In lieu of an abstract, here is a brief excerpt of the content:

188 Language: German Critical edition: WA 54: (16), 28–100 english Translation: LW 15: (xi), 265–352 Text #26 On the Last Words of David (1543) The Last Words of david, 2 Samuel 23:1-7, was for Luther one of the premier christological passages in the Old Testament, and he referred to it constantly whenever christological interpretation of the OldTestament was at stake.For Luther david is not speaking in this passage about himself but rather about the Messiah in whom he believed. This treatise was written to defend that view and also to defend Luther’s new translation of the passage that made this particular reading more explicit. Over the course of the treatise, Luther provides proof for the central Christian teachings and the litmus test for “orthodoxy” in line with the first ecumenical councils, namely, the doctrine of the Trinity, the Messiahship of Jesus, and the two natures of Christ, all based on the Old Testament (with significant help from the Gospel of John). Over and above these doctrinal issues, Luther is at pains throughout the treatise to articulate his interpretive principles where the Old Testament is concerned, and thus the treatise amounts to a defense of his Old Testament hermeneutics as such. This brings him once again head to head with what he knows of Jewish biblical interpretation and contributes to the anti-Jewish character of the whole.For Luther, there could be no real common ground between Jewish and Christian readings of the Old Testament, because New Testament theology—Christology—trumps Old Testament Hebrew grammar, even at the level of translation: a truly radical philosophy . Because Jews are ignorant of theology—that is, because they reject Christ— Christians must be extremely wary of utilizing any Jewish/Rabbinic reading of an Old Testament text that has christological implications.1 Over and again Luther states that the secret to Scripture and its interpretation is the message of Christ. His exegetical convictions are inseparably linked with his profound piety, which in turn was utterly and unmoveably shaped by his early “reformation experience.”The treatise is structured according to Luther’s treatment of specific biblical texts: On the Last Words of David 189 •฀Introduction฀and฀programmatic฀claim฀ 267–70 •฀2฀Sam.฀23:1-3฀฀ ฀ ฀ 270–79 •฀1฀Chron.฀17:10-16฀//฀2฀Sam.฀7:11-16฀ 279–86 •฀1฀Chron.฀17:17฀ ฀ ฀ 286–344 •฀2฀Sam.฀23:1-7฀฀ ฀ ฀ 344–52 excerpted below are the introduction and a series of passages highlighting Luther’s OldTestament interpretational philosophy,then a broadside against the Jews and the Turks, and finally the conclusion to the treatise: the Jews as “Belial.” On the Last Words of David (August 1543) {LW 15:267–270} Saint Jerome reports that he was moved to translate the Bible anew from Hebrew into Latin by the sneering reproach of the enemies of Christ, the Jews, to the effect that Christians did not have the correct Bible in the version then in use throughout Christendom.The reason given was that a number of words and letters were faulty and altogether different from the Hebrew. Prior to this, others had been induced to translate the Bible for the same reason,for instance,Aquila,Theodotion,Origen,and others,until at that time there were up to six translations,which they called Hexapla. And in our day, too, so many are busying themselves with translating that history may repeat itself and there may be so many Bibles in the course of time and so many wiseacres who claim a mastery of the Hebrew tongue that there will be no end to it. That will inevitably happen if we pay attention to what the Jews say and think of our Bible.After all, they are not in agreement among themselves, and they expound Scripture arbitrarily and quote out of context with their grammar. If we were to heed them, we could never acquire a uniform Bible, since every rabbi claims to be superior to the other. Furthermore, they all have to admit that the words in many a passage are incomprehensible to them.They are far from having one harmonious, perfect, and flawless Hebrew Bible, even from the point of view of grammar, to say nothing of theology, where they are so very incompetent. Therefore such mockery of the Jews does not disturb me, and their opinion would not impel me to learn a single letter of the Hebrew language.The reason for that is this:We Christians have the meaning and import...

Share