Patterns of Sin in the Hebrew Bible: Metaphor, Culture, and the Making of a Religious Concept (Hardback)

Joseph Lam (author)

£72.00

Hardback 328 Pages / Published: 28/01/2016

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Synopsis

Sin, often defined as a violation of divine will, remains a crucial idea in contemporary moral and religious discourse. The apparent familiarity of the concept, however, obscures its origins within the history of Western religious thought. This book examines a watershed moment in the development of sin as an idea-namely, within the language and culture of ancient Israel-by examining the primary metaphors used for sin in the Hebrew Bible. Drawing from contemporary theoretical insights coming out of linguistics and philosophy of language, this book offers a comprehensive look at four patterns of metaphor that pervade the biblical texts: sin as burden, sin as an account, sin as path or direction, and sin as stain or impurity. In exploring the permutations of these metaphors and their development within the biblical corpus, the book offers a compelling account of how a religious and theological concept emerges out of the everyday thought-world of ancient Israel. Key aspects of the approach to metaphor adopted in this book, such as the patterning of metaphor, the notion of metaphorical construal, and how metaphors become lexicalized over time, also have important ramifications for the study of biblical and ancient Near Eastern texts more broadly.

Publisher: Oxford University Press Inc
ISBN: 9780199394647
Number of pages: 328
Weight: 578 g
Dimensions: 241 x 167 x 28 mm

MEDIA REVIEWS

[T]his sophisticated treatment of the metaphors for sin in the HB represents a significant advance in the state of research. The judicious discussions of the linguistic evidence will serve as a valuable resource for future research on the conceptual background for ancient Israelite views of the moral order. * Yitzhaq Feder, Journal of Religion *
This volume represents a significant contribution to studies on biblical metaphor and on the concept of sin in the Hebrew Bible and in ancient Israelite religion. Lam's study is focused and well substantiated; it addresses and responds to relevant issues and questions...Lam provides a foundation for further exploration of these trends and patterns, of ways in which less-pervasive metaphors function within the texts and corpora, and of ways in which these metaphors are applied or reinterpreted in later religious communities. * Lesley DiFransico, Catholic Biblical Quarterly *
Because much of the book deals with the technicalities of metaphorical language, it will best serve linguists and translators. Nonetheless, this analysis permits Lam to draw a number of interpretive conclusions that will interest a wider readership. * Mark E. Biddle, Interpretation: A Journal of Bible and Theology *
The book is wide-ranging and contains a wealth of insight and analysis. It is well written and presented, and although it will be most accessible to readers familiar with Hebrew, others will be able to follow the argument. Hebrew texts and other primary sources are given in transliteration with English translation...In summary, this is a significant contribution which will repay careful study by anyone with interests in the concept of sin or metaphor theory in the Hebrew Bible. * Themelios *