DOCSLIB.ORG

Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk

Total Page：16

File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb

Download full-text PDF Read full-text
Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk INTRODUCTION TO THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK Pastor William E. Wenstrom Jr. WENSTROM BIBLE MINISTRIES Norwood, Massachusetts 2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries Introduction to the Book of Habakkuk Overview The book of Habakkuk was written by a late seventh century B.C. prophet from the southern kingdom of Judah. It deals with the God of Israel’s justice in relation to evil. Specifically, it addresses the problem of a holy God and the presence of evil in the world. The book is rather unusual and unique in that unlike the other prophets of Israel and Judah who communicated God’s message to either the United Kingdom of Israel, or the northern and southern kingdoms, Habakkuk dialogs with God. In fact, most of the Old Testament prophets proclaimed God’s judgment to the nation of Israel, the northern and southern kingdoms or other Gentile nations, however, Habakkuk pleaded with God on behalf of the faithful in Judah to judge the apostate individuals in his own country. In this book, the prophet Habakkuk complains to the God of Israel that He seems to be delaying judging individuals in the southern kingdom of Judah who were unrepentantly disobedient to the Mosaic Law (1:2-4). God responds by informing the prophet that He will send the Babylonians as His instruments to judge these unrepentant Judeans (1:5-11). Habakkuk then responds by questioning God’s choice of the Babylonians who he considers more wicked than these unrepentant Jews (1:12-17). Habakkuk then waits for an answer from God (2:1), who responds by assuring Habakkuk that He will also judge the Babylonians for their unrepentant wicked behavior (2:2-20). This is followed by the Lord giving the prophet a vision of Himself as the Divine Warrior (3:1-15). The book closes with Habakkuk confessing his confidence that the Lord will execute justice (3:16-19). Richard Patterson writes “Habakkuk wrestled with the perennial problem of the operation of God’s holiness and justice in a world of spiritual and moral decay. Unable to resolve his problem apart from divine instruction, he came to God with hard questions. Habakkuk learned what every believer must come to realize: that Israel’s Redeemer is in control of earth’s history and does have a plan for its people; that God’s high ethical standards are normative for all persons; and that mature believers will live their lives in total faith and trust in God, who alone is sufficient guide and resource for life’s changing fortunes.”1 James Bruckner writes “THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK is a dialogue between Habakkuk and Yahweh during a vision Habakkuk receives from Yahweh. It begins with Habakkuk’s complaint against local corruption and leads to a prophecy that spans ninety years, as he is drawn into a progressively more difficult understanding of faith. It begins with the persistent question, ‘Why …?” (Hab. 1:3, 13) and ends 1 Patterson, R. D. (2003). Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (p. 107). Biblical Studies Press. 2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 1 with a sung prayer (“In wrath remember mercy,” 3:2) and a confession of faith (“Though the fig tree does not bud … yet I will rejoice in the LORD ,” 3:17–18). How does Habakkuk move from his questioning to this expanded expression of his own faith? As we listen in on the conversation, we hear Habakkuk wrestling with an increasingly difficult word from Yahweh as he struggles to hold on to the faith behind his question, ‘Why?’ He believes that Yahweh is a righteous and holy God who cannot tolerate wickedness, yet he notes that evil prospers. Habakkuk is looking for an explanation or some reasoning that he can pass on to his congregation (Hab. 2:1), but none is forthcoming. By the end of the conversation he realizes that he may someday run out of concrete reasons to believe. He realizes he may have to confess his faith based on the memory of what he once knew to be true. Without immediate sociological or material evidence of Yahweh’s love, he will have to say, as he does in the last verses, that although there is no food anywhere, ‘yet I will rejoice in the LORD .’ Even devastated in the grief of exile, starvation, and slavery, he believes he will continue to believe.”2 The defining function of the biblical prophets was to serve as mediators between God and human beings. While the Bible most often records divine messages delivered by prophets to people, Habakkuk exemplifies the prophetic role of presenting human concerns to God. Like Job, Habakkuk struggles with the earthly success of the godless and the ill-fortune of the God-fearing. He holds nothing back in complaining against the seemingly unjust ways of the Lord. In the end, however, he surrenders his call for God to explain himself, acknowledges God’s sovereignty, and affirms his unqualified faith in God (3:16–19).”3 Canonicity The term “canon” or “canonicity” in Christianity refers to a collection of many books acknowledged or recognized by the early church as inspired by God. Both Jews and Christians possess canons of Scripture. We must remember that the first Christians did not possess a New Testament canon but rather they relied on the gospel that was being proclaimed to them by the apostles and others. They also relied on the books of the Old Testament canon. The Jewish canon consists of thirty-nine books while on the other hand the Christian canon consists of sixty-six for Protestants and seventy-three for Catholics. The Protestant canon has thirty- nine Old Testament books like the Jews and twenty-seven works compose the New Testament. 2 Bruckner, J. (2004). Jonah, Nahum, Habakkuk, Zephaniah (p. 197). Grand Rapids, MI: Zondervan Publishing House. 3 Fee, G. D., & Hubbard, R. L., Jr. (Eds.). (2011). The Eerdmans Companion to the Bible (p. 473). Grand Rapids, MI; Cambridge, U.K.: William B. Eerdmans Publishing Company. 2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 2 The term English term “canon” comes from the Greek noun kan ōn (κανών ) which etymologically is a Semitic loanword and was most likely from the Hebrew qāneh and Akkadian, qa ň. The Greek noun kan ōn originally meant “reed” but then later came to mean “measuring reed” and thus “rule, standard, norm.” The term literally means: (1) a straight rod or bar; (2) a measuring rule as a ruler used by masons and carpenters; then (3) a rule or standard for testing straightness. The term kan ōn was employed six times in the Greek New Testament (2 Cor. 10:13, 15-16; Gal. 6:16; Phlp. 3:16). In 2 Corinthians 10:13, 15-16, the word speaks of a set of directions for an activity and is used of the sphere that God allotted to Paul for his work as a missionary. Paul uses the word in Galatians 6:16 where it means “rule, standard” referring to the means to determine the quality of the Christian’s conduct. The early patristic writers would use the word many times in the sense of “rule” or “standard.” During the first three centuries, the noun kan ōn was used of those doctrines which were accepted as the rule of faith and practice in the Christian church. Eventually, from about 300 A.D. onwards, the term was applied to the decisions or decrees or regulations of the church councils or synods as rules by which Christians were to live by. By the fourth century though, the term came to refer to the list of books that constitute the Old and New Testaments. In other words, it was used for the catalogue or list of sacred books which were distinguished and honored as belonging to God’s inspired Word. This is how the word is used today by Christians meaning it refers to the closed collection of documents that constitute authoritative Scripture. The Jewish community recognized thirty-nine books as canonical. This corresponds to the number accepted by the apostolic church and by Protestant churches since the time of the Reformation. The Roman Catholic church adds fourteen other books which composed the Apocrypha. They consider these books as having equal authority with the Old Testament books. The critical consensus of the past two centuries was that the Old Testament came to be canonically recognized in three steps and until recently this has gone relatively unchallenged. First of all, there is the Torah meaning the first five books of our English Bible which is also called the Pentateuch. It achieved canonical status in Israel toward the end of the fifth century B.C. The writings of the Prophets also achieved similar status about 200 B.C. and the Writings only toward the end of the first century A.D. at the Council of Jamnia or Jabne. However, this is not accepted by everyone in critical scholarship. There is no longer wide acceptance of the role of the Council of Jamnia in determining the Hebrew canon. This council did discuss the merits of Ecclesiastes but in no way did they decide what was canonical or not. 2020 William E. Wenstrom, Jr. Bible Ministries 3 The Hebrew Scriptures were recognized as authoritative at their inception and were immediately accepted as such by the Jewish people. The acceptance of the Pentateuch, for example, is recorded in Deuteronomy 32:46-47, and in Joshua 1:7, 8. As a matter of course, the church of the first century regarded the Hebrew Scriptures as inspired. Jesus, in Luke 24:44, refers to the Law, the prophets, and the psalms (or the writings) as divinely authoritative and canonical.
