The present study investigates one of the theologically most significant, but at the same time exegetically most debated passages of the Hebrew Bible: the promise of YHWH to Abraham in Gen 12:3b (and related texts). Most previous studies of this text argue that the niph‘al form of ברך should be interpreted either as a passive (‘to be blessed’; also followed by the ancient bible-translations, as well as by Gal 3:8 in the New Testament), a medial (‘to gain blessing’), or a reflexive (‘to bless oneself’). However, these translations are grammatically and theologically problematic.
Balogh Csaba
În studiul Vechiului Testament textele primare din cultura vechiului Orientul Apropiat reprezintă cea mai importantă sursă de informații. Vechiul Testament s-a născut într-un context care prin tradiția sa literară se leagă pe nenumărate puncte de structura și ideologia textelor orientale. Scopul cercetării este pregătirea unei ediții bilingve anotate de culegeri reprezentative de texte scrise în limba acadică, care îl va ajuta pe cititorul Vechiului Testament în a înțelege lumea de gândire și particularitățile lingvistice ale acestuia.
In the study of the Old Testament (Hebrew Bible), the texts of the Ancient Near East are of primary importance. The Old Testament was written in a context which is connected with thousands of ties to the societies of the ancient world of the Fertile Crescent. The close connection between the Bible and the Near East is often explicitly marked by the biblical authors. On other occasions, further research is required to highlight the parallells. This research aims to make availablea representative collection of ancient texts in translation to Hungarian students and readers of the Bible. The translation is accompanied with the necessary annotations underlining the parallels between the biblical texts and its Near Eastern counterparts.
Isa 8:16 is considered a key reference regarding the formation of the book of Isaiah and the role of prophetic disciples in this process. This article argues, however, that originally this verse had a more limited significance. The instruction to which v. 16 refers is to be identified with vv. 12-15 rather than an early ‘book’ of Isaiah. The expression ‘the instructed ones’ (of YHWH rather than the prophet) is applied to the prophet’s audience.