SciELO - Scientific Electronic Library Online

 
vol.35 issue2The Positive Role of Shame for Post-exilic Returnees in Ezra/NehemiahA Study of Malachi 3:8-12 in Relation to Tithing in some Churches in Nigeria author indexsubject indexarticles search
Home Pagealphabetic serial listing  

Old Testament Essays

On-line version ISSN 2312-3621
Print version ISSN 1010-9919

Abstract

BOCKLE, Jakob. ,,Legst Du Ihre Himmelsschrift auf die Erde an?" (Ijob 38,33) - Was Aber Meint ,,Himmelsschrift"?. Old testam. essays [online]. 2022, vol.35, n.2, pp.237-267. ISSN 2312-3621.  http://dx.doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2022/v35n2a7.

Since the hapax legomenon *–’—‘“•’— of Job 38:33b is understood as a "scripture of heaven, " its meaning can be deduced only from the environment of the Old Near East but in particular from its context, Job 38:31-33 (including Job 9:9). Thus, the separate consideration of the verbs, "link, loosen, lead out, guide" and of the constellations, "Pleiades, Orion, Hyades, Big Bear over its cubs, chambers of the South" (Job 38:31-32; 9:9) - including the parallel "orders of heaven" (Job 38:33a) and altogether by God's rhetorically ironic challenge of Job - proves what can be understood in detail and as a whole under *–’—‘“•’—: as a script written in the sky of the God who treats the aforementioned constellations (representing the entire astronomical cosmic world) and their cosmic orders as their Creator, Lord and Shepherd and makes them work on earth. It can apply in general but also beyond the Book of Job: human (and thus the suffering Job) is able to read this writing for the renewed perception of God and, depending on the circumstances, to apply it on earth (e. g. in agriculture).

Keywords : Scripture of heaven; terrestrial performance; constellations; Pleiades; Orion; - Hyades; - Big Bear over its cubs; - North and South skies; God's Creator; Ruler; Shepherd and Judge Sovereignty and Glory.

        · text in Afrikaans     · Afrikaans ( pdf )

 

Creative Commons License All the contents of this journal, except where otherwise noted, is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution License