Book of Psalms

"'Series of Life' perfectly encapsulates the essence of its title. Having had the privilege of witnessing the author's journey, I see reflections of him in every piece, and indeed, of many young people navigating life's complexities. The book candidly explores questions, adventures, self-discovery, and youthful turmoil, evoking a sense of nostalgia. What's more, it is a personal triumph for me as a teacher to see one of my learners excel in such a remarkable way -the nod to me in some of the pieces makes it all the more special. Kudos to Kirabo for crafting a truly exceptional work. I eagerly look forward to his future projects." Timothy Zziwa, Teacher of Literature and English Language. "The poetry in 'Series of Life' is powerful and moving. It captures poignant stories with great impact." Anne Buckley, UK Writer. "'Series of Life' is remarkably beautiful, with subtle meanings in each stanza adding layers of excitement and intrigue. The poetry's craftsmanship makes for a captivating read." Lisa Lukooya. "In our youthful days, my friend sowed his first seeds of verses. What was once a whisper of promise has now blossomed into 'Series of Life' ...a voice that speaks of love, spirit and the many seasons that shape life. Kirabo; gift-you penned down every heart as David played the harp so perfectly before Saul. I pray, you continue writing your great minds for the world. Write!" Kwesiga Johnson -Close friend/ OB/ Social Justice Advocate

This essay is an intertextual study of the literary theme of hope for non-Israelite nations in three books of the Hebrew Bible. In Deuteronomy, hope for the nations is envisaged through Yahweh’s special covenantal relationship with Israel and the latter’s keeping of Yahweh’s laws. In Isaiah, the hope concept is depicted by Yahweh’s supremacy over other gods and how the nations can become God’s servants through a special servant, and partaking collectively with the serving people of God at Zion. In the Psalms, hope is seen via the praise of Yahweh among the nations and worked out through a messianic king who fulfils Yahweh’s promises in the Davidic Covenant.

This volume is a tour de force. Bill T. Arnold writes clearly and thoroughly about the many exegetical issues arising from Deuteronomy 1–11, whether textual, literary, or theological, and manifests a deep grasp of many issues. Over six hundred pages are devoted to the first eleven chapters of Deuteronomy, admittedly chapters of dense and significant
materials. The commentary is exhaustive. Would a shorter commentary be of greater use? Or is a commentary of this size needed considering that other commentary series are missing a Deuteronomy volume? What should be included in a commentary, and how long should the comments on the verses be?

This essay explores the deep intertextual relationship between Hallel (Psalms 113–118) and the opening chapters of the Book of Jonah. Beyond their shared themes of divine control, deliverance, and thanksgiving, the two texts exhibit striking linguistic and conceptual parallels, including rare Hebrew roots and repeated phrases such as “God of Heaven,” “calling out in distress,” and imagery of being “encompassed.” These echoes suggest more than coincidence—they point to deliberate engagement, with Hallel offering a theological counterpoint to Jonah’s worldview.

While Jonah’s prayer emphasizes truth and condemns idolaters as deceitful—“those who cling to empty lies forsake their mercy” (Jonah 2:9)—the psalmist of Hallel reconsiders that stance, confessing, “I said in my haste: all men are liars” (Psalms 116:11). This reversal reframes repentance not as falsehood but as the capacity for renewal. Drawing on Rabbi Yoel Bin Nun’s interpretation of ma’avir rishon rishon, the essay proposes that divine mercy treats each sin as an isolated act, allowing every instance of repentance to be received as sincere, even when imperfect or repeated.

From this perspective, Nineveh’s repentance was not fraudulent but authentic in its moment, reflecting a God who grants continual opportunities for renewal. The essay concludes by extending this principle beyond theology: just as God refuses to define humanity by past failings, so too must we resist labeling others—whether as liars, sinners, or troublemakers. In education, society, and spiritual life alike, growth depends on separating deeds from identity. By adopting the psalmist’s humility and God’s compassionate lens, we open space for genuine change, gratitude, and redemption.

Penderitaan merupakan bagian dari kehidupan setiap manusia, termasuk orang percaya. Penderitaan juga merupakan tantangan yang sangat berpengaruh di dalam perjalanan kehidupan orang percaya dan mempengaruhi cara berpikir mereka tentang Tuhan, oleh karena itu penting sekali bagi orang percaya untuk bersikap benar terhadap penderitaan karena hal tersebut pasti dialami oleh setiap orang percaya. Penderitaan yang salah disikapi akan membuat seseorang tidak percaya keberadaan Allah, mempersalahkan Allah, bahkan membuat perjalanan kehidupan iman mereka tidak bertumbuh. Penulis memilih Mazmur 22 sebagai objek penelitian untuk memberikan pemahaman kepada orang percaya menyikapi penderitaan yang dialami oleh dirinya.

