The Name Command (NC) is usually interpreted as a prohibition against speaking Yhwh’s name in a particular context: false oaths, wrongful pronunciation, irreverent worship, magical practices, cursing, false teaching, and the like. However, the NC lacks the contextual specification needed to support the command as speech related. Taking seriously the narrative context at Sinai and the closest lexical parallels, a different picture emerges—one animated by concrete rituals and their associated metaphorical concepts. The unique phrase ns' shm is one of several expressions arising from the conceptual metaphor, election as branding, that finds analogies in high-priest regalia as well as in various ways of claiming ownership in the Ancient Near East, such as inscribed monuments, the use of seals, and the branding of slaves. The NC presupposes that Yhwh has claimed Israel by placing Yhwh’s own name on her. In this light, the first two commands of the Decalogue reinforce the two sides of the covenant declaration: “I will be your God; you will be my people.” The first expresses the demand for exclusive worship and the second calls for proper representation. As a consequence, the NC invites a richer exploration of what it means to be a people in covenant with Yhwh—a people bearing his name among the nations. It also points to what is at stake when Israel carries that name “in vain.” The image of bearing Yhwh’s name offers a rich source for theological and ethical reflection that cannot be conveyed nonmetaphorically without distortion or loss of meaning.
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Explores the Name Command in the Decalogue by examining its expression in Jewish rituals and their associated metaphorical concepts.
ContentsList of Figures List of Tables ForewordAcknowledgmentsAbbreviations1. Introduction2. A History of the Interpretation of the Name Command3. A Reexamination of the Name Command: Lexico-Historical Considerations 4. A Reexamination of the Name Command in the Context of the Decalogue5. Bearing Yhwh’s Name at Sinai Appendix: Semantic Overlap between נשׂא and λαμβάνωBibliographyIndexesIndex of AuthorsIndex of Scripture
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“Many will benefit from Imes’ judicious work here, especially those with interests in the Decalogue and in the character and role of ancient Israel in its world. Contemporary religious leaders may find the final chapter especially meaningful for their work. In the end, many will find reward in their patient reading of this book and, whether persuaded or not, will nevertheless agree that Imes has put forward a compelling case for a nonelliptical or representational understanding of the name command.”—Mark W. Bartusch Review of Biblical Literature
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The Bulletin for Biblical Research Supplement Series has been publishing monographs and volumes of collected essays since 2007. Its mission remains to publish and make available affordable volumes of the best of biblical scholarship, within the spirit of the Institute for Biblical Research. Research published in this series encompasses all areas of method with emphases on historical, literary, social scientific, and grammatical analyses.
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Produktdetaljer

ISBN
9781575067728
Publisert
2018-03-19
Utgiver
Vendor
Eisenbrauns
Vekt
499 gr
Høyde
229 mm
Bredde
152 mm
Dybde
19 mm
Aldersnivå
P, 06
Språk
Product language
Engelsk
Format
Product format
Innbundet
Antall sider
248

Forfatter

Biographical note

Carmen Joy Imes is Associate Professor in Old Testament and program coordinator for Biblical Studies at Prairie College, Alberta, Canada.