Original Research

Prophetic sensing of Yahweh’s word

Wilhelm J. Wessels
HTS Teologiese Studies / Theological Studies | Vol 71, No 3 | a2923 | DOI: https://doi.org/10.4102/hts.v71i3.2923 | © 2015 Wilhelm J. Wessels | This work is licensed under CC Attribution 4.0
Submitted: 03 March 2015 | Published: 08 July 2015

About the author(s)

Wilhelm J. Wessels, Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies, University of South Africa, South Africa

Abstract

This article focuses on Jeremiah 23:18, which implies that the prophet stood in the council of Yahweh (sôd) to see and hear the word of Yahweh. In this verse, it seems that the senses of the prophet played a role in receiving Yahweh’s words. Verse 18 forms part of 23:16–22 in which Jeremiah warned the people of Judah not to listen to prophets who mislead them with optimistic messages. In this article, attention is given to the question whether standing in the council of Yahweh is a deciding criterion for receiving true words from Yahweh. The motif of the divine council is also investigated. An argument is presented that ‘sensing’ should be understood in the double sense of the word, namely sensory experience as well as the intellectual activity of understanding. It is argued that both meanings of the word sensing are necessary to determine the truth of Yahweh’s word.

Keywords

Sensing; Yahweh's word; divine council

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