The book of Ezekiel, like much of the Hebrew Bible, depicts Yahweh as a king. However, Ezekiel’s presentation of Yahweh’s kingship has been largely ignored by modern scholarship, and, when it has been addressed, has been categorized as a grand metaphor for Yahweh’s divine superiority. In contrast, this study argues that Yahweh’s kingship is a genuine political force, not merely a cipher for the exalted status of Israel’s deity. To answer the objection that ‘Yahweh is king’ is a metaphor, Chapter 2 shows that the approach to metaphors so commonly applied in Biblical Studies is deficient. A new approach is thus warranted and provided, enabling utterances such as ‘Yahweh is king’ to function within a spectrum literality. To show that Ezekiel’s presentation of Yahweh’s kingship merits consideration as a literal claim, Chapters 3-7 offer a close reading of the five texts that overtly hail Yahweh as king: Ezekiel 1-5, 8-11, 20, 34, 40-48. The political ramifications of Yahweh’s kingship are shown to be of such importance that Yahweh’s kingship is best understood as a claim for Yahweh himself to govern his people as a political, not merely religious, king. Chapter 8 briskly traces several key themes throughout the book confirming that Ezekiel presents Yahweh’s kingship in order to establish divine rule over all human affairs. And Chapter 9, as a conclusion, ties together the previous chapters while also demonstrating the value of the thesis both for scholarship on the book of Ezekiel and for the broader question of the kingship of God.

Thesis (M.A.)--Covenant Theological Seminary, 1996. / Includes abstract. Includes bibliographical references (leaves 77-80).

Coordenação de Aperfeiçoamento de Pessoal de Nível Superior / Esta tese tem como objeto de estudo, o primeiro Cântico do Servo de Yahweh em Is 42.1-4, e o quarto, em Is 52.13-53.12. A interpretação messiânica desses textos pelos escritores do Novo Testamento tem sido criticada e considerada uma adequação aos propósitos particulares dos discípulos de Jesus Cristo. Contudo, a tese indica a partir da exegese dos textos e do levantamento das antigas tradições sobre a figura do Messias no Antigo Testamento, e entre os povos vizinhos de Israel no Antigo Oriente Médio, que esses Cânticos contêm antigas tradições sobre o Messias, e ao mesmo tempo propõe uma combinação peculiar de esperanças, oferecendo renovação às tradições acerca da mesma figura. Os Cânticos do Servo de Yahweh analisados aqui lançam mão, cada um à sua maneira, de tradições da realeza e da profecia, sobrepujando amplamente as duas tradições. Em Dêutero- Isaías, o antigo tema do Messias desenvolvido a partir da figura do rei, ganha traços novos, e apresenta o Messias na figura do servo. Características literárias, éticas e antropológicas do conceito mítico de herói ajudam a renovar e compor essa figura. Considerando a pesquisa e a noção de que os Cânticos do Servo são tramas textuais de alto contexto, não se justifica a exigência da crítica de uma afirmação explícita e definitiva para se considerar esses textos como integrantes no desenvolvimento da tradição do Messias. Uma das maneiras que dinamizam a antiga tradição é o uso da linguagem e padrão do mito, que é capaz de fazer do servo, o herói e o rei, e, por conseguinte o Messias. / The study object is the first Servant Song of Isaiah in Isa 42:1-4 and the fourth, in Isa 52:13-53:12. The messianic interpretation of these texts by the writers of the New Testament has been criticized and considered an adaptation for the specific purpose of the disciples of Jesus Christ. However, the thesis indicates, based on the exegesis of the texts and the survey of the ancient traditions about the Messianic figure of the Old Testament, and among the neighboring peoples of Israel in the Ancient Middle East, that these Songs contain ancient traditions about the Messiah, and at the same time it proposes a peculiar combination of hopes, offering a renovation of the traditions around the same figure. The Servant Songs of Yahweh analyzed here, each one in its own way, resort to the traditions of the royalty and of prophecy, broadly surmounting the two traditions. In Deutero Isaiah, the ancient theme of the Messiah developed on the figure of the king, gains new features and presents the Messiah in the figure of the servant. Literary, ethical and anthropological characteristics of the mythical concept of the hero help to renovate and compose this figure. Considering the research and the notion that the Servant Songs are textual plots of high context, the demand of the critics for an explicit and definitive affirmation to consider these texts as integrating the development of the tradition of the Messiah is not justified. One of the ways of making the ancientness of the tradition more dynamic is the use of mythical language and patterns, which are capable of making the servant into the hero and the king, and consequently, the Messiah.

