A student notes that foot-washing is an act of hospitality, in places like Genesis 18 and elsewhere. It is also required of priests entering the tabernacle. These amount to the same thing. Priests are given water to wash as they are welcomed into Yahweh’s house. Purity rules are, perhaps, not . . . . Continue Reading »
Poitier-Young emphasizes that Antiochus IV’s plundering of the temple was not merely utilitarian but symbolic. He removed the lampstand, “a symbol and assurance of God’s sustaining presence,” and thus effected “a symbolic de-creation.” Likewise, taking out the . . . . Continue Reading »
From a detailed comparison of ANE prophetic/oracular texts with biblical ones, Wheaton’s John Walton ( Ancient Near Eastern Thought and the Old Testament: Introducing the Conceptual World of the Hebrew Bible ) concludes that Near Eastern oracles differed from Israelite prophecies in . . . . Continue Reading »
In answer to a reader’s question about the chronology of Solomon’s writings in the OT, I suggested this: 1. Proverbs is instruction to a son during his boyhood/adolescence/young adulthood. That seems to put it early-ish in Solomon’s life. He became king around 30 . . . . Continue Reading »
What is wisdom? Follow the canonical progression of wisdom books. Proverbs: There are two women. Choose Lady Wisdom and reject Lady Folly. Ecclesiastes: All is hebel . Death looms. Therefore, eat, drink, rejoice in the wife of your youth. Joy in your wife is the way to . . . . Continue Reading »
In Hebrew, the word nadib does double duty. It describes the “willing” spirit that inspires the people to donate to the tabernacle construction (Exodus 35:5), and the willing spirit that David hopes Yahweh will create in him (Psalm 51:14). It means generous, liberal. At the . . . . Continue Reading »
Hezekiah and Josiah celebrate large-scale Passovers. Why? What are they being delivered from? In both cases, Passover is preceded by massive destruction of idols and idolatrous shrines. First, the humiliation of the “gods of Egypt” and then the Passover. And that throws light back on . . . . Continue Reading »
Throughout the Pentateuch and into Joshua, the land of promise is a land “flowing with milk and honey.” After that, the phrase virtually disappears. It is used in the prophets to describe the land given to Israel after the exodus (Jeremiah 11:5; 32:22; Ezekiel 20:6, 15; the partial . . . . Continue Reading »
NT Wright has long argued that first-century Jews considered themselves to be in a continuing exile. The canon of the Hebrew Bible suggests as much. If we take our arrangement (the LXX arrangement), the Hebrew Bible ends with Malachi, who certainly doesn’t see a gloriously restored Israel . . . . Continue Reading »
The first time the Hebrew verb “be wrathful” ( qatzaf ) occurs with Yahweh as subject is in Leviticus 10:6. The related noun occurs for the first time in Numbers 1:53. Both, importantly, have to do with the tabernacle. Yahweh warns that His wrath might break out against Aaron’s . . . . Continue Reading »
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