The use of slave terms in deference and in relation to God in the Hebrew Bible

This study analyses the metaphoric use of עבד† ('slave, servant') and the female equivalents אמה† and שפחה† when used in deferential speech in the Hebrew Bible, both in biblical narrative and in prayer. The focus is on the intention of the deferential use of these terms, a matter little studied. Such deferential use of is found to be part of identity construction, in which the speaker who is normally a social inferior to the hearer but is sometimes an equal or even socially superior, recognises that the hearer has power over him or her, particularly in the matter of granting a request. In all cases (including in prayer), such deference is one of a number of strategies of argumentation and/or other polite speaking, to assist the speaker get what they want. When aspects of slavery are evoked, this further heightens the argument the speaker presents. In most cases, the speaker achieves what is wanted from the interaction (indicated in narrative texts). The use of עבד† as a title or to designate people such as officials and courtiers of the king, and prophets to God, is also discussed, to assist in the dissertation's argument that when the metaphoricity of slave terms is played upon, it evokes aspects of the practice of slavery, not the royal court, despite the frequent use of עבד† and its ancient Near Eastern equivalents to denote officials. Other ancient Near Eastern literature, mostly documentary and epigraphic, is referred to and sometimes analysed. Such literature indicates that master-slave deference was a longstanding phenomenon in the ancient Near East, and that such use of slave terms was 'lexicalised', that is, metaphoric associations with slavery is not normally evoked. This is found to be the case in the Hebrew Bible, though at times the metaphoricity is evoked and played upon.