Th The Ten Commandments address two essential aspects of man’s experience. The first four commandments focus directly on man’s relationship with God, and the remaining six focus on man’s relationships with man. The Ten Commandments are really the summary declarations of God’s Law which encompass all the detailed ordinances and statutes that follow. There are many other declarations in the Law that take the form of direct commandments, but the Ten Commandments are the overriding principles of law, which the ordinances and statutes flesh out. The ordinances or judgments address fairly specific scenarios that might arise in the lives of Israelites. These laws, or ordinances, are not to be taken as comprehensive, but rather are to been seen as examples to guide the Israelites in the application of the Law to their daily lives.
1 “Now these are the judgments which you shall set before them:2 If you buy a Hebrew servant, he shall serve six years; and in the seventh he shall go out free and pay nothing.
1. Why would God start with laws concerning slaves and servants first?
The list begins with laws regulating servitude. No other ancient Near Eastern law collection begins this way. Hammurabi’s law code, e.g., deals with the question of slavery last. The fact that the Lord gives priority to regulating servitude in the Book of the Covenant may reflect his recent deliverance of Israel from a painful period of enslavement in Egypt. Zondervan NIV Study Bible
2. What kind of system of slavery are we talking about here? How was it different from slavery in other cultures?
An Hebrew might be made a slave through poverty, debt, or crime; but at the
end of six years he was entitled to freedom, and his wife, if she had voluntarily shared his state of bondage, also obtained release.
Any permanent, involuntary servitude for a Hebrew slave to a Hebrew master was obviously undesirable for Israelite society and was unknown in Israel. A person for financial reasons could sell themselves into servitude or slavery. Many times it was better to sell one’s self into slavery in order to avoid starvation. Then it was the master’s obligation to provide for you in exchange for work. Also a person could be forced into a position of servitude to pay a debt that he could not pay. An important difference was that all servitude was for 6 years and then the person was free unless he wanted to stay voluntarily. In many ways this system was like an employment contract, something similar to what we see with professional athletes.
3 If he comes in by himself, he shall go out by himself; if he comes in married, then his wife shall go out with him.If a man sells himself into slavery and he has a wife when he went into slavery, the wife could not be kept after the debt is paid.
4 If his master has given him a wife, and she has borne him sons or daughters, the wife and her children shall be her master’s, and he shall go out by himself.5 But if the servant plainly says, ‘I love my master, my wife, and my children; I will not go out free,’6 then his master shall bring him to the judges. He shall also bring him to the door, or to the doorpost, and his master shall pierce his ear with an awl; and he shall serve him forever.
The wife and children which come after he has become a slave in reality belong to the master; the man can stay voluntarily if he agrees to stay permanently.
3. The man who voluntarily stays with his master after his time is fulfilled is called a ________ servant.
7 “And if a man sells his daughter to be a female slave, she shall not go out as the male slaves do.8 If she does not please her master, who has betrothed her to himself, then he shall let her be redeemed. He shall have no right to sell her to a foreign people, since he has dealt deceitfully with her.9 And if he has betrothed her to his son, he shall deal with her according to the custom of daughters.10 If he takes another wife, he shall not diminish her food, her clothing, and her marriage rights.11 And if he does not do these three for her, then she shall go out free, without paying money.
4. From a practical point of view what is the difference between a male slave and a female.
A female would normally be sold to a master by her father and the relationship would involve the “one flesh” covenantal relationship. She would be considered a concubine.
A concubine is nearly a wife. Though a slave, she did have an ongoing “one-flesh” relationship with her master. She bore him children, and they were considered his (remember that most of the sons of Jacob were born to him by his wives’ servant girls). Exodus 21 makes it clear that the concubine had been bought by a price, which must have functioned similarly to the bride price of a full wife (v. 7). Second, though she was a concubine, therefore a slave, slavery in Israel was unlike that in surrounding lands because the permanent servant girl had certain rights and protections.
Therefore provision was made to ensure the proper treatment of female slaves, who could not deliberately be left destitute by wrongful action on the part of their master.
12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death.13 However, if he did not lie in wait, but God delivered him into his hand, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14 “But if a man acts with premeditation against his neighbor, to kill him by treachery, you shall take him from My altar, that he may die.
5. Why the different penalties for killings?
” Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed; For in the image of God He made man. Gen 9:6
God views premeditated murder differently from killing by negligence or accident.
He called David, Gideon, Joshua, Deborah and Barak, and the nation of Israel on several occasions to do just that.
God does not view the taking of the life of an enemy combatant in a war that HE has ordained in the same light as murder of an innocent.
he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death…This again shows God perfect order, and what he wishes for all of us.
15 “And he who strikes his father or his mother shall surely be put to death. 16 “He who kidnaps a man and sells him, or if he is found in his hand, shall surely be put to death. 17 “And he who curses his father or his mother shall surely be put to death.
6. Why would crimes against one’s parents be viewed so harshly?
Offenses against parents are very serious. Family structure is very important. God is teaching these people who had been slaves for 400 years, and where structure was imposed upon them by their masters, that authority within the family is the first step toward understanding authority within the kingdom of God.
Paul identifies disobedience to parents as one of the sins of the degenerate man who rejects God.
