Bible Exam 2
Identify two features of the narrative in 1 & 2 Kings indicating that it has a strong southern bias.
. In the 1 and 2 kings, when referencing the dividing of the north and south, they criticize and analyze the northern kings for their wrong doings (e.g. golden calfs, idols, etc.)When the southern king does something really bad they compare them to a northern king. For example, When Manasseh is compared to Jeroboam. And, of all the kings, only the southern kings David, Solomon, Hezekiah and Josiah are viewed positively and praised for their achievements.
Identify two features in Deutero-Isaiah (40-55) that set it within the period of the exile rather than the time of Isaiah of Jerusalem.
Assume the exile, No role for Davidic Kings, & the Casual mention of Cyrus
Summarize the protest raised by Habakkuk and the LORD's response to it.
Habakkuk questioned God, why does the evil in Judah go unpunished? He was pained by the injustice about him; there seemed to be no relief from it. He also questioned the Lord as to His intent. The word "violence" is a key in this prophecy. It is the same word used to in Genesis 6:11 to describe the condition of the world in Noah's day, God's reaction to which was the Flood. The Land had sunk into deep moral and spiritual decline, and "spoiling, violence, strife and contention." God's laws and commandments had been pushed aside (undoubtedly by men doing what seemed right in their own eyes), resulting in much injustice. The Lord's first response gave a startling revelation, one which, when viewed after the fact, shows that He perceived the problem far more deeply that Habakkuk. He would raise from among the foreigners, the Babylonians to invade and occupy Judah. The Lord's second response finally came, and there were surprisingly, no words of rebuke. God instructed Habakkuk to record the vision plainly, on tablets. This ensured that it was both east to read (so that there would be no misunderstanding) and that it would be preserved for future generations. The one who examined it could therefore "run" - or prophesy of its importance - to others.
What makes Amos's denigration of Israel's religious practices of sacrifice and festivals (in Amos 5:25) remarkable, given stories told in the Torah?
He says that all the religious practices they are doing, God doesn't want. Don't sacrifice in the wilderness- you're doing it all wrong. This is the opposite of what Deuteronomy and Numbers says. He is super facetious in his words and deliverance, mocking their way of worship as "come sin" vs. "come to worship".
Identify two indications that the figure of Samuel has been "penciled into" the stories of 1 Samuel 9 and 11.
In 1 Samuel 9, nowhere throughout the book does anybody call him Samuel besides the narrator. Everyone calls him "man of God" or "seer". So they put in his name Samuel. In 1 Samuel 11 the people ask Samuel a question, and Saul answers. So this seems as if the name Samuel was penciled in there.... Really they asked Saul the question but wanted the prophet to look good. Also, after the battle, Samuel again seems to be edited in as he leads the victorious people to Gilgal for ceremony where Saul is elected the king. This is inconsistent with the previous stories, because in chapter 10, the people are saying "Long live the king" when he apparently wasn't officially elected until chapter 11. Still, Samuel's presence and inclusion in the second story seems to be a later addition or "penciled in" by the editor.
Why is it unlikely that chapters 1-3 constitute a story of Hosea's troubled marital life?
It is unlikely that chapters 1-3 are a story of Hosea's troubled marital life. One of the ways in which prophets communicated with their audience was by symbolic action- and Hosea's marriage must be looked at in that context. It is used as a metaphor to explain Yahweh's relationship with his people of Israel. Hosea speaks of tenacious and loyal love which is unlikely about his marriage with a harlot, but is clearly a reference to Yahweh's love among his people.
What is the significance of this echo for understanding how the book of Jeremiah was edited?
Jeremiah is edited so it fulfills Deuteronomy, Lord will send a prophet to be "like moses." Jeremiah is presented as "a prophet like Moses," who is raised up by Yahweh and given his words to speak, in accordance with the Deuteronomic model. The account of Jeremiah's call shows all the marks of Deuteronomic editing.
Of what crime against society does Micah accuse his addressees that reveals his distinctive role as a prophet, and what was his role?
