Text in Afrikaans / Die boek Jona in die Ou Testament fassineer sowel geleerdes uit verskeie dissiplines, as gewone Bybel-gelowiges al vir eeue lank. Ten spyte van die beperkte lengte en verhaal-inhoud, bestaan daar 'n ongekende aantal uiteenlopende interpretasies van die Klein Profete-boek, as gevolg van die verskillende benaderingswyses waarop dit gedurende verskillende eras en in 'n verskeidenheid van intellektuele kontekste benader en gei:nterpreteer is. 'n Sinvolle ondersoek na en beoordeling van die verskillende interpretasie-benaderings, met die oog op die uiteindelike formulering van die universele boodskap van die verhaal van Jona, behoort te begin by die logiese beginpunt, naamlik die vroee Kerkvaders. Hierdie studie konsentreer daarom op die interpretasies en toepassings van die verhaal van Jona deur die vroee Latynse Kerkvaders van die derde tot die vyfde eeue nC. Vanwee hul hoofsaaklik nai:ef-realistiese kenhouding, het hulle oor die algemeen nie die historiese akkuraatheid van die Jona-verhaal betwyfel nie. Onder die invloed van sowel die Hebreeuse interpretasie-tradisie as die vroee Griekse Kerkvaders, het hulle Jona hoofsaaklik op tipologiese en allegoriese wyse geinterpreteer. Die uitgangspunt vir die tipologiese interpretasie, waarvolgens Jona beskou word as 'n tipe ofvoorafskaduwing van Jesus Christus (die anti-tipe), is die sogenaamde "Teken van Jona" in die Nuwe Testament. Vir die doel van hierdie studie is die Kerkvader Hieronymus se kommentaar op die boek Jona in geheel vertaal en bestudeer, as verteenwoordigend van die interpretasie-benadering van die Latynse Kerkvaders. Daarna is korter fragmente bestudeer uit die kommentare van Hilarius van Poitiers en Ambrosius van Milaan oor Bybelpassasies waarin Jona self, of aspekte uit die verhaal, figureer. Vervolgens is daar ook ondersoek ingestel na die toepassing van die Jona-verhaal in geselekteerde fragmente uit die vroeg-Christelike poesie en epistolografie. Die gevolgtrekking waartoe hierdie studie gekom het, is dat die belangrikste bydrae deur die geselekteerde outeurs tot die corpus van Jona-interpretasies, gelee is in hul be grip en formulering van die universele genade-boodskap van Jona, en in hul toepassing van sekere kernaspekte uit die verhaal, as exempla of illustrasies, waardeur bepaalde waarhede aan die orde gestel is en spesifieke boodskappe oorgedra is. Gesien binne die bree konteks van gesofistikeerde interpretasie-benaderings tot en literer-wetenskaplike teoriee oor die verhaal van Jona, het die vroeg-Latynse outeurs tog ook, ten spyte van hul eenvoudiger werkswyses, die kernboodskap van Jona korrek gei:nterpreteer en treffend weergegee, en deur middel van hul tipologiese interpretasies van die verhaal, 'n sinvolle bydrae gelewer tot die eeue-lange geskilpunt rondom die historisiteit van Jona. / For many centuries the book of Jonah, one of the collection of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, has fascinated both scholars from various disciplines, as well as ordinary laymen. Due to the various ways in which it was interpreted during different eras and in different intellectual contexts, there exist a plethora of divergent interpretations of this book, in spite of its limited length and contents. With a view to formulating the universal message of the story of Jonah, a meaningful review of all these approaches should start with the early Church Fathers, the most logical startingpoint. This study therefore concentrates on the interpretations and applications of the story ofJonah, by some of the Fathers of the Latin church from the third to the fifth century AD. Owing to their mainly naive-realistic cognitive approach, they in general did not doubt the historicity of the Jonah-narrative. Influenced by both the Hebrew tradition and the Greek Fathers, they mainly interpreted the story of Jonah allegorically and typologically. Their typological interpretation, based on the so-called "Sign of Jonah", depicts the prophet Jonah as the type or prefiguration of Jesus Christ (the anti-type). For this study Saint Jerome's commentary on the book of Jonah, was translated and studied in its entirety, as a useful representative of the interpretative framework of the early Latin Fathers. Some shorter fragments from Saint Hilary of Poitiers' and some of Saint Ambrose's commentaries on Biblical passages, in which Jonah or specific aspects from the story figure, were also studied. Finally some fragments from early Christian Latin poetry and epistolography were selected with a view to studying the different applications of the Jonah narrative in patristic literature. The study arrived at the conclusion that the most important contribution of the selected Christian Latin authors to the corpus of Jonah-interpretations is in their understanding and formulation of Jonah's universal message of grace, as well as in their application of the narrative, in the form of exempla, with a view to illustrating and emphasising certain aspects or truths. Seen in the broad context of sophisticated interpretative approaches to and literary theories on the story of Jonah, the Fathers of the Latin church did interpret the message of Jonah correctly, in spite of their more simple approaches, and they conveyed this message in striking ways. In addition to this, their typological interpretations added yet another interesting perspective to the age-long dispute about the historicity of the Jonah-narrative. / Classics & Modern European Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (Latin)

