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Two New Commentaries on Leviticus


Pages 267 - 280

DOI https://doi.org/10.13173/zeitaltobiblrech.20.2014.0267




Pretoria

1 K. Elliger, Leviticus, HAT 1, Tübingen 1966.

2 A. Cholewiński, Heiligkeitsgesetz und Deuteronomium: eine vergleichende Studie, AnBib 66, Rome 1976.

3 B. A. Levine, Leviticus, JPS, New York, NY 1989.

4 J. Milgrom, Leviticus 1–16, AB 3, New Haven, NJ 1991; id., Leviticus 17–22, AB 3A, New Haven, NJ 2000; id., Leviticus 23–27, AB 3B, New Haven, NJ 2001.

5 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, HCOT, Leuven 2014, 50.

6 E. S. Gerstenberger, Das 3. Buch Mose. Leviticus, ATD 6, Göttingen 1993.

7 R. Rendtorff, Leviticus 1, 1–10, 20, BKAT 3.1, Neukirchen-Vluyn 2004. This commentary appeared over nearly a decade between 1995 and 2004.

8 J. Joosten, People and Land in the Holiness Code. An Exegetical Study of the Ideational Framework of the Law in Leviticus 17–26, VT.S 67, Leiden 1996.

9 E. Otto, Innerbiblische Exegese im Heiligkeitsgesetz Levitikus 17–26, in: Fabry, H.-J. / Jüngling, H.-W. (eds.) Levitikus als Buch, BBB 119, Bodenheim 1999, 125–196. There are a number of other essays in this book that are also important, especially the one by H.-W. Jüngling, Das Buch Levitikus in der Forschung seit Karl Elligers Kommentar aus dem Jahr 1966, 1–45. This essay provides an overview of research on Leviticus after Elliger's commentary.

10 K. Grünwaldt, Das Heiligkeitsgesetz Leviticus 17–26. Ursprüngliche Gestalt, Tradition und Theologie, BZAW 271, Berlin 1999.

11 A. Ruwe, “Heiligkeitsgesetz” und “Priesterschrift”. Literaturgeschichtliche und rechtsssystematische Untersuchungen zu Leviticus 17,1–26,2, FAT 26, Tübingen 1999.

12 W. Warning, Literary Artistry in Leviticus, BI 35, Leiden 1999.

13 Especially M. Douglas, Purity and Danger: An Analysis of Concepts of Pollution and Taboo, London 1966. But see also id. Leviticus as Literature, Oxford 1999.

14 Like the essays in Rendtorff, R. / Kugler, R. A. (eds.), The Book of Leviticus. Composition and Reception, Leiden 2003. I am also leaving out many monographs published on different chapters from Leviticus. Comprehensive lists can be found in the commentary under discussion.

15 C. Nihan, From Priestly Torah to Pentateuch, FAT II 25, Tübingen 2007.

16 For a summary of his source-critical results, see Grünwaldt, Heiligkeitsgesetz (see above note 10) 130. In the same year as Grünwaldt, Ruwe simply gave up on the idea of doing source criticism and attempted a far more synchronic approach. See, Ruwe, “Heiligkeitsgesetz” (see above note 11) 26–35.

17 See, for instance, Nihan's (Priestly Torah [see above note 15] 402–403) reading of chapter 17.

18 See, C. Nihan, Priestly Torah (see above note 15) 231–237, where he sums up the composition of Leviticus 1–9 by P. It should be clear that he works with bigger clusters of chapters such as 1–3, or 8–9 with other chapters added later.

19 See, C. Nihan, Priestly Torah (see above note 15) 569.

20 See also, T. Römer, De la périphérie au centre: Les livres du Lévitique et des Nombres dans le débat actuel sur le Pentateuque, in: id. (ed.), The Books of Leviticus and Numbers, BETL 215, Leuven 2008, 3–34.

21 T. Hieke, Levitikus 1–15, HThKAT, Freiburg 2014; id., Levitikus 16–27, HThKAT, Freiburg 2014.

22 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, HCOT, Leuven 2013.

23 The following two monographs are probably his most important contributions, although he has also published a number of essays and articles. J. W. Watts, Reading Law. The Rhetorical Shaping of the Pentateuch, The Biblical Seminar 59, Sheffield 1999; id., Ritual and Rhetoric in Leviticus. From Sacrifice to Scripture, Cambridge 2007.

24 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 1–133.

25 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 19–20.

26 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 24.

27 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 39–85. Apart from the four groups or headings mention above, Watts also refers to “Literary interpretations”, “Theological symbolism”, “Theories of sacrifice” and “Ideological criticism”.

28 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 40.

29 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 43.

30 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 44.

31 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 47.

32 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 50.

33 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 52–53.

34 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 58–64.

35 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 69.

36 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 72–86.

37 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 86–90.

38 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 87.

39 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 89.

40 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 106–107.

41 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21), 47–78.

42 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 79–140.

43 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 44–45.

44 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 45.

45 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 47–65.

46 See T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 57–64.

47 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 65–74

48 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 65–66.

49 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 66–74.

50 Included are texts such as Exodus 12: 14–20, 43–49; 31: 12–17; Leviticus 3: 17; 7: 22–27, 28–36; 11: 43–45 and 16: 29–34a. See T. Hieke, Levitikus, 71.

51 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 79–140.

52 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 80–104. J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 7.

53 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 7.

54 See J. W. Watts, Ritual and Rhetoric (see above note 23) 307–316; id., Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 309–316.

55 J. Milgrom, Leviticus 1–16 (see above note 4) 253.

56 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 112–118.

