https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum <p>HIPHIL Novum is an international, open-access, peer-reviewed, online journal for biblical linguistics.</p> Fjellhaug International University College Copenhagen en-US HIPHIL Novum 1603-6565 <p>Counting from volume 9 (2024), articles published in HIPHIL Novum are licensed under <a href="https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0/">Attribution-ShareAlike 4.0 International (CC BY-SA 4.0)</a>. The editorial board may accept other Creative Commons licenses for individual articles, if required by funding bodies e.g. the European Research Council. With the publication of volume 9, authors retain copyright to their articles and give Hiphil Novum the right to the first publication. The authors retain copyright to earlier versions of the articles, such as the submitted and the accepted manuscript. Authors and readers may use, reuse, and build upon the published work, use it for text or data mining or for any other lawful purpose, as long as appropriate attribution is maintained.</p> <p>Articles in volumes 1-8 are not licensed under Creative Commons. In these volumes, all rights are reserved to the authors of the articles respectively. This implies that readers can download, read, and link to the articles, but they cannot republish the articles. Authors may post the published version of their article to their personal website, institutional repository, or a repository required by their funding agency as a part of a green open access policy.</p> https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/150743 Christian Canu Højgaard Markus Zehnder Copyright (c) 2024 Christian Canu Højgaard, Markus Zehnder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 1 2 10.7146/hn.v9i2.150743 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/150757 <p>The biography of Abraham can be compared with other biographies from the second millennium BC which are often treated as fictional. The motifs in the lives of the Egyptian Sinuhe and the Syrian Idrimi are typical. Does the recurrence of such motifs indicate they are imaginary or may they be based on the lives of real characters? Reasons for believing Sinuhe and Idrimi were historical, not legendary, figures are advanced as analogies for accepting that the biblical narratives of Abraham also tell of events in the life of an historical person.</p> Alan Millard Copyright (c) 2024 Alan Millard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-12 2024-12-12 9 2 7 13 10.7146/hn.v9i2.150757 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/150758 <p>According to Exodus 3, God revealed himself as YHWH to Moses. Biblical poems refer to him active in Sinai and Midian, Hebrew graffiti connect him with the south, and Egyptian inscriptions list a place similarly named there. Was YHWH a local deity whom the Israelites adopted? The case is made for the name existing among Israelites earlier.</p> Alan Millard Copyright (c) 2024 Alan Millard https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 14 21 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/152114 <p class="HIPHILAbstract"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The events described in Genesis 14 have been of great interest to biblical scholars and theologians over the centuries, especially seeking to understand the nature of the meeting of Abraham and Melchizedek and the significance of the priest-king of Salem offering bread and wine to the Patriarch. While theological readings typically dominate the literature on this mysterious meeting, the intent of this study is to examine this encounter in its military setting side-by-side with other Old Testament texts and ancient Near Eastern parallels. The latter will include focusing on Gen 14:13–18 alongside the Tale of Sinuhe, Tanaach Tablet 6, Papyrus Anastasi I, and other sources. It will be suggested that Melchizedek’s actions are consistent with one seeking to appease a military victor.</span></p> James K. Hoffmeier Copyright (c) 2024 James K. Hoffmeier https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 22 36 10.7146/hn.v9i2.152114 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/152018 <p>The two great commandments of Jesus in Matt 22:34–40 (with parallels in Mark 12:29–31 and Luke 10:25–37) are of central importance in the “law of Christ”, which is the way he mediates the law to the church as his kingdom today. A study of them in their Old Testament context lends depth to our understanding of why they were known and so important to Jesus and all faithful Jews. The first great commandment follows immediately upon the Great <em>Shema</em> in Deut 6:4 (Mark 12:29 includes the <em>shema</em> as part of the first great commandment), and begins to unpack the full significance of the fact that Israel had only one God and his name was Yahweh. Therefore, the addressees are required to focus all their love on him, no other god. The following verses apply this to all aspects of life. Jesus depended on this section of Deuteronomy for his three responses to the temptations of the devil (Matt 4:1–11). The second great command in its context tells us that personal holiness is all about loving others as one would want them to love her or him (Lev 19:18 with 19:2b; see the “good Samaritan” in Luke 10:30–37). Jesus was asked for one greatest commandment, but he refused to give just one because these two belong together. They supply the frame for the whole law, all of it and every part of it.