We will then turn our attention to the discussion of the God of the fathers (53), which precedes this nucleus, and of the creator of the world (54), revealed in the original story. Here the name "Yahweh" is unambiguously interpreted on the basis of the verb ny;1 hyh (= nlil hwh). This could also be observed in the only passage that reflected on the importance of the name "Yahweh.
According to the Pentateuch's account, Yahweh's history with the nation of Israel begins with the events described in the Book of Exodus. English: "The God of the Fathers." In his Essuys on Old Testament History and Religion, pp. In some Psalms, creation is mentioned in the context of Yahweh's kingship.
Even here, already in the first verse, the entire kingdom of the gods is discussed (C% 93~ bit? ilim). On this point, however, we find a surprising reticence on the part of the Old Testament. According to him, the original framework of Deuteronomy spoke of a "covenant" in the context of the patriarchs.
Here the covenant promise takes place in the context of the great promise to Israel's ancestors (5 3).
The Gifts Bestowed by Yahweh
Nothing more is said about this "feast of Yahweh" (10:9) in the rest of the narrative. Belief in the association of Yahweh with the mountain of God (called Sinai in J and P, Horeb in E and Deuteronomy, the difference so far unexplained) must be understood as a heritage from the early tribal period. It is typical of the Old Testament idiom that no one but Yahweh himself is present in the "face of Yahweh".
Other passages in P speak of Yahweh's actual appearance in the form of the cloud and the "glory" ('1133 k&d). English: "The Tent and the Ark." In his The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays, pp. English: "The Royal Ritual in Judah." In his The Problem of the Hexateuch and Other Essays, p.
The priest in charge of the oracle is present in the camp to the end. The special content found in the preaching of the writing prophets will be examined in $21.
Yahweh’s Commandment
We must now turn our attention to the specific aspects of the divine imperative in the law of Yahweh. A notable feature is the use of the singular, "another god" (Vtt 5Hila's), which occurs only here in the Old Testament. Hosea's polemic, stamped with the seal of history in the fall of the northern kingdom, makes northern Israel the.
It is remarkable to see how at the same time Israel is set adrift in the Gentile world, seemingly helpless in the face of power. Once again, the position at the beginning reveals the importance of banning images. Confrontation with the ancient Near Eastern concept of creation led to a clear formulation of the doctrine of creation peculiar to the Old Testament ($4).
In the formulation of the ban on images placed at the beginning of the Covenant Code, a similar line of argumentation appears. Meinhold claimed to have found in the Sabbath what was originally a day of the full moon, because it sometimes appears parallel to the new moon (Amos 8:5 and elsewhere). And the Festival of Gathering at the turn of the year clearly refers to the grape harvest.
It is characteristic of the Old Testament faith that when combining the two, the component that emphasizes - won unequivocally. The definition of the two rituals is already complete in the current text of Deuteronomy 16. Two ritual ordinances should be especially emphasized because they acquired a special significance for the faith of the Old Testament.
In the context of the law given to Noah after the flood, Genesis 9:4 strictly forbids eating animal blood. Even with the sign of circumcision, the ritual was performed on the flesh gradually. Here, too, it is important that we do not find in the commandment something similar to the concept of .. the sanctity of private property.
Life before God
The declaration must be seen in the context of the priestly entrance liturgies, which pronounce the general divine pronouncement of "righteousness". Deuteronomy bases Yahweh's election of the patriarchs on a simple reference to Yahweh's love; see above, p. But it is a striking fact that the faith of the Old Testament in all its talk about the fear of Yahweh was never derived in mere trembling before God.
How wisdom speaks of the fear of Yahweh will have to wait for a detailed discussion in 5 18. The absolute use of the term in which Smend claims to find the origin of the Old Testament talk of "faith" appears in Isaiah. The title of the book apparently includes in the hymns in which Yahweh is enthroned, the "cry" heard in supplications.
They have many points of contact with the liturgical life of Yahweh's congregation; that. All prayer that grows out of Old Testament faith is certainly limited by the first commandment. At the same time, it is clear that the prayer of the Old Testament is also subject to the third commandment.
A look at the statements made in the wisdom literature of the Old Testament shows that there is a strong will at work here to understand the objects in the world around him. In the organization of the book of Proverbs as a whole, it is placed thematically at the beginning of the entire group of wisdom instructions: "The fear of the Lord is the beginning of knowledge"; cf. This element also comes to the fore in the wise use of the phrase "fear the Lord" in the book of Proverbs.
The wise man's proper function is to take his experiences and observations seriously. It is true that God has placed "eternity" (l2~ly(ddm) in the hearts of men, which probably means the desire to transcend the particular moment and intellectually master the order of time. There is no mention here of any personified wisdom imparting God's world order.
Crisis and Hope
The same point is made in the story of the first man's disobedience to God. But because it is the living God, there is still room for a "maybe" in the message of the prophet. The oracles of Jeremiah contained in the scroll probably spoke of the "enemy from the north" without further specification.
The sufferings of the prophet reflect the sufferings of God for His people. The first three elements of the scheme probably take shape in the Medo-Persian sphere (Baumgartner). This brings us to the question of what God desires in the eyes of man.
Holy of the Most High.” In his Laws in the Pentateuch and Other Studies, p.
Index of Bible Passages
WALTHER ZIMMERLI
