Book of the Covenant ( 30: 1-31 :40) 453when the first group of exiles was leaving for Babylon, but that is too early since
the poem in 31 :2-6, which is part of the overall structure, presupposes the fall
of Jerusalem. The ironic word in 31:22b underscores the somber mood at the
time of both the 597 and 586 exiles; nevertheless, the collection gives depart-
ing Judahites a word of hope from Yahweh that after judgment will come a glo-
rious salvation.
As we have noted, both Jewish and Christian traditions from earliest times
gave the final line in v 22b a totally positive interpretation. An allusion to this
line has also been found in the Gospel of Thomas (logion 4), where the idea is
expressed that every woman must become a man. It states:Simon Peter said to them: Let Mariham go away from us. For women are
not worthy of life. Jesus said: Lo, I will draw her so that I will make her a
man so that she too may become a living spirit which is like you men; for
every woman who makes herself a man will enter into the kingdom of
heaven.
(Bader 1961-62: 57)3. Look, Days Are Coming! (31:23-40)
a) May Yahweh Bless You, 0 Holy Mountain! (31:23-26)
31 23 Thus said Yahweh of hosts, God of Israel:
Again they shall say this word in the land of Judah and in its cities, when
I restore their fortunes:
May Yahweh bless you
righteous pasture
0 holy mountain(^24) And Judah and all its cities shall dwell in it together, the farmers and
they who set out with the flock.^25 For I will saturate the thirsty soul, and
every languishing soul I will fill.
(^26) At this I awoke and looked around, and my sleep was pleasant to me.
RHETORIC AND COMPOSITION
MT 31:23-26 = LXX 38:23-26. Here begins a new oracle collection, mostly
but not entirely in prose, which expands the poetic core (30:5-31:22) to make
the first Book of Restoration (chaps. 30-31). The poetic core contains many
prophecies on the restoration of Northern Israel; here the focus is exclusively
on the restoration of Judah, or a reunited Israel and Judah. In its first stage, the
expansion consisted only of the prophetic utterances in vv 23-34. These utter-
ances are structured by "look, days are coming" formulas giving future-oriented
predictions, and by verbs coupled with "again" («3d) or "not again" (lo> ... CCJd),