Biblical Hebrew Forum

[George F Somsel <gfsomsel AT juno.com>]

On Wed, 31 Aug 2005 00:51:09 +0000 "Kevin Graham" <kevlds AT hotmail.com>
writes:
> Thanks Harold. The last sentence in the verse just seems to be 
> self-contradictory. It says the firstborn males of every womb was to 
> be 
> "sacrificed" with the firstborn animals (suggesting sacrificed in 
> the same 
> manner) and then in the same breath it says the firstborn were 
> "redeemed."
> 
> It is hard to figure out if child sacrifice was actually condoned or 
> 
> commanded, originally. I know it was later stated (unambiguously) 
> that the 
> Levites were to take the place of firstborn sacrifices.
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It seems to me that the story of Abraham's "sacrifice" of Isaac is
related to the question of the sacrifice/redemption of the first-born. It
might even be a reaction to and condemnation of the practices of the
kings of Israel which explains its placement at Moraiah and the
identification of Moriah with Jerusalem.

george
gfsomsel
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