DOCSLIB.ORG

The Bloody Bridegroom (4:24–26)

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
The Bloody Bridegroom (4:24–26) The Bloody Bridegroom (4:24–26) Translation 24It happened on the way at the inn that the LORD encountered him and sought to put him to death. 25And Zipporah took a flint and cut away the foreskin of her son and made it touch his feet. She said, “A bridegroom of blood(s) are you to me.” 26And he backed away from him. Then she said, “A bridegroom of blood(s) by the circumcision(s).” Grammatical and Lexical Notes 4:24. mālôn (“inn”) is presumably a place one would stop for a night’s rest while on a journey (Gen. 42:27), but not necessarily so. In hotter climates one might stop at such a place to escape the blistering, hot sun in the daylight hours. 4:24. The Septuagint softens the first part of the verse by saying, “An angel of the Lord met him.” It does the same with two later passages in Exodus: 19:3, “Moses went up to God” (MT); “Moses went up into the mountain of God” (LXX); 24:10, “And they saw the God of Israel” (MT); “And they saw the place where the God of Israel stood” (LXX). 4:24. Biddle (2002: 632) says that pāgaš (“encounter”) appears fourteen times in the Hebrew Bible, and in most of these the reference is to a dangerous, disastrous encounter (Exod. 4:24, 27; 2 Sam. 2:13; Job 5:14; Prov. 17:12; Isa. 34:14; Jer. 41:6; Hosea 13:8), or to a meeting where one of the two parties expects the worst (Gen. 32:17 [18]; 33:8; 1 Sam. 25:20). For these passages he suggests the translation “to (be) ambush(ed), fall upon, fall prey to.” I am not sure if Exod. 4:27 fits into this (Aaron meeting Moses). Both 4:24 and 4:27 use exactly the same verbal form, wayyipgĕšēhû. 4:24. When bāqqēš (“sought, tried”) appeared earlier in Exodus with Moses as the object of the verb and Pharaoh as subject of the verb, NIV rendered “tried to kill Moses” (2:15) and “wanted to kill you” (4:19), but here with God as the subject of the verb instead of Pharaoh, NIV shifts to “was about to kill him.” 4:24. Exodus 4:23 uses the Qal participial form of hārag for God’s intention to kill Egypt’s firstborn, but 4:24 uses the Hiphil infinitive construct of mût for God’s seeking to kill Moses. Another place where wayĕbaqqēš hămîtô (“and he sought to put him to death”) occurs is Jer. 26:21, “And he [Jehoiakim] sought to put him [Uriah the prophet] to death.” Also, 1 Sam. 19:2 (“My father Saul is looking for a chance to kill you”) and 1 Kings 11:40 (“Solomon tried to kill Jeroboam”) are similar, except that they have the preposition lĕ before the infinitive construct “kill.” 4:25. Biblical information about instruments used in circumcision is scant. Here it is a “flint” (ṣōr), and in Josh. 5:2 it was “flint knives” (ḥarbôt ṣurîm). 4:25. For other references to the Hiphil of nāgaʿ used with a following preposition to refer to the touching of some part of the body, see Isa. 6:7 (“with it [the hot coal] he touched my mouth. This has touched your lips”: both Hiphil of nāgaʿ followed by ʿal), and Jer. 1:9 (“Then the LORD reached out his hand and touched my mouth”: also the Hiphil of nāgaʿ followed by ʿal). In Exod. 4:25 it is the Hiphil of nāgaʿ followed by lĕ. 4:25. It is a matter of some dispute whether in the Bible “feet” is sometimes a euphemism for the genitalia, male or female. Passages that have been cited to support this reading include: Gen. 49:10; Exod. 4:25; Deut. 28:57 NRSV; Judg. 3:24 KJV; 1 Sam. 24:3 KJV; 2 Sam. 11:8; 2 Kings 18:27 (= Isa. 36:12); Isa. 6:2; 7:20; Ezek. 16:25 KJV. It is claimed that other parts of the body are referred to euphemistically: “hand” (Song 5:4; Isa. 57:8); “knee” (Ezek. 7:17; 21:12); “thigh” (Gen. 24:2, 9; 46:26 KJV; 47:29; Exod. 1:5 KJV; Judg. 8:30 KJV). Some of these passages clearly point to “feet” or to some other part of the anatomy as a euphemism, but for others it seems quite a stretch. See Pope 1994a: 281; 1992. Some have argued that “foot” (pous) in Mark 9:45 (“And if your foot causes you to sin . .”) is also a euphemism for penis, but this is unlikely since the verse goes on to say, “It is better for you to enter life crippled than to have two feet Copyright © 2011. Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Group. All © 2011. Baker Publishing Copyright and be thrown into hell.” Mark’s linking of sins involving the foot (9:45) and sins involving the eye (9:47) recalls Job 31:1, 5: “I made a covenant with my eyes. If my foot has hurried after deceit. .” 4:25. Clearly the Septuagint is not any more sure than modern writers are what “bridegroom of blood(s)” (ḥătan-dāmîm) means. In both vv. 25 and 26 LXX reads, “I have stopped the blood of the circumcision of my child” (estē to haima tēs Hamilton, Victor P.. Exodus : An Exegetical Commentary, Baker Publishing Group, 2011. ProQuest Ebook Central, http://ebookcentral.proquest.com/lib/moore/detail.action?docID=913831. Created from moore on 2018-01-04 15:07:25. peritomēs tou paidiou mou). 4:25. The Hebrew word for “blood” is written in the plural, dāmîm, hence my rendering “bridegroom of blood(s).” Whether it is a normal plural or some other kind of a plural is debatable. Frolov (1996: 520) observes that elsewhere in the Hebrew Bible the plural of “bloods,” with a noun standing in construct with it and denoting a person or a group of people, always suggests something negative, something evil: “man of bloods” (2 Sam. 16:7–8, the language Shimei used of King David; Ps. 5:6 [7], “bloodthirsty and deceitful men the LORD abhors”); “men of bloods” (Pss. 26:9; 55:23 [24]; 59:2 [3]; 139:19; Prov. 29:10, all of which NIV translates as “bloodthirsty men”); “house of bloods” (2 Sam. 21:1, [NIV, “Saul and his blood-stained house”]); “city of bloods” (Ezek. 22:2; Nah. 3:1). 4:25. Adding to the confusion of the meaning of dāmîm is that the word in construct before it (ḥātān) can mean “bridegroom” and also “son-in-law” (Gen. 19:12, 14; Judg. 19:5; 1 Sam. 18:18; 22:14; Neh. 6:18; 13:28). Should we then translate “bridegroom of blood(s)” or “son-in-law of blood(s)”? Moses is hardly a bridegroom, and Gershom is a son, not a son-in-law. 4:26. “Circumcision(s)” (another plural, mullâ/mûlōt) appears only here in the Hebrew Bible. Commentary [4:25–26] David Penchansky (1999: 67) begins his study of this incident with these words: “Biblical scholars love this passage because it is totally incomprehensible.” And if it is incomprehensible to the scholar, what about the other 98 percent of Bible students and readers? Similarly, part of the title of Walters’s 2002 study of this passage is “The Devil Is in the Ambiguities.” Here are some of the “incomprehensibles”: First, whom does God seek to put to death, Moses, or one of his sons, and if one of his sons, which one, Gershom or Eliezer? Second, if Moses is the target, why would God want to end the life of his servant whom God has just recruited and finally persuaded to go to Egypt on a divine mission? Third, what has Moses done that has so angered Divinity, or has he done nothing amiss? Is it a sin of omission or a sin of commission? Fourth, why does v. 25 say the Lord “sought” or “tried” to kill Moses? Cannot God, being God, do what he desires to do? Can God be stopped in his tracks? Fifth, how does Zipporah, a Midianite, immediately size up the situation and do what is necessary to avert divine wrath against her husband or one of her sons? And since the Midianites are itinerant metalworkers, does that explain how Zipporah has the skills to wield a cutting instrument to perform surgery on the delicate anatomy of another (Wyatt 2009: 414n29)? Sixth, whose feet does Zipporah touch (Moses’s? a son’s? the Lord’s?), and why, or is “feet” actually a reference to the membrum of Moses or one of her sons? Seventh, what does the phrase “bridegroom of blood,” peculiar to vv. 25 and 26, mean? Eighth, who is the “you” in Zipporah’s “A bridegroom of blood are you to me”? Whom