Nehemiah and his heroes rebuild the wall, notice the superhuman strength of the guys holding up a huge block of stone, while Nehemiah reads a proclamation.

Nehemiah seems like a typical Sunday School story of a book, a sort of hero story made even less interesting by being told by the hero. Like Ezra it is not the first place I’d look searching for humour in Scripture. Yet, I think reading Nehemiah 6 we can trace more than one example of humour, at least one subtle and another quite open.

See what you think

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible: book16: Nehemiah

The chronology of ancient kingdoms amended: to which is prefix'd, a short chronicle from the first memory of things in Europe, to the conquest of Persia by Alexander the Great: with three plates of the temple of Solomon / by Sir Isaac Newton. Dublin. Image is of plate #1 (Image from Wikipedia)

Ezra is far from the funniest book in the Bible, or the easiest read. Yet even here there are hints and traces of that most human of phenomena, humour. In Ezra 3:12-13 (as often) one either has to laugh or cry. Throughout the book something funny is going on with language and translation (see e.g. Ezra 4:7, 18), but no one has yet explained satisfactorily what! The ever so tactful representation of Ezra’s lack of faith in Ezra 8:21-23 is often cited. And in the end, I cannot resist mentioning David’s candidate in Ezra 5-6 culminating in Ezra 6:8-13. Isn’t this punctilious obedience a surprise

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible, book 15: Ezra

Not what either Zedekiah the prophet or a real Viking would wear, but it is funny (photo by dionhinchcliffe)

The strange, and strangely disturbing story of Micaiah ben Imlah in 2 Chronicles 18 which repeats very closely its source in 1 Kings 22¹ it ticks all the boxes as a passage intended to be funny.

And when you read it, it is hilarious. From Jehoshaphat’s gentle resistance through Zedekiah with a “Viking” helmet, and Micaiah telling porkies after swearing the truth, only when caught claiming a Lying spirit from Yahweh tricked him, to Micaiah’s last laugh from prison, the tale is a riot

But what is its point?

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible, book 14: 2 Chronicles 18

1. Which may mean this entry is cheating in terms of finding humour in every book of the (Hebrew) Bible, though it does seem to show that the Chronicles was not so humourless as to damage fine humour when he came across it. BTW if anyone has an example of humour in 1 Chronicles, I am still looking and would value your help. Tyler hinted at some killer comedy in Chronicles but so far no one has proposed a good example…

Larger babies are sometimes refered to ironically as "the baby elephant" (photo by silentcow)

The prayer of Jabez was wildly popular a few years back among voguish Christians worried about the lack of obvious and excess prosperity in their lives (compared to those richer and general better off than them, not compared to the world population in general).

Even without that 1 Chron 4:9-10 is funny (strange peculiar, if not humorous) in several ways:

• first narrative in Chron
• not part of surrounding genealogy seems stuck in
• Jabez does not seem to fit into the genealogies
• though there is a town of that name inhabited by possibly Kenite scribes
• and begins “there was” vayyehi like stories do
• though there are puns and other wordplays in the genealogies, they are more prominent here
• Jabez is honoured, but was born in pain, and prays for pain to be removed from his life

So there are a number of clues that the passage may contain intended humour.

Tyler pointed me to it, and Chris Heard has an article in JHS: R. Christopher Heard, “Echoes of Genesis in 1 Chronicles 4:9–10: An Intertextual and Contextual Reading of Jabez’s Prayer” JHS 4:2, 2002

Among the other resources I used I’ll quote from: Japhet, Sara. I & II Chronicles: A Commentary. Westminster John Knox Press, 1993, 110.

Heard argues against Japhet’s claim that in the Chronicler naming implies destiny, making Jabez’ name almost a curse and shows that it rather (as in the text) reflects his mother’s pain (hearing an echo of Gen 3:16).

He also argues that we should read this little story with the other small stories in the opening of Chronicles dealing with the acquisition of land in the south by non-Judahites (Rubenites and Simeonites) in this case Jabez is more honoured (than his brothers in story) because he gets his land by prayer rather than warfare.

This is a miniature story full of delightful and amusing turnarounds.

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible 13: 1 Chronicles 4 The Prayer of Jabez

Elijah the Tishbite was a "lord of hair" (photo by JD Hancock)

Since Google suggests the first chapter of 2 Kings is humorous I’ll measure it against the criteria. It meets most (but not all) which i think makes it clear this passage is not merely funny but was intended to be funny. Though again it is a “black” humour.