Zugl.: München, Univ., Habil.-Schr., 2008

<p> Mount Zion has long been a focal point for followers of Yahweh, and central to the cultic practices of the Israelites in the Old Testament. A diachronic examination of the spatial significance of Mount Zion in scripture is undertaken along with its contribution to Zion theology. In the Psalter, Mount Zion is a present reality representing the presence of Yahweh and his established kingdom. Isaiah affirms the inviolability of Mount Zion, concluding that Zion will again be the center from which Yahweh will rule. Scripture depicts Mount Zion as the iconic example of Yahweh's desired place to gather the nations, rule and execute his justice and peace that subsequently spills to the whole earth. In Hebrews, the earthly Mount Zion is seen as an archetype of the heavenly reality. Hebrews reminds its audience of the eternal heavenly city of the living God. In this way, the Mount Zion portrayed in the NT points us to our eschatological hope that recalls the images in the Psalter, Isaiah, and other OT passages. The purpose of this work is to bring a better understanding of the biblical references to "Mount Zion" in relation to its geographical location and the implications for the way we think about Zion in the church today.</p> / Thesis / Master of Theological Studies (MTS)

Does Yahweh exist? What is the ontological status of Yahweh-as-depicted in the Old Testament texts? Is the deity merely a character of fiction or does He also exist in extra-textual reality? According to the viewpoint of the devil’s advocate whose perspective on the issue is articulated in this thesis, the answer to the question is simply, no – Yahweh does not exist. He may seem real to those who believe in him and in the world of the text but he has no extra-textual and extra-psychical counterpart. To prove such a controversial claim, the philosophy of religion has been utilised as auxiliary discipline within Old Testament studies in the form of philosophicalcritical analysis (philosophical criticism / philosophy of Old Testament religion). A devil’s advocate's case against realism in Old Testament theology has been reconstructed in the form of seven arguments against the existence of Yahweh. According to the argument from theological pluralism, one element of the depiction of Yahweh in the text that is rather suspicious is the fact that Yahweh is characterised in ways that blatantly contradict each other. Both synchronic and diachronic perspectives on the theological contradictions suggest that there is no coherent biblical view of what Yahweh is actually like, what his will is and what he supposedly did. This deconstructs realism since the same actually existing entity cannot have discrepant attributes, hold mutually exclusive moral beliefs and have a history of both doing something and not doing the same thing at the same time. From the perspective of the argument from unorthodox theology, it is apparent that Yahweh is often depicted in ways most unorthodox from the point of view of Christian philosophical theology. Some texts appear to suggest he may not be eternal, single, omnipotent, omniscient, precognisant, immutable, omnipresent or wholly uninvolved in the actualisation of evil. If there is a God and if this God has all the attributes assigned to him by popular classical Christian philosophical theology, it follows that unorthodox depictions of Yahweh must be fictitious. In the view of the argument from polymorphic projection, everything about the god Yahweh appears suspiciously all-too-human. What Yahweh believes about the world, his self-talk, what he considers morally right and wrong and the way in which his own abode is run are all uncannily similar to the worldview and superstitions of the Iron Age Levant. The divine variables never transcend this all-too-local and all-too-cultural matrix and even change along with it. This unmasks Yahweh as ananthropomorphic, sociomorphic and sychomorphic projection – a character of fiction who does not exist outside the minds of those who created him in their image. The argument from mythology and syncretism demonstrates that the discourse of Yahweh’s religion and the sacred stories and poems in which he features contain numerous parallels to the myths, legends, folklore and superstitions found in other pagan religions. There are also marked traces of syncretism between the cult and theology of Yahweh and the ideologies of the Israelites' neighbours which, in each case, predates Yahwism. This suggests that Yahweh’s ontological status may very well not be all that different from that of El, Baal, Zeus or Maduk. From the perspective of the argument from fictitious