DIVINE HOSPITALITY IN THE PENTATEUCH: A METAPHORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON GOD AS HOST. Robert C. Stallman. A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of

Transcription

1 DIVINE HOSPITALITY IN THE PENTATEUCH: A METAPHORICAL PERSPECTIVE ON GOD AS HOST by Robert C. Stallman A Dissertation Submitted to the Faculty of WESTMINSTER THEOLOGICAL SEMINARY in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree DOCTOR OF PHILOSOPHY 1999 Faculty Advisor: Tremper Longman III Second Faculty Reader: J. Alan Groves Chairman of the Field Committee: Vern S. Poythress Librarian: Darryl G. Hart

2

3 Copyright 1999 by Robert C. Stallman All rights reserved

4 To Jolene ds,j,atv,ae

5 DISSERTATION ABSTRACT This dissertation develops a metaphorical perspective for biblical hermeneutics and applies it to the Pentateuch, analyzing how God as Host extends hospitality toward guests. Methodologically, the philosophical shift evident in the writings of I. A. Richards and Max Black is significant for construing metaphor as not merely a figure of speech or embellishment but more importantly as a cognitive device that plays on the interaction of two otherwise independent domains. Metaphor has the capacity to disclose insight and truth, a feature it shares with theoretical models which use familiar terms to illuminate vaguely understood and transcendent realities. Anthropomorphic depictions of God as King, Shepherd, and so forth function much the same way. This theoretical understanding of metaphor is brought into relationship with a programmatic statement regarding the theory and practice of biblical theology as a multiplex, redemptive-historical discipline. As background, an understanding of ancient hospitality illuminates the nature of the source domain involving the host, guests, and meals. A working definition of hospitality is proposed, followed by an investigation into the contours of human and divine hospitality in Sumerian, Akkadian, Egyptian, Hittite, Ugaritic, and Israelite literature. Beginning with creation and the garden of Eden, divine hospitality is a feature of several passages in Genesis. The text presents God as Host who iv

6 provides food for all creation and then shows hospitality toward the original couple whose behavior as guests lies at the narrative s center. Genesis also shows God s hospitality toward postdiluvian humanity as well as the individual, Jacob. The rest of the Pentateuch portrays God expressing hospitality primarily toward Israel, hosting the entire nation in the wilderness with food and water but also providing a covenant meal to representative elders on Sinai. The study employs the perspective of divine hospitality in its assessment of Israel s dietary regulations and the food-related elements of covenantal blessings and curses. Finally, the Promised Land is considered as guest of God, co-host, and menu item for Israel. This application of the divine hospitality model to the Pentateuch shows promise for an extended metaphorical interpretation of the Old and New Testaments, especially the ministry of Jesus. v

7 CONTENTS ABSTRACT... iv LIST OF TABLES... xiii LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS... xiv ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS... xix CHAPTER 1: INTRODUCTION... 1 A. The Purpose of This Study... 2 B. The Plan of This Study... 4 CHAPTER 2: THE STUDY OF METAPHOR... 7 A. History of Research concerning Metaphor Metaphor as a Rhetorical Device a) Greek Philosophy b) Latin Rhetoric c) Medieval Theology d) Enlightenment and Modern Philosophy Metaphor as a Cognitive Device a) The Interanimation View of I. A. Richards b) The Interaction View of Max Black (1) The Substitution View (2) The Comparison View vi

8 (3) The Interaction View B. Toward an Understanding of Metaphor The Definition and Identification of Metaphor The Operation of Metaphor a) Metaphor and Interpretation b) Imagination, Intimacy, and Invitation The Cognitive Status of Metaphor C. Summary and Commitments CHAPTER 3: METAPHORS, MODELS, AND THE BIBLE A. Metaphors and Models in Biblical Literature The Definition of a Model a) Metaphor and Thought b) Models as Recurrent Images c) Intertextuality The Power of Models a) Models and Truth b) Models and Experience c) Models and Authority The Value of Multiple Models a) Models and the Richness of Truth b) Complementary Models The Interpretation of Models a) Form vii

9 b) Range c) Distribution B. Divine Anthropomorphisms and the Language of Revelation The Antiquity of Anthropomorphic Language Justification for Anthropomorphic Language Anthropomorphic Models C. Biblical Theology and the History of Redemption The Redemptive-Historical Approach The Multiplex Approach Relevance to the Study of Biblical Models D. Summary and Commitments CHAPTER 4: HOSPITALITY IN THE ANCIENT NEAR EAST A. Toward an Understanding of Hospitality Limitations of This Study a) The Nature of the Evidence b) The Breadth of the Evidence c) The Complexity of Making Comparisons d) Subjectivity e) The Nature of Hospitality The Sociological Perspective The Historical Perspective A Working Definition B. Hospitality in the Literature of the Ancient Near East viii

