Crossing Boundaries: Moses the Man, Masculinities and Methods

The essay assesses five scholarly portraits of Moses' masculinity in Exodus-Deuteronomy (Eilberg-Schwartz, Clines, DiPalma, Graybill, and Wilson), noting strengths and weaknesses in each depiction. Six recommendations for future study of the masculinities of Moses are offered, including the addition of Psalm 90 to the mix of biblical texts relevant to the analysis of Moses' masculinities. With its Mosaic superscription, Psalm 90 combines acknowledgement of human limits and vulnerability as well as a remarkable rhetorical boldness that commands God to act in advocacy for God's people Israel.