Marriage as a Covenant

Focuses on the interpretation of Malachi 2:10-16, which censures the lax marital practice of its contemporaries. In particular, the author investigates Malachi's identification of marriage as a covenant in response to recent scholarly challenges to this identification.

This work focuses on the interpretation of Malachi 2:10-16, which censures the lax marital practice of its contemporaries. In particular, the author investigates Malachi's identification of marriage as a covenant in response to recent scholarly challenges to this identification. Taking the issues raised by Malachi as his point of departure, Hugenberger examines the nature of covenant and oath - including verba solemnia and oath-signs - and, in the light of these findings, explores the theory of marriage implied elsewhere in the Old Testament. Included in this investigation are an analysis of the concentric literary structure of Malachi and a study of the Old Testament's ethical perspectives on divorce, polygamy and sexual fidelity.

Review:

' Discussions of ancient Near Eastern marriage customs and the nature of covenant give the book a more general interest...'
G.I. Davies, SOTS, 1994.
'.. .a very substantial study, which deserves careful attention both from students of biblical theology and from social historians of ancient Israel.'
John J. Collins, Journal of Biblical Literature, 1995.
' [The author] has produced a virtual encyclopedia of scholarly opinion on Malachi, ancient Near Eastern covenants, and the concept of marriage in the ancient Near East. His careful attention to Hebrew grammar is also helpful in numerous places. Hugenberger has carefully organized this long work, with its extensive indexes, and he has written it clearly.'
John T. Strong, The Catholic Biblical Quarterly, 1995.