Activity: Talk or presentation types › Invited talk › Scientific
Description
In the Book of Ezekiel, the elders sit before the priest-prophet three times (8.1; 14.1; 20.1), with a progressive revelation that they have come to "inquire" (drš) of Yhwh through Ezekiel. What is not revealed, however, is the content of their inquiry and why it angers Yhwh, who refuses to be consulted by them, but ultimately responds with an oracle (14.3-4; 20.3-4). I will firstly investigate the use of the expression in the Hebrew Bible, arguing that the locution has a wide range of uses and connotations before establishing which of these many interpretations of drš are utilised in Ezekiel, with particular attention to the linguistic links to Exodus 18. These connections offer a lens through which to interpret both the elders’ request and Yhwh’s anger, and further our understanding of Ezekiel’s prophetic role.
Period
3 Jan 2018
Event title
Society for the Study of the Old Testament: Winter Meeting 2018