The text from Deuteronomy, chapters 10-11 describes a ‘love’ which is inherent in the origin of an ancient covenant. The modern-day West understands covenant as a strong agreement between two parties. It is comparable to a legal promise or a binding contract. Although this modern understanding originates from the ancient world, the ancient Near Eastern would have known covenantal agreements to be much deeper. Along with this, love in modern Western custom is typically an expression of emotion and response toward another person or object. It is fitting that love would not occur in the realm of legal contracts. Therefore, it may be difficult for the modern-day West to understand the inherency of love within covenant agreement. The Ancient Near …show more content…
For nearly a millennium Israel drew from the socio-cultural-political influences around them. Specifically, one can see that Assyria’s rule made a significant impact as to the curses written in Deuteronomy. Israel viewed the laws of Deuteronomy through their own socio-historical lenses, according to what they knew about treaties and agreements. Dating the ‘Book of the Law’ The story of King Josiah (640-609 BCE) pronounces “a book of the law” which depicts some written form of Deuteronomy, including chapters 10 and 11. (2 Ki 22:8, NRSV) The finding of this major portion of the book dates to 621 BCE. Given the contemporaneous socio-cultural understanding of suzerain treaty, amongst other evidences, one can presume that this section of Deuteronomy dates to the eighth or seventh century. After the fall of Samaria (722 BCE), the exiled northern tribes became heavily influenced by Assyrian socio-political powers. The following chapters of the book of Deuteronomy (chapters 12-26) might have been completed according to the reforms of King Josiah after finding the portion of older text. So it is quite likely that the writings of chapters four through eleven of Deuteronomy (Moses first speech) date between 800 and 722 BCE. Defining “Love the LORD your God” from Chapters
The ritual of the sotah from the book of Numbers is a fascinating passage to read in the Hebrew Bible. For one thing, this ritual deals with the idea of a man being able to bring his wife to trial, even if he has no evidence against her. While such an instance might be seen as negative treatment of women, others might explain it as the Israelites’ constant concern over the idea of impurity. Another interesting aspect of the sotah rite is that it is the only example of an ordeal similar to those practiced in other cultures of the Ancient Near East. While other ordeals are told mostly in story form, Num. 5:11-31 is the only instance in which the actual process of an ordeal is laid out point by point. Finally, the ritual merits attention due to its continued practice even after the Temple was destroyed, as is depicted in the Talmud. These reasons and more are evidence as to why this small 20 verse passage has been subject to such scrutiny and study over the course of the years.
A History of Marriage by Stephanie Coontz speaks of the recent idealization of marriage based solely on love. Coontz doesn’t defame love, but touches on the many profound aspects that have created and bonded marriages through time. While love is still a large aspect Coontz wants us to see that a marriage needs more solid and less fickle aspects than just love. The first chapter begins with an exploration of love and marriage in many ancient and current cultures.
We as people have always searched for a code of morals and conduct. It is what has held empires, nations, and families from falling into chaos. This is what the code of Hammurabi and the law of Moses instituted in maintaining order. Both laws have a strong foundation and way of promoting justice that rivals many systems today in regards to effectiveness. Many of the laws given were later used in future governments. There are many similarities and differences between these documents, and this analysis will share some of the those. These two documents provide rich resources and were made for two specific peoples because of women’s rights found in the code, the consequences of actions when violating code, and the vision of the laws created.
Robinson, B. A. (2008, March 30). Books of the Hebrew Scripture . Retrieved May 7, 2011, from Religious Tolerance: http://www.religioustolerance.org/chr_otb3.htm
The Symposium, The Aeneid, and Confessions help demonstrate how the nature of love can be found in several places, whether it is in the mind, the body or the soul. These texts also provide with eye-opening views of love as they adjust our understanding of what love really is. By giving us reformed spectrum of love, one is able to engage in introspective thinking and determine if the things we love are truly worthy of our sentiment.
