Old Testament Final

Question 1

What are the 2 characteristic features of Hebrew poetry?

Answer 1

Parallelism and Meter

Question 2

What is parallelism?

Answer 2

the relationship between ideas expressed within the phrases of a poetic line

Question 3

What are the 3 major types of parallelism?

Answer 3

1. synonymous parallelism
2. Synthetic Parallelism
3. Antithetic

Question 4

Explain how meter/rhythm impacted Hebrew poetry.

Answer 4

Its distinctive metrical patterns was used to express intense emotion and urgency. It’s also used in laments(grief prayers and songs)

Question 5

Why were most of the psalms probably composed?

Answer 5

to accompany acts of worship in the temple

Question 6

Why is Psalms divided into five books/divisions/sections?

Answer 6

To imitate the Pentateuch

Question 7

What type of psalm appears most often in the book of Psalms?

Answer 7

Laments

Question 8

How many of the psalms have superscriptions/annotations?

Answer 8

116

Question 9

How many of the psalms contain the name “David” in their superscription?

Answer 9

73

Question 10

Song of Songs (Solomon): The NOAB describes the content of the book as a collection of what?

Answer 10

25 lyric poems or fragments of poems about human love and courtship

Question 11

Why is the Song of Songs traditionally associated with Solomon?

Answer 11

he was the composer of many proverbs and songs

Question 12

How has Song of Songs been interpreted in Christian tradition?

Answer 12

as allegory for Christ’s love for the church or individual believer

Question 13

What significant name does not appear in Song of Songs?

Answer 13

GOD

Question 14

What does the book of Lamentations consist of?

Answer 14

the laments of Jeremiah over the destruction of Jerusalem

Question 15

To whom is Lamentations traditionally ascribed?

Answer 15

Jeremiah

Question 16

What is distinctive about the first four of the five poems/chapters in Lamentations?

Answer 16

They are alphabetic acrostics (with Stanza for each of the 22 letters of the Hebrew alphabet)

Question 17

For what occasion was Lamentation composed?

Answer 17

for public recitation on days of fasting and mourning

Question 18

How can wisdom be simply defined?

Answer 18

“the search for successful living”, or

“the quest for a quality life”

Question 19

What are the 2 types of wisdom literature in OT?

Answer 19

Practical

Reflective/Speculative

Question 20

What is the key to wisdom according the OT wisdom literature?

Answer 20

Faith and the fear of GOD

Question 21

What are the four main parts of Proverbs?

Answer 21

Book 1 (1.1-9.18) Prologue: Invitation to wisdom
Book 2 (10.1-22.16) A collection of miscellaneous maxims
Book 3 (22.7-24.22) Teacher's ambitions to his pupil in training for responsibility  
Book 4 (25.1-29.27) Second collection of "Proverbs of Solomon"

Question 22

How many appendixes are attached to the book of Proverbs?

Answer 22

Five

Question 23

Which parts of Proverbs are connected to Solomon?

Answer 23

Book 2 and Book 4

Question 24

Book 3 of the collection (Proverbs) shows similarities to the wisdom tradition of what other nation?

Answer 24

Egypt

Question 25

Why is Proverbs traditionally associated with Solomon?

Answer 25

he was the most famous of all Israel’s wise ones, he was looked upon as the originator of Israelite wisdom & author of all wisdom literature in Jewish tradition

Question 26

Proverbs is an example of what type of wisdom literature?

Answer 26

practical wisdom literature

Question 27

How can Proverbs be described simply?

Answer 27

1. the wise, the one who followed wisdom, would prosper 2. the fool, the one who deliberately ignored wisdom, would fail (no middle ground)

Question 28

What is the aim of Job?

Answer 28

To probe the depths of faith in spite of suffering

Question 29

What does the Job of the poem demand from God?

Answer 29

justice

Question 30

Job is an example of what type of wisdom literature?

Answer 30

speculative/reflective wisdom

Question 31

Give a description of Job based on Job 1-2.

Answer 31

He was a righteous and upright man that suffered loss but did not complain

Question 32

Who were Job’s three friends who sought to comfort him?

