Date

12-4-2025

Department

Rawlings School of Divinity

Degree

Doctor of Philosophy in Bible Exposition (PhD)

Chair

Robert Wayne Talley

Keywords

Servant's Ear, Hearing Command

Disciplines

Christianity

Abstract

This dissertation undertakes an extensive investigation into the theological, historical, and literary development of the biblical servant motif. This study examines the evolution of the concept of servitude, beginning with its origins in Ancient Near Eastern (ANE) laws and culture.

It is anchored in the tradition of ear-piercing for the willing servant, as outlined in Exodus 21:5-6 and Deuteronomy 15:16-17. This research unpacks how ideas about servitude changed in the Old Testament law and how this relates to the end times and the early church, as described in Revelation. This study also compares Old Testament servant laws with those of ancient Mesopotamia and Egypt, showing both their similarities and differences. It argues that the Old Testament uniquely views servitude as involving choice, inherent human worth, and a covenant relationship. The study also examines the words עֶבֶד (ʿeḇeḏ) and δοῦλος (doûlos) in Hebrew and Greek to show how the concept shifted from forced labor to willing, loving service.

Through detailed exegesis, the dissertation delves into the servant typology as it unfolds in Israel’s national vocation, the prophetic literature (with particular attention to Isaiah’s Servant Songs), and the failure of Israel’s prophet, priest, and king offices to embody the ideal of faithful obedience. The study then advances to the Second Temple period and Qumran literature, tracing the reception history and reinterpretation of the servant motif, before culminating in the New Testament’s Christological fulfillment of the Servant in Jesus Christ. Special focus is given to the Johannine corpus, where the absence and transformation of the “hearing formula” (“he who has an ear, let him hear”) is shown to function as a typological and ecclesiological bridge between the Mosaic ritual and the apocalyptic exhortations of Revelation. The dissertation asserts that the ear-piercing ritual in the Mosaic law, signified a lifelong servitude rooted in love, becomes a hermeneutical key for understanding the New Testament’s call to discipleship, obedience, and participation in Christ’s suffering. The motif is shown to undergird the theological identity of the early Christian community, reframing servitude as the venue of true greatness, spiritual discernment, and eschatological hope. This study not only illuminates the deep intertextual connections between Torah and Apocalypse but also contributes to contemporary discussion of freedom, authority, and the nature of Christian vocation. Ultimately, the assertion concerning the servant YHWH desires is epitomized in the willing, loving obedience of Christ—the archetype into which the Church is called to be molded into His likeness.

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