Sinai Covenant and Moab Covenant: An Exegetical Study of the Covenants in Exodus 19:1-24:11 and Deuteronomy 4:45-28:69.

摘要

This thesis is basically an exegetical study of two texts in Ex 19:1-24:11 and Dt 4:45-28:69.udIn Chapter 1 methodological issues about this thesis are considered. Hermeneuticaludproblems of narrative texts in the OT are handled shortly in order to prepare the exegesisudof these two texts.udIn Chapter 2 the Sinai covenant pericope (Ex 191-24: 11) is dealt with. The presentudcontext of Ex demands that the covenant making is initiated in Ex 19. The first sectionud(Ex 19: 3-8) concerns the preliminary proposal and acceptance of. the covenant relationshipudbetween YHWH and Israel. There is a transitional bridge (Ex 19:8b-10a) between this firstudsection and the second one (Ex 19: 9-25). The second section should be defined, not as theudtheophany, but as the meeting of the two covenant parties. After God's direct law-givingud(the decalogue Ex 20: 1-17), which is the first covenant stipulation, the people demandudMoses' mediatorship through which the subsequent laws (Ex 20: 22-23: 33), the secondudcovenant stipulation, are given indirectly. These sections are connected through theudprediction (Ex 199a) - fulfilment (Ex 19: 20-25,2018-21) scheme. Further these sections areudconnected with the final section in, Ex 24 with the macroscopic (Ex 19: 24) -udsemi-microscopic (Ex 241) - microscopic point of view (Ex 24: 9-11). Ex 24.3-8 is about theudcovenant ratification ceremony performed through the mediation of Moses by theudparticipation of the junior Israelites (`the youngmen of Israel' Ex 24: 5a), and Ex 249-11 isudthe audience of the senior Israelites (`the nobles of Israel' Ex 24: 11) with YHWH (`God ofudIsrael') after that ratification of the covenant.udIn Chapter 3 the Moab covenant pericope (Dt 4:4 5-286: 9), marked by the heading (Dtud4:4 5) and the colophon (Dt 28:6 9), is studied. After the geographical, historical informationud(Dt 4: 45-49) the law itself is directly introduced (Dt 5ff.). In this section the authority ofudMoses demanded by the people is justified in order to prepare for the Hauptgebotudpericope (Dt 6-11). Dt 26: 17-19 is about the mutual declaration of the covenantudrelationship 'and this section gives the framework for the following section (Dt 27-28)udwhich is about the variable or cultic element of covenant, the ratification ceremony. Dtud27: 1-8 reports some aspects of that ceremony (offering, covenant document, meal). Andudhere and in Dt 27: 9-10 the elders and the levitical priests, "who speak jointly with Moses,udreceive the authority to perform the future covenant ceremony in Shechem. Dt 2711-13 isudthe future pronouncement of the blessing and curse whose text is in Dt 283: -6,16-19A. ndudDt 27: 14-26 contains the oath formula which will be pronounced by the levitical priestsudand responded by the people.,udIn Chapter 4 a comparative study of both texts is undertaken. In general it is askedudwhether the covenant is the common theme of both texts. In detail it is investigatedudwhether there is a similarity between the two texts in their themes, theologicaludframeworks, and structure, and also how far the detailed descriptions of each section areuddifferent. Finally the historical relationship between the two pericopes is investigated.