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30 | Johanna Stiebert www.jrfm.eu 2016, 2/1, 23â33
Talmud, moreover, this emphasis is reconfirmed by the prominence of the expression
bat qĂŽl, literally âdaughter of a voiceâ. 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 â without, however, explaining how a voice exists in the ab-
sence of a body. Godâs voice throughout the Hebrew Bible is resoundingly prominent.
In Genesis 1 God is rather active â he creates, hovers, sees, separates, calls, makes,
sets, and blesses â but above all he says, and his speaking brings into being. Psalm 33,
referring back to the events of this majestic chapter, intones, âby the word of YHWH
heavens were made ⊠because he spoke, and it was soâ (vv. 6, 9). Psalm 29 is almost
entirely about the voice (qĂŽl) 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, Godâs voice calls from the
burning bush (Exod. 3:4) and booms from Jobâs whirlwind (Job 38). Godâs prophets,
while sometimes called seers, who report visions, also receive Godâs messages au-
rally, frequently stating âso says YHWHâ (kĆh âÄmar YHWH), , which punctuates, for
instance, the first chapter of Amos (vv. 3, 6, 9, 11, 13), or âhear the word of YHWHâ
(shimâĂ» debar-YHWH, e.g. Isa. 1:10; cf. âthe word of YHWH came to meâ, e.g. Jer. 1:11,
13). Moreover, the Torah and Neviâim express particular disgust at false gods, or idols,
with bodies of stone and wood âthat neither see, nor hear, nor eat, nor smellâ (Deut.
4:28) â 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. 6:6â7). The hand of God touches the prophet Jeremiahâs
mouth (Jer. 1:9) and the prophet Ezekiel is raised to his feet by Godâs voice (Ezek. 2:2)
and is given a scroll to consume (Ezek. 3:1â3). All become channels for Godâs words.25
In Proverbs Godâs 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) â plus, my favourite, to be heeded
by academics in particular, âeven fools keeping mum are considered wise; in closing
their lips, they are deemed intelligentâ (Prov. 17:28).
25 Mosesâ shining face (Exod. 34:29â35) transmits something of God in a visual and striking way. The
transmission of Godâs word is depicted more regularly with reference to prophecy.
JRFM
Journal Religion Film Media, Band 02/01
- Titel
- JRFM
- Untertitel
- Journal Religion Film Media
- Band
- 02/01
- Autoren
- Christian Wessely
- Daria Pezzoli-Olgiati
- Herausgeber
- Uni-Graz
- Verlag
- SchĂŒren Verlag GmbH
- Ort
- Graz
- Datum
- 2016
- Sprache
- englisch
- Lizenz
- CC BY-NC 4.0
- Abmessungen
- 14.8 x 21.0 cm
- Seiten
- 132
- Kategorien
- Zeitschriften JRFM