Proses penelitian yang penulis lakukan menggunakan metode eksposisi. Metode eksposisi dilalui dengan langkah-langkah yaitu: analisa teks, analisa gramatika, analisa bentuk, analisa stylistik, penafsiran dan penerapan. Penulis melalui langkah-langkah tersebut melihat bahwa struktur Mazmur 22 memberikan gambaran transformasi pemazmur dari keluhan menuju pujian. Ekpresi-ekspresi yang digunakan pemazmur melalui paralelisme dan gaya bahasa Ibrani lainnya di bagian pertama menggambarkan penderitaan berat yang dialami pemazmur, namun di bagian lainnya pemazmur memiliki keyakinan kepada Tuhan bahwa Ia pasti menolongnya. Keyakinan inilah yang membawa pemazmur dapat menyatakan pujian kepada Tuhan bahkan mengajak orang-orang untuk bersama-sama memuliakan Dia.

Hasil penelitian terhadap Mazmur 22 memberikan tiga pokok yang harus dipahami orang percaya dalam menyikapi penderitaan. Pertama pengalaman menderita tidak harus membuat orang percaya menolak keberadaan Allah. Menolak keberadaan Allah karena realita penderitaan merupakan tindakan yang salah, karena solusi penderitaan yang paling meyakinkan justru diberikan oleh Kekristenan yang mempercayai adanya Allah. Kedua pengalaman menderita tidak harus membawa orang percaya mempersalahkan Tuhan. Segala sesuatu yang terjadi di dalam kehidupan ini tidak ada yang diluar kendali Allah. Orang percaya harus melihat segala sesuatu yang terjadi di dalam kehidupannya termasuk penderitaan yang dialami merupakan bagian dari rencana Allah. Ketiga pengalaman menderita dapat membawa kepada pertumbuhan rohani. Pertumbuhan rohani di dapat ketika orang percaya melihat dari sudut pandang Allah dan semuanya hanya untuk satu tujuan yaitu kemuliaan nama-Nya. Pada akhirnya, pemahaman yang benar terhadap cara menyikapi penderitaan akan membawa orang percaya berelasi dengan Allah dengan lebih baik.

Was Jesus's proclamation on the cross indicative of divine abandonment or, instead, a fulfillment of the Psalmist's anguish expressed in Psalm 22? This paper engages with a profound theological question rooted in the biblical narrative of Jesus’ crucifixion. This work is a detailed examination of Psalm 22 and its application to the depiction of Jesus on the cross, as encapsulated in the poignant cry attributed to Him in the Gospels of Matthew and Mark. The paper juxtaposes ancient Jewish interpretations with Christian exegetical traditions, raising significant questions about the prophetic nature of Psalm 22 and its implications for a messianic understanding.

The purpose of the present paper is to revisit the interface between biblical studies, reception exegesis, and reception theory. In the first part of the paper, we discuss what we believe to be the most important lessons learned from recent scholarship on the relationship between these fields and highlight what we think is still an underestimated conclusion:  if we assume that “meaning” is contextual rather than essential, the full(er) capacity of a biblical text is not discoverable until we have examined how it has appeared in various contexts. Related to this is the question of why and how texts survive and even thrive in new contexts and in what way later authors utilize the “capacity” of the biblical texts, because even if “meaning” is ultimately brought to texts by their readers, texts are in some senses
agents as well. To exemplify these discussions and the connection between reception exegesis and biblical criticism, two short examples from the reception of Psalms 110 and 137 in medieval Christian Arabic and Judeo‑Arabic sources are presented. In the first example, we recapitulate findings on how inner‑biblical reception generates a complex web of potential interpretations but also how the ambivalence created in the process may be the greatest asset of that text. It is also an example of where interpretation may teach us about the life and thought of ancient and medieval communities and how they interacted with one another over the meaning of the biblical text. In contrast, the second example is more
centered on the “capacity” of the text and in what sense communities exploit that potential for their larger purposes.

