Exodus 23 Neighbours Solemnities and The Messenger

Neighbours, Solemnities, and The Messenger

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 22

 

Thou shalt not carry an empty report.

 

Thou shalt not carry thy hand with a guilty-[one] to be unto violence!

 

2Thou shalt not be after many to bad-do. And thou shalt not humble concerning a multiple [many] to incline after multiples to cause inclining.

 

3And thou shalt not honour a poverty-stricken-[one] via his fight.

 

4If thou meet an ox of thine enemy or his ass wandering, returning, thou shalt return him to him.

 

5When thou wilt see an ass of thine enemy couching under his burden and thou wilt desist from loosening to him, loosening, thou shalt loosen with him!

 

6Thou shalt not incline justice of thy poor-[one] via his fight.

 

7Thou shalt distance from a speech of a lie. And thou shalt not slay an innocent-[one] and a righteous-[one]. For I will not justify a culpable-[one]!

 

8And thou shalt not receive a bribe. For the bribe will blind perspicuous-[ones] and has subverted speeches of righteous-[ones].

 

9And thou shalt not oppress a sojourner. And ye, ye knew the being of the sojourner! For ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

10And thou shalt sow thy land six years. And thou shalt gather her bringing. 11And the seventh, thou shalt release her and thou shalt abandon her. And poor of thy people shall eat. And a living-[one] of the field shall eat their excess. Established, thou shalt do to thy vineyard, to thine olive.

 

12Thou shalt do thy doings six of days. And in day the seventh thou shalt cease in order that thine ox will rest, and thine ass. And the son of thy slavewoman has been ‘re-beinged,’ and the sojourner.

 

13And ye shall guard via all that I said unto you. And ye shall not remind-of the name of other gods. He shall not hear upon thy mouth!

 

14Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year. 15Thou shalt guard the solemnity of the Matzahs seven of days—thou shalt eat Matzahs just-as she commanded thee to an appointment, month of the spring. For thou exited from Double-Adversity (Egypt) in him. And they shall not see my faces, their emptiness!— 16and the solemnity of the harvest, firstborn-[ones], thy doing—what thou wilt sow in a field; and the solemnity of the gathering via exiting of the year, via thy gathering thy doing from the field! 17Three strokes in the year, Mighty-[One], Faces of the Lord [sing.] Yehovah, will see each: thy male!

 

18Thou shalt not sacrifice blood of my sacrifice upon vinegar. And fat of my solemnity shall not lodge unto morning!

 

19Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil House of Yehovah thy Gods.

 

Thou shalt not boil a goat-kid in the fat of his mother!

 

20Behold, I am sending a messenger to thy faces to guard thee in the way and to bring thee unto a place that I prepared. 21Be-thou-guarded from his faces! And hearken via his voice! Do not embitter thou via him! For he will not carry to your transgression! For my Name is via his approach! 22For if, hearkening, thou shalt hearken via his voice, and thou shalt do all that I will speak, and I ‘will enemy’ thine enemies and I will ‘tribulate’ thy tribulators! 23For, my messenger will walk to thy faces. And he will bring thee unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevoosi. And I will obscure him!

 

24Thou shalt not prostrate to their gods. And thou shalt not serve them. And thou shalt not make as their makings. For smashing, thou shalt smash them, and shattering, thou shalt shatter their pillars!

 

25And ye shall serve Yehovah your Gods. And He will bless thy bread and thy waters. And I will forefend sickness from thy approach! 26A bereaved-[woman] shall not be, and a barren-[woman], in thy land. I will fill a scrolling of thy days! 27I will send my terror to thy faces. And I will hum [buzz] every people that thou wilt come via them. And I will give all thine enemies unto thee: neck! 28And I will send the hornet to thy faces. And she will expel the Khivi, the Cnaani and the Khiti from thy faces. 29I will not expel him from thy faces in one year lest the land will be a desolation, and a living-[one] of the field will multiply upon thee. 30I will expel him a little, a little from thy faces until-that thou wilt be fruitful. And thou wilt inherit the land. 31And I will set thy border from Ending Sea and unto Palestinian Sea, and from the desert unto the river. For I will give inhabitants of the land into your hand. And ye shall expel him from thy faces! 32Thou shalt not cut a covenant to them and to their gods! 33And they shall not dwell in thy land lest they will sin-cause thee to me! For thou shalt serve thy Gods! For he will be to a snare to thee!

 

 

 

I. An Empty Report (verse 1)

 

Yehovah commanded each Israeli: “Thou shalt not carry an empty report.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is an empty report?

 

2.    What does “carry an empty report” mean?

 

3.    What is wrong with carrying an empty report if the first thing said is, “Now, I don’t know this for sure, but this is what I heard”?

 

4.    Who is thou?

 

 

 

II. Joining in Violence (verse 1)

 

He continued, commanding each Israeli to not “carry thy hand” with one who is guilty so that the hand will be unto violence.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “carry thy hand” mean?

 

2.    Explain the entire command:

 

 

 

III. Yielding to the Majority (verse 2)

 

Yehovah command each Israeli to not be after a large group to do bad. Also, each Israeli must not humble himself or anyone in matters of many in order to bend anyone or any group to go after large groups to bend others to do something. (See questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “be after many” mean?

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt not be after many to bad-do” mean?

 

3.    Suppose that the Israelis are grouping to rightly and properly execute a person who has done a death-penalty offense; if another Israeli accompanies this large group, is this group about to ‘bad do’?

 

4.    What does “thou shalt not humble…” mean?

 

5.    What does incline mean in this text?

 

6.    This command has several parts. What is being commanded by “thou shalt not humble concerning a multiple [many] to incline after multiples to cause inclining”?

 

 

 

IV. Honouring the Poor (verse 3)

 

Each Israeli must never honour another who is very poor by means of the fight of that poor one. (See Questions.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a poverty-stricken person?

 

2.    Why would a poverty-stricken person have a fight? What is this fight?

 

3.    Shouldn’t a person stand up for a poverty-stricken person who is being mistreated?

 

4.    What is wrong with honouring a poverty-stricken person by means of his fight?

 

 

 

V. Meeting a Wandering Ox and Ass (verse 4)

 

Yehovah commanded each Israeli to return a wondering ox of an enemy or a wandering ass of an enemy to the enemy owner.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why must an Israeli return to an enemy an animal that isn’t his own and that belongs to the enemy?

 

2.    Does this command only have to do with wandering animals of enemy neighbours?

 

3.    Suppose that the enemy Israeli accuses the Israeli returning the item of stealing it; what must the Israeli do, and should the Israeli refuse to return another lost item or animal next time?

 

4.    Suppose that the Israeli returning the wandering ox just takes the ox directly to the stall, and then leaves without seeing the owner; would that be sufficient?

 

 

 

VI. An Enemy’s Couching Ass (verse 5)

 

When an Israeli will see an enemy’s ass couching (that is, setting itself down on the ground) under his burden, and when the Israeli will desist (stop participating in action) from loosening to him—that is, from helping to unload the ass’s burden, the Israeli instead must loosen the ass with the enemy.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does couching mean?

 

2.    Why would an animal couch under his burden?

 

3.    What does “desist from loosening to him” mean?

 

4.    What does this text command the Israeli to do?

 

5.    Does this command only cover animals and burdens?

 

6.    Suppose that the Israeli has an appointment that he must keep, and time is very important; can he go on his way, and leave his enemy in order to keep his appointment (including keeping his word that he gave when he made the appointment)?

 

 

 

VII. Inclining Justice of the Poor (verse 6)

 

No Israeli is permitted to incline justice (that is, to make justice go in a particular direction) of the Israeli’s poor one by means of the poor one’s fight.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Isn’t this command the same as the one in verse 3?

 

2.    Why is Yehovah so against helping poor folks win in cases of justice?

 

3.    Suppose that someone wealthy and very intelligent takes advantage of the ignorance of a poor person, and by that means cheats the poor person using legal means; wouldn’t giving the poor person a justice advantage be the right thing to do?

 

 

 

VIII. Distancing from Injustice (verse 7)

 

The Israeli must distance himself/herself from a speech of a lie. The Israeli must not slay one who is innocent and one who is righteous. Yehovah will not justify (declare righteous) one who is guilty!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a speech of a lie?

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt distance from a speech of a lie” mean?

 

3.    What is an innocent one?

 

4.    What is a righteous one?

 

5.    Was Yeshua righteous?

 

6.    Did the Israelis have to slay Yeshua?

 

7.    Why must the Israelis refrain from slaying an innocent one and a righteous one?

 

8.    What does justify mean?

 

9.    What does culpable mean?

 

10. Yehovah stated, “I will not justify a culpable one.” If this is true, how can a person who is guilty before Yehovah ever become righteous?

