“God So Near”: An Examination of the Ancient Near Eastern Setting for Deuteronomy 4:7 and קרבים -- By: Daniel P. Bricker

Journal: Bulletin for Biblical Research
Volume: BBR 22:3 (NA 2012)
Article: “God So Near”: An Examination of the Ancient Near Eastern Setting for Deuteronomy 4:7 and קרבים
Author: Daniel P. Bricker


“God So Near”: An Examination of the Ancient Near Eastern Setting for Deuteronomy 4:7 and קרבים

Daniel P. Bricker

Azusa Pacific University

According to Deut 4:7, Israel has a deity who is “near.” While most studies that include this passage address other matters, almost none of them explore the meaning or background of the concept of “nearness” (קרבים). The purpose of this article is to examine the Hebrew root קרב, the ancient Near Eastern background of the “nearness” of the deities, and the interpretation of Deut 4:7 as a result of these findings and to explore what made or brought God “near.”

Key Words: Deuteronomy, Deut 4:7, קרבים, near, personal god(s), ancient Near East, omnipresence, covenant

Introduction

In reading the biblical text, it is often tempting to overlook the obvious. Sometimes readers may assume they know the intended meaning of a word because the concept being communicated is so simple it seems easy to grasp. This is apparently the case in most studies that include Deut 4:7, a text that states:

For what other great nation has deities so near to it as Yahweh our God is when we call to him?1

This is such a simple statement that most scholars take the meaning of the text for granted and rarely look into matters lying behind it. Most comments stop at the level of the obvious: this passage is a comparison of Yahweh and the deities of the surrounding cultures in reference to Yahweh’s nearness and the implied resulting advantage Israel has in prayer.2

The vast majority of studies go no further than this. Even analyses that examine the presence of God, seemingly a concept related to nearness in Deuteronomy, rarely address this text and its implications.3 A deeper look into this text and an investigation of the ANE background of the word translated “near” yields results that are not readily apparent. The comparison in Deut 4:7 between Israel’s deity and those of the surrounding nations is brought out when the background of this passage is studied.

This study will look at the Hebrew word that is translated “near” and then explore the ANE background to this verse, w...

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