Characterisations of YHWH in the Song of the Vineyard: a Multitextural Interpretation of Isaiah 5:1-7
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Characterisations of YHWH in the Song of the Vineyard: A Multitextural Interpretation of Isaiah 5:1-7 by David Jay Miller submitted in accordance with the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Literature and Philosophy In the subject Biblical Studies at the University of South Africa Supervisor: Professor Gerrie Snyman Student number: 3206-396-2 I declare that Characterisations of YHWH in the Song of the Vineyard: A Multitextural Interpretation of the Song of the Vineyard is my own work and that all the sources that I have used or quoted have been indicated and acknowledged by means of complete references. _______________13 June 2013____________ SIGNATURE DATE (Mr) David J. Miller Key Terms: Prophetic writings, Isaiah; Song of the Vineyard; Eighth Century Judea; Textures of texts; Socio- rhetorical criticism; Biblical interpretation; Intertextuality; Sociology of ancient Israel; Oral poetry in biblical writings. Abstract The Song of the Vineyard, Isaiah 5:1-7, portrays YHWH as a vinedresser who has carefully prepared land and planted a choice vine, a symbol of the people whom the deity has chosen. When the reasonable expectation that the vine produce good fruit is thwarted, the vinedresser destroys the vineyard. YHWH, the vinedresser, may seem to be characterised by these actions as a demanding god who will swiftly and harshly recompense any failure to meet expectations. This thesis poses the hypothesis that although this brief song may at first seemingly present a monochromatic characterisation of YHWH, it may actually present a spectrum of characterisations when viewed through multiple interpretive lenses. Socio-rhetorical criticism is the methodology used to examine this hypothesis. This methodology, developed by Vernon K. Robbins, encompasses diverse interpretive approaches, examining five aspects, or “textures,” of the text to obtain a broad interpretive spectrum. In this thesis, three of the textures, innertexture, intertexture, and socio-cultural texture, are considered in separate chapters. The chapter on innertexture examines the world of the text itself, in particular its progressive nature and emotive content. The next chapter examines the intertextural relationship between this Isaian song and two other ancient songs (The Song of the Reed Sea and the Song of Moses), associative references to Sodom, and parallels with the Song of Solomon. The chapter on the socio-cultural texture examines the portrayal of YHWH in light of the socio- economics and socio-cultural values of the world of the story, eighth century B.C.E. Judah. Through this interpretive lense, YHWH is seen as a patron or benefactor who has been dishonoured by his people. In socio-rhetorical criticism, ideology is often presented as a separate texture; in this thesis, it is considered as part of the act of interpretation of all textures, since readers’ ideologies interact with the text. The sacred texture, the last of Robbins’ proposed textures, is presented as the conclusion, with a summary of the spectrum of characterisations of YHWH that the multi-lensed interpretive approach uncovers. The conclusion also includes suggested implications of these finds for the community of faith. Table of Contents Table of Contents v Abbreviations viii Preface x Introduction 1 The Problem, Hypothesis, and Questions 1 Theoretical Construct and Methodology 7 Delimitation of the Study 10 Presuppositions of the Researcher 11 Chapter Outline 15 1.0 Review of the Literature 19 1.1 Early Commentaries 19 1.2 Articles 1899-1930. Focus: Text, Structure, and Grammar 21 1.2.1 Cersoy 21 1.2.2 Haupt 25 1.2.3 Gray 26 1.2.4 Graham 27 1.3 1959-1989. Focus: Structure, Genre, and Literary Approaches 31 1.3.1 Junker 31 1.3.2 Orbiso 33 1.3.3 Schottroff 36 1.3.4 Lys 40 1.3.5 1977-1982, Debate over Genre. Willis, Graffy, Yee, and Shepherd. 