Text in Afrikaans / Die boek Jona in die Ou Testament fassineer sowel geleerdes uit verskeie dissiplines, as gewone Bybel-gelowiges al vir eeue lank. Ten spyte van die beperkte lengte en verhaal-inhoud, bestaan daar 'n ongekende aantal uiteenlopende interpretasies van die Klein Profete-boek, as gevolg van die verskillende benaderingswyses waarop dit gedurende verskillende eras en in 'n verskeidenheid van intellektuele kontekste benader en gei:nterpreteer is. 'n Sinvolle ondersoek na en beoordeling van die verskillende interpretasie-benaderings, met die oog op die uiteindelike formulering van die universele boodskap van die verhaal van Jona, behoort te begin by die logiese beginpunt, naamlik die vroee Kerkvaders. Hierdie studie konsentreer daarom op die interpretasies en toepassings van die verhaal van Jona deur die vroee Latynse Kerkvaders van die derde tot die vyfde eeue nC. Vanwee hul hoofsaaklik nai:ef-realistiese kenhouding, het hulle oor die algemeen nie die historiese akkuraatheid van die Jona-verhaal betwyfel nie. Onder die invloed van sowel die Hebreeuse interpretasie-tradisie as die vroee Griekse Kerkvaders, het hulle Jona hoofsaaklik op tipologiese en allegoriese wyse geinterpreteer. Die uitgangspunt vir die tipologiese interpretasie, waarvolgens Jona beskou word as 'n tipe ofvoorafskaduwing van Jesus Christus (die anti-tipe), is die sogenaamde "Teken van Jona" in die Nuwe Testament. Vir die doel van hierdie studie is die Kerkvader Hieronymus se kommentaar op die boek Jona in geheel vertaal en bestudeer, as verteenwoordigend van die interpretasie-benadering van die Latynse Kerkvaders. Daarna is korter fragmente bestudeer uit die kommentare van Hilarius van Poitiers en Ambrosius van Milaan oor Bybelpassasies waarin Jona self, of aspekte uit die verhaal, figureer. Vervolgens is daar ook ondersoek ingestel na die toepassing van die Jona-verhaal in geselekteerde fragmente uit die vroeg-Christelike poesie en epistolografie. Die gevolgtrekking waartoe hierdie studie gekom het, is dat die belangrikste bydrae deur die geselekteerde outeurs tot die corpus van Jona-interpretasies, gelee is in hul be grip en formulering van die universele genade-boodskap van Jona, en in hul toepassing van sekere kernaspekte uit die verhaal, as exempla of illustrasies, waardeur bepaalde waarhede aan die orde gestel is en spesifieke boodskappe oorgedra is. Gesien binne die bree konteks van gesofistikeerde interpretasie-benaderings tot en literer-wetenskaplike teoriee oor die verhaal van Jona, het die vroeg-Latynse outeurs tog ook, ten spyte van hul eenvoudiger werkswyses, die kernboodskap van Jona korrek gei:nterpreteer en treffend weergegee, en deur middel van hul tipologiese interpretasies van die verhaal, 'n sinvolle bydrae gelewer tot die eeue-lange geskilpunt rondom die historisiteit van Jona. / For many centuries the book of Jonah, one of the collection of the Twelve Minor Prophets in the Old Testament, has fascinated both scholars from various disciplines, as well as ordinary laymen. Due to the various ways in which it was interpreted during different eras and in different intellectual contexts, there exist a plethora of divergent interpretations of this book, in spite of its limited length and contents. With a view to formulating the universal message of the story of Jonah, a meaningful review of all these approaches should start with the early Church Fathers, the most logical startingpoint. This study therefore concentrates on the interpretations and applications of the story ofJonah, by some of the Fathers of the Latin church from the third to the fifth century AD. Owing to their mainly naive-realistic cognitive approach, they in general did not doubt the historicity of the Jonah-narrative. Influenced by both the Hebrew tradition and the Greek Fathers, they mainly interpreted the story of Jonah allegorically and typologically. Their typological interpretation, based on the so-called "Sign of Jonah", depicts the prophet Jonah as the type or prefiguration of Jesus Christ (the anti-type). For this study Saint Jerome's commentary on the book of Jonah, was translated and studied in its entirety, as a useful representative of the interpretative framework of the early Latin Fathers. Some shorter fragments from Saint Hilary of Poitiers' and some of Saint Ambrose's commentaries on Biblical passages, in which Jonah or specific aspects from the story figure, were also studied. Finally some fragments from early Christian Latin poetry and