Covenant Continuity and Fidelity: A Study of Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Malachi

✍ Scribed by Jonathan Gibson

• Publisher: Bloomsbury T&T Clark
• Year: 2016
• Tongue: English
• Leaves: 321
• Series: The Library of Hebrew Bible/Old Testament Studies
• Category: Library

✦ Synopsis

The core of Malachi’s covenantal imagination is shaped by his reflection on an authoritative collection of source texts in the Hebrew Bible. The mention of people, nations and places, Deuteronomic terminology, and rare words and unique word/root combinations exclusive to Malachi and only a few other texts encourages the book to be read in the context of received biblical traditions and texts.
The diversity of methodologies used previously to analyse Malachi has resulted in confusion about the significance of the inner-biblical connections in the book of Malachi, which Gibson clarifies. His reading frees the text of Malachi from being overburdened by too many “intertexts”, and allows its central message of covenant to arise with greater clarity and force. Gibson reveals how Malachi’s connections to earlier source texts are neither random nor causal; rather, they have been strategically employed to inform and shape his central theme of covenant continuity and fidelity.
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✦ Table of Contents

Cover
HalfTitle
Title
Copyright
Dedication
Contents
Acknowledgements
Preface
Abbreviations
Chapter 1 Introduction: The Core of Malachi’s Imagination
1.1. Covenant in Malachi
1.2. Previous Research on Covenant Themes in Malachi
1.3. Inner-Biblical Interpretation: The Core of Malachi’s Imagination
1.4. Previous Research on Inner-Biblical Connections in Malachi
1.5. Justification for the Present Study
1.6. Outline of the Present Study
1.7. Text of Malachi
Chapter 2 Methodology
2.1. Introduction
2.2. Literary Features
2.3. Structure
2.4. Historical Context
2.5. Inner-Biblical Interpretation
Chapter 3 ‘I have loved you’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to the Patriarchal Covenant (Malachi 1.2-5)
3.1. Translation
3.2. Text-Critical Issues
3.3. Structure and Theme
3.4. The Patriarchal Covenant
3.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
3.6. Excursus: History of Edom
3.7. Conclusion
Chapter 4 ‘I will curse your blessings’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to the Levitical Covenant (Malachi 1.6–2.9)
4.1. Translation
4.2. Text-Critical Issues
4.3. Structure and Theme
4.4. The Levitical Covenant
4.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
4.6. Conclusion
Chapter 5 ‘Did he not make them one?’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to the Marriage Covenant (Malachi 2.10-16)
5.1. Translation
5.2. Text-Critical Issues
5.3. Structure and Theme
5.4. The Mosaic Covenant and the Marriage Covenant
5.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
5.6. Conclusion
Chapter 6 ‘Who can endure the day of his coming?’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to the New Covenant (Malachi 2.17–3.6)
6.1. Translation
6.2. Text-Critical Issues
6.3. Structure and Theme
6.4. The New Covenant
6.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
6.6. Conclusion
Chapter 7 ‘If I will not open the windows of heaven’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to the Mosaic Covenant (Malachi 3.7-12)
7.1. Translation
7.2. Text-Critical Issues
7.3. Structure and Theme
7.4. The Mosaic Covenant
7.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
7.6. Conclusion
Chapter 8 ‘They will be my special possession’: Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis in Relation to Covenant Renewal (Malachi 3.13-21[4.3])
8.1. Translation
8.2. Text-Critical Issues
8.3. Structure and Theme
8.4. Covenant Renewal
8.5. Inner-Biblical Allusion and Exegesis
8.6. Conclusion
Chapter 9 ‘Turning hearts’: Covenant Continuity and Fidelity (Malachi 3.22-24[4.4-6])
9.1. Introduction
9.2. Translation
9.3. Text-Critical Issues
9.4. Compositional History: Original or Late Addition to Malachi?
9.5. Purpose: Internal or External to Malachi?
9.6. Arguments for Late Addition
9.7. Assessment of Arguments for Late Addition
9.8. Covenant Continuity and Fidelity
9.9. Conclusion
Chapter 10 Conclusion: ‘For I, Yhwh, do not change’
10.1. Overview
10.2. Types of Malachi’s Inner-Biblical Interpretation
10.3. Interpretive Significance of Malachi’s Inner-Biblical Interpretation
10.4. Conclusion
Bibliography
Index of References
Index of Authors