Corpus-Paul

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

On Mon, 17 Jan 2005 03:40:21 +0000 tiona AT comcast.net writes:

 

 

-------------- Original message --------------

> One day I went to Synagogue, having just finished picking up
> sticks from a storm the night before - well, guess what the
> lesson was that morning. Maybe the same God was showing me
> both the endless Sabbath in Christ and its real image in the
> Torah that I was not under obligation to observe.
>
> In the spirit of Romans, I trust we will continue to welcome
> one another.
>
> I wonder what responses Paul got to the Galatian letter...
>
> Bob
>

Dear Bob,

Please forgive me for stepping into this conversation.  You mention picking up sticks, so I am assuming you are referencing one of the two examples of someone actually being put to death in the Torah for breaking commandments.  I would just like to point out that this event along with the half Hebrew/half egyptiEgyptianho was put to death are the only two examples of such capital punishment in the Torah.  Most of the sage writings agree that this was not a one time event that this man was guilty of and that by the time that this sentence was carried out, it had been through all the levels of judges up to Moses. 

I bring this up because one of the arguments for not obeying or even reading the Torah is that it continually calls people to be put to death.  However, a more accurate translation of the phrase shall be put to death would be is worthy of death.  I will not try to convince you that my translation skills are better than yours.  Rather I will let Paul demonstrate the proper translation.  In Romans 1:23-1:31 Paul lists many of these transgressions and in 1:32 he then pronounces that those who do them are "worthy of death" .  Unfortunately the helenizing of the Jews caused even them to lose sight of the true heart of Yaweh.  Which IMO is what Paul is dealing with in a lot of his letters.

Jeff  

 

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Worthy of / shall be put to death

 

 In Nu 15.32-36 we find the incident of a man gathering sticks who was put to death.  Whether the sages agree that this was a repeat offender, there is no indication of this in the text itself (oral torah?).  The law upon which this action is based is found in Ex 31.13-14

 

13 W:)aT.fH D.aB."R )eL_B.:N"Y Yi%:Rf)"L L"MoR )aK: )eT_$aB.:ToTaY T.i$MoRW. K.iY )oWT HiW) B."YNiY W.B"YN"YKeM L:Da(aT K.iY )a:NiY YHWH M:QaD.i$:KeM

14 W.$:MaR:T.eM )eT_Ha$.B.fT K.iY QoDe$ HiW) LaKeM **** M:XaL:LeYHf MoWT YW.MfT **** K.iY K.fL_Hf(o%eH BfH. M:Lf)KfH W:NiK:R:TfH HaN.ePe$ HaHiW) MiQ.ReB (aM.eYHf

 

13 You shall speak to the children of Israel saying "Surely you shall observe my Sabbath for it is a sign between me and you throughout your generations that you may know that I am YHWH who sanctifies you.

14 You shall observe the Sabbath for it is holy to you.  The one profaning it SHALL SURELY BE PUT TO DEATH so that all who do any work in it -- that person shall be cut off from the midst of my people.

 

The use of the infinitive absolute here in MoWT YW.MfT is a strenthening of the force of the main verb (a hophal impf 3 ms).  It does not signify being worthy of death.  In regard to your mention of Paul's statement in Rom 1.32 that a person is "worthy of death" it should be noted that that person is worthy of death because that is what the law prescribes, not because the language of the OT text should be read as "worthy of."

george
gfsomsel
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