SDQ, MIȘPAT and the social critique of the eighth century prophets
Abstract
This dissertation focuses primarily on
three areas.
It
provides detailed examinations of SDQ and MIȘPAT as they are used
in the Old Testament. To this end, extra-Biblical material
from
the Ancient Near East is also examined,
thus yielding
the
background
meanings of
these concepts. SDQ and MIȘPAT are
investigated
with a view
to demonstrating "relationship"
as
their
overall
functional locus, and all occurrences of these concepts
in the Old Testament
are studied.
The
occurrences of SDQ and MIȘPAT indicate that
whether these
concepts
have to do
with
aspects such as "justice in the gate",
"Yahweh's
ordinances",
"salvation", "deliverance"
or even secular matters such as
"weights
and measures" and
"trading", the fundamental element
that unites all of them is "relationship"
and the sustaining of
it.
The thesis argues
that SDQ and MIȘPAT as terms
of
"relationship",
are the basis for the social critique of
the
Eighth Century Prophets. In this regard,
the different
subjects
of the prophets' social critique are examined.
The discussion
concludes
that corruption
in the
economic, social and religious
aspects of life is directly correlated to the absence of SDQ and MIȘPAT.
In the Eighth Century
prophets SDQ is seen to be the
bond
which
is integral for the covenant relationship
between
Yahweh
and his people, while MIȘPAT is the element necessary
for
a right relationship amongst
individuals. The
absence of
both
SDQ and MIȘPAT as is the
case in the Eighth Century,
suggests
clearly
that the Prophets'
critique concerns not only the
relationship
between individuals, but
even more
fundamentally,
the people's relationship with
Yahweh.
Type
Thesis, PhD Doctor of Philosophy
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