2022, Vol.28, No.3

Messages of Jeremiah 25-44: Focusing on the Three-step Construction

Kim, Rae Yong | 2022, 28(3) | pp.10~42 | number of Cited : 2

PDF

The purpose of this paper is to investigate that Jeremiah 25-44 can be tied up with a paragraph through the message of disobedience, and the message of this disobedience is developed through three stages. For this, Jeremiah 25:1-11 and Jeremiah 26-44 were used as the text of the study, and the texts were divided into three paragraphs, and the contents, structure, expressions and language of each paragraph were investigated. First, Jeremiah 25:1-8 depicts the disobedience of the people, similar to Jeremiah 26-33. However, this disobedience is replenished in Jeremiah 26-29 through false prophet motif, and in Jeremiah 30-33, the restoration emphasized in the debate of false prophets is mentioned in detail. In this regard, the theme of disobedience is developed in three stages. Second, Jeremiah 25:9-10 mentions the judgment from disobedience, similar to Jeremiah 34-39. However, the judgment due to this disobedience is supplemented with the judgment motif in Jeremiah 34-38, and Jeremiah 39 mentions that a warning of this judgment has been fulfilled. Third, Jeremiah 25:11 mentions disobedience through service, similar to Jeremiah 40-44. However, the disobedience through the service is supplemented through the service motif in Jeremiah 40:1-43:7, and Jeremiah 43:8-44:30 deals with the judgment of those who ran to Egypt after breaking the order of service. In this sense, Jeremiah 25:1-11 and Jeremiah 26-44 are developing disobedience in three stages. However, in that this paragraph deals with the fall and subsequent periods of Jerusalem, the message of disobedience plays a role in highlighting the legitimacy of YHWH's judgment, and the message about the judgment caused by disobedience is to highlight the sovereignty of YHWH. The analysis that Jeremiah 25-44 is tied through the theme of disobedience provides an idea that can weave this paragraph into a single paragraph. And this analysis reveals that Jeremiah 30-33 is not an indispensable text for the subject of disobedience, not the text that interferes with the flow of Jeremiah 25-44.

A Reading of Hosea 1-3 from a Feminist Perspective

Kim Soon Young | 2022, 28(3) | pp.43~71 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

This thesis is a reexamination of Hosea 1-3, focusing on Gomer whose voice is hidden for dramatic composition and it is a study of loosely applied feminism which critiques the crisis of the patriarchy where the husband controls his wife. For a long time Hosea was regarded as a victim of an unhappy marriage and Gomer as an assailant who trampled on her husband's love and dishonored her husband by scholars, but this is a problem from a feminist perspective. Hosea 1-3 is a prophetic drama rich in symbolism that intensely describes the relationship between God and Israel in chapters 4-14 through the metaphor of marriage and adultery but this metaphor contains a provocative aspect. It is that God's love and punishment for unfaithful Israel are intertwined with images of patriarchal and sadistic violence. However, this in effect criticizes and denounces the corrupt mainstream patriarchal society by placing Israel as the unfaithful Gomer. Israel is represented as an adulterous wife which then places the Jewish men representing Israel's mainstream society in the position of the opposite gender. It is a rhetorical strategy that trapped Israel into the image of adulterous wife, and it ultimately condemned the nature of obscenity in a male-dominated society which was shocking and provocative. The placement of the adulterous image on Israel poses a risk of damaging God’s honor to be in the husband's position, but this also reveals the extraordinary nature of God's love that takes on the shame. In God's plan for restoration there is no longer the regression of patriarchy for domination and subordination. God inscribed the ideal partnership between man and women in the Garden of Eden which is Israel’s ultimate goal for restoration. The verse, “In that day, you will call me ‘my husband’ (ishi), you will no longer call me ‘my lord’ (baali)” (2:16) shows this goal. Finally, the eternal marriage covenant has a cosmic impact that extends to universal restoration, and through the integration of the stories of Hosea-Gomer (3:1-3) and the descendants of Israel(3:4-5), YHWH's unconventional love is revealed even at the cost of human shame.