is she addressing: Moses? Her son? The Lord? Ninth, why does the Lord stop his assault only after Zipporah says what she says at the end of v. 25? I cannot claim to answer all (or any?) of these questions with certainty. In a nutshell, I interpret the story as follows. The object of divine attack is Moses (but see Howell [2010: 68– 69], who argues that it was Gershom the Lord sought to kill). One would think that if it was Copyright © 2011. Baker Publishing Group. All rights reserved. Group. All © 2011. Baker Publishing Copyright the son whose life was in danger, Moses would have been the one to leap into action instead of being passive.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • Thank You So Much for the Opportunity to Share with You This Morning from the Word of God
    II Samuel 16:5-14 Dealin' with Dead Dogs Licking Valley Church of Christ January 31, 2021 Thank you so much for the opportunity to share with you this morning from the Word of God. I count it a privilege to know and minister alongside your minister, Gus. Gus and I started out in Bible college together back in 1975. He and his roommate, Jay lived on the 2nd floor right above Kevin Mack and me. We would communicate with each other - either by them stomping on the floor or us banging on the ceiling. That would signify that it was time to open our windows and to look up or down while conversing. I don't care to remember all of the gory details, but there was a time when I believe I indicated that I wanted to visit them up in their room. "Come on up!" They invited. Like a dummy, I reached up my hands through our window stretching up toward theirs. They actually agreed to my non-verbal request by pulling me up to their 2nd story dorm room and I ascended without the use of steps! Our relationship has toned down considerably over the years. I appreciate so much Gus's love for the Lord and His people. His ministry here has been an encouragement, not only to the folks of this congregation, but to so many others of us. I also appreciate your theme for the beginning of this year: Goliath Must Fall - Winning the Battle Against Your Giants. I've listened to a couple of sermons from the series and also watched this week's Louie Giglio episode that some of your small groups are using.
    [Show full text]
  • Zechariah 9–14 and the Continuation of Zechariah During the Ptolemaic Period
    Journal of Hebrew Scriptures Volume 13, Article 9 DOI:10.5508/jhs.2013.v13.a9 Zechariah 9–14 and the Continuation of Zechariah during the Ptolemaic Period HERVÉ GONZALEZ Articles in JHS are being indexed in the ATLA Religion Database, RAMBI, and BiBIL. Their abstracts appear in Religious and Theological Abstracts. The journal is archived by Library and Archives Canada and is accessible for consultation and research at the Electronic Collection site maintained by Library and Archives Canada. ISSN 1203L1542 http://www.jhsonline.org and http://purl.org/jhs ZECHARIAH 9–14 AND THE CONTINUATION OF ZECHARIAH DURING THE PTOLEMAIC PERIOD HERVÉ GONZALEZ UNIVERSITY OF LAUSANNE INTRODUCTION This article seeks to identify the sociohistorical factors that led to the addition of chs. 9–14 to the book of Zechariah.1 It accepts the classical scholarly hypothesis that Zech 1–8 and Zech 9–14 are of different origins and Zech 9–14 is the latest section of the book.2 Despite a significant consensus on this !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 1 The article presents the preliminary results of a larger work currently underway at the University of Lausanne regarding war in Zech 9–14. I am grateful to my colleagues Julia Rhyder and Jan Rückl for their helpful comments on previous versions of this article. 2 Scholars usually assume that Zech 1–8 was complete when chs. 9–14 were added to the book of Zechariah, and I will assume the sameT see for instance E. Bosshard and R. G. Kratz, “Maleachi im Zwölfprophetenbuch,” BN 52 (1990), 27–46 (41–45)T O. H.