cosmography, the world in the text where Yahweh is depicted as existing, acting and in which his abode is located and of which he is the creator, does not exist. Yahweh’s world and his worldview are demonstrably fictitious. Since the Old Testament depicts Yahweh as being “up there” in the sky and since we know that he is demonstrably not there, Yahweh-as-depicted stands unmasked as a character of fiction. The argument from fictitious history asserts that the Old Testament is filled with historical fiction. For a variety of reasons, it can be demonstrated that many of the depictions of supposed historical scenarios are completely fictitious in that they never happened in the way the details of the accounts imply were the case. Since what was intended as history is actually fiction and no god literally appeared, acted and spoke as Yahweh is depicted as doing, it follows that Yahweh as thus depicted is a character of fiction. He does not exist. Finally, the argument from meta-textual history shows that, on the one hand, the all-too-recent and all-too-local origins of the worship of Yahweh on a historical and cosmic scale unmask it as a wholly human enterprise. On the other hand, the Old Testament texts themselves have all-too-human origins rather than being the result of actual divine revelation. The Old Testament appears not to be the Word of God but human words about an allegedly existing deity. The development of Yahwism and its derivatives (Judaism and Christianity) seems not to have been determined by progressive revelation but by socio-cultural paradigm shifts and a history of repressed anti-realist tendencies. From such a meta-textual historical perspective it becomes obvious that Yahweh-as-depicted in the text is indeed no more than a product of human ideological imagination. In other words, he does not really exist. Though not all seven of these devil’s advocate’s arguments may be equally devastating when viewed in isolation, in the form of a cumulative argument against realism, they constitute seemingly irrefutable proof that Yahweh-as-depicted in the text does not exist. Consequently, realism collapses not only in Old Testament theology but also in any form of theism somehow related to, rooted in and/or dependent on realism in its discourse. / Thesis (PhD (Old Testament Science))--University of Pretoria, 2005. / Old Testament Studies / unrestricted

This study attempted to understand Malachi’s ethics by situating them firmly in a particular historical, religious and socio-economic context. Malachi as the conscience of his people was skilful and creative in adapting the older prophetic traditions to the advantage of their religious, economic and socio-cultural context. The book of Malachi contains a fundamental critique of the sacrificial practices of the time. The prophetic criticism of the cult as seen in the book was conducted on the basis of covenantal principles. The book’s ethical uniqueness is observed somehow most clearly in the preponderance of a negative emphasis the book places on temple rituals and the way the language of the cult dominates his analysis of malpractices. The book shows where the ritual delinquencies are and how to deal with them. Thus for the purpose of enacting a communal ethic, the thesis stressed the theological values and ethical relevance of the enduring message of Yahweh alone as the sovereign of all creation and thus of humble trust and hope in him, of repentance, of commitment to the ideals of fidelity and steadfastness, of judgment, truth and justice, and of covenant renewal and restoration of fortunes which Malachi offers people who yearn for them irrespective of their religious and cultural background and nationality. The study showed how the ethical dimensions of Yahweh (theological dimension); his people as a restored community of faith (social and political aspects) and their land (economic conditions) as seen in the book of Malachi obviously make ethical proposals for faith communities in dealing with every theological, socio-political, and economic issue within the larger human society. Thus the various interpretations of the different oracles in the book of Malachi served as basis for this study to evolve ethical proposals for contemporary Christian application, at least within an ecclesia community. The church must serve as a channel through which the ethical demands of God for a well-ordered community can be mediated within her and larger human society and must find creative ways to translate the biblical imperative in a contemporary theological, social and economic context. / Thesis (PhD)--University of Pretoria, 2014. / lk2014 / Old Testament Studies / PhD / Unrestricted

