a guide to old testament theology and exegesis

233 Pages·2002·5.62 MB·English

A GUIDE TO
OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY
AND EXEGESIS
The Introductory Articles from the
New International Dictionary of
Old Testament Theology and Exegesis
Willem A. VanGemeren
General Editor
ZondervanPublishingHouse
Grand Rapids, Michigan
A Division o/HarperCollinsP»W>s/;erj
6M6/1MOTEKA
A Guide to Old Testament Theology and Exegesis
These introductory articles are also published in the New International Dictionary of Old
Testament Theology and Exegesis © 1997 by Willem A. VanGemeren
Preface to A Guide to Old Testament Theology and Exegesis © 1999 by
Willem A. VanGemeren
SlZondervan Publishing House
Grand Rapids, Michigan 49530
Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
A guide to Old Testament theology and exegesis / Willem VanGemeren, general
editor.
p. cm.
Includes bibliographical references.
ISBN 0-310-23193-0 (pbk.)
1. Bible. O.T.—Hermeneutics. 2. Bible. O.T.—Theology I. VanGemeren,
Willem.
BS476.G85 1999
221.6'01—dc21 99-26266
_____________________________________________CIP
All Scripture quotations, unless otherwise indicated, are taken from the Holy Bible: New
International Version®. NIV®. Copyright © 1973,1978,1984, by International Bible Society.
Used by permission of Zondervan Publishing House. All rights reserved.
All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval
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Printed in the United States of America
99 00 01 02 03 04 /* DC / 10 9 8 7 6 5 4 3 2 1
A GUIDE TO OLD TESTAMENT THEOLOGY AND EXEGESIS
Contributors 6
Preface
WilemA. VanGemeren 7
Abreviations 10
Introduction: Hermeneutics, Text, and Biblical Theology 1
1. Language, Literature, Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology:
What's Theological About a Theological Dictionary?
Kevin Vanhozer 12
Part I. The Reliability of the Old Testament Text 48
2. Textual Criticism of the Old Testament and Its Relation to
Exegesis and Theology
Bruce K. Waltke 48
Part I. History, Theology, and Hermeneutics 65
3. Old Testament History: A Theological Perspective
Eugene H. Meril 65
4. Old Testament History: A Hermeneutical Perspective
V. Philips Long 83
Part III. Literature, Interpretation, and Theology 100
5. Literary Approaches and Interpretation
Tremper Longman HI 10
6. Narrative Criticism: The Theological Implications of Narrative Techniques
Philip E. Saterthwaite 12
Part IV. Semantics, Interpretation, and Theology 131
7. Linguistics, Meaning, Semantics, and Discourse Analysis
Peter Coterel 131
8. Principles for Productive Word Study
John H. Walton 158
Part V. Canon, Literature, Interpretation, and Biblical Theology 169
9. The Flowering and Floundering of Old Testament Theology
Elmer A. Martens 169
10. Integrating Old Testament Theology and Exegesis: Literary, Thematic,
and Canonical Issues
Richard Schultz 182
Apendix 203
CONTRIBUTORS
ALLEN, LESLIE C.
M.A., Ph.D., D.D.; Professor of Old Testament, Fuller Theological Seminary, Pasadena, California
COTTERELL, PETER
B.D., B. Sc., Ph.D., D.Univ.; Former principal, London Bible College, London, United Kingdom;
Fellow of the Institute of Linguists, Fellow of the Royal Society of Arts
GORDON, ROBERT P.
M.A., Ph.D.; Regius Professor of Hebrew and Fellow of St. Catharine's College, University of
Cambridge, Cambridge, United Kingdom
KRUGER, PAUL A.
D.Litt, B.Th.; Senior Lecturer, The University of Stellenbosch, Stellenbosch, South Africa
LONG, V. PHILIPS
B.A., B.S., M.Div., Ph.D.; Professor of Old Testament, Covenant Theological Seminary, St. Louis,
Missouri
LONGMAN, TREMPER, III
B.A., M.Div., M.Phil, Ph.D.; Professor of Old Testament, Westminster Theological Seminary,
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
MARTENS, ELMER A.
