scholarly journals ‘Praise beyond Words’: Psalm 150 as grand finale of the crescendo in the Psalter

2011 ◽  
Vol 67 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Dirk J. Human
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
The Past ◽  
Literary Context ◽  
Single Text ◽  
Psalm 150

Without doubt the final hymn of the Psalter can be described as the climax, or grand finale, of the Israelite faith’s most known hymnbook. In this psalm, sound and action are blended into a picture of ecstatic joy. The whole universe is called upon to magnify Yah(weh), the God of Israel. The text poses various exegetical challenges. In the past, Psalm 150 was traditionally analysed as a single text; but with the advent of the canonical and redactionhistorical approaches to the interpretation of the Book of Psalms, Psalm 150 can be interpreted as part of the final Hallel (Pss 146–150), or Book V (Pss 107–150) of the Psalter. This view opens up new possibilities for reading the psalm in broader contexts and its broader literary context(s) illuminate its theological significance. This article is an attempt at reflecting on the psalm’s context(s), structure, Gattung and dates of origin, tradition-historical relations to the Pentateuch, Psalms and other Old Testament texts. Ultimately some reflections on the psalm’s theological significance will be suggested.

A Short Life of Kierkegaard

2013 ◽  
Author(s):  
Walter Lowrie ◽  
Alastair Hannay
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Soren Kierkegaard ◽  
The State ◽  
Young Girl ◽  
Love Affair ◽  
Short Life ◽  
The Past ◽  
Modern Thought ◽  
Hans Christian Andersen

A small, insignificant-looking intellectual with absurdly long legs, Søren Kierkegaard (1813–1855) was a veritable Hans Christian Andersen caricature of a man. A strange combination of witty cosmopolite and melancholy introvert, he spent years writing under a series of fantastical pseudonyms, lavishing all the splendor of his mind on a seldom-appreciative world. He had a tragic love affair with a young girl, was dominated by an unforgettable Old Testament father, fought a sensational literary duel with a popular satiric magazine, and died in the midst of a violent quarrel with the state church for which he had once studied theology. Yet this iconoclast produced a number of brilliant books that have profoundly influenced modern thought. This classic biography presents a charming and warmly appreciative introduction to the life and work of the great Danish writer. It tells the story of Kierkegaard's emotionally turbulent life with a keen sense of drama and an acute understanding of how his life shaped his thought. The result is a wonderfully informative and entertaining portrait of one of the most important thinkers of the past two centuries.

The concept of the flat earth in the holy scripture

2020 ◽  
Vol 1 (100) ◽  
pp. 77-82
Author(s):  
V.P. Kultenko ◽  
◽  
K.M. Mamchur ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Space Exploration ◽  
Practical Experience ◽  
Modern World ◽  
Cultural Experience ◽  
Religious Texts ◽  
Sacred Texts ◽  
The Past

The article deals with the concept of flat Earth. There has a adherents and defenders in the modern world, despite the solid age of heliocentric teaching. Flat Earth apologists point out, that the evidence in favor of the scientific heliocentric theory is held on confidence. People should trust the testimony of astronauts, space exploration data, and more. However, the vast majority of people cannot verify this data from their own practical experience. If science is a criterion for truth, then the heliocentric concepts and flat Earth are far removed from this criterion. Moreover, in the cultural experience of the past we can find arguments in favor of the concept of a flat Earth. These testimonies are contained, in particular, in the Old Testament Bible, the sacred texts of Christianity and Judaism. The mythological and religious texts of other nations and cultures also refer to the idea of a flat Earth.