 

 

 

IX. The Bribe (verse 8)

 

An Israeli must not receive a bribe. A bribe blinds folks who normally see very well so that they won’t see well. A bride has subverted (turned into the opposite) speeches of righteous ones (so that the speeches are those of guilty ones).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a bribe?

 

2.    What is wrong with receiving a bribe?

 

3.    Is offering a bribe wrong?

 

4.    What does perspicuous mean?

 

5.    What occurs if a perspicuous one receives a bribe?

 

6.    What does subvert mean?

 

7.    Explain “the bribe has subverted speeches of righteous-[ones]”:

 

 

 

X. Oppressing a Sojourner (verse 9)

 

An Israeli must not oppress a sojourner. The Israelis knew the being (body, soul and spirit) of the sojourner! They were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does oppress mean?

 

2.    Why would a person desire to oppress a sojourner?

 

3.    What does “ye knew the being of the sojourner” mean?

 

4.    Why were the Israelis sojourners in the land of Egypt?

 

 

 

XI. Releasing the Land and Vineyard (verses 10-11)

 

An Israeli will sow his/her land six years. He/She will gather what the land brings. The seventh year, the Israeli must release the land, and the Israeli must abandon the land. The poor of the Israeli’s people will eat, and a living one of the field will eat their excess (their leftovers). It is established also that the Israeli must do the same to his/her vineyard and to his/her olive.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who must sow the land six years?

 

2.    What does “And thou shalt gather her bringing” mean?

 

3.    What does “thou shalt release her and thou shalt abandon her” mean?

 

4.    If plants that produce food grow on their own in the seventh year, what can be done with that crop?

 

5.    What does “a living-[one] of the field shall eat their excess” mean?

 

6.    Suppose that a person has many grape vines or has an olive orchard; should the person gather from those?

 

7.    What is the holder of the land supposed to eat if he/she cannot eat from anything growing on his/her own land?

 

8.    Why did Yehovah command this seventh year release and abandonment?

 

 

 

XII. Ceasing for Others (verse 12)

 

Each Israeli must do his/her doings six of the days (of a week). Each must cease from his/her doings in order that his/her ox and ass can rest. Even the son of his/her slavewoman has been ‘re-beinged,’ and the sojourner, from this ceasing.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    The text states, “Thou shalt do thy doings six of days.” What are these doings?

 

2.    Must the Israelis work six days?

 

3.    What must occur on “day the seventh”?

 

4.    Why would an ox need to rest? Won’t it still eat grass in the field?

 

5.    Why does the text mention the son of the slavewoman instead of the slavewoman herself? Doesn’t she get to cease from working on this day?

 

6.    What does re-beinged mean?

 

7.    Why is the sojourner also mentioned?

 

 

 

XIII. Guarding and Not Naming (verse 13)

 

The Israelis must guard (and will guard) all that Yehovah said unto them. They must not remind of the name of other gods! He shall not hear that name upon an Israeli’s mouth!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah command at this point, “And ye shall guard via all that I said unto you”?

 

2.    What does “And ye shall not remind-of the name of other gods” mean?

 

3.    Aren’t the names of other gods mentioned in the Bible? Isn’t the Bible designed and meant to be read out loud (besides reading it in private?)?

 

4.    What does “He shall not hear upon thy mouth” indicate?

 

 

 

XIV. Three Feet: Matzahs, Harvest, Gathering (verses 14-17)

 

Each Israeli must guard the solemnity of the Matzahs seven of the days. He/She will eat Matzahs just as she commanded each Israeli for an appointment, the month of the spring. This is because each Israeli exited from Egypt in the month of the spring.

 

The Israelis will not see Yehovah’s faces along with their emptiness!

 

They must also guard the solemnity of the harvest: the firstborn ones, the doing of each: what each will sow in a field.

 

They must also guard the solemnity of the gathering by means of the exiting of the year, by means of each person’s gathering from the field what he/she is doing.

 

Mighty One, Who is the Faces of Lord Yehovah, will see each—the male of every Israeli—three strokes (times) in the year.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What are feet in, “Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year”?

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt solemnize three feet to me in a year” mean?

 

3.    What is Matzah?

 

4.    How can one guard the solemnity of the Matzahs?

 

5.    Who is she in, “just as she commanded thee…”?

 

6.    What is this appointment?

 

7.    What does matzah, in general, typify?

 

8.    What event will mark the time of the appointment being fulfilled?

 

9.    Yehovah now inserts a threat. What is the threat, and why does He threaten using this?

 

10. Explain the solemnity of the harvest:

 

11. Explain the solemnity of the gathering:

 

12. What are strokes?

 

13. Who is this Mighty One?

 

14. How often will this Mighty One see every male of Israel?

 

15. Why will He only see the males? Aren’t the females important to Him, and won’t they be heroic?

 

 

 

XV. No Sacrificial Vinegar or Lodging Fat (verse 18)

 

No Israeli is permitted to sacrifice the blood of Yehovah’s sacrifice upon vinegar.

 

The fat of Yehovah’s solemnity shall not lodge (spend the night) unto morning!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does vinegar picture (when it pictures anything in the Bible)?

 

2.    What does blood typify?

 

3.    What is wrong with sacrificing blood upon vinegar?

 

4.    Why did Yehovah refer to the sacrifice as “my sacrifice”?

 

5.    What is the fat of Yehovah’s solemnity?

 

6.    What is wrong with permitting the fat to lodge (to stay overnight) unto morning?

 

 

 

XVI. Firstborn of Soil (verse 19)

 

The Israeli must bring the beginning of all firstborn ones of his/her soil, the House of Yehovah, His/Her Gods!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is the “beginning of firstborn-[ones] of the soil”?

 

2.    The text doesn’t say, to the House of Yehovah thy Gods.” Is this an error, or is it intentional?

 

3.    Who is thou in, “Thou shalt bring…”?

 

4.    What does “Thou shalt bring beginning of firstborn-[ones] of thy soil House of Yehovah thy Gods” typify?

 

 

 

XVII. No Kid-Boiling (verse 19)

 

An Israeli must never boil a goat kid in the fat of his mother!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why would anyone want to boil a goat kid (baby or young goat) in the fat of his own mother?

 

2.    Orthodox Jews believe that this command means that no meat should ever be cooked with dairy, and that no meat should ever be eaten with dairy. They even believe that this command disallows eating meat on a dairy dish with dairy utensils (that is, with silverware that has been dedicated to use only with dairy products), etc. Is this what this command is saying?

 

 

 

XVIII. The Messenger (verses 20-23)

 

Yehovah next announces that He is sending a messenger to the faces of Israel to guard Israel in the way and to bring Israel unto a place that Yehovah prepared.

 

Israel must be guarded from his faces! Israel must hearken to his voices! Israel must refrain from embittering by means of him! The reason: this messenger will not carry to the transgression of the Israelis! Yehovah’s Name is by means of his approach!

 

Now, if Israel will truly hearken by means of his voice, and if Israel will do all that Yehovah will speak, Yehovah will ‘enemy’ Israel’s enemies, and He will ‘tribulate’ Israel’s tribulators! For, Yehovah’s messenger will walk to Israel’s faces. He is the One who will bring Israel unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevhoosi.

 

Yehovah will conceal this messenger!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a messenger?

 

2.    What will this messenger do?

 

3.    What does “to thy faces” mean?

 

4.    Will Israel be able to see this messenger?

 

5.    Where is this place that Yehovah has prepared?

 

6.    Is this place already prepared at this very time (in 2011)?

 

7.    Who is thou in, “Be thou guarded from his faces”?

 

8.    Why must Israel be guarded from his faces?

 

9.    The next statement is, “And hearken via his voice.” What does this command mean?

 

10. What does “Do not embitter thou via him” mean?

 

11. What does “he will not carry to your transgression” mean?

 

12. Yehovah then stated, “For my Name is via his approach!” What does this mean?

 

13. Yehovah makes this statement: “For if, hearkening, thou shalt hearken via his voice, and thou shalt do all that I will speak…” Yehovah combined hearkening via his voice with “do all that I will speak.” What does this show?

 

14. What will be the results of hearkening to this messenger, according to verse 22?

 

15. Why doesn’t Yehovah just turn these enemies and tribulators of Israel into friends?

 

16. Why does Yehovah again state that His messenger will walk to Israel’s faces?

 

17. Verse 23 states, “And he [the messenger] will bring thee unto the Emori and the Khiti and the Preezi and the Canaani, the Khivi and the Yevoosi.” The text didn’t say, “unto the land of,” but instead mentioned six races. Is this event the historical event in Joshua’s day, or is this referring to another event in a future day?

 

18. At the end of verse 23 is the statement, “And I will obscure him!” Who is him, and what will occur that is described by obscuring him?

