"Do Not Oppress!" (Zech 7:10): The Widow, the Orphan, the Sojourner and the Poor in Post-exilic Israel by Shabu Joseph Thottumkal, S.D.B.

Abstract

Reviewed by: "Do Not Oppress!" (Zech 7:10): The Widow, the Orphan, the Sojourner and the Poor in Post-exilic Israel by Shabu Joseph Thottumkal, S.D.B. Michael Ufok Udoekpo shabu joseph thottumkal, s.d.b., "Do Not Oppress!" (Zech 7:10): The Widow, the Orphan, the Sojourner and the Poor in Post-exilic Israel (Kristu Jyoti Research Studies 1; Bengaluru, India: Kristu Jyoti, 2016). Pp. 311. $12. Thottumkal's monograph is the revision of his thesis submitted to the Faculty of Theology at the Pontifical University of St. Thomas Aquinas (Angelicum), Rome. It is a well-researched work, originally supervised by Joseph Agius, O.P., on the rights of the widows, the orphans, the aliens, and the poor in Israel according to the postexilic prophecy of Zech 7:9-10, in the context of the OT and the ancient Near East. T. arranges his work in five concise chapters. The book has a well-focused introduction, a strong conclusion, an extensive bibliography, and a subject index. In chap. 1 ("The State of the Widow, the Orphan and the Sojourner in the Ancient Near East Background for the Old Testament Study"), T. applies lexical, theological, and historical approaches to examine the plights of the poor, aliens, and widows in the ancient Near East, particularly in Mesopotamia, Assyria, ancient Egypt, and Babylonia. In these cultures, it was the will of the gods and the kings to protect the poor, the widows, and the aliens (p. 68). In chap. 2 ("The Widow, the Orphan, the Alien and the Poor in the Old Testament"), T. examines his topic in various contexts and sections of the Hebrew Bible. He discusses various Hebrew terms that represent different nuances of poverty and poor persons in the OT. In addition, he draws a theological contrast with the ancient Near Eastern traditions. Even though the OT people "absorbed the ethos" of their neighbors, it was their relationship [End Page 325] with Yhwh, their sense of mercy and compassion, the inclusion of the גר ("alien"; Exod 22:20; Lev 19:33-34; Deut 15:15), and their taking personal and communal responsibility for the poor in their midst that made them different from their neighbors. In drawing this contrast, T., conscious of the Sitz im Leben of the prophet Zechariah, dedicates chap. 3 ("Zechariah: Situating the Person, the Book and His Times") to the sociopolitical, economic, and religious setting of the postexilic period, marked by the return of the exiles to Jerusalem and the need to rebuild not just the temple but their faith in their ever-present God, to cultivate a sense of "social justice," and to promote the inclusion of the poor, as stressed by the prophet Zechariah. Chapter 4 ("An Exegetical Study of Zechariah 7:9-10) is the exegetical nucleus of the monograph. Here, T. stresses Zechariah's call to social justice by pointing out the importance of ethical and theological concepts such as משפט ("justice"), אמת ("truth"), חסד ("kindness"), and רחמים ("mercy"), as well as the triad "widow–orphan–stranger" (cf. Deut 10:18; 14:29; 16:11, 14; 24:17, 19, 20, 21; 26:12, 13; 27:19; Ps 94:6; 146:9; Jer 22:3; Ezek 22:7; Mal 3:5). These concepts, T. argues, relate to the theme of social justice and of the inclusion of the poor, who are "socially in a disadvantageous position and are unable to claim their rights" (pp. 196). In chap. 5 ("Theological Considerations Emerging from Zechariah 7:9-10"), T. presents the theological implications, perspectives, and significance of the study, highlighting the role of God and of Israel's prophets. Yhwh accompanies his people throughout history. Yhwh is "the Lord of Israel's history and of the history of other nations" (p. 212). Zechariah 7:9-10 points to a just Yhwh who cherishes Jerusalem, Zion, and the temple, as well as the practice of transformative justice by all, including the leaders. In Zech 7:9-10, a robust theological importance, T. insists, is given "to those virtues which have inset a strong praxis dimension such as justice, and above all, love; not love understood as a vague sentiment of benevolence, but a strong forceful love expressed in the...