B.A., B.Ed., B.D., Ph.D.; Professor Emeritus of Old Testament, Mennonite Brethren Biblical
Seminary, Fresno, California
MERRILL, EUGENE H.
B.A., M.A., M.Phil., Ph.D.; Professor of Old Testament Studies, Dallas Theological Seminary,
Dallas, Texas
NOLL, STEPHEN F.
B.A., M.A., Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Biblical Studies, Academic Dean, Trinity Episcopal
School for Ministry, Ambridge, Pennsylvania
SATTERTHWAITE, PHILIP E.
B.A., M.A., Ph.D.; Affiliated Lecturer at the Faculty of Oriental Studies, University of Cambridge;
Research Fellow at Tyndale House, Cambridge, United Kingdom
SCHULTZ, RICHARD
B.A., M.Div., M.A., Ph.D.; Associate Professor of Old Testament, Wheaton College, Wheaton,
Illinois
SELMAN, MARTIN J.
B.A., M.A., Ph.D.; Deputy Principal, Spurgeon's College, London, United Kingdom
VANGEMEREN, WILLEM A.
B.A., B.D., M.A., Ph.D; Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages, Trinity Evangelical
Divinity School, Deerfield, Illinois
VANHOOZER, KEVIN
B.A., M.Div., Ph.D.; Senior Lecturer in Theology, New College, Edinburgh University, Edinburgh,
Scotland
WALTKE, BRUCE K.
Th.D., Ph.D.; Marshall Sheppard Professor of Biblical Studies, Regent College, Vancouver, British
Columbia, Canada; Professor of Old Testament, Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, Florida,
WALTON, JOHN H.
A.B., M.A., Ph.D.; Professor of Bible, Moody Bible Institute, Chicago, Illinois
PREFACE
I am pleased that the editors at Zondervan Publishing House have decided to
publish separately "The Guide," which forms the introductory essays to the New Inter-
national Dictionary of Old Testameant Theology and Exegesis (NIDOTTE). These ten
essays summarize methodological concerns. This is important, because interpreters of
the OT differ in their approach to interpretation and because advances in hermeneutical
orientation, textual criticism, biblical history, linguistics, and biblical theology have
created a paradigm shift in interpretation. The approach is in line with the customary
historical-grammatical method, but includes refinements in its nuanced concern for lin-
guistics, literary analysis, and a historical-theological synthesis of the text. It advances
the issue of method by a fourfold thrust.
1. The interpretation of the whole Bible involves the text and the interpreter.
Vanhoozer ("Language, Literature, Hermeneutics and Biblical Theology: What's
Theological About a Theological Dictionary?" sec. 3, p. 42) reminds us that interpreta-
tion involves both the text and the reader. On the one hand, the language of the Bible is
God's means of communicating in order to discover what is real. It is the source of
truth because it refers to God as the ultimate source of reality. However, as a means of
communication it requires interpretation of the genres (story, law, genealogy, poetry,
etc.) and of the literary forms (simile, metaphor). The student of the text must involve
himself or herself with the acts of "hearing" the Word, of relating the Word to the
world, and of experiencing a personal transformation.
2. Interpretation is perspectival. The reader-interpreter aims at the search for
truth, but realizes that his apprehension of that truth requires a bringing together of sev-
eral perspectives. The historical-grammatical approach supposes the reader's compe-
tence with matters of history and grammar. History is more than the study of acts and
facts. It has a theological dimension and thus requires interpretation (see Eugene H.
Merrill's essay, "Old Testament History: A Theological Perspective,"sec. B: The
Structure of the OT as a Historical Record, p. 72) as well as a method of working with
the exegetical evidence (see V. Philips Long's essay, "Old Testament History: A
Hermeneutical Perspective," sec. C: Historical Interpretation of the OT: Four Steps in
the Process, p. 93). History is also a story (narrative). God communicates truth through
stories, narrative techniques, and literary genres. The biblical stories permit the reader
to view God's activity in human affairs by the narrative approach and by application of
the literary technique. While history calls for active engagement by reconstructing
God's ways in human affairs, the literary approach calls forth an engagement of the
imaginative faculties. The biblical text assumes familiarity with such literary conven-
tions or writings strategies and richly rewards all who familiarize themselves with the
categories of Hebrew prose and poetry (see Tremper Longman III, "Literary
Approaches and Interpretation," sec. G: Literary Conventions, p. I l l , and Philip E.
