The panic of the High Priest Onias (2 Macc 3:14b–23)

Antiochus IV had to intervene and he ordered the execution of Andronicus.

The author does not interpret this execution as an essential response of the king, rather as an act of God. Thus, the author can write: “the Lord thus repaid him with the punishment he deserved” (2 Macc 4:38b). This example clearly demonstrates that, in addition to legal aspects, emotional ones are included with an exceptional intensity, with δίκαιον as well as with ἄδικος. Emotions are universal, taking hold of the people of Israel, as well as other nations.

God is the guarantor of the existence of righteous judgement (κρίσις δικαία);

cf. 2 Macc 7:36; 9:18. When the people of Joppa wanted to get rid of its Jewish citizens, they employed a dastardly device. They offered to bring them by boat to a quiet place, but they then sank the ships, with 200 Jewish citizens on them.

Thereupon Judas responded, “and, calling upon God, the righteous judge (τὸν δίκαιον κριτὴν θεόν), attacked the murderers of his kindred” (2 Macc 12:6). The example is again woven into an emotionally charged situation. Again, Judas turns in prayer to God, who is also judge. The righteous judge – κριτὴς δίκαιος occurs only in Ps 7:12 – applies his justice, bringing about atonement for the cowardly mass murder. The righteous judge is like a tonic, so that Judas then rushes into battle.

It becomes clear, against the background of previous observations, that just (δίκαιος) was carefully applied in 1:24e to those adjectives that describe the emotional dimensions of god. Furthermore, we may refer to 1:25b, where it is stated that God is “alone just.” This statement is a clear response to Hellenistic ideas: neither righteousness, as defined by Greeks, nor righteousness as defined on the basis of a neutral idea of God, are satisfactory or accurate for the biblical believer. Only God alone may be described as just – and no one else. The ability to enforce justice arises out of the fact that God is almighty (παντοκράτωρ). No power can successfully oppose him and expect to be victorious. In addition, these statements are timelessly valid because God is eternal (αἰώνιος).

2.3 The panic of the High Priest Onias (2 Macc 3:14b–23)

The following example is not highly informative concerning the depiction of God or the use of prayer with emotionally laden words. But it does demonstrate in a dramatic way the situation of emotional stress that underlies prayers that are being addressed to God.²⁹ The chancellor under Seleucus IV (187–175 BCE)

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29 Lichtenberger (Gebet, 209) writes: „Die vielfältigen Gottesbezeichnungen verdeutlichen in diesem Kapitel die Macht Gottes.“

was assigned by the king to confiscate the important Temple treasure from Jeru-salem. On his way to Jerusalem, we read:

14b There was no little distress throughout the whole city.

15 The priests prostrated themselves before the altar in their priestly vestments and called toward heaven upon him who had given the law about deposits, that he should keep them safe for those who had deposited them.

16–17 To see the appearance of the high priest was to be wounded at heart, for his face and the change in his color disclosed the anguish of his soul (τὴν κατὰ ψυχὴν ἀγωνίαν).

For terror (δέος τι) and bodily trembling (φρικασμὸς σώματος) had come over the man, which plainly showed to those who looked at him the pain lodged in his heart (τὸ κατὰ καρδίαν ἐνεστὸς ἄλγος).

18–20 People also hurried out of their houses in crowds to make a general supplication (ἐπὶ πάνδημον ἱκετείαν) because the holy place was about to be brought into dishonor.

Women, girded with sackcloth under their breasts, thronged the streets. Some of the young women who were kept indoors ran together to the gates, and some to the walls, while others peered out of the windows. And holding up their hands to heaven, they all made supplication (ἐποιοῦντο τὴν λιτανείαν).

21 There was something pitiable in the prostration of the whole populace and the anxiety of the high priest in his great anguish (2 Macc 3:14–21).

There were only a few solidly built houses and palaces where you could store your valuables safely. That is why the Temple in Jerusalem enjoyed a special role as a “safe house and bank.” An able-bodied protection force was in the temple district. However, such a small “police force” would not have the capaci-ty to repulse an army. Earlier in our analysis it was already observed several times that the people prayed regularly, even without being in distress. They knew that their lives were under God’s control. But they prayed especially in-tensively when in danger. The fervour of prayer, not prayer per se, intensifies in a situation of distress.

