Alphonso Groenewald

University of Pretoria | UP · Departament of Old Testament Studies

The aim of this paper is to turn the lens towards the pre-migration and resilience processes within the context of the imminent forced migration as found in Isaiah 1-12. The article addresses not only the matter of pre-migration and collective trauma but also the ensuing resilience and hope that is embedded in the text. Understanding the concepts t...

In this article the impact of the Covid-19 virus will be used as a lens to read this Isaianic text. The collective threat of the corona-virus causes trauma on societies and communities on different levels: psychological, physical, existential and communal trauma. Isaiah 7:18–25 also tells us of an historic event which caused extreme trauma to its...

The focus of this article is on the cult-critical statement(s) in Amos (5:21–24) and Isaiah (1.10–20). The title of this article inevitably leads us to the question of the relationship between the practice of the cult on the one hand and ethics on the other hand, namely the ‘either–or’ dilemma which exegetes face in the interpretation of these text...

This article focuses on Isaiah 12 – an important text that concludes the first main section of the Book of Isaiah (BI). The analysis focuses on the structure and redaction of this text. The text is interpreted as a meaning-making text against the background of trauma as described in this first main section of the BI.

This article is an examination of the theological foundation that lies at the core of the expression of Israelite piety; that is, the foundational and defining characteristic reflexes in Israelite religious experience of human access to Yahweh. The article is rightfully anchored on the premise that individuals and communities have the privilege of...

This article focuses on the story of the transformation of the city called Zion. Isaiah 1:1–2:5 is the key to the book. This chapter describes the failure of Israel to be the people of God: Israel’s covenant breach, a corrupted cult and imminent punishment. It tells of the existence of two groups within Israel: the righteous remnant who would be sa...

The article presents a literary and theological analysis of Job 42:2 as a fitting resolution of the conflicting engagement between Yahweh and Job, which enables both parties to preserve their integrity. The article examines Israel’s testimony about Yahweh’s sovereignty as a background, it analyses Job’s testimony in 42:2 and then demonstrates that...

This article presents some perspectives about Yahweh and ethics from Malachi's criticism of the rituals of the temple. Malachi's theological and ethical uniqueness is observed somehow most clearly in the preponderance of negative emphasis the prophetic book places on temple rituals and the way the language of the cult dominates its analysis of malp...

This article demonstrates the vindictive tone of Malachi’s final sermon by highlighting the amazing reversal of fortunes of the righteous and shocking end of the wicked. Such a reversal or antithesis this article proposes, serves as a climax to the literary motif and artistic brilliance of reversal noticeable in the book of Malachi. The substance o...

This article focuses on Malachi’s distinctive claims that guarantee a well-ordered community, namely the validity and feasibility of a Torah-compliant community. Since Torah compliance is a fundamental core of Israel’s life, in the book of Malachi, Yahweh’s Torah functions as the reliable and invariable authority for the community well-being as a w...

The category of covenant is considered to be the dominant and cohesive idea in the theology of the OT. It is the means through which Israel conceptualise its relation with Yahweh. Although the term "covenant" is variously and even contradictorily defined, its applicability to Israel's conceptualisation of its relationship with Yahweh is pervasive a...

The opening words of Isa 40:1 consist of a repetition of the verb -•- which means "comfort. " This study was undertaken due to the fact that the literature focusing on the verb -•- is minimal. Dictionaries give a summary about the verb and its root meanings in languages of Semitic background. The aim of the study was to prove that -•- is a theme in...

Any time humans in any culture consider primary ethical concepts, justice will be to the fore. Much seems to hinge upon it whether human society is to function with any semblance of civil order, security and harmony. When justice is pervasively trampled upon, the very fabric of liveable society crumbles. The apprehension for justice is clearly refl...

The biblical concept of stewardship has been subjected to some misunderstanding. Each time the word stewardship is mentioned, the meaning that easily comes to mind is that of money. One of the means through which Christians express their appreciation to God is through dedicated and trustworthy stewardship. In the book of Malachi the focus on the ti...

The biblical concept of stewardship has been subjected to some misunderstanding. Each time the word stewardship is mentioned, the meaning that easily comes to mind is that of money. One of the means through which Christians express their appreciation to God is through dedicated and trustworthy stewardship. In the book of Malachi the focus on the ti...

Any time humans in any culture consider primary ethical concepts, justice will be to the fore. Much seems to hinge upon it whether human society is to function with any semblance of civil order, security and harmony. When justice is pervasively trampled upon, the very fabric of liveable society crumbles. The apprehension for justice is clearly refl...