Satterthwaite, "Narrative Criticism: The Theological Implications of Narrative Tech-
niques," p. 122).
3. Interpretation provides a detailed and nuanced assessment of the exegetical
possibilities of the text. The exegetical data are many. As interpreters study the text,
they need to concern themselves with the reliability of the text (see Bruce K. Waltke,
"Textual Criticism of the Old Testament and Its Relation to Exegesis and Theology,"
p. 48), issues of grammar and syntax (see IBHS, and also commentaries based on the
Hebrew text), the meaning of the words (semantics), and the context of communica-
tion. The science of linguistics makes a significant contribution as it links grammar and
syntax (syntactics) with the meaning of words (semantics) and the context of commu-
nication (pragmatics). The article by Peter Cotterell ("Linguistics, Meaning, Seman-
tics, and Discourse Analysis," p. 131) provides the reader with a carefully argued
defense for a larger place for linguistics than is usually allocated (see sec. A: Linguis-
tics and Biblical Interpretation, p. 131). Linguistics locates the meaning of words in the
triad of Author-Text-Reader, and while penetrating the text for meaning, it reminds the
reader of one's subjectivity in all of his or her questions, deliberation, searching, analy-
sis, and synthesis (see sec. B: The Source of Meaning, p. 137).
Semantics or the discovery of meaning (see sec. C: Lexical Semantics, p. 144)
sets the stage of interpretation at the broader levels of linguistics and of textual inter-
pretation. While the common concern in traditional interpretation has been with gram-
mar and syntax, linguistics sets forth rules of interpreting human communication that
also incorporates semantics and pragmatics. To this end, the meaning of a word as a
symbol of communication is to be determined in its relation to other words (lexical
semantics; see further John H. Walton, "Principles for Productive Word Study,"
p. 158), in its place within the sentence or verse, and at the level of a literary unit or
discourse (see Cotterell, sec. D: Discourse Analysis, p. 151). The goal of interpretation
is to understand the more precise meaning of a word at the level of the discourse, i.e., a
literary unit (in contrast to the level of word or sentence).
The discourse is held together at three levels: syntactics, semantics, and prag-
matics. Grammar and syntax help in seeing "grammatical and syntactical cohesion" of
a text, but the study of the meaning of words enhances the study by two additional
dimensions: semantic coherence and intentionality. The lexical entries in a theological
dictionary may enhance the reader's sense of the potential meanings of a Hebrew
word, but the text (discourse unit) as well as the intention of the text should lead the
reader to limit the possibilities and to engage with the text as a coherent whole. Prag-
matics as the third dimension of linguistics helps the reader of the text to connect the
author with his intended audience, by raising several questions: (a) How does the
author communicate and move his audience? (b) What does he communicate and in
what manner is this message unique? (c) When and where does the communication
take place?
4. The text has theological meaning and significance. Changes have taken place
in scholarly positions with regard to biblical theology. The somewhat axiomatic posi-
tion as reiterated by Krister Stendahl separates the text from the reader. He argued that
there is a difference between what the ancient text meant (the job of biblical theology)
and what the text means (the job of systematic theology). He argued further that the
connection between what the text meant and what the text means is the job of herme-
neutics and not that of exegesis or interpretation (see Elmer A. Martens, "The Flower-
ing and Foundering of Old Testament Theology": A. Divergent Objectives, p. 170).
The historical model (what is meant) has undergone a shift. The paradigm shift from
occupation with historical issues has brought about a renewed awareness of other van-
tage points, such as the sociological, literary, and linguistic approaches (see sec. B.
Shifting Orientations, p. 173).
