Journal of Hebrew Scriptures (JHS)
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The System of Masoretic Accentuation: Some Introductory Issues
Full text linkThe goal of this article is to address introductory issues concerning the origin, function, and relevance of the Masoretic accentuation. First, it describes the recent scholarly attitude towards Masoretic accentuation. Then it clarifies some of the terminology involved and shows in which texts the Masoretic accents were used in addition to the Hebrew Bible. Finally, it offers a discussion of the original purpose and function of the Masoretic accentuation
Lip̄nē ‘in the face of’: A Locative Preposition with a Threatening Connotation
Full text linkThe expression lip̄nē, literally "to the face of," is commonly translated as "before." In combination with the root ngp ("inflict/defeat"), this leads to awkward English translations; e.g., "Israel was defeated before the Philistines" (1 Sam 4:2). What exactly is the role of the Philistines in this event? In recent years, some scholars have used grammaticalization theory to argue that lip̄nē in this context is an Agent marker: "Israel was defeated by the Philistines." However, this view is untenable in the face of arguments from narratology, syntactic-semantic restrictions, grammaticalization theory, and language typology. In present-day English, the near-literal translation "in the face of" is a better alternative: lip̄nē is a simple Locative prepositional expression, but the element "face" has the connotation that Israel is threatened by the Philistines. In other words, Israel is in the "realm of influence" of the Philistines. The actual Agent of ngp is Yahweh, who determines the result of battles, as can be seen in the active voice: "Yahweh defeated Benjamin in the face of Israel" (Judg 20:35). In fact, the meaning of the Hebrew expression is cross-linguistically common; the only problem is that the meaning of the English preposition "before" has shifted, so that the original translation came to be misunderstood
Who Was Nehemiah ben Hacaliah?
Full text linkThe article argues for the identification of three separate protagonists in the book of Nehemiah. The first is an unnamed wine steward who was appointed to rebuild Jerusalem’s city wall in the twentieth year of Artaxerxes I. The second is a governor of Judah, who was appointed to that role in the same year. According to what may be his actual seal, however, this governor’s name is Yehoʿezer, not Nehemiah. A third protagonist was the head of the temple priesthood, but at the time of the temple’s dedication in 516, not during the reign of any Artaxerxes. Only he was called Nehemiah, however, his full name being Nehemiah Attršiātā ben Hacaliah
"Do Two Walk Together Unless They Have Made an Appointment?" Complementary Contradictions in Amos 3:1–8
Full text linkThis article redefines the theme, structure, and ideology of Amos 3:1–8. First, the article demonstrates the essential relationship between the unit’s boundaries, structure, content, and theme through a comprehensive research review. Next, the article offers a unique approach to the questions that remain open-ended to date. The article argues that Amos 3:1–8 should be regarded as a single unit comprised of three sub-units linked by one element. It considers the unit’s structure and the verses in their entirety as the foundation for understanding the unit’s complex content
Is There Magic in the Text? Ritual in the Priestly Pentateuch and Other Ancient Near Eastern Literature
Full text link“Magic” is a term that continues to feature in popular and scholarly circles, yet scholars continue to disagree vehemently about its definition and utility. This article uses the various definitions of magic as lenses through which to compare the ritual texts of the Priestly Pentateuch, ancient Egypt, and ancient Mesopotamia. The results offered illumine both the texts and the scholars who interpret them. Regardless of the definition employed, the biblical and other ANE ritual texts are quite similar, leading to the conclusion that magic should not be used as a dividing line between biblical Priestly and other ANE ritual texts
Ancient Near Eastern Treaty Traditions and Biblical Covenants: Recent Surveys
Full text linkThree recent books survey ancient Near Eastern treaty texts and discuss their relevance to biblical covenants. Kitchen and Lawrence present the most extensive anthology now available. Altman tends to concentrate on Hittite diplomacy, while Charpin highlights evidence from Old Babylonian city-states. Taken together, they demonstrate that biblical scholars should bear in mind the flexibility of these political instruments when making comparisons to ancient Israel’s covenantal traditions
Singing for a King: The Message of Psalm 45
Full text linkThis article deals with some of the core issues in the study of Psalm 45. It describes the current state of research and critically reviews two relatively recent interpretations, those by Simon Chi-Chung Cheung and James Trotter. Both interpretations have methodological problems. The article concludes that the aim of Ps 45 was to praise a historical near-divine king on the occasion of an addition to his harem. Any "deeper" theological meanings and messianic readings stem from a later age
The Temple Context for the Law in Chronicles
Full text linkThis paper examines how the Chronicler’s aim to promote the temple affects his presentation of the law. The books of Kings assert that Israel and its kings were obeying the law if they worshiped Yahweh alone and not in addition to foreign gods. The Chronicler, on the other hand, evaluates a king’s adherence to the law based on the king\u27s efforts to facilitate proper worship at the temple
Cohesion and Genre Blending in Prophetic Literature, Using Amos 5 as a Case Study
Full text linkThis study draws on Systemic Functional Linguistics and Cognitive Theory to explore genre blending in Amos 5. It demonstrates that Amos 5 is both a plausibly cohesive and coherent text, and that the text is made up of sub-sections of identifiably distinct genres of prophetic literature
A Murderous, Captured Lion: Ezekiel\u27s Negative Approach Toward Jehoiachin
Full text linkThis article analyzes Ezekiel 19, arguing for its unity and for a date of composition prior to the fall of Jerusalem. It evaluates the identities of the figures mentioned in the text and proposes that the murderous lion depicted in verses 5–9 is an image of no other than Jehoiachin. These findings explain the prophet’s decision to switch between the lion\u27s image and the vine’s image in the middle of the prophecy, and they also contribute to the scholarly discussion regarding Ezekiel’s approach toward the exiled king