 

19. Why does Yehovah desire to obscure him?

 

 

 

XIX. Dealing with Other Gods (verse 24)

 

Israel must not prostrate to the gods of the races mentioned above. Israel must not serve them. Israel must not make as they make. Instead, smashing, Israel must smash those gods! And shattering, Israel must shatter their pillars!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does prostrate mean?

 

2.    Why would anyone prostrate himself/herself to false gods?

 

3.    Why would Yehovah have to command Israel to refrain from prostrating to the gods of the Emori, Khiti, Preezi, Canaani, Khivi and the Yevoosi, and who are these folks?

 

 

 

XX. Results of Serving Yehovah (verses 25-33)

 

The Israelis shall serve Yehovah their Gods. Yehovah will bless Israel’s bread and Israel’s waters. Yehovah will fend off sickness in advance from Israel’s approach.

 

There won’t be a bereaved woman in the Land of Israel, and there won’t be a barren woman in that Land.

 

Yehovah will fill a scrolling of Israel’s days.

 

He will ‘buzz’ every people that Israel will come by means of them. Yehovah will give all Israel’s enemies unto Israel: the neck!

 

Yehovah will send the hornet to Israel’s faces. She, the hornet, will expel the Khivi, the Canaani and the Khiti from Israel’s faces. Now, Yehovah won’t expel one of these races from Israel’s faces in one year; that would cause the land to become desolate, and every living creature of the field would multiply upon Israel. Instead, Yehovah will expel him a little at a time, a little at a time from Israel’s faces until Israel will be fruitful.

 

Israel will inherit the land.

 

Yehovah will set Israel’s border from Ending Sea (‘Red Sea’) unto Palestinian Sea (the Mediterranean), and from the desert unto the river. Yehovah will give inhabitants of the land into Israel’s hand. And the Israelis will expel ‘him’ from Israel’s faces.

 

Israel must not cut a covenant to them and to their gods. And they must not dwell in Israel’s land lest they will cause Israel to sin to Yehovah! Instead, Israel shall serve Israel’s Gods! For ‘he’ will become to a snare to Israel!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    When will the Israelis serve Yehovah their Gods?

 

2.    What must the Israelis do to be serving Yehovah their Gods?

 

3.    What does bless mean?

 

4.    What will occur if Yehovah blesses bread and waters?

 

5.    What does forefend mean?

 

6.    What does “I will forefend sickness from thy approach” mean?

 

7.    What is a bereaved woman?

 

8.    Why won’t a bereaved woman be in the Land of Israel?

 

9.    What is a barren woman?

 

10. Why won’t there be a barren woman in the Land of Israel?

 

11. What does “I will fill a scrolling of thy days” mean?

 

12. What will occur if Yehovah will send His terror to Israel’s faces? Will He terrorize Israel?

 

13. What occurs if Yehovah hums (buzzes) every people to which Israel will come?

 

14. What does “And I will give all thine enemies unto thee: neck” mean?

 

15. Yehovah next states, “I will send the hornet to thy faces.” What is this hornet?

 

16. What will be the effect of sending the hornet?

 

17. Yehovah next states, “I will not expel him from thy faces in one year…” Why will Yehovah not do it in a year? Will He take two years to do this?

 

18. Where will the inhabitants of the land go as their homes and their lands are taken from them?

 

19. Doesn’t Yehovah love the little children of the world, including the children of the Canaanites?

 

20. If Yehovah is just expelling the Hivite, won’t he live and move to another location?

 

21. Yehovah stated that He will expel him (the inhabitant of the land) a little, a little “until that thou wilt be fruitful.” What does that last part mean, and why will He stop doing what He is doing when they are fruitful?

 

22. Who will inherit the land, and what land is this?

 

24. What is the Palestinian Sea?

 

25. What desert is mentioned in verse 31?

 

26. What is the river mentioned in verse 31?

 

27. If Yehovah gives the inhabitants of the land into the hand of the Israelis, who does the expelling?

 

28. Explain the wording, cut a covenant:

 

29. What is wrong with cutting a covenant to the inhabitants of the land of Canaan?

 

30. What is wrong with cutting a covenant to the gods of Canaanites, etc.?

 

31. What is wrong with permitting these other races to stay where they are, while the Israelis move in?

 

32. Can one person really cause another person to sin?

 

33. Who is he in, “For he will be to a snare to thee,” and what is a snare?

 

 

 

Exodus 22 Thieves, Property Destruction and Loss, the Occult

Thieves, Property Destruction and Loss, the Occult

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 22

 

Exodus 22:1 If he will find the thief in shoveling, and he struck him and he died, there are not bloods to him. 2If the sun rose upon him, bloods are to him! Making peace, he shall-make-peace! If there isn’t to him, and he shall be sold via his theft. 3If, being-found, thou wilt find the theft in his hand, from ox unto ass unto lamb of lives, he will make-peace twice.

 

4When a man will burn a field or a vineyard, and he will send her burner, and he will burn in another field, he will make-peace: he will make-good his field and he will make-good his vineyard! 5When a fire will exit, and her exit is thorns, and a stack or the arising or the field will be eaten, making-peace, he will make-peace—the kindler with the kindled!

 

6When a man will give silver or utensils unto his neighbour to guard, and he will be stolen from the house of the man, if the thief will be found, he shall make peace twice! 7If he will not find the thief [or, “If the thief will not be found”], and the husband of the house will approach unto the Elohim if he did not send his hand via the errand of his neighbour!

 

8Concerning every speech of transgression, concerning ox, concerning ass, concerning lamb, concerning form-fitting-garment, concerning every perishing that he will say that “He is this,” the speech of both of them will come unto the Elohim. Whoever Elohim will ‘culpabilize,’ he shall make-peace twice to his neighbour.

 

9When a man will give unto his neighbour an ass or ox or lamb and any beast to guard, and he will die or he will be broken or he will be captured, there is no seer, 10a vow of Yehovah shall be between both of them if he did not send his hand into an errand of his neighbour. And his husbands shall take [sing.]. And he will not make-peace. 11And if, stealing, he will steal from with him, he will make-peace to his husbands. 12And if, tearing, he shall be torn, he will bring him unto the torn-[one]. He will not make-peace.

 

13And when a man will ask from with his neighbour, and he will be broken or dead, his husbands are not with him, making-peace, he shall make-peace. 14If his husbands are with him, he shall not make-peace. If a hire, he came via his hire.

 

15And when a man will ‘sucker’ a ripe-[woman] who is not betrothed, and he will lie with her, endowing, he will endow her to him to a woman! 16If, refusing, her father will refuse to give her to him, he will weigh silver as a dowry of the ripe-[women].

 

17A witch shall not live.

 

18Every bedder with a beast—dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die.

 

19A sacrificer to elohim shall-be-kherem [devoted to destruction]—except not to Yehovah, Him alone.

 

20And thou shalt not cheat a sojourner. And thou shalt not oppress him! For ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

21Ye shall not humiliate any widow and orphan. 22If, humiliating, thou wilt humiliate him, but-rather, screaming, he will scream unto me! Hearkening, I will hearken-to his scream! 23And my nose will heat! And I will kill you via sword! And your women will be widows and your children orphans!

 

24If thou wilt bring-near silver with my people, with the humble-[one] with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor! Ye shall not put upon him a bite! 25If, binding, thou wilt bind a fitted-garment of thy neighbour, unto the coming [setting] of the sun thou shalt return him to him. 26For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone. He is his garment to his skin. Via what will he bed? And he shall be, when he shall scream unto me, and I will hearken! For I am favorable!

 

27Thou shalt not lightly-esteem Elohim.

 

And thou shalt not curse the carrier in thy people!

 

28Thou shalt not delay thy fullness and thy weeping. Thou shalt give to me a firstborn of thy children. 29Established, thou shalt do to thine ox, to thy flock. Seven of days he will be with his mother. In the day the eighth thou shalt give him to me!

 

30And ye shall be mortals of Holy-[One] to me.

 

And ye shall not eat flesh of a torn-[one] in a field. Ye shall sling him to a dog!

 

 

 

I. A Shoveling Thief (verses 1-3)

 

If an owner or a responsible person finds a thief in the process of shoveling to dig into a location to steal valuables, and if that person struck the thief so that the thief died, the person who struck the thief is not guilty of bloods—that is, of murder.

 

Now, if the sun rose upon the thief, and the person struck the thief so that he died, bloods are to him—that is, he is guilty of murder or manslaughter!

 

If the thief is caught, the thief must make peace! If he has nothing valuable with which to make peace, he will be sold by virtue of his theft.

 

If an animal such as an ox, ass or lamb is found in his hand (that is, in his possession), he must make peace twice—twice the amount he stole.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who finds this thief, and what are the circumstances under which he finds him?

