Book contents
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The witness terminology of secular Greek
- 3 The witness terminology of the Septuagint
- 4 The use of controversy in the Old Testament
- 5 The controversy in Isaiah 40–55
- 6 The idea of witness in other Jewish writings
- 7 The witness terminology of the New Testament
- 8 The concept of witness in the Fourth Gospel
- 9 The concept of witness in the Book of Acts
- 10 The concept of witness in the Book of Revelation
- 11 The idea of witness elsewhere in the New Testament
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix The use of witnesses and evidence in rabbinical literature
- Bibliography
- Index of references
6 - The idea of witness in other Jewish writings
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 18 December 2009
- Frontmatter
- Contents
- Preface
- Abbreviations
- 1 Introduction
- 2 The witness terminology of secular Greek
- 3 The witness terminology of the Septuagint
- 4 The use of controversy in the Old Testament
- 5 The controversy in Isaiah 40–55
- 6 The idea of witness in other Jewish writings
- 7 The witness terminology of the New Testament
- 8 The concept of witness in the Fourth Gospel
- 9 The concept of witness in the Book of Acts
- 10 The concept of witness in the Book of Revelation
- 11 The idea of witness elsewhere in the New Testament
- 12 Conclusion
- Appendix The use of witnesses and evidence in rabbinical literature
- Bibliography
- Index of references
Summary
THE APOCRYPHA AND PSEUDEPIGRAPHA
The idea of witness is not absent in the Apocrypha and Pseudepigrapha, a fact attested by the use of a considerable number of words drawn from the vocabulary of witness. Since a study of these words contributes to an understanding of the New Testament concept of witness, it is imperative that such a study be undertaken.
There are several parallels between the Wisdom of Solomon and the Fourth Gospel, and these may be cited to begin with. Thus eAeyxeiv is ‘used in Wisdom as it is in John (Wisd. 1:3; 4: 20; Jn 16: 8). The same applies to the notion of God bearing witness (Wisd. 1: 6; Jn 5: 32)… [Similarly,] Wisdom ordains man to “executejudgment”; so Christ has authority to “make judgment” “because he is son of man” (Wisd. 9: 3; Jn 5: 27)…And there are other echoes.’ For example, the reference to ‘signs and wonders’ (Wisd. 8: 8; 10: 16; Jn 4: 48; cf. Acts 4: 30; 15: 12).
God is described as a jjidpTUs in Wisd. 1: 6 – a use which is later to be reflected in the writings of the Apostle Paul (Rom. 1: 9; II Cor. 1: 23; I Thess. 2:5, 10; Phil. 1: 8). In Pirke Aboth iv.29 God is not only ‘the judge’ and ‘the witness’, but also ‘the adversary’ in the lawsuit (the bcfal din), suggesting that here the idea of witness is very much a live metaphor. As in the Old Testament, heaven and earth sometimes serve as witnesses (II Esdras 2: 14).
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- The New Testament Concept of Witness , pp. 48 - 65Publisher: Cambridge University PressPrint publication year: 1977