Le livre de Ruth conte un récit qu’il situe dès son premier verset à l’époque des Juges. Sa place dans le canon biblique hébraïque, qui le positionne dans le sous-groupe des Écrits (Ketuvim), ainsi que certains traits de la langue utilisée, ont pu faire penser à une rédaction postexilique tardive. L’objectif de ce travail de recherche est d’étudier la formation et l’évolution du rouleau de Ruth et ainsi, ses messages à caractère politique et les mœurs qu’il a su décrire. Le modèle qui se dégage de cette étude montre une formation et une évolution complexes, en plusieurs strates de rédactions, et avec plusieurs auteurs. Par sa taille assez courte, le livre de Ruth permet de faire cette analyse dans des conditions de laboratoire. On peut y observer des styles de langue distants entre eux de plusieurs siècles, avec des tournures caractéristiques d’une langue paléo-hébraïque jouxtant des expressions influencées par l’araméen, des incohérences logiques dans le texte, et enfin des réminiscences d’un culte polythéiste. De cette façon, ce travail nous fait faire un voyage à travers le temps qui débute par une histoire populaire, celle d’une moabite en terre de Judée, datant vraisemblablement du début de la royauté vers l’an -1000 avant notre ère. Ce voyage fait ensuite une halte vers les septième ou sixième siècles avec une première mise par écrit. Il se conclut finalement au cinquième ou quatrième siècle, après le retour de l’exil de Babylone, période où la version du livre de Ruth que nous possédons actuellement avec le texte massorétique est probablement rédigée. / According to the initial verse of the Book of Ruth, the story takes place during the period of the Judges. However, its place in the Hebrew Bible canon, where it is revealed in Writings (Ketuvim), as well as linguistic aspects of the text, has led scholars to believe that the book was composed during a late post-exilic period. The purpose of this study is to learn the development of the Book of Ruth and in particular, the political messages and customs of that precise period. Thanks to the conciseness of the story, an analysis in a laboratory-like environment is possible. The model that results from this study displays a very complex textual construction of several layers of writings and multiple authors. In turn, it enables one to observe various language styles scattered over a period of several centuries. Some of the language expressions are characteristic of Paleo-Hebrew and some are influenced by Talmudic Aramaic. There also appear to be logical inconsistencies within the narrative and reminders of a polytheistic cult. This research takes us on a journey through time that begins as a folktale of a Moabite woman in the land of Judea, probably from the turn of Royalty around the year 1000 BC. The journey halts unexpectedly during the seventh or sixth century BC, as its first writings appear during this period. It finally concludes during the fifth or fourth century BC, with the return to Zion from exile in Babylon, a period in which the Masoretic version of the Book of Ruth was likely written.