10 1. Sumerian Akkadian Egyptian Hittite Ugaritic Israelite C. Summary Table CHAPTER 5: DIVINE HOSPITALITY IN GENESIS A. The Five Books of Moses Literary Criticism and Literary Approaches The Pentateuch as Torah B. The Beginning C. God as the Host of Creation The Cosmos as Respondent a) God Calls b) Creation Answers Humanity as the Guest of God The Week-End Rest a) A Time to Look Back b) A Time to Look Ahead D. God as the Host of Adam and Eve The Garden Narrative as the Account of a Meal ix

11 a) God as a Non-Metaphorical Host b) Eating Is at the Center of Eden Eating in front of God a) The Call to Eat (1) A Strong Invitation from the Host (2) A Mostly-Positive Command (3) Humanity as Essentially Hungry b) The Menu of Fruit (1) Fruit for Life (2) Fruit for Knowledge c) Summary Eating behind God a) Adam and Eve s Choice of Food b) God s Immediate Response (1) The Meal of Dust for the Serpent (2) The Demotion of Adam as Distinguished Guest c) The Loss of Access to God s Table E. God as the Host of Postdiluvian Humanity F. God as the Host of Jacob the Somewhat-Uncooperative Guest G. Summary of the Discussion H. Analysis of the Model of God as Host Distribution Range x

12 3. Form a) Positive and Negative Analogies b) Neutral Analogies CHAPTER 6: DIVINE HOSPITALITY IN EXODUS THROUGH DEUTERONOMY A. God as the Host of Israel in the Wilderness God Spreads a Table The Wilderness as Locus of the Host-Guest Relationship Spiritualizing Divine Hospitality a) Life-Giving Food b) Life-Giving Water B. God as the Host of the Elders at Sinai Translation and Analysis of Exodus 24: a) The presence of God (24:10b 11a) b) The vision of God (24:11ba) c) The meal with God (24:11bb) The Meal as Part of the Covenant Ceremony Complex a) The role of the meal b) The significance of the meal C. Dietary Regulations from God the Host The Menu as an Expression of the Host The Meal as an Expression of Relationship D. Responses of God the Host toward Guests The Blessings and Curses of Leviticus xi

13 2. The Blessings and Curses of Deuteronomy The Punishment of Israel as the Guest of God E. The Land of Promise in the Scheme of Divine Hospitality Land as Gift Land as Guest and Host Land Flowing with Milk and Honey F. Summary of the Discussion G. Analysis of the Model of God as Host Distribution Range Form a) Positive and Negative Analogies b) Neutral Analogies CHAPTER 7: CONCLUSION A. Summary of Divine Hospitality in the Pentateuch B. Proposals for Further Research Divine Hospitality in the Prophets Divine Hospitality in the Writings Divine Hospitality in the New Testament C. Some Contemporary Applications APPENDIX: OTHER STUDIES EMPLOYING METAPHORICAL PERSPECTIVES BIBLIOGRAPHY xii

14 TABLES Table Page 1. Felicity Conditions for Hospitality xiii

15 ABBREVIATIONS AB ABD AnBib ANET AnOr AOAT ARG BA BARev BBR BDB BETL Bib BibOr BR BTB BZAW CBQ Anchor Bible D. N. Freedman (ed.), Anchor Bible Dictionary Analecta biblica J. B. Pritchard (ed.), Ancient Near Eastern Texts Relating to the Old Testament, 3 rd ed. with Supplement Analecta orientalia Alter Orient und Altes Testament Archiv für Reformationsgeschichte Biblical Archaeologist Biblical Archaeology Review Bulletin of Biblical Research F. Brown, S. R. Driver, and C. A. Briggs, Hebrew-English Lexicon to the Old Testament: With an Appendix Containing the Biblical Aramaic Bibliotheca ephemeridum theologicarum lovaniensium Biblica Biblica et orientalia Biblical Research Biblical Theology Bulletin Beihefte zur ZAW Catholic Biblical Quarterly xiv

16 ConB ConBOT CRINT ETL ETR EvQ FRLANT Coniectanea biblica Coniectanea biblica, Old Testament Compendia rerum iudaicarum ad novum testamentum Ephemerides theologicae lovanienses Etudes théologiques et religieuses Evangelical Quarterly Forschungen zur Religion und Literatur des Alten und Neuen Testaments GKC Gesenius Hebrew Grammar, ed. E. Kautzsch, trans. A. E. Cowley HDR HSM HTR HUCA IBHS ICC IDB Int JAAR JAOS JBL JETS JNSL Harvard Dissertations in Religion Harvard Semitic Monographs Harvard Theological Review Hebrew Union College Annual B. K. Waltke and M. P. O Connor, Introduction to Biblical Hebrew Syntax International Critical Commentary G. A. Buttrick (ed.), Interpreter s Dictionary of the Bible Interpretation Journal of the American Academy of Religion Journal of the American Oriental Society Journal of Biblical Literature Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society Journal of Northwest Semitic Languages xv