Moses is the speaker now, and he says that God made a covenant with them at Horeb. Additionally, he says that last time they would not go up the mountain because they were afraid of the fire. Then, Moses repeats the Decalogue to the Israelites, and he explains that they were written on two stone tablets. Here the third commandment differs from Exodus. Instead of Remember the Sabbath, it states “Observe the sabbath day and keep it holy as the Lord your God commanded you.” (Deut 5:12). In comparison, observe has a more commanding connotation. Furthermore, at the end of the first line of the commandment the text adds as “your God commanded you” (Deut. 5:12,). This sets a more domineering tone and implies that the Israelites will not follow unless commanded. Another key distinction occurs when the texts are describing why one must follow the Sabbath commandment. The text reminds the Israelites that they were once slaves in Egypt and that “God brought [them] out of there with a mighty hand and an outstretched arm” (Deut 5:15). Here God is guilt-tripping the Israelites into following the Sabbath by reminding them of what God did for them in their relationship. Thus, it seems that in Deuteronomy God is attempting to invoke fear in order to convince the Israelites to follow. Nonetheless, Deuteronomy is not only based on the Israelites following God out of fear. It also states that they will change their reasoning to aspire to be similar to God, like Exodus. For instance, when asked what would they tell their children when asked why they follow the Decalogue, they should say that if we follow it “as he has commanded us, we will be in the right.” (Deut 6:25). This indicates that after they followed out of fear that they changed their reasoning to be aspirational. Moses concludes with how they should follow the commandments
Love, in classical Greek literature, is commonly considered a prominent theme. Love, in present days, always appears in the categories of books, movies, music, etc. Interpreted differently by different people, Love turns into a multi-faceted being. In Plato’s work Symposium, Phaedrus, Pausania, Eryximachus, Aristophane and Agathon, each of them presents a speech to either praise or definite Love. Phaedrus first points out that Love is the primordial god; Pausanias brings the theme of “virtue” into the discussion and categorizes Love into “good” one or “bad” one; Eryximachus introduces the thought of “moderation’ and thinks that Love governs such fields as medicine and music; Aristophanes draws attention to the origin and purposes of Love; Agathon enunciates that the correct way to present an eulogy is first to praise its nature and gifts.
The following paper examines a close reading of the figure of Moses in Exodus, Numbers, and Deuteronomy with respect to the issue of why he is barred from entering the Promised Land of Canaan as well as in the Quran. Moreover, after considering the stories and character of Moses in these respective texts, I will then analyze the two accounts in order to examine their similarities and differences.
Cindy Pereyra The Pentateuch Dr. Luther 5 May 2014 Deuteronomy Study Assignment 1. Read Deuteronomy 16:18-20. a. Describe the requirements of judges in Israel based on this passage. In this passage, the requirements of judges in Israel are shown. The people are told to appoint judges and officers for themselves in all the towns that the Lord is giving to them according to their tribes.
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 is often used as a key Old Testament text on divorce and remarriage. This passage draws special attention because it was the focus of a Jewish debate about divorce in Jesus’ time and the background of Jesus’ discussion with the Pharisees on marriage (Mark 10:1-10; Mat 19:1-12). In interpreting this passage, four particular questions need to be answered: 1) To what עֶרְוַת דָּבָר (“nakedness of a matter”) in verse 1 refers and how does its meaning affect the overall teaching of the passage? 2) What “defiles” the woman? 3)
Sirach is one of the longest and most influential texts within the Hebrew Bible and Christian Church. It was composed around 180 BCE, published around 117 BCE, and is essentially deuteronomic.
There are restrictions on who can be loved by whom and how. Love laws constrain relationships in The God of Small Things. “They all broke the rules. They all crossed into forbidden territory. They all tampered with the laws that lay down who should be loved and how.
In the biblical passages given, the roles of mothers' and fathers' are, I think, really very clear. Contextually, in Deuteronomy 4 Moses is stressing the importance of keeping God's laws. In Deuteronomy 4:9-10 Moses is reminding the people to remember all they have witnessed – the giving of the Law, the miracles they had seen, and all that God had done for them. And not only were they to remember these things, but they were to teach these things to their children and grandchildren, and make sure that this history would remain rich and stay with God’s people for all time to come. This is reiterated in Deuteronomy 6:4-9, saying that not only are parents to teach their children the laws of God and the history they have in Him, but they’re to teach them the
with some very different views of love as brought to us by Agathon, Phaedrus and