Die retoriese funksie van die wisselwerking tussen ’n profeet en sy gehoor in die boek Esegiël

Abstract

In the book of the prophet Ezekiel, indications are found of the interaction between the prophet and his audience. Prophecy always had the aim to convince its audience of something and are therefore always of a rhetorical nature. It happens frequently that the rhetorical aim and situation of a prophetic book receives attention. This article attempts to reconstruct the possible original rhetorical situation of those instances where the prophet uses quotations and react on them. Before discussing the different cases, three theoretical issues receive attention, namely the rhetorical approach used in this article, the use of quotations in the Bible and so-called disputations. In the book, quotations occur in two contexts, namely before and after the fall of Jerusalem. The refutation of the quotations aims to address the despondency of the exiles and exhorting them with the message that God will bring deliverance in the future.

Keywords: Ezekiel, rhetoric, quotations