This investigation is about the theological perspectives in Ezra and Nehemiah on the concept of ‘Yahweh’s people’ during the early post-exilic period (539-350 BC). The study has utilized literary and historical methods with a theological perspective since the text of the Bible is a literary, historical and theological document (cf Gorman 2001:8; McKenzie&Haynes 1999:20-21). The books of Ezra and Nehemiah formed the primary sources of the research. The Abrahamic and the Mosaic covenants, as well as the Ancient Near Eastern Treaty pattern have also been investigated as a background picture to the discussion in Ezra and Nehemiah. The study reveals that there is both an exclusive and an inclusive perspective in Ezra and Nehemiah. Similar perspectives are found in the Abrahamic/Mosaic covenants. These perspectives concern the conception of ‘Yahweh’s people’ and other nations, foreigners and aliens. On the one hand, the exclusive’ theological perspective in Ezra and Nehemiah looks at those who did not go into exile and essentially, the rest of the other people as ‘foreigners’ or aliens; but primarily as those who are not ‘Yahweh’s people’. Non-exiles were perceived as a threat to the religious, political, economic, social life, and progress of the early returned exiles. On the other hand, the inclusive theological perspective in Ezra and Nehemiah viewed non-exiles or other nations/foreigners with sympathy and appreciation (cf Ezr 1:1-3; 3:7; 4:2; 6:13-14; 10:15; Neh 2:8-9). This group considered the so-called foreigners as partners, friends and human beings who could embrace Yahweh as their God. In view of the dual perspectives, I have argued that the author(s)/editor(s) of the books of Ezra and Nehemiah re-interpreted certain passages from the Pentateuch and from the deuteronomic-deuteronomistic history in a peculiar way to support the exclusive religious and social reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah. Thus, this investigation has shown that Israel and essentially all other nations, races and people could become ‘Yahweh’s people’ through appropriate covenant means. These covenant processes included: -- Yahweh’s promise to become the God of the Patriarchs as well as the God of Israel (cf Gn 17:7-8); --The notion of Abraham as the father of a multitude of nations (cf Gn 17:5); -- Circumcision (cf Gn 17:10-14); -- The blessing of other nations via Abraham and his descendants (cf Gn 12:3; 18:18; 22:18; 26:4; 28:14); -- Food provision (cf Ex 23:10-11; Lv 19:9-10; 23:22; 25:1-7; Dt 14:28-29; 24:19-21; 26:12-15); -- Sabbath keeping (cf Ex 20:8-11; 23:12; Dt 5:12-15); -- Celebration of Passover, feasts of Weeks and Tabernacles (cf Ex 12:17-20, 48-49; Nm 9:14; Dt 16:10-14); -- Equality of both the Israelites and the aliens before the law of Yahweh (cf Ex 12:49; Lv 24:22; Nm 9:14; 15:13-16, 29-30); -- Intermarriage (cf Tamar-Gn 38:6-30; Moses-Nm 12:1-2; Ruth-Rt 1:16-17; 4:13-22; Rahab-Jos 6:22-23 and Bathsheba-2 Sm 11:3, 26-27; 12:24-25); -- Sacrificial offering (cf Lv 22:17-20, 25; Nm 15:13-16) and -- Cities of refuge (cf Nm 35:14-15). The reforms of Ezra and Nehemiah ignored this inclusive perspective of the two covenants. Ezra and Nehemiah adopted the exclusive perspective of both covenants as the basis for their reforms. This is a one-sided understanding of the Abrahamic and the Mosaic covenant perspective on ‘Yahweh’s people’. A close reading of the two covenants reveals the openness of Yahweh, the God of Israel, to all nations, races, peoples and ethnic groups. Yahweh accepted all people who embraced him as their God through appropriate covenant means. Yahweh cannot be confined to a single group of people as presupposed in Ezra and Nehemiah. He cannot be localized! / Thesis (PhD (Old Testament Studies))--University of Pretoria, 2006. / Old Testament Studies / unrestricted

This thesis evaluates the nature and role of `the glory of the Lord,' hwhy-dwbk, in Ezekiel 1-24. The introductory chapter will present the relevance of the topic as well as purview the scope of the thesis and the structure of its presentation. Chapter two lays an interpretive foundation for the glory pericope within a central theme in the book of Ezekiel. The intended impact on the exilic audience is discerned through examining the characteristic features of the hwhy-dwbk in Chapter 3. Chapter four identifies three functions of the hwhy-dwbk . A final function of the hwhy-dwbk is explored in its relationship to `the son of adam' in chapter five. A summary of the hypothesis is provided in chapter 6 along with a conclusion. / Biblical and Ancient studies / M. A. (Old Testament)