 

2.     Suppose that the thief isn’t shoveling, but instead is cutting wire or is breaking in by some other means; does that mean that this command cannot be applied?

 

3.     What does “there are no bloods to him” mean?

 

4.     Must the person try to kill the thief if it is very dark?

 

5.     What does “If the sun rose upon him, bloods are to him” mean, and why is this?

 

6.     The text states, “Making peace, he shall make peace!” Who must make peace, and how must he make peace?

 

7.     The next statement is, “If there isn’t to him, and he shall be sold via his theft.” What does “If there isn’t to him” mean, and what must occur if this is the case?

 

8.     What does “thou wilt find the theft in his hand” mean?

 

9.     What kinds of stolen items are mentioned in this text?

 

10.  If he makes peace twice, does this mean that the animal that he stole is one of the two animals that he must give to the owner?

 

11.  If the animal that the thief stole is very valuable, how will this small ‘fine’ stop him from trying this again?

 

 

 

II. Burning a Field (verses 4-5)

 

When a man will burn a field or a vineyard (see questions to learn why), and he is the one who sent the field’s burner—that is, he started the fire, and the fire will burn in another field not belonging to the person, the fire starter must make peace. He must make-good the field he burned and/or the vineyard he burned.

 

When a fire will exit—that is, go out of bounds, and the exit is because of thorns, and a stack of hay or the arising (that which is growing) or a field will be eaten by the fire, the one who started the fire must make peace. The kindler of the fire must make good on what was kindled!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would anyone desire to burn his own field or vineyard?

 

2.     What does “and he will send her burner” mean?

 

3.     The next part states, “and he will burn in another field.” Was this intentional?

 

4.     Why does he have to make peace if the land owner next door was also going to burn his own field?

 

5.     What if the fire was just accidental—that is, the man who started it took every precaution so that it wouldn’t go into another man’s field, but the winds picked up at the last moments, and took the fire into the next field?

 

6.     Suppose that a man burns ten other fields, and he cannot pay for them; what will occur?

 

7.     What does “When a fire will exit, and her exit is thorns” mean?

 

8.     What is a stack?

 

9.     What is an arising?

 

10.  If a stack, an arising or a field is eaten, what has happened?

 

11.  Suppose that the one who starts the fire burns up another man’s field, and the one who starts the fire has a crop of the same value as the crop of his neighbour that he accidentally burned. What is the justice, according to the Torah?

 

 

 

III. Safeguarding Valuables (verses 6-7)

 

When a man will give silver or utensils unto his neighbour to guard, and what he entrusted to his neighbour is stolen from the house of the man safeguarding it, if the thief will be found, the thief must make peace by giving twice the value.

 

If the one who was entrusted to keep the goods isn’t found, the husband of the house (the man entrusted to guard the goods) will approach unto the Elohim. He must affirm that he did not send his hand (participate in the theft), taking advantage of the errand of his neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who will make peace twice?

 

2.     Some religions and cultures cut off hands for theft. Why is the Torah so lenient, and why are those cultures so harsh? Which is better?

 

3.     Who is this husband of the house?

 

4.     Suppose that the thief isn’t found. The text states that the husband of the house must approach unto the Elohim. Where will he go to do that, and who are the Elohim?

 

5.     What is the man’s purpose for approaching unto the Elohim?

 

 

 

IV. Speeches of Transgression (verse 8)

 

In every case where a transgression has occurred, folks will testify. Every speech that is part of that testimony must come unto the Elohim (the Gods) whether the testimony refers to a transgression involving an ox, ass, lamb, a form-fitting garment, or anything living of value that dies (perishes). Elohim will indicate the guilty person; that person must make peace twice to his neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a speech of transgression?

 

2.     What is a form-fitting garment, and why is that listed?

 

3.     What does “concerning every perishing” mean?

 

4.     What does “He is this” mean?

 

5.     How can their speeches come unto the Elohim?

 

6.     What does “Whoever Elohim will ‘culpabilize’” mean?

 

7.     How will Elohim point out who is culpable?

 

8.     Will the decisions made always be according to justice if these procedures are followed?

 

 

 

V. Responsibility When Guarding Animals (verses 9-12)

 

When a man will give to his neighbour an ass, ox, lamb, or any beast to guard, if the animal will die or will be broken or captured by someone else, if there is no seer—that is, no witness to what occurred, both the guard must vow to the owner that he didn’t send his hand into an errand of his neighbour—that he didn’t participate in the harm, destruction or loss.

 

The husbands (the owner) will take the dead or harmed animal (if it is still there), and he will take the vow. The guard will not make peace; he pays nothing.

 

If on investigation it is found that the guard had stolen from his neighbour, he will make peace with the owner.

 

If the animal is found torn, the guard will bring the animal to the owner; the guard will not make peace; he will pay nothing.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why must they both vow to each other?

 

2.     Why wouldn’t a person who was taking care of his neighbour’s animals just be up front with what took place if one of the animals died or was harmed?

 

3.     Again, why is husbands (plural) used instead of husband when the text assumes just one by having a singular verb?

 

4.     Why does Yehovah hold no guilt for the person who was guarding his neighbour’s animals, during which time the animals were harmed or died?

 

5.     Verse 10 states, “and his husbands shall take.” What shall they take?

 

6.     Won’t this leave bad feelings between the neighbours?

 

7.     If he doesn’t make peace, does that mean that the neighbours will remain in a state of anger (like war) with each other?

 

8.     Explain the circumstance behind “And if, stealing, he will steal from with him”:

 

9.     The next statement reads, “And if, tearing, he shall be torn, he will bring him unto the torn-[one].” Explain this circumstance; what is occurring?

 

 

 

VI. Borrower’s Responsibility (verses 13-14)

 

When a man will ask to use something from his neighbour, and what he is using from his neighbour becomes broken or dead while he is using it, if the husbands (the owner or the responsible party over the item, not referring to the borrower) are not present when this occurs, the man who asked to use the item or animal must make peace.

 

If the husbands (the owner or the person who is normally responsible for the animal or item) is with the one who desires to use it, no peace will be made.

 

If instead of being borrowed the animal or object is hired (that is, rented), and is broken or dead in the process of being used, the price of the hire is all that will be paid; that was the risk in hiring the animal or object out.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is the man asking from his neighbour?

 

2.     How did the animal become broken or dead?

 

3.     What does “his husbands are not with him” mean?

 

4.     Why doesn’t the borrower have to make peace if the husbands are with the animal?

 

5.     Suppose that the owner is walking away from the loaned animal, and goes behind a barn. Suppose that the animal drops dead at that moment; must the borrower make peace?

 

6.     Explain “If a hire, he came via his hire”:

 

 

 

VII. Suckering a Ripe Woman to Have Sex (verses 15-16)

 

When a man will ‘sucker’ (fool) a ripe woman (that is, she is old enough to get pregnant without danger), and the woman isn’t betrothed, and the man will lie with her (have sexual intercourse with her), the man must endow her to himself as his woman (his wife).

 

Now, if the woman’s father refuses to give her to him when he offers the dowry (the payment that is a bride price), the man who ‘suckered’ the woman must weigh out the amount in silver that is a normal dowry for ripe women, and must give that amount to the woman’s father; he gets nothing else from this deal.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a ripe woman?

 

2.     If he suckers her, what is he doing in this text?

 

3.     What is betrothed?

 

4.     What does “he will lie with her” mean?

 

5.     What does endow mean?

 

6.     What does “he will endow her to him to a woman” mean?

 

7.     What occurs if she was already betrothed or if he was betrothed when he did this to a woman to whom he isn’t betrothed?

 

8.     What did he do to ‘sucker’ her—that is, to fool her into having sex?

 

9.     Suppose that the woman ‘suckers’ the man into sexual intercourse; what would be the ruling on this?

 

10.  Why would her father refuse to give her to him?

 

11.  Must he pay in silver?

 

12.  What is a dowry?

 

13.  What is the dowry of the ripe women?

 

14.  What will occur if the man and his family cannot afford the dowry?

 

15. Suppose that the father of the woman determines that this man will have his daughter has a wife, but the daughter doesn’t desire to have this man as her husband; what does the Torah teach regarding this?

 

16.  Suppose that the woman becomes pregnant from this ‘suckering,’ and suppose that the father refused to give his daughter to him; who is responsible to rear the child?

 

17.  Suppose that the woman’s father is dead, and she is living with her mother; does her mother’s say in these matters work the same as the father’s say?

 

 

 

VIII. Dead Witch (verse 17)

 

Under no circumstance is a witch to be permitted to stay alive in Israel.

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a witch?

