The Compassionate, but Punishing God

Lane provides a canonical analysis of the credo of Exodus 34:6-7 and its major parallels in the Hebrew Bible. He argues that the credo was an important theological expression for the ancient Israelites and that the final form of the Tanak is marked by the use of the credo. These uses in the final form of the canon give evidence of the theological tension over the presence of the foreigners in the postexilic community. And this tension is marked by the use of the credo in texts that emphasize YHWH's covenantal relationship with ancient Israel (Torah), movement toward the nations (Prophets), and YHWH as king over the whole earth (Psalms).