</p> Richard E. Averbeck Copyright (c) 2024 Richard E. Averbeck https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 37 49 10.7146/hn.v9i2.152018 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/152109 <p>The Old Testament law is holy, righteous, good, and spiritual (Rom 7:12, 14), but it is also weak because it cannot work in a human heart to make a person spiritual (Rom 7:14 with 8:3). No law can change a human heart, not even God’s law. The tenth commandment is an example (Rom 7:7–8): The command not to covet cannot stop the sinful human heart from coveting, but incites it to covet all the more. We remain all tangled up in our sin as long as we continue to depend on the human law for strength (Rom 7:14–25). But God has set us free from that enslavement to sin through the work of Christ (Rom 8:1), and enables us to live free in Christ by the power of the work of the Holy Spirit in our human spirit (Rom 8:4–16). We can live now by the Spirit who works a “spirit of adoption” rather than a spirit of slavery within us. The spirit of adoption works God’s love deeply within us so that we become more and more convinced of it and live out of the knowledge that nothing can ever separate us from the love of God.</p> Richard E. Averbeck Copyright (c) 2024 Richard E. Averbeck https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 50 62 10.7146/hn.v9i2.152109 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/151068 <p>This study addresses the question why the Hebrew Bible and the Christian Bible as a whole can be seen as valid and helpful dialogue-partners and guides in the assessment of current ethical issues. It begins with an overview of the broad range of answers that have been given to the question, arguing for a position that views the Bible as an important point of orientation even though in many cases there is no meaningful way to directly “apply” biblical texts, mostly because of the differences between “then” and “now”. An important argument for the usefulness of the Bible can be found in its positive role in shaping ethics and life in societies in which it had a dominating influence in the past.</p> Markus Zehnder Copyright (c) 2024 Markus Zehnder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 63 71 10.7146/hn.v9i2.151068 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/151069 <p>In this study, the author looks at how biblical texts in general and Old Testament texts in particular can be used to address current ethical issues. The main focus is on the identification of the four main steps in the transfer from biblical text to current ethical issues: exegetical analysis of the biblical text – synthetical view of the biblical material – hermeneutical transfer – pragmatic application. In addition, some of the salient topics related to the ethical use of the (Hebrew) Bible are investigated: the traditional threefold division of the law, the special role of the Decalogue, the importance of creational order, the weight of exodus and Sinaitic covenant, the discussion about the unique position of love, and the lenses provided by the New Testament. Towards the end, guidelines for the assessment of the relative weight of rules and principles are presented.</p> Markus Zehnder Copyright (c) 2024 Markus Zehnder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 72 99 10.7146/hn.v9i2.151069 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/151070 <p>This article attempts to apply the most salient principles developed in Part II concerning the question as to how to use the (Hebrew) Bible to assess current ethical issues to the example of diversity. It becomes clear that modern concepts of diversity and biblical concepts of diversity are not fully identical. While diversity in the biblical sense is an important value in the Bible, the same cannot be said of modern notions of diversity. On the other hand, there is no reason why all aspects of these modern notions should be completely rejected.</p> Markus Zehnder Copyright (c) 2024 Markus Zehnder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 100 115 10.7146/hn.v9i2.151070 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/150837 <p class="HIPHILAbstract"><span lang="EN-AU" style="font-size: 12.0pt;">The paper explores Martin Luther's stance on Old Testament law, specifically his dismissal of the Mosaic law’s binding nature for Christians. It argues that Luther’s reliance on natural law as an inherent instinct for grasping the order of creation raises challenges due to the inherent ambiguity and fallen nature of human understanding. The analysis delves into biblical, philosophical, and historical perspectives on natural law, underscoring the intricacies surrounding its practical application. Additionally, the article criticizes Luther’s supersessionist theology, which posits the replacement of Mosaic law by Christ, asserting that it lacks exegetical rigor. The significance of comparative studies in comprehending Mosaic Law is demonstrated by drawing insights from ancient Near Eastern legal traditions. This approach presents a model that views Mosaic law as normative covenantal instruction adaptable to real-life situations. Building on these insights, the paper recommends considering Richard Averbeck’s and Nicolai Winther-Nielsen’s approaches to Mosaic law and its application in contemporary Christian life.</span></p> Jens Bruun Kofoed Copyright (c) 2024 Jens Bruun Kofoed https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 116 164 10.7146/hn.v9i2.150837 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/152110 Nicolai Winther-Nielsen Copyright (c) 2024 Nicolai Winther-Nielsen https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 3 4 10.7146/hn.v9i2.152110 https://tidsskrift.dk/hiphilnovum/article/view/150744 Markus Zehnder Copyright (c) 2024 Markus Zehnder https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0 2024-12-11 2024-12-11 9 2 5 6 10.7146/hn.v9i2.150744