Book of Ezekiel and Mesopotamian City Laments

2011·1.2 MB·English

by  Donna Lee Petter

Orbis Biblicus et Orientalis 246
Donna Lee Petter
The Book of Ezekiel
and Mesopotamian
City Laments
Academic Press Fribourg
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen
Publication subsidized by the Swiss Academy of Humanities and Social Sciences
Internet general catalogue:
Academic Press Fribourg: www.paulusedition.ch
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht, Göttingen: www.v-r.de
Camera-ready text submitted by the author
© 2011 by Academic Press Fribourg, Fribourg Switzerland
Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht Göttingen
ISBN: 978-3-7278-1690-1 (Academic Press Fribourg)
ISBN: 978-3-525-543xx-x (Vandenhoeck & Ruprecht)
ISSN: 1015-1850 (Orb. biblicus orient.)
Table of Contents

PREFACE XI

ABBREVIATIONS XIII

INTRODUCTION 1

CHAPTER ONE: CITY LAMENTS IN MESOPOTAMIA 7
Introduction 7
The Texts: Historical City Laments 7
Ritual Use of the Historical City Laments 10
Erñemmas (2nd and 1st Millennium B.C.) 11
Balags (2nd and 1st Millennium B.C.) 11
Ritual use of Erñemmas and Balags 12
Standard Features of the Texts 13
Illustration of the Standard Features of the City Lament 15
Feature #1 Subject and Mood 15
Feature #2 Structure and Poetic Techniques 16
Poetic Techniques 16
Feature #3 Divine Abandonment 18
Feature #4 Assignment of Responsibility 22
Feature #5 Divine Agent(s) of Destruction 23
Feature #6 Description of Destruction 25
Feature #7 The Weeping Goddess 27
Feature #8 Lamentation 28
Feature #9 Restoration of the City and Return of the
Gods 29
Restoration in General 29
Restoration of the City 29
Return of the Gods 31
Summary 33

CHAPTER TWO: CITY LAMENTS IN ISRAEL 34
Introduction 34
City Lament Features in Lamentations 34
Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Lamentations 37
VI THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
City Lament Features in the Oracles against the Nations
(and Israel and Judah) 39
Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Laments in the Oracles
against the Nations 41
City Lament Features in Psalms 42
Ritual Use/Cultic Setting of Communal Lament Psalms 44
City Lament Features in Prophetic Literature 44
The Book of Micah 44
Jeremiah 25:30–38 46
Summary 47

CHAPTER THREE: UNDERSTANDING EZEKIEL’S ROLE
IN LIGHT OF THE GENRE OF THE MCL: THE
SCROLL INCIDENT 50
Introduction 50
The Scroll Incident (Ezekiel 2:8–3:3) mégillat sëper 51
The Scroll’s Threefold Description 52
Its Fixed Nature 52
Its Content 52
Its Edible Nature 54
Ezekiel’s Reaction to the Scroll Incident 56
Ezekiel Laments: Ezekiel 3:14–15 56
Ezekiel’s emotional demeanor in Ezekiel 3:14
(mar/ùëmâ) 56
His physical posture described in Ezekiel 3:15 59
The verb: wäŒëñëb “And I sat” 59
The duration of time: ñibœat yämîm “seven days” 60
Ezekiel’s Lament Gestures: Ezekiel 5: Shaving hair 62
Ezekiel 6:11–12: clapping hands, stomping feet, and
saying alas! 63
Ezekiel 21:17: smite your thigh 65
Summary of Ezekiel’s Response to the Scroll Incident 66
Evidence beyond the Scroll Incident that Indicates Ezekiel is
a Mourner and at Times is Characterized like the City
Goddess (apart from Formal City Lament Features) 66
Yahweh Makes Ezekiel Watchman (Ezek 3:16–21) 66
TABLE OF CONTENTS VII
Yahweh Extends Ezekiel’s Mourning Period (Ezek 3:22–
27; 24:17): Understanding Ezekiel’s Confinement
and Speechlessness 69
Yahweh places Ezekiel under siege (4:1–5:17) 73
Summary 75

CHAPTER FOUR: UNDERSTANDING YAHWEH’S
ANGER AND ABANDONMENT OF JERUSALEM IN
LIGHT OF THE MCL 76
Introduction 76
Assignment of Responsibility: Yahweh Assumes some
Responsibility for Jerusalem’s Destruction 77
Yahweh’s Unchangeable Word: Prophetic Formulae in
Ezekiel 78
Yahweh’s Gaze 81
Summary 81
Yahweh Assigns Responsibility to Israel for Jerusalem’s
Destruction 82
The use of œäwön and tôœëböt 82
The use of yaœan … läkën 83
The use of historical retrospect 85
Chapter 16 85
Chapter 20 86
Chapter 23 86
Summary 87
Divine Abandonment 89
Ezekiel 8–11: The Literary Framework 89
Ezekiel 8:1–6 Introduction to the True Temple Owner 92
Ezekiel 8:7–18 Introduction to Violations in Yahweh’s
Temple and his Anger 94
Ezekiel 9–11: The Temple Owner’s Response–Divine
Abandonment 96
Ezekiel 9 96
Ezekiel 10–11: The Nature of Yahweh’s Departure 97
Summary 103
VIII THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
CHAPTER FIVE: UNDERSTANDING SIN AND
JUDGMENT IN EZEKIEL IN LIGHT OF TWO
FEATURES OF THE MCL 105
Introduction 105
Yahweh’s Agents of Destruction 106
Agent #1: Yahweh’s Storm 106
Ezekiel 1 106
rûaù séœärâ 106
æäpôn 107
qôl 108
Ezekiel 13:11, 13 109
Agent #2: Enemy Invasion 112
Ezekiel 21:1–23 112
Agent #1 and Agent #2 Merge: Storm and Enemy
Invasion 114
Ezekiel 38 114
Agent #3: Yahweh’s Fire 115
Agent #4: Yahweh’s package of destructive agents 116
Descriptions of Destruction in Ezekiel 117
Descriptions of Destruction on the City, Environs, and
Temple 117
Destruction on the Temple 120
Descriptions of Destruction on the People 122
Human Slaughter 122
Famine and Hunger 123
Exile 124
Descriptions of Destruction on Israelite Social, Religious
and Political Customs 125
Summary 126