Die koninkryk van God in die Ou Testament: ’n Kort oorsig

2021 ◽  
Vol 55 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Daniel F. O'Kennedy
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Kingdom Of God ◽  
Church Leaders ◽  
Real Difference ◽  
Central Concept ◽  
The Past ◽  
To Come ◽  
Psalm 22 ◽  
The Church ◽  
Technical Terms

The kingdom of God in the Old Testament: A brief survey. The kingdom of God is a central concept in the teaching of Jesus, but the question posed by this article is the following: What does the Old Testament say about the kingdom of God? Several Old Testament terms convey the concept of kingdom, kingship and rule of God. This article focuses on the Hebrew and Aramaic ‘technical’ terms for kingdom: mamlākâ, malkût, mělûkâ and malkû. One finds only a few Old Testament references where these terms are directly connected to God, most of them in the post-exilic literature: 1 Chronicles 17:14; 28:5; 29:11; 2 Chronicles 13:8; Psalm 22:29; 103:19; 145:11–13; Daniel 2:44; 3:33 (4:3); 4:31 (4:34); 6:27; 7:14, 18, 27; Obadiah 21. A brief study of these specific references leads to a few preliminary conclusions: The kingdom of God refers to a realm and the reign of God, the God of the kingdom is depicted in different ways, God’s kingdom is eternal and incomparable with earthly kingdoms, the scope of the kingdom is particularistic and universalistic, the Old Testament testifies about a kingdom that is and one that is yet to come, et cetera. It seems that there is no real difference when comparing the ‘kingdom of God’ with the ‘God is King’ passages. One cannot unequivocally declare that ‘kingdom of God’ is the central concept in the Old Testament. However, we must acknowledge that Jesus’s teaching about the kingdom of God did not evolve in a vacuum. His followers probably knew about the Old Testament perspective on the kingdom of God.Contribution: The concept ‘kingdom of God’ is relevant for the church in South Africa, especially congregations who strive to be missional. Unfortunately, the Old Testament perspective was neglected in the past. The purpose of this brief survey is to stimulate academics and church leaders in their further reflection on the kingdom of God.

Practising piety in a (post-) pandemic time: A spatial reading of piety in Psalm 66 from the perspectives of memory and bodily imagery

2021 ◽  
Vol 77 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Lodewyk Sutton
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Social Anthropology ◽  
The Past ◽  
Body Imagery ◽  
Research Article ◽  
Global Pandemic ◽  
Practical Theological ◽  
The Individual ◽  
Exodus Narrative ◽  
The Church

Situated in the larger collection of Psalms 51–72, also known as the second Davidic Psalter, the smaller group of Psalms 65–68 is found. This smaller collection of psalms can be classified mostly as psalms of praise and thanksgiving. The relation and compositional work in this cluster of psalms become apparent on many points in the pious expressions between groups and persons at prayer, especially in the universal praise of God, and in the imagery referring to the exodus, the Jerusalem cult and blessing. Such piety becomes most discernible in the imagery and expressions in Psalm 66. The psalm’s two main sections may be described as praise, with verses 1–12 being praise by the group or the ‘we’, and verses 13–20 being praise by the individual or the ‘I’. Personal or individual piety and private piety are expressed by the desire of the ‘we’ and the ‘I’, and the experienced immediacy to God by transposing the past into the present through the memory of the exodus narrative, the Jerusalem cultic imagery and the use of body imagery. In this research article, an understanding of piety in Psalm 66 in terms of the memory of past events and body imagery is discussed from a perspective of space and appropriated for a time of (post-) pandemic where normal or traditional ecclesiological formal practices cannot take place.Contribution: This article makes an interdisciplinary contribution based on knowledge from the Psalms in the Old Testament, social anthropology, literary spatial theories and practical theological perspectives on the church in order to contribute to the relevance and practice of theology today, during a time of turmoil and a global pandemic.

