Deuteronomy 26: First Fruits and Tithes / Concluding Exhortation
Today's reading serves as a wonderful example of the biblical plot: the relationship between God and Israel. God's presence is to be all-encompassing. And as long as the people obey the Lord, it will be well for them.
First Fruits and Tithes: Deuteronomy 26.1-15
Moses gives instructions from the Lord regarding the harvest of the first fruits when the Israelites enter the promised land. The ritual is described in a manner that emphasizes the Lord's all-encompassing presence in the lives of the Israelites. The phase "the Lord your God" appears 9 times from verse 1 through verse 11. The word "Lord," (YHWH) separate from this phrase, appears 5 additional times. Therefore the divine name YHWH is invoked 14 times in 11 verses. God's presence is interspersed throughout the verses in imitation of the ubiquitous reminders of God's presence in daily Israelite life.
The Israelites are to take some of the harvest of the first fruit to a priest at the dwelling-plce that the Lord designates for himself. They will make a declaration to the Lord acknowledging that they have entered the land promised to their ancestors. The priest will take the basket and the Israelites will make another declaration. The second declaration acknowledges the Israelite history in Egypt, their affliction, imprisonment, and deliverance through the Lord's terrifying displays of power and wonders into the promised land flowing with milk and honey. The gift of first fruit, they will swear, has been given ultimately by the Lord.
The gift of first fruits is to be placed before the Lord and the Israelites and their Levites and resident aliens "shall celebrate with all the bounty that the Lord your God has given to you and to your house" (Deut. 26.11).
In the third year the Israelites will pay a tithe to the Levites, the aliens, the orphans, and the widows, as discussed earlier in Deuteronomy 14.28-29. Again the divine presence is acknowledge: the Israelites will make a declaration to the Lord that this is done in accordance with the Lord's commandment. The closing portion of the prayer offers a glimpse at the conception of the divine: "Look down from your holy habitation, from heaven, and bless your people Israel and the ground that you have given us, as you swore our ancestors - a land flowing with milk and honey" (Deut. 26.15). God resides in a place holy separate place physically above the Israelites.
Concluding Exhortation: Deuteronomy 26.16-19
This legal section concludes with a reminder that the commandments of the Lord should be followed diligently. An agreement has been reached: YHWH will be the god of the Israelites, and the Israelites will follow God only and obey all his commands in order to keep his favor. In this way God will set the Israelites above all nations he has created, and the Israelites will become a people wholly devoted to God.
Saturday, September 18, 2010
Friday, September 17, 2010
Deuteronomy 24-25: More commands and laws.
Deuteronomy 24: Laws Concerning Marriage and Divorce / Miscellaneous Laws
Deuteronomy 25: Levirate Marriage / Various Commands
Laws Concerning Marriage and Divorce: Deuteronomy 24.1-4
A refresher on the sex-marriage economy: The sex-marriage economy is the system wherein women are commodities that exchange hands through rape, marriage, and divorce. The "economy" is not limited to the bible or ancient history. It is a useful tool to analyze many societies, as I learned from an English professor who used it to analyze literature of the Restoration and beyond. In these examples cash and land are being thrown all over the place, and the system gets really messy.
This regulation presents the following scenario: a man marries a woman but finds he does not please her, so he hands her a certificate of divorce and sends her out of his house. The woman marries a second man who also dislikes her, divorces her, and kicks her out. Or, perhaps, the second man simply dies. In any case, the first man "is not permitted to take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that would be abhorrent to the Lord."
Clearly we can see the woman as a piece of property. Her presence in the house is dependent on her husband's approval, and she may be discarded at will. Not only that, but the woman comes with a seal of sorts.
Not that kind of seal - a "do not open" sort of seal. And once the seal is opened the product irrevocably changes. The first man has consecrated the marriage, thereby "defiling" the woman, and cannot take her back because he has already opened the seal and found the product was not to his liking.
Miscellaneous Laws: Deuteronomy 24.5-25.4
Some of these have humanitarian concerns, but the thread that best unites these is that each has nothing to do with the others.
A newly-married man is exempt from serving in the army one year, so that he may be happy with his wife.
You may not take a mill or upper mill-stone in a pledge, "for that would be taking a life in pledge." [This regulation depends on the precept that a mill is essential for milling grain, which is essential for making bread, which is essential for sustaining life. Without a mill, a person cannot survive, so to require a mill in a pledge is to sentence a person to death.]
Those caught kidnapping, enslaving, or selling an Israel shall die.
Guard against skin diseases by obeying the priests and the Lord's commands. "Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of Egypt." This last command serves to associate disease with improper practice. In disobeying the Lord, as Miriam did, an Israelite might bring the wrath of the Lord upon him/her.
"When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God."
(Deut. 24.10-13)
Likewise, you shall not withhold the wages of needy laborers, whether Israelite or alien. Those that depend on your daily wage might cry out against you, which would cause you to incur guilt. Interestingly, you will only incur guilt for this offense if the person you owe cries out against you to the Lord. The Lord is just in this case, but only when his justice is called upon.
In executions for crimes, children must not be substituted for parents or parents for children. The one who commits the crime must suffer the consequences.
Do not deny justice to the resident alien or orphan, and do not take a widow's garment in pledge. The memory of the Lord bringing the Israelites out of Egypt is invoked for this command, bringing to mind that the Israelites too were disadvantaged not too long ago.
Aliens, orphans, and widows have the right to the leftovers of harvest: the forgotten sheafs of grain, the remaining olives on the tree, the last grapes of the vineyard. Again Israel's plight in Egypt is invoked.
Flogging as punishment for an offense shall not exceed forty lashes.
Oxen should be treated humanely; you shall not muzzle them when they are working.