Load more

Recommended publications
  • {PDF EPUB} World English Bible-Book of Habakkuk by Zhingoora Books World English Bible-Book of Habakkuk [Books, Zhingoora] on Amazon.Com
    Read Ebook {PDF EPUB} World English bible-Book of Habakkuk by Zhingoora Books World English bible-Book of Habakkuk [Books, Zhingoora] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. World English bible-Book of Habakkuk World English Bible-Book of Matthew [Books, Zhingoora] on Amazon.com. *FREE* shipping on qualifying offers. World English Bible-Book of Matthew Oct 18, 2001 · The Book of Habakkuk is the eighth book of the 12 minor prophets of the Bible. It is attributed to the prophet Habakkuk, and was probably composed in the late 7th century BC.. Of the three chapters in the book, the first two are a dialog between Yahweh and the prophet. The message that "the just shall live by his faith" plays an important role in Christian thought. Who Wrote the Book of Habakkuk? The Book of Habakkuk was written by Habakkuk between 612 and 588 BC. This text would have been written around the same time or the span of time that Daniel was taken into captivity by Babylon in 605 BC. In 597 BC Ezekiel … Sep 23, 2012 · Read "World English Bible- Book of Nehemiah" by Zhingoora Bible Series available from Rakuten Kobo. THE HOLY BIBLE Translated from the Latin Vulgate Diligently Compared with the Hebrew, Greek, and Other Editions in Diver... The Book of Habakkuk. Habakkuk is the only prophet to devote his entire work to the question of the justice of God’s government of the world. In the Bible as a whole, only Job delivers a more pointed challenge to divine rule. Habakkuk’s challenge is set up as a dialogue between the prophet and God, in which Habakkuk’s opening complaint about injustices in Judean society ( 1:2–4) is followed in 1:5–11 … Habakkuk is a contemporary of Jeremiah and writes this book around 610 BC or just after the Northern Kingdom (Israel) had been taken captive by Assyria.
    [Show full text]
  • Outline of the Book of Habakkuk
    Outline of the Book of Habakkuk The Prophet and Date of Letter The name Habakkuk means “embrace or embracer” (ISBE v. 2, pp. 583). There is absolutely no information about the background or person of Habakkuk recorded. A general date may be determined by readings such as Habakkuk 1:5-11. Jehovah would raise the Babylonians (Chaldeans) to great power. The language appears as though Babylon had already been involved in great warfare, conquering nations, and dreaded as Assyria once was. Nineveh, the great city of Assyria, was conquered by Babylon during the year 612 BC. Babylon’s “rise” to power began at this point. Judah would not feel the actual brunt of Babylon until 605 BC (the year the Egyptians were defeated at Carchemish by Nebuchadnezzar / cf. Jer. 46:2) (cf. Dan. 1:1ff; II Chron. 36:6ff). Though the Lord had pronounced the end of Judah during the days of Manasseh (i.e., 695 – 645 BC) it would not take place for another 40 years. An exact date is impossible to conclude from the facts that are given. The Date of Habakkuk is likely between the fall of Nineveh (i.e., 612 BC) and first attack on Judah (605 BC). Josiah would have been at the end of his good reign as king of Judah (640 to 609 BC.). Judah experienced great peace and achieved many religious reforms under Josiah by the year 621 BC (cf. II Kings 22:1-23:25). Nebuchadnezzar’s determination to put Egypt in subjugation eventually meant taking Judah. Habakkuk, thereby, appears to be a contemporary with Zephaniah, Jeremiah, and possibly Nahum.
