God the suffering Father and Israel the abandoned child : Hosea 11 and Psalm 80 in intertextual conversation

Date
2019-04
Journal Title
Journal ISSN
Volume Title
Publisher
Stellenbosch : Stellenbosch University
Abstract
ENGLISH ABSTRACT: In the Bible many metaphors are used to describe God and the relationship God had with Israel. These metaphors developed through the history of Israel and gained new meanings to suite new contexts. During troubled times the metaphors were also adapted to serve their purpose in these troubled contexts. This often led to metaphors that seem to contradict one another. Psalm 80 and Hosea 11 contain metaphors that seem to contradict one another, the metaphors of a suffering Father and an abandoned son. This study wants to examine these texts to understand better why these contradicting metaphors were both part of Israel’s thoughts on God and on the relationship between God and Israel. Studies on this topic and on these texts have already been done, but this study wants to add to the discussion by bringing these two texts into discussion with each other. Thus, the study presents an intertextual discussion between two texts, which contain metaphors that seem to contradict one another. The study is an exegetical study of Psalm 80 and Hosea 11 with the intent to bring these texts into discussion with one another in order to gain a deeper understanding of the God-human relationship as given expression in the Bible. Another aim is to see how the conversation between these two metaphors can be understood in present-day contexts.
AFRIKAANSE OPSOMMING: In die Bybel word baie metafore gebruik om God en die verhouding wat God met Israel gehad het, te beskryf. Die metafore het ontwikkel gedurende Israel se geskiedenis en het nuwe betekenisse gekry om nuwe kontekste te pas. In moeilike tye is die metafore ook aangepas om Israel in sulke moeilike tye te dien. Dit het dikwels gelei tot metafore wat skynbaar teenoor mekaar staan. Psalm 80 en Hosea 11 bevat metafore wat lyk of hul in kontras met mekaar is, naamlik die metafore van ’n lydende Vader en ’n verwerpte seun. Die studie wil hierdie tekste bestudeer om só ’n beter verstaan te kry oor hoekom die kontrasterende metafore beide deel uitmaak van Israel se denke oor God en oor die verhouding tussen God en Israel. Studies oor hierdie onderwerp is reeds gedoen, maar hierdie studie wil spesifiek die twee tekste met mekaar in gesprek bring. Die studie bied dus ’n intertekstuele gesprek tussen twee tekste aan, waarin skynbaar kontrasterende metafore voorkom. Die studie is ’n eksegetiese studie van Psalm 80 en Hosea 11, met die doel om die tekste in gesprek te bring met mekaar, om so ’n dieper verstaan van die God-mens verhouding soos uitgedruk in die Bybel, te kry. Verder wil die intertekstuele gesprek ook daartoe bydra hoe die twee tekste in vandag se konteks beter verstaan kan word.
Description
Thesis (MTh)--Stellenbosch University, 2019.
Keywords
Bible. Psalms, LXXX -- Criticism, interpretation, etc., Bible. Hosea, XI -- Criticism, interpretation, etc., Metaphor, Intertextuality, UCTD
Citation