Parental love as metaphor for divine-human love

Journal of the Evangelical Theological Society, Jun 2003 by Patterson, Richard D

41 LXX, Vg, "I have begotten you" (cf. NASB; NRSV). The MT of Ps 2:12 further advises other earthly rulers to "kiss the son" (i.e. do homage to Yahweh's son).

42 H. Donner ("Adoption oder Legitimation?" [1969] 114) makes the interesting suggestion that Ps 2:7 reflects "ein auf die Ebene der Metapher transponiertes mythisches Element" ("a mythical element transposed at the level of metaphor").

43 See H. Ringgren ("Psalm 2 and Belit's Oracle for Ashurbanipal," in The Word of the Lord Shall Go Forth [ed. Carol Meyers and M. O'Connor; Winona Lake: Eisenbrauns, 1983] 92) points out an interesting parallel with Ps 2:7-8:

Belit is his mother: fear not! The Mistress of Arbela bore him: fear not!

As she that's given birth (cares for) her child (?), so I care for you.

I have set you as an amulet (?) between my breasts.

All night I am awake, I keep watch over you. All day I give you milk.

44 See M. Dahood, Psalms I (AB; Garden City: Doubleday, 1966) 11-12; G. Cooke, "The Israelite King as Son of God," ZAW 73 (1961) 202-25.

45 E. Lohse, "[nu](i)oc, Palestinian Judaism," TDNT 8.360.

46 L. Ryken, Words of Life (Grand Rapids: Baker, 1987) 99-103. Ryken's demonstration of the features of NT poetry reinforces the conclusions of N. Turner that Semitic influences may be felt throughout the Greek NT. See his extensive remarks in volumes 3 and 4 of J. H. Moulton, A Grammar of New Testament (3d ed.; 4 vols.; Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1908, 1919, 1963, 1976). See also N. Turner, Grammatical Insights into the New Testament (Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1965). Many years of research and reflection caused Turner to conclude that "Greek-speaking Jews, even before the advent of the Savior, had worked wonders with the Greek language. . . . Christians being mostly Jews at the beginning, inherited this metabolized language only to transform it still more remarkably" (N. Turner, Christian Words [Edinburgh: T. & T. Clark, 1980) xiii).

47 Ryken, Words 102.

48 Ibid. 103.

49 The theological implications of Jesus as the Son of God are not under consideration in this study.

50 David (Ps 68:5) proclaimed, "A father to the fatherless, a defender of widows, is God in his holy dwelling."

RICHARD D. PATTERSON*