Biblica - Vol 93 (2012) Swetnam, James, The Meaning of toi/j a)kou/sasin at Hebrews 4,2 (2012)

The words toi/j a)kou/sasin in Heb 4,2 are frequently taken as referring either to the Israelites of the desert generation who, in contrast to the majority, did believe in God’s care, or to the Christians who, in contrast to the desert generation, do believe. After indicating why each interpretation is unsatisfactory, the note argues from the wording of the entire verse in the context of the epistle as a whole that the words refer to the Christians who heard the words of the Lord as he instituted the Eucharist. He is the one who, through the linkage of faith, makes entrance into God’s rest possible.

Biblica - Vol 95 (2014) Kim, Yoo-ki, The Agent of hesed in Naomi’s Blessing (Ruth 2,20) (2014)

The ambiguity regarding the agent of hesed in Naomi’s blessing in Ru 2,20 has been the focus of interest for commentators, linguists, and translators. For a better resolution of the ambiguity, this article examines the syntactic structure of the sentence, seeks a proper understanding of the significance of «hesed to the dead», and sets the blessing in the context of the whole narrative. The findings of our analysis support the argument that it is Boaz who, in Naomi’s words, performed hesed to the living and dead members of her family.

Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol 24 (2011) Danove, Paul, The Licensing Properties of New Testament Verbs of Non-Spoken Communication (2011)

This article resolves the semantic, syntactic, and lexical requirements for the grammatical use of the twenty-nine New Testament verbs that designate communication without a necessary reference to speaking. The discussion establishes criteria for distinguishing verbal usages, identifies four basic usages of non-spoken communication, and examines the conditions for the permissible omission of required complements. The presentation of the licensing properties of verbs with the four basic usages clarifies the similarities and dissimilarities in the realizations of complements for verbs of non-spoken and spoken communication and illustrates two further usages that are restricted to verbs of non-spoken communication. The concluding discussion considers patterns in the distribution of complements and usages among verbs of non-spoken communication.

Biblica - Vol 91 (2010) Cavicchia, Alessandro, A. Cavicchia: Malky-sedeq, 'unto', profeta-araldo, sacerdote e re nel giubileo escatologico (11QMelch II,2-14) 518-533 (2010)

This article is about the problematic identity of Malky-sedeq, in relation to his 'adherents' (qdc yklm lrwn) and YHWH. The method adopted analyzes the 11QMelch text, considered one of the most important Qumran MSS that mentions the figure of an 'anointed' person, the biblical passages cited in the same MS and a few other MSS from Qumran. In the eschatological jubilee Malky-sedeq, 'anointed' by a divine decree, performs the duties of a prophet-herald, a priest and a king for the benefit of his 'adherents' (lrwn), and proclaims freedom through the expiation of sins and the defeat of the 'adherents of Belial' (l(ylb lrwn).

Biblica - Vol 91 (2010) Steegen, Martijn, M. Steegen: To Worship the Johannine 'Son of Man'. John 9,38 as Refocusing on the Father (2010)

Important early textual witnesses show John 9,38-39a to be absent. Because of the use of uncharacteristic vocabulary, the use of rare verb forms such as e¶fh and pistey¥w, and the unique confession of faith and worship of Jesus as “Son of Man” during his earthly life, John 9,38 has been said to stand outside Johannine theology. I argue that, although John 9,38-39a confronts the Gospel’s reader with uncharacteristic vocabulary, this does not necessarily imply that these words were added by a later hand under liturgical influence. Instead of standing outside Johannine theology, the confession of faith and the worship by the man healed from his blindness function as the first fulfilment of the proleptic prediction of the words in 4,23 kaiù gaùr oO pathùr toioy¥toyv zhtei˜ toyùv proskynoy˜ntav ayßto¥n. Then, I confront the absence of 9,38-39a with yet another text-critical problem in the larger pericope 9,35-41 — the replacement of the title yiOoùv toy˜ aßnurw¥ poy in 9,35 by yiOoùv toy˜ ueoy — and argue that these two text-critical problems cannot be separated from one another. Finally, I explore how the designation “Son of Man” functions within the framework of pistey¥w and proskyne¥w. The worship of the Johannine Jesus can hardly be seen as a goal in itself. Instead, it is an acknowledgement that the Father is made known in the person of Jesus (cf. 9,3), and hence is typically Johannine.

Biblica - Vol 89 (2008) Schmidt, Ulrich, Zum Paradox vom 'Verlieren' und 'Finden' des Lebens (2008)

Jesus’ paradox of losing and finding one’s life is well attested. According to its contexts, interpreters relate the logion predominantly to martyrdom and death. But a closer look reveals that this word is an assertion in favour of life which functions as a maxim of Jesus’ teaching and view of life. It is the context many of his sayings and behavorial patterns. The issue of a 'recompense' after death is merely a consequence of the original intention.

