JOURNAL ARTICLE

Standing Before God in the Hebrew Bible: Rhetorically Centering Individuals' Petitions at the Dedication of the Temple (1 Kgs 8).

  • Published In: Rhetorica, 2024, v. 42, n. 3. P. 217 1 of 3

  • Database: Academic Search Ultimate 2 of 3

  • Authored By: Charney, Davida H. 3 of 3

Abstract

The Hebrew Bible accords great moral agency to the collective "children of Israel." Its discourse focuses as much on the attitudes, words and actions of the nation as on those of kings, priests, or prophets, let alone ordinary individuals. Yet key texts emphasize that God's covenant is forged with individuals. The relative priorities of individuals vs. the nation are nowhere stated explicitly. However, a remarkable text, King Solomon's dedicatory address for the Jerusalem Temple in 1 Kgs 8, suggests that they have equal claim on God's attention. Solomon authorizes seven types of petitions, half for individuals and half for the nation. The importance of individuals' petitions is heightened through four distinctive rhetorical strategies—sequence, amplitude, narrative time, and billing. Implications are sketched for understanding the Hebrew Bible's conception of identity, agency, and moral character. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Additional Information

  • Source:Rhetorica. 2024/07, Vol. 42, Issue 3, p217
  • Document Type:Article
  • Subject Area:Literature and Writing
  • Publication Date:2024
  • ISSN:0734-8584
  • DOI:10.1353/rht.2024.a950944
  • Accession Number:183086409
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