Levarite Marriage: Deuteronomy 25.5-10
If two brothers live together and one dies, leaving a wife but no son, the living brother should marry the widow, and their firstborn child shall be named after the deceased brother. This is a method of perpetuating land holdings in Israel, passing down a name and wealth through generations. If a man does not wish to marry his brother's widow, it is a great disrespect to his dead brother. The woman should complain to the town elders, who will consult with the living brother. If he still refuses, the widow shall pull the sandal off his foot and spit in his face, declaring that he has disrespected his brother's house. Thenceforth his family shall be known as "the house of him whose sandal was pulled off," which is really a great insult, despite how trivial it might sound to modern readers.
Various Commands: Deuteronomy 25.11-19
What is the difference between "Miscellaneous Laws" and "Various Commands"? Besides phrasing, I have no idea. In any case, here are what the HarperCollins Study Bible refers to as "Various Commands."
If two men get in a fight and the wife attempts to rescue her husband by grabbing his opponents genitals, you shall cut off her hand. [The phallus is a source of power, and to touch another man's source of power - and possibly endanger its potency - is a grave error indeed.]
Keep fair and honest weights and measures.
Kill the Amalekites in vengeance for their attach on you as you journeyed from Egypt. He did not fear God, and deserves what is coming for him.
Deuteronomy 25: Levirate Marriage / Various Commands
Laws Concerning Marriage and Divorce: Deuteronomy 24.1-4
A refresher on the sex-marriage economy: The sex-marriage economy is the system wherein women are commodities that exchange hands through rape, marriage, and divorce. The "economy" is not limited to the bible or ancient history. It is a useful tool to analyze many societies, as I learned from an English professor who used it to analyze literature of the Restoration and beyond. In these examples cash and land are being thrown all over the place, and the system gets really messy.
This regulation presents the following scenario: a man marries a woman but finds he does not please her, so he hands her a certificate of divorce and sends her out of his house. The woman marries a second man who also dislikes her, divorces her, and kicks her out. Or, perhaps, the second man simply dies. In any case, the first man "is not permitted to take her again to be his wife after she has been defiled; for that would be abhorrent to the Lord."
Clearly we can see the woman as a piece of property. Her presence in the house is dependent on her husband's approval, and she may be discarded at will. Not only that, but the woman comes with a seal of sorts.
[Thanks, Wikipedia!]
Not that kind of seal - a "do not open" sort of seal. And once the seal is opened the product irrevocably changes. The first man has consecrated the marriage, thereby "defiling" the woman, and cannot take her back because he has already opened the seal and found the product was not to his liking.
Miscellaneous Laws: Deuteronomy 24.5-25.4
Some of these have humanitarian concerns, but the thread that best unites these is that each has nothing to do with the others.
A newly-married man is exempt from serving in the army one year, so that he may be happy with his wife.
You may not take a mill or upper mill-stone in a pledge, "for that would be taking a life in pledge." [This regulation depends on the precept that a mill is essential for milling grain, which is essential for making bread, which is essential for sustaining life. Without a mill, a person cannot survive, so to require a mill in a pledge is to sentence a person to death.]
Those caught kidnapping, enslaving, or selling an Israel shall die.
Guard against skin diseases by obeying the priests and the Lord's commands. "Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam on your journey out of Egypt." This last command serves to associate disease with improper practice. In disobeying the Lord, as Miriam did, an Israelite might bring the wrath of the Lord upon him/her.
"When you make your neighbor a loan of any kind, you shall not go into the house to take the pledge. You shall wait outside, while the person to whom you are making the loan brings the pledge out to you. If the person is poor, you shall not sleep in the garment given you as the pledge. You shall give the pledge back by sunset, so that your neighbor may sleep in the cloak and bless you; and it will be to your credit before the Lord your God."
(Deut. 24.10-13)
Likewise, you shall not withhold the wages of needy laborers, whether Israelite or alien. Those that depend on your daily wage might cry out against you, which would cause you to incur guilt. Interestingly, you will only incur guilt for this offense if the person you owe cries out against you to the Lord. The Lord is just in this case, but only when his justice is called upon.
In executions for crimes, children must not be substituted for parents or parents for children. The one who commits the crime must suffer the consequences.
Do not deny justice to the resident alien or orphan, and do not take a widow's garment in pledge. The memory of the Lord bringing the Israelites out of Egypt is invoked for this command, bringing to mind that the Israelites too were disadvantaged not too long ago.
Aliens, orphans, and widows have the right to the leftovers of harvest: the forgotten sheafs of grain, the remaining olives on the tree, the last grapes of the vineyard. Again Israel's plight in Egypt is invoked.
Flogging as punishment for an offense shall not exceed forty lashes.
Oxen should be treated humanely; you shall not muzzle them when they are working.
Levarite Marriage: Deuteronomy 25.5-10
If two brothers live together and one dies, leaving a wife but no son, the living brother should marry the widow, and their firstborn child shall be named after the deceased brother. This is a method of perpetuating land holdings in Israel, passing down a name and wealth through generations. If a man does not wish to marry his brother's widow, it is a great disrespect to his dead brother. The woman should complain to the town elders, who will consult with the living brother. If he still refuses, the widow shall pull the sandal off his foot and spit in his face, declaring that he has disrespected his brother's house. Thenceforth his family shall be known as "the house of him whose sandal was pulled off," which is really a great insult, despite how trivial it might sound to modern readers.
Various Commands: Deuteronomy 25.11-19
What is the difference between "Miscellaneous Laws" and "Various Commands"? Besides phrasing, I have no idea. In any case, here are what the HarperCollins Study Bible refers to as "Various Commands."
If two men get in a fight and the wife attempts to rescue her husband by grabbing his opponents genitals, you shall cut off her hand. [The phallus is a source of power, and to touch another man's source of power - and possibly endanger its potency - is a grave error indeed.]
Keep fair and honest weights and measures.
Kill the Amalekites in vengeance for their attach on you as you journeyed from Egypt. He did not fear God, and deserves what is coming for him.
