Biblical Hebrew Forum

[<tladatsi AT charter.net>]

Chris et al.

Let us assume that you are correct for the moment and 
decide that the piqed (qal) in Ex 34:7 merely means *pay 
attention to* rather than *punish*.  Ex 34:7 is of course a 
conditional comand, a law.   How does that change the facts 
of either 2 Sam 21 1-14 or 1 Sam 15 which are specific 
cases where the law is applied. 

In 1 Sam 15 the word used is *paqadtiy* "I will punish* and 
Saul subsequently kills every Amalek, man, woman, child, 
and infant (save Agag).  The verb stem is qal, just like Ex 
34:7.  The sin was attacking Isreal on the way out of 
Egypt.  That *crime* occured at least a two hundred years 
ealier, if not more.  Although Ex 34:7 is not cited, it is 
a clear cut case of the principle of punishing the living 
for the crimes of the dead is put into practice.

Similarly in 2 Sam 21 the two sons and five grandsons of 
Saul are put to death for Saul's attempt to kill the 
Gibeonites, well after Saul himself was dead.  In fact, the 
bodies were left to hang for many days and were denied 
proper burial until the end of the harvest.  Being denied 
proper and immediate burial is a special humiliation which 
is in violation of Deu 21:22-23.  Once more, there is more 
case history where the principle expounded in Ex 34:7 is 
put into detailed practice.

Jack Tladatsi