Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Jonathan D. Safren" <yonsaf AT beitberl.beitberl.ac.il>]

Ray Clendenen wrote:

>
> There are some steps missing in your argument that I'm unable to supply.
> How did you arrive at the conclusion that the Pentateuchal laws were
> necessarily intended to be "for all time."

Because that's what Lev. 17:7 says, Ray.

> There is no indication in the
> text that the sentence in Lev 17:7 ("This shall be to them a law for all
> time, throughout the generations") applies to more than the command not to
> sacrifice to the goat demons. The expression ledor, "throughout the
> generations," occurs 13 times in Leviticus, and 26 times in the rest of the
> Pentateuch. I see no reason the expression should be taken to apply
> necessarily to the entire Pentateuch if there are textual reasons to
> believe that certain laws have been changed.
>

The expression in Lev. 17:7 comes at the end of the law enunciated in vss. 1-6
and summarizes it. This is the same style used in other instances of the use 
of
the expression "for {all} your generations". See for exanple Ex. 12:14
(summarizing the paschal lamb law); Ex. 12:17 (summarizing the Feast of the
Unleavened Bread Law); Gen. 17:12 (summarizingthe law of circumcision).
Yours,
--
Jonathan D. Safren
Dept. of Biblical Studies
Beit Berl College
Beit Berl Post Office 44905
Israel