In contemporary evangelical spirituality, lament has often been marginalized and interpreted as a sign of weak faith or a negative attitude. However, this article argues that lament—understood as a theologically articulated expression of pain, protest, and hope amid suffering—is a biblically warranted and theologically essential dimension of the Christian life. Through a multidimensional analysis integrating exegetical, hermeneutical, liturgical, ontological, epistemological, eschatological, and psychological perspectives, the study demonstrates that lament does not contradict faith but deepens it by enabling an authentic relationship with God in a fallen world. Texts such as the psalms of lament, the book of Job, and Jesus’ cry from the cross reveal lament as a canonical, communal, and Christocentric practice. Far from passive resignation or despair, lament is an active form of hope that denounces evil and anticipates the justice of the coming kingdom. The article critiques both spiritual triumphalism, which denies suffering, and secular reductionism, which strips suffering of its transcendent dimension. Instead, it proposes a theo-anthropological understanding of lament as an expression of the human condition—finite, relational, and oriented toward redemption. Recovering lament in the church’s life is not a step backward but an act of biblical fidelity that shapes communities capable of weeping with those who weep, resisting injustice, and firmly hoping in the promise that God will one day wipe away every tear.

What might emerge in a conversation between the authors of Lamentations and the authors of the lament psalms-or protest psalms, as I prefer to call them? I here take up one theme from each chapter of Lamentations and set one or two psalms alongside each chapter.1 I treat both Lamentations and Psalms as texts provided for people to pray. I don't know how far they reflect personal experience or feelings on the part of their authors, but I assume that they found a place in their respective collections because they were thought useful for other people to pray.

Psalm 6 is a textbook example of a lament psalm, or protest psalm, as I prefer to call them. While lament is a key element in these psalms, it's not the whole, and lament doesn't need an audience, whereas protest implies that someone is the recipient of the remonstration. These psalms are addressed to someone; people are not just letting it all hang out. Typically of such psalms, Psalm 6 thus begins by addressing God, and urging God to do something; it is a prayer. And it argues and reasons with God. Then, before the end, it suddenly expresses the conviction that God has listened to this plea and is going to answer it. It has a heading with information about being the "leader's" and "David's" and about how to sing it; the terms of the description are something of a mystery, but they do indicate that what reads like an individual's prayer found a place in the community's worship.

It's sometimes said that Proverbs has a bumper-sticker theology,1 which may be an insult or a compliment. It may suggest brief, pithy insights, or brief, pithy oversimplifications. Either way, bumper-sticker statements can be clever, confrontational, and humorous, though also serious. They are based on human insight or human experience, and they are thus contextual, culturally-rooted, and possibly puzzling to someone from another culture. Clever, confrontational, humorous, and those other descriptions do also apply to Proverbs. How do its aphorisms compare with bumper stickers? In this paper, I focus on the great central section of the book, Proverbs 10:1-22:16, where aphorisms are most consistently concentrated. I first consider a number of characteristics common to some bumper stickers and some aphorisms in Proverbs. Second, I consider how the aphorisms differ rhetorically from the bumper stickers. And third, I note two key distinctive theological features of the aphorisms. 2 How Bumper Stickers and Proverbs Compare 1. Bumper stickers and aphorisms in Proverbs can be clever. Brevity is the. Don't believe everything you think.3

Reino de Sacerdotes e os 144 mil E vós sereis para Mim um reino de sacerdotes e um povo santo! Estas são as palavras que falarás aos filhos de Israel (TANAH, 2018, Êxodo ou Shemot 19:6, p.193). FRANCISCO, Edson de Faria. Antigo Testamento Interlinear Hebraico-Português -Volume 1 -Pentateuco. SBB, 2012, p.254. A Bíblia é um acervo único, contudo, ideologias-doutrinárias sectárias dominam consciências à base de suas próprias interpretações e manipulação de textos bíblicos. Não se pode classificar tão somente como progressivo o ato interpretativo das Escrituras Sagradas, porquanto estas formam uma única Obra, completa e explicável internamente. Ademais, há especificidades pertinentes ao povo judeu que não incluem os gentios (goyim), in exemplis, o reino de sacerdotes (Êxodo 19:6) e os 144 mil (Apocalipse 7:4).

There is a recurring pattern of intercession in the Old Testament that is deeply rooted in the covenantal relationship between Israel and Yahweh. Those who intercede for the community consistently acknowledge Israel’s failure to fulfill its covenant obligations, yet they appeal to Yahweh’s enduring faithfulness by invoking his name—that is, his reputation as a covenant-keeping God. This pattern is evident in the lament texts, where petitions for forgiveness often appeal to Yahweh to act “for his name’s sake.” This phrase reflects a core theological theme: through the covenant, Yahweh’s reputation becomes closely linked to the fate and prosperity of his people. This thesis will examine Psalm 79 as a representative example of this pattern, arguing that the lament not only reflects covenant consciousness but also serves as a covenant-reminding intercession. Additionally, the study will show that this formulaic connection between lament and covenant appears consistently across the Old Testament.