Another impetus for a theological interpretation of the text has come from the
canonical approach inaugurated by Brevard S. Childs (see Richard Schultz, "Integrat-
ing Old Testament Theology and Exegesis: Literary, Thematic, and Canonical Issues,"
p. 182). The interpretation of the text is not an issue merely of origins—attempting to
go back to the original form, analyzing the process of redaction, and/or tracing of the
sources. For Childs, theological reflection was an inherent part of the canonical shap-
ing of each OT book as the community of God's people received that book and
accepted it as authoritative for their faith and life. The book's authority extends beyond
that generation to subsequent generations, as each generation interacts with the book's
teaching, exhortation, and rebuke.
Each generation can and must interact with the Bible. On the one hand, it has
received the legacy of past interpreters. On the other hand, it can make a contribution
by interacting honestly with the cultural challenges. To this end, we affirm that while
the traditional interpretations of the Bible are important and appropriate, the Bible
itself opens up perspectives that may challenge past interpretations and invites the trav-
eler to journey into exciting, but not always known, landscapes of literary and linguis-
tic possibilities. This journey requires interpretation—a detailed and nuanced
assessment of the exegetical possibilities of the text, and an openness to the text as well
as to one's self. In between these two horizons (text and self), the text presents a mes-
sage of God afresh to a new generation. The ancient text is the bearer of theological
meaning and significance.
I trust that these essays will encourage many students of the Bible to explore the
exegetical and theological perspectives of the biblical text. While these essays stand on
their own, they make a larger contribution as introductory essays to NIDOTTE. The
publisher has provided several samples of lexical, biblical, and topical articles from
NIDOTTE in the Appendix. After perusing these articles, I encourage you to examine
the five-volume set for yourself. The articles open up vistas to the biblical text.
I am most grateful to the authors, the editors, and the staff at Zondervan Pub-
lishing House for my involvement as general editor.
Willem A. VanGemeren
Professor of Old Testament and Semitic Languages
Trinity Evangelical Divinity School
ABBREVIATIONS
In general, standard abbreviations are used in the book. The following is a list
of some of the more common abbreviations of books, journals, and series. For a com-
plete listing, see NIDOTTE, xxi to xlviii in vols. 1-4.
ANET Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament
AUSS Andrews University Seminary Studies
BSac Bibliotheca Sacra
CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly
ExpTim Expository Times
FOTT The Flowering of Old Testament Theology
HALAT Hebraisches und aramaisches Lexicon zum Alten Testament
HALOT The Hebrew and Aramaic Lexicon of the Old Testament, 1994- (ET of
HALAT)
HBT Horizons in Biblical Theology
JAOS Journal of the American Oriental Society
JBL Journal of Biblical Literature
JETS Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society
JSOT Journal for the Study of the Old Testament
N1DNTT The New International Dictionary of New Testament Theology
NIDOTTE The New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and
Exegesis (the present work)
OTL Old Testament Library
OTT G. von Rad, Old Testament Theology
RB Revue biblique
SJOT Scandinavian Journal of the Old Testament
TDOT Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament
TOT W. Eichrodt, Theology of the Old Testament
TRE Theologische Realenzyklopddie
TWAT Theologisches Worterbuch zum Alten Testament
TynBul Tyndale Bulletin
VT Vetus Testamentum
WTJ Westminster Theological Journal
INTRODUCTION: HERMENEUTICS, TEXT, AND BIBLICAL THEOLOGY
How does the ancient text (the Bible) make an impact on our modern theologi-
cal mind-set? Is theology a separate discipline from biblical interpretation? Many inter-
preters are highly skeptical of the truth claims of the Bible as well as of its use in
shaping the way in which we interact with "the modern world." Vanhoozer posits that
since Jesus Christ is "the Word incarnate," words are God's means of sanctioning a
truthful way of life, politics, and values. Deconstruction and postmodernity notwith-
standing, the student of the ancient text must learn to let the text speak meaningfully to
a new context.
The ancient text has inherent problems. The obstacles to understanding are
many. Some are textual (see the article on textual criticism by Bruce Waltke). Others
are cultural (historical, social situation, language, and literature). Yet all the issues are
in the words of the text. But instead of aiming at the interpretation of individual words
(for the dangers inherent in word studies, see also the essays by Cotterell and Walton),
the interpreter must learn to look at the "discourse" as a basic level for interpretation
and for practice. Modern linguistics—especially semantics (theory of meaning, a
branch of linguistics)—is a corrective to the openness in interpretation of the text,
because it seeks to answer relevant questions, such as: What is the nature of human
language? How do we communicate and process the information we receive? What are
the proper ways of listening to the Bible?
