Special Issue IOSOT 2013 - Books and Journals
Special Issue IOSOT 2013 - Books and Journals
Special Issue IOSOT 2013 - Books and Journals
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68 S. Japhet / Vetus Testamentum <strong>IOSOT</strong> (<strong>2013</strong>) 36-76<br />
Besides the parallel texts,165 it is found six times in his own narrative, in<br />
several variations.166<br />
All these modes of expression are not found in Ezr.-Neh. The stylistic difference<br />
is strongly felt where the subject <strong>and</strong> purpose of the descriptions are the<br />
same. Two examples will suffice to demonstrate this:<br />
1) The two books tell us about the free-will donations for the execution of<br />
the temple. In Ezr. ii 68-69, the description is “Some of the heads of families,<br />
when they came to the house of the Lord which is in Jerusalem, made free-will<br />
offerings for the house of the Lord to erect it on its site; according to their ability<br />
they gave to the treasury of the work sixty-one thous<strong>and</strong> darics of gold, five<br />
thous<strong>and</strong>s mine of silver <strong>and</strong> one hundred priests’ garments”. In Chr. xxix 6ff.,<br />
it is as follows: “Then the heads of father’ houses made their freewill offerings as<br />
did also the leaders of the tribes, the comm<strong>and</strong>ers . . . <strong>and</strong> the officers . . . They<br />
gave . . . five thous<strong>and</strong> talents of silver, eighteen thous<strong>and</strong> talents of bronze<br />
<strong>and</strong> a hundred thous<strong>and</strong> talents of iron167 <strong>and</strong> whoever had precious stones<br />
gave them to the treasury of the house of the Lord. . . . Then the people rejoiced<br />
because they had given willingly, for with a whole heart they had offered freely<br />
to the Lord. David the King also rejoiced grately”.<br />
2) The other occasion is the making of a covenant, which again is described<br />
in both books: In Neh. x 28-29 (29-30): “The rest of the people . . . all who have<br />
knowledge <strong>and</strong> underst<strong>and</strong>ing join with their brethren, their nobles <strong>and</strong> enter<br />
into a curse <strong>and</strong> an oath to walk in God’s law which was given by Moses . . . <strong>and</strong><br />
to observe <strong>and</strong> do all the comm<strong>and</strong>ments of the Lord, our Lord, <strong>and</strong> his ordinances<br />
<strong>and</strong> his statutes”. And in 2 Chr. xv 12-15: “And they entered into a covenant<br />
to seek the Lord the God of their fathers with all their heart <strong>and</strong> with all<br />
their soul <strong>and</strong> that whoever would not seek the Lord, the God of Israel should<br />
be put to death. They took oath to the Lord with a loud voice <strong>and</strong> with shouting<br />
<strong>and</strong> with trumpets <strong>and</strong> with horns, <strong>and</strong> all Judah rejoiced over the oath for they<br />
had sworn with all their heart <strong>and</strong> had sought him with all their desire <strong>and</strong> he<br />
was found by them <strong>and</strong> the Lord gave them rest round about”.<br />
The difference is immediately apparent. The descriptions of Ezr.-Neh. are<br />
short, dry <strong>and</strong> matter of fact. They describe only external facts <strong>and</strong> minimize<br />
the description of the ceremony. Those of Chr. are elaborate <strong>and</strong> pompous,<br />
describing in detail the inner feeling of the participants <strong>and</strong> giving a tinge<br />
165) 2 Chr. vi 14, 38 // 1 Ki. viii 23, 48; 2 Chr. xxxiv 31 // 2 Ki. xxiii 3.<br />
166) 1 Chr. xxii 19; 2 Chr. xv 12, 15; xxii 9, xxx 19; xxxi 21.<br />
167) On the difference in the numbers, cf. M. H. Segal, Tarbiz XIV (Hebrew), p. 85.