epistolography were selected with a view to studying the different applications of the Jonah narrative in patristic literature. The study arrived at the conclusion that the most important contribution of the selected Christian Latin authors to the corpus of Jonah-interpretations is in their understanding and formulation of Jonah's universal message of grace, as well as in their application of the narrative, in the form of exempla, with a view to illustrating and emphasising certain aspects or truths. Seen in the broad context of sophisticated interpretative approaches to and literary theories on the story of Jonah, the Fathers of the Latin church did interpret the message of Jonah correctly, in spite of their more simple approaches, and they conveyed this message in striking ways. In addition to this, their typological interpretations added yet another interesting perspective to the age-long dispute about the historicity of the Jonah-narrative. / Classics and Modern European Languages / D.Litt. et Phil. (Latin)

Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2000 / ENGLISH ABSTRACT: The issue addressed in this study and its hypothesis are outlined in chapter one, and concern the general problem of variety in theological interpretation of the Bible. Specifically, the research problem is identified with the existence of different readings of Jonah as Scripture, and the need for these readings to be authoritative. A secondary issue has to do with the role of author's intention in theological interpretation. The hypothesis of this study states that the existence of various models of Scriptural authority can account in part for the different ways that interpreters produce meaning in the text of Jonah, by appealing to the one aspect of the text which is thought to be authoritative. In chapter two the concept of scriptural authority is defined. The writings of theologians who have expressed authority in terms of models is compared and contrasted. A synthesis is attempted which aims at providing a definition of each model of authority with which to analyse the theological interpretations of select authors. In this chapter, the main focus is on the different ways that the Bible is regarded as authoritative in the church. Chapter three provides an analysis of three Jonah commentaries each written from the perspective of one of the models of authority. The specific way in which each author understands the meaning of Jonah is identified through a consideration of the exegetical arguments. The single aspect of the text which is taken to be decisive in the articulation of the understanding of the theological message is traced in the author's argument. The interpretation is then compared with the definition of the particular model assumed to be underlying the exegesis. The final chapter consists of an evaluation of the validity of the central hypothesis; some concluding remarks concerning the role of author's intention in authoritative interpretation; and an identification of areas for further research. / AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: OUTORITEIT EN INTERPRETASIE IN DIE BOEK JONA Die probleemstelling en hipotese van hierdie studie kry in hoofstuk een aandag. Die probleem het te doen met die verskeidenheid teologiese interpretasies van die Bybel. Die spesifieke navorsingsprobleem word met die bestaan van verskillende verklarings in die boek Jona wat gelees is as die Heilige Skrif, geidentifiseer. 'n Sekondere saak het met die rol van die outeur se bedoeling in 'n teologiese interpretasie te doen. Die hipotese wat die studie rig, se dat die verskillende maniere hoe vertolkers die bedoeling uit die boek Jona kry, teruggevoer kan word na die bestaan van verskeie modelle van skriftuurlike outoriteit. Dit gebeur omdat 'n enkele aspek van die teks as outoriter behandel word. Die bepaling van skriftuurlike outoriteit word in hoofstuk twee behandel. Die resultate van teoloe wat outoriteit as modelle beskrywe het word vergelyk en teenoorgestel. Die modelle is saamgestel tot 'n definisie van elke model van outoriteit om die teologiese interpretasies van sekere outeurs te ontleed. Die hoofbrandpunt van hierdie hoofstuk is die verskillende maniere waarop die Bybel as outoriter in die Kerk verskyn. Hoofstuk drie bestaan uit 'n ontleding van drie kommentare van die boek Jona wat vanuit die perspektief van 'n spesifieke model beskou kan word. Die manier waarop elke outeur Jona verstaan word geidentifiseer deur 'n oorweging van die eksegetiese argumente. Die enkele aspek van die teks wat bepaal hoe die teologiese boodskap verstaan is, word vervolg in die argument van die outeur. Die definisie van die spesifieke model wat die outeur blykbaar aanvaar, word daarna vergelyk met die interpretasie. In die slothoofstuk word 'n evaluering van die geldigheid van die sentrale hipotese opgeneem; verskeie slotopmerkings betreffende die rol van die outeur se voornemens in gesaghebbende verklaring; en die identifisering van velde vir verdere ondersoek.