    [Show full text]
  • Notes on Zechariah 202 1 Edition Dr
    Notes on Zechariah 202 1 Edition Dr. Thomas L. Constable TITLE AND WRITER The title of this book comes from its traditional writer, as is true of all the prophetical books of the Old Testament. The name "Zechariah" (lit. "Yahweh Remembers") was a common one among the Israelites, which identified at least 27 different individuals in the Old Testament, perhaps 30.1 It was an appropriate name for the writer of this book, because it explains that Yahweh remembers His chosen people, and His promises, and will be faithful to them. This Zechariah was the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo (1:1, 7; cf. Ezra 5:1; 6:14; Neh. 12:4, 16). Zechariah, like Jeremiah and Ezekiel, was both a prophet and a priest. He was obviously familiar with priestly things (cf. ch. 3; 6:9-15; 9:8, 15; 14:16, 20, 21). Since he was a young man (Heb. na'ar) when he began prophesying (2:4), he was probably born in Babylonian captivity and returned to Palestine very early in life, in 536 B.C. with Zerubbabel and Joshua. Zechariah apparently survived Joshua, the high priest, since he became the head of his own division of priests in the days of Joiakim, the son of Joshua (Neh. 12:12, 16). Zechariah became a leading priest in the restoration community succeeding his grandfather (or ancestor), Iddo, who also returned from captivity in 536 B.C., as the leader of his priestly family (Neh. 12:4, 16). Zechariah's father, Berechiah (1:1, 7), evidently never became prominent.
    [Show full text]
  • 10 So Moses and Aaron Went to Pharaoh and Did Just As the Lord Commanded
    Today’s Scripture Reading Exodus 6:14-7:13 14 These are the heads of their fathers' houses: the sons of Reuben, the firstborn of Israel: Hanoch, Pallu, Hezron, and Carmi; these are the clans of Reuben. 15 The sons of Simeon: Jemuel, Jamin, Ohad, Jachin, Zohar, and Shaul, the son of a Canaanite woman; these are the clans of Simeon. 16 These are the names of the sons of Levi according to their generations: Gershon, Kohath, and Merari, the years of the life of Levi being 137 years. 17 The sons of Gershon: Libni and Shimei, by their clans. 18 The sons of Kohath: Amram, Izhar, Hebron, and Uzziel, the years of the life of Kohath being 133 years. ! 6:14-7:13 19 The sons of Merari: Mahli and Mushi. These are the clans of the Levites according to their generations. 20 Amram took as his wife Jochebed his father's sister, and she bore him Aaron and Moses, the years of the life of Amram being 137 years. 21 The sons of Izhar: Korah, Nepheg, and Zichri. 22 The sons of Uzziel: Mishael, Elzaphan, and Sithri. 23 Aaron took as his wife Elisheba, the daughter of Amminadab and the sister of Nahshon, and she bore him Nadab, Abihu, Eleazar, and Ithamar. 24 The sons of Korah: Assir, Elkanah, and Abiasaph; these are the clans of the Korahites. ! 6:14-7:13 25 Eleazar, Aaron's son, took as his wife one of the daughters of Putiel, and she bore him Phinehas. These are the heads of the fathers' houses of the Levites by their clans.
    [Show full text]
  • The Nature of David's Kingship at Hebron: an Exegetical and Theological Study of 2 Samuel 2:1-5:5
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Dissertations Graduate Research 2019 The Nature of David's Kingship at Hebron: An Exegetical and Theological Study of 2 Samuel 2:1-5:5 Christian Vogel Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Vogel, Christian, "The Nature of David's Kingship at Hebron: An Exegetical and Theological Study of 2 Samuel 2:1-5:5" (2019). Dissertations. 1684. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/dissertations/1684 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Dissertations by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. ABSTRACT THE NATURE OF DAVID’S KINGSHIP AT HEBRON: AN EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF 2 SAMUEL 2:1—5:5 by Christian Vogel Adviser: Richard M. Davidson ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Dissertation Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: THE NATURE OF DAVID’S KINGSHIP AT HEBRON: AN EXEGETICAL AND THEOLOGICAL STUDY OF 2 SAMUEL 2:1—5:5 Name of researcher: Christian Vogel Name and degree of faculty adviser: Richard M. Davidson, Ph.D. Date completed: June 2019 The account of David’s reign at Hebron found in 2 Samuel 2:1—5:5 constitutes a somewhat neglected, yet crucial part of the David narrative, chronicling David’s first years as king. This dissertation investigates these chapters by means of a close reading of the Hebrew text in order to gain a better understanding of the nature of David’s kingship as it is presented in this literary unit.