57 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 119–131.

58 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 131–136.

59 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 322–328.

60 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 326.

61 M. B. Hundley, Keeping Heaven on Earth. Safeguarding the Divine Presence in the Priestly Tabernacle, FAT II 50, Tübingen 2011, 191.

62 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 136.

63 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 509.

64 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 380.

65 According to T. Hieke, Levitikus, 377, there are two other occasions in the Pentateuch when Aaron is addressed alone by YHWH, namely Exodus 4:27 and Numbers 18:1, 8 and 20. J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 505 and 515, only mentions Numbers 18.

66 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 510.

67 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 511.

68 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 381. See C. Frevel, “Und Mose hörte (es), und es war gut in seinen Augen” (Lev 10,20). Zum Verhältnis von Literargeschichte, Theologieschichte und innerbiblischer Auslegung am Beispiel van Lev 10, in: Müllner, I. et al. (eds.), Gottes Name(n). Zum Gedenken an Erich Zenger, HBS 71, Freiburg 2012, 104–136.

69 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 385.

70 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 385.

71 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 522.

72 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 390–391; J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 538.

73 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 392.

74 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 539.

75 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 542, prefers to translate “clean” and “unclean” with “pure” and “polluted”.

76 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 539.

77 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 393.

78 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 525.

79 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10, 517 and 551; T. Hieke, Levitikus, 398. See, C. Nihan, Priestly Torah (see above note 15) 602–607.

80 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 402–536.

81 C. Nihan, Priestly Torah (see above note 15) 283–301; id. The Laws about Clean and Unclean Animals in Leviticus and Deuteronomy and Their Place in the Formation of the Pentateuch, in: T. B. Dozeman et al. (eds.), The Pentateuch: International Perspectives on Current Research, FAT 78, Tübingen 2011, 401–432.

82 N. S. Meshel, Food for Thought: Systems of Categorization in Leviticus 11, HThR 101, 2008, 203–229.

83 See also similar arguments presented by myself. E. E. Meyer, Leviticus 11, Deuteronomy 14 and Directionality, Journal for Semitics 23, 2014, 71–89.

84 R. Achenbach, Zur Systematik der Speisegebote in Leviticus 11 und in Deuteronomium 14, ZAR 17, 2011, 162–209.

85 See also J. Milgrom, Leviticus 1–16 (see above note 4) 698–704. Or, E. E. Meyer, Leviticus 11 (see above note 83) 86, for the persuasive aspects of the arguments presented by Achenbach and Milgrom.

86 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 612–613.

87 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 569–570.

88 See, for instance, Zenger, E. / Frevel, C., Die Bücher Levitikus und Numeri als Teile der Pentateuchkomposition, in: Römer, Leviticus (see above note 20) 35–74.

89 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 571. See also B. Jürgens, Heiligkeit und Versöhnung. Levitikus 16 in seinem literarischen Kontext, HBS 28, Freiburg 2001, 180–186. Leviticus 16, for instance, introduces the issue of the גר, which is not found in 1–15, but becomes an important issue in the rest of the Holiness Code. Similarly Leviticus 17:11 uses the verb כפר, which occurs often in Leviticus 1–16, but only twice in the rest of the Holiness Code.

90 J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 44.

91 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 612–613. The quote is from O. Artus, Die Pentateuch-Gesetze, in: Römer, T. et al. (eds.), Einleitung in das Alte Testament. Die Bücher der Hebräischen Bibel und die alttestamentlichen Schriften der katholischen, protestantischen und ortodoxen Kirchen. Zürich 2013, 172.

92 See my own attempt to describe the difference between the Holiness Code and the first 16 chapters. E. E. Meyer, From Cult to Community: The two Halves of Leviticus, Verbum et Ecclesia 34, 2013, 1–7.

93 See also J. W. Watts, Leviticus 1–10 (see above note 22) 14–15, where he uses the parallels between chapters 18 and 20 to show that Didier Luciani's structure of Leviticus is rather forced. D. Luciani, Sainteté et pardon. Vol. 1: Structure littéraire du Lévitique. Vol. 2: Guide technique, BETL 185, Leuven 2005.

94 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 643

95 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 644–645.

96 See E. Otto, Innerbiblische Exegese (see above note 9) 172, for the complete list.

97 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 645.

98 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 710–711.

99 I am not convinced that there is. Is the text not simply stating that YHWH chose this people from amongst many nations to have a special relationship with him? Verse 5 also makes the relationship very much conditional. T. B. Dozeman, Exodus, Eerdmans Critical Commentary, Grand Rapids, MI 2009, 443–446in his commentary on these verses does not share this interpretation. Yes, he links these verses with Leviticus 19:2, but he does not identify any notion of Israel representing YHWH before the nations.

100 T. Hieke, Levitikus (see above note 21) 806–807.

101 See C. Nihan, Priestly Torah (see above note 15) 458–459, where he emphasises the fact that Leviticus 20:22–26 links with the laws of Leviticus 11 and now makes explicit what was implicit in Leviti cus 11, namely the purpose of separation from the nations.

102 T. Hieke, Levitikus, 1098.

103 See T. Hieke, Levitikus, 934–935, for an overview of how the “holy times” in Leviticus 23 developed in Judaism and Christianity, and how it was interpreted in the New Testament. Still, its influence is felt even today in the secular world.

104 See T. Hieke, Levitikus, 867, where he uses chapters 21–22 to argue that some principles mutatis mutandis could stimulate modern-day debates. Or see p. 1045, where he engages with relevance of the Jubilee.

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