    [Show full text]
  • An Analysis of Habakkuk 2:1-4 in Conjunction with Romans 1:16-17: the Application for Our Salvation and Daily Living in Jesus Christ
    An Analysis of Habakkuk 2:1-4 In Conjunction With Romans 1:16-17: The Application For Our Salvation And Daily Living In Jesus Christ Introduction One of the most powerful statements in Scripture is Romans 1:16-17: “For I am not ashamed of the gospel, for it is the power of God for salvation to everyone who believes, to the Jew first and also to the Greek. 17 For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith; as it is written, ‘But the righteous man shall live by faith.’” However, as we read this passage in the Greek New Testament, when we go to the Hebrew Old Testament, we realize that the HOT quote is worded a bit differently from Paul’s GNT quote: “Behold, as for the proud one, his soul is not right within him; but the righteous will live by his faith” (Habakkuk 2:4). In the GNT Paul simply says, “But the righteous shall live by faith,” whereas Habakkuk 2:4 in the HOT states, “but the righteous will live by his faith.” Why did Paul not quote the passage in the Greek exactly as it is written in the Hebrew? And in addition, what does the phrase, in Romans 1:17 mean, “For in it the righteousness of God is revealed from faith to faith”? These two questions are very important, as they affect every aspect of our lives as believers in Jesus Christ, and we will attempt to answer them in our discussion which follows Influence and Analysis of the Septuagint One very important aspect of Old Testament quotes in the New Testament by Paul is that he predominantly took his quotes from the Greek Septuagint (over fifty times in Romans alone 1), which is the Greek translation of the Hebrew Old Testament.
    [Show full text]
  • HTR Volume 102 Issue 4 Cover and Front Matter
    HTR Harvard Theological Review 102:4 OCTOBER 2009 ISSN 0017-8160 T Harvard Theological Review H R 102:4 ISSUED QUARTERLY BY THE FACULTY OF DIVINITY IN HARVARD UNIVERSITY The Harvard Theological Review is partially funded by the foundation established under the will of Mildred Everett, daughter of Charles Carroll Everett, Bussey Professor of Theology in Harvard University (1869–1900) and Dean of the Faculty of Divinity (1878–1900). The scope of the Review embraces history and philosophy of religious thought in all traditions and periods—including the areas of Hebrew Bible, New Testament, Christianity, Jewish studies, theology, ethics, archaeology, and comparative religious studies. It seeks to publish compelling original research that contributes to the development of scholarly understanding and interpretation. EDITOR François Bovon EDITORIAL BOARD David D. Hall, Jon D. Levenson, Kevin Madigan, and Elisabeth Schüssler Fiorenza ASSOCIATE EDITORS Members of the Faculty of Divinity MANAGING EDITOR Margaret Studier EDITORIAL ASSISTANTS Cavan Concannon, Brian Doak, Aryay Bennett Finkelstein, Jonathan Kaplan, Piotr Malsyz, John Robichaux, Bryan L. Wagoner PRODUCTION STAFF Anne Browder, Eve Feinstein, Rebecca Hancock, Christine Thomas, Richard Jude Thompson Manuscripts and communications on editorial matters should be addressed to the Managing Editor, Harvard Theological Review, Harvard Divinity School, 45 Francis Avenue, Cambridge, MA 02138. An updated style sheet is available upon request ([email protected]). For subscriptions (US): Subscription Coordinator, Cambridge University Press, 32 Avenue of the Americas, New York, NY 10013-2473; tel: 800-872-7423 or 845-353-7500; fax: 845-353-4141. Email: [email protected]. Annual subscription rates for Volume 103, 2010: Individuals, print only: US $55 in the U.S.A., Canada, and Mexico; £36 in UK, elsewhere.
