Prophetic Emotional Responses
We’ve already noted the fact that the study of emotions in biblical texts is a relatively new area of interest in Hebrew Bible studies. In the following section we will briefly provide a succinct review of current scholarship and development in this growing field of interest. Gary Anderson’s A Time to Mourn, A Time to Dance (1991) represents a landmark publication, even though the study focuses predominantly upon the expression of joy and grief in Israelite religion or worship. Our focus upon prophetic emotional responses in the Hebrew Bible is much more specific. Later research focused upon comparative data from the ancient Near East, as can be seen in Fox’s study on clapping as an expression of anger and anguish in Mesopotamia and Israel. In 1998 Mark Smith published a study on the heart and innards in Israelite emotional expressions, using anthropological and psychological research. Smith’s research focuses more on semantics and metaphors than on the emotions within a text per se. However, his conclusion makes an important point. “Emotions are not part of an interior world of feeling separate from external communication to others. Instead, emotions play a larger role in communicating to others and preparing the self for action.” GOP 145.1
By far the most focused contributions to the discussion of emotions in the Old Testament have been made by Paul Kruger from Stellenbosch University in South Africa. Beginning in 2000 Kruger published a significant number of peer-reviewed studies dealing with anger, depression, and fear in the Old Testament. His particular interest in cognitive linguistics has shaped his approach and reminds readers and researchers alike that texts are a reflection of cultural and cognitive realities. Some of his students have also contributed research focusing upon cognitive linguistics and emotions, as can be seen in the work of Kotze and Basson. Kotze correctly laments the relative lack of material that studies the emotion of anger in the Old Testament beyond the theologically significant discussion of divine anger. More recently Thomas Kazen incorporated insights from biology, neuroscience, and developmental psychology considering physiological and neurological processes that represent emotions in biblical law within the larger context of culture and conventions. As has been noted by Hundley, Kazen’s lack of differentiating between origin and rhetoric, “between the emotions that helped to generate a law and the emotions used to promote it,” represents a significant flaw and requires further research.GOP 145.2
The past decade or so has also seen a number of studies and doctoral dissertations focusing more specifically on emotions in prophetic texts of the Old Testament. Many of these studies examine anger—divine and/or human. Deena Grant’s New York University Ph.D. dissertation looks at divine anger in biblical literature and includes discussions of herem, the divine warrior, and war. Earlier Esther Grushkin’s dissertation from the same university looked at the effect of emotions on the human body as depicted in the Old Testament and included a discussion of body parts and their relation to the physiology of emotion. David Phinney’s 2004 Yale dissertation focused more specifically on Ezekiel’s prophetic persona, highlighting a number of strategies that are used in the prophetic books of the Hebrew Bible to communicate emotions. GOP 146.1
Finally, the latest volume on the subject, by Angela Thomas, compares anatomical idioms and emotional expressions in the Masoretic Text of the Old Testament and its Greek translation in the Septuagint. Thomas’ main interest is comparative linguistics, considering the translation of idiomatic (or emotive) language into a target language whose syntax and grammar is vastly distinct from the original language. Having reviewed current publications involving emotions in biblical texts, we will now look at biblical emotional expression in general.GOP 146.2
Expressions of Emotion in the Bible
Although the Bible does not often directly address the thoughts and emotions of the prophets, a variety of techniques are used to portray prophets’ emotions. As has been noted by Phinney, most prophetic books use a combination of third-person narrative and the prophet’s own voice in their portrayals in order to indicate personal (and, at times, emotional) responses. GOP 147.1
One of the most common ways of expressing emotions in the biblical text (and particularly the Old Testament) is to speak of emotions as bodily occurrences. Even in English emotions are often talked of as “bodily” experiences. For example, we may say that on hearing bad news “we went weak in the knees,” or that a person’s statement made “our blood boil.” Kruger has included a helpful list of 19 physiological changes marking fear in the Hebrew Bible. They include physical agitation (involving “trembling” [Ex. 19:16; 15:15]; “quivering” [Hab. 3:16]; “shaking” [Hag. 2:7]; or “quaking” [Ex. 19:18]); an increased heart rate (Ps. 38:10, 11); blood leaving one’s face (the Hebrew qibbĕṣû pā’rûr in Nahum 2:10, 11 means literally “gathered paleness”); hair straightening (Job 4:14, 15); inability to move (Ex. 15:16); inability to breathe (Dan. 10:17); etc. Similarly, Kruger lists numerous metaphorical expressions involving anger, including the body as a container for anger (Isa. 30:27; Eze. 38:18); increasing anger that produces steam (2 Sam. 22:9; Job 4:9); anger as fire (Isa. 30:27; Jer. 4:4; etc.); or anger as an opponent (Ps. 69:24-26) or a dangerous animal (Eze. 43:8). The positive emotion of joy often involves semantic domains of singing and proclaiming. Furthermore, joy can be seen in distinct body parts. Joy makes a cheerful face (Prov. 15:13) and lights up the eyes (verse 30). Joy is also marked by a mouth filled with laughter (Job 8:21; Ps. 126:2). GOP 147.2
