Le Roux Story 1993.Pdf

Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. A STORY OF TWO WAYS Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. OLD TEST AMENT ESSAYS Supplement Series Number 2 EDITORS J J Burden (Unisa) P J Botha (UP) H F van Rooy (PU for CHE) EDITORIAL BOARD A Auret (Unin) J H Coetzee (Rau) W R Domeris (Wits) J H Hunter (UniNab) 0 Kaiser (Marburg, Germ) C S Mngadi (UniZ) J P J Olivier (US) W T W Cloete (UWC) S D Snyman (UOFS) P D F Strijdom (Ft H) G H Wittenberg (U Natal) Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. A Story of two Ways Thirty Years of Old Testament Scholarship in South Africa J H le Roux Verba Vitae Pretoria 1993 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Order from: Verba Vitae Publishers POBox 74676 0040 Lynnwood Ridge Republic of South Africa ISBN 0-9583805-1-1 Typography: Eben ScheiDer Printed and bound by V&R Printing Works Pretoria @ Copyright 1993 by Verba Vitae Publishers Posbus 74676 Lynnwoodrif 0040 First edition, frrst impression 1993 @All rights reserved. No part of this book may be reproduced, stored retrieval system or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic static, magnetic tape, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwis the written permission of the publishers. Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Dedicated to South African Old Testament scholars past, present and future Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Contents Editor's Preface 9 Foreword 10 CHAPTER 1: PROLOGUE 11 CHAPTER 2: THE TEXT AND ITS INTERPRETATION 16 A The theological atmosphere 16 B Something is missing 26 c A day in the month of March 27 D Jimmie Loader paved the highway 28 E And then came Ferdinand Deist 33 F The canon and the text 73 G Conclusion 86 CHAPTER 3: THE STUDY OF THE PENTATEUCH 88 A John William Colenso: a hero of a lost cause 91 B Johannes duPlessis: a critical attempt nipped in the bud 107 C Charles Fensham: a cove_?iantal reading of the Pentateuch 114 D Albertus van Zyl: a re-interpretation and re-adaptation of historical criticism 141 E Ferdinand Deist: the breaker of the hard soil 152 F Adrianus van Selms: something different 17 4 G Some other voices: rejection of historical criticism 190 H Conclusion 203 CHAPTER 4: THE PROPHETS 204 A Some important contributions 204 B Prinsloo, his students and others: prophetic utterances are well-structured 216 C Ferdinad Deist and his students: prophetic utterances are life related 245 D Conclusion 268 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. CHAPTER 5: THE PSALMS 270 A Introduction 270 B Charles Fensham: a covenant interpretation 272 C Jasper Burden: a literary approac~ 273 D Willem Prinsloo: sing unto the Lord in a structured manner 277 E Ig Gous: a sociological interpretation of a song 293 F Conclusions 299 CHAPTER 6: WISDOM LITERATURE 300 A Jimmie Loader: wisdom as a means of understanding life and text 300 B The study of Proverbs: Venter, Nel and Wittenberg 332 C The study of Job: Kroeze, Van Selms and Bezuidenhout 342 E Conclusions 349 CHAPTER 7: EPILOGUE 350 BffiLIOGRAPHY 354 INDEX OF AUTHORS 379 INDEX OF SCRIPTURAL REFERENCES 381 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Editor's Preface In this monograph the author writes a history that spans over a period of thirty years (1957-1987) of Old Testament Scholarship in South Africa which he claims to be the 'golden age'. He deals with the work of the 'leading figures' determined by the following criteria: their publications, their influence on doctoral students and their na tional as well as international recognition. In Chapter 1 (Prologue) the author explains his selection criteria. The following chapters deal With the understanding of the text (Chap ter 2), the Pentateuch (Chapter 3), the Prophets (Chapter 4), the Psalms (Chapter 5), and Wisdom literature (Chapter 6). He concludes his research with an epilogue (Chapter 7) in which he discusses. 'some aspects of Old Testament studies in South Africa'. The editors of Old Testament Essays welcome this publication and congratulate the author on the manner in which he executed this im portant but difficult piece of research. We introduce it to a wider readership with the hope that scholars, students, libraries, ministers and other interested readers will use it extensively. Since a discussion of the author's own contribution to our fraternity is lacking, this pub lication is not fully complete. We trust that this matter will be rec tified by somebody. Hopefully the author will update this history after a decade or more to include the important contribution of an upcoming new gen eration of Old Testament Scholars in South Africa. Prof J J Burden Editor: Old Testament Essays June 1993 9 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Foreword At the conclusion of this study I would like to thank the following persons and institutions: Ferdinand Deist, who suggested a long time ago that a history of Old Testament science in South Africa should be written, and that I should do it. I am deeply grateful for our very many conversations over the years. My colleague, Willem (Riempies) Prinsloo, who went out of his way to accommodate me so that this study could reach completion. His enthusiastic encouragement has meant a lot to me. Through his inter vention, a generous contribution was received from the University of Pretoria to help meet the costs of the publication. Elize Henning, for the large volume of typing done; Jasper Burden for reading the manuscript and for his very valuable criticism; Bever ley van Reenen for her contribution in improving my English; Eben Scheffler for his interest and the very professional way in which he prepared the manuscript for printing; Johan Lemmer for his willing ness to publish this work. The University of Pretoria for a generous donation towards the pub lication of this work. The University of South Africa is also 'thanked for its contribution. The Old Testament Society of South Africa, who commissioned me with the task. For this commission I shall be grateful all my life. My wife, Lynette, and my daughters, Lizelle and Jurne, who make it possible for me to pursue a life of study and research. And Almighty God, whose love fires me with enthusiasm for Biblical Science. Jurie le Roux Pentecost 1993 10 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. Chapter oqe Prologue The prologue and epilogue of this book resemble those of the book of Job. Both are very short, set the stage for the main section, can be un derstood separately and are nothing more than a brief introduction to and summary of our endeavours. Unlike Job's prologue and epilogue, it can be stated with certainty that the prologue and the epilogue of this book derive from the same author. Another difference lies in the fact that different genres have not been used. In this book the pro logue consists of a few general remarks on Old Testament scholarship in South Africa and the epilogue merely functions to provide the reader with some concluding remarks. This is a research history. It deals with the work of some South African Old Testament scholars and covers the period from 1957 to 1987. The year 1957 serves as tenninus a quo because the Old Testa ment Society of South Africa was founded in that year. It was Alber tus van Zyl who took the first step in this direction. After an overseas visit, during which he attended a congress on the study of the Old Testament, he approached Adrianus Van Selms and Barend Gemser with the request to establish a similar organisation in South Africa. They took things further and in December 1957 the Old Testament Society of South Africa was formed. Of course important work was done before that period, but this event gave a new impetus to Old Testament study in South Africa. Since that day in 1957 a vast num ber of books, theses and articles on the Old Testament have been pub lished, and it was therefore decided to take 1987 as terminus ad quem. Thirty years of Old Testament study have thus been discussed. Per haps one day these years will be called the 'golden era' of Old Testa- 11 Digitised by the Open Scholarship & Digitisation Programme, University of Pretoria, 2017 with permission from the author. 12 Chapter one ment scholarship in South Africa. An attempt has been made to write a history and not a chronicle - not the mere accumulation of biographical or bibliographical informa tion, but a history dealing with people and their views on the Old Tes tament. And the people we are writing about have all been or are members of the Old Testament Society of South Africa. Within these circles the study of the Old Testament has developed and flourished. It soon became apparent that not all scholars can be discussed and not all the literature can be mentioned in this history.

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