Jesus’s Puzzling Retort to the Royal Official (John 4:48) in Isodiegetic Perspective

When a “royal official” (βασιλικός) urges Jesus to help his dying son, Jesus surprisingly retorts (John 4:48): “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe!” Researchers find this outburst out of place in response to a desperate father, but this article argues that it can be expl...

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Bibliographic Details
Main Author: Berglund, Carl Johan 1973- (Author)
Format: Electronic Article
Language:English
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Published: Brill 2024
In: Novum Testamentum
Year: 2024, Volume: 66, Issue: 2, Pages: 193-209
Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains:B Bible. Johannesevangelium 4,48 / Herodes Antipas Galilee, Tetrarch 20 BC-39 / Jesus Christus / Family
IxTheo Classification:HC New Testament
HD Early Judaism
TB Antiquity
ZB Sociology
Further subjects:B shared storyworld
B Gospel of John
B Herod Antipas
B βασιλικός
B Loyalty
B Herodians
Online Access: Presumably Free Access
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Summary:When a “royal official” (βασιλικός) urges Jesus to help his dying son, Jesus surprisingly retorts (John 4:48): “Unless you people see signs and wonders, you will never believe!” Researchers find this outburst out of place in response to a desperate father, but this article argues that it can be explained by use of an isodiegetic perspective, where the Johannine storyworld is informed by a larger narrative tradition in which the tetrarch Herod Antipas (ca. 4 BCE–39 CE) is a known adversary of Jesus, whose adherents strive to entrap him and get him killed. In view of the official’s expected patronal loyalty to “king” (βασιλεύς) Herod, his healing request can reasonably be presumed to be a trap until his appeal “Sir, come down before my child dies!” (John 4:49) clarifies that the man is not acting as a client, but as a father.
ISSN:1568-5365
Contains:Enthalten in: Novum Testamentum
Persistent identifiers:DOI: 10.1163/15685365-bja10060