Hesed and the New Testament: An Intertextual Categorization Study

In the Hebrew Bible, ḥesed denotes steadfast love, loyalty, and devotion, and Karen Nelson investigates New Testament engagement with this concept. She argues that ḥesed and ḥāsîd are more likely to be evoked by the terms eleos and hosios in the Septuagint, and rereads selected New Testament pericopes in light of ḥesed , highlighting points about ongoing devotion to kinship and covenantal relationships. This study will be of value to biblical scholars interested in semantics.

Format: Hardback
Length: 298 pages
Publication date: 13 June 2023
Publisher: Eisenbrauns

In the Hebrew Bible, the concept of ḥesed, which encompasses steadfast love, loyalty, and devotion, holds significant importance in understanding interpersonal relationships across generations. In her book, Karen Nelson delves into New Testament engagement with this concept and the exegetical significance of recognizing such engagement. Through an innovative hybrid of intertextuality and categorization, Nelson conducts an in-depth investigation to explore how New Testament authors appropriate texts that evoke ḥesed or ḥāsîd.

Intertextuality involves examining how New Testament authors draw upon and appropriate texts that evoke the concepts of ḥesed or ḥāsîd. By analyzing the ways in which these authors use these texts, Nelson sheds light on their understanding and interpretation of these concepts. Categorization, on the other hand, involves analyzing and comparing instances of the categories ḥsd and ḥsyd within the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament. This comparative analysis helps to identify patterns and similarities between the two texts, as well as to highlight differences and distinctions.

Nelson's work challenges the assertion that the New Testament equivalent of ḥesed is agapē (love) or charis (grace). Instead, she argues that ḥesed and ḥāsîd are more likely to be evoked by the terms with which they are most often rendered in the Septuagint: eleos and hosios, respectively. By rereading selected New Testament pericopes in light of ḥesed, Nelson highlights points about ongoing devotion to kinship and covenantal relationships that may be overlooked in those contexts. She also demonstrates how New Testament authors and figures utilize the ḥesed tradition to critique the contemporary socioreligious situation and encourage belief, enduring commitment, and appropriately changed lifestyles.

This study, which spans the Hebrew Bible and the New Testament, holds great value for biblical scholars, particularly those interested in semantics. By examining the intertextual and categorization approaches, Nelson provides a fresh perspective on the New Testament's engagement with the concept of ḥesed. Her work contributes to our understanding of the relationship between the Old and New Testaments and sheds light on the enduring relevance of ḥesed in understanding interpersonal relationships and the broader socio-religious context.

Weight: 540g
Dimension: 229 x 152 x 27 (mm)
ISBN-13: 9781646022410