Thursday, September 16, 2010
Deuteronomy 23: More (more) grab-bag regulations
Deuteronomy 23: Those Excluded from the Assembly / Sanitary, Ritual, and Humanitarian Precepts
More grab-bag regulations. These get kind of gruesome. Enjoy?
Those Excluded from the Assembly: Deuteronomy 23.1-8
The assembly of the Lord is a group of adult male Israelites that served various government functions. This section covers those that are excluded. Note that Israelite religion cannot be separated from Israelite government. More on that later.
Freud would love this first one. Your genitals must not be crushed or your penis cut off if you wish to be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. Your sexual potency, though concealed, directly affects your ability to hold power within this assembly.
Bastard (those born of an illicit union) may not enter the assembly of God. In addition, descendants to the tenth generation may not be admitted.
Ammonites or Moabites (even to the tenth generation) may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. The justification given is that these peoples did not give food or water to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness, and furthermore because they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites (even though it did not work). In fact, the Israelites are never to promote the welfare or prosperity of the Amonites or Moabites.
Sanitary, Ritual, and Humanitarian Precepts: Deuteronomy 23.9-25
When encamped near your enemies, guard against impropriety. [Like my crew coach used to tell me: "When you're on the road, you're representing Ithaca College. Don't do anything to make the school look bad."]
One who has a nocturnal emission is ritually unclean and must exit the camp. He should wash himself and may reenter the camp at nightfall the next day.
The Lord travels with you when you are encamped. Therefore, keep the camp holy by doing your business in a hole you dig outside the camp, and fill it when you are finished.
Escaped slaves from other peoples should not be retuned to their original owners. They will be free among the Israelites to live where they choose.
Israelites may not be prostitutes. Any money gained through prostitution or the money that will be used to pay a prostitute may not be brought into the house of the Lord.
Interest may not be charged on anything one Israelite lends to another. However, a foreigner my be charged interest.
Don't postpone fulfilling vows to the Lord. If you do so (or do not fulfill them at all), you will incur guilt. An exit strategy is proposed: don't make vows.
Two hospitality regulations demonstrate that to a degree, you are to provide for the hungry that come to you: Israelites may eat their fill of grapes from a neighbor's vineyard, but are not allowed to put any in a container. Likewise, you may pluck your neighbor's grain by hand but may not employ a sickle to make the work easier.
More grab-bag regulations. These get kind of gruesome. Enjoy?
Those Excluded from the Assembly: Deuteronomy 23.1-8
The assembly of the Lord is a group of adult male Israelites that served various government functions. This section covers those that are excluded. Note that Israelite religion cannot be separated from Israelite government. More on that later.
Freud would love this first one. Your genitals must not be crushed or your penis cut off if you wish to be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. Your sexual potency, though concealed, directly affects your ability to hold power within this assembly.
Bastard (those born of an illicit union) may not enter the assembly of God. In addition, descendants to the tenth generation may not be admitted.
Ammonites or Moabites (even to the tenth generation) may not be admitted to the assembly of the Lord. The justification given is that these peoples did not give food or water to the Israelites as they wandered in the wilderness, and furthermore because they hired Balaam to curse the Israelites (even though it did not work). In fact, the Israelites are never to promote the welfare or prosperity of the Amonites or Moabites.
Sanitary, Ritual, and Humanitarian Precepts: Deuteronomy 23.9-25
When encamped near your enemies, guard against impropriety. [Like my crew coach used to tell me: "When you're on the road, you're representing Ithaca College. Don't do anything to make the school look bad."]
One who has a nocturnal emission is ritually unclean and must exit the camp. He should wash himself and may reenter the camp at nightfall the next day.
The Lord travels with you when you are encamped. Therefore, keep the camp holy by doing your business in a hole you dig outside the camp, and fill it when you are finished.
Escaped slaves from other peoples should not be retuned to their original owners. They will be free among the Israelites to live where they choose.
Israelites may not be prostitutes. Any money gained through prostitution or the money that will be used to pay a prostitute may not be brought into the house of the Lord.
Interest may not be charged on anything one Israelite lends to another. However, a foreigner my be charged interest.
Don't postpone fulfilling vows to the Lord. If you do so (or do not fulfill them at all), you will incur guilt. An exit strategy is proposed: don't make vows.
Two hospitality regulations demonstrate that to a degree, you are to provide for the hungry that come to you: Israelites may eat their fill of grapes from a neighbor's vineyard, but are not allowed to put any in a container. Likewise, you may pluck your neighbor's grain by hand but may not employ a sickle to make the work easier.
Wednesday, September 15, 2010
Deuteronomy 21-22: More grab-bag regulations
Deuteronomy 21: The Right of the Firstborn / Rebellious Children
Deuteronomy 22: Miscellaneous Laws / Laws Concerning Sexual Relations
Day two of grab bag regulations, ending with some good, old-fashioned sex.
The Right of the Firstborn: Deuteronomy 21.15-17
This commandment states that the firstborn son is to receive 2/3 of his father's inheritance, even if the second-born son is loved more by the father. The reasoning is somewhat circular, but was probably convincing enough for the people reading it: the firstborn is "the first issue" of the father's "virility" and therefore the right of the firstborn is his.
The topic of the firstborn is of great interest to the biblical authors and is a great concern to the biblical narrative as a whole. Frequently societies favor the first born in terms of inheritance and importance within the family. This section states as much. In the Torah, however, we constantly find this idea being undermined.
Rebellious Children: Deuteronomy 21.18-21
A rebellious son is to be stoned to death as a warning to all Israel [that the xth commandment shall be obeyed].
Stubbornness and rebelliousness, the marks of a rebellious son, are apparently manifested in gluttony and drinking. The parents are to tell the elders of the town, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard."
Miscellaneous Laws: Deuteronomy 21.22-22.12
What follows is a list of miscellaneous laws, abbreviated for the sake of brevity.