Micah accuses his addressees of depriving landowners of their property, and being abusive rulers. This clearly proves his role as a representative of the people. He strives for justice for the people.
Summarize the message of the Book of Nahum, and describe what makes him distinct among the Latter Prophets.
Nahum means "comfort, consolation." It is a shortened form of Nehemiah which means "the comfort of Yahweh." His name is in a sense symbolic of the message of the book, which was intended to comfort and consle the oppressed and afflicted people of Judah. Although this book is concerned with the downfall of Assyria, it is nevertheless written fro the benefit of Judah. The message of this book is that although God may be slow to wrath, He nevertheless always "settles His accounts in full!" His long-suffereing is not to be interrupted as indifference or as a lack of power. This is also a message of consolation for the people of Judah who are being oppressed by Assyria. Regardless of how things may seem, God does not forget His people. What makes him different from latter prophets is that he is a court prophet, and pro-Judah. He also talks of the Lord as warrior, in an acrostic poem. He also never speaks criticisms of his own people.
Explain why the imagery of Ezekiel's initial vision would not have seemed as bizarre to his audience as it does to us, specifying what they would have made of (1) the four winged creatures, (2) flanked by wheels and (3) holding up a dome on which was seated the Lord.
(1) the four winged creatures - Represent the breadth and height of all of God's creations (2) flanked by wheels - The wheels represent the mobility of God's glory eyes on the wheels - Totality that God is all-seeing and perceiving (3) holding up a dome on which was seated the Lord. - Holiness and majesty of God. Basically, his audience saw this as re-introducing them to Yahweh, showing that glory isn't confined to any specific land.
How do we explain the way that the conclusion to v. 13 of Isaiah 6 turns the preceding declarations on their head with a note of hope ("The holy seed is its stump")?
. It is possible that the final sentence of verse 13 "the holy seed is its stump" was added after they came back from exile. The use of the stump reference earlier in verses 12 and 13 was intended to convey the view that the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah was absolute-get rid of the whole- not just the majority. This was a commonly held opinion during the exilic period. In contrast, changing the metaphor- the view held during the post-exilic period was that a small fraction of Jerusalem remained, and that Jerusalem would be rebuilt from this small fraction. This is reflected in the portrayal of the stump with the holy seeds in the final sentence of verse 13. The original author wrote it as a hyperbole, whereas the next author says that the holy seed will not be eradicated
What conflict do the locations of the attacks of chapters 1-11 on a map create with the concluding verse of chapter 11: "So Joshua took the whole land, according to all that the LORD had spoken to Moses; and Joshua gave it for an inheritance to Israel according to their tribal allotments. And the land had rest from war."?
. It says that he took "all of the land, but maps show clearly that only some specific cities were conquered. The book actually tells us about only limited conquests of Canaanite territory, mainly the territory of Benjamin (Jericho), Judah (Hebron, Debir), and Naphatali (Hazor). In fact, the first nine chapters of Joshua recount only the capture of two cities (Jericho and Ali), and the settlement of the territory of Gibeah by making an alliance with the Canaanites who lived there. Chapters 10-11 only briefly recount all the other conquests. Yet these are mostly the battles between Israel and the kings of Canaanite city-states who banded together to try to stop Israel's entry into the land. Cities that were conquered were not that big. Southern cities were spread out, and the Northern cities were even more spread out. Some cities that existed at that time were disregarded, so it's inaccurate to say "the whole land". Battles in the South do not seem successful in contrast to the accounts in Joshua. For example, the list of conquered cities in the next chapter (12) includes some cities that are not reported as being conquered until the time of David and Solomon. Other passages outside the city lists, within Joshua, acknowledge that these cities were not taken in Joshua's time but came under Israelite control much later. Even the Joshua tradition knows that the Israelites did not take Jerusalem in the time of Joshua.
What does it mean to say that Israel's prophets frequently received oracles in "ecstatic states"?
. The prophets were trancelike while in contact with the divine Lord. This 'ecstatic state' is talked about in 1 Sam 10:10 as well as 2 Kings 9:11. An ecstatic state was a sort of altered mental state that caused prophets to babble and speak awkwardly and frenzied. A type of trance in which one becomes less aware of the world around them and more aware of the divine world, whether that entails an audition or a vision.