And even as they did not like to retain God in their knowledge, God gave them over to a debased mind, to do those things which are not fitting;29 being filled with all unrighteousness, sexual immorality, wickedness, covetousness, maliciousness; full of envy, murder, strife, deceit, evil-mindedness; they are whisperers,30 backbiters, haters of God, violent, proud, boasters, inventors of evil things, disobedient to parents,31 undiscerning, untrustworthy, unloving, unforgiving, unmerciful;32 who, knowing the righteous judgment of God, that those who practice such things are deserving of death, not only do the same but also approve of those who practice them. Romans 1:28-32
18 “If men contend with each other, and one strikes the other with a stone or with his fist, and he does not die but is confined to his bed,19 if he rises again and walks about outside with his staff, then he who struck him shall be acquitted. He shall only pay for the loss of his time, and shall provide for him to be thoroughly healed. 20 “And if a man beats his male or female servant with a rod, so that he dies under his hand, he shall surely be punished.21 Notwithstanding, if he remains alive a day or two, he shall not be punished; for he is his property. 22 “If men fight, and hurt a woman with child, so that she gives birth prematurely, yet no harm follows, he shall surely be punished accordingly as the woman’s husband imposes on him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.23 But if any harm follows, then you shall give life for life,24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,25 burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. 26 “If a man strikes the eye of his male or female servant, and destroys it, he shall let him go free for the sake of his eye.27 And if he knocks out the tooth of his male or female servant, he shall let him go free for the sake of his tooth.
God is attempting to establish a system based on fairness and to put limitations of revenge and retribution.
23 Then Lamech said to his wives:” Adah and Zillah, hear my voice; Wives of Lamech, listen to my speech!For I have killed a man for wounding me,Even a young man for hurting me. 24 If Cain shall be avenged sevenfold,Then Lamech seventy-sevenfold.” Gen 4:23-24
7. God gets pretty detailed in dealing with some of these injuries between people, what is the purpose of the “eye for eye, tooth for tooth” thing?
28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, then the ox shall surely be stoned, and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall be acquitted.29 But if the ox tended to thrust with its horn in times past, and it has been made known to his owner, and he has not kept it confined, so that it has killed a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death.30 If there is imposed on him a sum of money, then he shall pay to redeem his life, whatever is imposed on him.31 Whether it has gored a son or gored a daughter, according to this judgment it shall be done to him.32 If the ox gores a male or female servant, he shall give to their master thirty shekels of silver, and the ox shall be stoned. 33 “And if a man opens a pit, or if a man digs a pit and does not cover it, and an ox or a donkey falls in it,34 the owner of the pit shall make it good; he shall give money to their owner, but the dead animal shall be his. 35 “If one man’s ox hurts another’s, so that it dies, then they shall sell the live ox and divide the money from it; and the dead ox they shall also divide.36 Or if it was known that the ox tended to thrust in time past, and its owner has not kept it confined, he shall surely pay ox for ox, and the dead animal shall be his own.
8. Why would God get involved in oxen goring people?
Animal owners were held responsible for death or injuries caused by their animals. Since the owner was guilty of negligence and not of an intentional crime, he was able to make payment to escape the death penalty. Again, judges are brought into the process to ensure that no vengeful decisions are made.
9. “Thirty shekels of silver”, where have we heard that before?
Matthew 26:15 and said, “What are you willing to give me if I deliver Him to you?” And they counted out to him thirty pieces of silver.
Matthew 27:3, 9
3 Then Judas, His betrayer, seeing that He had been condemned, was remorseful and brought back the thirty pieces of silver to the chief priests and elders, 9 Then was fulfilled what was spoken by Jeremiah the prophet, saying, “And they took the thirty pieces of silver, the value of Him who was priced, whom they ofthe children of Israel priced,
The price of a slave. 120 denari’s. Laborers usually received 1 denarius for a days work.
Matthew actually quotes two prophets, Jeremiah and Zechariah. Although Matthew only mentions Jeremiah by name, he may have done so because Jeremiah’s pre-enacted prophesy of the purchasing of the field (Jer. 32:6-9) was the more prominent point Matthew wanted to make. The purchase of the field seems to be the major point that Matthew is making. However, Matthew also quotes Zechariah 11:12 which gives us the value for the field. In Zechariah’s day, the reference to silver would undoubtedly have been to the shekel which was the standard weight for paying a price. The shekel has a long use in purchasing property, going back to Abraham’s time (Gen. 23:16). In New Testament times, the shekel was the value of about four drachmas (a Greek coin) or four denarii (a Roman coin). It would be in weight a little less than half an ounce of silver. It’s value as currency would be the common wages for a laboring man for four days, or in today’s value perhaps around $400 to $500.
The thirty pieces of silver, then, would be worth around $12,000 to $15,000 in today’s sum.- ESVN………….ESV Study Bible Note
- MSBN…….MacArthur NASB Study Notes
- NIVSN…..NIV Study Notes.
- JVM ……………..J Vernon McGee,
- ACC ……………. Adam Clarke’s Commentary
- BN ……………..Barnes Notes
- WBC……………. Wycliffe Bible Commentary
- CN …… …………..Constables Notes
- IC………………….Ironside Commentary
- NET……………….Net Bible Study Notes.
- JFB…………..Jamieson Fausset Brown Commentary
- VWS……………..Vincent Word Studies
- CMM………….Commentary on Matthew and Mark
- BDB………….. Barclay’s Daily Study Bible (NT)
- Darby………..John Darby’s Synopsis of the OT and NT
- Johnson………Johnson’s Notes on the New Testament.
- NTCMM…………..The New Testament Commentary: Matthew and Mark.
- EHS………………….Expositions of the Holy Scriptures·
- CPP…………………The Complete Pulpit Commentary
- SBC…………………Sermon Bible Commentary
- K&D……………….Keil and Deilitzsch Commentary on the OT
- EBC…………………Expositors Bible Commentary
- CBSC……………….Cambridge Bible for Schools and College
- GC……………………Guzik Commentary
- RD…………………….Robert Deffinbaugh
No comments:
Post a Comment
Please feel free to make civil comment. Divergent views encouraged,