Special Issue IOSOT 2013 - Books and Journals

S. Japhet / Vetus Testamentum IOSOT (2013) 36-76 71
המון .M
In early biblical literature the noun המון is more prevalent in poetry than in
prose.179 In the prose of Chr. it occurs ten times in various contexts180 and
nowhere in Ezr.-Neh.181
עשר וכבוד .N
This is another phrase which the Chr. has taken from earlier sources182 and
absorbed into his style. The עשר of 1 Ki. iii 11 and the עשר וכבוד of 1 Ki. iii 13 are
turned into עשר נכסים וכבוד in 2 Chr. i 11, 12.
The “riches and honour” form an important part of success: David has died
‎183‎‏(שבע ימים עשר וכבוד)‏ honour” “in a good old age full of days, riches and
(1 Chr. xxix 28) and it was also the sign of success of Jehoshaphat and Hezekiah
(2 Chr. xvii 5; xviii 1; xxxii 27). It is explicitly described as God’s blessing: “Both
riches and honour come from thee” (1 Chr. xxix 12). This phrase too does not
occur in Ezr.-Neh.
2. Ezra-Nehemiah
כיד אלהים הטובה על .A
The expression “the hand of my God was good upon me” is a characteristic
phrase of Ezr.-Neh. It recurs several times in the various literary parts of the
book, and it is not found elsewhere in the O.T.
The full phrase occurs in Ezr. vii 9; viii 18, 22; Neh. ii 8, 18.
Twice more it is used eliptically, with the omission of “good”: Ezr. vii 28;
viii 31.
The exact semantic development which formed this peculiar expression is
not attested to in the O.T.184 However, its use in Ezr.-Neh. is variegated, lively,
179) But we cannot regard its use in early prose as exceptional. It does occur once in Jud. 5 times
in Sam. and 5 times in Kings. It is, however, most typical of Ez.’s style, where it occurs over
25 times.
180) 1 Chr. xxix 16; 2 Chr. xi 23; xiii 8; xiv 10; xx 2, 12, 15, 24; xxxi 10; xxxii 7. Cf. Driver, op. cit.,
p. 504.
181) It does occur in Dan.: in x 6, xi 10, 11 (twice), 12, 13.
182) Found mainly in the Wisdom Literature, i.e., Prov. iii 16, viii 18, etc. Cf. also Driver, op. cit.,
p. 504.
183) Cf. Gen. xxv 8: “and died in a good old age, an old man and full of days”. The specific Chr.’s
addition is made to a literary formula.
184) In its wording it resembles most closely the phrase ה׳ היתה על“‏ ‏”יד and actually it does occur
twice in this form (Ezr. vii 28, viii 31). However, ה׳ היתה על“‏ ‏”יד generally denotes the power of
God which is resting on a person and compels him to perform certain actions. For example: “And