Andrews University Digital Commons @ Andrews University Master's Theses Graduate Research 2010 Yom YHWH as a Biblical-Theological Theme Robert Czarnitzki Andrews University Follow this and additional works at: https://digitalcommons.edu/theses Recommended Citation Czarnitzki, Robert, "Yom YHWH as a Biblical-Theological Theme" (2010).edu/theses/33 This Thesis is brought to you for free and open access by the Graduate Research at Digital Commons @ Andrews University. It has been accepted for inclusion in Master's Theses by an authorized administrator of Digital Commons @ Andrews University. For more information, please contact repository@andrews. Thank you for your interest in the Andrews University Digital Library of Dissertations and Theses.
Please honor the copyright of this document by not duplicating or distributing additional copies in any form without the author’s express written permission. Thanks for your cooperation. ABSTRACT YOM YHWH AS A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL THEME by Robert Czarnitzki Adviser: Jiři Moskala ABSTRACT OF GRADUATE STUDENT RESEARCH Thesis Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary Title: YOM YHWH AS A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL THEME Name of researcher: Robert Czarnitzki Name and degree of faculty adviser: Jiři Moskala, Ph. Date completed: April 2010 Problem Although it has been shown in recent studies on the topic that the ―Day of YHWH‖ is to be understood not only as a collocation or concept, but as a motif-complex (a theme), the single theological motifs comprising the motif-complex have seemingly never been outlined in a systematic text-oriented study.
Method This thesis investigates which main theological motifs comprise the motif- complex of the ―Day of YHWH‖ by means of a text-oriented study of the final text as existent today. It shall be asked whether the ―Day of YHWH‖ is a true biblical- theological theme, that is, whether it is deeply rooted within biblical tradition. This will include an analysis of whether there is a biblical background and a biblical eschatological outlook linked with the ―Day of YHWH.‖ To accomplish this aim of investigating whether the ―Day of YHWH‖ is an ongoing biblical-theological theme, the biblical data will be investigated in three steps: First of all the biblical text is to be studied. This includes a survey of all the texts using the exact expression ―Day of YHWH,‖ all the texts using the exact expression ―Day of YHWH‖ with an insertion of one word (like revenge, salvation, or wrath) and lastly all the texts using the word ―day‖ with YHWH as a subject and developing a significant day theology.
Second, the main theological motifs are to be detected by a detailed study of catchwords, word clusters, and syntactic connections. Third, a biblical intertextual study is to outline the theme‘s inner-biblical linkages, its origin and outlook. Results The main theological motifs linked to the ―Day of YHWH‖ are the motif of cataclysm, divine wrath, judgment, salvation and war, with the motif of judgment being the most dominant among these. The most dominant metaphors used are metaphors of cataclysm, fear, judgment, pride, and war.
The most dominant microstructure is the expression ―for the day is at hand.‖ The biblical intertextual study shows most linkages with the Egyptian plagues (Exod 7–11), Miriam‘s song (Exod 15), the blessings and curses lists (Deut 28–29), the Song of Moses (Deut 31–32) and Wisdom Literature. Conclusions In the light of the main theological motifs, metaphors, and microstructures it may be stated that the ―Day of YHWH‖ is indeed a biblical-theological theme with its motifs recurring again and again throughout biblical literature. The inner-biblical origin of the ―Day of YHWH‖ is most likely to be traced back to the blessings and curses lists and the Song of Moses (Deut 28–29; 31–32), even more so if one sees the Song of Moses as originally being YHWH‘s own song. The eschatological outlook of the ―Day of YHWH‖ is manifest in several texts looking ahead to its last, ultimate eschatological occurrence.
The uniqueness of the ―Day of YHWH‖ lies in its essence of being an event impacting time, even eschatological time, leading to the installment of transcendence. Andrews University Seventh-day Adventist Theological Seminary YOM YHWH AS A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL THEME A Thesis Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts by Robert Czarnitzki 2010 © Copyright by Robert Czarnitzki 2010 All Rights Reserved YOM YHWH AS A BIBLICAL–THEOLOGICAL THEME A thesis presented in partial fulfillment of the requirements for the degree Master of Arts by Robert Czarnitzki APPROVAL BY THE COMMITTEE: _________________________________ Jiři Moskala, Ph., Chair _________________________________ Jacques Doukhan, D. _________________________________ ______________________________ Richard Davidson, Ph. Date approved To Rainer: קולי אל יהוה אקרא ויענני מהר קדשו סלה Ich rufe mit meiner Stimme zum HERRN, so erhört er mich von seinem heiligen Berge.
(Psalm 3:5) To Margrit: אדני מעון אתה היית לנו בדר ודר Herr, du bist unsere Zuflucht für und für! (Psalm 90:1) TABLE OF CONTENTS LIST OF TABLES. x LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS. 1 The Motivation for This Thesis. 1 The Inundation of Theses.
2 The Impact of Other Theses. 7 The Idea of This Thesis. 10 The Methodology of This Thesis. 11 An Ancient Near Eastern Setting.
11 A Holistic Approach to the Biblical Text. 12 A Basic Battery of Questions to the Text. 13 How Are the Yom YHWH-Texts Detected?. 13 How Are the Motifs of the Yom YHWH-Texts Extracted?.
15 How Is Objectivity Achieved in the Selection of Motifs?. 17 How to Decide if Yom YHWH Is a Biblical Theme?. 18 How Is Intertextuality Impacting Interpretation?. 25 Anticipations of Yom YHWH.
