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Continuity and Discontinuity in the Post-Exilic Community: A Background for Interpreting the Book of Chronicles

구본삼 | 2025, 31(2) | pp.19~55 | number of Cited : 0

This study examines the theological and socio-historical background of the book of Chronicles by exploring the tension of continuity and discontinuity experienced by the post-exilic Yehud community. In particular, it focuses on how the Chronicler reinterprets Israel’s past through the concept of “All Israel” as a means of identity negotiation in a new imperial context. The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the Chronicler’s vision was not merely a historical recollection but a theological strategy to reconfigure Israel’s collective identity under Persian rule. Methodologically, this research employs literary-critical analysis of the genealogies in 1 Chronicles 1–9 and their function within the overall narrative of Chronicles. At the same time, it draws on socio-historical and archaeological data to reconstruct the late Persian context in which the Chronicler and his community lived. By integrating these approaches, the study situates the Chronicler’s work within the political, cultic, communal, and theological spheres of Yehud. The study reveals that the Chronicler used “All Israel” not only as a unifying term for all twelve tribes, but also as a theological response to the fragmented reality of the post-exilic period. Issues such as the returnee–remainee conflict, the authority of cultic personnel, and Yehud’s subjection to imperial power are reframed through the Chronicler’s inclusive historiography. In doing so, the Chronicler offers a reinterpretation of Israel’s identity—one that both honors tradition and addresses the challenges of a new age. Ultimately, the research concludes that Chronicles should be read as a theologically motivated narrative that engages in identity reconstruction through the interplay of memory, tradition, and present reality within the post-exilic world.

Paideia in the Old Greek Susanna through a Comparison with Theodotion's Susanna in Daniel

KWAK, UN SUNG | 2025, 31(2) | pp.56~83 | number of Cited : 0

This study aims to examine the literary and theological significance of the Old Greek version of Susanna (hereafter OG-Susanna) by comparing it with the Theodotion version (hereafter Th-Susanna), both of which are included in the Septuagint Daniel. Although recent years have witnessed growing international interest in the Septuagint, as seen in the publication of numerous scholarly handbooks, research on the Old Greek version of Daniel—especially OG-Susanna—remains relatively neglected. Despite OG-Susanna’s notable influence on early Christian doctrine and ethical teaching, it has received little attention in Korean scholarship, and no complete Korean translation currently exists. This study seeks to bring renewed scholarly attention to OG-Susanna by offering a fresh interpretation of its literary form and theological message. The central questions of this research are as follows: How does OG-Susanna differ literarily from Th-Susanna, and what do these differences reveal about the narrative's purpose and message? In particular, how does OG-Susanna’s more explicit and direct criticism of the elders’ greed and corruption function within the narrative? To address these questions, the study engages the concept of paideia as developed during the Hellenistic period and adapted within Second Temple Judaism. Chapter 2 provides an overview of the Susanna narrative, including its genre, structure, textual position, dating, and the relationship between the OG and Th versions. Chapter 3 conducts a comparative literary analysis of the two versions, focusing especially on how OG-Susanna portrays the moral failure and hypocrisy of the elders with greater narrative emphasis. Chapter 4 explores the Hellenistic and Jewish notions of paideia, and based on that framework, analyzes OG-Susanna’s educational purpose and literary function. Notably, OG-Susanna concludes with a didactic epilogue that explicitly emphasizes the moral instruction of the youth, thereby highlighting its intention to contribute to the ethical formation and communal integrity of the next generation. Ultimately, this study argues that OG-Susanna should not be viewed merely as a moral tale or apocryphal appendix, but rather as a literary embodiment of Jewish paideia, promoting the formation of ideal individuals who embody justice, piety, wisdom, and communal responsibility grounded in the Torah.

The Relationship of the Messages of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi: Focusing on the Temple and Three Themes