    [Show full text]
  • The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14
    Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Honors Theses Undergraduate Research 3-28-2016 The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14 Won Jin Jeon Andrews University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors Part of the Biblical Studies Commons Recommended Citation Jeon, Won Jin, "The Chronology of the Events in Zechariah 12-14" (2016). Honors Theses. 134. https://digitalcommons.andrews.edu/honors/134 This Honors Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Undergraduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Honors Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact [email protected]. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses. Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT J. N. Andrews Honors Thesis Andrews University College of Arts & Sciences Title: THE CHRONOLOGY OF THE EVENTS IN ZECHARIAH 12-14 Author’s Name: Won Jin Jeon Advisor: Rahel Schafer, PhD Completion Date: March 2016 In current scholarship, there is a lack of consensus on the timing of the specific events in Zechariah 12-14, with a focus on eschatological or sequential chronologies. Preliminary exegetical research has revealed many connections between the three chapters. For instance, the occurs 17 times (versus four times in the rest of Zechariah). This (ביום־ההוא) ”phrase “in that day concentrated usage closely interconnects the three chapters and suggests that the timeliness of all of the events is in close succession.
    [Show full text]
  • Therefore, My Beloved Brethren, Be Ye Stedfast, Unmoveable, Always Abounding in the Work of the Lord, Forasmuch As Ye Know That Your Labour Is Not in Vain in the Lord
    Greater New Life Family Worship Center Thursday Night Teaching June 24th, 2021 2021 Theme: “Still Here” Thematic Text: 1 Corinthians 15:58 (KJV) Therefore, my beloved brethren, be ye stedfast, unmoveable, always abounding in the work of the Lord, forasmuch as ye know that your labour is not in vain in the Lord. T.N.T TEACHING SERIES: THE MIGHTY ACTS OF GOD Base Text: Psalm 150:1-6 (A PSALM OF PRAISE) (KJV) 150 Praise ye the Lord. Praise God in his sanctuary: praise him in the firmament of his power. 2 Praise him for his mighty acts: praise him according to his excellent greatness. 3 Praise him with the sound of the trumpet: praise him with the psaltery and harp. 4 Praise him with the timbrel and dance: praise him with stringed instruments and organs. 5 Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals. 6 Let every thing that hath breath praise the Lord. Praise ye the Lord. 1 MIGHTY ACTS (According To: Christoph Barth OT Theology) 1. God Created Heaven and Earth 2. God Chose the Fathers of Israel 3. God Brought Israel Out of Egypt 4. God Led His People Through the Wilderness 5. God Revealed Himself at Sinai 6. God Granted Israel the Land of Caanan 7. God Raised Up Kings in Israel 8. God Chose Jerusalem 9. God Sent His Prophets 2 MIGHTY ACT #2 ‘GOD CHOSE THE FATHERS OF ISRAEL’ PART 6f LAST LESSON, JUNE 17th, 2021 V. THE LIBERATION BEGINS Exodus 5 New American Standard Bible (NASB) 5 And afterward Moses and Aaron came and said to Pharaoh, “This is what the LORD, the God of Israel says: ‘Let My people go so that they may celebrate a feast to Me in the wilderness.’” 2 But Pharaoh said, “Who is the LORD that I should obey His voice to let Israel go? I do not know the LORD, and besides, I will not let Israel go.” 3 Then they said, “The God of the Hebrews has met with us.
