Biblical Hebrew Forum

["Harold R. Holmyard III" <hholmyard AT ont.com>]

Dear Samuel,

This seems a theological question rather than one for a list that discusses
biblical Hebrew. Could you possibly frame your question in a form that
would allow us to address the issue in terms of the Hebrew language? I
would be glad to give you a theological answer, but I suppose that I might
not meet with favor for doing so.

                                Yours,
                                Harold Holmyard
                                Dallas, TX


>The Books of Numbers and Joshua in particular describe what nowadays people
>would call a war of aggression, and ethnic cleansing on a large scale - with
>town after town destroyed, men, women and children. I would like to be able
>to say that this was in almost pre-historic times, in the infancy of the
>nation, when there was still much to learn. But the Bible does not permit me
>to look at it like this. It is all described as being done on the direct
>command of God. This leaves me on the horns of an aweful dilemma. If it
>really was all done on the direct orders of God, what picture does this give
>me of God, and what sort of example is this to the gentiles? On the other
>hand, if it WAS "in the infancy of the nation", and NOT on the command of
>God as described, how do I accept other cases of "God said . . " or "God
>commanded . . " in the Bible as true?