An Analysis on the Ten Plagues of Egypt

Young Hye Kim | 2022, 28(3) | pp.72~101 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

God's Judgment and Salvation in the Book of Amos - A Re-interpretation in Amos 9:1-15

Zion Park | 2022, 28(3) | pp.102~128 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

A Study on the Theological Flow of the Early ‘golah’ Community in Post-Exilic Period

So Hyeong-Geun | 2022, 28(3) | pp.129~153 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

Critiques and Response on the Study of the Northern Israelite Hebrew

Yoo,YoonJong | 2022, 28(3) | pp.154~185 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

There are two major methodologies in explaining the variants of the biblical Hebrew. Firstly, it is the diachronic approach that tries to describe the variants with historical differences such as early, standard, late Hebrew. Second, it is the synchronic approach that illuminates the variants with geographical differences such as southern Judahite Hebrew and northern Israelite Hebrew. During last three decades, Rendsburg and some scholars conducted the systematic and comprehensive study on the northern Israelite Hebrew, thus it becomes enough to reach the entity of northern Israelite Hebrew. On the contrary, several scholars joined to review critically on the researches in the northern Israelite Hebrew. This paper pursues to introduce a history of research and methodology on the northern Israelite Hebrew, examine the issue of northern Israelite Hebrew(i.e, Israelian Hebrew) with focusing on the problems and issues raised by Fredericks, Schniederwind and Sivan, Young, and Pat-El, and finally tries to make a response to the issues raised by above scholars. According to Rendsburg, linguistic features of the northern Israelite Hebrew appear in the following books and texts which are considered to be origniated from the north Israel: Hosea, Amos, Job, Proverbs, Qoheleth, Song of Songs, Deuteronomy 32, Genesis 49 and Deuteronomy 33 dealing the northern tribes, judges from the northern territories, Psalms of Korah and Asap, Nehemiah 9, and so on. Its linguistic and geographical boundary is neighboring with Ugaritic, Phoenician, Aramaic, Moabite, Ammonite, Deir ʿAlla, and so on. It is also notable that the northern Israelite Hebrew shares its linguistic features with surrounding countries, not with Judah. There are some scholars who criticized the researches on the northern Israelite Hebrew. Fredericks, Schniederwind and Sivan, Young, Pat-El reviewed critically the issues such as definition, methodology, texts and so on. After summarizing disputed points of critical reviews, I try to make a response to the critiques. Though some points raised by scholars are reasonable and acceptable, its general directions are not so different from reaching the northern biblical Hebrew. However, Pat-El evaluates very negatively the reality of the northern Israelite Hebrew. I maintain that Pat-El is overstating her opinion and are considered to be not reasonable and acceptable. She starts with strong presupposition that the Bible has only literary forms shared by the same scribal tradition between the North and the South, so she insists that it is not distinguishable between the standard biblical Hebrew and the northern biblical Hebrew. She maintains that variants in standard biblical Hebrew could be explained in other ways, but she does not demonstrate clearly what they are. In sum, it is concluded that the critical reviews done by scholars are mostly not so reasonable, thus not enough to disprove the reality of the northern Israelite Hebrew.

The Role and Function of Huldah as a Royal Prophet

Dong-Young Yoon | 2022, 28(3) | pp.186~216 | number of Cited : 1

PDF

The Translation of 'I Love You, Lord' of the Psalms 18:2 and Its Theological Meaning - Focusing on Its Comparison with the 2 Samuel 22

Kwang-Hyung Lee | 2022, 28(3) | pp.217~245 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

A Study on the Formation History of the Gibeonites’Narrative (Josh. 9:1-27)

Eunwoo Lee | 2022, 28(3) | pp.246~270 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