 

2.     What is the male version of a witch?

 

3.     If an Israeli becomes a warlock, must he also die?

 

4.     Why is Yehovah so against witches?

 

5.     Are all witches ugly hags?

 

6.     Should we kill witches today?

 

 

 

IX. Lethal Bestiality (verse 18)

 

Every person in Israel who has sex with an animal must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a bedder with a beast?

 

2.     Why must such a person be put to death?

 

3.     Should we put such persons to death today?

 

 

 

X. Devoted Idolater (verse 19)

 

Anyone who sacrifices to gods (not referring to Yehovah) will be devoted to destruction as the property of the false gods. That person will be put to death and will not be permitted to live.

 

Sacrificing to Yehovah, and to Him alone, is permissible.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does kherem—that is, devoted to destruction mean?

 

2.     The text states, “A sacrificer to elohim shall be kherem.” Why would a person who sacrifices to elohim be killed?

 

3.     Suppose that a sojourner from some other race comes to stay a while in Israel, and is normally a sacrificer to other gods besides Yehovah; must the Israelis kill that person?

 

4.     To whom are the Israelis permitted to do sacrifices?

 

 

 

XI. Cheating and Oppressing a Sojourner (verse 20)

 

Yehovah commanded Israel to not cheat a sojourner. Israel also must not oppress a sojourner. The reason is given: the Israelis were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would an Israeli desire to cheat a sojourner?

 

2.     What does oppress mean?

 

3.     What is wrong with oppressing a sojourner?

 

4.     The Israelis were sojourners how long in the land of Egypt?

 

5.     What famous command fits this text?

 

 

 

XII. Humiliating a Widow and an Orphan (verses 21-23)

 

The Israelis must not humiliate any widow, and they must not humiliate any orphan. If Israel humiliates him, screaming, he will scream unto Yehovah, and Yehovah will hearken to his scream! Yehovah’s nose will then heat, and He will kill the Israelis via sword! The women of the Israelis will become widows, and the children of the Israelis will become orphans!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is the difference between being humble and being humiliated?

 

2.     Why would Israelis humiliate a widow?

 

3.     Why would Israelis humiliate an orphan?

 

4.     Who is him in, “thou wilt humiliate him”?

 

5.     What will this widow or orphan do if she/he is humiliated?

 

6.     How will Yehovah respond to this scream?

 

7.     Why will Yehovah react so strongly, that He will kill many for the sake of a few mistreated individuals? Is this justice?

 

8.     Is making Israeli women widows when those women did nothing wrong, and making Israeli children orphans when those children did nothing wrong, truly justice?

 

 

 

XIII. Lending to the Poor (verses 24-26)

 

‘Bringing silver near’ to a humble one of Yehovah’s people (the People of Israel) is akin to lending. It is making silver available. The Israelis must not be to this humble one as a creditor—that is, as one who is lending, and who therefore pressures this person to pay the amount owed. The text continues to command that the Israelis must not put ‘a bite’ upon him; that bite will include charging interest.

 

Israel is permitted to take collateral—that is, to take something of value in the process of lending. Taking this collateral item is called binding. If the form of the binding is a fitted garment, it must be returned to the humble one ‘unto the coming of the sun’—that is, by sunset. The reason is given: this garment is the humble person’s being’s blanket covering; it belongs only to the person’s being. It is the person’s garment to the person’s skin. Yehovah asks, “Via what will he bed?”—that is, in what will he sleep? If Israel does take this humble person’s fitted garment, and doesn’t return it at sunset, this person will scream unto Yehovah, and Yehovah will hearken! Why? Yehovah favours!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does bring silver near mean in this text?

 

2.     Why does the text specify, “If thou wilt bring-near silver with my people”?

 

3.     The text states, “with the humble one with thee.” What does being humble have to do with a text on lending?

 

4.     What does “thou shalt not be to him as a creditor” mean?

 

5.     What is a bite in, “Ye shall not put upon him a bite”?

 

6.     Verse 24 started out with thou and thee—both being singular. It then switched to ye, which is plural. Why did Yehovah change it from singular to plural?

 

7.     What is this binding mentioned in verse 25?

 

8.     Verse 25 continues, “unto the coming [setting] of the sun thou shalt return him to him.” What does this mean?

 

9.     Who is her in, “For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone”?

 

10.  What does “For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone” mean?

 

11.  Explain, “He is his garment to his skin”:

 

12.  Who is asking the question, “Via what will he bed?”

 

13.  Why would a person scream unto Yehovah if his or her fitted garment were being held by the lender?

 

14.  What will Yehovah do when He hearkens?

 

15.  Yehovah said these things to the Israelis about their treatment of other Israelis. Suppose that an Israeli lends to a sojourner who has become poor, and holds a fitted garment overnight from the sojourner; suppose the sojourner screams unto Yehovah the Gods of Israel. Will Yehovah hearken, or will He ignore the shouts of the sojourner?

 

16.  Some folks in some other cultures greatly mistreat sojourners. What does Yehovah do in other cultures and races regarding sojourners?

 

 

 

XIV. Lightly Esteeming Elohim (verse 27)

 

Israel must not lightly esteem (that is, consider of little value) Elohim.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does lightly esteem mean?

 

2.     How does a person behave who lightly esteems Elohim?

 

3.     Since the word Elohim is the same word used in verse 19, and since the Hebrew language doesn’t have capitalization (which means that a reader in Hebrew won’t see any difference), how can the reader tell that this refers to the Gods of Israel instead of the false gods of the races?

 

 

 

XV. Cursing the Carrier (verse 27)

 

The carrier is the leader. If Israel curses the carrier in Israel’s people, Yehovah will react!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a carrier?

 

2.     Are there many carriers in this world (besides in Israel)?

 

3.     Who chooses the leaders in all cultures, races, lands, etc.? Since some come to power by violence, some by being elected, some by power, some by birth, and some by other means, who truly chooses the leaders?

 

4.     What is wrong with cursing the carrier in the people of Israel if the cursing is done in private where no one hears and where no harm is done?

 

 

 

XVI. Giving Firstborn (verses 28-29)

 

Israel must not delay Israel’s fullness (Israel’s harvest) and Israel’s weeping (also referring to the dripping of juices that are produced by squeezing fruit, but consider the type!).

 

Israel must give a firstborn of Israel’s children to Yehovah. Israel must do the same thing to Israel’s ox, to Israel’s flock. The firstborn will be with his mother seven days. Israel must give him to Yehovah in the eighth day.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is this fullness?

 

2.     What does delaying the fullness involve?

 

3.     What is thy weeping?

 

4.     What do the fullness and the weeping typify?

 

5.     The next statement, “Thou shalt give to me a firstborn of thy children,” uses a firstborn instead of the firstborn. Why is it worded this way, and how can the ‘thou’ do this?

 

6.     Why must Israel also give a firstborn of an ox and of a flock?

 

7.     Why must an ox or a goat or a sheep firstborn be with its mother seven days before being given to Yehovah?

 

 

 

XVII. Owned (verse 30)

 

The Israelis shall be mortals (that is, alive in their bodies that can die—not referring to being in their bodies that cannot die) of the Holy One of Israel, belonging to Yehovah.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “And ye shall be mortals of Holy-[One] to me” mean?

 

 

 

XVIII. Eating Torn Animals (verse 30)

 

If the Israelis find a torn animal in a field, they must not eat that animal. They must sling that animal to a dog!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a torn one?

 

2.     What is wrong with eating the flesh of a torn animal in the field?

 

3.     What does eating flesh of a torn one typify?

 

4.     What does “in a field” tell the reader?

 

5.     Why must the Israelis sling this torn carcass specifically to a dog?

 

 

 

Exodus 22 Thieves, Property Destruction and Loss, the Occult QA

Thieves, Property Destruction and Loss, the Occult

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 22

 

Exodus 22:1 If he will find the thief in shoveling, and he struck him and he died, there are not bloods to him. 2If the sun rose upon him, bloods are to him! Making peace, he shall-make-peace! If there isn’t to him, and he shall be sold via his theft. 3If, being-found, thou wilt find the theft in his hand, from ox unto ass unto lamb of lives, he will make-peace twice.

 

4When a man will burn a field or a vineyard, and he will send her burner, and he will burn in another field, he will make-peace: he will make-good his field and he will make-good his vineyard! 5When a fire will exit, and her exit is thorns, and a stack or the arising or the field will be eaten, making-peace, he will make-peace—the kindler with the kindled!

 

6When a man will give silver or utensils unto his neighbour to guard, and he will be stolen from the house of the man, if the thief will be found, he shall make peace twice! 7If he will not find the thief [or, “If the thief will not be found”], and the husband of the house will approach unto the Elohim if he did not send his hand via the errand of his neighbour!

