Bogoslovska smotra, Vol. 75 No. 1, 2005.
Izvorni znanstveni članak
»When Ephraim Saw His Illness, and Judah His Wound ...«. Illness in the Book of Hosea
Ivan Šporčić
; Teologija u Rijeci - Područni studij Katoličkog bogoslovnog fakulteta Sveučilišta u Zagrebu, Rijeka, Hrvatska
Sažetak
The author in the article examines an understanding of illness and the specific vocabulary used for illness by the Northern Israeli prophet Hosea (800 B. C.). In his investigation, he begins with a selection of words that the writer uses and that are in some way related to the term 'illness'. The author identifies the fundamental lexemes used by Hosea in this sense: (hālâ), (hŏlî), (‘āš), (rākāb), (māzôr), (‘āšûq), (resûs), (hābaš), (rāsah), (pāras),, and the antonymous lexical morpheme (rāpā’).
After making an introductory tenet, the article offers a short outline of the semantic field of illness in the Old Testament. Lexemes that have in particular cases semantic values equivalent to the term 'illness' are given particular attention. They include expressions that belong to the semantic family of the following lexical morphemes: (dvh), (mrs), (k’b), (’nš), (nss), (šbr), (ngp), (mhs), (nkh). The most important antonym related to this collection of words used by Hosea has the root (rp’), and includes in a wider biblical context, the following terms: (šlm), (hlm), (hjh), (ghh), (hbš), (’ărûkâ) and in some contexts the syntagma (šûb šebût). The goal in identifying a semantic field in the entirety of Old Testament literature is before else of a comparative nature. Having compared Hosea's manner of discourse use of the lexemes belonging to the semantic field of illness in the Old Testament, it becomes evident that Hosea possesses a specific vocabulary which doesn 't always articulate the primary meaning behind the term ‘illness’.
The author, has shown, using the example of 4:2-3 which represents a unique synthesis of the second part of the prophet's work, that the prophet believes that the whole of Israel is overcome by an ‘ill state’. He analyzes in greater detail the passage 5:8-6:6 while emphasizing in particular the metaphors in 5:12-13. The reasons for considering the metaphors in passages: 7:1; 11:3b and 14:5a are not related to the terms used for illness, but rather, diametrical expressions such as ‘to heal’ and ‘healer’. The conclusion based on the undertaken analysis points to Hosea's specific manner of discourse and reflection. Consequently, illness for Hosea is not an exclusively psychophysical reality, but foremost a metaphor indicating difficulties and problems of a religious, social, economic and political nature. Illness is also an image of the broken covenant and a ruining of the healthy relationship between God and his People of Israel. Ultimately, Hosea regards sin as an illness.
The writer's metaphorical manner of discourse brings to mind other associations of the ill state of people and land. Hosea, believing that evil events happen only to a ill people, uses expressions such as: (rsh), (prs), (νedāmîm bedāmîm nāgā‘u). An analysis of Hosea's texts also show that the metaphors depicting Israel as an ill person are related to the usage of expressions in the semantic family of antonymous roots (rāpā’) and in the five existing cases (5:13; 6:1; 7:1; 11:3; 14:5) are not used according to their original meaning. All of this leads to a theological conclusion and reservation: JHVH is a healer, but the people do not understand this. Consequently, the healer (JHWH) can become the devouring lion (5:14). The threat has a pedagogical intention of beseeching conversion and wanting the people to acknowledge that its destiny in good or bad is closely related to God. In God, people may find the source of life, but also the cause of death.
Lastly, it is useful to point out that the author of the article, using a new approach to the aforementioned problem, offers innovative solutions for the translation of particular passages and terms into the Croatian language (4:2; 5:11-13; 7:1a; 11:3b; 14:5a).
Ključne riječi
Hosea; illness; semantic field of illness; metaphorical discourse; (hālâ); (hŏlî); (‘āš); (rākāb); (māzôr); (rāpā’)
Hrčak ID:
24684
URI
Datum izdavanja:
7.9.2005.
Posjeta: 2.220 *