Special Issue IOSOT 2013 - Books and Journals

S. Japhet / Vetus Testamentum IOSOT (2013) 36-76 67
Both the phrase and the theological conception it expresses are missing. The
temple is built “for God” and not “for his name” as in Ezr. i 2;158 iv 1, 3.159
The question as whether the stylistic change is due to theological differences
must remain unanswered for the time being. But the stylistic fact itself is
nonetheless conspicuous.
בלב שלם,‏ בכל לבב ובכל נפש .H
A specific theological trait peculiar to the Chr. is the constant insistence on
the piety of the Judean kings and people.160 Not only are their pious deeds
fully described but strong stress is laid upon the fact that all their deeds were
בלב done “with a whole heart”. The religious disposition is described mainly by
with‏“—בכל all his heart and with לבבו ובכל נפשו heart”. with‏“—שלם a whole
all his soul”, רצונם ‏—בכל “with their whole desire” and others. These expressions
are not specifically late but they are peculiar to the Chr.’s style.
בלב שלם
The expression is found only in Kings (5 times)161 and Chr. (8 times). It was
presumably taken by the Chr. from Kings162 but only once does it occur in Chr.
in a parallel text (2 Chr. xv 17 // 1 Ki. xv 15). All the other instances are his own:
1 Chr. xii 38; xxviii 9; xxix 9; 19; 2 Chr. xv 9; xix 9; xxv 2.163
בכל לבבו ובכל נפשו
This expression, as well, is frequent in Deuteronomistic style;164 it was adopted
by the Chr. and became a conspicuous sign of his style.
158) The verse is taken from the edict of Cyrus which belongs in every respect to Ezr.-Neh. The
insertion of a part of it into 2 Chr. xxxvi 23-24 is no doubt secondary.
159) The phrase “to build a house for/to God” does occur occasionally in Chr. but is secondary in
importance and use. In the parallel texts it occurs a few times in 1 Chr. xvii // 2 Sam. vii and also
in 1 Chr. xxii 5, 6; 2 Chr. ii 5, 11.
160) Great stress is laid upon religious reformations (Asa, Jehoshapat, Hezekiah), cultic activities,
etc. Some of the kings, as Abia and Menassah, even receive rehabilitation and the evils of others,
as Rehoboam, are mitigated. Cf. Y. Kaufmann, op. cit. (p. 346, n. 2) VIII p. 457, p. 480.
161) 1 Ki. viii 61; xi 4; xv 3, 14; 2 Ki. xx 3 // Isa. xxxviii 3.
162) The expression belongs, it seems, to the Deuteronomistic framework of Kings, but is not
found in Deuteronomy. It is a further example, though a minor one, of the difference between
the two.
163) It differs in this point from the parallel text in 2 Ki. xiv 3.
164) In Deut. itself it recurs about ten times. The phrase in full is: “with all your heart and with all
your soul and with all your might” (Deut. vi 5). But the full expression does not appear in Chr.