Biblical Hebrew Forum

[Donald Vance <donaldrvance AT mac.com>]

The key is in Abraham's response in verse 22 where he repeats what 
Melchizedek says with the pronounced addition of the tetragrammaton. Abraham 
(or the author) is playing off of the inherit  ambiguity in the term El. If 
Melchizedek is a priest of YHWH, El Elyon, there is no need for Abraham's 
addition. How on earth would Melchizedek be a worshiper of YHWH? What we have 
here is the Old Testament's version of Paul's Mars Hill speech.  Abraham is 
saying, "Melchizedek, that God Most High you've been worshipping is, in 
reality, YHWH, God Most High." this is consistent with the way the character 
Abraham is portrayed. He has been going around to all these pagan shrines and 
building altars near them to YHWH who happens to proclaim himself to be the 
God of whatever attribute the local Canaanite god is over. At the oaks of 
Mamre and Moreh (asters shrines, fertility cult places) YHWH promises Abram a 
son, and at Bethel (locus of a shrine to El, creator deity and owner of the 
land) YHWH promises him the land! Abraham is preaching to the Canaanite 
without opening his mouth. With the Melchizedek incident, he teaches his 
friend, the king of Sodom, that YHWH is God most high. In Psalm 110, in my 
opinion, that dynamic is at play. Why does Abraham legitimize this pagan 
priest by tithing to him? Answer: he's not so pagan. His heart is after God 
(el) and Abraham has been sent to teach him the identity of that Most High 
God.  

Sent from my iPad
(Because ORU bought me one)
Donald R. Vance
dvance AT oru.edu
donaldrvance AT mac.com

On Aug 10, 2011, at 10:41 AM, "Bryant J. Williams III" <bjwvmw AT com-pair.net> 
wrote:

> Dear Donald,
> 
> It is clear from the context that "leEl-elyon" is referring to the "the Most
> High God" or "God Most High" in connection to Melchi-zedek, King of Salem 
> and
> Priest of God Most High. Abram had no problem offering tithes to him in 
> worship.
> So, was Abram paying homage to a "pagan" deity or was he offering homage to 
> God
> Most High? Did Abram believe that he was paying tithes to God (el) or to a 
> pagan
> deity named el)? BTW, I am not bringing Hebrews into the discussion since 
> that
> would be OFF-LIMITS.
> 
> Rev. Bryant J. Williams III
> 
> ----- Original Message ----- 
> From: "Donald Vance" <donaldrvance AT mac.com>
> To: "George Athas" <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au>
> Cc: "B-Hebrew" <b-hebrew AT lists.ibiblio.org>
> Sent: Tuesday, August 09, 2011 11:40 PM
> Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] El = God?
> 
> 
>> Darn tootin' it's debated. I don't see how Gen 14:18 can be anything but a
> reference to the Canaanite deity.
>> 
>> Sent from my iPad
>> Donald R. Vance
>> dvance AT oru.edu
>> donaldrvance AT mac.com
>> 
>> On Aug 9, 2011, at 8:05 AM, George Athas <George.Athas AT moore.edu.au> wrote:
>> 
>>> Karl is correct, that the word אל is a common noun for 'deity'. However, 
>>> it
> is often used practically as a Proper Name for the president or father of 
> the
> gods in the Canaanite pantheon. This is confirmed in Ugaritic, for example.
> However, in Hebrew, it is very rarely used that way, if ever (it's 
> occasionally
> debated, though).
>>> 
>>> 
>>> GEORGE ATHAS
>>> Director of Postgraduate Studies,
>>> Moore Theological College (moore.edu.au)
>>> Sydney, Australia
>>> 
>>> 
>>> _______________________________________________
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> 
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