Sheffield Old Testament Guides: Jonah and Lamentations
Overview
The book of Jonah stands firmly in the Old Testament tradition, but the genre and aim of its author are not easy to discern. Salters stresses the authenticity of Jonah’s message to the Ninevites, along with their need for repentance, and Yahweh’s mercy. The purpose of the book must lie in a combination of these themes. Lamentations is a neglected book, perhaps because it has been associated with the book of Jeremiah and considered almost as an appendix. On the question of genre, it has the closest affinities with the Psalms of lament. However, whereas Psalms of lament are usually generic and tend to distance themselves from historical events, the five chapters of Lamentations have been written firmly within the context of the Fall of Jerusalem. While gloom abounds, the faith of the author of Lamentations shines through. He is a practical monotheist, says Salters, who interprets the catastrophe of the fall of Jerusalem in the light of his faith.
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Top Highlights
“anything found in the Bible, it is believed, is almost bound to be factual” (Page 41)
“While great sadness pervades the book, and while the poet is evidently moved and sickened by the horrors of the situation, there is little sign of doubt displayed.” (Page 113)
“the faith of the poet has not been abandoned, that Yahweh is still his God.” (Page 112)
“part of the reason has to do with the unusual episode of the fish.” (Page 16)
“date for the composition in favour of a post-exilic date.” (Page 23)
- Title: Sheffield Old Testament Guides: Jonah and Lamentations
- Author: Robert B. Salters
- Publisher: Sheffield Academic Press
- Publication Date: 1994
- Pages: 122