The Book of Judges is a continuation of Israel's history in the promised land, beginning from the death of Joshua to the time or before the birth of Samuel, the last judge of Israel (1 Sam 7:15). In Judges, we find a cycle of disobedience, infidelity, punishment, repentance and deliverance (3:7-16:31). Chapters 17-21 shed light on the social and religious history of Israel. They describe the cultic, moral anarchy of the era "when there was no king in Israel" (Judg 17:6; 19:1) and a time "when people did whatever was right in their own eyes" (21:25). In Judg 20, Israel overacts and revenges against injustices of Gibeah's crime (Judg 19). By doing these, she plunges into civil war against Benjamin. This affirms, in a way, the tragedy of confederacy without visionary leaders who fear the Lord, a phenomenon common in today's African societies. In the past, European and North American exegetes have interpreted Judg 19-20 historically, using various "western interpretative models." Conscious also of issues of wars and violence in Africa, this study analyses Judg 20 from the perspective of African Biblical Hermeneutics and as a post-colonial approach within the overall context of the theology of Deuteronomistic History (Joshua-Kings). It argues against incessant tragic phenomena of civil wars and domestic violence in African faith communities.

Isaiah 11, also known as the oracle of the "shoot of Jesse," imagines the ushering of an ideal age. The production of the book of Isaiah, including its multiple redactions, in the material circumstances of the subjugation of Israel under successive empires, makes it necessary to ask whether or how the text engages with its imperial milieu. What kind of figure does the "shoot of Jesse" represent in its imperial landscape? What kind of rule is imagined by the Shoot Oracle? This article engages with these questions by employing Homi Bhabha's concept of hybridity and argues that the poetic celebration of the "shoot of Jesse" presents a mimetic/hybrid figure and articulates an in-between space that subverts the imperial discourse as well as nationalistic hegemonic overtures of the Davidic dynasty.

This study investigates the disposition of mothers in contemporary Igboland towards displaying traditional maternal virtues in the upbringing of their children. The inquiry is underpinned by a popular Old Testament narrative, Exodus 2:1-10. The pericope reports the story of the birth of Moses, who was born at the climax of a chaotic situation in Egypt. To control the numerical growth of the Israelites, the king of Egypt instructed that all Hebrew male babies be thrown into the Nile. When Moses was born, his mother, sister and Pharaoh's daughter displayed age-long maternal qualities such as love, sacrifice, courage, wisdom and patience, to save him from Pharaoh's plot. The study observes that in contemporary times, women have more opportunities for self-development and employment; they venture into diverse careers that could restrain them from exhibiting some longstanding motherly virtues in child upbringing. Feminist criticism, descriptive analysis and comparative analysis are employed in studying the text, the social phenomenon and the interaction between the text and the social context, respectively.

Politeness is generally understood as culturally bound. Recently, however, scholars have been mining the world's languages to discover a typology of linguistic politeness. While living languages have been studied extensively, scholars have also begun investigating ancient languages, such as Egyptian and Hittite, for evidence and use of such language. Scholarship on the Hebrew Bible has made some initial steps in this type of study. The research thus far has centred on speeches within Hebrew narrative with little to no attention paid to poetry. This is disappointing as the book of Psalms consists of performative prayers directed to YHWH. To begin to fill this gap in research, this article highlights the significance of the taxonomy of linguistic politeness in order to bring more clarity to the language of prayer in the Psalms and in Ps 7 in particular.

Since at least the post-Nicene period, Dan 12:2 has been cited often as a foundational text for the eschatological conception of hell within the Christian Bible. However, when examined within its original sociological context, this passage can be more accurately understood as reflecting a specific threat of shame deeply embedded in the honour-based society of the ancient Mediterranean during the Second Temple Period. The linguistic connection of דראון ("contempt, abhorrence") to Isaiah, particularly concerning the fear of non-burial and corpse exposure, reinforces this interpretation by emphasising the concept of shame tied to one's manner of death (Isa 66:24). This study employs a sociological approach to explore the language of "shame and contempt" in Dan 12:2 within its Judaic cultural framework, focusing on burial practices and the associated threat of non-burial. It argues that the author intended to depict an extremely specific and detailed punishment of shame by corpse exposure as a punitive consequence rather than implying a prototype of eternal torment in a place called "hell."

The interpretation of the Son of Man figure in Dan 7 is one of the most hotly debated issues in biblical scholarship. This article is based on the premise that the analysis of the Aramaic Daniel (Dan 1-7), the earlier part of the modern Hebrew-Aramaic book of Daniel, could enable us to determine the original interpretation of the Son of Man figure. A comparison of Dan 7 and Dan 4 allows us to conclude that in the Aramaic Daniel there is a consistent analogy between Adam, Nebuchadnezzar and the Son of Man. Therefore, the Son of Man figure may be defined as the "new Adam " if we use a later vocabulary. In the interpretation of the prophetic dream vision, this figure turns out to symbolise the nation of Israel, which is part of the tendency to identify Israel with man as such and attribute Adam's heritage to Israel.

Several authors have employed Ps 51:5 as a foundation for teaching the doctrine of original sin, which portrays the complete depravity of human nature (cf. Ps 58:3). Nonetheless, various passages in the book of Psalms offer an alternative portrayal of the moral condition of the same human nature. These passages depict a close relationship between the worshipper and God from infancy (Pss 22:9; 71:6; 139:13). A sound hermeneutical principle necessitates that interpreters analyse both sets of passages rather than emphasising one and undermining the other. This essay endeavours to examine these passages and expound upon a comprehensive understanding of the nature of sinful humanity, as presented in the book of Psalms. Furthermore, it highlights not only the pervasiveness of sin but also the extent of YHWH's hesed, which makes such an intimate bonding with God possible even from the womb.

The divine approvals of Gen 1 describe a secure world order, ready to receive human work (1:28; 2:15) to develop its potential for an abundant future. The divine approvals form the starting point for the toledot's description of what happened to what God saw as good on the earth-pre-promise humanity sees the forbidden as good (3:6; 6:2) and the promise approvals see what is good (40:16; 49:15). The first two result in barrenness, the third sees an abundant future for Israel and the nations, and the fourth a humiliating subservient future for Israel/Issachar because of its careless execution of its vocation as the people of the promise. This essay examines the approvals of Gen 3:6 and 6:2 in the light of the divine approvals of Gen 1.

The genealogy of Jeconiah (1 Chr 3:17-24), as documented in the Book of Chronicles, stands as the last historical passage within the book. This genealogical record encapsulates approximately 11 successive generations, from the destruction and exile to the subsequent Persian period. In this discourse, I undertake a comparative analysis of the Midrashic interpretations of the names delineated in Jeconiah's genealogical list and those articulated in the tables from Àl-Yâhudu. The discernible correlations between these two textual sources significantly contribute to a nuanced comprehension of the challenges and aspirations experienced by those enduring the exile and those who resettled in the State of Judah. Accordingly, I posit that these intertextual connections introduce an additional dimension to the cultural milieu in which the Book of Chronicles was composed and, above all, to the question, which must have occupied the exiles: will the House of David return to its pre-destruction glory?