Intertextuality in Old Testament Research

2011 ◽  
Vol 9 (3) ◽  
pp. 283-309 ◽  
Author(s):  
Geoffrey D. Miller
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
The Past ◽  
Intertextual Connections ◽  
Reading Texts

All biblical scholars are familiar with the term ‘intertextuality’, but few can agree on the nature of the concept or how readers should identify intertextual relationships among texts. Some scholars employ a purely synchronic approach when reading texts together, emphasizing the autonomy of the reader in attributing meaning to textual connections. Other scholars pursue a more diachronic approach, seeking to uncover the specific links to precursor texts that the author wants readers to perceive. Within and between these two groups, disagreements also persist over how to differentiate legitimate intertextual connections from coincidental similarities, as well as how to exegete interrelated texts in light of their connections. This article surveys literature from the past twenty years that aims to answer these questions. None of these answers have brought about consensus, and perhaps the best solution is to label some of these studies by a name other than ‘intertextuality’.

scholarly journals Psalm 150 according to the Septuagint: integrating translation and tradition criticism into modern Septuagint exegesis

2006 ◽  
Vol 27 (2) ◽  
pp. 431-454
Author(s):  
Evangelia G Dafni
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Translation Technique ◽  
Critical Method ◽  
Psalm 150

The attempt to detect  Theology in the linguistic deviations and divergencies of the Septuagint (LXX) with the Massoretic Text (MT), presupposes the use of certain exegetical methods. Of course, this implies methods to be used by the modern Septuagint scholar and not the hypothetical translation technique(s) used by the LXX-translators. Therefore, I suggest  the scholar should integrate the historical critical method – in a balanced manner, without the incriminating questioning of long outdated historicism - into the modern LXX-exegesis. In this way, I think, we have the opportunity to verify or falsify hypothetical exegetical practices probably used by the LXX-translators and to discover where we are really able to talk about genuine  Theology in the LXX – in contrast to the MT.  The LXX-Psalm 150, in comparison to other related Old Testament texts, was chosen to exemplify this suggestion.

scholarly journals The drum and its significance for the interpretation of the Old Testament from an African perspective: Part two

2016 ◽  
Vol 37 (1) ◽  
Author(s):  
Rudolph De Wet Oosthuizen
Keyword(s):  
South African ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Reading Strategy ◽  
Comparative Approach ◽  
Specific Reference ◽  
South African Context ◽  
The South ◽  
African Context ◽  
African Perspective ◽  
Psalm 150

Allowing the (South) African context to inform the construction and enhancement of the comparative paradigm as a reading strategy for the interpretation of the Old Testament enables one to identify and appreciate aspects of significance for the contemporary reader, relating to the interpretation of the text. Bearing in mind the importance of music and its function regarding religious expression, various aspects pertaining to the function and significance of music are being explored in order to enrich the interpretation of Psalm 150, with specific reference to music and musical instruments. (Whilst the focus in Part one [Oosthuizen 2016] is more on some hermeneutical aspects as pertaining to a specific reading strategy, Part two explores the significance of music for the interpretation of the Old Testament from an African perspective with specific reference to the drum and its usage in Psalm 150). Music enables one to comprehend and articulate a very particular aspect of religious experience, and it is of the utmost importance that this be acknowledged and taken into account in the current debate regarding appropriate strategies for the interpretation of religious texts in an African context. Three aspects serve to illustrate how the comparative approach can be augmented by drawing attention to aspects of particular interest for an African reading of the Old Testament: �music as space to encounter the divine�, the infectious nature of music, and �drumming� as a point of contact between the Old Testament and Africa.Intradisciplinary and/or interdisciplinary implications: In our encounters with the biblical text, the (South-) African context can inform a comparative reading of the Old Testament. In so doing, the �comparative paradigm� is augmented by allowing insights from various disciplines to inform the reader and to apprise a reading strategy that allows for the encounter with the text to be understood not merely in terms of a historical-descriptive or linguistic exercise only, but provides an opportunity to explore various perspectives pertaining to the appreciation and interpretation of the text (Psalm 150).

