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The Theology of the Balaam Oracles: a Pagan Diviner and the Word of God

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The Theology of the Balaam Oracles: a Pagan Diviner and the Word of God THE THEOLOGY OF THE BALAAM ORACLES: A PAGAN DIVINER AND THE WORD OF GOD A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of the Graduate School Dallas Theological Seminary In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Theology by Ronald Barclay Allen © 1973; Ronald Allen report any errors to Ted Hildebrandt at [email protected] Cited with permission. Accepted by the Faculty of the Dallas Theological Seminary in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Doctor of Theology. Examining Committee Bruce K. Waltke Kenneth Barker Charles C. Ryrie THE THEOLOGY OF THE BALAAM ORACLES: A PAGAN DIVINER AND THE WORD OF GOD Ronald Barclay Allen, Th. D. The aim of this thesis is to explore, exegete and display the riches of the oracles of Balaam (Numbers 22-24) as they related to the broad history of Old Testament studies, and more particularly to Old Testament theology. The oracles of Balaam are a fitting corpus for such a task as they have long been regarded as both a test case for literary criticism and as the quintessence of Pentateuchal theology. The study begins with a survey of the employment of the oracles of Balaam as used at Qumran, and by Bar Kochba, the Church Fathers, and the Talmud. Possible references to Balaam in the Quran are also discussed. Since the oracles of Balaam have long been regarded as the test case for literary criticism, a rather thorough study is made of the reconstructions of the Balaam materials by a number of leading scholars, including Wellhausen, Lohr, Mowinckel, Burrows, Albright, von Pakozdy, and Eissfeldt. Next, a thorough study is undertaken relative to the critical issues concerning Balaam from a positive, harmonistic viewpoint. Balaam is seen to be from North Syria (Pitru/Amau, near the Euphrates). He is best viewed not as a "true" or "false" prophet, but rather outside of biblical prophetism altogether. He was it a pagan diviner of the class baru (cf. apilu), who was used by Yahweh in a sovereign manner for His own glory. All passages relative to the oracles and person of Balaam are discussed. iii Since the Balaam oracles have been regarded to be the quin-- tessence of Pentateuchal theology, the next task in the present thesis is to exegete and display the theological contributions of this pericope. Each of the oracles is exegeted in the context of the curse motif and the masal Gattung. Then, within the context of sound methodology in theological research, including the proper use of Heilsgeschichte, the oracles of Balaam are seen to be an outstanding medium for the revelation of the center of theology: Yahweh, the God of Israel. Yahweh is revealed in these materials by appellation, attribute, and mighty act. Finally, the oracles of Balaam are related to the current crisis in inerrancy and the ongoing conflict of ministry. ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS Readers of dissertations perhaps grow weary by expressions of gratitude; writers of dissertations know that these expressions are necessary as they are genuinely deserved. I would like to express my deep appreciation to the Lord for having guided me to Dallas Theological Seminary for my theological training which culminates in the present paper. Moreover, I would like to single out two professors who were most influential in my life in the six years of study at Dallas Seminary, Dr. Bruce K. Waltke and Dr. Haddon W. Robinson. I find that there is scarcely a class that I teach in which I do not feel my keen indebtedness to you men for your profound influence in my ministry. I also wish to thank in a public way Mrs. Betty Lu Johnstone and her staff at the Library of the Western Conservative Baptist Seminary for being most gracious in helping me receive scores of items on inter-library loans. I also wish to thank Mrs. Paul K. Jewett of Fuller Theological Sem- inary Library for her kind assistance to me in the summer of 1971. There must also be a special "nod of the hat" to my colleagues and students who paced the father's waiting room with me during this project. Finally, I would like to express my deepest thanks to the mem- bers of my family for their help to me while writing this paper. I wish to thank v my mother, Mrs. Vantoria Norwood, who typed the bibliography for me. Most especially I wish to thank my children and my wife--only they know how much encouragement I needed--and they gave it.1 A word may be said at this point concerning Bible quotations in the present paper. If no source is given, the translation is my own. Where I have used the New American Standard Bible, I have taken the liberty to substitute Yahweh for LORD, despite the disclaimer of the editor of that edition on p. ix. Now in the words of Horace, to my dissertation--these words: Well, Book, how well I see You want to look like a book And be