42 1.3.6 Gil’ad 56 1.3.7 Höffken 59 1.3.8 Williams 62 1.3.9 Folmer 67 1.3.10 Korpel, 1988, 1996 70 1.4 1991-Present. Diversification of Approaches 78 1.4.1 Consideration for Translations: Emerton and Clark 78 1.4.2 Olivier 85 1.4.3 Irsigler 87 1.4.4 “Sour Grapes;” YHWH a Berserker God or Just Judge? Carroll and Chaney 91 1.4.5 Gomes 98 1.4.6 Malul and Landy: Sexual Imagery 106 1.4.7 Story 113 1.4.8 Other Works 115 1.5 Summary 116 2.0 Methodology 120 2.1 Introductory Comments: Research Questions and Methodologies 120 2.2 Historical and Conceptual Background of Socio-Rhetorical Criticism 123 2.2.1 Dogmatic Criticism 123 2.2.2 Baruch Spinoza: The Foundation for the Historical-Critical Approach 125 2.2.3 Immanuel Kant 127 2.2.4 Friedrich Schleiermacher 128 2.2.5 Modernity and the Historical-Critical Method 130 2.2.6 Postmodernism 138 2.2.7 Rhetoric and Biblical Criticism 143 2.3 Socio-Rhetorical Criticism 149 2.3.1 Description of Socio-Rhetorical Criticism 149 2.3.2 Criticism of Socio-Rhetorical Criticism 154 2.4 The Textures of the Text and the Song of the Vineyard 165 2.4.1 The Five Textures 165 2.4.2 The Problem of Separating Textures 168 2.4.3 Innertexture 169 2.4.4 Intertexture 176 2.4.5 Socio-Cultural Texture 180 2.4.6 Ideological Texture 183 2.5 Summary: Seeking the Sacred in the Twenty-First Century 189 3.0 Innertexture of the Text 191 3.1 Preliminary Matters: The Text 191 3.1.1 Redaction 192 3.1.2 Variant Versions 194 3.2 The Progressive Texture of the Text 199 3.2.1 Inverted Parallelism and the Rhetorical Progression 200 3.2.2 Structure by Stanza and the Rhetorical Progression 214 3.3 The Emotive Texture of the Text 219 3.3.1 The Prophet, the Friend, and YHWH: Narrative Progression and Identification 220 3.3.2 Orality and the Emotive Texture 226 3.4 Innertextual Metaphor 245 246 דוד Identification of Metaphors: the word 3.4.1 3.4.2 The Prophet/Presenter as Metaphor 249 3.5 Summary 251 4.0 The Intertextural World of the Text 253 4.1 Introduction 253 4.2 YHWH, the Planter of Israel 259 4.2.1 The Song of the Reed Sea, Exodus 15:1-18 259 4.2.2 The Song of Moses, Deuteronomy 32:1-43 264 4.3 YHWH and Israel the Vine(yard) 274 4.3.1 Literary Progression and Rhetorical Functions 274 4.3.2 Indictment of the Vineyard and Associations with Sodom 281 4.3.3 Indictment of the Ruling Elite: YHWH Defends the People 290 4.4 YHWH the Lover/Husband of Israel 298 4.4.1 The Problem of Ideology 298 4.4.2 YHWH as Lover: The Song of Solomon 300 4.5 Summary 309 5.0 The Socio-Cultural Texture of the Text 313 5.1 The Israelite Agrarian World 316 5.1.1 The Physical Setting 316 5.1.2 Socio-Economic Setting 319 5.1.3 Asymmetrical Relationships: Patron-Client and Covenantal Exchange 325 5.2 The Social Values of Honour and Shame 328 5.2.1 The Definition of Honour and Shame 332 5.2.2 Gaining, Losing, and Defending Honour 338 5.3 Honour and Shame in the Song of the Vineyard 341 5.3.1 Model for Analysis 341 5.3.2 Honour and Shame in the Song of the Vineyard: Analysis 343 5.4 Social Location: Who are the Hearers? 355 5.5 Summary 359 6.0 Conclusion: Seeking the Sacred 363 6.1 Researching the Hypothesis: The World of Both/And 363 6.2 The Textures of the Text: Answering the Research Questions 365 6.2.1 Innertexture 365 6.2.2 Intertexture 367 6.2.3 Socio-cultural Texture 371 6.3 Theological Implications of the Study 374 Bibliography 382 Abbreviations 1QIsaa The Great Isaiah Scroll AA American Antiquity ARA Annual Review of Anthropology BA Biblical Archaeologist BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BDB The New Brown-Driver-Briggs-Gesenius Hebrew and English Lexicon BI Biblical Interpretation BZ Biblische Zeitschrift CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly CR Codex Reuchlinianus HeyJ Heythrop Journal HvTSt Hervormde Teologiese Studies IA Iron Age ICC International Critical Commentary JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JESHO Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JNES Journal of Near East Studies JNSL Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages JR Journal of Religion JSNT Journal for the Study of the New Testament JSNTSup Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament JSOTSup Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement JSS Journal of Semitic Studies JTI Journal of Theological Interpretation KJV King James Version viii LXX Septuagint MT Masoretic Text NAB New American Bible NRSV* New Revised Standard Version OTE Old Testament Essays PBC Pontifical Biblical Commission on Interpretation of the Bible in the Church PRSt Perspectives on Religious Studies SBL Society of Biblical Literature SBLSP Society of Biblical Literature Seminar Papers SBLSymS Society of Biblical Literature Symposium Series SBT Studia Biblica et Theologica SJOT Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament TB Talmud Bavli TY Talmud Yerushalmi VT Vetus Testamentum VTSup Vetus Testamentum Supplements WUNT Wissenschaftliche Untersuchungen zum Neuen Testament ZAW Zeitschrift für die Altetestamentlich Wissenschaft ZTK Zeitschrift für Theologie und Kirche *All Scripture quotations unless otherwise noted are from New Revised Standard Version Bible, copyright © 1989 National Council of the Churches of Christ in the United States of America. 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