The purpose of this work is to determine the place of the book of Ezekiel in the history of the Hebrew language, especially in relationship to the canonical books of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew of Ezekiel contains grammatical and lexical features that are characteristic of the postexilic and postbiblical periods, and should thus be distinguished from earlier Hebrew works of the classical period. It does not, however, contain as much late Hebrew as other canonical books deemed to be late. The book of Ezekiel should thus be regarded as the representative mediating link between pre-exilic and postexilic Biblical Hebrew.
Description:
The purpose of this work is to determine the place of the book of Ezekiel in the history of the Hebrew language, especially in relationship to the canonical books of the Hebrew Bible. The Hebrew of Ezekiel contains grammatical and lexical features that are characteristic of the postexilic and postbiblical periods, and should thus be distinguished from earlier Hebrew works of the classical period. It does not, however, contain as much late Hebrew as other canonical books deemed to be late. The book of Ezekiel should thus be regarded as the representative mediating link between pre-exilic and postexilic Biblical Hebrew.