liber, be free of me: Portland, Oregon. February, 1973 1 With apologies to Carol Christ and Judith M. Plaskow Bolden- berg; I am not sure how they would classify this Gattung. "For the Advance- ment of My Career: A Form Critical Study in the Art of Acknowledgement, Council on the Study of Religion Bulletin, III (June, 1972), 10-14. TABLE OF CONTENTS ABBREVIATIONS ix Chapter I. INTRODUCTION 1 The Importance of the Study In the Context of Old Testament Studies The Subject Itself The Limits of the Study IL AN HISTORICAL SURVEY: BACKGROUND, SUMMARY, AND EARLY TRADITION 18 Introduction The Background of the Narrative A Summary of the Narrative The Balaam Oracles at Qumran 4 Q Testimonia The Damascus Document The Order of Warfare Summary The Balaam Oracles and Bar Kochba The Balaam Oracles and the Church Fathers Balaam in the Talmud Balaam in the Qur'an Summary III. A CRITICAL STUDY: BALAAM IN MODERN SCHOLARSHIP 55 Introduction The Reconstruction of Wellhausen The Reconstruction of Lohr The Reconstruction of Mcwinckel The Reconstruction of Burrows The Reconstruction of Albright The Reconstruction of von Pakozdy The Reconstruction of Eissfeldt Summary vii IV. A CRITICAL STUDY: A POSITIVE PRESENTATION OF CRITICAL ISSUES 135 Introduction The Meaning of the Naine of Balaam Names in Israel and the Ancient Near East Balaam and Bela The Name Balaam The Name Beor The Name Balak Summary The Homeland of Balaam Introduction The Identity of "The River" The Location of "Pethor" The Meaning of the Phrase "The Land of the Sons of His People" Summary The Character and Role of Balaam Introduction An Approach of Mediation: Hengstenberg An Interpretation of His Character: Butler An Understanding of His Role: Daiches A Synthesis: Balaam the Diviner A Recent Development: Prophetis m at Mari A Comparison and a Contrast Balaam in the Old Testament The Sequel--Numbers 25 Other Old Testament Passages Summary New Testament Citations of Balaam The Source of the Balaam Narrative Conclusion V. AN EXEGETICAL STUDY: THE ORACLES OF BALAAM 235 Introduction The Role of the Curse The Term Masal The Unity and Structure of the Oracles An Exegesis of the Oracles Conclusion viii VI. A THEOLOGICAL STUDY: THE THEOLOGY OF THE BALAAM PERICOPE 333 Introduction The Basis for Sound Theology The Existence of God The Revelation of God Contrast with the Ancient Near East The Role of Presuppositions Summary The Mitte of Theology is God God is the center of the Old Testament as a Whole God is the center of the Balaam Narrative Balaam's Employment of the Appellatives of God Yahweh Elohim El Shaddai Elyon Melek Summary The Role of Heilsgeschichte The Heilsgeschichte of the Balaam Oracles The Blessing of Yahweh The Attributes of Yahweh The Incomparability of Yahweh The Sovereignty of Yahweh The Immutability of Yahweh The Love of Yahweh The Righteous Acts of Yahweh His Acts and the Spoken Word His Acts and the Donkey Story His Acts as the Deliverer Summary Conclusion VII. CONCLUSION: AN APOLOGETIC AND AN APPLICATION 462 Introduction An Apologetic: Balaam and the Word An Application: Balaam and the Ministry APPENDIX: "Donkey's Delight, " by C. S. Lewis 469 BIBLIOGRAPHY 471 ABBREVIATIONS AGL W. F. Arndt and F. W. Gingrich, A Greek-English Lexicon of the New Testament and Other Early Christian Literature AH W. von Soden, ed. , Akkadische Handworterbuch AJSLL The American Journal of Semitic Languages and Literature AJT American Journal of Theology ANEP J. B. Pritchard, ed. , The Ancient Near East in Pictures ANES Idem, ed. , The Ancient Near East: Supplementary Texts and Pictures Relating to the Old Testament ANET Idem , ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts. AOF Archiv fur Orient-Forschund ASTI Annual of the Swedish Theological Institute ATR Anglican Theological Review BA The Biblical Archaeologist BAG C. Bezold, Babylonisch-Assyrisches Glossar BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BDB F. Brown, , S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, ed. , A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament BETS Bulletin of the Evangelical Theological Society BHis. Buried History BJRL Bulletin of the John Rylands Library x BK Bibel and Kirche BS Bibliotheca Sacra BZAW Beiheft zur Zeitschrift fur die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CAD A. L. Oppenheim, ed., The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago CBQ The Catholic Biblical Quarterly CHAL W. Holladay, ed., A Concise Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament CJT Canadian Journal of Theology CQR Church Quarterly Review CS Cahiers Sioniens CT Christianity Today CTS Calvin Theological Journal CTM The Concordia Theological Monthly CUL R. Whittaker, A Concordance of the Ugaritic Literature CV Communio Viatorum DISO C. -F. Jean and J. Hoftizjer, Dictionnaire des Inscriptions Semitiaues de 1'Ouest DP Deutsches Pfarrerblatt EI Eretz Israel: Archaeological, Historical and Geographical Studies EQ The Evangelical Quartet ET The Expository Times xi Expos.
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