The goal of this study is to evaluate, in which manner the Non-Israelites turn to Yahweh. It works with a combination of narrative analysis and intertextuality. The book of Jonah contains two symmetrical parts (1-2 and 3-4), each part containing three scenes, each scene relating to a scene in the other part: 1.1-3 // 3.1-3a; 1.4-16 // 3.3b-10; 2.1-11 // 4.1-11. The structure of 1.4-16, including the inner development of the mariners, shows that a conversion of the Seamen to Yahweh is intended. In the same manner the structure of 3.3b-10 and the positive characterization of the Ninevites show that a conversion to the one true God is intended. These results are each confirmed by an intertextual analysis of 1.14 and 16 and of the faith, the repentance and the God who relents. Result: The book of Jonah teaches that Non-Israelites can have a relationship with Yahweh. This is possible through an Israelite, becoming reality by conversion of the Heathen. / Old Testament & Ancient Near Eastern Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)

The goal of this study is to evaluate, in which manner the Non-Israelites turn to Yahweh. It works with a combination of narrative analysis and intertextuality. The book of Jonah contains two symmetrical parts (1-2 and 3-4), each part containing three scenes, each scene relating to a scene in the other part: 1.1-3 // 3.1-3a; 1.4-16 // 3.3b-10; 2.1-11 // 4.1-11. The structure of 1.4-16, including the inner development of the mariners, shows that a conversion of the Seamen to Yahweh is intended. In the same manner the structure of 3.3b-10 and the positive characterization of the Ninevites show that a conversion to the one true God is intended. These results are each confirmed by an intertextual analysis of 1.14 and 16 and of the faith, the repentance and the God who relents. Result: The book of Jonah teaches that Non-Israelites can have a relationship with Yahweh. This is possible through an Israelite, becoming reality by conversion of the Heathen. / Ziel der vorliegenden Studie ist zu erheben, in wieweit sich die Nichtisraeliten (Seeleute und Niniviten) dem wahren Gott zuwenden. Sie geht methodisch mit einer Kombination aus Erzähltextanalyse und Intertextualität vor. Das Jonabuch besteht aus zwei symmetrischen Hälften (Jon 1-2 und 3-4) mit je 3 Szenen, die einander gegenüberstehen: 1,1-3 // 3,1-3a; 1,4-16 // 3,3b-10; 2,1-11 // 4,1-11. Die Struktur der Seeszene (Jon 1,4-16), sowie die innere Entwicklung der Seeleute zeigen, dass eine Bekehrung zu Jahwe intendiert ist. Diese Einsicht wird von der intertextuellen Analyse von Vers 14 und 16 bestätigt. Ebenso erweist die Struktur der Niniveperikope (3,3b-10) und die positive Charakterisierung der Niniviten eine Bekehrung zum wahren Gott, ein Ergebnis, das von der intertextuellen Analyse des Glaubens, der Buße, sowie der Reue Gottes gestützt wird. Ergebnis: Das Jonabuch lehrt, dass Menschen außerhalb Israels eine Beziehung zu Jahwe haben können, vermittelt durch einen Israeliten und realisiert, wenn sich die Heiden bekehren. / Biblical and Ancient Studies / M. Th. (Old Testament)