The language of verbal insults in the Hebrew Bible

This study is an analysis of verbal insults in the Hebrew Bible. Beginning with the conviction that language is a social phenomenon, the study recognizes that insults are acts of rudeness and insolence, which are deeply rooted in the symbolic world of ancient Israel. Some features of that world are universal; others are specific to the historical and cultural milieu of Israel. Therefore, the analysis of Biblical insults requires sensitivity to the social dynamics that are represented and assumed by the written text. By uttering words of scorn, speakers employ language in a performance of conflict. The study first explores what kind of performance is entailed in the insult. It then turns toward an examination of the words used to insult. These creative speech acts often employ metaphorical language to generate emotive connotations to stigmatize the addressee. Imagery from the realms of social relationships and the physical environment provide a vast array of symbols to manipulate. Furthermore, insults are not only conveyed through lexemes, but also encoded into various conversational strategies that are particularly significant in social interaction. It will be seen that in Biblical literature insults are a means of subverting or reinforcing social boundaries and hierarchies between characters, whether human or divine. Awareness of these processes sharpens our perception of the social world presented in the text, and provide an opportunity to consider the social reality of ancient Israel, to which the literature points.