[연구논문] 첫째 재앙 재고(再考)(출 7:14-25)

The First Plague Reconsidered(Ex 7:14-25)

본 논문은 출애굽기에 나오는 열 가지 재앙들 가운데 첫째 재앙 (출 7:14-25) 의 본문에 대한 분석과 해석을 시도한 것이다. 하수가 피로 바뀌게 되는 이 재앙에 대한 기존의 연구들의 한계를 넘어서 개념성(conceptuality)을 도출해 내는 새로운 해석을 시도하였다. 첫째 재앙은 애굽 사람들에게 있어서 생명줄과도 같은 나일강을 죽음의 상징인 피로 바꾼 재앙으로서, 생명과 죽음 을 관장하는 권세가 여호와 하나님께 있음을 바로와 애굽 사람들이 알도록 하기 위한 재앙이었다. 이 재앙에서 발견되는 궁극적인 개념성은 여호와가 유일한 창조주이심을 알도록 하는 데 있는 것으로 보인다. 동시에 시간적인 요소가 결정적인 역할을 하고 있어서, 아무 때나 원하시는 때 이런 재앙을 내릴 수 있는 전능하신 여호와 하나님의 능력을 보여 주는 재앙이다

Ten plagues played a major role in the event of Exodus because they certainly changed the mind of Pharaoh, which was hardened in the first place. YHWH does not need any plague to bring Israel out of Egypt. As the omnipotent God, YHWH could lead Israel into the promised land with his right arm. In this regard God's purpose of bringing plagues upon Egypt was to let Pharaoh know "who YHWH is". Van Seters says that the plague has an epistemic function and it leads the people into the knowledge of YHWH. Among those ten plagues this paper is to analyze the text of the first plague: changing water into blood. The first plague shows that the exclusive victory of YHWH against the God of Nile, who was believed to exist by the Egyptians but actually did not exist. The physical damage like deaths of the people, was not aimed at in this first plague because no one was dead here according to the text. Rather, the first plague foreshadows the upcoming plagues which would show various powers of YHWH. The composition analysis which includes a structure analysis and a content analysis, was used in this study in order to find the conceptuality which controls the various concepts embedded in the text. Letting Pharaoh and the Egyptians as well as the Israelites know the power of YHWH and eventually who YHWH is, seems to be the conceptuality in the text of the first plague.