The aim of this article is to seek an understanding of why there seems to be policy reluctance in acknowledging the potential of practice and academic theology in governance and policy development in South Africa. This study examines these issues from an interdisciplinary perspective. The provocative thesis in this paper is that religion and theolo...

The family is the bedrock that forms the indispensable foundation for discipleship. It was instituted by the Creator as his primary setting for human development and nurture (Gn 2:18-25; Ps 68:5, 6). Thus the crisis involving marriage and the family is indeed a cultural crisis of the first order. Social life quite simply cannot function effectively...

The theme of the Day of Yahweh is regarded as a central feature of the prophets' message to their contemporaries. It is the most striking and prominent theme in the Book of the Twelve. While Isaiah focuses on Zion, Jeremiah on the rhetoric of lament, Ezekiel on the Glory of Yahweh, so are the Minor Prophets on the theme of the Day of Yahweh. The Da...

This article shows how temples were viewed in biblical Israel and how the prophets understood the temple in their different contexts. The temple is emphasised as the abode of Yahweh by the prophets before the exile. During the exile, it is seen as a symbol of the reestablishment of the people as community of faith, and in the post-exilic era, the t...

This article presents some perspectives on the priestly class in the book of Malachi with respect to their attitude toward the cult, their pedagogical responsibility and their consequent acts of negligence. It demonstrates that the priests in Malachi’s day despised their covenantal relationship with Yahweh by disrespecting, dishonoring, despising a...

One of the best known passages in the entire book of Isaiah is the magisterial vision in Isa 2 of the nations streaming to Zion in the days to come to receive Yahweh's -•-•. How should we understand Torah in this text? Should the noun -•-• be understood and simply translated as "prophetic teaching" or "instruction, " or does it here refer to a writ...

This article will be concerned with the question whether the books of Job and Ecclesiastes can be viewed as (postmodern) wisdom in revolt or not. Three questions underlie this title: firstly, are the books of Job and Ecclesiastes wisdom books? Secondly, if so, is their wisdom revolutionary in nature? And thirdly, are there any similarities between...

The vision in Isaiah 2:1-5 of nations streaming to Zion in the days to come to receive Yahweh's Torah is one of the best-known texts in the entire Book of Isaiah. The chapter begins with the description of Yahweh, the universal Judge, who issues effective decrees and exercises authority over the earth from atop Mount Zion. The standards for the nat...

The book of Isaiah is complex when one considers the reconstruction of the processes of its formation and transmission. If these complexities are examined more closely, it is apparent that there is a multiplicity of dimensions to the book. In order to discover the distinctive and unique characteristics of the book of Isaiah, we are forced to see th...

The book of Isaiah is complex when one considers the reconstruction of the processes of its formation and transmission. If these complexities are examined more closely, it is apparent that there is a multiplicity of dimensions to the book. In order to discover the distinctive and unique characteristics of the book of Isaiah, we are forced to see th...

This article argued that society even today could benefit from the richness of the ethics of the Hebrew Bible. Isaiah 1:2–3 has been used as an example to illustrate the ethics of a biblical text. This text has wisdom traits and literary links with Deuteronomy 32. In a modern, pluralistic society there is a need for a comprehensive ethical view by...

The one who is to come: �Messianic texts� in the Old Testament and other Jewish writingsAccording to the New-Testament authors, the life of Jesus, as Christ, should be seen in light of the Old-Testament texts. It seems that all the messianic texts in the Old Testament had been fulfilled in Jesus. The Messiah, who had been expected for a long time,...

Although prophecy as a phenomenon is recognised as being common to Mari, Mesopotamia and other Near Eastern contexts, the huge process of collecting, editing and interpreting prophecy that took place as part of the formation of the Hebrew Bible (HB), is virtually without precedent in the rest of the Ancient Near East. The prophetic books in the HB...

I was requested by the editors of the �Historical Commentary on the Old Testament� (HCOT) to contribute two volumes on Isaiah in this series. This present article, however, focuses only on volume I: Isaiah 1-12. The aim of this article can be summarised in six points. Some introductory remarks are made with regard to the genre of commentary writing...

The aim of this publication will be twofold: Firstly, to view Psalm 51, especially those verses which can be designated as cult-critical. Secondly, to indicate that the prophetic critique is part of a larger prophetic rhetoric to convict of sin, to explain God's plan, and to indicate the hope of salvation. The cult criticism of Psalm 51:18-19, howe...

