Comparing: Hebrew Bible / Hebrew Bible

The Use of the Hebrew Bible in the Hebrew Bible

“Nothing is more difficult ... than from a mere comparison of parallel passages to determine on which side the priority lies.” (Inner-biblical allusion refers to cases where biblical authors repeat portions of earlier biblical texts and where such reuse is intended to be recognized by the audience for a communicative purpose. Disagreement persists over the terminology with proposals including echo, allusion, quotation, inner-biblical exegesis, and intertextuality) Written over a century ago, these words from S. R. Driver ring true today.

In many cases the combination of shared lexemes, similar syntax, and conceptual correspondence make it likely that one text in the Hebrew Bible is directly borrowing from another. Even where such a literary relationship can be reasonably established, it is difficult to determine which text is the prior source and which is the later borrower ... what means are available to construct such an argument for textual dependence? What is needed is an agreed-upon set of valid criteria for determining the direction of borrowing once a literary relationship between two biblical texts is reckoned. But what means are available to construct such an argument for textual dependence? What is needed is an agreed-upon set of valid criteria for determining the direction of borrowing once a literary relationship between two biblical texts is reckoned.

Smith, Cooper “Inner-Biblical Allusion and the Direction of Dependence: Toward a Comprehensive List of Criteria.” (pp. 1-2) The Journal of Hebrew Scriptures, Vol. 22, 2023