How does 1 Samuel account for the fact that individual (Judean) kings after David are not selected by a prophet?
1 Samuel accounts for the kings without prophets by gathering the townspeople and having them select a ruler. The kings were made by the people.
Identify what feature in Hosea 3:5 ("Afterward the Israelites shall return and seek the LORD their God, and David their king; they shall come in awe to the LORD and to his goodness in the latter days.") betrays a Judean (southern) editor's addition, and explain why it does so.
God hopes for a day when the "Israelites shall return and seek the Lord." God will not coerce to restore the relationship, but beyond the troubles that result from sin and judgment, God holds out the hope of return to a good relationship. He hopes that Israel will love again in response to a divine love that has never been abandoned. Clearly, the portion that has been added by Judean editors is "...and David their king." This phrase is congruent with the Judean editors hope for a return of the Davidic kingship.
Specify two features (other than David's absence) that suggest that the final chapters of 2 Kings (after Josiah's death) were written by a different author than the preceding chapters of the Deuteronomistic History.
One difference is before- reference to "high places" is all over, the mention of kings getting rid of high places, talking about Hezekiah and Josiah. Afterward, there is no mention or reference to "high places". The second is the description of the Israel transition to Monarchy does not completely flow through out the text. It would suggest that one author was pre monarchial and the other was writing during a monarchial time.
Provide two examples of Amos's tendency to undermine Israel's cherished traditions—besides his critique of their religion.
One is the notion of Israel being chosen by God- he explains that just because God is on your side, doesn't mean that you are exempt from the wrath of him and that sins are unpaid for. Another is the idea of God bringing them out of Egypt. The Lord brought many nations out of oppression. He will punish them for their inequities just as he'll punish other countries for their inequities. Another example is the 'Day of the Lord'. This was used as a religious day, or the day that the Lord fights for Israel. Amos says that this isn't a day to look forward to, and that you (the Israelites) will be judged just like everyone else.
Cite two reasons scholars regard the final paragraphs of Amos (9:11-15) as additions supplied by an editor in the south
The "fallen booth of David" has weird terminology, because it doesn't refer to they dynasty of David per se, but it refers to the reconstruction of the city of Jerusalem. One reason is that it never mentions the destruction of the temple, but it continues to talk about rebuilding it. And at this point in time, Jerusalem is already standing. It talks about the purpose of the booth of David taking over Edom, but in his place in history Judah already has control of Edom. Also, the semantics of the author switching to saying Judah, and not Israel ( as it was throughout the rest of Amos).
Identify two popular conceptions about prophets and explain why they are faulty.
There is a common misconception that prophets are fortune tellers or that they are ethicists, philosophers, movers & shakers.
What problems do the reports of the capture of some cities in Joshua 10-12 compared with the story of their conquest in Judges 1 present, and what likely accounts for the differences?
The actual narratives of the battles appear extremely spotty as compare with their sweeping claims in the summaries. Judges 1 provides a lengthy list of places from which the Canaanites weren't driven out. This list included major sites such as Megiddo and Taanach. Judges 1:8 says that "the people of Judah fought against Jerusalem and took it," but according to Joshua 1:21, "The benjamanites did not drive out the Jebusites who lived in Jerusalem." Later, we find out that Jerusalem was captured only in the time of David. In Judges 1, Joshua is dead when the wars and conquests happened, while in Joshua, the conquests were attributed to Joshua and the people of Israel.
In what way does 16:13-14 (see below) exemplify that complexity?
The complexity lies in the fact that Chapter 16:13-14 is written in prose, whereas the rest of the oracle (beginning in chapter 15) is written in poetry. It makes the reader wonder why those verses are singled out, and adds more depth to the significance of the oracle. The content of verses 13 and 14, especially the phrases "in the past" and "but now" suggest that the verses are an update of an old oracle that has gone unfulfilled.
What feature of Hosea's oracles in chapters 4-12 suggests that his work as a prophet lasted longer than that of Amos?