Bodies hanged as punishment for a crime must be not remain overnight on the tree. They shall be buried the same day because the person is under God's curse, so leaving the corpse defiles the land.
If you see your neighbor's ox or sheep straying, return them to him. If you don't know who it belong to, keep it until your neighbor claims it. The same goes for anything a neighbor loses that you find. [Help in Israel is to be an active, rather than a passive, activity.]
If you see your neighbor's livestock fallen on the road, help it up; don't ignore it. [Again, you are to help your neighbor.]
Cross-dressers are abhorrent to the Lord.
If you come upon a bird's nest and see a mother with eggs or hatchlings, let the mother go but take the young, "in order that it may go well with you and you may live long." [The juxtaposition of the mother's spared life and "your" own long life is no coincidence. This law betrays a favoritism for old over young, established over new.]
Houses should have parapets along their [flat] roofs [that functioned as domestic spaces], lest someone fall off and you incur bloodguilt.
A vineyard should be sown with only one type of seed, or you the crop and the entire yield will be forfeited. [This is a law of holiness: what goes in a field must remain uniform. The introduction of a new seed would corrupt the land, much as the introduction of a new god would corrupt Israel.]
An ox and a donkey should not be yoked together for plowing. [Another regulation concerned with holiness.]
You shall not wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together. [The third consecutive holiness regulation.]
Cloaks are to have four tassels.
The Virginity Trick: Deuteronomy 22.13-21
Here a clear example is given of a plausible situation.
A man marries a woman, but after having sex decides he dislikes her. He therefore states that the woman was not a virgin, and in doing so gains cause for divorce and slanders the woman terribly. So how do you prove exactly what happened on the wedding night? The woman's father and mother can fight the case by spreading the bloody bedsheet before the elders of the town. The man will then be fined 100 shekels for slander, to be given to the woman's father. As punishment to the husband [and to the wife, though to the biblical author women are frequently of little concern] he will not be permitted to divorce his wife.
If the charge is true, however, the woman shall be brought to the entrance of her father's house (which, in classic biblical metonymy, the very one she disgraced).
Other Laws Concerning Sexual Relations: Deuteronomy 22.22-30
If a man is caught lying with the wife of another man, the woman and the man who was caught lying with her shall both die.
If a man rapes a virgin woman engaged to be married while in a town, they shall both be stoned at the gate of the town, the woman because she did not cry for help and the man because he violated another man's wife-to-be.
If a man rapes an engaged virgin woman in the open country, only the man shall die. Because there was no one there to rescue the woman, she will not die.
If a man rapes a virgin that is not engaged, and they are caught in the act, the man shall give 50 shekels to the woman's father and the woman will become the man's wife. Because the man violated the woman, he may not divorce her. [The dynamic behind this one is rather chauvinistic. The sex-marriege economy ensures that the woman is only a piece of property that may be traded between father and husband. By raping the woman and paying the bride price, the man in effect buys the daughter. In this instance, the rape could conceivably be committed with intention to buy, as it were. The divorce clause is set up as a punishment, but the only person who it would punish every time would seem to be the raped woman.]
A man shall not marry his father's wife. [In the sex-marriage economy, you may not steal your father's property.]
Deuteronomy 22: Miscellaneous Laws / Laws Concerning Sexual Relations
Day two of grab bag regulations, ending with some good, old-fashioned sex.
The Right of the Firstborn: Deuteronomy 21.15-17
This commandment states that the firstborn son is to receive 2/3 of his father's inheritance, even if the second-born son is loved more by the father. The reasoning is somewhat circular, but was probably convincing enough for the people reading it: the firstborn is "the first issue" of the father's "virility" and therefore the right of the firstborn is his.
The topic of the firstborn is of great interest to the biblical authors and is a great concern to the biblical narrative as a whole. Frequently societies favor the first born in terms of inheritance and importance within the family. This section states as much. In the Torah, however, we constantly find this idea being undermined.
Rebellious Children: Deuteronomy 21.18-21
A rebellious son is to be stoned to death as a warning to all Israel [that the xth commandment shall be obeyed].
Stubbornness and rebelliousness, the marks of a rebellious son, are apparently manifested in gluttony and drinking. The parents are to tell the elders of the town, "This son of ours is stubborn and rebellious. He will not obey us. He is a glutton and a drunkard."
Miscellaneous Laws: Deuteronomy 21.22-22.12
What follows is a list of miscellaneous laws, abbreviated for the sake of brevity.
Bodies hanged as punishment for a crime must be not remain overnight on the tree. They shall be buried the same day because the person is under God's curse, so leaving the corpse defiles the land.
If you see your neighbor's ox or sheep straying, return them to him. If you don't know who it belong to, keep it until your neighbor claims it. The same goes for anything a neighbor loses that you find. [Help in Israel is to be an active, rather than a passive, activity.]
If you see your neighbor's livestock fallen on the road, help it up; don't ignore it. [Again, you are to help your neighbor.]
Cross-dressers are abhorrent to the Lord.
If you come upon a bird's nest and see a mother with eggs or hatchlings, let the mother go but take the young, "in order that it may go well with you and you may live long." [The juxtaposition of the mother's spared life and "your" own long life is no coincidence. This law betrays a favoritism for old over young, established over new.]
Houses should have parapets along their [flat] roofs [that functioned as domestic spaces], lest someone fall off and you incur bloodguilt.
A vineyard should be sown with only one type of seed, or you the crop and the entire yield will be forfeited. [This is a law of holiness: what goes in a field must remain uniform. The introduction of a new seed would corrupt the land, much as the introduction of a new god would corrupt Israel.]
An ox and a donkey should not be yoked together for plowing. [Another regulation concerned with holiness.]
You shall not wear clothes made of wool and linen woven together. [The third consecutive holiness regulation.]
Cloaks are to have four tassels.
The Virginity Trick: Deuteronomy 22.13-21
Here a clear example is given of a plausible situation.
