Details

Autor(en) / Beteiligte

• Faro, Ingrid

Titel

A lexical, exegetical, conceptual, and theological study of evil in genesis

Ort / Verlag

ProQuest Dissertations Publishing

Erscheinungsjahr

2013

Link zum Volltext

• ProQuest

Quelle

ProQuest Dissertations & Theses A&I

Beschreibungen/Notizen

• The goal of this study is to contribute to a biblical understanding of the meaning and use of evil through a contextual analysis of the lexemes for evil (ra`, r``) in the received Hebrew text of Genesis (BHS). In regards to its meaning, evil is found to be a hypernym with a wide semantic range: from unpleasant, displeasing, deficient, to harmful, sinful, or wicked. Good and evil play a role in developing the plot conflict woven throughout the structure of Genesis. Through collocations, exegetical, and literary analysis evil contrasts with the broad use of good, which encompasses the domains of pleasant, delicious, abundant, flourishing, harmonious, blessed, peaceable, and righteous. The foundation is established for the Deuteronomic triads of good-blessed-life versus evil-cursed-death, embodied through human choice between following God or not. In regard to the use and agency of evil, Genesis shows many wills at work. Humanity was created as God's image-bearer, to represent him well in the physical universe. Humanity has not done well in their co-regency. Genesis portrays evil as a reality with human and non-human agents culpable. Humans are capable of both good and evil, and they can change. Evil is never called good. Experiencing evil in this world is a given. Nevertheless, Genesis weaves and bookends the twisting of divine good intentions into human evils through willful disregard for God, and the untwisting of human evils into divine good through the faithful. Genesis provides stories of how to live as divine representatives and be a blessing in the midst of the broad swath of evils perpetuated through a wide variety of agents and intentions. Support is not found for a theme of sin and punishment, or for a theme of retribution, rather, complex paradigms of action-consequence, mercy to the repentant, and grace to the faithful.