Biblical Hebrew Forum

["UUC" <unikom AT paco.net>]

Dear Liz,

We figure out the word' meaning from its established usage, not theoricizing
about the Persian mental dichotomy.


Best regards,

Vadim

> I misspoke, miswrote. I meant for Hebrew writers of the
> Persian period. Under the Persians you have what has
> been called a secularization of the law, the merging
> of the law of the king and the law of the god.
> Under Hammurabi, for example, just decisions, mishpat,
> was separate from the gods. Right order, kinatu, was
> not given by the gods, but part of nature. The gods were
> deemed too capricious to be held responsible.
> Now it is interesting that the Priestly code has the
> law being given by YHWH -- and by Moses. This places
> Moses (as King) as lawgiver whose laws are synonymous with
> YHWH's laws. Writers prior to the Persians demand that the
> king be accountable to torah, correct behavior. This doesn't
> occur under the Persians, when the king's behavior is torah
> by definition.
> The word nomos is a good translation of torah, data, etc.
> It too does not refer to legislated law, but right thinking,
> order, tradition, custom, correct procedure, everything in its
> proper place.
> Sorry for the confusion,
> Best,
> Liz
>
> > -----Original Message-----
> > From: UUC [mailto:unikom AT paco.net]
> > Sent: Wednesday, May 26, 2004 10:03 AM
> > To: Lisbeth S. Fried
> > Subject: Re: [b-hebrew] Isaiah 53 read within the book as a whole
> >
> > Dear Liz,
> >
> > >For Hebrew writers of course the data of the king is the torah of
YHWH.<
> > If this is so, why do the prophets criticize the evil kings? No, Jewish
> > king
> > should comply with Torah, not whatever he declares is the Torah.
> > Torah is a law only for LXX authors.
> > Torah and mishpat are the two branches of the shalom, not synonyms.
> >
> >
> > Best regards,
> >
> > Vadim
>
>