Yes, YWYH is “calling out” a bride for G-d the Son. There will be a wedding feast- (and a honeymoon!)- lasting for how long? You want some details on this? Sorry.. can’t help you here.. I can say this tho’- it’s gonna be good! (to borrow from Emeril- “oh, yeah babe!) And how do I (excuse me.. “we”) know this?
“But as it is written, -(don’t you love those three words?-“it is written”..)- “Eye hath not seen, nor ear heard, neither have entered into the heart of man, the things which God hath prepared for them that love him.”
There is an event “yet to come”. The marriage supper of the Lamb. I don’t understand all that I know, but this I do know.. if it comes from our Father.. it’s gonna be good. The ‘best’ is yet to be!
Carl Roberts, You write so well most of the time, but I would like to inform you, on giving Rick Warren credit , more than once, for “his now famous statement”, it is not about you, it is about Him.—That a black preacher here in Central Tx, via of CA, was using that phrase on his TV preaching long before Rick Warren was even recognized by anyone outside his congreation.
Please, let us drop this idea that propels one person, such as Rick Warren , ( yes, I have read his books & I do think perhaps he helped bring life in some areas to dead groups, but nothing that God would not have done for them without even buying his books. Thousands of people in large churches, many of them large Baptist Churches because RW came out of that group.– RW admits that he became a millionaire overnight, and actually, apparently, he tried to live a simple normal life after that, but it is those people that make “a press image” out of these people who are called to be “servants” of the Lord, that are guilty of making idols out of God’s called out one, that do them harm. I have talked to several people that have been in churches that took RW courses more than once, and asked how they or the church benefited afterward. You would be surpised at the replies I heard. Check it out with several people that you know. Let God do the promoting. — Thank you for all the woderful things you have written from the Holy Scriptures that were/are so on target. L.B. (as usual must run, someone needs food)–