In the Hebrew Bible, esed (steadfast love, loyalty, devotion) denotes an important concept that is relevant to interpersonal relationships in every generation. In this book, Karen Nelson investigates New Testament engagement with that concept and the exegetical value of recognizing such engagement.
This investigation employs an original hybrid of two methodological approaches: intertextuality, used to consider how New Testament authors appropriate texts that evoke esed or sîd, and categorization, used to analyze and compare instances of the categories sd and syd within the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Nelsons work challenges assertions that the New Testament equivalent of esed is agap (love) or charis (grace). Rather, she contends that esed and sîd are more likely to be evoked by the terms with which they are most often rendered in the Septuagint: eleos and hosios, respectively. Nelson rereads selected New Testament pericopes in light of esed, highlighting points about ongoing devotion to kinship and covenantal relationships often overlooked in those contexts and showing how New Testament authors and figures utilize the esed tradition to critique the contemporary socioreligious situation and encourage belief, enduring commitment, and appropriately changed lifestyles.
Addressing a topic that spans the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, this study will be of value to biblical scholars, especially those who are interested in semantics.
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An enlightening and rigorous intertextual analysis of the Hebrew term for devotion and steadfast love in the New Testament.
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Typographical Conventions for Intertextual Categorization
Chapter
1. esed and the New Testament: Goal, Obstacles, and Responses
1.1 Recovering esed
1.2 Obstacles and Responses
Chapter
2. An Intertextual Categorization Study: Methodological Approaches
2.1 Intertextuality
2.2 Categorization
2.3 Intertextual Categorization and esed
Chapter
3. Interpersonal Relationships in Ancient Israel: The Domain of
esed
Chapter
4. sd in the Hebrew Bible and Other Literature of the Second Temple
Period
4.1 sd in the Hebrew Bible
4.2 sd in Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
Chapter
5. syd in the Hebrew Bible and Other Literature of the Second Temple
Period
5.1 syd in the Hebrew Bible
5.2 syd in Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
Chapter
6. Greek Words That Evoke sd or syd
6.1 Eleos
6.2 Hosios
6.3 New Testament Occurrences of Eleos and Hosios
Chapter
7. Eleos in Matthews Gospel: A Weighty Matter of the Law
7.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Matthews Gospel and sd in the
Hebrew Bible
7.1 The Category SD in Matthews Gospel
7.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category SD in
Matthews Gospel
7.4 Conclusions
Chapter
8. Eleos in Pauls Letters: The Reason for Gentiles Glorifying God
8.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Pauls Letters and sd in the
Hebrew Bible
8.2 The Category SD in Romans and Galatians
8.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category SD in
Romans and Galatians
8.4 Conclusions
Chapter
9. Eleos in Lukes Gospel: A Basis for Remembered Promises and
Neighborly Actions
9.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Lukes Gospel and sd in the
Hebrew Bible
9.2 The Category SD in Lukes Gospel
9.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category SD in
Lukes Gospel
9.4 Conclusions
Chapter
10. Eleos in Other New Testament Books: Characteristic of God, Reason
for Hope
10.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Hebrews, James, First Peter,
Second John, and Jude and sd in the Hebrew Bible
10.2 The Category SD in First Peter 1:32:10
10.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category SD in
First Peter 1:32:10
10.4 Conclusions
Chapter
11. Hosios in Acts: A Gift and Promises Concerning David and His
Descendant
11.1 Intertextual Connections Between Hosios in Acts and sd or syd in the
Hebrew Bible
11.2 The Categories SD and SYD in Acts
11.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Categories SD and
SYD in Acts
11.4 Conclusions
Chapter
12. Hosios in Other New Testament Books: A Description of the One Who
Makes Faithful and Righteous Judgments
12.1 Intertextual Connections Between Hosios in First Timothy, Titus,
Hebrews, and Revelation and syd in the Hebrew Bible
12.2 The Category SYD in Revelation 1516
12.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category SYD in
Revelation 1516
12.4 Conclusions
Chapter
13. SD, SYD, Eleos, and Hosios in the New Testament
13.1 The Categories SD and SYD in the New Testament
13.2 Eleos in the New Testament
13.3 Hosios in the New Testament
Chapter
14. esed and the New Testament: Conclusions and Outlook
14.1 Evidence of New Testament Engagement with the Concept Corresponding to
esed
14.2 Aspects of New Testament Engagement with the Concept Corresponding to
esed
14.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing New Testament Engagement with the
Concept Corresponding to esed
14.4 Conclusion
14.5 Limitations and Implications
Appendixes
1. Hebrew Bible Occurrences of and
2. LXX Occurrences of , , and
3. Occurrences of and in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Sirach
Bibliography
Index
Karen Nelson is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