Beyond these more general descriptions of emotion, we will now look at specific examples of how prophets reacted emotionally to a divine call, a divine message, and how the emotional involvement of the prophets affected their messages.GOP 148.1
Emotional Response to Prophetic Call
When we consider prophetic call stories in Scripture, it is surprising to note a generally negative response to God’s call. Prophets normally felt unworthy, unprepared, or just plain afraid.GOP 148.2
Isaiah uses the expression ’ôy-lî, “woe to me,” an expression of extreme negative emotion when he sees God in vision. Intriguingly, the particle ’ôy is commonly used in laments and expressions of mourning (1 Sam. 4:7, 8). Clearly, Isaiah anticipates his own funeral when he considers God’s glorious appearance. However, after having his lips touched in vision with a live coal from the altar (Isa. 6:6), he seems to be animated, as he is the only prophet mentioned in Scripture to then volunteer for the job, saying, “Here am I. Send me!” (verse 8).GOP 148.3
Similarities can be seen in Jeremiah’s call (Jer. 1:4-10). The Hebrew text contains a similar form elsewhere in the Old Testament to mark terror. Clearly Jeremiah does not feel up to the task and claims an inability to speak because of his inexperience and youth (verse 6). In a world in which age determines importance Jeremiah’s claim is legitimate and understandable. God then touches his mouth (echoing conceptually Isaiah’s call experience), and then the prophet participates in the vision of the almond tree and the boiling pot. However, unlike Isaiah, he still seems to be afraid—although more of delivering the message than of God as can be seen in God’s series of commands and warnings in Jeremiah 1:17-19.GOP 148.4
Ezekiel’s calling also comes loaded with extreme negative emotions. The prophet-to-be falls face down after seeing a vision of God (Eze. 1:28). God strengthens him for the remainder of the vision, gives him an unflattering job description, and warns him against rebellion (Eze. 2:8). The biblical text notes that Ezekiel left his first vision “in bitterness and in the anger of my spirit” (Eze. 3:14, NIV). There is no specific explanation as to the reason for this strong reaction. Perhaps, similar to Jeremiah or Isaiah, Ezekiel felt overwhelmed by the weight of the assignment. Cooper thinks that the prophet’s reaction may have been due to the negative response of his audience—already foretold by God (Eze. 2:5-8; 3:6-11). The emotional effect of the vision was so great that Ezekiel sat for seven days—overwhelmed and obviously too afraid to share the vision (Eze. 3:15), as demonstrated by God’s warning to Ezekiel that he would be held responsible for the blood of those he did not warn (verses 16-21).GOP 148.5
Mention should also be made of Moses, who stands as a prototype of prophets (Deut. 18:15) in the Old Testament. Moses, too, experiences negative emotions on being called to take God’s message to Pharaoh. After hearing God’s voice at the burning bush Moses “hid his face, for he was afraid to look upon God” (Ex. 3:6). Once he has received his call, Moses’ fear seems to shift. Instead of fearing the God who calls, he fears the anticipated reception the divine message would have in Egypt. Moses then initiates a series of excuses, which God patiently answers in an effort to alleviate Moses’ fear (“I will certainly be with you” [Ex. 3:12]; “I will be with your mouth and teach you what you shall say” [Ex. 4:12]). Moses is emotionally on edge throughout the encounter as demonstrated by his flight when his staff became a snake—and a sign (verse 3). Finally Moses runs out of excuses, but is still too afraid to take the call. His last recorded words in this meeting with God are: “O Lord, please send someone else to do it” (verse 13) It would seem that since God was unsuccessful in getting Moses to surrender his fears, He makes him choose between two fears. Exodus 4:14 tells us literally “the nose of YHWH became hot,” which the NKJV translates as “The anger of the Lord was kindled against Moses.” Some interpreters have underlined the concessive nature of God’s anger that could be translated as “even though the Lord was angry with Moses . . .” This seemed to be the emotional push that Moses needed to start his journey back to Egypt—and into full and trusting ministry for the Lord.GOP 149.1
Emotional Involvement in Divine Vision
Visions are not detached academic exercises for the prophet. The biblical prophets not only observed events and places and object lessons in vision, they were often active in the vision and became emotionally involved in the scenes portrayed. Both Ezekiel and John were told to eat books during vision (Eze. 2:9-3:3; Rev. 10:9). John was given a measuring rod and told to participate by measuring (Rev. 11:1). Furthermore, prophets often participated in visions by asking and being asked questions (e.g., Amos 8:2; Zech. 1-6; Habakkuk).GOP 149.2
