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Theodicy in Habakkuk

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Theodicy in Habakkuk THEODICY IN HABAKKUK By Grace Ko A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Biblical Studies of Wycliffe College and the Department of the Biblical Studies of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Awarded by the University of St. Michael's College Toronto 2009 © Grace Ko Library and Archives Bibliotheque et 1*1 Canada Archives Canada Published Heritage Direction du Branch Patrimoine de I'edition 395 Wellington Street 395, rue Wellington Ottawa ON K1A 0N4 OttawaONK1A0N4 Canada Canada Your file Votre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-68858-8 Our file Notre reference ISBN: 978-0-494-68858-8 NOTICE: AVIS: The author has granted a non­ L'auteur a accorde une licence non exclusive exclusive license allowing Library and permettant a la Bibliotheque et Archives Archives Canada to reproduce, Canada de reproduce, publier, archiver, publish, archive, preserve, conserve, sauvegarder, conserver, transmettre au public communicate to the public by par telecommunication ou par I'lnternet, preter, telecommunication or on the Internet, distribuer et vendre des theses partout dans le loan, distribute and sell theses monde, a des fins commerciales ou autres, sur worldwide, for commercial or non­ support microforme, papier, electronique et/ou commercial purposes, in microform, autres formats. paper, electronic and/or any other formats. The author retains copyright L'auteur conserve la propriete du droit d'auteur ownership and moral rights in this et des droits moraux qui protege cette these. Ni thesis. Neither the thesis nor la these ni des extraits substantiels de celle-ci substantial extracts from it may be ne doivent etre imprimes ou autrement printed or otherwise reproduced reproduits sans son autorisation. without the author's permission. In compliance with the Canadian Conformement a la loi canadienne sur la Privacy Act some supporting forms protection de la vie privee, quelques may have been removed from this formulaires secondaires ont ete enleves de thesis. cette these. While these forms may be included Bien que ces formulaires aient inclus dans in the document page count, their la pagination, il n'y aura aucun contenu removal does not represent any loss manquant. of content from the thesis. 1+1 Canada Title: Theodicy in Habakkuk By: Grace Ko A Thesis submitted to the Faculty of the Biblical Studies of Wycliffe College and the Department of the Biblical Studies of the Toronto School of Theology In partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy in Theology Awarded by the University of St. Michael's College Toronto 2009 Abstract The purpose of this dissertation is to explain how the issue of theodicy is resolved in the book of Habakkuk. Using a holistic, synchronic approach to read the book as a literary whole, this thesis investigates how its writer presents his case, and how he comes to the final resolution of his problem. The initial chapter surveys the scholarly works relating to the critical issues raised by the book, particularly to those that affect the theological message of the book. In the second chapter, a close reading of the book is done by demarcating the book, and by paying attention to its literary devices and conventions, so as to see how each part of the book works together to resolve the issue of theodicy raised by the prophet. In the third chapter, after analyzing its plot and characterization, four themes are found: theodicy; the righteous shall live by his faithfulness; reap what you sow; and the sovereignty of God. Then other biblical passages that deal with theodicy are examined. The investigation is limited to Job 38-41; Psalms 73 and 77; and Jeremiah's confessions. It is concluded that all these passages share some common grounds: the issue of theodicy arises from the suffering of the righteous; lament is the most appropriate language to appeal to God; and resolution comes after direct theophany or a meditation on God's character and his past deeds. The fourth chapter examines Habakkuk's relationship to other prophetic literature. It looks into how theodicy is handled in other prophetic books, and how Habakkuk differs from the rest of the group. This is done by observing the prophetic ii disputation with the voxpopuli as recorded in various prophetic passages. Habakkuk is found to be unique among the prophetic literature in both content and form. Moreover Habakkuk's positioning in the book of the Twelve is related to the issue of theodicy. It is concluded in the final chapter that Habakkuk's complaint fits the historical situation of Jehoiakim's reign, and that his lament, which represents Israel's cry for divine intervention during the national crisis, is resolved after theophany. iii Table of Contents Chapter 1 Introduction 1 I. Survey of Scholarship on the Study of the Book of Habakkuk 3 Historical Issues: Identification of the Historical Players and 4 the Dating of the Book Literary Critical Issues: History of the Composition of