The Wiley-Blackwell Companion to Ancient Israel by Niditch Susan;

Author:Niditch, Susan;
Language: eng
Format: epub
ISBN: 9781118774021
Publisher: John Wiley & Sons, Incorporated
Published: 2015-10-04T00:00:00+00:00

Literary Portrayals of Yahweh

The Hebrew Bible asks, “Who is like Yahweh?”, but modern scholars have often sought to understand how Yahweh is like other ancient Near Eastern deities. Specifically, how does the Hebrew Bible's poetic description of Yahweh and his exploits compare with the literary depictions of other gods in Near Eastern (especially Ugaritic) mythological literature? The character of Yahweh avoids most of the dramatic excesses of polytheistic myth even as Hebrew poetry utilizes the divine imagery of Canaanite literature. Just as ancient Near Eastern hymns to any deity extol their many virtues in hyperbolic fashion, so the Hebrew Bible consistently portrays a dignified and admirable Yahweh, with few exceptions (e.g., Job 1–2). This section accordingly explores biblical and epigraphic sources for the literary characterization of Yahweh as the national god of Israel in the context of a common Near Eastern repertoire of divine imagery and poetic descriptions.

The definitive revelation of Yahweh's name occurs at Mount Horeb (or Sinai) in Exodus 3:13–16 when Moses asks in whose divine name he is to approach Pharaoh. Since Pharaoh ostensibly recognizes a pantheon of divine beings, which particular god has sent Moses? Yahweh's explanation of his eternal name, however, is more of a riddle than an exposition of the divine character. In interpreting his name, Yahweh offers Moses a folk etymology or pun by referring to a different Hebrew verbal root (hyh) than the divine name's actual root (hwh). The enigmatic statement, “I am that I am” (3:15), is a first-person play on the name Yahweh, understood here as the third-person verbal form, “He who is” (Exod. 3:16). This convoluted explanation does little to clarify who Yahweh is. Yahweh is further equated with El Shadday, the god of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob (Exod. 6:2–3), who now makes himself known to Israel by intervening in history to free his chosen people from Egyptian slavery. Pharaoh will come to recognize Yahweh by his actions in history.

The intrinsic character of Yahweh is more fully expounded in the theophany of Exodus 34:6–7:

Yahweh, Yahweh,

a God merciful and gracious

slow to anger

and abounding in steadfast love and faithfulness;

keeping steadfast love for the thousandth generation,

forgiving iniquity and transgression and sin;

yet by no means clearing the guilty …

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