The author of Hebrews heavily depends on the Pentateuch and the Psalms. The Pentateuch, for the most part, offers him material for reflection on redemptive history, and the Psalms provide his Christological material. The great debt the book of Hebrews owes to the Old Testament, however, is not simply a matter of general background and copious quota...

The question of methodology remains important in dealing with biblical texts, given the fact that the Hebrew Bible is not an uncomplicated book. Its meaning is embedded in the history of the people who wrote it, read it, passed it on, rewrote it, and read it again. The question addressed in this article is in which manner should exegetes analyze te...

Human beings have always been mythmakers. However, in view of the heavy negative connotations attached to the word “myth”, the aim of this article may, inter alia, be seen as an attempt to “rehabilitate” the word “myth” as a positive term in order to describe one of the most common genres within the Old Testament tradition. The author will indicate...

As is the case with Psalm 8a, Psalm 69:10a, also commences with the emphatic particle kî. 10a and 10b are syndetically bound together by means of the conjunction “and”. What has already been stated in cola 8ab, is repeated and even expressed in clearer terms in these cola (10ab). The supplicant does not believe that he deserves his present distress...

Psalm 69:37a refers to the "servants" in the composite "the offspring of his servants". This composite takes up a concept which already ap-peared as a self-indication of the supplicant of this Psalm, namely in its singular form "servant" (69:18a). The article aims to identify these "servants" (69:37a) who articulated themselves in the voice of the...

In Psalm 69:36c-37b reference is made to the deuteronomic-deuterono-mistic formula “yrš ‘rs” (i e possession of the land). A reinterpretation of this formula in these verses is proposed. The promise regarding the possession of the land is not made to the whole of Israel, as is the case in Deuteronomistic literature, but, instead, possession of the...

Zion is explicitly mentioned in Psalm 69:36a. This article will en-deavour to outline its significance for the interpretation of the text of Psalm 69. The text of Psalm 69 functioned as an individual lament in the pre-exilic period. In the crisis of the exilic/early post-exilic period, as well as later in the post-exilic period, it became a vehicle...

Psalm 16 is one of the most well-known texts of the Psalter. This can be attributed to, amongst other things, the fact that the NT, specifically Acts of the Apostles, applied this text to the life of Jesus of Nazareth. The quotations from Psalm 16 in the book of Acts thus got a messianic-Christological meaning. If we, however, take a look at the te...

Psalms 69:33-34 in the light of the poor in the Psalter as a whole The Psalter has very often been regarded as the prayer book of the poor. In the Psalms God is portrayed as the saviour of the poor, their hope, their stronghold and liberator – whether these are prayers of an individual or prayers of the community. The high concentration of the term...

This theology chronicle proceeds from the Marcionite idea of the cruel God of the Old Testament. This idea today is still well and alive with church members, and even with students of Biblical Studies and Theology. The author then takes the reader on a short journey through some of the most sublime love texts in the Old Testament, portraying Yahweh...

In this article the author discusses the fact that being sexual is part of being human. The Old Testament quite frankly acknowledges this important aspect of our humanity. It unapologetically depicts men and women as physical and sexual creatures � not only as spiritual, rational and moral beings. Surveying what the Old Testament says about human s...

The image �book of life� is mentioned expressis verbis in Psalm 69:29a. The supplicant appeals to God to erase his enemies� from� the �book of life�. The aim of� this paper� is to elaborate on this image. Quite varied notions can be distinguished in this regard: firstly, the idea of the lists of the citizenry and secondly, the image of the heavenly...

The discussion on methodology in the South African exegetical arena is still continuing. Over the past decades, several contributions have kept this debate alive. The aim of this article is to contribute to this ongoing South-African debate concerning methodology. It consists of two main sections: 1) a broad introductory overview is given in order...

Israel of the exilic/post-exilic period did not run away from its catastrophic history, but instead seized the political catastrophe as an opportunity to examine its past theologically. No era in Israel's history contributed more to theology than the exile. Furthermore, it is clear from the complex way in which the prophetic books have been compile...

The values and norms of the Old Testament are not in themselves the proprium of Hebrew ethics, since every one of them also features in other ancient cultures such as Egypt, Mesopotamia and Greece. Rather, the centre of Hebrew ethics should be sought in the idealistic framework and structure which legitimises its values and norms. The temple theolo...

One of the Psalm texts which expressis verbis refer to the hidden-ness of the face of God is Psalm 69; and specifically Psalm 69:18. Approximately two and a half thousand years ago the scribes/theologians who created the basic text of Psalm 69 also must have experienced a feeling of desolateness and hiddenness on the part of the deity. They laboure...