Old Testament Final - Champagne Mississippi College

Emeth

"Truth"

Job, Psalms, Proverbs

Megilloth

"Scrolls"

Ruth, Esther, Ecclesiastes, Song of Songs, Lamentations

Post-exilic Material

Ezra, Nehemiah, 1 & 2 Chronicles, Daniel

What is the major focus and feature of OT poetry?

Focus- graphic images and figures of speech key to arousing an emotional response to God

Feature- Parallelism

Synonymous

Second part of the line repeats thought of first

Antithetic

Second part of the line contrasts thought of first

Synthetic

Second part of line supplements thought of first

Where was wisdom literature founded and in what setting was it developed?

Founded- Egypt and Mesopotamia long before entrance into Israel

Setting- Developed in royal court setting as son of nobility trained in ways of governing

3 basic characteristics of OT Wisdom Literature

Internationally Applicable- general well being of individual, families, and their community

Highly Individualistic- personal wisdom emphasized vs. prophets who primarily focused on national religious life

Yahweh focused- All wisdom stemmed from God and was available to humans created by Him

2 primary types of OT Wisdom

Proverbial- Short, witty maxims, didactic, and generally optimistic

Speculative- addresses pressing problems in life and often pessimistic

Job

Plot- Part 1: God afflicts the Hero, Part 2: The Hero Challenges God, Part 3: God Challenges the Hero

Characters- Satan, Job, Eliphaz, Zophar, Bildad, Elihu

Role of God-

Time Period of Job

Patriarchal time period (2000-1700 BC)

Author and Purpose of the Book of Job

Author- officially anonymous and written in 3rd person

Purpose- to explore the limits and proper use of human wisdom in the case of a righteous man suffering, in order to respond wisely to God and people who suffer

Disinterested Piety

Devotion to God without expecting something in return

What type of Theology does Job's friends express regarding his suffering?

"Hyper"- Deuteronomistic Formula

What chapter is the turning point of the book of Job and what is the theme?

Chapter 28

Theme- Wisdom found in God not the world

Job's Oath of Innocence

Most advanced code of ethics in the Old Testament

Oath in form of a "negative" confession

How was Elihu different than Job's other three friends?

Age, wisdom theology, not mentioned in epilogue

Does God ever tell Job why he is suffering?

No

How does Job respond when he gets his day in court with Yahweh?

He doesn't say anything, he repents

How does the story end?

Picture of conflict resolution

Who are the Psalms traditionally associated with?

King David

What purpose did the Psalms serve in Israel and Judaism?

Psalms served as the prayer book and hymn book of Israel

When were the subscriptions added, and what type of information did they include?

Most likely added after psalms collected and arranged

Information-

1. Historical/cultic setting

2. what tune or choir to sing with psalm

3. who is associated with psalm

4. tradition not preserved in elsewhere in the OT

Different Classification of Psalms

- Praise Psalms: focus on adoration of God

- Thanksgiving Psalms: focus on blessings from God

- Lament Psalms: focus on plea for deliverance by God

- Royal Psalms: focus on God's anointed king of Israel

- Wisdom Psalms: focus on Godly living

- Imprecatory Psalms: characterized by emotion of hate and long for God's on enemies

- Interpreting Imprecatory Psalms: Recognize setting of extreme anguish- exile, oppression, etc.

Recognize feelings highlighted- honesty with God

Recognize not desire for personal revenge- asking for God's justice

- Acrostic Psalms: use successive letters of Hebrew alphabet as mnemonic device

How many Psalms are found in the Hebrew OT vs. Greek OT?

Hebrew- 150

Greek- 151

In how many books are the psalms arranged? What is the number of books possibly based on?

Arranged in 5 collections all ending with doxology. And the "five" books of psalms may be based on the five books of Torah

What is an imprecatory Psalm and what is an Acrostic Psalm?

Who are the Proverbs traditionally associated with?

Solomon

Purpose of Proverbs

To teach successful ways of living in terms of Yahweh

Who/what is Lady Wisdom?