    [Show full text]
  • Language and Nature Papers Presented to John Huehnergard on the Occasion of His 60Th Birthday
    LANGUAGE AND NATURE PAPERS PRESENTED TO JOHN HUEHNERGARD ON THE OCCASION OF HIS 60TH BIRTHDAY edited by REBECCA HASSELBACH and NAʿAMA PAT-EL studies in ancient ORientaL civiLizatiOn • numbeR 67 ThE ORIENTAL InSTITUTE OF THE UnIVERSITY OF CHICAGO chicagO • IllinOis Library of Congress Control Number: 2011933159 ISBN-10: 1-885923-91-0 isbn-13: 978-1-885923-91-2 issn: 0081-7554 The Oriental Institute, Chicago © 2012 by the university of chicago. all rights reserved. Published 2012. Printed in the united states of america. studies in ancient ORientaL civiLizatiOn • numbeR 67 THE ORIENTAL INSTITUTE OF THE UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO Series Editors Leslie schramer and thomas g. urban with the assistance of Rebecca cain Series Editors’ Acknowledgments zuhal Kuru and Jessen O’brien assisted in the production of this volume. Cover prepared by Kristy Shuey of 2nd Street Design Lab, Austin, Texas selection of ethiopic, ugaritic, akkadian, hebrew, and Old south arabian texts — we thank the semitic museum, harvard university, Wayne t. Pitard, and John huehnergard fortheir use. Printed by McNaughton & Gunn, Saline, Michigan the paper used in this publication meets the minimum requirements of ameri- can national standard for information services — Permanence of Paper for Printed Library materials, ansi z39.48-1984. TABLE OF CONTENTS Preface. Rebecca Hasselbach and Naʿama Pat-El .............................................................. vii List of Contributors and Their Affiliations . ix John as a teacher and mentor. Rebecca Hasselbach and Naʿama Pat-El . xi the Research of John huehnergard. Rebecca Hasselbach and Naʿama Pat-El . xiii a brief note on the Festschrift illustrations. X Bonnie Woods................................................. xxi Contributions 1. Functional values of iprus Forms in Old Babylonian šumma Protases.
    [Show full text]
  • TEXTLINGUISTICS and PROPHECY in the BOOK of the TWELVE E
    JETS 46/3 (September 2003) 385–99 TEXTLINGUISTICS AND PROPHECY IN THE BOOK OF THE TWELVE e. ray clendenen* i. introduction For several years I have been studying the biblical prophets with the aid of a textlinguistic model developed by Robert Longacre. I have argued in several articles for the usefulness of such a model and have suggested ways in which it may be applied.1 Here after a brief summary of that model and how it relates to the prophetic books I will suggest how it might be used to uncover and describe the essential message of all twelve of the so-called Minor Prophets. My concern is not primarily with the the book of the Twelve as a whole but with the individual books and by implication the other books of OT prophecy. The thesis is that by considering the nature of prophecy as essentially defined by 2 Kgs 17:13, the study of the prophetic books should employ a textlinguistic model that identifies the basic prophetic discourse type to be hortatory. I believe this model offers a relatively reliable means to capture the essential message(s) of a prophetic book and the contribution played by the various parts of that book in communicating that message. ii. the nature of the prophetic books 1. The prophetic genre. a. Importance of genre. Tremper Longman has suggested that “genre may well be the literary concept most important to the interpretive task.”2 Bo-Krister Ljungberg wrote, “Genre is constitutive of meaning: it condi- tions reader expectations and thus allows for understanding.”3 You cannot * Ray Clendenen is executive editor, Bible and reference books, Broadman & Holman, 127 Ninth Avenue, North, Nashville, TN 37234.
    [Show full text]
  • A Literary Look at Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah
    Grace Theological Journal 11.1 (1991) 17-27. [Copyright © 1991 Grace Theological Seminary; cited with permission; digitally prepared for use at Gordon and Grace Colleges and elsewhere] A LITERARY LOOK AT NAHUM, HABAKKUK, AND ZEPHANIAH RICHARD PATTERSON Although the stool of proper biblical exegesis must rest evenly upon the four legs of grammar, history, theology, and literary analysis, too often the literary leg receives such short fashioning that the resulting hermeneutical product is left unbalanced. While in no way minimizing the crucial importance of all four areas of exegesis, this paper con- centrates on the benefits of applying sound literary methods to the study of three often neglected seventh century B. C. prophetical books. Thorough literary analysis demonstrates that, contrary to some critical opinions, all three books display a carefully designed structure that argues strongly for the unity and authorial integrity of all the material involved. Likewise, the application of literary techniques can prove to be an aid in clarifying difficult exegetical cruces. * * * THE time has passed when evangelicals need to be convinced that the application of sound literary methods is a basic ingredient for proper biblical exegesis. A steady stream of papers, articles, and books attests to a growing consensus among evangelicals as to the essential importance of literary studies in gaining full insight into God's revela- tion.1 This paper presents some observations drawn from the study of Nahum, Habakkuk, and Zephaniah in preparation for a forthcoming volume in Moody's Wycliffe Exegetical Commentary series (WEC). 1 Among recent books giving attention to literary analysis may be cited: Gordon D.
