The Rhetorical Function of the Book of Ezekiel

THE RHETORICAL FUNCTION OF THE BOOK OF EZEKIEL......Page 4
Contents......Page 6
Acknowledgements......Page 10
Bibliographic Abbreviations......Page 12
Commentaries on the Book of Ezekiel......Page 16
A. The Methodological Perspective......Page 20
B. The Methodological Programme......Page 30
1. The Origin of the Book in the Rhetorical Activity of Ezekiel......Page 33
2. Levels of Communication in the Book of Ezekiel......Page 38
(a) The Rhetorical Unit......Page 41
(c) The Rhetorical Disposition......Page 42
(d) The Rhetorical Techniques......Page 43
(f) The Logic of the Steps in Rhetorical Analysis......Page 44
A. Perspectives from the History of Research......Page 46
B. Perspectives from the Rhetorical Situation Within the Book......Page 58
C. A Social and Social-Psychological Perspective......Page 61
A. The Rhetorical Disposition of the Book of Ezekiel......Page 76
B. An Outline of the First Part of the Book of Ezekiel (Chaps. 1-24)......Page 80
1. The First Cycle (Chaps. 1-7): Presenting the Case......Page 82
2. The Second Cycle (Chaps. 8-13): Countering Objections......Page 87
3. The Third Cycle (Chaps. 14-19): Challenging the Readers......Page 91
4. The Fourth Cycle (Chaps. 20-24): Summarising the Argument......Page 101
C. An Outline of the Second Part of the Book of Ezekiel (Chaps. 25-32)......Page 112
D. An Outline of the Third Part of the Book of Ezekiel (Chaps. 33-48)......Page 120
IV Rhetorical Techniques Used in the Book to Support the Argument......Page 150
A. The Creation of a Theocentric Narrative......Page 151
B. The Use of Legal Traditions in the Narrative......Page 160
C. The Use of Emotive Language......Page 163
D. The Narrative Slows Down: Chap. 24......Page 167
E. Summing up the First Part of the Book: The Watchman Motif......Page 179
F. The Salvation Passages in the First Half of the Book......Page 181
G. The Fate of Jerusalem in 587 BC......Page 196
1. Preliminary Observations......Page 197
2. The Symbolic Acts in Chaps. 4-5......Page 199
3. The Oracles in Chaps. 5-7......Page 202
4. Visions of Judgement: Chaps. 8-11......Page 204
5. The Two Sign Acts in Chap. 12......Page 207
6. Total Judgement and Survivors......Page 209
7. The Fate of Jerusalem in Chaps. 15-23: An Overview......Page 212
8. Conclusion......Page 217
H. The Exiles Between Life and Death......Page 218
1. The Use of עם and גוי in the Book of Ezekiel......Page 229
2. The Designation ישראל in the Book of Ezekiel......Page 237
J. The Silences of the Book......Page 241
V The Rhetorical Effectiveness of the Book......Page 248
A. Was the Book a Fitting Response to the Rhetorical Situation?......Page 250
B. What Happened After the Exile?......Page 254
C. Whose Interests Might Have Been Served Originally?......Page 261
D. Why was the Book Preserved?......Page 264
Conclusion......Page 268
Bibliography......Page 272
Index of Authors Cited......Page 296
Index of Biblical Texts......Page 301
Index of Selected Hebrew Words and Phrases......Page 313
Index of Selected Subjects......Page 315