Prophets also felt a range of emotions during vision. When catching a glimpse of God’s glory, they often experienced the sensation of fear and awe. After seeing someone “like the Son of Man” (Rev. 1:13) John falls at his feet “as though dead” (verse 17). Daniel’s experience is similar (cf. Dan. 8 and 10), thus providing a link connecting Old Testament prophetic authority to New Testament prophecy and eschatology. In his vision Daniel notices a ram and a goat and tries to make sense of what he is seeing when Gabriel approaches Daniel to explain the vision. Daniel reports that he was “terrified and fell prostrate” (Dan. 8:17).GOP 149.3
Fear, however, is not the only emotion experienced in vision. For example, emotional participation in a vision is illustrated by John, who became so involved in the vision of the scroll with the seven seals that he “wept much” (Rev. 5:4) when no one was found worthy to open the scroll. Notice the extreme emotion accentuated by the intensification of the verbal action.GOP 150.1
Not all of John’s emotional involvement in vision is negative, as illustrated by his reaction to the woman who was drunk with the blood of the saints in Revelation 17. When John saw her, he “marveled with great amazement” (Rev. 17:6). The literal translation of the Greek text would be “I marveled a great marvel,” an expression of great astonishment. Translators and commentators have struggled to understand this expression because this emotion can express a positive sense of awe. The same Greek word is used in Revelation 13:3 describing the astonishment or marvel of the whole world as it witnesses the miraculous recovery of the beast from its fatal wound. In Revelation 13 this astonishment transforms observers into followers. John’s emotional expression in Revelation 17:6 must have been so obvious as to evoke a question by the accompanying angel in verse 7.GOP 150.2
Another example of emotional involvement in divine revelation is found in Zechariah 3. When shown the vision of Joshua the high priest, Zechariah becomes so enthused that he begins to actively participate in the vision. After witnessing the showdown between the angel of the Lord and Satan over Joshua, he watches as Joshua’s filthy garments are replaced with clean ones. In a sign of total engagement Zechariah seems to forget himself and joins the process by ordering a new turban for Joshua (Zech. 3:5). Zechariah’s wish transforms an observer into a participant. As noted by Meyers and Meyers, “the use of the first person at this point in the vision is unexpected and for most commentators represents the impulsive intervention of the prophet into the text. The versions had great difficulty here, either omitting (LXX) or converting to the third person (Vulgate and Peshitta).” In light of the present research, Zechariah’s intervention should be understood as a clear expression of the prophet’s emotional involvement.GOP 150.3
Emotional Response to a Divine Message and Its Proclamation
After a message has been delivered, prophets often experience various emotions. At times they are frustrated, or even angry, when they see that God’s message has been met with indifference or hostility (1 Kings 18:21; 22:28; 2 Kings 13:19).GOP 151.1
An interesting example is the story of Jonah. The whole book of Jonah seems to be a case study of a prophet who refuses to share in God’s emotions. The first chapter gives little clue as to Jonah’s emotional state—except for the intriguing repetition of the verbal form yārad, “he went down,” in Jonah 1:3, 5, and 2:7, which seems to link a state to a location, and could be described as—what Kamp calls—“a vertical flight.” We are left to conclude only that Jonah does not welcome his call, as evidenced by his running in the opposite direction of the place to which he was called. The whole first chapter is marked by a notable lack of reported emotion on Jonah’s part. The fact that the sailors are “afraid” and “calling out” (Jonah 1:5), “exceedingly afraid” or “terrified” (verse 10), and “feared the Lord exceedingly” (verse 15) stands in dramatic contrast to Jonah, who seems to be emotionally aloof. Faced with the penetrating questions of the terrified sailors, he declares a passionately that he should be thrown into the raging seas. His lack of emotion borders on apathy and is contrasted by the sailors’ desperate attempt to row to land (verse 13) in order to avoid sacrificing a fellow human being and thus culpability. Once the crew realizes that escape is impossible, their emotional prayer pleading for divine forgiveness and recognition of the circumstances (verse 16) is countered by Jonah’s silence. Jonah does not seem to feel anything at this point as he faces sure death.GOP 151.2
