The Pentateuch (II)

The Meaning of Torah• Individual Pronouncement

• Num 19:14; 31:21; Exod 12:49

• Laws on Similar Subject• Num 6:13, 21; Lev 6:9

• Particular Collection of Laws• Exod 20:1-17; 24:12; Deut 31:9

• General Description for God’s Law• Gen 26:5; Exod 18:16; Deut 4:8

• Combination of Narrative and Law• Deut 1:5

The Mosaic Covenant: Law and Worship

• Torah expresses the will of God • The law preserved the sense of God’s

presence in 2 ways:• The Priestly law: dwelling of God among his

people • Character of Yahweh pervades all the law

collections

• God’s redeeming grace as a foundation for living under the law

The Mosaic Covenant• The covenant was associated with

God’s promise • To enable Israel to live as God’s

people. E.g. Israel should imitate• God’s holiness (Lev 19:2) • compassion (Ex 22:26-27) • justice (Deut 16:18-20) • merciful to aliens (Lev 19:33-34), slaves

(Deut 15:12-15)

Nash Papyrus 2nd Century BC Hebrew Decalogue

Four main collections of laws

• Decalogue (Exod 20:1-17; Deut 5:1-21; Exod 34:10-28) and the Book of the Covenant (aka the Covenant Code) in Exod 20-23.

• Tabernacle Law (Exod 25-40)

• The Laws of Leviticus (Lev 1-27)

• The Laws of Deuteronomy or Deuteronomic Code (Deut 12-26)

Different ways of grouping laws

• Division by content:

• moral

• civil

• ceremonial

• Division by form-critical method:

• Apodictic

• Casuistic

Alt’s categorization• Apodictic: unconditional,

categorical assertion• Prohibitions in the Ten

Commandments: “You shall not kill” (e.g. Exod 20:13)

• Active participle laws (e.g. Exod 21:12)

• Curses (e.g. Deut 27:24)

Alt’s categorization• Casuistic law: defines a specific case, e.g.

Ex 21:18-19

• Twofold formulation: a protasis with a “when” or “if” clauses, and an apodosis “then” stating the legal consequences of the case

• Units of casuistic laws are logically ordered, similar cases are treated together and juxtaposed to cases with different rulings

The Uniqueness of the Decalogue

• The Decalogue is the “foundation scroll of the Israelite community”

• Special role within ancient Israel• Given directly by God (Exod 20:1, 18-19;

Deut 4:12; 5:4, 21)

• Written by the “Fingers of God” (Exod 31:18; 32:16; 34:1, 28; Deut 4:13; 5:19; 9:10), accompanied by theophany

• Placed in the Ark of the Covenant (Deut 10:1-4)

Role of Decalogue in the Cult

• A basic formal affirmation in the religion of Israel

• Apply to all individual in Israel

• Conditions for membership

• Renewal of Obligation

Role of Decalogue

• Each of the 10 Commandments (except the last one) appears in a similar form elsewhere in the Pentateuch

Parallels to the Decalogue in other parts of the Pentateuch• First 2 commandments: Exod 20:3-6 //

Exod 34:14; Deut 5:9b; Exod 23:24; 34:17; Lev 19:4; 26:1; Mica 5:12 etc

• 3rd (20:7)//Lev 19:12; 5:22• 4th (20:8-11)//the Covenant Code

(23:12; 34:21;; Deut 5:13-14) and the Priestly Code (Exod 31:12-17; 35:1-3; 16:29-30; Lev 19:3; 23:3; 26:2; Num 15:32-35; Jer 17:21-27)

• 5th (20:12) //in the affirmative (Lev 19:4) as well as in the negative formulation: Exod 21:15; 21:17; Lev 20:9; Deut 27:16; 21:18-21

• 6th (20:13) cf. Exod 21:12; Lev 24:17; Num 35:30-34; Deut 19:11-13

• 7th (20:14) cf. Lev 18:20; 20:10; Deut 22:22; Num 5:11-30

• 8th (20:15) cf. Lev 19:11; Exod 22:1-12 (casuistic laws)

• 9th (20:16) // Exod 23:1; Deut 19:16-19 (casuistic)

Parallels to the Decalogue Cont.

Other law collections that resemble the Decalogue

• Lev 19

• Deut 27:15-26

• Ezek 18 and 22

• Psalms 15, 24

• Isa 33:14-15

Discussion on the ethical authority of the Old Testament

• Luther • The dispensationalists • The theonomic approach• More comprehensive approaches:

• Jubilee Centre • Key for Christians: Jesus’ relationship to

the law• Wright’s concept

Wright’s Assumption of the Ethical Use of the OT

• The authority and relevance of the OT for Christians

• The unity of Scripture

• The priority of grace

• The mission and purpose of Israel

• The function of the law in relation to the mission of Israel

• Israel and its law as paradigmatic

Wright’s Method of appropriation of the OT laws for today

• Distinguish the general categories of the OT law

• Analyze the functions of particular laws and institutions

• Define the objective(s) of particular laws

• Preserve the objective but change the context

Case Study

• Lev 19:18-19• While moral relevancy of v.18 is

clear, v.19 is puzzling, how do we appropriate that?

• Deut 12:1-7• How do we apply this law today?

Hazor Canaanite High Place

Arad Israelite Temple

Taanach Cult Stand