English version of a Hebrew article published a few years ago. Enumerating divine attributes is a little appreciated method of theological instruction. Whereas Job's companions make use of this method of talking about God, Job highlights the negative sides of the dogmas through parody.

Church canons and tradition do not permit kneeling in prayer during the fifty days of Pentecost. The church celebrated the return to kneeling at prayer in this ancent liturgical service, done after the conclusion of the liturgy of the day of Pentecost. The service is common to all orthodox churches.

Lezing voor een ambtsdragersbijeenkomst van de Hersteld Hervormde Kerk over het project 'Statenvertaling bewaren' (een taalkundig onderhoud van de GBS-editie van de Statenvertaling) van de Gereformeerde Bijbelstichting.
In deze lezing geef ik een inkijkje in de werkwijze van het project waarin gepoogd wordt om de Statenvertaling te bewaren voor het volgende geslacht. In het project worden verouderde woorden, uitdrukkingen en complexe naamvalsconstructies onderzocht op misverstaan en niet verstaan. Ook worden tekstuele aanpassingen in de huidige GBS-editie van de Statenvertaling voorgesteld.

These exercises are based on R. Meynet’s Treatise on Biblical Rhetoric. The Treatise is a kind of grammar, and everyone knows that you cannot learn a language by reading or even memorising its rules of grammar: one must learn by practising them patiently, and this requires much exercise. Many people are interested in biblical rhetorical analysis for its results in better understanding biblical texts; however, some are not content with that and would like to use the methodology themselves.
Like any profession, a serious apprenticeship is necessary. The ideal would be to train under the guidance of a competent master who can follow the students’ work, advise them and correct them when necessary. This book is intended as a guide, like a master.
They begin with a series of exercises, organised on two levels: that of the passage (or ‘pericope’), then that of the ‘sequence’ or structured group of passages. The text to be analysed is given in the original language alongside a very literal translation; some advice follows, especially to read and study a given part of the Treatise which will be essential for the exercise in question; finally, a whole series of questions is provided to enable the learners, if they so wish, to find out for themselves how the text is composed.
The second part contains the “answer” to the exercises. The path suggested by the questions in the exercises is followed step by step. These answers enable learners to check their own work.
This book of Exercises is not a book to be read, but a book to be written. To be satisfied—as one might be tempted to do—with reading the answer, before having done the exercise, would serve little purpose for those who do not wish to simply accumulate knowledge, but to learn how to work which is not—at all—the same thing.
This second edition has not only corrected the errors, but also replaced some of the exercises with new ones that are more appropriate. In addition, the colours should help to enhance learning.

Johannes Unsok Ro employs philological, historical, and sociological approaches to investigate the close connections between socioeconomic structures, social inequality, and theological developments in the Judean communities in Persianand Hellenistic-era Palestine. Ro contends that competing points of view from communities of lay returnees, priestly returnees, and communities of resident Judeans and Samaritans were juxtaposed within the Hebrew Bible, which took shape during the postexilic period. By exploring issues such as the relationship between the shaping of the canon and literacy in the Judean community, the term strangers in the biblical law codes, the socioeconomic structures of Judean communities reflected in the biblical law codes, the development of the theological concept of divine punitive justice, the piety of the poor in certain psalms, and the concept of poverty in the Dead Sea Scrolls, Ro illustrates that the communities behind each text and its redactions can be ascertained through sociological and theological lenses.

Contents
“All Israel Have a Share in the World to Come” – Except for Whom? The
Criteria for Selecting the Exceptions in the Mishnah and the Tosefta
Bracha Elitzur, Herzog College

Radak’s Awareness of the Use of Ambiguous Expressions in the Bible
Jonathan Grossman and Jonathan Jacobs, Bar-Ilan University

Time and the Biblical Narrative in Nahmanides’ Commentary to the
Torah
Malkah Shenvald, Talpiot Academic College of Education

Eastern Encounters beyond Byzantium: Patterns of Medieval and Early
Modern Jewish-Christian Polemics from the Caucasus to the Indian
Ocean
Alexandra Cuffel, Ruhr Universität Bochum

Re-Discovering the Ten Lost Tribes in the Late Sixteenth Century
Moti Benmelech, Herzog College