25 The Motif of Space. 25 The Motif of Time. 26 The Motif of Cataclysm. 27 The Motif of Creation.
27 The Motif of Fear. 29 The Motif of Judgment. 30 The Motif of Theophany. 36 The Motif of Space.
36 The Motif of Time. 38 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 39 The Motif of Cataclysm. 40 The Motif of Creation.
40 iv The Motif of Fear. 42 The Motif of Judgment. 44 The Motif of a Remnant. 48 The Motif of Scattering.
49 The Motif of War. 49 Alterations of Yom YHWH. 50 The Motif of Space. 50 The Motif of Time.
50 The Motif of a City. 51 The Motif of Fear. 51 The Motif of Judgment. 52 The Motif of War.
53 The Motif of Weeping. 55 The Motif of Space. 55 The Motif of Time. 55 The Motif of Cataclysm.
55 The Motif of Curse. 56 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 57 The Motif of Judgment. 58 The Motif of War.
59 The Motif of Space. 60 The Motif of Time. 60 The Motif of Joy. 61 The Motif of Judgment.
61 The Motif of Messiah. 62 The Motif of Salvation. 64 The Motif of Space. 64 The Motif of Time.
64 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 65 The Motif of Judgment. 65 The Motif of Salvation. 66 The Motif of War.
67 Allusions to Yom YHWH. JEREMIAH AND LAMENTATIONS. 71 Acquaintances with Yom YHWH. 71 The Motif of Space.
71 The Motif of Time. 71 The Motif of City. 72 The Motif of Covenant. 72 The Motif of Divine Wrath.
73 v The Motif of Judgment. 74 The Motif of War. 74 The Motif of Weeping. 77 The Motif of Space.
77 The Motif of Time. 77 The Motif of City. 77 The Motif of Covenant. 77 The Motif of Cult.
78 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 79 The Motif of Judgment. 80 The Motif of War. 80 The Motif of Weeping.
81 Anticipations of Yom YHWH. 82 The Motif of Space. 82 The Motif of Time. 82 The Motif of Fear.
83 The Motif of Judgment. 83 The Motif of War. 84 Allusions to Yom YHWH. 87 Anticipations of Yom YHWH.
87 The Motif of Space. 87 The Motif of Time. 87 The Motif of Cataclysm. 87 The Motif of Covenant.
89 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 89 The Motif of Judgment. 90 The Motif of War. 92 The Motif of Space.
92 The Motif of Time. 92 The Motif of Cataclysm. 92 The Motif of Covenant. 93 The Motif of Fear.
94 The Motif of Judgment. 94 The Motif of War. 94 Alterations to Yom YHWH. 94 The Motif of Space.
94 The Motif of Time. 95 The Motif of Covenant. 95 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 96 The Motif of Fear.
97 The Motif of Judgment. 98 vi The Motif of Repentance/Weeping. 99 The Motif of War. 99 Allusions to Yom YHWH.
105 Anticipations of Yom YHWH. 105 The Motif of Space. 105 The Motif of Time. 105 The Motif of Cataclysm.
106 The Motif of Weeping. 107 The Motif of Space. 107 The Motif of Time. 107 The Motif of Cataclysm.
107 The Motif of Fear. 109 The Motif of War. 111 The Motif of Space. 111 The Motif of Time.
111 The Motif of Blessing. 112 The Motif of Cataclysm. 113 The Motif of a Remnant. 114 The Motif of Salvation.
116 The Motif of Space. 116 The Motif of Time. 116 The Motif of Blessing. 118 The Motif of Cataclysm.
119 The Motif of Covenant. 119 The Motif of Creation. 120 The Motif of Judgment. 120 The Motif of Salvation.
123 The Motif of War. 126 The Motif of Space. 126 The Motif of Time. 127 The Motif of Cataclysm.
129 The Motif of Space. 129 The Motif of Time. 129 The Motif of Blessing. 130 The Motif of Judgment.
132 The Motif of Salvation. 137 The Motif of Space. 137 vii The Motif of Time. 138 The Motif of Cataclysm.
138 The Motif of Creation. 139 The Motif of Divine Wrath. 139 The Motif of Fear. 140 The Motif of Judgment.
140 The Motif of War. 142 The Motif of Space. 142 The Motif of Time. 143 The Motif of Blessing.
143 The Motif of Cult. 144 The Motif of Judgment. 145 The Motif of a Remnant. 147 The Motif of Salvation.
148 The Motif of Theophany. 148 The Motif of War. 150 The Motif of Space. 152 The Motif of Time.
152 The Motif of Blessing. 152 The Motif of Cataclysm. 153 The Motif of Judgment. 155 The Motif of Salvation.
156 Alterations to Yom YHWH. 157 Allusions to Yom YHWH. 161 A Summary of the Books. 161 Jeremiah and Lamentations.
165 A Summary of Motifs, Metaphors, Microstructures, and Parallels. 166 The Most Prominent Motifs. 166 The Motif of Cataclysm. 166 The Motif of Divine Wrath.
167 The Motif of Judgment. 167 The Motif of Salvation. 168 The Motif of War. 169 The Most Prominent Metaphors.
169 Metaphors of Catacylsm. 169 Metaphors of Fear. 170 Metaphors of Judgment. 170 Metaphors of Pride.
170 viii Metaphors of War. 170 The Most Prominent Microstructure. 170 The Most Prominent Parallels. YOM YHWH AS A BIBLICAL-THEOLOGICAL THEME.
175 ix LIST OF TABLES 1. Yom YHWH Occurrences, Variations, Suggestions: Overview. Yom YHWH Anticipations, Alterations, Allusions: Overview. Yom YHWH Anticipations, Alterations, Allusions: Quotations .