Wisdom personified as Prophetess speaks

Know that there is more than one way to describe a fool in Proverbs

What are the basic characteristics of the "Proverbs of Solomon?"

- 375 short proverbs with little continuity from one to the next.

- Considered to be the oldest proverbs in the book.

- Based on the life experiences and observations

What is significant about the proverb of the Virtuous Woman with regard to the overall purpose of the book?

- anonymous poem that employs an alphabetical acrostic

- Picture of the perfect wife and mother; a life lived in obedience to God

Are individual proverbs intended to be unconditional promises or general principles?

General principles

Is there wisdom outside the OT canon?

Much Jewish Wisdom literature not in Bible

so yes

Naomi

- from Bethlehem (Judah) but moves to Moab with husband, Naomi goes back to Bethlehem and Ruth goes with her, Naomi desires to be called Mara (bitter)

- went beyond expectations by preserving, returning home, and seeking a home for Ruth

Ruth

Purpose- An apologetic for Davidic kingship. To illustrate covenant faithfulness in David's ancestors, Ruth and Boaz, as one means of legitimatizing his kingship

- The book of Ruth follows a typical story pattern

- Setting is in the time of Judges

- Author: Samuel

- went beyond expectations by returning with, and taking care of, her Israelite mother In law, Naomi

- Relationship to judges: Both books function as apologies (defenses) for a Davidic King

Boaz

- went beyond expectations of the law with regard to generosity and care for relatives

Hesed

"go beyond the call of duty"

Queen Vashti

refuses to display her beauty before king Xerses and his friends

King Xerses

banishes Vashti and seeks a new Queen

Hadassah/Esther

a jewish orphan raised by her cousin and chosen as queen

Mordecai

cousin of Hadassah who overhears and foils a plot to kill Xerses by telling queen Esther

Haman

Xerses main servant

Mordecai refuses to honor Haman

Why did Jews and Christians have issues concerning the canonization of the book of Esther?

- Absence of name of God and Jewish ritual

- Not found in Dead Sea Scrolls

- Not quoted in the New Testament

What Jewish feast is associated with the book of Esther?

Feast of Purim

Know the significance of banquet scenes for providing a framework for the story

What is the word of caution regarding the interpretation of the book?

Be careful not to over eximplify Esther

Who is the book of Ecclesiastes traditionally associated with?

Solomon

Qoheleth

Teacher or Preacher

Purpose of Ecclesiastes

to show the wisdom of living faithfully and fearfully before a sovereign God

What 2 phrases sum up the meaning of life for the author?

"All is vanity"

" Fear God and Keep His commandments"

What refrains doe the author repeat to stress the conclusion that life is futile?

"Under the sun"

"This too is vanity"

" Vanity and striving after wind"

Where is meaning in life ultimately found according to the author?

Meaning is found in the Lord

Who is the Book Song of Songs traditionally associated with?

Solomon

Other names for Song of Songs

Greek- highest of songs

Latin- Canticles

Purpose of Song of Songs

To instruct wisdom students on the power of love

What is the best option when trying to classify the literary structure of the book?

Love Poem- a single poem or collection of poems about human love

What is the book really about when considering the best option for literary source?

a poem about love that ridicules Solomon and his exploitation of women

Main characters of Song of songs and basic plot

Main characters:

Shulammite Maiden, Shepherd Lover, King Solomon, Daughters of Jerusalem

Plot: an exemplary Shulammite Maiden rejects the wooing of King Solomon out of her faithfulness to her Shepherd lover

Who is the book of Lamentations traditionally associated with?

Jeremiah

What historical event is the book used to commemorate?

Destruction of Solomon's temple

Purpose of Lamentations

to call the people of God to repentance in response to the destruction of Jerusalem by the Babylonians in 586 BC

Difference between dirge, lamentation, lament

- Dirge: a song expressing grief and sorrow over death of a loved one

- Lamentation: a complaint or expression of grief over an irreversible catastrophe

- Lament: an appeal to God for merciful intervention in a desperate situtaiton

How is the book of lamentations structured

acrostic structure