Figural Reading and the Old Testament

Theology and Practice

DON C. COLLETT

a division of Baker Publishing Group

Grand Rapids, Michigan

© 2020 by Don C. Collett

Published by Baker Academic

a division of Baker Publishing Group

PO Box 6287, Grand Rapids, MI 49516-6287

www.bakeracademic.com

All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced, stored in a retrieval system, or transmitted in any form or by any means—for example, electronic, photocopy, recording—without the prior written permission of the publisher. The only exception is brief quotations in printed reviews.

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Names: Collett, Don C., 1963– author.

Title: Figural reading and the Old Testament : theology and practice / Don C. Collett.

Description: Grand Rapids, Michigan : Baker Academic, a division of Baker Publishing Group, [2020] | Includes bibliographical references and index.

Identifiers: LCCN 2019031837 | ISBN 9781540960764 (paperback)

Subjects: LCSH: Bible. Old Testament—Hermeneutics. | Bible. Old Testament—Criticism, interpretation, etc.

Classification: LCC BS476 .C576 2020 | DDC 221.601—dc23

LC record available at https://lccn.loc.gov/2019031837

ISBN 9781540962768 (casebound)

Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture translation is the author’s own.

Scripture quotations labeled KJV are from the King James Version of the Bible.

To the Rt. Rev. Dr. Mouneer Hanna Anis

and the faculty of Alexandria School of Theology,

in the hope that figural reading will blossom

anew in the land of Origen.

Contents

Abbreviations

Introduction

A World Well Lost: The Eclipse of Old Testament Consciousness

Part 1 Frameworks

1. Biblical Models for Figural Reading

2. Figural Reading and Scripture’s Literal Sense

Part 2 Exegesis

3. Figural Reading, Metaphor, and Theological Exegesis

Part 3 Assessment

4. Figural Reading and Modernity

5. Epilogue

Bibliography

Scripture and Ancient Writings Index

Author Index

Subject Index

Abbreviations

General

bk. book

ca. circa/about

chap(s). chapter(s)

esp. especially

ET English Translation

LXX Septuagint

p(p). page(s)

sec. section

vol. volume

v(v). verse(s)

Old Testament Apocrypha

Bar. Baruch

Sir. Sirach

Secondary Sources

AARCRS American Academy of Religion Classics in Religious Studies

BCOTWP Baker Commentary on the Old Testament Wisdom and Psalms

BIS Biblical Interpretation Series

BTC Brazos Theological Commentary on the Bible

BZAW Beihefte zur Zeitschrift für die alttestamentliche Wissenschaft

CBQ Catholic Biblical Quarterly

CD Church Dogmatics

FAT Forschungen zum Alten Testament

IBC Interpretation: A Bible Commentary for Teaching and Preaching

IJST International Journal of Systematic Theology

Int Interpretation

JAAR Journal of the American Academy of Religion

JBL Journal of Biblical Literature

JECS Journal of Early Christian Studies

JHS Journal of Hebrew Scriptures

JLT Journal of Literature and Theology

JPS Jewish Publication Society Tanakh

JQR Jewish Quarterly Review

JR Journal of Religion

JTS Journal of Theological ...