Old Testament Essays (Jan 2022)
Rhetoric of Honour and Shame in Understanding the Fate of the King of Tyre in Ezek 28:1–19
Abstract
While the oracles against Tyre are often understood in terms of Tyre’s political and economic relationship with Judah and advocate a sovereign God who oversaw the destiny of foreign powers, this article explores the oracles against Tyre, particularly Ezek 28:1–19, from the perspective of honour and shame in an ancient Mediterranean context. It finds that the rhetoric of the contrasting notion of honour and shame plays an important role in understanding the rise and fall of the king of Tyre in Ezek 28:1–19. The fluctuation of honour and shame with regards to the Adamic identity of the king of Tyre in the passage serves to enhance in a forceful and sarcastic way the reality of the king’s mortal human fate. I propose that the purpose of this oracle, in light of the honour/shame rhetoric, is to address the suffering Israelites in exile with comfort and assurance in that crucial moment of history. https://doi.org/10.17159/2312-3621/2021/v34n3a11
