Page - 30 - in JRFM - Journal Religion Film Media, Volume 02/01

30 | Johanna Stiebert www.jrfm.eu 2016, 2/1, 23–33 Talmud, moreover, this emphasis is reconfirmed by the prominence of the expression bat qôl, literally “daughter of a voice”. God, over time, thus becomes less visible and increasingly more auditory. Let me make this clearer. Ostensibly, the voice of God seems less controversial than the body of God – without, however, explaining how a voice exists in the ab- sence of a body. God’s voice throughout the Hebrew Bible is resoundingly prominent. In Genesis 1 God is rather active – he creates, hovers, sees, separates, calls, makes, sets, and blesses – but above all he says, and his speaking brings into being. Psalm 33, referring back to the events of this majestic chapter, intones, “by the word of YHWH heavens were made … because he spoke, and it was so” (vv. 6, 9). Psalm 29 is almost entirely about the voice (qôl) of YHWH, which is over the waters (v. 3); it is powerful and full of majesty (v. 4); it breaks the cedars (v. 5) and flashes forth fire (v. 7), shakes the wilderness (v. 8) and causes either the oaks to whirl or the deer to calve (v. 9) (the Hebrew is difficult and ambiguous). Elsewhere, memorably, God’s voice calls from the burning bush (Exod. 3:4) and booms from Job’s whirlwind (Job 38). God’s prophets, while sometimes called seers, who report visions, also receive God’s messages au- rally, frequently stating “so says YHWH” (kōh ’āmar YHWH), , which punctuates, for instance, the first chapter of Amos (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 13), or “hear the word of YHWH” (shim‘û debar-YHWH, e.g. Isa. 1:10; cf. “the word of YHWH came to me”, e.g. Jer. 1:11, 13). Moreover, the Torah and Nevi’im express particular disgust at false gods, or idols, with bodies of stone and wood “that neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smell” (Deut. 4:28) – that is, they have a body but no life and no speech (cf. Deut. 29:17; Hab. 2:19). It is ambivalent and contested whether God has a form or body, but unambiguous that God has a powerful voice. The human voice has the capacity to be imbued by the divine. When called to proph- esy Isaiah has his guilt removed and is rendered fit for duty by a live coal from the altar touched to his mouth (Isa. 6:6–7). The hand of God touches the prophet Jeremiah’s mouth (Jer. 1:9) and the prophet Ezekiel is raised to his feet by God’s voice (Ezek. 2:2) and is given a scroll to consume (Ezek. 3:1–3). All become channels for God’s words.25 In Proverbs God’s mouth imparts knowledge and understanding (Prov. 2:6) and wise teachers pass it on with their words (Prov. 4:10; 7:1). Much of didactic material in the Hebrew Bible is concerned with proper speech and with controlling speech, notably in the book of Proverbs. The wise have judicious speech (Prov. 16:23), and pleasant words are like honeycomb, healing for the body (Prov. 16:24). Rash words are harm- ful (Prov. 12:18). Those who guard their mouths preserve their lives (Prov. 13:3), and those who spare words are judicious (Prov. 17:27) – plus, my favourite, to be heeded by academics in particular, “even fools keeping mum are considered wise; in closing their lips, they are deemed intelligent” (Prov. 17:28). 25 Moses’ shining face (Exod. 34:29–35) transmits something of God in a visual and striking way. The transmission of God’s word is depicted more regularly with reference to prophecy.