Ḥesed and the New Testament
An Intertextual Categorization Study
Karen Nelson
In the Hebrew Bible, ḥesed (steadfast love, loyalty, devotion) denotes an important concept that is relevant to interpersonal relationships in every generation. In this book, Karen Nelson investigates New Testament engagement with that concept and the exegetical value of recognizing such engagement.
- Description
- Bio
- Table of Contents
- Sample Chapters
This investigation employs an original hybrid of two methodological approaches: intertextuality, used to consider how New Testament authors appropriate texts that evoke ḥesed or ḥāsîd, and categorization, used to analyze and compare instances of the categories ḥsd and ḥsyd within the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. Nelson’s work challenges assertions that the New Testament equivalent of ḥesed is agapē (love) or charis (grace). Rather, she contends that ḥesed and ḥāsîd are more likely to be evoked by the terms with which they are most often rendered in the Septuagint: eleos and hosios, respectively. Nelson rereads selected New Testament pericopes in light of ḥesed, highlighting points about ongoing devotion to kinship and covenantal relationships often overlooked in those contexts and showing how New Testament authors and figures utilize the ḥesed tradition to critique the contemporary socioreligious situation and encourage belief, enduring commitment, and appropriately changed lifestyles.
Addressing a topic that spans the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, this study will be of value to biblical scholars, especially those who are interested in semantics.
Karen Nelson is an ordained minister in the Presbyterian Church of Aotearoa New Zealand.
List of Tables
Preface
Acknowledgements
List of Abbreviations
Typographical Conventions for Intertextual Categorization
Chapter 1. Ḥesed and the New Testament: Goal, Obstacles, and Responses
1.1 Recovering Ḥesed
1.2 Obstacles and Responses
Chapter 2. An Intertextual Categorization Study: Methodological Approaches
2.1 Intertextuality
2.2 Categorization
2.3 Intertextual Categorization and Ḥesed
Chapter 3. Interpersonal Relationships in Ancient Israel: The Domain of Ḥesed
Chapter 4. Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible and Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
4.1 Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible
4.2 Ḥsd in Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
Chapter 5. Ḥsyd in the Hebrew Bible and Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
5.1 Ḥsyd in the Hebrew Bible
5.2 Ḥsyd in Other Literature of the Second Temple Period
Chapter 6. Greek Words That Evoke Ḥsd or Ḥsyd
6.1 Eleos
6.2 Hosios
6.3 New Testament Occurrences of Eleos and Hosios
Chapter 7. Eleos in Matthew’s Gospel: A Weighty Matter of the Law
7.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Matthew’s Gospel and Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible
7.1 The Category ḤSD in Matthew’s Gospel
7.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category ḤSD in Matthew’s Gospel
7.4 Conclusions
Chapter 8. Eleos in Paul’s Letters: The Reason for Gentiles Glorifying God
8.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Paul’s Letters and Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible
8.2 The Category ḤSD in Romans and Galatians
8.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category ḤSD in Romans and Galatians
8.4 Conclusions
Chapter 9. Eleos in Luke’s Gospel: A Basis for Remembered Promises and Neighborly Actions
9.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Luke’s Gospel and Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible
9.2 The Category ḤSD in Luke’s Gospel
9.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category ḤSD in Luke’s Gospel
9.4 Conclusions
Chapter 10. Eleos in Other New Testament Books: Characteristic of God, Reason for Hope
10.1 Intertextual Connections Between Eleos in Hebrews, James, First Peter, Second John, and Jude and Ḥsd in the Hebrew Bible
10.2 The Category ḤSD in First Peter 1:3–2:10
10.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category ḤSD in First Peter 1:3–2:10
10.4 Conclusions
Chapter 11. Hosios in Acts: A Gift and Promises Concerning David and His Descendant
11.1 Intertextual Connections Between Hosios in Acts and Ḥsd or Ḥsyd in the Hebrew Bible
11.2 The Categories ḤSD and ḤSYD in Acts
11.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Categories ḤSD and ḤSYD in Acts
11.4 Conclusions
Chapter 12. Hosios in Other New Testament Books: A Description of the One Who Makes Faithful and Righteous Judgments
12.1 Intertextual Connections Between Hosios in First Timothy, Titus, Hebrews, and Revelation and Ḥsyd in the Hebrew Bible
12.2 The Category ḤSYD in Revelation 15–16
12.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing Engagement with the Category ḤSYD in Revelation 15–16
12.4 Conclusions
Chapter 13. ḤSD, ḤSYD, Eleos, and Hosios in the New Testament
13.1 The Categories ḤSD and ḤSYD in the New Testament
13.2 Eleos in the New Testament
13.3 Hosios in the New Testament
Chapter 14. Ḥesed and the New Testament: Conclusions and Outlook
14.1 Evidence of New Testament Engagement with the Concept Corresponding to Ḥesed
14.2 Aspects of New Testament Engagement with the Concept Corresponding to Ḥesed
14.3 Exegetical Value of Recognizing New Testament Engagement with the Concept Corresponding to Ḥesed
14.4 Conclusion
14.5 Limitations and Implications
Appendixes
1. Hebrew Bible Occurrences of חסד and חסיד
2. LXX Occurrences of ἔλεος, ἐλεέω, and ὅσιος
3. Occurrences of חסד and חסיד in the Dead Sea Scrolls and Sirach
Bibliography
Index
Download a PDF sample chapter here: Chapter1
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