    [Show full text]
  • Shimei and Grace Sunday PM 05/02/21 Introduction: Perhaps You Have Never Paid Attention to Shimei in the Bible
    Shimei and Grace Sunday PM 05/02/21 Introduction: Perhaps you have never paid attention to Shimei in the Bible. He is not a particularly good person but he is like a lot of people we know. I) 2 Samuel 16 Absalom Rebels and David Flees Jerusalem A) Shimei curses David. 2 Samuel 16:5 Now when King David came to Bahurim, there was a man from the family of the house of Saul, whose name was Shimei the son of Gera, coming from there. He came out, cursing continuously as he came. 1. Notice his ancestry – of the house of Saul, a Benjamite. 2 Samuel 16:7 Also Shimei said thus when he cursed: "Come out! Come out! You bloodthirsty man, you rogue! 8 "The LORD has brought upon you all the blood of the house of Saul, in whose place you have reigned; and the LORD has delivered the kingdom into the hand of Absalom your son. So now you are caught in your own evil, because you are a bloodthirsty man!" 2. He seems to think David’s problems is due to how he treated King Saul. 3. Saul had died battling the Philistines, 1 Samuel 31. 4. Some believe this in connection with an event recorded in 2 Samuel 21.1 a. Saul had killed some Gibeonites, which is unrecorded and the Gibeonites come to David for justice. Page 1 of 8 2 Samuel 21:1 Now there was a famine in the days of David for three years, year after year; and David inquired of the LORD.
    [Show full text]
  • Eng-Kjv ZEC.Pdf Zechariah (23 Pages)
    Zechariah 1:1 1 Zechariah 1:10 Zechariah 1 In the eighth month, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 2 The LORD hath been sore displeased with your fathers.* 3 Therefore say thou unto them, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye unto me, saith the LORD of hosts, and I will turn unto you, saith the LORD of hosts. 4 Be ye not as your fathers, unto whom the former prophets have cried, saying, Thus saith the LORD of hosts; Turn ye now from your evil ways, and from your evil doings: but they did not hear, nor hearken unto me, saith the LORD. 5 Your fathers, where are they? and the prophets, do they live for ever? 6 But my words and my statutes, which I commanded my servants the prophets, did they not take hold of your fathers? and they returned and said, Like as the LORD of hosts thought to do unto us, according to our ways, and according to our doings, so hath he dealt with us.† 7 ¶ Upon the four and twentieth day of the eleventh month, which is the month Sebat, in the second year of Darius, came the word of the LORD unto Zechariah, the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet, saying, 8 I saw by night, and behold a man riding upon a red horse, and he stood among the myrtle trees that were in the bottom; and behind him were there red horses, speckled, and white.‡ 9 Then said I, O my lord, what are these? And the angel that talked with me said unto me, I will shew thee what these be.
    [Show full text]
  • FROM PATRIARCH to PILGRIM: the Development of the Biblical Figure of Abraham and Its Contribution to the Christian Metaphor of Spiritual Pilgrimage
    Cedarville University DigitalCommons@Cedarville Faculty Dissertations 1988 From Patriarch to Pilgrim: The evelopmeD nt of the Biblical Figure of Abraham and Its Contribution to the Christian Metaphor of Spiritual Pilgrimage Daniel J. Estes Cedarville University, [email protected] Follow this and additional works at: http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/faculty_dissertations Part of the Biblical Studies Commons, Christianity Commons, and the Religious Thought, Theology and Philosophy of Religion Commons Recommended Citation Estes, Daniel J., "From Patriarch to Pilgrim: The eD velopment of the Biblical Figure of Abraham and Its Contribution to the Christian Metaphor of Spiritual Pilgrimage" (1988). Faculty Dissertations. 3. http://digitalcommons.cedarville.edu/faculty_dissertations/3 This Dissertation is brought to you for free and open access by DigitalCommons@Cedarville, a service of the Centennial Library. It has been accepted for inclusion in Faculty Dissertations by an authorized administrator of DigitalCommons@Cedarville. For more information, please contact [email protected]. FROM PATRIARCH TO PILGRIM: The Development of the Biblical Figure of Abraham and its Contribution to the Christian Metaphor of Spiritual Pilgrimage Daniel John Estes Clare Hall A Thesis Submitted to the University of Cambridge for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy April 1988 TABLE OF CONTENTS Chapter 1 - INTRODUCTION 1 1 .1 The Concept of Pilgrimage 1 1.11 Pilgrimage as a Literary Theme 1 1.12 Pilgrimage as a Christian Theme J 1.2 Review of Literature on Abraham 4 1.J Rationale for the Study 10 1.4 Thesis of the Study 12 1.5 Plan for the Study 1) Chapter 2 - ABRAHAM THE SOJOURNER IN GENESIS 12-25 15 2.0 Introduction 15 2,1 Verbs of Movement in the Abrahamic Narratives 15 2.11 Verbs of Geographical Movement 15 2.12 Verbs Related to Tent Dwelling 17 .
