Some thoughts on Raymond C. van Leeuwen‘s interpretation of Hos 14:10
By
Schart, Aaron (2012-11-19)
Source
Leeuwen, Raymond C. van: Scribal Wisdom and Theodicy in the Book of the Twelve
In: L. G. Perdue, B. B. Scott and W. J. Wiseman (ed.): In Search of Wisdom. Westminster / John Knox: Louisville, KY,
1993, 31-49.
Comments
On page 36 van Leeuwen begins to present his observations concerning Hos 14:10. In what follows I
present his propositions and my comments on them.
1.
p. 36: >>The first explicit redactional sign of the theodicy is the well-known wisdom admonition that
concludes Hosea:
Whoever is wise, let him understand these things;
whoever is discerning, let him know them;
for the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them. (Hos 14:10 [Eng. 14:9])<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The translation stems from the RSV (note 18). This translation does not adequately represent that the
first half of the verse is a double question.
2.
p. 36: >> Gerald Sheppard has discussed the final redaction, wisdom character of this passage./24/<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The two halves of the verse need to be studied separately. The wisdom character of the first half is
obvious, because terminology, form and mood are found in Proverbs, whereas these characteristics
cannot be found in Hosea.
However, the second half is different. The words ‫ י ְשָׁ ִ֞רים‬and ‫ צַדקים‬are many times attested in proverbs,
but the phrase “ways of YHWH” is not. As already Hans Walter Wolff has noted, the second part picks up
dtr language. However, if one uses a broad definition of “wisdom”, as van Leeuwen explicitly does, the
wisdom character is probable.
In addition, it is unclear, how the general statement in 10b relates to the double question. It is probably
meant as an answer to the question. But how can that be exactly?
3.
p. 36: >> The redactor's creation of Hos 14:10 is inexplicable apart from the use of Exodus 32-34
(especially 34:6-7) in Joel and Jonah. Nor can Hos 14:10 be understood apart from the doxology that
concludes the first half of the Twelve (Mic 7:18-20), a text that again uses Exod 34:6.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
I have not read that before, so I am curious about the arguments.
4.
p. 36: >> After the debacle of the golden calf, and after much intercession, Moses requests of the Lord,
"Let me know your ways, that I may know you" (Exod 33:13, my trans.). This request, as the narrative
sequence indicates (33:17-19; 34:5-9), occasions the revelation of YHWH's name and bipolar attributes
that are the "ways" of YHWH in dealing with sinful humans.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The Masoretic Text in Ex 33,13 is not in order. The consonants of ‫ דְ ָׁר ֶ֔כָך‬suggest the singular rather than
the plural that is vocalized by the Masoretes. The Septuagint, who probably gives a free translation,
suggests nevertheless that in 33,13 and 33,18 the same Hebrew expression was used.
Moses’ request in 33,13 is only one step in a series of petitions concerning YHWH’s presence. The final
petition comes in 33,18 and asks for YHWH’s ‫כָׁבוֺד‬. However, this reading is also secondary. The original
text must have had ‫ פָׁ נים‬as can be inferred from the answer in 33,20. Ex 34,5 picks up the verb ‫ נצב‬from
Ex 33,21, what strengthens the impression that the revelation of YHWHs essence reacts to Moses’ final
request. The revelation of YHWHs character substitutes his personal appearance, but is not an equivalent
of the “ways of YHWH”.
In sum, Ex 33 cannot count as evidence for the thesis that “the ways of YHWH” denote YHWHs bipolar
essence.
5.
p. 37: >> This "knowing" of YHWH's "ways" appears in Mic 4:1-5 (par. to Isa 2:1-5), a late addition to
Micah.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
Yes, in Mi 4:2a the nations, neither Israelites nor the upright persons, request that YHWH teaches them
“from his ways”. The root ‫ ידע‬does, however, not show up in Mi 4,1-5, neither does the root ‫בין‬.
And yes, Mi 4,1-5 is a late addition to the writing of Micah. There are a lot of these in Micah. What does
it mean?
6.
p. 37: >> For all the peoples walk
each in the name of its god,
but we will walk in the name of the Lord our God
for ever and ever. (Mic 4:5)
Most significantly, this verse is a redactionally expanded variant of its Isaianic parallel. It stems from the
wisdom redactor of Hos 14:10 (Eng. 14:9):
the ways of the Lord are right,
and the upright walk in them,
but transgressors stumble in them. (cf. Mic 6:7-17; Prov 10:29)<<
Comment by A. Schart:
Mi 4:5 and Hos 14:10 have in common that they both are secondary to their context and they share the
the idea of a metaphorical “walk” (root ‫ )הלך‬in relation to YHWH. But besides that the similarities are
too small to support the thesis of a same authorship.