The Old Testament also requires familiarity with its varied literary genres (see
the essays by Longman and Satterthwaite) and encourages the integration of language
with literature and of literature with history (see the essays by Merrill and Long).
These are the issues with which Kevin Vanhoozer deals in the essay below. His
engagement with the philosophy and history that shape one's interpretation, though
somewhat complex, is fascinating. In this essay you will discover how difficult the art
of interpretation is. Further, he will open up the vista of the integration of language and
literature with theology.
Vanhoozer concludes that the interpreter can have confidence in hearing the
truth claims of the Bible. After all, the text (sola Scriptura) is sufficient for salvation
and for living to God's glory. This text is not only sufficient, it is the totality of God's
revelation in "written form" (tola Scriptura). However, more than hearing these
claims, the interpreter will come to know God. Here is the theological dimension of the
interpretive process (see the essays by Martens and Schultz).
Simply learning to read and interpret words and even concepts in the Bible is
never sufficient. Studying God's Word is intended to bring students of the Word closer
to God and to hearing his claims on their lives. In the process of interpretation, readers
undergo several shifts. They undergo changes in their perception of the text, of them-
selves, of God, and, consequently, of the world. In the light of this concern, you will
discover that Vanhoozer's essay is provocative in calling forth a generation of disci-
ples. (VanGemeren)
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1. LANGUAGE, LITERATURE, HERMENEUTICS, AND BIBLICAL THEOLOGY:
WHAT 's THEOLOGICAL ABOUT A THEOLOGICAL DICTIONARY?
"I am not yet so lost in lexicography, as to forget that words are
the daughters of the earth, and that things are the sons of heaven. Lan-
guage is only the instrument of science, and words are but the signs of
ideas: I wish, however, that the instrument might be less apt to decay,
and that signs might be permanent, like the things which they denote.
—Samuel Johnson, "Preface" to Dictionary of the English Language
(1775)
Why should anyone consult a dictionary of OT terms, or even NT terms for that
matter, in order to do Christian theology? Can words—daughters of the earth, accord-
ing to Samuel Johnson—speak of things (the "sons of heaven"), not to mention God
and the Son of God?
The dictionary definition of "definition" lists "the statement of the meaning of a
word or the nature of a thing," and "the degree of distinctness in outline of an object or
1
image" as possible meanings. Definitions mark out the boundary or limits of some-
thing. Yet mis definition raises two fundamental problems for the project of a theolog-
ical dictionary: (1) Are definitions about words or the world? That is, do dictionaries
talk only about language, or do they give us insight into the nature of reality as well?
(2) What actually defines or gives a word its determinate meaning? Do words have a
natural sense, or a supernatural sense imposed by God? Is meaning a matter of individ-
ual decision ("When / use a word ... it means just what I choose it to
2
mean"—Humpty-Dumpty ) or of social convention? And are definitions forever, or do
they change? As Samuel Johnson knew all too well, words and meanings alike change
over time:
Words strain,
Crack and sometimes break, under the burden,
Under the tension, slip, slide, perish,
Decay with imprecision, will not stay in place,
Will not stay still.
(T. S. Eliot, Four Quartets, "Burnt Norton")
The purpose of this article is to survey some of the leading ways in which lan-
guage and literature have been thought to serve either as an access or as an impediment
to talking about God. Is language the antechamber or prison-house of theology, its
handmaid or its warden? Can any language—prophetic, Pauline, pietistic, or philo-
sophical—ultimately achieve transcendence and so speak of something other than
itself?
These fundamental questions about the language of theology lead to questions
about the theology of language. For questions about meaning and interpretation are
themselves implicitly theological, and sometimes explicitly so. Is language a human
construct or a gift of God? Is language basically an instrument the human creature uses
to cope with its environment, or is it a means for interacting with what is other than
itself? To some extent, the way one answers this question bears on how one conceives
the relation between language and reality.
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