The purpose of this study is to trace the formation process of the text in order to solve the various problems that appear in Joshua 9, find the early tradition of this text, and trace the editing process up to the final form. Various problems appear in this text, such as the flow of the story is awkward, the content being repeated, or being logically disconnected. To solve this problem, scholars paid attention to the etiologies in this text, tried to find the sources of the Pentateuch, tried to find various editorial layers, and conducted archaeological research. In this thesis, the author pays attention to various issues appearing in this text, and tries to trace, in consideration of recent research trends, what the original form of the etiologies appearing in this text is, and what kind of editorial layers were incorporated whilst keeping in mind the historical background. Through this study, the author reveals that this text was formed through the following process: First, the story developed from an early oral tradition that the Gibeonites made a treaty with the chieftains of Israel. Second, a Deuteronomic editor in Josiah's era, who wanted to achieve national unity by absorbing neighbouring powers and expanding the territory through a treaty with the Gibeonites, formed a basic documentary narrative (Joshua 9:3, 6, 11-13, 15a). Third, the editorial layer of the Babylonian exile (Joshua 9:1-2, 9b-10), which emphasizes the restoration of lost territory and Yahweh's honour, was combined with this basic story to connect the entire story of Joshua with the Deuteronomic history. Fourth, after the Babylonian captivity, reflecting the attitude of the Yehud community toward the Gentiles, a Deuteronomic layer evaluated the treaty with Gibeon as a negative one made by deceiving them by their schemes (Joshua 9:4-5, 7-9a, 14, 16- 17, 22-24) is added to emphasize that they were demoted to temple slavery. Fifth, the post-exilic priestly editor felt uncomfortable with the representation of the Gentiles as servants in the temple, and in order to uphold the holiness of the temple in Jerusalem, modified them to be those who worked for the congregations rather than the temple. It states that it was not Joshua but the chieftains of Israel who were responsible for the treaty with the Gibeonites (Joshua 9:15b, 18-21). Sixth, the final Deuteronomic editorial layer, negotiating and synthesizing the conflict between the priestly edition and the Deuteronomic edition, stating that the Gibeonites were servants not only for the congregation of the people but also for the altars of the temple, forbidding the Israelites from killing the Gibeonites by applying the Herem, and emphasizing to them to accept them as part of the community, was added (Joshua 9:25-27). Through this, it can be confirmed that the Deuteronomic editing was continuously made not only in the time of Josiah but also in the Babylonian exile and after the exile. The priestly group also tried to add a redactional layer to refute this Deuteronomic editorial layer for their theological purpose. Of course, it can be seen that the final editing attempt to compromise and harmonize the differences between the two groups is reflected in the text.

The Relationship Between Jeroboam’s Religious Reformation of Northern Israelization and the Idolatry of Mushite Priests

Eunpyung Ju | 2022, 28(3) | pp.271~303 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

The Reasons Why David Could Not Build a Temple of Yahweh

Ha Kyungji | 2022, 28(3) | pp.304~338 | number of Cited : 0

PDF

A Consideration on the Directions of Old Testament Studies in the Times of the New Normal

Myung Soo Suh | 2022, 28(3) | pp.340~371 | number of Cited : 2

PDF

Along with the development of the 4th Industrial Revolution represented by artificial intelligence, the outbreak of the coronavirus(COVID-19) is causing breakthrough changes in existing living norms and rules, and real life of modern society. Efforts to explain these changes and adapt to changing life situations are being developed in each field. In line with this trend, this paper discusses the directions that Old Testament studies should pursue. For this task, we first summarize the history of interpretation of the Ols Testament led mainly by Western scholars from the late 19th century, and then look at the deficiencies. On the basis of this reflection, I examine the some directions that Old Testament studies should pursue and strengthen in the times of the new normal. Firstly, ‘ESG’(Environment, Society, Governance) as a spirit of the times and ecological studies should be strengthened. Secondly, ethical and social philosophical issues should be strengthened. Thirdly, public theological consideration should be strengthened. Fourthly, ‘applied biblical studies’ should be developed. In conclusion, methodology refers to exploration along the path. It may be anachronistic or methodological retardation for a 21st-century scholar to follow the path of the 19th century. What we should learn from the history of interpretation is the importance of human agenda in our times. However, the history of biblical interpretation in the West lacks the anguish of the times. Even if there is, it does not fully reflect the issues of the era. Macroscopically, the time is now entering a phase of revolutionary change. As a field of humanities, biblical studies is at a point where it is necessary to renew the reorientation that responds to these changes of the times. Even microscopically, the real Christian church is shrinking day by day due to population decline and image loss. The institutional foundation of theology is also shaking. In this times of great transformation, biblical scholars who are agonizing over methodological reflection, that is, the direction of interpretation, and the dimension of interpretation. The four directions presented above are summarized by collecting what I feel are most urgent today. Each has an inner connection with each other, but it is by no means a system that everyone can relate to. It's just a suggestion.

Reading Scriptures in an Era of Ecological Crisis: The Day of Yahweh in Zephaniah

Hyo Myong Lim | 2022, 28(3) | pp.372~401 | number of Cited : 2

PDF

KJCKorea
Journal Central

Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies 2023 KCI Impact Factor : 0.67

2022, Vol.28, No.3