2.3.
Cosmic Traits of mšpṭ and ṣdqh
The
cosmic traits of mšpṭ and ṣdqh have rarely been treated by Old
Testament scholars. It is above all the interrelation of mšpṭ and ṣdqh
with the royal ideology that is to be stressed here. The axiomatic point of
insight to be reconsidered is the fact that the king as YHWH’s anointed
representative is responsible for maintaining the cosmic order, a task that has
to be enacted daily. The way of fulfilling this royal task if twofold: In the
temple, YHWH’s earthly abode, the cult is to be upheld according to the
prescribed rituals in order to ensure YHWH’s presence in his cult statue. In
society, justice has to be established n order to ensure the durability of the
society and to prevent social upheavals that could overthrow the throne, thus causing
chaos even in the realm of the cult. Therefore the king unites the divine and
the earthly sphere and prevents chaos.
In
the Old Testament texts the cosmic traits of the binomial can be found in three
kinds of metaphorical language. In the first place a comparison is made of mšpṭ
and ṣdqh in connection with plants (see Isa. 5.1-7; Hos. 10.4; Amos 5.7;
6.12). Hereby the picture of fertility is expressed. Second, mšpṭ and ṣdqh
can be compared with water (see Isa. 32.1 f.; Amos 5.24; Ps. 36.7 and the texts
that show that YHWH pours out ṣdqh from heaven like rain: Isa. 45.8;
Hos. 10.12; cf. Ps. 85.12f.). In these images, aspects of plenitude, vitality
and refreshment are evoked. The third metaphor is given in connection with
light (see Isa. 42.1, 3; 59.5; Hos 6.5; Zeph. 3.5; Hab. 1.4; Ps. 37.6). This
metaphor is taken from the realm of the sun-god, who acts as judge and gives mšpṭ
and ṣdqh as his gifts. Because YHWH has taken over this role of the
sun-god more and more, as well be shown in the next paragraph, it is he who
gives justice like light.
But
the king too could be described in solar (and also in rain) imagery that shows
him to be responsible for the world order (see 2 Sam. 23.3f.; Ps. 72.5f.; Prov.
16.15). In postroyal times it was the personalized wisdom that acted as a king
and established the cosmic order by mšpṭ and ṣdqh (see Prov 8.14f.,
20).
2.4.
mšpṭ and ṣdqh as YHWH’s Gifts and Hypostases
When
discussing the cosmic traits of mšpṭ and ṣdqh in the preceding
paragraph we came across YHWH’s acting as the sun-god. From the eighth century
BCE onward YHWH’s solarization becomes evident. Responsible for this fact that
are the Judahite royal ideology and the coming astralization of the Northwest
Semitic religions during the first millennium BCE.
In
the Old Testament texts solar functions are conferred on YHWH in certain
contexts. According to Hos 6.5, YHWH says: ‘My justice (mšpṭy) dawns like
morning light’ (NEB). Here YHWH’s justice is portrayed as the gift of the
sun-god, mirroring a common picture of ANE judicial ideology. Zephaniah 3.5
draws on the same imagery. The text says about YHWH ‘Every morning he gives his
judgment (mšpṭw) to light’ (NEB). YHWH once again is portrayed as the
sun-god, who rises in the morning to speak justice. Further Old Testament texts
describe YHWH’s theophany in solar terms and ascribe to him the bringing forth
of justice. The best-known text is from the postexilic prophet Malachi, who
stresses: ‘But for you who fear my name, the sun of righteousness shall rise with
healing in his wings’ (Mal. 3.20; NEB).
.
. .
mšpṭ and ṣdqh can be judged as hypostases
at those places where they are constructed as subjects of a verb. So they are
not only gifts of the solarized god YHWH, but they can be active themselves. So
we are entitled to speak about the hypostization or personification of the
constitutive principles in Judahite and Judaean religion, a process that has
its prototype in Mesopotamia and that is also attested in Ugaritic and
Phoenicia.
The
best-known examples of this process are Pss. 89.15 and 97.2, where mšpṭ
and ṣdqh are the foundations of YHWH’s throne (see also Prov. 16.12;
25.5f; 29.14). In Isa. 9.6 the same principles are the foundations of David’s
throne. Several other texts show the personficiation of the binomial (see Isa.
1.21; 32.16; 59.9, 14). In Ps. 85.11-14, ṣdqh together with other beings
like ‘mt or šlm can be characterized as attendant deities.
One
should also pay attention to those texts that have YHWH and ṣdqh in
parallelism (see Isa. 51.1; 61.3; Ps. 4.6). Later Jewish apocalyptic texts show
more attestations of the personification of ṣdqh.
2.5.
The Constitutive Principles of Justice and Order during the Time of the Second
Temple
The
institution of the monarchy had gradually disappeared from Judaea during the
sixth century BCE and there were kings again in Judaea only in the time of the
Hasmoneans. It should not be ignored that although the Judahite Davidic
monarchy had disappeared, Judaea was still governed by monarchic overlords of
Persian or Hellenistic provenance. Several Judaean politicians and theologians saw
their rescue from this foreign domination in the investiture of a Davidic king
who was to become the universal overlord. Thus monarchic hopes were never given
up in Judaea—at least by the governing class—until their realization in the
period of the Hasmoneans.
The
texts that convey these hopes for a future king of Davidic origin to come and
to establish justice all over the world has traditionally been dealt with as ‘messianic’
texts. But this is rather problematic as has been shown during the last years.
It is not possible to delve into these texts here at any length. There is only
one characteristic trait that should be considered here, the striving for
equity and justice all over the world, which the expected Davidic king is to
bring about.
The
most important texts that demonstrate the relevance of mšpṭ and ṣdqh
as constitutive principles for the functioning of the cosmos and the well-being
of the society are Isa. 9.1-6, 11 and Psalms 45 and 72. One could add isa.
16.5-6; 32.1; Jer. 23.5; 33.15 and Zech. 9.9f. These postexilic texts mirror
the universal relevance of the royal ideology in all its aspects. Here and in
other non-messianic texts we encounter an ‘interrelationship between justice,
order, fertility and prosperity.’
A
very interesting expectation of the loyal king is given with the figure of
Malkiṣedeq, an idealistic personification of the just king conceived of during
the postexilic period. The reign over Jerusalem is subjected to him (Gen.
14.18-20). According to Ps. 110.4 the future Davidic king is made priest after
the manner of Malkiṣedeq. In Qumran Malkiṣedeq is one of the decisive saviours
of his people (11QMelch).
A
short side glance on the subject of the Old Testament law codes is necessary at
this point. As there was no king in those days between the beginning of the
sixth century BCE and the time of the Hasmoneans the leaders of Judaea had to
look out for alternatives to the royal distribution of justice. Now the time
had come for the law codes to become decisive rules for everyday life. Older
collections—perhaps in the case of the Book of the Covenant and of the legal
parts of the book of Deuteronomy from late royal times—were actualized, and new
ones—like the Holiness Code—were composed. In royal times such collections had
had no function in the administration of justice. (Herbert Niehr, “The
Constitutive Principles For Establishing Justice and Order in Northwest Semitic
Societies with Special Reference to Ancient Israel and Judah,” in Patronage
in Ancient Palestine and in the Hebrew Bible: A Reader, ed. Emanuel Pfoh [The
Social World of Biblical Antiquity—Second Series 12; Sheffield: Sheffield Phoenix
Press, 2022], 160-61, 162-63)
