The Hebrew term rkbh found in Nahum 2:14 poses exhibit variations in their rendering of rkbh in ancient texts. Consequently, this article aims to clarify the ambiguous Hebrew word rkbh in Nahum 2:14 by employing textual criticism as its main approach. It will analyze manuscript evidence, assess the likelihood of transcription and translation variations, and take into account contextual and linguistic considerations.
Although King David will have eight wives and several concubines, only three of these wives, Michal, Abigail, and Bathsheba are featured prominently in the Bible (see Appendix). This article focuses on David’s second wife, Abigail of Maon. Following a short summary of 1. how she is featured in 1 Samuel, she is viewed through different prisms or lenses: 2. how a number of rabbinic midrashim address Abigail; 3. how some of the Church Fathers (Patristics) referred to her; 4. how she is considered by several contemporary (20th/21st century scholars; and 5. the way that Abigail is presented by a variety of contemporary feminist scholars.
On the surface, Matthew 18 and 1 Corinthians 5 appear to offer differing goals concerning erring believers. Matthew 18 outlines steps for restoring the offender, while Paul admonishes the Corinthians to hand the offender over to Satan. On closer examination, however, these two texts demonstrate important agreements. Both texts agree that unchecked immorality by one believer can be corrosive to the whole believing community, causing others to stumble. Both texts leave room for the church to alienate the offender. Both texts agree that the ultimate goal of ecclesial discipline is to restore the offender to fellowship with the community. Furthermore, both texts emphasize that the disciplinary process must be a spiritual process conducted within the gathering of the community in the presence of Christ and the Holy Spirit. This paper examines the implications of these findings for African churches, using the formal disciplinary process of the Church of Pentecost-Ghana as a test case.
Philosopher Kate Manne’s work, Down Girl: The Logic of Misogyny , is the first book-length treatment on its topic and has been received in the field of philosophy as a decisive exposition of a widely used term. This article is an attempt to use Manne’s theory as a “lens” for reading Judges 19–21. It argues that reading this text in dialogue with Manne’s theory can give rise to a productive use of an exceptionally troubling text. The article begins by arguing for an alternative to the pro-monarchy understanding of the fourfold “there was no king in Israel” refrain, found in Judges 17–21. This is to show that the text truly contains no moral commentary on the events that take place therein. This absence of moral commentary within the text itself frees readers with moral questions to bring their own “moral lenses” to the text by which to read it. The article chooses Manne’s theory of misogyny for this purpose, proposing the use of this text as a springboard for teaching about the nature of misogyny in communities of faith today.