CHAPTER SIX: UNDERSTANDING RESTORATION IN
EZEKIEL IN LIGHT OF THE MCL 128
Introduction 128
Restoration in Ezekiel 129
Anticipating Restoration: Ezekiel 24:15–24; 25–27
Transitioning from Death to Life 129
Restoration and the Oracles against the Nations (Ezekiel
25–32) 130
TABLE OF CONTENTS IX
Restoration and the Fall of Jerusalem: Ezekiel 33:21–22 132
Program of Restoration: Ezekiel 34–48 133
Ezekiel 34 and its Content 134
Ezekiel 34:11–16: A Change in Yahweh’s Disposition 134
Ezekiel 34:23–24: The Servant-Shepherd David 135
Ezekiel 34:25–31: The Covenant of Peace 136
The Ultimate Purpose of Restoration: Exaltation of
Yahweh 138
Summary 139

CHAPTER SEVEN: CONCLUSIONS 142

APPENDIX 1 149
APPENDIX 2 151
APPENDIX 3 153
APPENDIX 4 157
APPENDIX 5 163

BIBLIOGRAPHY 165

INDEX 183

PREFACE

The present monograph is a slightly modified version of my doctoral dis-
sertation originally submitted to the faculty of Arts and Sciences at the
University of Toronto (2009).

I would like to express my gratitude to the people who have contributed to
this research and who have helped me see it published. First, I am thankful
for my wonderful years of study at the University of Toronto, but especially
to my original supervisor, Brian Peckham, who died shortly before the
completion of this project. He was a constant source of encouragement
about my ideas. His contribution cannot be measured by typical standards
of being a great proof reader or insightful and careful about details. Al-
though he was all of these things and more, his contribution lay with the
immeasurable ability to motivate, inspire, and develop confidence in his
students, the mark of a great teacher. Simply put, without him this work
would not have been possible.
I would like also to thank Glen Taylor who stepped in as supervisor at
“the final hour.” Indeed, the risk of not completing in a timely fashion
loomed large with the loss of Brian Peckham. However, Glen remained a
steady voice of assurance. I was deeply touched by his commitment to me
which translated into the completion of this work. Even on vacation he was
willing to phone me and discuss my chapters at great length! As a result of
his unexpected yet valuable input, he helped my argument to coalesce and
become even stronger.
Acknowledgement also goes to the members of my dissertation commit-
tee: Paul-Alain Beaulieu, Douglas Frayne, and Robert Holmstedt who,
under a time constraint imposed upon them, enabled me to defend in a
timely fashion. I would like to express appreciation for my outside reader,
Chip Dobbs-Allsopp. I anticipated his feedback the most given that my
research relies on his findings in the Mesopotamian City Laments. His
graciousness and vote of confidence was deeply satisfying.
In addition, several teaching assistants at Gordon-Conwell Theological
Seminary need to be recognized for their help in reviewing and editing
parts of the document: Ian Wilson, Amy Paulson-Reed, Zach Gibson, and
especially Cameron Willis.
Finally, I wish to thank Christoph Uehlinger for accepting this volume
into the distinguished OBO series.

A few mentors and family members deserve praise as well. I think it is safe
to say that the training I received with Ron and Judy Smith in the School of
Biblical Studies in Hawaii provided unparalled preparation for this endea-
vor. The principles I learned while working with them shaped me and
continues to affect everything I do. I would like to note also, in particular,
XII THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL
my sister Mary Jo. I could never repay her for her unwavering and loyal
commitment exhibited to me over the years.
Words cannot express the sentiments for my husband Tom who, apart
from sharing 23 fruitful years together, labored side by side with me for
eight of those years pursuing the same high calling. At key junctures in my
academic journey he decreased so that I could increase, and at great per-
sonal cost. When our son Marcus was born in 2000, he sacrificed his own
research time in order to serve and support the needs of our new family. In
our joint teaching appointments he tirelessly (well almost) taught more than
his share of classes so that I could “finish.” In spite of all of this he still
finished first! There has been great joy in our journey together. Indeed, love
endures and perseveres in all things.

Donna Petter
Fall 2010
South Hamilton, Massachusetts