A man marries a woman, but after having sex decides he dislikes her. He therefore states that the woman was not a virgin, and in doing so gains cause for divorce and slanders the woman terribly. So how do you prove exactly what happened on the wedding night? The woman's father and mother can fight the case by spreading the bloody bedsheet before the elders of the town. The man will then be fined 100 shekels for slander, to be given to the woman's father. As punishment to the husband [and to the wife, though to the biblical author women are frequently of little concern] he will not be permitted to divorce his wife.
If the charge is true, however, the woman shall be brought to the entrance of her father's house (which, in classic biblical metonymy, the very one she disgraced).
Other Laws Concerning Sexual Relations: Deuteronomy 22.22-30
If a man is caught lying with the wife of another man, the woman and the man who was caught lying with her shall both die.
If a man rapes a virgin woman engaged to be married while in a town, they shall both be stoned at the gate of the town, the woman because she did not cry for help and the man because he violated another man's wife-to-be.
If a man rapes an engaged virgin woman in the open country, only the man shall die. Because there was no one there to rescue the woman, she will not die.
If a man rapes a virgin that is not engaged, and they are caught in the act, the man shall give 50 shekels to the woman's father and the woman will become the man's wife. Because the man violated the woman, he may not divorce her. [The dynamic behind this one is rather chauvinistic. The sex-marriege economy ensures that the woman is only a piece of property that may be traded between father and husband. By raping the woman and paying the bride price, the man in effect buys the daughter. In this instance, the rape could conceivably be committed with intention to buy, as it were. The divorce clause is set up as a punishment, but the only person who it would punish every time would seem to be the raped woman.]
A man shall not marry his father's wife. [In the sex-marriage economy, you may not steal your father's property.]
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Deuteronomy 20-21: Laws regarding warfare and murder
Deuteronomy 20: Rules of Warfare
Deuteronomy 21: Law Concerning Murder by Persons Unknown / Female Captives
Warfare and murder. Today will be a bloody interesting day.
There is a lot of speech in the first section, which sets it apart from many other commandments. The more notable laws feature either an example or speech, rather than simply stating the commandment that is to be followed (which may or may not be followed by a reason such as "for the Lord your God brought you up out of the land of Egypt"). I call these "notable" because they are uncommon and might seem peculiar in comparison to modern legislation. In our legal system crimes are judged based on a set of laws that are shaped by past crimes. Lawyers use these past crimes to argue a case, but the laws themselves do not tell a story. Here laws do tell a story - in fact are told by a story. Let's listen in
Rules of Warfare: Deuteronomy 20
Moses, speaking on behalf of God, informs the congregation regarding warfare. The Israelites are told not to be afraid of armies larger than their own, with horses and chariots. After all, God brought them up out of Egypt against Pharaoh's forces. YHWH Sabaoth, the God fashioned for war, defends them.
Then a scene is painted for us. A priest appears before troops prepared for battle. He says,
Heart metaphors are common throughout the bible. They may be hardened, as was Pharaoh's, or they may be softened or melted as they are here. A hardened heart does not seem to necessarily be a bad thing. Rather, a hard heart indicates assuredness and strength in one's convictions. The opposite of a melted heart is a hard one, so the Israelites will need a hardened heart in battle.
The biblical author then shifts topics.
When drawing near to fight a town, the Israelites should first offer it peace terms. Under these terms the foreign people will become slaves. If the foreign people do not accept these terms, the Israelites will conquer them, with the aid of YHWH Sabaoth. All the men shall be killed and the women, children, livestock, and spoil of the town taken as booty. This is portrayed as a gift from God, which it does seem to be.
The biblical author then amends the commandment. The peace treaty is to be offered only to towns that are "very far away" from the Israelites. The towns that the Lord is giving as an inheritance must be utterly annihilated: Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites alike. This is so that the Israelites will not pick up any bad habits from them, like worshipping foreign gods. At least, that is the reason given. The annihilation of anything that breathes keeps the promised land holy, separate to God. There will be none there that worship other gods. The regulation may indicate that worship of other gods by foreigners was okay - they only had to become slaves. The promised land, however, was holy and not to be contaminated by improper practices.
One final regulation is given regarding warfare. The Israelites may not cut down fruit-bearing trees when besieging a town: "Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?" (Deut. 20.19). This is not animism, but rather a rhetorical question that might speak to the importance of keeping food sources in the land. Perhaps it could even be considered applied environmentalism. In any case, the reasoning behind this regulation will become clear in 2 Kings.
Law Concerning Murder by Persons Unknown: Deuteronomy 21.1-9
This law describes a ceremony akin to the scapegoat ceremony, both of which use animals as vessels that are capable of bearing human guilt.
If a dead body is found in open country, and it is unknown who killed the victim, the elders are to measure to the nearest town. [Presumably it is then assumed that this town is "guilty" in a symbolic sense, since nothing can be proved.] The elders in that town will sacrifice a heifer that has never done work by breaking its neck down in a wadi with running water. The priests shall then pronounce blessings for the victim. The elders of the town nearest the body should wash their hands over the heifer and declare, "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to it. Absolve, O Lord, your people Israel, whom you redeemed; do not let the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel" (Deut. 21.8). This absolves them of blood guilt.
The ceremony serves as a wonderful metaphor cleansing the death from the people. The transitory water of the wadi draws the blood away from the heifer and the hands of the people, just as the ceremony itself draws the guilt away from the town and the people within it.
Female Captives: Deuteronomy 21.10-14
Instructions are given regarding war brides. A woman captured in war is to be brought into the capturing man's house, where she will undergo a month-long ritual of mourning for her father and mother. She will also remove all traces of her previous life: shave her head, pare her nails, discard her clothing. Once the previous life has been symbolically removed and a moth has passed, a man may take her as his wife. If the man is not pleased with her, he should not sell her as a slave, but rather let her go free, since he has "dishonored her." The word "dishonor" carries with it a sexual connotation, probably indicating sexual coercion. All's not fair in love and war.
