Author Description

The central thesis of this volume is that the biblical view of divine agency in creation and history is realistic. History unfolds according to how human society relates to the sphere of powers that is beyond it. Next to the hermeneutical discussion this is demonstrated exegetically by analyzing texts from Isaiah and Psalms: (1) In Isa 6:9-10 the prophet receives the commission to proclaim and to anticipate YHWH's "strange work" in response to the people's violation of the torah. (2) The psalmist's change of mood in Psalms 3,6, and 7 is caused by the acting of YHWH, the creator, with the psalmist partaking in the change that occurs in the creation surrounding him. The section on Psalm 7 is especially important for the Psalms scholar. It provides a rich comparison with prayers to the divine judge in ancient Near Eastern texts.