 

8Concerning every speech of transgression, concerning ox, concerning ass, concerning lamb, concerning form-fitting-garment, concerning every perishing that he will say that “He is this,” the speech of both of them will come unto the Elohim. Whoever Elohim will ‘culpabilize,’ he shall make-peace twice to his neighbour.

 

9When a man will give unto his neighbour an ass or ox or lamb and any beast to guard, and he will die or he will be broken or he will be captured, there is no seer, 10a vow of Yehovah shall be between both of them if he did not send his hand into an errand of his neighbour. And his husbands shall take [sing.]. And he will not make-peace. 11And if, stealing, he will steal from with him, he will make-peace to his husbands. 12And if, tearing, he shall be torn, he will bring him unto the torn-[one]. He will not make-peace.

 

13And when a man will ask from with his neighbour, and he will be broken or dead, his husbands are not with him, making-peace, he shall make-peace. 14If his husbands are with him, he shall not make-peace. If a hire, he came via his hire.

 

15And when a man will ‘sucker’ a ripe-[woman] who is not betrothed, and he will lie with her, endowing, he will endow her to him to a woman! 16If, refusing, her father will refuse to give her to him, he will weigh silver as a dowry of the ripe-[women].

 

17A witch shall not live.

 

18Every bedder with a beast—dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die.

 

19A sacrificer to elohim shall-be-kherem [devoted to destruction]—except not to Yehovah, Him alone.

 

20And thou shalt not cheat a sojourner. And thou shalt not oppress him! For ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

21Ye shall not humiliate any widow and orphan. 22If, humiliating, thou wilt humiliate him, but-rather, screaming, he will scream unto me! Hearkening, I will hearken-to his scream! 23And my nose will heat! And I will kill you via sword! And your women will be widows and your children orphans!

 

24If thou wilt bring-near silver with my people, with the humble-[one] with thee, thou shalt not be to him as a creditor! Ye shall not put upon him a bite! 25If, binding, thou wilt bind a fitted-garment of thy neighbour, unto the coming [setting] of the sun thou shalt return him to him. 26For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone. He is his garment to his skin. Via what will he bed? And he shall be, when he shall scream unto me, and I will hearken! For I am favorable!

 

27Thou shalt not lightly-esteem Elohim.

 

And thou shalt not curse the carrier in thy people!

 

28Thou shalt not delay thy fullness and thy weeping. Thou shalt give to me a firstborn of thy children. 29Established, thou shalt do to thine ox, to thy flock. Seven of days he will be with his mother. In the day the eighth thou shalt give him to me!

 

30And ye shall be mortals of Holy-[One] to me.

 

And ye shall not eat flesh of a torn-[one] in a field. Ye shall sling him to a dog!

 

 

 

I. A Shoveling Thief (verses 1-3)

 

If an owner or a responsible person finds a thief in the process of shoveling to dig into a location to steal valuables, and if that person struck the thief so that the thief died, the person who struck the thief is not guilty of bloods—that is, of murder.

 

Now, if the sun rose upon the thief, and the person struck the thief so that he died, bloods are to him—that is, he is guilty of murder or manslaughter!

 

If the thief is caught, the thief must make peace! If he has nothing valuable with which to make peace, he will be sold by virtue of his theft.

 

If an animal such as an ox, ass or lamb is found in his hand (that is, in his possession), he must make peace twice—twice the amount he stole.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who finds this thief, and what are the circumstances under which he finds him? Either the owner of the property or someone who is acting on behalf of an owner discovers a thief in the process of digging his/her way into the area where valuables are kept or where animals are kept. The scene must be dark! If the person clearly sees the thief because there is enough light, this rule does not fit that case!

 

2.     Suppose that the thief isn’t shoveling, but instead is cutting wire or is breaking in by some other means; does that mean that this command cannot be applied? Yehovah nearly always writes His commands in this format. He gives one or two examples; the reader then can extrapolate (a good word meaning to figure out other examples that also fit the rule even when those examples are different from the rule) to other situations. Thus, if the thief is cutting the wire fence to break in, and it is very dark, and the other person strikes the thief so that he dies, “there are no bloods to him.”

 

3.     What does “there are no bloods to him” mean? That means that he did not commit murder or even manslaughter by killing the thief! Those bloods represent future generations (of the thief, in this case); if there are bloods to anyone, that person has committed murder or manslaughter, stopping all future generations that might have yet been born.

 

4.     Must the person try to kill the thief if it is very dark? There is no command to try to kill the thief. This command protects the person who is trying to stop the thief if it is dark because the thief might have a weapon, and the other person wouldn’t be able to see this!

 

5.     What does “If the sun rose upon him, bloods are to him” mean, and why is this? This means that if the sun is up so that there is enough light (in this case, to see whether or not he has a weapon), killing him will be murder! This is because killing a person without proper reason is either murder or manslaughter, and in this case it would be manslaughter.

 

6.     The text states, “Making peace, he shall make peace!” Who must make peace, and how must he make peace? The thief must make peace! He must pay restitution for his attempt to break in and steal!

 

7.     The next statement is, “If there isn’t to him, and he shall be sold via his theft.” What does “If there isn’t to him” mean, and what must occur if this is the case? “If there isn’t to him” means that he doesn’t have anything of value with which to make restitution (that is to make peace by paying for his crime). If this is the case, he, himself, is the valuable item that must be sold! He becomes a slave!

 

8.     What does “thou wilt find the theft in his hand” mean? This means that the stolen item or items is found on his person: in his hand, in his pocket, among the items on his wagon (if he has one).

 

9.     What kinds of stolen items are mentioned in this text? The stolen items are living animals!

 

10.  If he makes peace twice, does this mean that the animal that he stole is one of the two animals that he must give to the owner? No! He must return the original animal(s), and he must give two more of the same kind of animal(s)!

 

11.  If the animal that the thief stole is very valuable, how will this small ‘fine’ stop him from trying this again? The judges in the gates of the cities of Israel can do more to such a man who tries stealing again and again. First, if he cannot pay for the theft, he becomes a slave, and will serve for six years. The judges can order him beaten if he keeps trying to steal. If he tries to steal while it is dark, he can be killed without anyone doing wrong!

 

 

 

II. Burning a Field (verses 4-5)

 

When a man will burn a field or a vineyard (see questions to learn why), and he is the one who sent the field’s burner—that is, he started the fire, and the fire will burn in another field not belonging to the person, the fire starter must make peace. He must make-good the field he burned and/or the vineyard he burned.

 

When a fire will exit—that is, go out of bounds, and the exit is because of thorns, and a stack of hay or the arising (that which is growing) or a field will be eaten by the fire, the one who started the fire must make peace. The kindler of the fire must make good on what was kindled!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would anyone desire to burn his own field or vineyard? This is a normal way to diminish pests (like harmful bugs). Israeli farmers still use this technique (or, they did when I was there).

 

2.     What does “and he will send her burner” mean? It means that the man himself sent the flame that will burn his own field.

 

3.     The next part states, “and he will burn in another field.” Was this intentional? No! It wasn’t intentional. He had no intention of his fire going beyond his own lands.

 

4.     Why does he have to make peace if the land owner next door was also going to burn his own field? If the land owner was going to burn his own field, and if the fire stopped at the border of that man’s field, and if nothing was harmed or destroyed, there would be no need of peace. This text doesn’t assume all of this, however. It assumes that the field next door had valuables in it, like a growing crop, or like an ox cart, or like a house, etc. The one who started the fire must make peace regarding the losses he caused.

 

5.     What if the fire was just accidental—that is, the man who started it took every precaution so that it wouldn’t go into another man’s field, but the winds picked up at the last moments, and took the fire into the next field? It doesn’t matter what caused the fire to go beyond the fire starter’s field; working with fire always can potentially do this! Thus, if the person desires to take risks by starting a fire, he will be held responsible for what the fire does!

 

6.     Suppose that a man burns ten other fields, and he cannot pay for them; what will occur? He must make good on each field. If he cannot do this, he will become a slave of each field owner, one after the other (I propose), serving each for six years, along with his family members. (All family members living on that property are owned by the land, and are therefore ‘saleable’—meaning that they can be sold as valuables to the land. Again, I am claiming that the land owns the persons on it; I Iearned thisfrom the book of Ruth. When Naomi’s land was redeemed, Ruth was redeemed with the land.)

 

7.     What does “When a fire will exit, and her exit is thorns” mean? This refers to a fire going out of control, and following a trail of thorns (usually these plants burn very well and very rapidly, and are not crop plants). Thus, this fire could have been set for any reason, and the fire went out of control by lighting thorn plants.

 

8.     What is a stack? It is plant material or wood that has been carefully placed so that it is tall and doesn’t take much room. Thus, it has been stacked. It can be hay (as in a haystack); it can be wood; it can be anything that the person who stacked it desired to keep.