Kim, Rae Yong | 2025, 31(2) | pp.84~122 | number of Cited : 0

This paper aims to study the structure of Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi, which deal with the message of restoration after the Babylonian captivity, and the common themes that they use to compose their messages. To this end, Haggai and Zechariah 1-8 were divided into documents before the rebuilding of the temple, and Malachi and Zechariah 9-14 were divided into documents after the rebuilding of the temple, and the structure, content, and expression of each prophetic book were investigated. Haggai, Zechariah, and Malachi have the same structure (two structures) and compose their messages based on the same themes (temple and leaders/people, temple and nations, temple and holiness). First, Haggai emphasizes the issues of leaders/people, the role of the nations, and the importance of holiness in relation to the rebuilding of the temple through two structures: temple rebuilding (Haggai 1:1-2:19) and supplementary explanation (Haggai 2:20-23). Second, Zechariah 1-8 emphasizes the role of leaders in rebuilding the temple and restoring the community, Yahweh’s judgment of the nations and the nations’ worship of Yahweh, and the need for holiness through two structures: eight visions (Zech. 1-6) and supplementary explanations (Zech. 7-8), which were not covered in Haggai. Third, Malachi points out the issues of holiness in relation to the nations, Yahweh’s community love and the issues of priests, the issues of leaders and people in relation to tithes and offerings, and the issues of mixed marriages and divorce through two structures: six arguments (Mal. 1-3) and supplementary explanations (Mal. 4). Fourth, Zechariah 9-14 emphasizes Yahweh’s judgment of the nations and their worship of Yahweh, the issues of leaders, and the holiness of the community through the spirit, the spring, and the fire through paragraphs that use that day (Zech. 9-13) and paragraphs that use “Yahweh’s day” (Zech. 14). In this respect, the three prophetic books can be seen as gradually describing the process of restoration of the returned community before and after the rebuilding of the temple, centered on two structures and three themes, respectively.

A Study on Qohelet's Perspective on Death

Jinkyu Kim | 2025, 31(2) | pp.123~157 | number of Cited : 0

This study examines Qohelet's perspective on death as presented in the book of Ecclesiastes. Through careful exegetical analysis of key passages and examination of the book's broader theological framework, the research argues that Qohelet's seemingly pessimistic statements about death serve rhetorical purposes within his wisdom discourse. Rather than advocating nihilism, Qohelet uses direct observations about death to lead his audience toward genuine faith that acknowledges human limitations while embracing divine sovereignty. The methodology employs multifaceted approaches including exegetical analysis of the Hebrew text with particular attention to the semantic field of “hebel” (vanity/vapor), literary analysis examining how statements about death function within the book's overall structure and rhetorical strategy, and a canonical approach that situates Ecclesiastes within the broader theological framework of Hebrew wisdom literature. The research analyzes key death-related passages (Ecclesiastes 3:18-22, 9:1-10, 12:1-8), explores theological themes including the concept of “hebel,” God's sovereignty in relation to human mortality, and the value of present life from a mortality perspective. It also compares Qohelet's discourse on death with other biblical and deuterocanonical wisdom literature (Proverbs, Job, Psalms, Sirach, The Wisdom of Solomon) and considers the epilogue's role in framing Qohelet's observations within covenant theology. The study concludes that Qohelet's discussions of death express the mysterious and paradoxical nature of human existence before God rather than absolute meaninglessness. The tensions in his discourse—between empirical observation and faith, present mortality and divine judgment, death's universality and the value of righteous living—reflect the complexity of biblical wisdom that refuses simple answers to life's deepest questions. For contemporary readers, Qohelet offers a model of faith that integrates difficult questions, values present existence without denying its limitations, and maintains hope in God's justice without presuming to fully comprehend it.

Composition of David’s Ten Concubines Narrative and Intertextual Reading with Tamar’s Narrative

Youmee Park | 2025, 31(2) | pp.158~192 | number of Cited : 0

Reading the Book of Jeremiah from Queer-Feminist Perspectives

Yoo,YeonHee(Yani) | 2025, 31(2) | pp.193~221 | number of Cited : 0

This paper interprets the Book of Jeremiah from a queer-feminist perspective, using the concepts of transition, mutation, and inversion to explore shifts and gender rhetorics in the text. In the transitional phase when Judah still retained national structure, Yahweh called Jeremiah as a prophet. The moment Yahweh touched Jeremiah’s mouth shows how his role is embodied through physical and linguistic performativity. During this phase, Israel is feminized as a promiscuous wife, illustrating gender reversal and transformation. In the mutational phase of Babylonian invasion and chaos, Jeremiah, Yahweh, and male figures perform femininity—expressing weakness, pain, fear, and vulnerability. Jeremiah’s call to surrender disrupted nationalist, state-centered ideology. His prophetic ministry expressed ‘feminine’ traits such as tears, physical weakness, confession, emotion, and passivity, showing performativity that crossed gender lines. Yahweh also weeps, is emotionally sensitive, yet powerful enough to restore the exiled and create a new community—embodying fluid gender. Strong masculine figures like Judah’s king, soldiers, Babylonia, and Egypt are feminized, depicted with shame and weakness, subverting the ancient gender order. The radical inversion phase marked by war, national loss, and exile became a stage for theological imagination that subverted traditional gender and hierarchy. In proclamations of return and restoration, young women, pregnant and laboring women, and persons with disabilities appear at the center of the new community, dismantling older hierarchies. The phrase “a woman will encompass a man” (Jer. 31:22) breaks from masculine normativity and is linked to Yahweh’s creative act in forming a new covenantal community. In sum, gender in Jeremiah is not a fixed binary but a fluid mode of being shaped through prophetic imagination amid communal collapse and re-formation. This study, through a queer-feminist lens, re-maps the text’s gendered possibilities and shows how gender rhetoric forms a vital axis of prophetic and theological expression.