The choice of words again testifies to an excellent mastery of the Greek lan-guage in the description of the desperate High Priest Onias, as the LXX hapax legomenon demonstrates: καταφρόνησις (dishonour; 3:18), or δέος as docu-mented in 2 Macc (terror; 2 Macc 3:17, 30; 12:22; 13:16; 15:23). But in the matter of the religious vocabulary, the author partially differs from other biblical transla-tors and writers or is in parallel with those authors who are characterized by the use of an elitist Greek language, such as the grandson of Ben Sira.

The terms used for the word prayer in the LXX are προσευχή, δέησις and εὐχή. Of course, such an excellently educated author knows those words and also uses them; see δέησις in 2 Macc 1:5; 10:27; προσευχή in 1:23–24; εὐχή in 3:35; 15:26. Depending on the context, all these words may be understood dif-ferently with regard to their intensity. But it is sure that the effect of certain

other words is highly intensive. (a) One word with such an effect is ἐπίκλησις which is used only in 2 Macc 15:26 (cf. 8:15). In addition to meaning invocations and supplication, this word has also the aspect of an appeal. Its use as an appel-lation demonstrates the intensity of the affection of one who prays to God. (b) Another word for intense prayer is ἱκετεία. According to Liddell/Scott the mean-ing of the noun ἱκετεία is “supplication” – with the exception of 2 Macc the word ἱκετεία occurs only in Sira (2 Macc 3:18; 8:29; 10:25; 12:42; Sir 35:14; 51:9) – and they show how difficult it is to find the right words for translation. The bib-lical author does not refer merely to a general supplication, but ἱκετεία includes a request for assistance by one who is particularly vulnerable. (c) A third word is λιτανεία. It is used only in 2 Macc (3:20; 10:16). We find supplication as the translation (NRSV, NAB, NETS), but Liddell/Scott – who cite the passages of 2 Macc as the only Greek reference – correctly render entreaty here. The lexicog-raphers show with such translation that λιτανεία is a more intense activity than simply a supplication.

3 Review

This final review of the topic does not repeat what has been noted in detail in the study. Rather, we wish to make some basic points. The prayers in 2 Macc are almost always formulated in such a way as to include significant, emotional dimensions. This affects the worshippers; it also relates to the names used of God. The author chooses the names and designations in such a way that he can describe the emotionally intense side of God with the relevant epithets. These terms describe the nature of God and demonstrate what God is and how he works. This image of God has an impact on the worshippers.

It is to be regretted that a sensitivity concerning the intensity of emotional implications is mostly missing from the translations. With regard to the dissatis-faction noted at the beginning of this paper, the result confirms my criticism.

The views of the exegetes are directed to other aspects of the texts that do not include the emotional one. Thus, they miss many important dimensions in the texts. – At the same time, I have to acknowledge that I myself only slowly real-ized the importance of this area. There are understandable reasons for the de-velopment of the prevalent theory of interpretation. First, grammatical, text-traditional, historical, stylistic, poetic, and theological analyses (among others) are tremendously extensive. Moreover, these analyses are easier to complete by the use of formal criteria and secondary literature. A colleague recently made a correct observation in a discussion by specialists: “The emotional dimensions

are much more difficult to capture and are also more complicated to describe.”

But the effort is worthwhile for a better understanding of the text. A valid and objective analysis of the emotional implications of a text is an important contri-bution to its scientific appreciation.

I hope that this article opens a doorway to a more intense form of interpre-tation, and one that recognizes how the sacred author wishes us to understand his words, his formulations and his message. The treatment of the emotional dimension has to be a crucial element of interpretation in its totality and re-mains a desideratum of exegetical science. A failure to treat this area neglects or suppresses a central dimension of interpretation.³⁰

Abstract

The historical-critical and other well-recognized exegetical approaches are un-doubtedly important. When, however, dealing with prayers, or descriptions of the process of praying, in the Jewish texts of the Second Temple period, there is a need for a more holistic analysis. Such an analysis needs to include an adequate acknowledgement of emotions and feelings and the role that they play in human life: The author of the second book of Maccabees chooses God’s names and designations in such a way that he can depict the emotionally dense side of God with epithets or adjectives. These terms describe the image of God and show how God is and how he works. In turn this image of God has an im-pact on the worshippers. Thus, as with Psalms, the second book of Maccabees contains texts that presuppose intense emotions and this paper offers examples of how productive the more holistic approach can be in the exegesis of such texts.

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30 My thanks are due to Professor Stefan Reif for improving the English version of my article.

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Im Dokument Ancient Jewish Prayers and Emotions (Seite 145-151)