 

9.     What is an arising? This can refer to a growing crop that has arisen from the soil; this could be a melon hill; it could be anything that is coming up from the ground and is desirable to the person who has that land.

 

10.  If a stack, an arising or a field is eaten, what has happened? The fire has done the eating! In Hebrew, fire eats, which is to say that fire consumes.

 

11.  Suppose that the one who starts the fire burns up another man’s field, and the one who starts the fire has a crop of the same value as the crop of his neighbour that he accidentally burned. What is the justice, according to the Torah? The justice is that the entire crop of the one who started the fire will belong to the neighbour whose crop was burned! Since that might mean that the man who started the fire and his family won’t have food for next year, he and his family might need to become a slave to the man whose crop was burned. (It pays to be very careful.)

 

 

 

III. Safeguarding Valuables (verses 6-7)

 

When a man will give silver or utensils unto his neighbour to guard, and what he entrusted to his neighbour is stolen from the house of the man safeguarding it, if the thief will be found, the thief must make peace by giving twice the value.

 

If the one who was entrusted to keep the goods isn’t found, the husband of the house (the man entrusted to guard the goods) will approach unto the Elohim. He must affirm that he did not send his hand (participate in the theft), taking advantage of the errand of his neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who will make peace twice? The thief will make peace twice! He will return the item, and then he will give items that are worth in total twice the value of the items he stole.

 

2.     Some religions and cultures cut off hands for theft. Why is the Torah so lenient, and why are those cultures so harsh? Which is better? The Torah appears to be lenient; the reason for the theft is never mentioned or considered. Some steal in order to eat. Now, the Torah always commands that the corners of fields must be left to the poor, the sojourner, the widow, the orphan, etc. Also, all gleanings (all food items left over after harvest) must be left to them. Yet, there are times when no food crop is ripe in the fields. Some Israelis would rather steal than become slaves to their neighbours. Thus, the lenience of the sentence isn’t so lenient, but it also isn’t very harsh.

 

          Some steal because they covet what another has; the lenience of the sentence doesn’t take into consideration the loss of trust that the community has for such a thief, and it doesn’t take into consideration what the judges at the gates of the city might do if the thief tries this more than once. (They can beat the man or woman for bringing fear into the community, and they can order the man or woman to be enslaved if he/she cannot pay.)

 

          Now, other religions and cultures that do not stick to what the Torah teaches include some that cut off hands for theft. This harsh sentence is due to several factors:

 

  • Anger over thefts
  • Contempt for human life
  • Contempt for the Gods in whom image the person is made
  • A desire to bring terror to others to stop them from stealing
  • Contempt for the poor (since the wealthy either wouldn’t steal, or could easily bribe their way out of such a sentence)
  • An unwillingness to be responsible for poor neighbours, and a desire to just have them… go away
  • Contempt for the Torah of Yehovah

          Each of these reasons for such a harsh sentence finds fault with Yehovah, the Gods of Israel.

 

          The better sentence is the Torah’s sentence, since it permits a would-be thief to become a true friend of the victim (if both of their characters permit). The thief, say, becomes a slave of the person from whom he attempted to steal. During that time of slavery, the thief might truly gain a love for the slavemaster, and the thief might turn from theft to become a truly productive and gracious member of Israeli society. Now, had his hand instead been cut off, he likely would have become very bitter against the one from whom he was trying to steal, and his ability to function in society would have been greatly reduced. It is better to potentially make a true friend than to take vengeance, and even worse, to take vengeance that is far harsher than what is right in the eyes of the True and Living Gods.

 

3.     Who is this husband of the house? He is the owner of the house where the valuables were being guarded when they were stolen.

 

4.     Suppose that the thief isn’t found. The text states that the husband of the house must approach unto the Elohim. Where will he go to do that, and who are the Elohim? The Elohim are the Gods—that is, the Gods of Avraham, Isaac and Israel. Approaching unto Him, then, will involve coming to the altar of Yehovah that is in front of the Tent of Appointment (a special tent in which all items and all actions explain things to come). This tent is described this way:

 

          Hebrews 9:1 Indeed, the first Tent therefore also had ordinances of service and a worldly sanctuary. 2For a Tent was prepared: the first in which are both the Menorah and the Table and the Matzah of the faces that is called holy. 3And after the second veil is a Tent that is called holy of holies 4having a gold censer, and the ark of the Covenant having been covered round in every part with gold, in which is a gold pot having the manna, and the rod of Aharon that sprouted, and the tables of the Covenant. 5And above it are cherabim of glory overshadowing the lid…

 

          This is where the High Priest (and other priests) function. Yehovah’s faces are from inside that chamber called holy of holies where that box called the Ark is located. Thus, approaching this Tent is approaching unto the Elohim!

 

5.     What is the man’s purpose for approaching unto the Elohim? The text continues, “if he did not send his hand via the errand of his neighbour!” Thus, this man must vow before the Elohim that he didn’t send his own hand by some means to obtain what his neighbour entrusted to him!

 

          The expression, “if he did not send,” indicates the need for this vow. Now, if the man vows that he didn’t, and he actually did, he has not only stolen, but he has lied using a vow! The Elohim will go after him for that violation so that all Israel will fear!

 

 

 

IV. Speeches of Transgression (verse 8)

 

In every case where a transgression has occurred, folks will testify. Every speech that is part of that testimony must come unto the Elohim (the Gods) whether the testimony refers to a transgression involving an ox, ass, lamb, a form-fitting garment, or anything living of value that dies (perishes). Elohim will indicate the guilty person; that person must make peace twice to his neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a speech of transgression? It is what a person says to either accuse another of transgression or to claim one’s own innocence after having been accused of a transgression.

 

2.     What is a form-fitting garment, and why is that listed? It is a garment that is made to perfectly fit a person. Thus, it is a very valuable garment. Making such a garment took so many hours of work, that it would be worth thousands of dollars if one were made that way today. (All thread had to be extracted from wool or from plants, and spun by hand; the thread had to be woven into fabrique by hand; the fabrique had to be dyed by hand; the fabrique then had to be cut by hand; it then had to be sewn to other cut fabrique by hand; it then had to be tailored by hand. Just making the thread for the fabrique would have taken weeks.)

 

3.     What does “concerning every perishing” mean? This refers to an argument over why an animal died, and whose fault it was.

 

4.     What does “He is this” mean? It is a short way to express that one person is claiming that this is the way something occurred. It could be the person accusing the other of negligence or wrongdoing, or it could be the person stating that he is innocent, and the other person is the negligent or wrongdoing party. Both are claiming to know facts: “He is this!”

 

5.     How can their speeches come unto the Elohim? The Elohim, the Gods of Israel, will hear these speeches; He will know which speech is right (if either is right), or what the truth is. Now, those involved in this argument must come unto the Tent of Appointment in order to give their perspectives and claims before the Elohim.

 

6.     What does “Whoever Elohim will ‘culpabilize’” mean? This means whoever Elohim will find guilty. Culpability means guilt or responsibility for whatever took place.

 

7.     How will Elohim point out who is culpable? This is one of the purposes of a priest! He is an intercessor (one who stands between, since inter- means between, and –cessor means to stand) between a god and a human. The priests of Yehovah are intercessors between Yehovah and the Israelis (and others who come to Yehovah’s priests). Thus, a priest or several priests will hear all the sides of an argument, and Elohim will give them exactly the right justices. (Now, if the priests are corrupt, they might decide to ignore the speeches of the Elohim, but Elohim will later go after those wicked priests.)

 

8.     Will the decisions made always be according to justice if these procedures are followed? They will if they are made before the Tent of Appointment, if the priests are not corrupt, and if Elohim is still there with them. (He later departed from Israel because the Israelis refused to do right; He has promised to return to Israel when all the Israelis are ready to do right.)

 

 

 

V. Responsibility When Guarding Animals (verses 9-12)

 

When a man will give to his neighbour an ass, ox, lamb, or any beast to guard, if the animal will die or will be broken or captured by someone else, if there is no seer—that is, no witness to what occurred, both the guard must vow to the owner that he didn’t send his hand into an errand of his neighbour—that he didn’t participate in the harm, destruction or loss.

 

The husbands (the owner) will take the dead or harmed animal (if it is still there), and he will take the vow. The guard will not make peace; he pays nothing.

 

If on investigation it is found that the guard had stolen from his neighbour, he will make peace with the owner.

 

If the animal is found torn, the guard will bring the animal to the owner; the guard will not make peace; he will pay nothing.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why must they both vow to each other? If either one is guilty of the harm or loss, a vow will bring Yehovah into the justice. Now, not just the death or harm of an animal is involved, but also a vow to Yehovah! This raises the seriousness of any crime to a much greater level. Even if one of the two hired someone else to cause the harm or death, the vow will bring Yehovah into the picture, and Yehovah will know and identify the wrongdoer!

