Download - Cultural influence on biblical reading
The Ancient Near East:Hyperbolic Speech in Scripture
a strange greeting….
“You have extremely honored me
by coming into my abode.
I am not worthy of it.
This house is yours;
you may burn it if you wish…
a strange greeting…
…My children are
also at your disposal;
I would sacrifice them all
for your pleasure.”*
*Abraham Rihbany, The Syrian Christ
Things to know…
• Scripture is embedded in its native culture
• Writers from a different culture
• The Bible uses ANE writing conventions
If anyone comes to Me,
and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife
and children and brothers
and sisters, yes, and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:26 NASB
modern outlooks
Does Scripture teach us to hate?
Everyone who hates his brother
is a murderer; and you know
that no murderer has eternal life
abiding in him.
1 John 3:15
Hyperbole
As in Modern Semitic cultures, ANE cultures made heavy use of hyperbole.
Hyperbole – exaggerated or extravagant terms used for emphasis and not intended to be understood literally; self-conscious exaggeration.*
R.A. Lanham, A Handlist of Rhetorical Terms, 2nd ed.
Speaking of hyperbole, one Christian writer notes:
“…this is simply reflective of typical "extremist" expression of the period… which is only extremist from our "moderate" perspective and social world.”*
James P. Holding, Are insults and satire "un-Christian"?
Ramses III
“I slew the Denyon in
their islands, while the Tjekker
and Philistines were made ashes.
The Sherden and the Washesh
of the sea were made non-existent…”
Ramses III
“…[they were] captured
all together and brought
on captivity to Egypt like
the sands of the shore.”*
* Moshe & Trude Dothan, Peoples of the Sea, 27
another Bible verse…
He captured Agag the king
of the Amalekites alive,
and utterly destroyed all
the people with the
edge of the sword.
1 Samuel 15:8
Questions to ponder…
Does the Bible mean what it says?
Which parts can I trust?
Any deeper significance?
Questions to ponder…
Yes, but it uses ANE conventions
Which parts can I trust?
Any deeper significance?
Questions to ponder…
Yes, but it uses ANE conventions
With few exceptions, all of them
Any deeper significance?
Questions to ponder…
Yes, but it uses ANE conventions
With few exceptions, all of them
Luke 14:26 in context
Luke 14:26 in context
“[But] this point hardly diminishes
the offensiveness of this saying
in a society where honor
of parents was considered
virtually the highest obligation…”
Luke 14:26 in context
“…and one’s family was usually
one’s greatest joy….in Jewish
tradition, only God openly
demanded such wholesale
devotion as Jesus claims here.”*
*Craig S. Keener, The IVP Background Commentary
If anyone comes to Me,
and does not hate his own
father and mother and wife
and children and brothers
and sisters, yes, and even his own life,
he cannot be My disciple.
Luke 14:26
Did you notice…?
Semitic use of hyperbole?
The oppositional treatment between God and the family unit?
That Jesus expected a commitment only reserved for God?
Have a Merry Christmas