As a bonus I’ll offer a reading of the passage, it seems a shame to be talking about humour but not be “allowed” to get any laughs NB: this reading is basically the NRSV, which being a very literal translation captures the fairy tale quality of the telling rather well.

So, here are links to the audio:

Humour in the Bible: Book 12: 2 Kings 1: Mission interrupted

Special bonus: reading of 2 Kings 1 based on the NRSV

Image of Elijah (on Mt Carmel, photo by brett.wagner)

Idols, “gods” that people make! The very idea of making a god is one of those notions that almost have to reduce you to tears (whether of laughter or sadness and desperation depends on the circumstances), and the Bible has plenty of fun at the expense (in both senses) of idols. In this episode, therefore, we’ll look at 1 Kings 18 (particularly 1Kings 18:27 & 39).¹

So, here’s the link to the audio: Humour in the Bible 11: 1 Kings: In an idol moment

1. There is fuller background on this in 1 Kings 16:29 – 19:18: The big fight at Mt Carmel

The narrative books are on the whole easy targets for finding humour, so again I’ll recycle an old podcast This time in 2 Samuel 7 where God plays with words and puns away while explaining what he meant…

So, here’s the link to the audio: God the Exegete

Donkey by jlmaral

For 1 Samuel I am going to cheat again, I just don’t think I can beat the hilarious introduction the first king, Saul, receives. In these two podcasts (again repeated)¹  I’ll point up some of the fun in the tale of Saul and the donkeys

So, here are links to the audio:

Introducing Saul (1 Samuel 9)

Still introducing Saul (1 Samuel 9)

1. • Introducing Saul
   • Still Introducing Saul

Who is that girl? Gustave Doré (1832-1883) from Wikimedia

Ruth is a lovely story, it’s humour is¹ gentle and subtle. Part of the subtlety is that most (though not all) of the signs of humour are missing. However, I think we are intended to smile in at least two ways in the portrayal of the characters.

For this entry in the humour series I am repeating my podcast on chapter 2, where I think several of the signs are present, if subtly:

• incongruity: found I’ll claim in the disparity of cultures between peasant farming Bethlehem and semi-nomadic herding Moab
• lighthearted mood – it’s harvest time and there’s a meal
• surprise – Ruth “happens” on the field of a suitable husband
• ingenuity (cleverness is often a mark of humour think of puns) – if it’s present it is in Ruth’s possible playing with words for servanthood, but that’s too technical for this post
• inferiority – Ruth is a foreign, young, woman; Boaz is a wealthy, older, man
• “inelasticity” (following Bergson) – does Boaz’ slight pomposity count?
• human pretension revealed in all its lack of glory! – not at all present
• hyperbole – not present, except perhaps in the quantity of grain Ruth gleans

The other candidate is the use of direct speech to characterise, and since it is even less overt I’ll just point to the file for those who want to listen: Anyway here’s my candidate for humour in Ruth: Direct speech in biblical narratives

So, here’s the link to the audio: Ruth is from Moab, Boaz is from Bethlehem

1. Chapter three is a possible exception  – and the humour there, if there is humour, is disguised and sexual, so very difficult to spot with confidence across cultures!

Barak the son of Abinoam from Kedesh in Naphtali, was a military general in the Book of Judges in the Bible. "Promptuarii Iconum Insigniorum" Published by Guillaume Rouille (1518?-1589) Wikimedia

Judges is one Bible book where it has been common to recognise humour. Ehud killing the fat and oppressive king Eglon in the toilet has been a popular example, though  I’ll pretty much leave the scatology to David and others who appreciate it

I’d rather focus on gender.

In Judges relationships between men and women are either funny or horrible.

The story of Deborah (Judges 4) may provide examples, but the humour in the poem (Judges 5) is much clearer. It shows all nine of my diagnostic signs of humour. And develops some powerful (and this being Judges disturbing) gender bending humour. Though after the harsh laughs of the role reversals it is with a pleasant smile that we notice the delight Sisera’s womenfolk take in their imagined looted finery with “divers colours of needlework on both sides” (Judges 5:30) with its gender stereotyping
So, here’s the link to the audio:  Humour in the Bible Book 7 Judges: Gender Bending