Compositional Strategy of the Book of Judges : An Inductive, Rhetorical Study.

Intro -- Supplements to Vetus Testamentum -- Copyright Page -- Dedications -- Contents -- Abbreviations -- Chapter One Setting the Stage: Previous Scholarship and Current Issues -- Critical Survey of Previous Scholarship on Judges -- 1. Historical-Critical Scholarship and Noth's Deuteronomistic History Hypothesis -- 2. Subsequent Modifications to Noth's Hypothesis -- 3. The Rise of Synchronic Studies -- 4. Some Critique of Synchronic Scholarship on Judges to Date -- Goal and Method of the Present Study -- Chapter Two Through the Lens of Joshua: Links between the Prologue and Epilogue of Judges -- Thematic Links Between the Prologue and Epilogue -- 1. Jebusite Threat Implied in the Prologue Actualisedby Israelites in the Epilogue -- 2. Similar Oracular Consultations in the Prologue and Epilogue End with Different Results -- 3. Specific Military Action Appropriately Applied in the Prologue but Inappropriately Applied in the Epilogue -- 4. Diminishing National Fortune Twice Wept over at Bethel -- 5. An Appropriately Arranged Marriage in the Prologue Contrasted with Inappropriately Arranged Marriages in the Epilogue -- Shared Dependence on the Book of Joshua -- 1. Allusion to the Successful Taking of Jericho in the Account of the Taking of Luz -- 2. Allusion to Joshua's Sending Out of Spies in the Account of Danite Migration -- 3. Allusion to the Successful Ai Campaign in the Campaign Against Benjamin -- 4. Allusion to Israel's Successful Attempt at Dealing with Potential Transgressors in the Account of Her Unsuccessful Attempt to Deal with Benjamin -- Concluding Observations and Implications -- Chapter Three Echoes of the Major Judges: Links Between the Epilogue and Central Section of Judges -- Links Between 'bizarre' Episodes in the Epilogue and the Major Judges -- 1. The Idolatry of Micah Echoes the Idolatry of Gideon.

2. The Levite's Violation of Practically Every Levitical Regulation Echoes Samson's Violation of Practically Every Nazirite Regulation -- 3. The Danites Doing What Was Right in Their Own Eyes Echoes Samson Going After What Was Right in His Own Eyes -- 4. The Levite's Wooing and Abandoning of the Concubine Echoes Samson's Wooing and Abandoning of His Wife -- 5. Benjamin's Surprisingly Incongruent Decision to Support the Guilty Gibeathites Echoes Ehud's Surprisingly Incongruent Use of Deception -- 6. The Harshness with Which Israel Dealt with Benjamin in War Echoes the Same Harshness with Which Gideon and Jephthah Dealt with Their Fellow Israelites -- 7. Israel's Rash Oath That Doomed Some of Their Virgin Daughters Echoes Jephthah's Rash Vow That Doomed His Virgin Daughter -- Significance and Implications of Links -- Chapter Four Prologue as Paradigm: Links Between the Prologue and Central Section of Judges -- Rhetorical Structure of the Prologue -- Progressive Deterioration in the Central Section -- 1. Deterioration Traced Through the Judges' Decreasing Faith in Yhwh -- 2. Deterioration Traced Through the Increasing Prominence of the Judges' Self-interest as Motivation Behind Their Actions -- 3. Deterioration Traced Through Decreasing Participation of the Tribes in Successive Military Campaigns -- 4. Deterioration Traced Through the Judges' Increasing Harshness in Dealing with Internal Dissent -- 5. Deterioration Traced Through Yhwh's Increasing Frustration with His People as the Cyclical Pattern Breaks Down -- Prologue as Paradigm for the Central Section -- Chapter Five No King in Israel: Understanding the Epilogue's Refrain -- Does the Refrain Constitute Positive or Negative Comment? -- To Whom Does the ... in the Refrain Refer? -- 1. A Judge -- 2. A Human King -- 3. YHWH, the Divine King.

Chapter Six Compositional Strategy and Rhetorical Purpose of Judges -- Compositional Strategy of Judges -- Rhetorical Purpose of Judges -- Two Closing Comments -- Conclusion -- Selected Bibliography -- Index of Authors -- Index of Biblical References.

This volume represents an inductive, literary/rhetorical analysis of the book of Judges in which possible rhetorical links connecting the book's three major sections are examined in detail to show that the book may have been a unified composition rather than a composite work as many assume.

Description based on publisher supplied metadata and other sources.

Electronic reproduction. Ann Arbor, Michigan : ProQuest Ebook Central, 2024. Available via World Wide Web. Access may be limited to ProQuest Ebook Central affiliated libraries.