The Hallel Psalms (Psalms 113–118)
S. David Sperling, Hebrew Union College

En este ensayo se intentará hacer primeramente una evaluación ‎de la teoría de la intertextualidad y de la intertextualidad misma ‎como recurso para la exégesis bíblica. Después se presentan posibles ‎ejemplos válidos de intertextualidad intrabíblica.‎

This undergrad Honors thesis proposes an expansion of genre form criticism within the Book of Psalms to include an additional category: Psalms of Awe. Building on scholarship that emphasizes the Psalms as expressions of religious experience, it draws from philosophical, theological, and critical scholarship to define the experience of awe as a distinct religious experience not fully captured by current form critical scholarship. The thesis argues that awe is reflected in the Psalms through the combination of three key Hebrew verbal forms, ירא, פחד, ופלא. This done by analyzing several psalms to explicate how each term captures a different dimension of awe. By framing awe as a legitimate and definable religious experience and showing its capture within the Psalms’ historical and literary context, this thesis offers a new lens for their interpretation.

The paper investigates the style of Origen’s newly discovered Homilies on the Psalms, focusing on the technique of prosopopoeia, a rhetorical tool widespread in Origen’s previously known corpus. Origen’s Homily on Psalm 74 contains many examples of prosopopoeia, where the Savior speaks in the first person, thus serving as a good case study. The analysis focuses on the literary construction of the fictional discourses and the purposes they serve within the homily. The evaluation of prosopopoeia provides an opportunity, in the conclusion, to propose some more general observations on Origen as a writer and preacher.

Este documento presenta una guía paso a paso para la traducción de poesía hebrea, con un enfoque en la preservación de su valor artístico y la comprensión de sus matices culturales y lingüísticos. Propone leer los salmos en voz alta, identificar paralelismos, comparar versiones bíblicas para entender diferencias léxicas, idiomáticas, textuales y gramaticales, y marcar palabras clave para un estudio profundo. Además, enfatiza la meditación sobre el mensaje principal, la identificación de elementos poéticos y culturales, y la documentación cuidadosa del proceso de traducción. Aborda desafíos comunes como la temporalidad de los verbos hebreos y la división de los versos. Finalmente, describe un proceso de revisión que incluye la lectura en voz alta para asegurar la belleza y el impacto del texto, y la obtención de comentarios de otros.

Title: Hardness of Heart (σκληροκαρδία) and Discipleship: Rethinking Divorce and Marriage in Mark 10:1–12

This paper examines Mark 10:1–12 with particular focus on the motif of σκληροκαρδία (“hardness of heart”) and its implications for marriage, divorce, and discipleship. Previous scholarship has often treated this passage in relation to Jewish legal disputes (Hillel, Shammai, Deut 24) or Greco-Roman marital customs. While these contexts are important, I argue that Mark reframes the issue within the broader narrative of discipleship.

The study employs four complementary approaches. First, tradition history explores Jewish divorce traditions in Qumran texts, Philo, and Josephus. Second, Greco-Roman background provides insight into Roman marital practices. Third, narrative criticism situates the pericope within Mark 8–10, the central discipleship section of the Gospel. Finally, theological hermeneutics interprets marriage and divorce in relation to covenant fidelity and the radical demands of following Jesus.

The analysis yields four findings. (1) σκληροκαρδία functions as an anthropological and theological diagnosis: divorce is not merely a legal concession but evidence of humanity’s resistance to God. (2) Marriage is reimagined as a discipleship practice, a covenantal arena where mutual self-denial embodies obedience to Christ. (3) Divorce becomes a failure of discipleship, a rupture that exposes the persistence of hardness of heart. (4) This perspective offers contemporary relevance by shifting the discussion from legal or moral categories to a discipleship-centered theological anthropology.

This study contributes to Markan scholarship by proposing discipleship as a hermeneutical key for reading Mark 10:1–12. It integrates tradition history, cultural context, narrative analysis, and theology, bridging biblical interpretation with Christian ethics, pastoral care, and public theology.

Keywords: Mark 10; σκληροκαρδία; discipleship; marriage; divorce; narrative criticism; theological hermeneutics

Tematem artykułu jest porównanie Wielkiego Hymnu do Atona z biblijną
Księgą Psalmów. W literaturze naukowej obecne są liczne opracowania dotyczące związku egipskiego hymnu z Psalmem 104, jednak podobieństwa zauważane przez badaczy występują także w innych psalmach biblijnych. Artykuł analizuje motywy pojawiające się w obu źródłach oraz bada ich ewentualną zależność i wzajemny wpływ.

Este artigo tem como objetivo refletir sobre a justiça divina, compreendida no contexto bíblico-teológico, e sua inclinação em favor daqueles que obedecem ao Senhor, respeitando seus mandamentos. Partindo de uma análise das Escrituras e do pensamento teológico cristão, busca-se evidenciar a relação entre a obediência e a manifestação da justiça de Deus. Demonstra-se que a justiça divina não se restringe a uma dimensão punitiva, mas inclui a retidão, o amor e a fidelidade de Deus para com aqueles que andam em seus caminhos.

Tractatus theologico-politicus pertains to matters of biblical interpretation as much as it does to political philosophy. In addition to laying the groundwork for a method of biblical interpretation in his seventh chapter, Spinoza engages in biblical exegesis throughout his work. Among the many portions of the Bible that he uses and discusses are the Psalms. An examination of Spihighly selective use of Psalms shows this use to be apologetical. Spinoza used the Psalms as part of his defense of his political philosophy, wherein he privatized religion, handing over public religious matters (such as ritual) into the hands of the secular state. s in the Context of His Political Project 3 Tractatus theologico-politicus is known primarily as a work of political philosophy, yet s text addresses matters of biblical exegesis. In fact, his entire seventh chapter is devoted to laying out a method for how to interpret the Bible scientifically. In this article, I examine use of the Book of Psalms...

This paper traces the theological trajectory of rabbinic protest literature by examining rabbinic readings of the Psalms-from the initial prohibition against protest as a legitimate theological mode, to its emergence and stabilisation as a dynamic yet sanctioned form of protest, and ultimately, to its retreat, closing the circle. In the second century, resistance to theological protest against God was shaped by Mishnaic authorities such as R. Akiva and R. Elazar, who

This sermon on Parashat Ki Tetzei (Deut. 21:10–25:19) interprets “going forth to battle” as both an outer and inner struggle. Drawing on studies of human bias and the Torah’s laws of the “beautiful captive,” Rabbi Haim O. Rechnitzer shows how mitzvot confront our natural impulses and train us toward freedom and moral responsibility. As the High Holidays approach, the message is clear: commandments are not assumptions of free will but practices that help us become truly free before God and one another.

In this accessible and enriching study guide, Lee Gatiss walks us through Psalms in the company of John Calvin, one of the Reformation's most enlightening and inspiring writers.

Each of the 20 studies includes Bible passages, reflections from Calvin, and thoughtful questions to prompt prayer and application.

Den Weg zur Utopie beschreiten Die Völkerwallfahrtstexte (Jes 2,1-5 und Mi 4,1-5) und ihre Friedensstrategien Wie können Konflikte zwischen Völkern und Nationen friedlich geschlichtet und beigelegt werden? Die Bibel traut dies Gott und seiner von Zion ausgehenden Weisung zu. (Redaktion) Das Verhältnis zwischen den Völkern ist immer wieder von Spannungen und Konflikten geprägt. Dies hat auch das biblische Israel im Laufe seiner Geschichte erlebt. Viele biblische Texte spiegeln erlittene Gewalterfahrung wider. Als Reaktion hofft man auf Rettung durch Gott, der alle feindlichen Völker vertreiben wird, die Israel in seiner politischen und religiös-kulturellen Existenz bedrohen (vgl. Völkerkampf-und Völkersturmmotiv z. B. in Ps ; ; Joël ; Sach ).¹ In der Zeit nach dem babylonischen Exil, in der Zeit der Perserherrschaft, finden sich in prophetischen Texten aber auch Visionen einer versöhnten Welt. In einer Epoche, in der Israel selbst keinerlei politisches Gewicht besitzt, werden im Motiv der Völkerwallfahrt die Völker in die lebensfördernde Allianz zwischen Gott und seinem Volk eingebunden. Der universale Heilswille Gottes ist letztlich immer auf alle Menschen ausgerichtet. Das Thema scheint wichtig gewesen zu sein. Eine Ausfaltung der Völkerwallfahrt findet sich beinah identisch in zwei Büchern, in Jesaja (Jes , -) und in Micha (Mi , -).² Wie kann es zu einem friedlichen Miteinander zwischen den Völkern und auch Israel kommen? Es benötigt ein akzeptiertes Völkerrecht, ausgehend von neutralen Autoritäten, und Beispiele gelingenden Miteinanders. Die folgende Spurensuche orientiert sich am Text von Mi , -.

