Chapter 6 — “My Heart Is Fainting in Me” (Jeremiah 8:18): Emotions and Prophetic Writings in the Bible

Chantal J. Klingbeil
and
Gerald A. Klingbeil

Emotions are an integral part of human existence. They are part of complex coping mechanisms installed by a Creator God whose own emotions (and particularly the biblical assertion that He is love [1 John 4:8]) are reflected in humanity’s creation in the imago Dei, the “image of God” (Gen. 1:27). ^{1Unless otherwise noted, all Scripture quotations have been taken from the New King James Version.} Joy, exuberance, anticipation, pleasure, delight, and happiness must have all been part of God’s original makeup of humanity for they characterize our existence today. Unfortunately, anger, sadness, sorrow, fear, depression, dejection, misery, and fury became part of our emotional repertoire following the fall in Genesis 3.GOP 140.1

The study of emotions in the Bible is a subject that has only recently enjoyed increasing interest. A casual look at commentaries and general introductions to the various prophetic books illustrates this observation. While historical and cultural contexts, specific language features, and the key theological themes of a particular prophetic book are a mainstay of these works, there is seldom any reference to the emotions or emotional expressions of the book or author. In the words of Paul Kruger, “emotions were for a long time regarded as part of the irrational, uncontrollable, and subjective aspects of humankind that do not justify serious study.” ^{2Paul A. Kruger, “Depression in the Hebrew Bible: An Update,” Journal of Near Eastern Studies 64 (2005): 187.}GOP 140.2

In this study we focus upon the little-explored field of the emotions of biblical prophets using insights learned from crosscultural psychology and cognitive sciences. Following a brief introduction to the wholistic nature of humanity, we will suggest a working definition of emotions and will look briefly at how emotions function. This section also considers important insights gained from cognitive sciences and psychology as possible avenues to deciphering emotions embedded in texts. Following these important methodological considerations we will quickly review the Seventh-day Adventist understanding of prophetic inspiration, setting the stage for a concise history of research on emotions in biblical texts and (more specifically) in prophetic texts of the Bible. We will then consider three key areas involving emotional responses in prophetic ministry, including (1) the call; (2) the emotional involvement of the prophet in a divine vision; and (3) the reaction of the prophet to the vision. Finally, we will close by suggesting a number of tentative conclusions that may open vistas for further research.GOP 140.3