The fact that his oracles talk about a long digression, a period of turmoil. Starting from Jeroboam's second reign and goes to the fall of Israel. This is a span of approximately 30 years. Growing instability 4 of Israel's last 6 kings dies- reflected Hosea's oracles. He prophesied during the reigns of more kings of Israel and Judah than Amos. They were both active during the eighth century B.C.E. during the reigns of Jeroboam II of Israel and Uzziah of Judah, but Hosea continued on through the reigns of Jotham, Ahaz, and Hezekiah of Judah.
Specify two characteristics of Trito-Isaiah (56-66) that distinguish these chapters from 40-55.
The first characteristic that is different is keeping the Sabbath, refraining from evil. Also 56-66 reflects a different setting as it addresses returned exiles (those who were in exile in 40-55).
According to 1 & 2 Kings, what characterization of Kings Hezekiah and Josiah distinguished them from earlier kings?
They are accorded the status of 'best ever'.
What appears to have been the origin of the stories of the individual "judges" and what three literary devices did the editor of Judges used to unify these stories?
The immigration/infiltration model focused a lot on the significance of geography of the various locations. This model proposes that the Israelites first occupied the highlands, and then only gradually extended their control to the plains. This view of the settlement could claim support from the account in Judges 1, which admits that the Canaanites were not initially driven out form many of the lowland cities. As these settlements increased, there were occasional battle between the new Israelitesand the Canaanite cities, and as the cities declined and Egypt lost control of Canaan, the new Israelite settlers became the dominant force in the land of Canaan. The gradual emergence model proposes that the people who ere indigenous of the land (Canaanites) ultimately became the Israelites who developed into a separate identity. This model accounts well for the fact that Canaanite religion/Israelite religion have so many similarities. It also discusses the peaceful idea that they coexisted, not antagonists.
What sorts of references to David appear after his death that continue to make him central to the story of Israel's history in 1 & 2 Kings?
The kings are compared to David to see if the measure up.
Summarize the message of the Book of Zephaniah, describing three themes from his oracles and book.
The message of Zephaniah is that God's promises to Abraham would be fulfilled through a small remant of his chosen people, rather than through the entire nation. This remnant would be composed only of the righteous. The three themes through out this message are the anticipation for destruction, the day of the lord, and deliverance.
Identify three elements in Jeremiah's call narrative (Jer. 1:4-10, below) that strongly echo an earlier figure, and identify who that figure is. (You need not cite the chapter and verse alluded to, but you must describe what it says and identify which biblical book it is in.)
The narrative type of call echoes that of Moses. This involves a dialogue with Yahweh in which the prophet voices his reluctance to be called as a prophet but is finally reassured by divine injunction. First, there is no vision involved- it is an auditory experience. Second, Jeremiah protests his unsuitability for the mission, as Moses does. Third, the Lord touches Jeremiah's mouth similar to when he said, "I will be with your mouth" to Moses. This can be found in Exodus.
Given that prophets seem to have had the reputation of being "madmen," why did people listen to them?
The people questioned the prophets' sanity, but they recognized that someone who was less coherent in the human realm- may easily be more in touch with the divine realm. Their odd behavior was thus more acceptable. Overall, they were fairly close to the kings and the kings could go to them for advice. In general, king could ignore prophets or kill them but ultimately a prophet would beat a king. The common people also knew that if they denounced prophets, they
How can we account for the fact that Isaiah is told to prophesy a message that imposes doom on the people "until the LORD sends everyone far away, and vast is the emptiness in the midst of the land" (6:12, see below), leading to the complete annihilation of anyone who is left (6:13, see below), given that elsewhere he seems to think that Jerusalem has a future after judgment?
This is extremely peculiar, and one way to account for this, is that perhaps verses 12 and 13 were added before the destruction of Jerusalem and Judah during the pre-exilic period. Rejecting the idea of Yahweh as a god who belonged only to the Hebrews. The exiles, who were on the verge of despair, feeling either that Yahweh had forsaken them entirely or that Yahweh's power had been broken by the superior gods of the Babylonians.
