Making Sense in Zephaniah: An Intertextual Reading John de Jong A thesis submitted to Auckland University of Technology in fulfilment of the requirements for the degree of Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) 2015 Faculty of Culture and Society through Laidlaw College i Abstract The question this thesis answers is, “How does an intertextual reading contribute to interpreting the book of Zephaniah?” To answer this question the thesis examines the ways in which Zephaniah takes up other texts as it constructs its own message. After the introduction, chapters 2 to 4 address the theory of intertextuality, methodological issues in an intertextual reading of the OT in general, and historical-critical aspects of Zephaniah. Exegesis of Zephaniah constitutes the main body of the thesis (chapters 5-7), proceeding one pericope at a time in analysing the effect intertextual allusion and echo have on the signification of the text. This intertextual reading reveals that the first oracle, Zeph 1.2-3, is key to understanding the entire book of Zephaniah. Allusion to the creation- flood account in Genesis 1-9 carries into the text of Zephaniah the concept of representation. Just as humanity represented God in the primeval times and humanity’s failure resulted in universal judgment, in Zephaniah the failure of the people of God likewise results in universal judgment. This concept of representation enables the book of Zephaniah to be read as a cohesive text which makes sense from beginning to end. The relationship between Judah and the nations in Zephaniah is a difficulty which has led scholars to emending the text and/or attributing what appear to be logical inconsistencies to redactional adjustments to the original Zephaniah text. An intertextual reading provides a solution to this interpretive impasse. The thesis concludes that an intertextual reading makes a significant contribution to understanding the book of Zephaniah. ii Dedication To the young and growing church of Myanmar. iii Contents Abstract……. ..................................................................................................................... i Dedication…. .................................................................................................................... ii List of Figures .................................................................................................................. vi List of Tables ................................................................................................................... vi Attestation of Authorship ............................................................................................... viii Acknowledgments ............................................................................................................ ix List of Conventions and Abbreviations ............................................................................ x Chapter 1 Introduction ................................................................................................. 1 1.1 Outline of the thesis ............................................................................................ 3 Chapter 2 Theory of Intertextuality ............................................................................. 6 2.1 M.M. Bakhtin and intertextuality ....................................................................... 7 2.1.1 Heteroglossia and intertextuality ................................................................. 8 2.2 Intertextuality: A contentious concept.............................................................. 10 2.2.1 More than presupposition .......................................................................... 11 2.2.2 An overarching theory of texts .................................................................. 13 2.3 Intertextual allusion and echo ........................................................................... 14 2.4 Summary .......................................................................................................... 17 Chapter 3 Intertextual Analysis of the Old Testament .............................................. 19 3.1 “Inner-biblical exegesis” .................................................................................. 19 3.2 Intertextuality in the prophets ........................................................................... 24 3.2.1 Issues arising from OT works on intertextuality ....................................... 25 3.3 Identifying allusion and echo in the OT ........................................................... 32 3.3.1 Identifying allusion ................................................................................... 33 3.3.2 Identifying the direction of allusion .......................................................... 35 3.4 The effect of allusion and echo on the text ...................................................... 38 3.5 Summary .......................................................................................................... 39 Chapter 4 Historical-critical Assumptions about the Book of Zephaniah ................. 41 4.1 The book of Zephaniah as a discrete text ......................................................... 41 4.2 The coherence of the book of Zephaniah ......................................................... 42 4.3 Authorship and date .......................................................................................... 45 4.4 Summary .......................................................................................................... 48 Chapter 5 Zephaniah 1: Reproach ............................................................................. 49 5.1 Zephaniah 1.1 ................................................................................................... 49 5.2 Zephaniah 1.2-3 ................................................................................................ 50 5.2.1 How are Zephaniah 1.2-3 and 1.4-18 related? .......................................... 51 5.2.2 Allusion to Genesis 1-9 ............................................................................. 54 5.2.3 The effect of the allusion to Genesis 1-9 .................................................. 63 5.2.4 Summary of Zephaniah 1.2-3 .................................................................... 70 iv 5.3 Zephaniah 1.4-6 ................................................................................................ 70 5.3.1 Intertextuality with 2 Kings 21 and 23? .................................................... 73 5.3.2 “I will stretch out my hand” ...................................................................... 74 5.3.3 Exodus 15.1-18: The Song of the Sea ....................................................... 81 5.3.4 Isaiah 9.7-20; 5.25-30 ............................................................................... 84 5.3.5 Summary of the echoes of Yahweh’s outstretched hand .......................... 86 5.3.6 Summary ................................................................................................... 87 5.4 Zephaniah 1.7-9 ................................................................................................ 88 5.4.1 Reuse of Amos .......................................................................................... 88 5.4.2 Yahweh’s sacrifice .................................................................................... 92 5.4.3 Summary ................................................................................................. 103 5.5 Summary of Zephaniah 1.2-9 ......................................................................... 103 5.6 Zephaniah 1.10-11 .......................................................................................... 104 5.6.1 “Cut off” .................................................................................................. 108 5.6.2 Summary ................................................................................................. 111 5.7 Zephaniah 1.12-13 .......................................................................................... 111 5.7.1 Zephaniah 1.12 and Amos 9.1-4 ............................................................. 113 5.7.2 Allusion to the futility curses in Amos 5.1-17 and Deut 28.30 .............. 115 5.7.3 Summary ................................................................................................. 123 5.8 Zephaniah 1.14-16 .......................................................................................... 123 5.8.1 Isaiah 9 .................................................................................................... 124 5.8.2 Horeb/Sinai theophany ............................................................................ 125 5.8.3 Conquest reversed ................................................................................... 127 5.8.4 Summary ................................................................................................. 128 5.9 Zephaniah 1.17-18 .......................................................................................... 128 5.10 Summary of Zephaniah 1.10-18 ..................................................................... 130 5.11 Conclusion for Zephaniah 1 ........................................................................... 131 Chapter 6 Zephaniah 2: Repentance ........................................................................ 134 6.1 Zephaniah 2.1-3 .............................................................................................. 134 6.1.1 Zephaniah 2.1 .........................................................................................