Durham E-Theses The Year of Jubilee and Old Testament Ethics: A Test Case in Methodology HOCH, BRIAN,THOMAS How to cite: HOCH, BRIAN,THOMAS (2010) The Year of Jubilee and Old Testament Ethics: A Test Case in Methodology , Durham theses, Durham University. Available at Durham E-Theses Online: http://etheses.dur.ac.uk/677/ Use policy The full-text may be used and/or reproduced, and given to third parties in any format or medium, without prior permission or charge, for personal research or study, educational, or not-for-prot purposes provided that: • a full bibliographic reference is made to the original source • a link is made to the metadata record in Durham E-Theses • the full-text is not changed in any way The full-text must not be sold in any format or medium without the formal permission of the copyright holders. Please consult the full Durham E-Theses policy for further details. Academic Support Oce, Durham University, University Oce, Old Elvet, Durham DH1 3HP e-mail: [email protected] Tel: +44 0191 334 6107 http://etheses.dur.ac.uk 2 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! !"#$%#&'$()$*+,-.##$&/0$1.0$!#23&4#/3$53"-627$ 8$!#23$9&2#$-/$:#3"(0(.(;<$ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ $ "#$%&!'(!)*+,! -,.!',/0$0! 1&$2/#0$34!*5!.6#,%7! ./8%#37/&3!*5!',/*9*:4!%&;!</9$:$*&! =>?>! ! ! Table of Contents: Introduction C. J. H. Wright’s Paradigmatic Method 1 Chapter One: The Preliminaries for Old Testament Ethics: 10 The Text of Leviticus 25 12 Explanation of My Approach to Scripture 16 Roadmap to the Thesis 33 Historical Matters, OT Ethics, and the Jubilee 34 Leviticus 25 and Source Criticism 35 Historical Reconstructions and the Jubilee 41 The Authority of the Old Testament 69 Excursus: Modern Ethical Reflections on the Jubilee: 74 Chapter Two: The Theological Angle: 79 Wright’s Theological Angle on the Jubilee 80 Assessment of Wright’s Theological Angle 83 The Day of Atonement and the Year of Jubilee 85 The Significance and Meaning of lbwy 92 The Fiftieth Year and the Eighth-Day 111 Chapter Summary 145 Chapter Three: The Social Angle: 148 Wright’s Social Angle on the Jubilee 149 Assessment of Wright’s Social Angle 153 The Structure of Lev 25: 8-55 157 The Introductory Phrase 171 The Numeruswechsel/Stilwechsel 182 Resident Alien/Sojourner 189 Chapter Summary 200 Chapter Four: The Economic Angle: 203 Wright’s Economic Angle on the Jubilee 204 Assessment of Wright’s Economic Angle 206 Israel and the Land 207 Sabbath and the Return to Eden 211 Tabernacle and Eden 224 Chapter Summary 227 Summary of Wright’s Ethical Triangle Approach 229 Chapter Five: New Testament Fulfilment: 233 Wright’s Paradigmatic Interpretation of the Jubilee 234 Assessment of Wright’s Paradigmatic Interpretation 236 Wright’s Typological Interpretation of the Jubilee 238 Assessment of Wright’s Typological Interpretation 240 Wright’s Eschatological Interpretation of the Jubilee 243 Assessment of Wright’s Eschatological Interpretation 244 Jesus and Fulfilment in Luke 4:16-30 245 New Testament Theological Angle 259 New Testament Social and Economic Angles 267 Theological Conclusions: 288 Bibliography $ $ $ Table of Charts: Fig 3.1 Parallel Structure of the Interim Years 174 Fig 3.2 Matching the Structure and the Numeruswechsel in Lev 25 190 Fig 5.1 Analysis of Acts 5:1-11 as a Type-Scene with Genesis 1-3 and Joshua 7 286 ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! ! The Copyright of this thesis rests with the author. No quotation from it shall be published in any format, including electronic and the Internet, without the author’s prior written consent. All information derived from this thesis must be acknowledged appropriately. ! ! ! The Scripture quotations contained herein are from The New Revised Standard Version of the Bible, Anglicized Edition, copyright 1989, 1995 by the Division of Christian Education of the National Council of Churches of Christ in the United States of America, and are used by permission. All rights reserved. ! Abstract The Year of Jubilee and Old Testament Ethics: A Test Case in Methodology Brian T. Hoch This thesis argues that the “ethical triangle” model of C. J. H. Wright’s OT ethics, slightly adjusted, offers a convincing account of the Jubilee, which is here analysed from the perspective of each of the triangle’s vertices: theological, social, and economic. The meaning and paradigmatic value of the Jubilee is assessed before its correlation to the NT is sought. Wright’s model requires three adjustments. First, an OT topic’s essential thematic components need to be analysed by extremely close readings guided by the priority of the theological angle. Second, the relevant topic and its components must be traced through the OT to demonstrate how changing contexts affect the said topic’s inclusion into larger biblical-theological themes. Finally, each