This article reflects on the mystical experience of the prophet Isaiah as narrated in Isaiah 6. The text presents Isaiah’s vision in the Jerusalem Temple as a theophany that reveals both the transcendence and immanence of God. The description of the seraphim, the triple acclamation “Holy, Holy, Holy,” and the manifestations of God’s glory highlight the overwhelming holiness that both fascinates and terrifies. Isaiah’s reaction of unworthiness, followed by the purifying touch of the burning coal, illustrates the transformative power of divine grace that heals sin and empowers for mission. The prophet’s immediate readiness to respond to God’s call underscores the dynamic of vocation rooted in encounter and purification. Finally, the article shows the lasting significance of Isaiah’s vision, whose Trisagion entered Jewish and Christian liturgies and continues to shape the experience of God’s presence in worship today.

This thesis examines Psalm 113 as a theological testimony to the paradoxical reality of God’s transcendent immanence. Through literary, exegetical, and theological analysis, the study highlights the psalm’s central question—“Who is like the Lord our God?” (v. 5a)—as the key to understanding the absolute incomparability of YHWH. The psalm presents God as exalted above creation and history, yet simultaneously as the One who stoops down to raise the poor from the dust and to grant life to the barren. This dynamic of transcendence and condescension is further illuminated by the history of interpretation in Judaism, Christianity, and the liturgy of the Church. Finally, selected New Testament texts (Lk 1:52–53; Phil 2:6–11; 2 Cor 8:9) are considered as Christological actualizations of Psalm 113, showing in Jesus Christ the fullness of God’s self-abasement and exaltation for the sake of humanity. Thus, the psalm anticipates the mystery of the Incarnation, in which the incomparability of God is revealed in his nearness to the lowly and in his salvific elevation of the human condition.

BSEG 1s (leel) 6e-80 ZUR PELIKANSZENE UND DAMIT ZUSAMMENHANGENDEN DARSTELLUNGEN !N DEN RELIEFS DER SOG. «JAHRESZEITENKAMMER» 11; Rolf KRAUSS 1. Abbildung I gibt ein als Z(eichnun ü 25a (2) veröffentlichtes Bruchstück der Jahreszeitenreliefs wieder, links mit Tierszenen, rechts mit Opferträgern. Im obersten Register links treiben drei Männer, von denen jeder einzelne als <<Priester>> bezeichnet ist, je ein Pelikanmännchen vor sich här. yermutlich aus Platzmangel steht nur bei dem zweiten und dritten Pelikan die Bezeictrnuns &rtr. Zum Teil zerstört, erkennt man hinter dieser Gruppe einen entgegengesetzt gerichteten flügelschlagenden Yogel, bei dem es sich angesichts Oei ro.pe.umrisses und der grossen Flügelspanne wahrscheinlich "uän um einen pelikan handelt. Die Beischrift zu den Priestern und Pelikanen ist in drei vertikalzeilen und einer Horizontalzeile geschrieben. H. Schäfer (3) und W. Wiesri;;k;i5 liessen diesen T:*t Yljbersetzt, auch F. w. v. Bissini. bemühte sich vergebliLh um ein Yerständnis (o), während E. Edel folgende Üb.rr.trung vorgeschlagen hat (6): <<Verbringt die.Unterweltssonne die Nacht in der Tempeldomäne, so wird keine Paarung zugelassen. Wenn der Himmel hell wird (eig. sich Offnet), so wi.d dem Schöpfungswillen (wieder) freie Bahn gegeben; dann iegiert er 1*ieoer) alle Phallen und (alle) Yulven»». Keine Schwierigkeiten für die Übersetzung bieten sdr und n Ajw nk(w) in den beiden ersten Yertikalzeilen (7). Unter sQi liest E. rorirnr-(f uno deutet dies unter Yerweis auf Wb. Iy 176,2 als snkw/<dJnterweltssonne». Um Bedenken gegenüber der nächtlichen physischen Anwesenheit des Sonnengottes in der Tempeldomäne auszuräumen, erinnert E. Edel an pr R"w als Tempel_ bezeichnung (e). 1) Für die Diskussion einschlägiger Fragen danke ich John Baines, Renate Germer, Erik Hornung und Irmgard Jung-Hoffmann (Naturwissenschaftliche sammlung Berlin) sowie den anonym bleibenden Wissenschaftlern des Zoologischen (iartens in Berlin. 2)NachE'Edel&S.Wenig' DielahreszeitenreliefsausdemsonnenheiligtamdesKönigsNeu s er -Re, IJerlin 797 4, "lf . 11, Z. 254. 3) H' Schäfer, ln: Schäfer & Andrae, Die Kunst des Alten orients (1942),Text zu Abb.zs1. 4) w' wreszinski, I tlas zur altägyptischen Kulturgeschichte (unter tr,iitorirtungvon H. Grapow bearbeitet von H. Schäfer) lll (1936), L74. 5)f ' w. v. Bissing, A sAE 53 (1955), 331; er teilt ferner als eine von Kees stammende Information mit «que Sethe, lui aussi, avait connu des grandes difficult6s». 6) E' Edel, Nachrichten der Akademie der Wissenschalten in Göttingen, l. phrl.-hist. Kl. (7961),239. 7) Wahrscheinlich nur aufgrund der Darstellungvermutete H. Schäfer, a. O. (Anm.3), dass dieTiere zur Paarung geführt würden; ähnlich scheint sich W. Wreszinski, a. o. die Sache gedacht zu haben. -8) E. Edel korrigierte die von A. Bollacher stammende Zeichnung, die nb itutt t bietet. von den anderen Bearbeitern sollte allenfalls F. w. v. Bissing durch diesen Fehier irritiert worden sein, da er nur Bollachers Zeichnung benutzte, vgl. F. W. v. Bissin C,,1. q1.,329 (Anm. l). 9) E. Edel, NAW G (1961), 240 mitVerweis auf H. Gauthier, DG U, i00f.