Deuteronomy 21: Law Concerning Murder by Persons Unknown / Female Captives
Warfare and murder. Today will be a bloody interesting day.
There is a lot of speech in the first section, which sets it apart from many other commandments. The more notable laws feature either an example or speech, rather than simply stating the commandment that is to be followed (which may or may not be followed by a reason such as "for the Lord your God brought you up out of the land of Egypt"). I call these "notable" because they are uncommon and might seem peculiar in comparison to modern legislation. In our legal system crimes are judged based on a set of laws that are shaped by past crimes. Lawyers use these past crimes to argue a case, but the laws themselves do not tell a story. Here laws do tell a story - in fact are told by a story. Let's listen in
Rules of Warfare: Deuteronomy 20
Moses, speaking on behalf of God, informs the congregation regarding warfare. The Israelites are told not to be afraid of armies larger than their own, with horses and chariots. After all, God brought them up out of Egypt against Pharaoh's forces. YHWH Sabaoth, the God fashioned for war, defends them.
Then a scene is painted for us. A priest appears before troops prepared for battle. He says,
"Hear, O Israel! Today you are drawing near to do battle against your enemies. Do not lose heart, or be afraid, or panic, or be in dread of them; for it is the Lord your God who goes with you, to fight for you against your enemies, to give you victory."The official will then attempt to weed out those who should not fight, asking questions of the gathered men: "Has anyone built a new house but not dedicated it? He should go back to his house, or he might die in the battle and another dedicate it." Anyone with unfinished business should return home to finish the business. It is not good to die in battle with things left to do. Similarly, men should return home who have planted a vineyard but not yet enjoyed its fruits, or have become engaged but are not yet married. Men who are afraid, the officials urge, should return home because "he might cause the heart of his comrades to melt like his own."
(Deut. 20.3-4)
Heart metaphors are common throughout the bible. They may be hardened, as was Pharaoh's, or they may be softened or melted as they are here. A hardened heart does not seem to necessarily be a bad thing. Rather, a hard heart indicates assuredness and strength in one's convictions. The opposite of a melted heart is a hard one, so the Israelites will need a hardened heart in battle.
The biblical author then shifts topics.
When drawing near to fight a town, the Israelites should first offer it peace terms. Under these terms the foreign people will become slaves. If the foreign people do not accept these terms, the Israelites will conquer them, with the aid of YHWH Sabaoth. All the men shall be killed and the women, children, livestock, and spoil of the town taken as booty. This is portrayed as a gift from God, which it does seem to be.
The biblical author then amends the commandment. The peace treaty is to be offered only to towns that are "very far away" from the Israelites. The towns that the Lord is giving as an inheritance must be utterly annihilated: Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, Jebusites alike. This is so that the Israelites will not pick up any bad habits from them, like worshipping foreign gods. At least, that is the reason given. The annihilation of anything that breathes keeps the promised land holy, separate to God. There will be none there that worship other gods. The regulation may indicate that worship of other gods by foreigners was okay - they only had to become slaves. The promised land, however, was holy and not to be contaminated by improper practices.
One final regulation is given regarding warfare. The Israelites may not cut down fruit-bearing trees when besieging a town: "Are trees in the field human beings that they should come under siege from you?" (Deut. 20.19). This is not animism, but rather a rhetorical question that might speak to the importance of keeping food sources in the land. Perhaps it could even be considered applied environmentalism. In any case, the reasoning behind this regulation will become clear in 2 Kings.
Law Concerning Murder by Persons Unknown: Deuteronomy 21.1-9
This law describes a ceremony akin to the scapegoat ceremony, both of which use animals as vessels that are capable of bearing human guilt.
If a dead body is found in open country, and it is unknown who killed the victim, the elders are to measure to the nearest town. [Presumably it is then assumed that this town is "guilty" in a symbolic sense, since nothing can be proved.] The elders in that town will sacrifice a heifer that has never done work by breaking its neck down in a wadi with running water. The priests shall then pronounce blessings for the victim. The elders of the town nearest the body should wash their hands over the heifer and declare, "Our hands did not shed this blood, nor were we witnesses to it. Absolve, O Lord, your people Israel, whom you redeemed; do not let the guilt of innocent blood remain in the midst of your people Israel" (Deut. 21.8). This absolves them of blood guilt.
The ceremony serves as a wonderful metaphor cleansing the death from the people. The transitory water of the wadi draws the blood away from the heifer and the hands of the people, just as the ceremony itself draws the guilt away from the town and the people within it.
Female Captives: Deuteronomy 21.10-14
Instructions are given regarding war brides. A woman captured in war is to be brought into the capturing man's house, where she will undergo a month-long ritual of mourning for her father and mother. She will also remove all traces of her previous life: shave her head, pare her nails, discard her clothing. Once the previous life has been symbolically removed and a moth has passed, a man may take her as his wife. If the man is not pleased with her, he should not sell her as a slave, but rather let her go free, since he has "dishonored her." The word "dishonor" carries with it a sexual connotation, probably indicating sexual coercion. All's not fair in love and war.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Deuteronomy 18-19: The beginning of grab bag regulations
Deuteronomy 18: Privileges of Priests and Levites / Avoiding Pagan Practices / A New Prophet
Deuteronomy 19: Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge / Property Boundaries / Laws Concerning Witnesses
Laws continue. Today's reading is something of a grab bag of regulations, spoken by Moses to the congregation.
Privileges of Priests and Levites: Deuteronomy 18.1-8
The priests receive no inheritance of land because they are dedicated to the service of the Lord. As such, they receive special privileges, such as the right to eat a portion of any sacrificed animal, consisting of the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. Priests also receive the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, and fleece of the sheep (presumably so that they may make clothing).