topic must come into conversation with Jesus’ claim of fulfilment, therefore, the last question to ask is how the new covenant, as the ultimate context change, affects the topic. This methodology was explored with the Year of Jubilee as a test case. A close “triangle” reading determined that the legislation was highly theological with economic expression—the opposite of the stereotype current in modern scholarship. The Jubilee was applicable only to the Israelites in the covenant community who were to provide mutual care for their “brothers.” Correlating the Jubilee to the restorative events of the entry into the land and to the Exodus highlights the Edenic motifs within the legislation and show it to be a cyclical re-creation of the original state, arrived at by the power of a redemptive covenant. These themes, and others, are traced through the OT and into the NT, predominantly focusing upon the Lucan corpus. Introduction The use of the OT in pastoral ministry (which is my profession) is fraught with peril. Interpreting the OT among church members is much like discussing parenting; everybody has their own ideas, and if, perchance, they do not, their mother or granny did. I think that it is fair to say that the majority of the Bible questions that church attenders pose to me are questions of what to do with the OT. In light of my own context, and in the light of many critical works on the OT that simply do not contribute to church life, C.J.H. Wright’s work in the discipline of OT ethics is a refreshing read. Wright has written extensively on the topic of OT ethics.1 He takes quite seriously the notion that the Bible is a book for the church, and he unashamedly confesses the Christian Bible to be the word of God.2 On top of all that, his scholarly work is thorough, thoughtful, and full of encouragement that the discipline of OT ethics is indeed a worthwhile venture for today. C.J.H. Wright’s Ethical Triangle Approach: Wright’s method for OT ethics begins with the presupposition that OT ethics are built upon (and flow out of) Israel’s worldview.3 Wright understands the three main pillars of that worldview to be: God, the nation of Israel, and Israel’s land.4 He then places these three pillars on the three vertices of a triangle. The angle labelled as the pillar of God he calls ‘the theological angle’. The angle labelled with Israel he calls the ‘social angle,’ and the angle labelled land he calls the ‘economic angle.’5 The method to uncover the worldview of OT Israel, as it relates to a law or institution, or topic, is the investigation and interplay of these three angles. Wright’s 1 A complete bibliography is found in C.J.H. Wright, Old Testament Ethics for the People of God (Leicester: InterVarsity Press, 2004) pp. 498-499. This book is the compilation of much of his work and will be the main work referenced. 2 Wright, OT Ethics, p. 454. 3 Ibid, p. 17. 4 Ibid, p. 19. 5 Ibid. 2 method and his reconstruction of Israel follows the canonical story, but he is willing to listen to any relevant information, from all available sources.6 The Theological Angle The full enterprise of OT ethics is theological: “…ethical issues are at every point related to God.”7 The rationale and motivation for ethical directives are found in the relationship that Israel, or an individual Israelite, had with Yahweh. In that sense, theological is used as an alternative to other possible rationales, such as social, moral, or agricultural. Israel’s ethics were founded upon Yahweh. His character, will, and purpose defined the covenant relationship and meant that Israel’s response was to a person. It was Yahweh who chose them, who formed the nation, and who called for a response—and that response was Israel’s ethics. Thus, “blind obedience” or “arbitrary 6Wright, OT Ethics, pp. 26ff. I have encountered six methodological proposals for OT ethics during this study, including Wright. As the authors listed below have critiqued each other’s work, only the reasons their methods do not fit with mine need be given here. W. C. Kaiser, Toward an Old Testament Ethics (Grand Rapids: Zondervan Publishing House, 1983), is brimming with good things but is too dependent on the singular idea of law as the will of God and holiness of God. He has been a trustworthy guide, however. C. S. Rodd, Glimpses of a Strange Land (Edinburgh: T&T Clark, 2001), is too negative in his appraisal of the possibility of OT ethics. As a result, his chapters amount to brilliant essays with no provision for understanding the whole. His approach is marked by historical-critical concerns. His rejection of biblical authority is a presuppositional watershed. W. Janzen, Old Testament Ethics: A Paradigmatic Approach (Louisville, KY: Westminster John Knox Press, 1994), uses a paradigmatic approach also, but avoids distilling any “basic principles” (p.