Prophetic Rhetoric

Case Studies in Text Analysis and Translation

Second Edition

Ernst R. Wendland

SIL International®

Publications in Translation and Textlinguistics 7

Why were the Hebrew prophets so persuasive? Of course, they were spokesmen for God, but another reason is their powerful manner of speaking-writing. In this book, an oral-rhetorical approach illumines their techniques and their relevance for students of Scripture today.

Case studies are mostly from the "minor" prophets, but also include the more familiar texts of Ezekiel 33-37 and Isaiah 53. A fresh look via a dynamic literary model offers greater awareness of these as powerful communicators. Each study has a different focus, according to the form, content, and communicative aim of the prophetic book. Each chapter concludes with pertinent implications for the practice of Scripture translation.

This book is a resource for theological students, those interested in translation studies and Bible translation, and teachers, consultants, and writers who are engaged in such studies.

"In this age when scholars rush to criticize, and readers to over-spiritualize, Prophetic Rhetoric is a positive and significant contribution to understanding the complexity and richness of the biblical text" (from the Foreword).

Ernst R. Wendland (Ph.D., African Languages and Literature, University of Wisconsin) is an instructor at Lusaka Lutheran Seminary and a dissertation examiner at the University of Zambia. A former UBS Translation Consultant, he serves as Professor Extraordinary in the Centre for Bible Interpretation and Translation in Africa, Stellenbosch University.