Biblica - Vol 91 (2010) Hunn, Debbie, Pleasing God or Pleasing People? Defending the Gospel in Galatians 1–2 (2010)

Scholars agree that in Gal 1,13–2,21 Paul substantiates his gospel but disagree as to his method. The three common views: that Paul defends his apostolate, that he denies accusations, and that he functions as a paradigm conflict with the text. Instead, Paul sets up two categories in 1,10 — that of seeking to please people and that of seeking to please God — and defends his gospel by means of his Damascus experience together with his subsequent life motivation.

Biblica - Vol 89 (2008) Timmer, Daniel C., Sectarianism and Soteriology. The Priestly Blessing (Numbers 6,24-26) in the Qumranite Community Rule (1QS) (2008)

In an attempt to go beyond conventional sociological and anthropological analyses of the religious aspect of the Qumranite sectarian corpus, this article considers the reuse of the Priestly Blessing (PB) of Numbers 6 in the Community Rule (1QS). Comparison of how curses were applied elsewhere in Second Temple Judaism informs reflections on what this imaginative redeployment of the PB tells us of the ideology and self-identity of the Qumran group, highlighting their reconfiguration and exclusive appropriation of the covenants with Israel.

Biblica - Vol 97 (2016) Prosinger, Franz, Vorschlag einer dynamisch-konzentrischen Struktur des Johannesprologs (2016)

There are strengths and weaknesses in earlier studies that propose for the Prologue of John's Gospel either a concentric (M.-E. boismard) or a spiral structure (I. de la Potterie). The modified versions of these proposals, recently advanced by M. Coloe and B.T. Viviano, are not convincing. This article seeks to demonstrate that evidence of the Prologue's concentric and dynamic structure is to be found in the introduction of a new subject ('we') in John 1,14c, which marks the beginning of a new section in the structure of the Prologue's argumentation. the 'we' of vs. 14c stands in relation to the 'children of God' of vs. 12. Consequently, vs. 14ab is to be viewed (pace M.-E. Boismard) as the crucial turning point at the center of the structure of the Prologue.

Biblica - Vol 93 (2012) Kilgallen, John, Was Jesus Right to Eat with Sinners and Tax Collectors? (2012)

All Jewish religious teachers wanted sinners to repent; how one achieves this was disputed, as was Jesus’ choosing to associate with sinners in their houses and at their meals. Four times Luke describes Jesus as fraternizing with sinners, which violated Jewish pious practice. The first three times (chaps. 5, 7 and 15) Jesus underlines his motive for this conduct and its value; the fourth time (chap. 19), and rather late in the Gospel, Luke shows that indeed Jesus’ method proved true, i.e. the wisdom of his conduct was shown justified by repentant children of God.

Biblica - Vol 93 (2012) Holtz, Shalom E., Why are the Sins of Ephraim (Hos 13,12) and Job (Job 14,17) Bundled? (2012)

Hos 13,12 and Job 14,17 describe sins as tied in a bundle. Since other verses imply that sins serve as God’s own evidence against sinners, the common image in these two verses is best explained in light of evidence preservation procedures attested in Neo-Babylonian legal texts.

Biblica - Vol 94 (2013) Do, Toan, Does peri olou tou kosmou imply 'the sins of the whole world' in 1 John 2,2? (2013)

In 1 John 2,2 the phrases (2b) peri ton amartion emon, (2c) ou peri ton emeteron de monon, (2d) alla kai peri olou tou kosmou, demand careful interpretation. The construction ou monon alla kai, explains the sequence of 2b and 2c, following the peri-clause in 2a. However, this does not explain theologically to what peri olou tou kosmou in 2d refers. This essay seeks, in some measure, to remedy this syntactical conundrum by proposing a contextual reading of 2a as parallel with 2d.

Biblica - Vol 92 (2011) Biguzzi, Giancarlo, Witnessing Two by Two in the Acts of the Apostles. (2011)

The program of Act 1,8 is carried through by the Twelve only in Jerusalem, Samaria and the Mediterranean coast, — but not «till the end of the earth». Their witness, however, is prolonged by the Seven of Jerusalem, the Five of Syrian Antioch, and the Seven companions of Paul of Act 20,4. Surprisingly, for everyone of the four groups of witnesses, the author narrates then the witnessing of only two of them. The narrative lacuna, apparently intentional since it recurs four times, allows Luke to involve the reader in reconstructing the spread of the gospel in all the directions for the remaining ten twelfths.