An Overview of the Catenae

2021 ◽  
pp. 135-154
Author(s):  
Gilles Dorival
Keyword(s):  
New Testament ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Recent Progress ◽  
Literary Form ◽  
Sixth Century ◽  
The Past ◽  
Biblical Commentary ◽  
The New Testament ◽  
Persuasive Arguments ◽  
Severus Of Antioch

Catenae appeared in Judaea/Palestine at the beginning of the sixth century. They consist of commentaries, homilies, scholia of the past centuries, and any other literary form in which Scripture verses are explained. Ecclesiastical writings are quoted in the form of extracts, sometimes literal, sometimes rewritten, according to the order of the verses of each Biblical book. Each extract is normally preceded by the name of its author in the genitive case. With time, the catenae were formed not only from commentaries, homilies, scholia, and other patristic writings, but also from pre-existing catenae mixed with these sources. After the sixth century, catenae became the most important media of biblical commentary until the end of the Byzantium Empire (1453). Many debated issues remain. Is Procopius of Gaza (470–530) the father of the catenae? Maybe the two-author catenae predate him, even if this form is better connected with the Byzantine humanism of the ninth and tenth centuries. As for the multiple-author catenae, it is not certain if any of them do are prior Procopius. The compilers of the catenae began their project with the Old Testament, as it was considered to be obscure and foundational to the New Testament, whereas the New Testament was considered to be clear and explicative of the Old Testament. The identity of the compilers of the catenae is shrouded in mystery. Only a few names are known: chiefly, Procopius of Gaza in Palestine and Nicetas of Heraclea in Constantinople. Other names have been proposed: the patriarch Photius, Peter of Laodicea, John Drougarios, but without any persuasive arguments. A final issue concerns Monophysite (or Miaphysite) catenae: were some catenae Monophysite? Or was this literary form indifferent to questions of orthodoxy? In some catenae, Severus of Antioch is called ‘saint’, which may indicate a Monophysite origin. Finally, despite recent progress, many catenae still await publication. For instance, Nicetas’ catena on the Psalms is a monumental work of Byzantine scholarship and it deserves to be available to modern readers.

The Reception and Interpretation of “Old Testament” Figures in Literature and Art from Antiquity through the Reformation: Studies, 1983–2018

2019 ◽  
pp. 517-532
Author(s):  
Lorenzo DiTommaso
Keyword(s):  
Old Testament ◽  
Hebrew Bible ◽  
Work Of Art ◽  
Single Text ◽  
The Reformation

This article presents a comprehensive bibliography of studies on Adam, Moses, Joseph, and other figures from the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament in the thirty-five years since the publication of Charlesworth’s two-volume Old Testament Pseudepigrapha. It focuses on the reception and interpretation of these figures in both literature and art from the antiquity through the Reformation. It is limited to survey-style studies and comprehensive works rather than those that examine a biblical figure in a single text or work of art, and in this respect is meant to serve as a gateway to advanced research.

scholarly journals Een slachtoffer heeft JHWH in het Noorderland (Jer 46:10)

2016 ◽  
Vol 50 (3) ◽  
Author(s):  
Hendrik G.L. Peels
Keyword(s):  
Present Article ◽  
Old Testament ◽  
Image Of God ◽  
Historical Background ◽  
Focal Points ◽  
Literary Context ◽  
The North ◽  
Book Of Jeremiah

For the Lord will offer sacrifice in the land of the North (Jer 46:10). The present article ‘For the Lord will offer sacrifice in the land of the North (Jer 46:10)’ combines two focal points of my research, namely the issue of the Old Testament image of God and the interpretation of the book of Jeremiah. In Jeremiah 46:2–12, the first oracle against Egypt sketches a frightening picture of the destruction of Egypt’s army, which was crushingly defeated by the Babylonians at Carchemish. The destruction is represented as a sacrificial meal, at which the divine sword feasts on the flesh and the blood of God’s enemies. In order to adequately understand the purport of his prophetic interpretation, I present a contextual exegesis of the pericope. It is read in its literary context and against its historical background. After a concise analysis of its structure and a detailed exegesis of the pivotal verse (46:10), I conclude with a theological evaluation concerning the meaning and significance of this eerie prophecy.

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