the Book 14 Textual Critical Issues 31 Structure of the Book 36 Debate on the Genre of the Book 37 Synchronic Reading of the Book 44 II. Purpose 45 III. Methodology 47 IV. Presupposition 52 Chapter 2 Close Reading on the Book of Habakkuk 54 I. Demarcation of Large Literary Units 54 II. Translation and Division of the Book 61 III. Comments 70 Superscription (1:1) 70 Scene 1 Stanza 1: Habakkuk's First Complaint (1:2-4) 11 Stanza 2: Yahweh 's Response: The Rise of the Chaldeans (1:5-6) 76 Stanza 3: Description of the Chaldeans (1:7-8) 11 Stanza 4: Brutality of the Chaldeans (1:9-11) 78 Stanza 5: Habakkuk's Second Complaint against Yahweh (1:12-14) 82 Stanza 6: Habakkuk's Complaint against the Chaldeans (1:15-17) 87 Scene 2 Stanza 1: Habakkuk's Action and Yahweh's Response (2:1-3) 90 Stanza 2: Contrast of the Arrogant and the Righteous (2:4-6a) 95 Stanza 3: The First Woe Oracle (2:6b-8) 100 Stanza 4: The Second Woe Oracle (2:9-11) 102 Stanza 5: The Third Woe Oracle (2:12-14) 104 Stanza 6: The Fourth Woe Oracle (2:15-17) 106 Stanza 7: The Fifth Woe Oracle (2:18-20) 110 Scene 3 Superscription (3:1) 114 Stanza 1: Habakkuk's Petition (3:2) 115 Stanza 2: Theophany: The Coming of Yahweh (3:3-5) 117 Stanza 3: The Arrival of Yahweh (3:6-7) 120 Stanza 4: Yahweh as Warrior (3:8-9) 122 Stanza 5: Cosmic Reaction (3:10-11) 126 Stanza 6: Purpose of Divine Coming (3:12-13) 128 Stanza 7: Divine Warfare (3:14-15) 130 iv Stanza 8: Habakkuk's Reaction: Lament (3:16-17) 133 Stanza 9: Habakkuk's Resolution: Trust (3:18-19a) 135 Subscription (3:19b) 137 IV. Conclusion on the Structure of the Book 138 V. Literary Forms of the Book 140 Chapter 3 Habakkuk and Theodicy 144 I. The Plot of the Book of Habakkuk 144 II. Characterization in Habakkuk 149 The Chaldeans 150 Yahweh 152 Habakkuk 154 III. Themes in Habakkuk 157 Theodicy 158 The Righteous Shall Live by His Faithfulness 159 Reap What You Sow 160 The Sovereignty of God 161 IV. Questions Raised by Habakkuk 162 V. Resolution of the Issue of Theodicy in Habakkuk 166 God Has Appointed a Time for Judgment (2:3-5) 166 Woe Oracles as Divine Retribution (2:6-20) 167 Theophany: A Manifestation of God's Power (3:3-7) 169 God as a Warrior to Fight for His People (3:8-15) 171 Song of Triumph: The Faithful Prevails (3:16-19) 172 VI. Summary and Conclusion 174 VII. Theodicy in Other Biblical Passages Job 175 Psalm 73 190 Psalm 77 196 Jeremiah 203 VIII. Conclusion 210 Chapter 4 Habakkuk in Prophetic Literature 213 I. Theodicy in Other Prophetic Literature 213 Prophetic Disputation with Vox Populi 214 Prophetic Attempts to Correct the Misconceptions of the People 218 Prophecy and Covenant 220 Prophetic Complaint against Yahweh 225 Summary of Theodicy in Other Prophetic Literature 230 II. Habakkuk's Uniqueness in Prophetic Tradition 231 III. Habakkuk in the Book of the Twelve 234 The Unity of the Twelve 235 The Positioning of the Twelve Minor Prophets 236 The Placement of Habakkuk in the Twelve 241 v Chapter 5 Summary and Conclusion 244 I. Summary 244 II. Habakkuk's Presentation of the Issue of Theodicy 248 III. Habakkuk' s Resolution of the Issue of Theodicy 251 Bibliography 255 VI Abbreviations AB Anchor Bible ABD Anchor Bible Dictionary. Edited by David Noel Freedman. New York: Doubleday, 1992 AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament AOTC Abingdon Old Testament Commentaries BA Biblical Archaeologist BDB Brown, F., S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs. A Hebrew and English Lexicon of the Old Testament. Oxford: Clarendon, 1907 BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. Edited by K. Elliger and W. Rudolph. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelstiftung, 1997 BN Biblische Notizen BSC Bible Study Commentary BZAW Beihefte zur ZAW CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CBR Currents in Biblical Research EBC The Expositor's Bible Commentary GKC Gesenius' Hebrew Grammar. Edited by E. Kautzsch and A. E. Cowley. Oxford: Clarendon, 1910. HSM Harvard Semitic Monographs HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual IDBSup Supplementary volume to Interpreter's Dictionary of the Bible Int Interpretation ITC International Theological Commentary IVP InterVarsity Press vii JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JNSL Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages JPS Jewish Publication Society JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series JSS Journal of Semitic Studies KAT Kommentar zum Alten Testament LXX Septuagent MT Masoretic Text NAC The New American Commentary NASB New American Standard Bible NIB The New Interpreter's Bible NIBC New International Biblical Commentary NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament NIV New International Version NJB New Jerusalem Bible NRV New Revised Version NSBT New Studies in Biblical Theology OTE Old Testament Essays OTL Old Testament Library RB Revue Biblique RSV Revised Standard Version viii SBL Society of Biblical Literature SJT Scottish Journal of Theology TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament.
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