As they have no home, a Levite is allowed to wander to a town the Lord designates for him, where he will minister like his fellow Levites in the town.
Avoiding Pagan Practices: Deuteronomy 18.9-14
The Lord has said that he will cast out the peoples of Canaan because they act wickedly. Why then should the Israelites pick up their practices? The Israelites are therefore prohibited from practicing divination, augury, and sorcery, child sacrifice, casting spells, and consulting the dead. Thereby the Israelites will remain completely faithful to God.
A New Prophet: Deuteronomy 18.15-22
At some point a new prophet, like Moses, will arise to deliver the words of the Lord to the people. This person is to be trusted unless he either speaks the words of another god or speaks commands contrary to the Lord's commandments. In this case, the person is to die in a manner unspecified. Whether it is the congregation's or God's duty to execute this justice is likewise unstated.
Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge: Deuteronomy 19.1-13
Numbers speaks of designating six cities of refuge where one who accidently kills another may flee. In Deuteronomy six cities will be established as well, but they will be created in two phases of three cities each.
Three equidistant cities are to be established to which an accidental killer may flee. The example of two people chopping down a tree is given: if one is chopping a tree and the ax head flies off the handle and strikes the other so that he dies, the accidental killer is allowed to flee to one of the cities of refuge because the killing was not intentional.
An additional command is to set up three more cities when the Lord enlarges the territory of the israelites.
If an intentional murder is committed, and the murderer flees to a city of refuge, the elders of that killer's city will send for the culprit to be handed over so that he may be put to death. No pity is to be shown in purging the guilt of innocent blood from Israel.
Property Boundaries: Deuteronomy 19.14
Land boundaries that go back generations are not to be changed.
Laws Concerning Witnesses: Deuteronomy 19.15-21
As stated yesterday, for a crime, two or more witnesses are needed in order for a charge to be sustained. If a witness makes a false claim, a thorough inquiry will be made. If the witness turns out to be a false witness (that is, he is lying) he is to receive the punishment that was wished upon the alleged criminal. No pity is to be shown when exacting justice:
Deuteronomy 19: Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge / Property Boundaries / Laws Concerning Witnesses
Laws continue. Today's reading is something of a grab bag of regulations, spoken by Moses to the congregation.
Privileges of Priests and Levites: Deuteronomy 18.1-8
The priests receive no inheritance of land because they are dedicated to the service of the Lord. As such, they receive special privileges, such as the right to eat a portion of any sacrificed animal, consisting of the shoulder, the jowls, and the stomach. Priests also receive the first fruits of grain, wine, oil, and fleece of the sheep (presumably so that they may make clothing).
As they have no home, a Levite is allowed to wander to a town the Lord designates for him, where he will minister like his fellow Levites in the town.
Avoiding Pagan Practices: Deuteronomy 18.9-14
The Lord has said that he will cast out the peoples of Canaan because they act wickedly. Why then should the Israelites pick up their practices? The Israelites are therefore prohibited from practicing divination, augury, and sorcery, child sacrifice, casting spells, and consulting the dead. Thereby the Israelites will remain completely faithful to God.
A New Prophet: Deuteronomy 18.15-22
At some point a new prophet, like Moses, will arise to deliver the words of the Lord to the people. This person is to be trusted unless he either speaks the words of another god or speaks commands contrary to the Lord's commandments. In this case, the person is to die in a manner unspecified. Whether it is the congregation's or God's duty to execute this justice is likewise unstated.
Laws Concerning Cities of Refuge: Deuteronomy 19.1-13
Numbers speaks of designating six cities of refuge where one who accidently kills another may flee. In Deuteronomy six cities will be established as well, but they will be created in two phases of three cities each.
Three equidistant cities are to be established to which an accidental killer may flee. The example of two people chopping down a tree is given: if one is chopping a tree and the ax head flies off the handle and strikes the other so that he dies, the accidental killer is allowed to flee to one of the cities of refuge because the killing was not intentional.
An additional command is to set up three more cities when the Lord enlarges the territory of the israelites.
If an intentional murder is committed, and the murderer flees to a city of refuge, the elders of that killer's city will send for the culprit to be handed over so that he may be put to death. No pity is to be shown in purging the guilt of innocent blood from Israel.
Property Boundaries: Deuteronomy 19.14
Land boundaries that go back generations are not to be changed.
Laws Concerning Witnesses: Deuteronomy 19.15-21
As stated yesterday, for a crime, two or more witnesses are needed in order for a charge to be sustained. If a witness makes a false claim, a thorough inquiry will be made. If the witness turns out to be a false witness (that is, he is lying) he is to receive the punishment that was wished upon the alleged criminal. No pity is to be shown when exacting justice:
Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
(Deut. 19.21)
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Deuteronomy 16-17: Festivals and Government
Deuteronomy 16: The Passover Reviewed / The Festival of Weeks Reviewed / The Festival of Booths Reviewed / Municipal Judges and Officers
Deuteronomy 17: Forbidden Forms of Worship / Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges / Limitations of Royal Authority
Festival Day! Also, Governance Day! Miscellaneous rules and regulations are given regarding the celebration of festivals and the governance of the Israelites.
The Passover Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.1-8
The passover commemorates the Israelites' departure from Egypt, during which time there was not enough time to bake leavened bread, so it was left unleavened. The holiday is meant to invoke the story by requiring the Israelites eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day, the Israelites are to make an animal sacrifice in the place of worship that God designates, and eat it there with their families. This is to be done "in the evening at sunset, the time of day when you departed from Egypt" (Deut. 16.6). Previous to this statement, the time of day that the Israelites departed is unclear. This addition fleshes out the passover story while giving an etiological reason for the practice.
The Festival of Weeks Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.9-12
The festival of weeks is to be observed by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates. It consists of a freewill offering to the Lord in proportion to the blessing received from the Lord - a way of saying "thank you" in proportion for the help given. The date of the festival is seven weeks beginning from the time of the harvest [a summer festival].