7.
p. 37: >> This redactional line connecting Hos 14:10 to Mic 7:18-20 via Mic 4:5 is confirmed by the logic
of Psalm 25, an acrostic psalm so filled with wisdom themes and motifs that one is tempted to include it
among the wisdom psalms.”
Comment by A. Schart:
Whether Ps 25 is a wisdom psalm is a matter of how one defines “Wisdom”. Since van Leeuwen prefers a
wide definition, he can subsume Ps 25 under the wisdom psalms.
If the logic of Ps 25 were the same as that of the supposed wisdom-redactor, it indeed would add weight
to the thesis.
8.
p. 38: >> In Psalm 25, as in the end-redaction of the Twelve, the ambiguity of the key-word "way" is
exploited. It is, on the one hand, the right way for humans to live. On the other hand, it is equally the
way (or ways) in which YHWH acts toward sinners in mercy or judgment. Wise sinners know their lot is
deserving of judgment and so appeal to the positive attributes of YHWH ("for your name's sake"), as
revealed in Exod 34:6. It is the character of YHWH that Moses (Exod 33:18), the psalmist, and the
redactor of the Twelve wish to "know" and understand (cf. Ps 103:3-13). It is this "way," this "name,"
that they wish to walk in (Mic 4:5), believing it to be judgment for incorrigible rebels, but mercy and
forgiveness for the repentant.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The identification of terms from different literary passages goes to hastily and without control, e.g. is the
“way” synonym to “name”?
9.
p. 38: >>This prayer applies not only to the individual but to the nation (Ps 25:22; Exod 33:16; cf. Mic 7:710, 18-20).<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The last verse of Ps 25 indeed brings in the nation, but this is done without any preparation in the
preceding verses. Therefore, the last line should be viewed as a secondary application. Even if it were an
original part, the short notice does not give a clear picture of how Ps 25:22 and Mic 7 are interrelated.
10.
p.38: >> Immediately after an admonition appealing to the name formula, Joel 2:14 asks, "Who knows
whether he [YHWH] will not turn and repent?" And in Jonah, immediately before God relents of the evil
he is about to visit upon Nineveh, and just before Jonah's bitter complaint about God's merciful
attributes (3:10-4:2), the repentant king of Nineveh asks, "Who knows, God may yet repent and turn?"
(Jonah 3:9; cf. 1:6). The connections with Hos 14:10 are two.
 First, theologically, the wise, those instructed by the Book of the Twelve, are those who know
the ways of God, that he does forgive those who repent; they have moved beyond the
stereotypical expression of uncertainty, "Who knows ... ?/28/ to the knowledge of YHWH's
bipolar ways of mercy and justice.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
Whether the reader of the Book of the Twelve can overcome the status of uncertainty is open. Isn’t the
aim of the question in Hos 14:10 to advice the reader to be humble and to admit that YHWH has
considerable freedom in reacting to human actions and behaviour?
11.
p. 38-39: >> Second, this theological observation is buttressed by a brilliant wordplay connecting not only
Hosea to Joel and Jonah, but all three to the doxological ending of Micah. The pun has to do with the
collocated words "Who/ever" and "know" (my... yd') in each of the first three passages (Hos 14:10; Joel
2:14; Jonah 3:9).
Comment by A. Schart:
To my mind the wordplay is not so obvious. To call it “brilliant” is a little bit overstated.
12.
p. 39: >> The Micah doxology, like the other three, begins with "who" (my). But, as noted by many
commentators, the opening of the Micah passage is already a pun on the prophet's name, "Micah," a
theophoric name referring to the incomparability of YHWH ("Who is like YH/WH?"). Micah 7:18 asks,
"Who is a God like thee," and goes on to praise God for the familiar attributes of mercy, compassion, and
forgiveness from Exod 34:6 (see below). The Micah doxology ends the collection of the first six books of
the Twelve with a description of the one whose name the wise have learned to know through God's
ways as revealed by the prophets.<<
Comment by A. Schart:
The pun in Micah 7:18 is clear. However, it seems a little bit far-fetched to me to include Hos 14:10 in a
series of hidden references to the name Micah.