Date
8-6-2025
Department
Rawlings School of Divinity
Degree
Master of Arts in Biblical Languages (MA)
Chair
Jason Kees
Keywords
ḥesed, eleos, covenantal loyalty, divine mercy, intertextual analysis, prototype theory, componential analysis, semantic range
Disciplines
Christianity
Recommended Citation
Tadlock, Jarritt B., "Tracing חֶסֶד and Ἔλεος: A Prototype Theory and Componential Analysis of Covenantal Loyalty and Divine Mercy Across the Pentateuch, Septuagint, Targums, and New Testament" (2025). Masters Theses. 1357.
https://digitalcommons.liberty.edu/masters/1357
Abstract
This thesis explores the semantic and theological dimensions of the Hebrew term ḥesed and its Greek counterpart eleos through a comparative intertextual and linguistic analysis. Utilizing prototype theory and componential analysis, the study examines occurrences of ḥesed in the Masoretic Text and Targum Onkelos, alongside eleos in the Septuagint and New Testament, to trace the development of divine-human relational language across textual traditions. The findings reveal that ḥesed consistently embodies covenantal loyalty and divine mercy, while its frequent rendering as eleos in the Septuagint emphasizes compassion within a Hellenistic framework. In the New Testament, eleos both preserves and reconfigures ḥesed’s covenantal core, extending divine mercy to Gentile audiences and incorporating ethical and eschatological dimensions. The study demonstrates how translation choices reflect broader cultural and theological transitions, shaping distinct yet interconnected Jewish and Christian portrayals of God’s character. These insights contribute to ongoing discussions in biblical theology, translation theory, and the ethics of divine mercy.
