Walter Vogels: The Literary Form of "The Question of the Nations"Église et Théologie, 11 (1980), 159-76"Question and answer" schemata are very common in biblical literature and are used in different contexts.Some of these passages could profit from being examined in the light of the recent research on the covenantwhich has renewed many of our insights into the Bible. It has shown the very close link which existsbetween: history (Yahweh's salvific actions for Israel) - submission (the response expected from Israel) -blessings and curses (according to the faithfulness or unfaithfulness of Israel towards its Covenant-partner).1One of the "question and answer" schemata called the Kinderfrage", the question of the child (Ex 12:26s; 13:14s; Dt 6:20-25; Jos 4: 6s; 4: 21-24), is based on these 3 elements2. The child asks the question: "Why do wehave to do this?" and the father answers: "Because of what happened in the past and if we therefore observeall this, we will be happy". One may conclude that this "Kinderfrage" is a preaching or teaching of thecovenant. It is a catechesis for the new generation, to remind them of the basic relationship of Israel withYahweh.Another "question and answer" schema also seems to use these basic elements of covenant theology.Someone asks: "Why this curse?" and the answer is: "Because they have been unfaithful". N. Lohfink hasobserved that Dt 29:21-27 and 1 K 9:8s have identica1 forms and that both appear after a curse.3 W. L.Moran went a step further and added to these 2 biblical passages a text of the book of Jeremiah (Je 22: 8s).He then compared them with an extrabiblical text constructed with the same pattern.4 The passage is takenfrom the annals of Ashurbanipa1, which describe an Arab revolt and go on to state that the curses of thetreaty have been brought down upon the rebels by the gods of Assyria. The following "question-answer"schema appears in this context:Whenever the inhabitants of Arabia asked each other: "On account of what hav...