Department of Old and New Testament

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Browsing Department of Old and New Testament by Subject "Allusion"

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    Exodus in 2 Chronicles 10-36 : an exegetical study on inner-biblical allusion
    (Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University, 2021-02-04) Hutchison, Daniel Allen; Jonker, Louis C.; Stellenbosch University. Faculty of Theology. Dept. of Old and New Testament.
    ENGLISH ABSTRACT: A shift in scholarly studies on Chronicles has occurred in the last forty years, from primarily historical examinations to assessments of its literary features. With this shift has come a focus on how Chronicles refers to other biblical books. The primary biblical source for Chronicles is Samuel-Kings, but Chronicles refers to other biblical texts as well. However, a systematic examination of the author’s allusions to a pentateuchal book has not yet been published. This study’s contribution to scholarship is a systematic evaluation of how Chronicles alludes to the book of Exodus in 2 Chr 10-36 and how those allusions impact the rhetorical arguments of that portion of the book. Additionally, this study reveals exegetical insights at specific points in 2 Chr 10-36 (including allusions not previously noted in the scholarship reviewed). The combination of three elements set this study apart from previous studies of inner-biblical allusion in the Hebrew Bible: (1) a systematic approach to finding inner-biblical allusions to one particular source, (2) a subsequent evaluation of those allusions with a robust methodology, and (3) a comparison of those allusions’ rhetorical uses to a narrative analysis of the alluding text. The study identifies sixteen inner-biblical allusions to Exodus in 2 Chr 10-36 with an additional fourteen recurrences of those allusions. Chronicles uses an assortment of lexical, conceptual, and structural markers to indicate its allusions to Exodus in 2 Chr 10-36, though shared language is the primary method. Each of the allusions to Exodus has one or more of the following uses: Moral Evaluation, Elevate the Temple and Priesthood, Establish and Reaffirm a Standard or Truth, Exegesis, and Encouragement. The study also situates the allusions in their narrative context for rhetorical investigation and comparison. The study observes in Chronicles the importance of the Davidic kingship and how the people of Israel can relate to YHWH, their God, through the proper operation of the cult. The significance of the temple and its location in Jerusalem are paramount. The centrality of the temple is not in its grandeur but in its emphasis on a relationship with the God who dwells there. The kings following David succeed or fail (or both) based on how they relate to YHWH. Those who relate well to YHWH and care for his temple receive God’s blessing. Those who spurn YHWH and disrupt or damage his temple receive his judgment. Chronicles uses allusions to Exodus in 2 Chr 10-36 to support at least three of that section’s rhetorical aims: (1) to evaluate the moral character of its characters, (2) to highlight and elevate the status of the temple and its attendants, the Levites, and (3) to establish and reaffirm the standards by which the text evaluates its characters.