17 JQR JR JSJ JSNTSup JSOT JSOTSup JSS KBo KJV KTU KUB LCL NASB NEB NICOT NIDOTTE NIV NJPSV NovTSup NRSV NTOA Jewish Quarterly Review Journal of Religion Journal for the Study of Judaism in the Persian, Hellenistic and Roman Periods Journal for the Study of the New Testament Supplement Series Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Journal for the Study of the Old Testament Supplement Series Journal of Semitic Studies Keilschrifttexte aus Boghazköi King James Version M. Dietrich, O. Loretz, and J. Sanmartín (eds.), Die Keilalphabetischen Texte aus Ugarit Keilschrifturkunden aus Boghazköi Loeb Classical Library New American Standard Bible New English Bible New International Commentary on the Old Testament W. A. VanGemeren (ed.), New International Dictionary of Old Testament Theology and Exegesis New International Version New Jewish Publication Society Version Novum Testamentum, Supplements New Revised Standard Version Novum Testamentum et Orbis Antiquus xvi

18 NTS OBO OBT OECT Or OrAnt OTL OTS PEQ PTMS RelS RHPR RSV SBL SBLSP SBT SJT SNTSMS SR SSN TDNT TDOT New Testament Studies Orbis biblicus et orientalis Overtures to Biblical Theology S. Langdon (ed.), Oxford Editions of Cuneiform Texts Orientalia (Rome) Oriens antiquus Old Testament Library Oudtestamentische Studiën Palestinian Exploration Quarterly Pittsburgh Theological Monograph Series Religious Studies Revue d histoire et de philosophie religieuses Revised Standard Version Society of Biblical Literature SBL Seminar Papers Studies in Biblical Theology Scottish Journal of Theology Society for New Testament Studies Monograph Series Studies in Religion/Sciences religieuses Studia semitica neerlandica G. Kittel and G. Friedrich (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the New Testament G. J. Botterweck and H. Ringgren (eds.), Theological Dictionary of the Old Testament xvii

19 TToday UF USQR VT VTSup WBC WMANT WTJ ZA ZAW ZNW Theology Today Ugarit-Forschungen Union Seminary Quarterly Review Vetus Testamentum Vetus Testamentum, Supplements Word Biblical Commentary Wissenschaftliche Monographien zum Alten und Neuen Testament Westminster Theological Journal Zeitschrift für Assyriologie Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft Zeitschrift für die neutestamentliche Wissenschaft xviii

20 ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS This dissertation was written in dedication to God to whom I am most thankful. His manifold generosity to me includes the many who have contributed to my academic development in general and to the production of this dissertation in particular. I appreciate the administration and faculty of Westminster Theological Seminary for their welcome and for allowing me the privilege of studying hermeneutics and biblical interpretation. Special thanks are due to Tremper Longman and Alan Groves. As instructors they have greatly enriched my admiration and love of the Scriptures. As dissertation advisor and faculty reader they have provided thoughtful and wise guidance. I thank Willem VanGemeren who served as external reader and offered helpful critical evaluations. Other instructors whom I wish to thank are Bruce Waltke, who models a blend of Hebrew exegesis and biblical theology with thoughtful devotion as well as Moisés Silva and Vern Poythress, whose hermeneutical breadth and insight I greatly admire. Furthermore, I treasure the memory of Ray Dillard, whose wholehearted affirmation of my gifts and calling assures me even to this day. Appreciation for various aspects of technical support is due to Darryl Hart and the staff of the Montgomery Library at Westminster Theological Seminary, the administration of Central Bible College, especially Lynn Anderson, Alice Murphy, and the staff at the Pearlman Memorial Library. In xix

21 addition to these, I have benefited from the expert help of James Christian, Rodney Duke, Mark McLean, and Robin McGee. Many have given me encouragement and affirmation, particularly during this final segment of my Ph.D. education. I wish to thank all of my trustworthy friends and colleagues, notably Steve Badger, Wave Nunnally, and Byron Wheaton. My mother, Sallie Shippen has shown interest and involvement in my academic and professional growth in spite of the geographic separation it has entailed. I thank her for modeling sustained loyalty and commitment. Finally, I express sincere gratitude to my immediate family: to my cherished wife, Jolene, for her love, support, and partnership and also to our daughters, Emily and Ashley, in whom we delight. May the Lord s face shine upon them always. xx