The Tension Between God as Righteous Judge

In recent years, the scholarly consensus has emerged that early Judaism should no longer be classified as a religion of legalistic works-righteousness, but defined primarily by God's covenant with Israel. In this work, it is argued, instead, that there is actually a tension in early Judaism between God as righteous judge and as merciful.

Barry D. Smith is Associate Professor of Religious Studies and Philosophy at Atlantic Baptist University, Moneton, New Brunswick, Canada.

Preface

ix

Abbreviations

xi

Introduction

1

(12)

Non-Sectarian Literature

13

(134)

Introduction to the Sources

14

(20)

Wisdom of Ben Sira

14

(1)

4QBeatitudes (4Q525)

15

(1)

4QInstruction

15

(2)

Mysteries (1Q27; 4Q299-301)

17

(1)

4QTime of Righteousness (4Q215a)

17

(1)

Book of Jubilees

18

(3)

Prayer of Manasseh

21

(1)

Psalms of Solomon

21

(1)

First Enoch

22

(1)

Book of Watchers (1 Enoch 1-36)

23

(2)

Animal Apocalypse (1 Enoch 85-90)

25

(1)

Epistle of Enoch (1 Enoch 91-105)

26

(1)

Visions of Amram a-g (4Q543-549)

27

(1)

4QWords of the Luminaries (4Q504, 506)

27

(1)

Non-Canonical Psalms 11Q5 19.1-18; 11Q6 Frgs. a, b (Prayer For Deliverance)

28

(1)

4QNon-Canonical Psalms A and B (4Q380, 381)

28

(1)

Songs of Sabbath Sacrifice

29

(2)

4QPseudo-Ezekiel

31

(1)

Liber Antiquitatum Biblicarum (Biblical Antiquities)

32

(1)

4 Ezra (3-14)

32

(1)

2 Baruch

33

(1)

God as Righteous Judge

34

(41)

Human Freedom and Moral Responsibility

34

(1)

Explicity Stated and Implicitly Assumed

34

(4)

In Spite of Divine Determinism

38

(1)

In Spite of Propensity to Evil

38

(3)

In Spite of Extraneous Influences to Evil

41

(2)

Judgment of God

43

(1)

Judgment according to Deeds

43

(2)

Judgment in History

45

(4)

Eschatological Judgment

49

(3)

Two-Age Understanding of History

52

(3)

Eschatological Punishment of the Wicked

55

(4)

Judgment of the Wicked Dead

59

(1)

Angels and Eschatological Judgment

60

(1)

Eschatological Reward of the Righteous

61

(5)

Reward of the Righteous Dead

66

(2)

Standard of Judgment

68

(1)

Judgment according to the Law

68

(4)

Heavenly Books

72

(3)

God as Merciful

75

(14)

Possibility of the Removal of Guilt

75

(1)

God Not Exclusively a Righteous Judge

75

(2)

Repentance

77

(5)

Levitical Sacrificial System

82

(3)

Other Means of Removal of Guilt

85

(1)

Warning Against Insincerity

86

(1)

Help in Being Obedient

87

(2)

Tension between the Depictions of God as Righteous and as Merciful

89

(5)

God's Righteous Judgment and Mercy as Incompatible

89

(1)

Moral Responsibility Incompatible with Help in Being Obedient

89

(1)

Uneasy Compromise between God as Righteous Judge and as Merciful

90

(1)

The Righteous Not Perfectly Obedient

90

(1)

Possibility of Removal of Guilt Conditional

91

(3)

Notes

94

(53)

Qumran Sectarian Literature

147

(94)

Introduction to the Sources

148

(9)

Rule of the Community

148

(1)

Damascus Document

149

(1)

Thanksgiving Hymns (Hodayot)

150

(1)

Festival Prayers (1Q34; 4Q507-509)

151

(1)

Halakhic Letter (4QMMT)

152

(1)

1QHabakkuk Pesher

153

(1)

Barkhi Nafshi (Bless, Oh My Soul)

154

(1)

11QMelchizedek (11Q13)

155

(1)

4QBerakhot a-g (4Q286-290)

155

(1)

The Ages of Creation (4Q180-181)

156

(1)

God as Righteous Judge

157

(54)

Human Freedom and Moral Responsibility

157

(1)

Assumption of Freedom

157

(3)

In Spite of Determinism

160

(2)

In Spite of Propensity to Evil

162

(1)

In Spite of Extraneous Influences to Evil

163

(2)

Judgment of God

165

(1)

Israel Subject to God's Judgment

165

(1)

Eschatological Judgment of the Wicked

166

(4)

Eschatological Reward of the Members of the Community

170

(2)

Criterion of Judgment

172

(1)

Community Defined by Its Obedience

172

(2)

Obedience as Means of Eschatological Life

174

(3)

Discipline of the Membership

177

(1)

Jews Outside of the Community

178

(2)

God as Merciful

180

(1)

God's Mercy to Israel

181

(1)

The Remnant Community

181

(4)

New Covenant

185

(1)

Teacher of Righteousness

185

(1)

Removal of Guilt

186

(1)

Human Inability and God's Merciful Removal of Guilt

187

(5)

Removal of Guilt as Result of Joining the Community

192

(3)

Removal of Guilt After Joining Community

195

(3)

Principle of Obedience

198

(6)

Tension between the Depictions of God as Righteous and as Merciful

204

(1)

God's Righteous Judgment and Mercy as Incompatible

204

(1)

Freedom and Moral Responsibility Incompatible with Principle of Obedience

205

(1)

Uneasy Compromise between God as Righteous Judge and as Merciful

206

(1)

The Righteous Not Perfectly Obedient

206

(2)

Possibility of Removal of Guilt Conditional

208

(3)

Notes

211

(30)

Early Rabbinic Literature

241

(70)

Introduction: The Two Poles of God's Relational Nature

241

(2)

God as Righteous Judge

243

(28)

Israel's Obligation of Obedience

243

(4)

Written Law and Oral Law

247

(3)

National Rewards and Punishments

250

(4)

Individual Rewards and Punishment

254

(4)

The Hereafter

258

(10)

View of the Human Being

268

(3)

God as Merciful

271

(21)

The Preponderance of Mercy over Judgment

271

(2)

Israel as Beloved and Chosen

273

(1)

Rejoicing in the Law and the Right Motive for Obedience

274

(2)

Repentance

276

(3)

Necessity of Sincere Repentance

279

(1)

Atonement through the Temple Cult

280

(5)

Non-Cultic Means of Atonement

285

(2)

The Role of Suffering in Obtaining Removal of Guilt

287

(3)

All Israel Will Be Saved

290

(1)

God's Mercy as Enabling Obedience

291

(1)

Tension between the Depictions of God as Righteous and as Merciful

292

(5)

God's Judgment and Mercy as Incompatible

292

(2)

Moral Responsibility Incompatible with Help in Being Obedient

294

(1)

Uneasy Compromise between God as Righteous Judge and as Merciful

294

(1)

The Righteous Not Perfectly Obedient

294

(1)

Possibility of Removal of Guilt Conditional

295

(2)

Notes

297

(14)

Conclusion

311

(4)

Bibliography

315

(28)

Index of References

343

(43)

Author Biographical Sketch

386

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The Tension Between God as Righteous Judge and as Merciful in Early Judaism

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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The Tension Between God as Righteous Judge and as Merciful in Early Judaism

Summary

Author Biography

Table of Contents

Supplemental Materials

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