We see emotions coming to the fore only during his prayer (Jonah 2) while in the belly of the fish, when he refers to his “distress” or “affliction” (verse 2). After his dramatic rescue he is willing to experience and convey certain emotions, namely, God’s wrath (Jonah 3:4), but is not willing to sympathize with God. The fact that God has “compassion” on the city (verse 10) evokes a surprising emotional response in Jonah: he was “greatly displeased and became angry” (Jonah 4:1). Jonah then explained his actions in fleeing to Tarshish as a reaction to God’s emotions of compassion and abounding love (verse 2). The reader usually expects that a prophet would be very happy when a message from God is accepted. But Jonah is reported to be “very happy” (verse 6) only when a shady vine grows. When it withers he expresses extreme emotion, becoming “angry enough to die” (verse 9). The book of Jonah ends with God indirectly inviting Jonah to share his “emotions” (or concern) for the people and even animals of Nineveh (verse 11).GOP 151.3
Sometimes prophets struggled to make sense of what they had seen in vision, becoming so anguished that they become physically ill. Following his vision of the 2,300 evenings and mornings (Dan. 8:26), Daniel lay ill for several days. He was “appalled” by the vision because it was for him at that time “beyond understanding” (verse 27).GOP 152.1
Prophets experienced intense emotions during vision. Through their visions they were sensitized to certain sins, often retaining a particularly strong negative reaction toward sin—even long after the original vision. For example, the prophet Jeremiah had repeatedly been shown the dangers and consequences of idolatry. Jeremiah 44 contains a message for the remnant who had fled to Egypt against God’s order. The divine message reiterated God’s disgust with idolatry and its sure results (leading to desolation, exile, and calamity). Jeremiah, sensitized to the sin of idolatry, afterward took the unusual step of protesting the women’s domestic cult of burning incense and pouring out drink offerings to the queen of heaven (Jer. 44:20-30). GOP 152.2
Often prophetic messages put the prophets into disfavor with popular opinion, and many of the prophets had to fear for their personal safety. Like many of the earlier prophets, Jeremiah was not popular because of his prophecies. In Jeremiah 11:18-23 God Himself revealed a plot against Jeremiah, possibly even propagated by Jeremiah’s own family in his own town. Disillusionment, frustration, and the all-pervasive why question were part of Jeremiah’s response to this existential and emotional crisis. Interestingly, the brief poetic lament in Jeremiah 11:20 features “body language,” including the kidneys (translated in NKJV as “mind”) and heart. GOP 152.3
Elijah’s story reflects the bandwidth of emotional responses—both his own as well as those of national leaders and the population at large. Following God’s demonstration of sovereignty and power on Mount Carmel (1 Kings 18), the emotional state of Elijah seems to move from a mountaintop experience of triumph and victory over Baal’s prophets (and theology) to terror at Jezebel’s threat (1 Kings 19:2, 3). After beating a hasty retreat, his terror becomes full-blown depression, ultimately leading the prophet to desire his own death. “And he prayed that he might die, and said, ‘It is enough! Now, Lord, take my life, for I am no better than my fathers!’ ” (verse 4). God’s patient dealing with the fragile emotive state of His messenger highlights God’s understanding of emotional pain and His commitment to see His servants through the valleys of the shadow of death.GOP 152.4
Prophets included repeated predictions of disaster and punishment for sin. While these pronouncements were often met with indifference by the people, the prophet, as part of the group that would suffer the results of disobedience, was keenly aware and afraid of the impending disaster. Jeremiah describes the situation poignantly in Jeremiah 4:19: “O my soul, my soul! I am pained in my very heart! My heart makes a noise in me; I cannot hold my peace, because you have heard, O my soul, the sound of the trumpet, the alarm of war” (NKJV). As noted by Huey, “the pain he [Jeremiah] felt as he announced Jerusalem’s destruction is revealed in his cry ‘Oh, my anguish, my anguish!’ In his mind Jeremiah could already hear the trumpet sound of the approaching enemy and the battle cry of soldiers massed for an assault on his beloved city. The thought of such a calamity made his heart beat wildly.” GOP 153.1
A similar verse that is extremely rich in body part language expressing emotion can be found in Habakkuk 3:16. Part of an important prayer that continues the dialogue between prophet and the Lord, Habbakuk is terrified at the prospect of God’s punishment of Judah. His outpouring contains many of the metaphorical expressions depicting fear: “When I heard, my body trembled; my lips quivered at the voice; rottenness entered my bones; and I trembled in myself’ (Hab. 3:16). As noted by Palmer Robertson:GOP 153.2
The expression of the prophet concerning the effect of the Lord’s speech on him ought not to be taken merely as a dramatizing literary device. He describes instead an actual physical experience which he underwent as the full weight of the significance of his vision dawned on him. His solar plexus convulses. His feeble effort to maintain a dialogue with the Almighty results in uncontrollable buzzing of the lips. His bones give the sensation of suddenly rotting away. His legs quake beneath him. GOP 153.3
This makes Habakkuk’s emotional faith statement all the more contrasting when he finally exclaims, “Yet I will rejoice in the Lord, I will joy in the God of my salvation” (verse 18).GOP 153.4