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Huldah’s Prophecy in the Books of Chronicles(2Chronicles 34:22-28)

  • Korean Journal of Old Testament Studies
  • Abbr : KJOTS
  • 2017, 23(3), pp.75-109
  • DOI : 10.24333/jkots.2017.23.3.75
  • Publisher : Korean Society of Old Testament Studies
  • Research Area : Humanities > Christian Theology
  • Received : July 10, 2017
  • Accepted : August 20, 2017

Andrew Taehang Ohm 1

1성서침례대학원대학교

Accredited

ABSTRACT

The prophecy of Huldah appears as a synoptic text in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. Huldah’s discourse, though it is brief, is situated at the climax of Josiah’s reform. However, especially in domestic research, the amount of research on the subject of Huldah is scarce, whereas studies on Josiah’s reform is affluent. The prophecy of Huldah is particularly significant, for it causes critical questions to arise. The questions, which cannot be overlooked, are diverse from basic questions like “Who is the prophetess Huldah?” or “Has Huldah’s prophecy been fulfilled?” to the issue “What is the role of Huldah’s prophecy in the reform of Josiah.” In addition, the ambiguity of Huldah and her prophecy inspired later Jewish traditions. Therefore, this study intends not only to encourage others to do research concerning these questions but also to investigate the main issue of how the Chronicler reshaped the text of the Deuteronmistic historian(s). This study proceeds as follows: Firstly, we will observe how Huldah’s prophecy functions in the broader context of Josiah’s reform. Secondly, we will reveal how Huldah’s text was literally transformed in the Book of Chronicles. Finally, through a comparison of the above investigations, we will observe the theological perspective of Huldah’s text, which was interpreted by the Chronicler. In summary, Huldah’s prophecy needs to be understood in the broader context of Josiah’s reform. Additionally, Huldah’s prophecy operates differently in the Books of Kings and Chronicles. When it comes to the role of Huldah’s prophecy, the Book of Kings is closely related to the subject of Judah’s demise, whereas the Book of Chronicles focuses on explaining the cause of Josiah’s death by reconstructing the scene of his death. The discourse of Huldah in a cursory reading seems to have nothing in particular in terms of length, however, an overall change can be discovered in the discourse order and the theological perspective as well as the literary strategy of the Chronicler.

Citation status

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