Ezekiel: The Prophet and His Message (review)

Hebrew Studies 31 (1990) 190 Reviews the following illuminating semantic development for .,r::l~, .,r'::l~: "accessory , spare part [Aram. ~.,r'::l~, ~.,r::l~ (= spice, condiment), from Pers. efzar (of same meaning}]." Nevertheless, this reviewer questions some of the etymologies that Klein posits. Klein writes for n"ID'~, M"ID'~: "a hapax legomenon in the Bible, occurring Ps 68:7 in the pI and prob. meaning 'prosperity'). [Prob. a derivative of "ID~.]." Ugaritic ktrt (= n'''ID'~ in Ps 68:7) meaning songstresses or jubiliantes (who add to the joy of occasions such as weddings and births), appearing in 2 Aqht:IT26, 30-40, clarifies the Hebrew word, but Klein is silent on this derivation. Ugaritic similarly illuminates the etymology of the Hebrew nEl' or n'El'. From 1144:5; 2053:22 et al., we see that these are to be construed as a noun denoting "witness" like the Ugaritic ypb and not as verbal fonns as Klein explains. Biblical contexts in which these words appear (e.g., Prov 6:19 and Ps 27:12) support this understanding . Klein, however, renders it "breathing," "puffing out" derived from mEl or nEl'. As one looks over the contents of A Comprehensive Etymological Dictionary, one still gains an enonnous respect for the scholar who is responsible for the monumental effort represented here. Indeed, the several quarrels seem petty in light of the prodigious work and great success of the project. The author of the dictionary reveals, moreover, a sensitivity and emotional involvement with the words. Although this revelation is perhaps inadvertent, it shines through at several places. The following etymological note, which I quote verbatim, is one of those places. The adverb in the etymology exposes as much about the lexicographer as it does about the word: ''vn~ to rustle. [coined by Chayim Nachman Bialik (1873-1934). The word wonderfully imitates the rustling of leaves.]." Daniel Grossberg State University of New York Albany, NY 12222 EZEKIEL: THE PROPHET AND HIS MESSAGE. By Ralph W. Klein. Studies on Personalities of the Old Testament. Pp. xi + 206. Columbia: University of South Carolina, 1988. Cloth. Dr. Klein here takes his readers beyond the foundation laid for them in his earlier book Israel in Exile: A Theological Interpretation (Fortress, Hebrew Studies 31 (1990) 191 Reviews 1979). The writing of this volume, however, reflects years of devoted attention to the book of Ezekiel for the benefit of seminary students, clergy, and laity (p. ix), and it is intended for these wider constituencies. The title of the series seems to be a packaging device to attract modem readers rather than a true description of the contents. This volume is explicitly "not a biography but a literary and theological analysis of a biblical document" (p. 11). It is book-oriented rather than person-oriented; yet defense of historicity against what are considered unwarranted denials does find a place (e.g., p. 57). A balance is struck between contemporary scholarly emphasis on literary wholeness and the older emphasis on getting behind the book to its compositional and textual layers. The main interest of the volume is in the canonical text, but redactional perspectives are not lacking. Klein recognizes fewer secondary passages than does Zimmerli (and much less than do more radical redaction critics). Overall Klein endeavors to make ungrudging room for redactional material rather than dismissing it disparagingly. Accordingly, he steers a middle course between the positions of Greenberg and Zimmerli, seeking to appropriate their virtues and avoid their extremes (cf. his own statement on p. 13, n. 27). The book takes the form of a running commentary in which the material of Ezekiel is arranged according to topics. Studies of the call of Ezekiel (Ezek 1-3) and of his various prophetic signs are followed by a chapter on the vision-complex of Ezek 8-11 and then by one on Ezek 16, 20, and 23, which focus on theological history. Klein has read widely, as his notes and bibliography attest. and often enters into constructive debate with his reading. The essays in Ezekiel and His Book, edited by J. Lust (Leuven University. 1986). and certainly D. F. Murray's refinement1 of Graffy's work on disputations. which Klein uses extensively...