    [Show full text]
  • Topicality and Functional Voice in Hebrew and Moronene, with Application to Translation
    DigitalResources SIL eBook 56 ® Topicality and Functional Voice in Hebrew and Moronene, with Application to Translation T. David Andersen Topicality and Functional Voice in Hebrew and Moronene, with Application to Translation T. David Andersen SIL International® 2013 SIL e-Books 56 2013 SIL International® ISBN: 978-1-55671-349-1 ISSN: 1934-2470 Fair-Use Policy: Books published in the SIL e-Books (SILEB) series are intended for scholarly research and educational use. You may make copies of these publications for research or instructional purposes free of charge (within fair-use guidelines) and without further permission. Republication or commercial use of SILEB or the documents contained therein is expressly prohibited without the written consent of the copyright holder(s). Editor-in-Chief Mike Cahill Managing Editor Bonnie Brown Compositor Margaret González TOPICALITY AND FUNCTIONAL VOICE IN HEBREW AND MORONENE, WITH APPLICATION TO TRANSLATION By T. David Andersen A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the School of Intercultural Studies FULLER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy in Intercultural Studies December 2006 ii ABSTRACT Andersen, T. David 2006 “Topicality and Functional Voice in Hebrew and Moronene, with Application to Translation.” Fuller Theological Seminary, School of Intercultural Studies. Ph.D. in Intercultural Studies. 346 pp. This dissertation aims to show that an analysis of Biblical Hebrew clause types in terms of topicality and functional voice will make a contribution to the task of translating Hebrew into other languages. Hebrew has only two syntactic voice categories. But many other languages, including Austronesian languages, have a richer system of voice distinctions, with perhaps four main voices.
    [Show full text]
  • The Book of Habakkuk Simple Studies in the Scriptures
    THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK SIMPLE STUDIES IN THE SCRIPTURES LEADER’S STUDY GUIDE The grave of Habakkuk the prophet in Galilee, Israel DR. STANFORD E. MURRELL THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK Introduction and Commentary By Matthew Henry With Special Notes and Illustrations By Dr. Stanford E. Murrell THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK Introduction Some of the Jewish teachers believe that this prophet was the son of the Shunamite woman that was at first miraculously given, and afterwards raised to life, by Elisha (2 Kings 4), as they say also that the prophet Jonah was the son of the widow of Zarephath, which Elijah raised to life. It is a more probable conjecture of their modern chronologers that he lived and prophesied in the reign of King Manasseh, when wickedness abounded, and destruction was hastening on, destruction by the Chaldeans, whom this prophet mentions as the instruments of God's judgments; and Manasseh was himself carried to Babylon, as an earnest of what should come afterwards. In the apocryphal story of Bel and the Dragon, mention is made of Habakkuk the prophet in the land of Judah, who was carried thence by an angel to Babylon, to feed Daniel in the den; those who give credit to that story take pains to reconcile our prophet's living before the captivity, and foretelling it, with that. Huetius [Pierre Daniel Huet (February 8, 1630–January 26, 1721), a French churchman and scholar], thinks that that was another of the same name, a prophet, this of the tribe of Simeon, that of Levi; others that he lived so long as to the end of that captivity, though he prophesied of it before it came.
