Colloquia Theologica Ottoniana


ISSN: 1731-0555    eISSN: 2353-2998    OAI    DOI: 10.18276/cto.2025.41-10
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Issue archive / 41/2025
The Destructive Gaze: ‘Setting the Face Against’ as Evil Eye Metaphor in Prophetic Literature

Authors: Zacharias Kotzé ORCID
University of South Africa, RSA | Department of Biblical and Ancient Studies
Keywords: Hebrew idiom evil eye prophetic literature cognitive linguistics destructive gaze
Whole issue publication date:2025-12
Page range:12 (175-186)
Klasyfikacja JEL: Z10 Z11 Z13
Cited-by (Crossref) ?:

Abstract

This article investigates the Hebrew idiom śîm pānîm/‘ênayim neged/‘al, attested in Ezekiel 4:3, 6:2, 15:7, 20:46–47, 29:2, Jeremiah 21:10, 44:11, and Amos 9:4, traditionally interpreted by scholars as a rhetorical expression of divine resolve or opposition toward Israel and other nations. It argues that the idiom embodies an evil eye metaphor, reflecting a destructive gaze prevalent in ancient Near Eastern traditions, where a deity’s gaze, such as Enlil’s in Mesopotamian lore or the Eye of Ra in Egypt, was considered a force of destruction. Employing a cognitive linguistic approach, the analysis identifies three thematic clusters – ritual curses (Ezekiel 4:3, 6:2-4, 29:2), where YHWH’s gaze brings siege, cultic destruction, or desiccation; fire imagery (Ezekiel 15:7, 20:46-47), where a fiery stare leads to incineration; and exilic judgments (Jeremiah 21:10, 44:11, Amos 9:4), where the gaze signifies death and cosmic upheaval – illustrating the idiom’s role as a prophetic curse mechanism. Drawing on Mesopotamian, Egyptian, and Ugaritic parallels, the study reveals the idiom’s conceptual structure: the vehicle (śîm pānîm/‘ênayim neged/‘al), image (destructive stare, e.g., fiery or petrifying), focus (harm, e.g., fire, death), and concept (glaring causes harm). This reinterpretation challenges conventional exegesis, which overlooks the idiom’s cultural backdrop, emphasising the evil eye’s influence on prophetic rhetoric. The study offers a fresh perspective on YHWH’s gaze as a conduit for divine judgment in biblical texts, paving the way for further research on vision metaphors in other biblical genres, such as Psalms.
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