This study of the word «people» in the biblical context touches one of the central issues of biblical literature. The author addresses the semantic and literary-critical problems involved in interpreting the Hebrew word within the complex texts of 1-2 Samuel and 1-2 Kings. While the word is often rendered by the English word «people» and its cognates in the modern languages, it is also shown that the idea of «people», together with its semantic range in the modern usage, is not identical to the ancient Hebrew. Concerted effort is thus made to identify the basic factors and patterns that explain its meaning in various Hebrew contexts. The study explains how expresses both Israel's identity as a secular polity as well as its identity as a religious entity. The discussion is carried out in the light of a number of chosen texts, and these are analyzed both synchronically and diachronically.

Autorentext

The Author: Luke Emehiele Ijezie was born in 1962 in Amucha in the present Imo state of Nigeria. He was ordained a priest in 1988 for the Catholic Diocese of Orlu and since then has served in various capacities. With a BA (Philosophy) and a BD (Theology), he proceeded to Rome in 1991 where he earned a Licentiate in Sacred Scripture (SSL) at the Pontifical Biblical Institute (1995). He defended his doctoral thesis in Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Gregorian University, Rome in 2005. He taught Sacred Scripture at the Pontifical Urban University Rome (2000-2002) and currently teaches Sacred Scripture at the Catholic Institute of West Africa, Port Harcourt, Nigeria.

Inhalt
Contents: as Expression of Kin relations Relations between and Clan Relations between and Tribe as Expression of Political Relations and the Political Structures as Body of Participants in Warfare as Body of Participants in Governance The religious dimension of as Community of YHWH's Subjects YHWH's and the Monarchy.