A new interpretation of the sin of the golden calf is presented here, based on a different reading of the word calf in the Bible. Due to the missing spelling, "calf" may be read not only as a young bull but also as a "circle." According to this interpretation, the golden calf is not a statue of a bull, but a golden circle - a symbol familiar from Egyptian religion, in which a golden circle above the head of a god represents his submission to the sun god. This means that the sin of the Israelites was the adoption of Egyptian idolatry instead of the revolutionary faith of Moses.

The Ujamaa Centre for Community Development and Research, through the work of Sithembiso Zwane, has theorised a continuum of contested space, including invited space (controlled by dominant sectors), invigorated space (whereby marginalised sectors contend for space within invited space) and invented space (as marginalised sectors transform these spaces into space they control). In this article, we extend our conceptualisation of contested space to the biblical text itself, recognising within biblical text these three forms of space, both in terms of socio-historical text and narrative text. We use the book of Ruth as our biblical text, recognising, first, the production of the canonical text as a contestation of space, following the hermeneutic of Itumeleng Mosala by working backwards away from the canonical form towards marginalised textual remnant voices and second, that literary-narrative setting within the book of Ruth can be read as a contestation of space. Socio-historically, we argue that the canonical text co-opts marginalised textual voices (in terms of gender, sexuality, ethnicity, and economics). Narratologically, we argue that the Ruth narrative includes traces of both socio-historical contestation and narrative contestation of space through Ruth's struggle for invented space. Alongside this focus on the biblical text, we reflect on how the Ujamaa Centre's community-based work might use these resources for re-reading Ruth with local Southern African communities (in both South Africa and Mozambique) struggling for redemptive invented space in the intersection of gender, sexuality, ethnicity and economics.

This article explores the significance of David's identity as God's son and the implications this has for understanding his place in the context of redemptive history. David's sonship should be seen within the broader context of his having been anointed not as king but as nagid or prince of Israel. As a theocratic ruler seated on God's throne, David was to reflect his heavenly Father's wishes and priorities. However, David was God's son foreshadowing the coming of his great Son and Lord, and so his office also had prophetic and priestly aspects. This has implications for the identity of God's people as those who have a threefold office in Christ.

Ever since the launch of the historical-critical approach, academic studies of the Hebrew Bible/Old Testament have been dominated by its presupposition that, against the overwhelming witness of early and Orthodox Christian interpretive traditions (as well as early Jewish), in the Scriptures one is given narratives—stories, messages, descriptions, concepts, etc. Nevertheless, the Book of Psalms has consistently frustrated this interpretive instinct fundamental to academic studies. My paper—building on this frustration and drawing on recent proposals to discard historical criticism as a useful approach to the Old Testament—argues that the Psalter on its own is aligned with the aforementioned early and eastern Christian appropriations of it.  More specifically, the Psalter puts forth the imagery of the “Face” of God in a de-narrativized fashion, neither as a concept, nor as a description (belonging to a past to be recalled or re-actualized in the act of reading), but as an open and ongoing divine embodiment to be had by the visionary and the hearer-speaker of the scriptural text at once.