    [Show full text]
  • Bible Class Notes on Zechariah
    Bible Class Notes On Zechariah “In the eighth month of the second year of Darius, the word of the Lord came to Zechariah the son of Berechiah, the son of Iddo the prophet…” (Zechariah 1:1) © 2010 Jeff Asher www.BibleTalk.net A Timeline of Events Relevant to the Exilic & Post-exilic Prophets 614 B.C. Nabopolassar begins the siege of Nineveh 612 B.C. Nineveh falls as prophesied (Nahum 1:8; 2:6) 610 B.C. Ashurbanipal defeated at Haran 610 B.C. Josiah slain at Megiddo by Pharaoh Necho (II Kings 23:29) 609 B.C Assyrian counter-attack at Carchemish repulsed 606 B.C. Daniel, Hananiah, Mishael & Azariah taken to “Shinar” (Daniel 1:1; about 17 years old) 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar defeats Assyria and Egypt at Carchemish (II Kings 24:7) 605 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar ascends to the throne of Babylon (Jeremiah 25:1; 46:2) 604 B.C. First full year of Nebuchadnezzar’s reign. 603 B.C. Nebuchadnezzar’s dream of the Great Image (Daniel 2:1; cf. 1:1, 5) 597 B.C. Jehoiachin taken captive of Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 24:10-12; Ezekiel about 25 years old, cf. 1:1-2; II Kings 24:14-15; Jeremiah 52:28) 597 B.C. Zedekiah ascends to the throne of David (II Kings 24:17) 587 B.C. Jerusalem besieged (Jeremiah 32:1-2; 52:1 ff.; II Kings 25:1; Ezekiel 24:1) 586 B.C. Jerusalem is destroyed by Nebuchadnezzar (II Kings 25:2-9; Jeremiah 39:1-10) 585 B.C.
    [Show full text]
  • David and Shimei: Innocent Victim and Perpetrator?1
    Snyman: David and Shimei OTE 21/2 (2008), 435-454 435 David and Shimei: innocent victim and perpetrator?1 GERRIE SNYMAN UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH AFRICA ABSTRACT Feeding on the current social anxiety in the country that is defined by racial lines, the paper suggests the possibility of a theology for the ‘retributed’, i.e. those who undergo justice in terms of affirma- tive action or land repossession. Employing Ndebele’s thoughts on the folktale The lion and the rabbit and the issue of justice in Lars von Trier’s Dogville as its matrices, the paper enquires into the roles of perpetrator or victim Shimei and David play to each other in Samuel-Kings in order to see whether Shimei’s death constitutes retributive justice or whether there is some social benefit in turning him into a purificatory sacrifice in a Girardian sense. A INTRODUCTION What does one say to someone whose job opportunities have been affected by what can be referred to as ‘redress of past injustices’? Similarly, how does one counsel someone whose farm has been attached because of a land claim? These occurrences, affirmative action as well as land restitution, act as lawful mecha- nisms through which the working force is supposed to become more represen- tative of the general population and through which those who lost land under the previous regime, can repossess land. The process of redress operates on the basis of justice. Nonetheless, those upon whom redress is visited, and depen- ding on their political outlook, do not always experience their situation as one of justice.
    [Show full text]