Ṣedeq and Ṣedaqah in the Hebrew Bible (review)

Abstract

Hebrew Studies 36 (1995) 132 Reviews exegetical papers include: Johannes P. Floss on Exod 3:14; Klaus Baltzer on the vision in Amos 7:7-9 (with reference to an Akkadian Rtar hymn); Jorg Jeremias on Amos 8:4-7 as a commentary on Amos 2:6-7. Psalm studies, having little in common but poetic topics, include Pierfelice Tagliacarne on Psalm 1; Robert C. Culley on Psalm 3; Sigurdur O. Steingrimsson on Psalm 23 ("the priestly portion"); Norbert Lohfink on Psalm 25 and related psalms; Hubert Irsigler on Psalm 93 (as usual, Irsigler is representative of the most fascinating and the most exasperating features of the Richter school); and Gottfried Vanoni on the waw in Ps 149:6. In some cases the structural conclusions about later expansions and reworkings of the Psalms seem hardly to follow from the argument. Further exegetical studies include Harald Schweizer on Song of Songs 4; Armin Schmitt on Wisdom 1:16-2:24 and 4:20-5:23; and Odil Hannes Steck on wisdom and eschatology in Hellenistic texts including Tobit, Sirach, and (remarkably) Psalm 102. M. O'Connor Union Theological Seminary New York, NY 10027 SEDEQ AND SEDAQAH IN THE HEBREW BIBLE. By Ahuva Ho. American University Studies. Series VIT, Theology and Religion, Vol. 78. pp. 212. New York: Lang, 1991. Cloth, $36.95. As the title indicates, this volume is a word study of Pj~ and i1P'~ in the Bible. The author's methodology conforms to the scholarly practice of Hebrew philology that has become standard over the last 25 years. Following James Barr, J. F. A. Sawyer, and others, she considers context to be determinative for discerning the semantic sig~ificance of words. Comparative philology and etymology, covered briefly in chapters 1 and 2, help one understand the historical development of a word's meaning but do not usurp the authority of the context. Ho is not content with a purely synchronic study, nor with the conclusion of other scholars that Pj~ and i1P'''~ are synonyms with little or no difference in meaning (chapter 2). Her purpose is to trace the historical development of the two terms' distinct meanings within each of three main biblical genres: narrative, wisdom, and prophecy. Separate chapters for the two terms within each genre yield chapters 3-8, with an additional chapter Hebrew Studies 36 (1995) 133 Reviews (9) devoted to the phrase m,' n'P1¥ . Within each chapter, she examines the passages in chronological order. In the fmal chapter (10) she presents her conclusions. The choice of organization for categorizing a word's occurrences and meanings is perhaps the most difficult decision the author of a word study must make, and the optimal organization depends on the author's purpose. Ho works with two overlapping categories, genre and date; her goal is to remain sensitive to different historical developments within the different genres. Each of her three broad categories of genre naturally contains many others, but tracing historical development becomes impossible if the categories become too small. Ho does not directly discuss the theories of authorship and dating that underlie her arrangement of passages in chronological order. Sometimes she follows canonical order (e.g., chapter 3), but most of the time she seems to follow "classic" critical reconstructions proposed earlier this century . Another feature that may strike the post-modern reader as slightly anachronistic is her avowal to work "with no pre-assumptions" so as to avoid the situation where "the set of beliefs of the commentator influences his understanding of the text" (pp. 5. 7). In recent years reader-response theory has emphasized that every author (and reviewer) approaches the text from a perspective influenced by educational background and the community of readers to which he or she belongs. Certainly those factors can be expected to have greater impact on the interpretation of a pivotal theological term such as "righteousness." Throughout the work Ho does a good job of pointing out significant words in the contexts that help elucidate the meanings of the two terms under study. Ideally. a semantic study would compare and contrast all the words within a semantic field. However, that often requires a prohibitive amount of research, so Ho cannot...