Copyright © 2009 Steven Ward Guest All rights reserved. The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary has permission to reproduce and disseminate this document in any form by any means for purposes chosen by the Seminary, including, without limitation, preservation or instruction. DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19 AS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE COVENANTAL FRAMEWORK OF DEUTERONOMY __________________ A Dissertation Presented to the Faculty of The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary __________________ In Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Doctor of Philosophy __________________ by Steven Ward Guest May 2009 APPROVAL SHEET DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19 AS THE CENTRAL FOCUS OF THE COVENANTAL FRAMEWORK OF DEUTERONOMY Steven Ward Guest Read and Approved by: __________________________________________ Russell T. Fuller (Chairperson) __________________________________________ Terry J. Betts __________________________________________ Duane A. Garrett Date ______________________________ TABLE OF CONTENTS Page LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS . vii LIST OF TABLES . xii LIST OF FIGURES . xiii PREFACE . xiv Chapter 1. INTRODUCTION . 1 Thesis . 4 Background Material . 5 Deuteronomy Patterned after Ancient Near Eastern Treaties . 6 The Covenant Relationship Formula . 15 Translation Difficulties in 26:16-19 . 17 Methodology . 29 2. THE COVENANTAL FRAMEWORK OF DEUTERONOMY . 32 Proposals for the Covenantal Framework of Deuteronomy . 33 Gerhard von Rad . 33 Meredith G. Kline . 37 Kenneth A. Kitchen . 41 Gordon G. Wenham . 44 Alternate Schema for the Covenantal Framework of Deuteronomy . 51 iii Chapter Page The Covenantal Framework of Deuteronomy 1-30 . 53 The Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituents . 67 Excursus: The Early Date of Deuteronomy . 68 Conclusion . 71 3. RECONSIDERING THE HIPHIL OF rma . 72 Grammatical Considerations . 77 A Closer Look at the Masoretic Accents . 89 Syntactical Considerations . 92 Translations . 97 Ancient Translations . 97 Modern Translations . 103 Theological Concerns Posed and Answered . 113 The Proposed Storyline and Translation . 121 Conclusion . 126 4. THE CANONICAL CONTEXT OF DEUTERONOMY 26 . 130 The Three Ceremonies of Deuteronomy 26 . 131 Time Marker . 133 Instruction . 136 Meeting with Yahweh . 138 Offering . 139 Confession . 142 iv Chapter Page Grace . 144 The Relationship of Deuteronomy 26:16-19 to Deuteronomy 27 . 145 Thematic Unity . 146 Verbal Similarities . 149 The Canonical Position of Deuteronomy 26:16-19 in the Covenantal Framework of Deuteronomy . 151 Conclusion . 153 5. THE COVENANT RELATIONSHIP FORMULA IN DEUTERONOMY. 155 Deuteronomy 4:20 . 159 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary . 159 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 160 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 162 The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 165 Deuteronomy 7:6 . 168 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary . 168 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 168 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 169 The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 174 Deuteronomy 14:2 . 183 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary. 183 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 186 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 189 v Chapter Page The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 199 Deuteronomy 27:9 . 201 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary . 201 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 202 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 202 The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 206 Deuteronomy 28:9 . 208 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary . 208 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 208 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 209 The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 212 Deuteronomy 29:12 [Eng 13] . 214 The Function of the Constituent in the Treaty Formulary. 215 Parameters/Boundary of the Textual Unit . 215 Literary Structure of the Textual Unit . 