    [Show full text]
  • A Strategy for Overcoming Divine Silence in Psalm 77 and Habakkuk1
    AJBI XLIV–XLV, (2018–2019): 25–43 A Strategy for Overcoming Divine Silence in Psalm 77 and Habakkuk1 David S. Vanderhooft Boston College [email protected] Human consternation in the face of divine silence, or apparent divine in- difference to formal procedures of supplication, appears somewhat often in the Hebrew Bible. Biblical texts, especially in the Psalms and the Prophets, confront head on the difficult situations where someone makes a formal inquiry or petition to God but does not apparently receive an immediate answer from God. Ritual experts, prophets, scribes and others sought remedies for this type of divine si- lence, and over time hard won strategies began to take shape to ameliorate the problem.2 The solutions sought for the problem of divine silence in Psalm 77 and the book of Habakkuk share a structurally similar logic, which explains their ap- peal to similar traditions and their similarities in diction. In ancient Israel, thinkers shared an almost universal assumption about the character of Yhwh, the God of Israel: they assumed—just as worshippers of oth- 1 I am grateful to numerous interlocutors who have discussed the present paper with me at various times: Simeon Chavel, Ronnie Goldstein, Baruch Halpern, Peter Ma- chinist, Noemí Palomares, Tony Perry, Alexander Rofé, Brent Strawn, Daniel Vos and Avi Winitzer. I am especially grateful to Prof. Shuichi Hasegawa for the invitation to deliver a version of the paper at Rikkyo University, Tokyo. Patrick Angiolillo provided important research assistance for which I am most grateful. 2 See here the wide-ranging and influential treatment of the problem in the work of Jon D.
    [Show full text]
  • Prayer, Oracle and Theophany: the Book of Habakkuk
    Tyndale Bulletin 44.1 (1993) 33-53. PRAYER, ORACLE AND THEOPHANY: THE BOOK OF HABAKKUK Michael E.W. Thompson Summary Habakkuk comprises laments, prophetic and woe oracles, and psalm (prayer), but there is progression of thought. In this book, a theological problem is stated and resolved. The different forms are used in purposeful and judicious ways. It is argued that there is one author, something of an eclectic who borrowed from wisdom and Isaianic traditions, in particular interpreting the latter and anticipating aspects of Isaiah 40-55. The theme of the book is theodicy. This is resolved in the psalm of chapter 3, through the language of prayer. Half the book is expressed in the language of prayer, making it unique among the prophetic books. The book of Habakkuk comprises laments, prophetic oracles, a collection of woe oracles and a psalm, the last containing a petition, description of a theophany and a concluding expres- sion of confidence. R.P. Carroll says: 'As a ragbag of traditional elements held together by vision and prayer Habakkuk illus- trates the way prophetic books have been put together in an apparently slapdash fashion'.1 This contribution questions the appropriateness in this context of the words 'ragbag' and 'apparently slapdash', and suggests a rather different assessment of the book. First, the various units that make up the book are considered, with close attention being given to the particular literary forms used in each. Appropriate attention is also given to the many notorious exegetical problems encountered in the book. In a second major section the eclectic nature of the book and the tradition in which it seems to stand is considered.
    [Show full text]
  • Biblical-Theological Resources for AGTS D.Min
    Biblical-Theological Resources for AGTS D.Min. Participants [1] AGTS Biblical-Theological Research Resources for AGTS D.Min. Participants Prepared by AGTS Biblical Studies Faculty and Colleagues Special thanks to Dr. Roger Cotton, Dr. Edgar Lee, Dr. Doug Oss, Dr. Jim Hernando, Dr. James Railey, Dr. Ben Aker, Dr. Debbie Gill, and Dr. Dale Brueggemann for their contributions to this resource. “Theology Hall,” in a twelfth-century Strahov Monastery in Prague Compiled by Dr. Lois Olena, D. Min. Project Coordinator Revised June 2017 G:\AGTS_Dmin\Projects_Writing\PROJECT DESIGN_Writing Clinic\TEACHING MATERIALS\Research Resources\Bib- Theo\AGTS_Bib_Theo_Resources_rev_June_2017_LO.docx Biblical-Theological Resources for AGTS D.Min. Participants [2] CONTENTS Your D.Min. Project Chapter 2: Where to Begin? ....................................... 4 Step 1: Determine the theological or topical themes and key biblical texts that inform the topic of your D.Min. project ........................................... 5 Instructional Documents for Step 1 .................................................................................................... 5 Studying a Theme of Old Testament Theology (Cotton) ..................................................... 6 Guidelines for Biblical-Theological Papers (Oss) ................................................................... 7 Redemptive-Historical Unfolding (Oss) ..................................................................................... 12 Bibliographic Sources for Step 1 .........................................................................................................
    [Show full text]