Answer 32

Eliphaz, Bildad, and Zophar

Question 33

How many rounds of speeches are contained in Job’s dialogue with his friends?

Answer 33

3 rounds of debate

Question 34

Who is Elihu?

Answer 34

a brash young man who makes four speeches ignored by previous characters and by YHWH in epilogue

Question 35

What does the author seek to understand in Ecclesiastes?

Answer 35

the meaning of human existence and the good which man can find in life

Question 36

How does the speaker in Ecclesiastes characterize all of life?

Answer 36

As the natural world is in constant movement without real change, so man's expenditure of effort achieves nothing

Question 37

What is the pen-name of the speaker in Ecclesiastes?

Answer 37

Qoheleth

Question 38

What word best captures the meaning of the Hebrew term Qoheleth?

Answer 38

To assemble

Question 39

Ecclesiastes is an example of what type of wisdom literature?

Answer 39

reflective or speculative wisdom

Question 40

Why is Ecclesiastes traditionally associated with Solomon?

Answer 40

Because of the inclusion in the Jewish canon of Scripture of a work so much at variance with its dominant teachings

Question 41

What is the theme of Ecclesiastes?

Answer 41

“Vanity of vanities! All is vanity”

Question 42

Why was Ecclesiastes almost left out of the Old Testament?

Answer 42

Because of its humanistic, skeptical perspective and its departure from traditional belief

Question 43

The story of Ruth is set in the days of the ____________.

Answer 43

Judges

Question 44

What is Ruth’s ethnic heritage?

Answer 44

Moabitess

Question 45

How are Ruth & Boaz related to King David?

Answer 45

they are the great-grandparents of David

Question 46

Key Characters of Ruth

Answer 46

Elimelech; Naomi; Ruth; Orpah; Boaz

Question 47

What are the Megilloth?

Answer 47

the five scrolls

Question 48

Megilloth is read at what Jewish feast?

Answer 48

Purim

Question 49

Why was Megilloth's reception into Scripture long disputed by Jewish rabbis?

Answer 49

It didn't have any reference to GOD or the most precious things in Jewish religion

Question 50

What is the setting of Megilloth?

Answer 50

during the Persian period

Question 51

What significant name does not appear in Megilloth?

Answer 51

GOD

Question 52

Identify these key characters of Esther: Ahasuerus; Vashti; Mordecai; Esther; Haman

Answer 52

Ahasuerus: King of Persia Vashti: Former queen of Persia Mordecai: Esther's cousin and legal guardian that saves the king from assassination, help Jews defend themselves from Haman's edict Esther: heroine of story, becomes queen, helped Jews defend themselves from Haman's edict Haman: prime minster that wants to kill Mordecai and all Jews

Question 53

What is the significance of the 13th, 14th and 15th days of the month of Adar?

Answer 53

In Susa Jews kill 500 foes on Adar 13 Esther asks for another day to kill in Susa thus 300 more killed on Adar 14 Jews rested & feasted on Adar 15

Question 54

Daniel is an example of the first great work of _____________________.

Answer 54

apocalyptic

Question 55

Does apocalyptic literature attempt to convey actual history?

Answer 55

No

Question 56

Where else does the name Daniel or Dan’el appear in Jewish literature?

Answer 56

Ezekiel

Question 57

What are the purposes of the 6 stories, and the 4 visions in Daniel?

Answer 57

The 6 stories were to encourage his suffering fellow believers The 4 visions were to interpret current history and predict the coming consummation when the "saints" will have ultimate victory

Question 58

What is the theme of Daniel?

Answer 58

The Rule / Kingdom of YHWH will | prevail over the kingdoms of the world

Question 59

What are two possible dates for the composition of Daniel?

Answer 59

ca. 600-500 BCE or 167-164 BCE

Question 60

Who were the three young men exiled with Daniel?

Answer 60

Hanani'ah, Mish'a-el, and Azari'ah

Question 61

Be able to summarize the stories in ch. 3 & 6 as to characters and action

Answer 61

3 – Shadrach, Meshach & Abednego protected in the fiery furnace (see 3.25-28) Daniel protected in the lion’s den (see 6.21-26)