B0B ACER I METALL EN PERFILS O BARRES B0B2 ACER EN BARRES CORRUGADES

In the ICM of רוא in the physical domain of the ancient Israelite conceptual world, the sun (in physical relationship to the human body) is the most primitive cognitive referent for the se- mantic cloud of the lexeme. Similarly, in the metaphorical projection of the ICM of רוא into the metaphysical domain, YHWH is the most primitive cognitive referent in personal relation-

ship to the human self. This does not exclude the fact that the OT portrays YHWH in physical

relationship to the human body as well; but, as pertaining to the conceptualization of light, it is secondary to the personal relationship of YHWH to the inner human self, even though this

personal relationship is often conceptualized in physical, embodied terms.

In [Psa 44:2-4], it seems clear that these anthropomorphic ways of speaking about the actions of God are not meant to be interpreted as referring to physical realities. The reader is not meant to understand that a giant flesh-and-bone arm physically removed the Israelites from one place and took them to another place, or that a giant flesh-and-blood face was

above them with its "radiance" physically lighting the way for them. I argue that these an- thropomorphic ways of speaking about YHWH are not physical references but metaphysical

references. The action of bringing the Israelites out of Egypt is credited to YHWH. It is an

act displaying God's divine power on behalf of the nation of Israel; therefore, it is described as an act of God's strong arm and mighty hand. It is also an act displaying God's divine fa- vor toward the nation of Israel; therefore, it is described as an act of God's shining face (Ruark 2017:94, emphasis original).

In the personal domain, this concept of the shining face is synonymous with the "lifting of the face" and describes the favorable quality of an inter-personal relationship, referring to smiling and/or looking on another person with grace or favor (Thomas 2014:264-270).105 _{The same is}

also true when the concept is used of YHWH (Num 6:25; Psa 67:2), but it is applied more

broadly in collocation with the concepts of YHWH's salvation (Psa 31:17, 80:4,8,20), blessing

(Psa 67:2), and instruction (Psa 119:135). Psa 4:7 even uses the phrase in a quoted prayer, apparently spoken by those who simply want their lives to be better!

׃ר ֹֽמא ֵלּ ה ֥ ֶשֹׁמ־ל ֶא ה֖ ָוה ְי ר ֥ ֵבּ ַד ְי ַו ס ׃ם ֽ ֶה ָל רוֹ ֖מ ָא ל ֑ ֵא ָר ְשׂ ִי י֣ ֵנ ְבּ־ת ֶא וּ ֖כ ֲר ָב ְת ה ֹ֥כּ ר ֹ֔מא ֵל וי֣ ָנ ָבּ־ל ֶא ְו ֙ןֹר ֲה ַא־ל ֽ ֶא ר ֤ ֵבּ ַדּ ס ׃ךָ ֽ ֶר ְמ ְשׁ ִי ְו ה֖ ָוה ְי ֥ךָ ְכ ֶר ָבְי ס ׃ ָךּ ֽ ֶנּ ֻחי ֽ ִו ךָי֖ ֶל ֵא וי֛ ָנ ָפּ ׀ה֧ ָוה ְי ר ֵ֨א ָי ס ׃םוֹ ֽל ָשׁ ֖ךָ ְל ם ֥ ֵשׂ ָי ְו ךָי ֶ֔ל ֵא ֙וי ָנ ָפּ ׀ה֤ ָוה ְי א ָ֨שּׂ ִי פ ׃ם ֽ ֵכ ֲר ָב ֲא י֖ ִנ ֲא ַו ל ֑ ֵא ָר ְשׂ ִי י֣ ֵנ ְבּ־ל ַע י ֖ ִמ ְשׁ־ת ֶא וּ ֥מ ָשׂ ְו

And YHWH spoke to Moses, saying:

105. The concept "the lifting of the face" functions more generally than the concept "the shining of the face," but they are both relational concepts that collocate with the Hebrew verb ן ַנ ָח (to show grace, favor) [Num 6:25-26; Deut 28:50; Mal 1:8-9; Lam 4:16]. The concept "the lifting of the face" can sometimes describe the literal inclination of a person's head (2 Ki 9:32, perhaps also 2 Sam 2:22 and 2 Ki 3:14) or a person's status as wealthy or honored within the community (2 Ki 5:1; Isa 3:3, 9:14; Job 22:28, perhaps also Job 11:15). To "lift the face" of another person refers to a good or favorable relationship between the two persons, usually described in terms of a person of higher social status acting toward a person of lower social status (Gen 19:21, 32:21; 1 Sam 25:35; Mal 1:8-9; Psa 82:2; Job 13:8, 32:21, 42:8-9; Prov 6:35, 18:5; Lam 4:16). Finally, the concept can also describe the lifting of one's

own face toward another person, often describing a favorable relationship but in a negative

way, i.e., "favoritism" (Lev 19:15; Deut 10:17, 28:50; Mal 2:9; Job 13:10, 34:19; Prov 18:5). This latter sense is most closely related to the concept "the shining of the face," referring to smiling or "lifting" of the facial features. Job describes that the light of his own face "was not caused to fall" [Hiphil of ל ַפ ָנ ("to fall"), Job 29:24; see also Psa 4:7]. See BDB 1907:670; Fishbane 1985:329-334; Reece 1990:146-152; HALOT II 1995:725; DCH V 2001:760; Burton 2017:205-206.

"Speak to Aaron and to his sons, saying,

Thus shall you bless the children of Israel; say to them: 'May YHWH bless you, and may he keep you;

May YHWH shine his face toward you, and may he be gracious unto you;

May YHWH lift his face toward you, and may he give you peace.'

So shall they set my name upon the children of Israel, and I myself shall bless them."

[Num 6:22-27]

Although my specific focus is on the three strophes of the blessing itself (v.24-26), I have in- cluded YHWH's entire speech for the purpose of comparison with the context and setting of

similar words in extra-biblical sources (see section 3.3). This Priestly Blessing consists of three poetic lines of two strophes each, yielding the following structure:

(1a) May YHWH bless you, (1b) and may he keep you;

(2a) May YHWH shine his face toward you, (2b) and may he be gracious unto you;

(3a) May YHWH lift his face toward you, (3b) and may he give you peace.

These six strophes exhibit fairly standard, but highly nuanced, synonymous paral- lelism with an underlying linear progression and chiastic structure. The three initial strophes (1a, 2a, 3a) form one synonymous group, with the three final strophes (1b, 2b, 3b) forming another; but the distinction between these two groupings should not be pressed too hard. The summative verb is ךְ ַר ָבּ ("to bless"), which appears in the opening strophe and occurs 3x in the entire paragraph, both before and after the Blessing itself (see also Psa 133:3). The final stro- phe communicates the intended goal, that its recipients would experience the םוֹל ָשׁ ("peace, wholeness") of YHWH. The focal point occurs in the middle couplet, which communicates the

means by which the action of blessing occurs, by YHWH smiling on the Israelite people and

showing them grace and favor. The entire Priestly Blessing is thoroughly relational both in its context and its scope, as is the specific conceptualization of the shining of YHWH's face (as

of a king!) on the Israelite people. It is via this relational subdomain that the personal domain is linked to the metaphysical subdomain in the ancient Israelite conceptual world.