Understanding Humanity through the Traditional Motif of Giant Beasts in the Old Testament: Focusing on Job 40–41

LEE JEONGHAK | 2025, 31(2) | pp.222~255 | number of Cited : 0

This paper explores human identity through the lens of giant beasts traditionally understood in the Old Testament. Focusing particularly on the literary motifs of the two giant beasts in Job 40 and 41, which have conventionally been interpreted as adversaries and forces of evil, the study examines their literary roles and the theological relationship between Job and these creatures. The primary aim is to elucidate an understanding of humanity, highlighting the elevation of faith experienced by humans through divine enlightenment, with the imagery of these beasts serving as instructional tools. The study employs literary criticism grounded in historical criticism. First, structural criticism is used to discuss the similarities between the narratives of Behemoth and Leviathan. Next, rhetorical criticism is applied to trace changes in literary motifs through the repetition and variation of subjects. For additional objectivity, a comparative study with Ancient Near Eastern literature is conducted in advance. The scope of the research is concentrated on the passages describing Behemoth and Leviathan (Job 40:15–41:34 [41:26]), while also reviewing other relevant scholarly works. The paper is structured as follows. First, it provides a traditional understanding of giant beasts, illustrating their perception in the context of the Ancient Near East and their relevance to the Old Testament. Based on this understanding, it considers how the literary motif of giant beasts is utilized. Second, to deepen the study of giant beasts in Job, it analyzes the account of Behemoth, describes the transformation of the literary motif of Behemoth in the Old Testament, and examines the relationship between Behemoth and Job. Third, the paper addresses the literary motif associated with Leviathan, explaining why Leviathan—once regarded as a symbol of evil—is called a great creation of God, and discusses its relevance to Job’s identity. Finally, building on the preceding research, it explains how God’s speech from the storm provides insight to Job, illustrating the wisdom Job attains and the subsequent discovery of his identity. The study also seeks to identify points of contact between such divine discipline and image-based education for faith today. The conclusion summarizes the research and notes its limitations. Through this study, Behemoth and Leviathan—previously marginalized as mere symbols of evil—are re-examined within theological discourse. Furthermore, in the era of artificial intelligence, the study contemplates divine discipline as presented in the Old Testament, offering proposals for understanding humanity, as well as educational and theological applications for current and future generations.

A Study on the Similarities between Deutero-Isaiah and the Cyrus Cylinder

Choi Chol gyu | 2025, 31(2) | pp.256~278 | number of Cited : 0

Textual Criticism of the Old Testament

Kim, Jong-Hoon | 2025, 31(2) | pp.281~322 | number of Cited : 0

This study explores the field of textual criticism of the Old Testament, emphasizing its significance in reconstructing the earliest attainable form of the biblical text based on extant manuscript evidence. The Old Testament, unlike modern literary texts, has undergone centuries of transmission, during which various textual variants (or "readings") emerged. These variants, though often minor and not doctrinally significant, can have considerable implications for interpretation and exegesis. The paper first distinguishes textual criticism from related disciplines such as literary criticism, underscoring that textual criticism focuses specifically on the transmission history and physical form of the text, rather than its compositional stages. The methodological foundation of textual criticism lies in the comparative analysis of textual witnesses, which include the Masoretic Text (MT), the Dead Sea Scrolls (Qumran Biblical Texts), the Septuagint (LXX), the Samaritan Pentateuch (SP), and other ancient versions such as the Aramaic Targum, Syriac Peshitta, and Latin Vulgate. Each of these witnesses contributes uniquely to understanding the history of the text. For instance, the Qumran Scrolls have confirmed the remarkable consistency of the Hebrew textual tradition over a millennium, while also exposing the textual diversity of the Second Temple period. The Septuagint, though a translation, often preserves Hebrew source texts older than the MT, and must be analyzed carefully for translation-related distortions. The Samaritan Pentateuch, while ideologically motivated in some readings, sometimes reflects ancient Hebrew forms also found in Qumran texts. The paper also categorizes textual variants into unintentional scribal errors (e.g., haplography, dittography, graphic confusion) and intentional modifications (e.g., theological censorship, grammatical correction, harmonization), providing multiple case studies. These principles help assess the plausibility of each reading and guide scholars in reconstructing the likely original. Ultimately, textual criticism enhances biblical scholarship by providing a reliable base text for interpretation, translation, and theology. While it acknowledges the fluidity of the text in antiquity, it also affirms the high degree of textual stability within the Hebrew tradition. As manuscript discoveries and critical editions continue to evolve, textual criticism remains an indispensable foundation for sound exegesis and academic engagement with the Old Testament.

