lārešet ʾet hāʾāreṣ—“To Possess the Land, to Enjoy Possession of the Land”: A Lexicographic Proposal and Its Theological Ramifications
The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb ירשׁ qal with a non-personal direct object is “to take something into possession,” be it by violence or in another way. This holds also for the phrase לרשׁת את הארץ (“to take possession of the land”). However, complementing this ingressive basic meaning, one shou...
| Main Author: | |
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| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
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| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Brill
2021
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| In: |
Vetus Testamentum
Year: 2021, Volume: 71, Issue: 4/5, Pages: 619-630 |
| Standardized Subjects / Keyword chains: | B
qal
/ yrsh
/ Bible. Ezechiel 33,23-29
/ Bible. Psalmen 37
/ Bible. Judge 2,6-10
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| IxTheo Classification: | HB Old Testament |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | The basic meaning of the Hebrew verb ירשׁ qal with a non-personal direct object is “to take something into possession,” be it by violence or in another way. This holds also for the phrase לרשׁת את הארץ (“to take possession of the land”). However, complementing this ingressive basic meaning, one should also reckon with a progressive second meaning (Nebenbedeutung), namely “to possess the land, to enjoy possession of the land.” In the present article, this lexicographic proposal is substantiated by examples from across the Hebrew Bible in which an ingressive understanding apparently does not reflect the original intent, calling instead for a progressive understanding. These examples include Ezek 33:23–29; Psalm 37, and Judg 2:6–10. The proposal is also tested in those passages in Deuteronomy which correlate possessing the land and observing the Torah. In so doing, their interpretation in terms of the Deuteronomistic nomism hypothesis is reviewed critically. |
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| ISSN: | 1568-5330 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Vetus Testamentum
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| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1163/15685330-00001110 |