First Lecture on the Deuterocanonicals
Blessed Lord, you speak to us through the Holy
Scriptures. Grant that we may hear, read, respect, learn, and
make them our own in such a way that the enduring benefit and
comfort of the Word will help us grasp and hold the blessed hope
of everlasting life, given us through our Savior Jesus Christ.
Preliminaries
Catholic and Protestant Bibles
Resources
- Parallel Apocrypha
- Invitation to the Apocrypha
- Apocrypha Website
Introduction
1. Meanings of "Apocrypha" and
"Deuterocanonical"
- hidden: special?, deceptive?
- second: historically?, in authority?
2. Varying canons of scripture
- Jewish
- Eastern Orthodox
- Roman Catholic
- Reformed
Varying versions of Hebrew Bible books
Additions to Daniel
location of additions
In all Greek texts, Prayer and Song after Daniel
3:23 MT
papyrus 967: Daniel, Bel, Susanna
Theodotion: Susanna, Daniel [rearranged], Bel
ms 88 & Vulgate: Daniel, Susanna, Bel
Prayer of Azariah and Song of Three Hebrews
addition shifts emphasis of chapter 3 from
Nebuchadnezzar to 3 men
Does either the prayer of Azariah or the song of the three Hebrew children fit its context in the book of Daniel?
What difference does it make whether this is biblical or not?
Susanna
Does not deal with
communities outside Jewish community.
Bel and the Dragon
relationship to Habakkuk?
Greek Esther
questions of canonicity of Hebrew book
lack at Qumran
rabbinic questions
questionable use in part of eastern church
not quoted or clearly referred to in NT
strange shape of book
odd numbering of chapters from Jerome moving additions to
end of Vulgate book
- are they "additions" to the current MT book?
- or descended from common ancestor?
- note two recensions
- use by Josephus [Ant xi. 6.6, 8ff;
xi. 6.12f]
Frame of the book
- addition A [11:2-12] and F [10:4-13]
- apocalyptic nature: reduction of human
role?
- presages jewish success in foreign
land, as joseph's dream (gen 35:5-6)
- 12:5 (A16) reward -- denied in 6:3
- 12:6 (A17) Bougean [Hebrew Agagite;
Macedonian (Atext, 9:24; E10)]
- does the interpretation of the dream
actually fit it?
- 10:6 (F3) esther as stream - unexpected
source (like judith?)
Center of book
- read additions C and D [between 4:17 and
5:3] -- cf MT 5:1-2
- both human heroes get to pray
- 14:13 (C24) the king - who is not evil
- 14:15-17 (C26-29) scruples unmatched in
Hebrew
- D credits God with advances,
credited to Esther in MT -- although this
section brings Esther forward, no longer
under Mordecai
Addition B [between 3:13 and 3:14]
use of letters to provide verisimillitude? [cf
Ezr]
question of religious threats to government
stability [such as Islamic militants in Turkey,
Saudi Arabia, etc]
Addition E [between 8:12 and 8:13]
use of decree to provide verisimillitude? [cf
Ezr]
Other Additions to Hebrew Books
- 1 Esdras
- Baruch and Letter of Jeremiah
- Psalm 151
- Prayer of Manasseh
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This page last modified 1 October 2002.