Biblica - Vol 94 (2013) Döhling, Jan-Dirk, Gott und die Gier. Altorientalisch-alttestamentliche Erkundungen eines aktuellen Begriffs. (2013)

The greed motif is found in biblical and in ANE texts. The Baal Cycle characterizes Mot, the god of death and drought, as a destroyer of life. With in Ugarit’s polytheistic system, Mot is nonetheless essential for agricultural growth. Mot’s greed is, thus, a terrible, yet inevitable, factor. The analysis of (lb (to devour, swallow) in the Hebrew Bible reveals a significant alteration. In the Old Testament, “greed” is a negative human attitude in socio-economic conflicts. In opposing greed the God of Israel addresses those who practice it and those who suffer from it as human beings.