The Festival of Booths Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.13-17
The autumn festival of booths is a seven-day festival at the end of the harvest season. It will be celebrated by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates.
Throughout all these festivals, the males are to appear before the Lord and make an offering:
Municipal Judges and Officers: Deuteronomy 16.18-20
The Israelites are to appoint judges and officials to keep a just society. Fairness is a very important component of Israelite life:
The Israelites are forbidden from practices that resemble pagan worship: planting trees as sacred poles, erecting stone pillars, sacrificing to the Lord impure (or unholy; not-separate) animals (those deemed "defective").
In addition, anyone that subverts worship of the Lord is to be stoned to death if there are two or more witnesses. This law promotes justice by attempting to prevent unwarranted accusations.
Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges: Deuteronomy 17.8-13
Any case that is too difficult to decide by a judge or official within a town is to be brought to the levitical priests and a judge at the place God has designated for worship. The verdict shall stand and the punishment should be carried out. Anyone who disobeys the word of the priest or judge shall die. Word shall be spread of the decision in order to prevent future crimes.
Limitations of Royal Authority: Deuteronomy 17.14-20
Here the book of Deuteronomy gets a bit prophetic. Moses, who has been speaking on behalf of God, tells the congregation that eventually the Israelites will want a king. This is true. The king must be an Israelite. However, he may not abuse his power or sell people to Egypt (in order to buy more things, here "horses") and thereby abuse his power. Israel is never again to return to Egypt. He must not marry many women or else he will lose faith in God. He must not acquire great riches. He is to know the law - in fact, it is to be written out before him when he takes the throne. He is to keep this law with him at all times so that he will fear the Lord and not exalt himself above the Lord.
How is this prophetic? Well, it predicts a king, which in fact the Israelites will plead for. It also predicts a specific king: King Solomon, who pretty much disobeyed all the commandments listed here. But prophecy in the bible is a funny thing because it is generally written after what is predicted has come to pass and set in a time before the event. Therefore King Solomon's reign is "predicted" in a text that is written after his reign but set in a time before it.
Deuteronomy 17: Forbidden Forms of Worship / Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges / Limitations of Royal Authority
Festival Day! Also, Governance Day! Miscellaneous rules and regulations are given regarding the celebration of festivals and the governance of the Israelites.
The Passover Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.1-8
The passover commemorates the Israelites' departure from Egypt, during which time there was not enough time to bake leavened bread, so it was left unleavened. The holiday is meant to invoke the story by requiring the Israelites eat unleavened bread for seven days. On the first day, the Israelites are to make an animal sacrifice in the place of worship that God designates, and eat it there with their families. This is to be done "in the evening at sunset, the time of day when you departed from Egypt" (Deut. 16.6). Previous to this statement, the time of day that the Israelites departed is unclear. This addition fleshes out the passover story while giving an etiological reason for the practice.
The Festival of Weeks Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.9-12
The festival of weeks is to be observed by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates. It consists of a freewill offering to the Lord in proportion to the blessing received from the Lord - a way of saying "thank you" in proportion for the help given. The date of the festival is seven weeks beginning from the time of the harvest [a summer festival].
The Festival of Booths Reviewed: Deuteronomy 16.13-17
The autumn festival of booths is a seven-day festival at the end of the harvest season. It will be celebrated by everyone in Israel at the place of centralized worship the Lord designates.
Throughout all these festivals, the males are to appear before the Lord and make an offering:
"They shall not appear before the Lord empty-handed; all shall give as they are able, according to the blessing of the Lord your God that he has given you."Sounds a little like Karl Marx, no?
(Deut. 16.16-17)
Municipal Judges and Officers: Deuteronomy 16.18-20
The Israelites are to appoint judges and officials to keep a just society. Fairness is a very important component of Israelite life:
You must not distort justice; you must not show partiality; and you must not accept bribes, for a bribe blinds the eyes of the wise and subverts the cause of those who are in the right. Justice, and only justice, you shall pursue, so that you may live and occupy the land that the Lord your God is giving you.Forbidden Forms of Worship: Deuteronomy 16.21-17.7
(Deut. 16.19-20)
The Israelites are forbidden from practices that resemble pagan worship: planting trees as sacred poles, erecting stone pillars, sacrificing to the Lord impure (or unholy; not-separate) animals (those deemed "defective").
In addition, anyone that subverts worship of the Lord is to be stoned to death if there are two or more witnesses. This law promotes justice by attempting to prevent unwarranted accusations.
Legal Decisions by Priests and Judges: Deuteronomy 17.8-13
Any case that is too difficult to decide by a judge or official within a town is to be brought to the levitical priests and a judge at the place God has designated for worship. The verdict shall stand and the punishment should be carried out. Anyone who disobeys the word of the priest or judge shall die. Word shall be spread of the decision in order to prevent future crimes.
Limitations of Royal Authority: Deuteronomy 17.14-20
Here the book of Deuteronomy gets a bit prophetic. Moses, who has been speaking on behalf of God, tells the congregation that eventually the Israelites will want a king. This is true. The king must be an Israelite. However, he may not abuse his power or sell people to Egypt (in order to buy more things, here "horses") and thereby abuse his power. Israel is never again to return to Egypt. He must not marry many women or else he will lose faith in God. He must not acquire great riches. He is to know the law - in fact, it is to be written out before him when he takes the throne. He is to keep this law with him at all times so that he will fear the Lord and not exalt himself above the Lord.
How is this prophetic? Well, it predicts a king, which in fact the Israelites will plead for. It also predicts a specific king: King Solomon, who pretty much disobeyed all the commandments listed here. But prophecy in the bible is a funny thing because it is generally written after what is predicted has come to pass and set in a time before the event. Therefore King Solomon's reign is "predicted" in a text that is written after his reign but set in a time before it.
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