Die Endredaktion des Pentateuch und seine Theologie: Der Tod des Mose und die Autorität der Tora in Deuteronomium 34

Kyunggoo Min | 2025, 31(2) | pp.323~353 | number of Cited : 0

Die Redaktionskritik stellt zwar eine zentrale Säule innerhalb der historisch-kritischen Methode dar, doch da sie auf den Ergebnissen vorausgehender Forschungsschritte aufbaut und als abschließende Phase gilt, erlangte sie erst vergleichsweise spät größere Aufmerksamkeit. Dennoch stößt die Redaktionskritik auf wachsendes Interesse, da sie Fragen an den Prozess der finalen Gestaltbildung des Textes richtet. Dabei unterscheidet sich die redaktionskritische Methode grundlegend von anderen historisch-kritischen Methoden: Während Textkritik bis Traditions- bzw. Überlieferungskritik vor allem analytisch vorgehen, zeigt die Redaktionskritik den integrativen Charakter des Textes auf. „Redaktion“ ist ein äußerst umfassender Begriff. In einem Text kann Redaktion in unterschiedlichen Formen erfolgen – wie Bearbeitung, Komposition, Kompilation oder Fortschreibung. Die Redaktion eines Textes vollzieht sich also nicht auf eine einzige Weise, sondern auf hochkomplexe Art und Weise. Während die Textkritik und die Literarkritik sich auf die genaue Analyse des gegebenen Textes konzentrieren, liegt die Stärke der Redaktionskritik darin, dass sie durch die Verbindung verschiedener Texte die übergreifenden Linien des redaktionellen Wirkens sichtbar macht. Dies kann sich zwar innerhalb eines einzelnen Buches ereignen, doch da häufig dieselbe redaktionelle Schicht in verschiedenen Büchern beobachtet wird, richtet sich die Aufmerksamkeit auf den größeren Diskurs von Epoche und Theologie der betreffenden Schriften. Der Verfasser hat als ein Beispiel für die redaktionskritische Methode Deuteronomium 34 untersucht. Der letzte Text des Deuteronomiums stand aufgrund seiner Funktion als Schlusspunkt des Pentateuchs seit Langem im Fokus zahlreicher Forscher. Deuteronomium 34 wurde mindestens zweimal redaktionell überarbeitet, wobei die Endredaktion des Pentateuchs die Einzigartigkeit des Mose besonders hervorhob (Dtn 34,6–8; 10–12). In diesem Prozess überarbeitet die Pentateuchredaktion frühere Aussagen über Mose. Erstens modifiziert sie Dtn 31,2, indem sie Mose trotz seines Alters von 120 Jahren als körperlich ungeschwächt beschreibt. Dass Mose dennoch sterben muss, wird vom Redaktor im Zusammenhang mit Gen 6 erklärt. Zweitens revidiert die Redaktion die Aussage ‚Ich werde einen Propheten wie Mose erwecken‘ (Dtn 18,18) und formuliert in Dtn 34,10: ‚Ein Prophet wie Mose ist nicht mehr aufgestanden‘ – so wird die absolute Stellung Moses in der Geschichte Israels betont. Die Redaktion bringt die Autorität Moses mit der Tora in Übereinstimmung, indem sie zeigt, dass Moses Autorität mit seinem Tod an die vollendete Tora übergeht.

Form Criticism for the Study of Old Testament Literature: Focusing on Genesis 28:10-22

So Hyeong-Geun | 2025, 31(2) | pp.354~381 | number of Cited : 0

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

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2025, Vol.31, No.2 All Issues