216 The Function of the Covenant Relationship Formula within the Covenantal Constituent in Deuteronomy . 218 Conclusion . 224 6. DEUTERONOMY 26:16-19 AS THE KEYSTONE OF THE COVENANTAL FRAMEWORK OF DEUTERONOMY . 227 BIBLIOGRAPHY. 232 vi LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS AB Anchor Bible ABD D. N. Freedman, ed., The Anchor Bible Dictionary ANE Ancient Near East ANET J. B. Pritchard, ed., Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3rd ed. with supplement AO Archiv für Orientforschung AOAT Alter Orient und Altes Testament AOTC Apollos Old Testament Commentary ARM Archives royales de Mari ASORMS American Schools of Oriental Research Monograph Series BA The Biblical Archaeologist BAR Biblical Archaeology Review BASOR Bulletin of the American Schools of Oriental Research BH Buried History BI Biblical Interpretation BN Biblische Notizen BRev Bible Review BibSem The Biblical Seminar BSL Biblical Studies Library BT The Bible Translator BTB Biblical Theology Bulletin vii BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft CAD The Assyrian Dictionary of the Oriental Institute of the University of Chicago, Chicago, 1956- CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly COS William W. Hallo, ed., Context of Scripture: Monumental Inscriptions from the Biblical World. 3 vols. CM Cuneiform Monographs CRF Covenant relationship formula DCH D. J. A. Clines, ed., The Dictionary of Classical Hebrew Did Didaskalia DKHG William Chomsky, trans., David Kimhi’s Hebrew Grammar (Mikhlol) EI Eretz Israel GKC E. Kautzsch, Gesenius’ Hebrew Grammar, ed. A. E. Cowley GTS Gettysburg Theological Studies GVG C. Brockelmann, 1908, 1913. Grundriss der vergleichenden Grammatik der semitischen Sprachen. 2 vol. HL Hittite Laws HS Hebrew Studies HSS Harvard Semitic Studies HUCA Hebrew Union College Annual IBHS B. K. Waltke and M. O’Connor, An Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax ICC International Critical Commentary IDB Interpreter’s Dictionary of the Bible IEJ Israel Exploration Journal Int Interpretation JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion viii JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society JATS Journal of the Adventist Theological Society JB Jerusalem Bible JBL Journal of Biblical Literature JBS Jerusalem Biblical Studies JCS Journal of Cuneiform Studies JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society JJS Journal of Jewish Studies JLA The Jewish Law Annual Joüon P. A. Joüon, Grammar of Biblical Hebrew, trans. and rev. by T. Muraoka JQR Jewish Quarterly Review JNES Journal of Near Eastern Studies JPSTC The JPS Torah Commentary JR Journal of Religion 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 JTS Journal of Theological Studies KB Ludwig Koehler and Walter Baumgartner, eds., Lexicon in Veteris Testamenti Libros KTU M. Dietrich, O. Loretz, and J. Samartin, eds., Keilalphabetische Texts aus Ugarit einschliesslich der keilalphabetischen Texte auβerhalb Ugarits KTU2 M. Dietrich, O. Loretz, and J. Samartin, eds., The Cuneiform Alphabetic Texts from Ugarit, Ras Ibn Hani and Other Places, (KTU: 2nd enlarged ed.) Lane Edward Lane, ed., An Arabic-English Lexicon. 2 vols. 1863. LH Laws of Hammurabi ix LNB Neo-Babylonian Laws LU Laws of Ur-Namma LXX Septuagint MSME Michigan Series on the Middle East NAC New American Commentary NIBC New International Bible Commentary NIDOTTE Willem VanGemeren, ed., New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis NICOT New International Commentary on the Old Testament OB Old Bronze OBO Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis OBT Overtures to Biblical Theology OTL The Old Testament Library OTM Old Testament Message OTS Oudtestamentische Studiën OTT Gerhard von Rad, Old Testament Theology. 2 volumes. Translated by D. M. G. Stalker. New York: Harper & Row; Edinburgh: Oliver & Boyd, 1962, 1965. PRU Le Palais Royal d’Ugarit, ed. C. F. A. Schaeffer and J. Nougayrol PWCJS 5 Proceedings of the Fifth World Congress of Jewish Studies RA Revue d’Assyriologie et d’Archéologie orientale RB Revue Biblique ResQ Restoration Quarterly RevExp Review and Expositor RHA Revue hittite et asianique RS Ras Shamra, ancient Ugarit x RTR The Reformed Theological Review.