 

2.     Why wouldn’t a person who was taking care of his neighbour’s animals just be up front with what took place if one of the animals died or was harmed? He probably would be up front about it if he had nothing to do with it. On the other hand, if the one taking care of his neighbour’s animals hurt one of the animals, say, in a fit of rage over some other issue, he might try to claim that it wasn’t his fault, when it truly was his fault!

 

          Suppose that the neighbour who owned the animals intentionally entrusted them to his neighbour whom he hated, and later came and killed several of them in order to produce trouble for his neighbour. His vow before Yehovah would probably be that he had nothing to do with it, and it was his neighbour’s fault for not watching. Yet, Yehovah will both know the truth and will reveal the truth of what took place.

 

3.     Again, why is husbands (plural) used instead of husband when the text assumes just one by having a singular verb? The person who is the husbands of the animal or animals takes care of them in all ways, is responsible for them in all ways, and can use them in every permissible way.

 

He/She is the husband who

 

  • takes the animals to pasture;
  • helps the animals with birthing if needed;
  • finds help for diseases and wounds;
  • shears the animals if shearing is appropriate;
  • milks the animals (or acquires others who will milk the animals);
  • keeps the animals within the confines of the pasture (so that the animals don’t go into someone else’s field).

4.     Why does Yehovah hold no guilt for the person who was guarding his neighbour’s animals, during which time the animals were harmed or died? If Yehovah had penalized neighbours for deaths or injuries over which the neighbours had no control, this would cause neighbours to refuse to guard their neighbours’ animals! Yehovah instead desires neighbours to care for each other and to be willing to serve each other!

 

5.     Verse 10 states, “and his husbands shall take.” What shall they take? They shall take the wounded or dead animal(s). Even dead, the animals belong to the owner; he/she must take the animals.

 

6.     Won’t this leave bad feelings between the neighbours? If the neighbours believe the vows made, since Yehovah will be judging the vows, there should be no bad feelings. If, on the other hand, the owner doesn’t believe the vow, and also doesn’t believe that Yehovah truly ruled the way he did (or just doesn’t believe in Yehovah), I have confidence that bad feelings will be present!

 

7.     If he doesn’t make peace, does that mean that the neighbours will remain in a state of anger (like war) with each other? If they desire to do that, they will. If they fear Yehovah, they won’t. Making peace has everything to do with restitution—that is, paying for what was damaged or lost. In this case, no payment will be made as long as neither one did evil toward the other.

 

8.     Explain the circumstance behind “And if, stealing, he will steal from with him”: The neighbour who is guarding the animals of his neighbour decides to steal some of the animals from those he is guarding; for example, he may take some of his animals, and mix them into his own animals, claiming that they are his own and claiming that his neighbour’s animals were captured (rustled). Once this is brought to light, the neighbour who did this must return the animal(s), and must make peace (I propose that two more animals of the same value, or a monetary sum equal to two animals, must be given).

 

9.     The next statement reads, “And if, tearing, he shall be torn, he will bring him unto the torn-[one].” Explain this circumstance; what is occurring? One of the animals that the neighbour is guarding has been torn open by either an animal or a human; the torn animal may be alive, or may be dead. The guarding neighbour must bring the owner to the animal.

 

 

 

VI. Borrower’s Responsibility (verses 13-14)

 

When a man will ask to use something from his neighbour, and what he is using from his neighbour becomes broken or dead while he is using it, if the husbands (the owner or the responsible party over the item, not referring to the borrower) are not present when this occurs, the man who asked to use the item or animal must make peace.

 

If the husbands (the owner or the person who is normally responsible for the animal or item) is with the one who desires to use it, no peace will be made.

 

If instead of being borrowed the animal or object is hired (that is, rented), and is broken or dead in the process of being used, the price of the hire is all that will be paid; that was the risk in hiring the animal or object out.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is the man asking from his neighbour? He is asking to use something; it is an animal, in this case.

 

2.     How did the animal become broken or dead? The text doesn’t give this information, and this information isn’t necessary for justice to be done.

 

3.     What does “his husbands are not with him” mean? The owner who loaned the animal wasn’t present with the animal died or became broken.

 

4.     Why doesn’t the borrower have to make peace if the husbands are with the animal? The owner is responsible for his own animal as long as he is present! As soon as he has departed and is no longer in the area of the animal, the borrower is totally responsible!

 

5.     Suppose that the owner is walking away from the loaned animal, and goes behind a barn. Suppose that the animal drops dead at that moment; must the borrower make peace? Yes!

 

6.     Explain “If a hire, he came via his hire”: If the animal isn’t borrowed, but is hired (which is like being rented), and damage occurs, the hire agreement price is all that the one who hired the animal must pay. The hire includes the possibility of damage occurring without the one doing the hiring being at fault. (If this isn’t agreeable, no one must hire out an animal to another person! That is strictly voluntary, and a way to earn money.)

 

 

 

VII. Suckering a Ripe Woman to Have Sex (verses 15-16)

 

When a man will ‘sucker’ (fool) a ripe woman (that is, she is old enough to get pregnant without danger), and the woman isn’t betrothed, and the man will lie with her (have sexual intercourse with her), the man must endow her to himself as his woman (his wife).

 

Now, if the woman’s father refuses to give her to him when he offers the dowry (the payment that is a bride price), the man who ‘suckered’ the woman must weigh out the amount in silver that is a normal dowry for ripe women, and must give that amount to the woman’s father; he gets nothing else from this deal.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a ripe woman? This is a woman who is physically mature enough to have children without extraordinary danger. The age of ripeness varies from race to race and person to person.

 

2.     If he suckers her, what is he doing in this text? He is tricking her into having sexual intercourse.

 

3.     What is betrothed? It is exactly the same as being married, except that the two have not yet come together to participate in sexual intercourse. In order to get out of a betrothal, a divorce must occur.

 

4.     What does “he will lie with her” mean? This means that he will have sexual intercourse with her.

 

5.     What does endow mean? It means to agree to marry and to pay the bride price. This price can be very expensive. In today’s money, for example, it might be, say, $25,000, or more or less, depending on status in society and many other factors.

 

          The bride price is because when a family loses a daughter by her getting married, that family now has one less person to work to help with all the chores. Therefore, the bride price helps the family to find someone else to take the daughter’s place as a worker.

 

6.     What does “he will endow her to him to a woman” mean? This means that he will pay for her (the bride price) and will make her his woman—that is, his wife. Thus, he made a commitment once he suckered her into having sex with him.

 

7.     What occurs if she was already betrothed or if he was betrothed when he did this to a woman to whom he isn’t betrothed? If she was already betrothed, and he suckered her into sex, they have committed adultery. Thus, the teachings regarding adultery will be used.

 

          If, on the other hand, he was betrothed, and she didn’t know it, and he suckered her into having sex with him, and it is established that she didn’t know, though this also adultery, the judges at the city gates will consider; I propose that they will put the man to death, and will spare the woman.

 

8.     What did he do to ‘sucker’ her—that is, to fool her into having sex? One way would be to take advantage of her ignorance regarding sexual matters. While the Israelis were and are very open regarding sexual things, and intentionally so, so that most won’t be fooled, it is possible that an Israeli girl might not have understood how sexual intercourse works, and a man might intentionally give her the wrong impression.

 

          Another case, however, might be when she knows about sexual matters, and the man promises her that he will marry her to himself and take care of her, when truly he has no intention.

 

9.     Suppose that the woman ‘suckers’ the man into sexual intercourse; what would be the ruling on this? The ruling would be exactly the same with the man being the responsible party to betroth the woman to himself. The Torah (Teaching) of Yehovah is designed such that the Israelis are all responsible to teach each other its commands. Thus, a young man must learn the Torah in order to stay alive!

 

10.  Why would her father refuse to give her to him? She is valuable to the family, and her father already knows that the man will not treat his daughter with respect. The father has good reason in his own mind to refuse to give her to him. (If she truly loves this man who suckered her, and if he truly loves her, he can now demonstrate to her family that his character will be better from now, on.)

 

11.  Must he pay in silver? Yes! Silver is a type in the Bible, and pictures redemption. He, the man who ‘suckered’ the woman, must redeem her.

 

12.  What is a dowry? It is the bride price that a man or his family gives to the family of the woman whom the man is taking for his own.

 

13.  What is the dowry of the ripe women? It is the normal amount that an Israeli man gives to acquire a woman in Israel when she is just ripe. (This isn’t the same as a dowry for, say, a widow, since I don’t think that a widow marrying required a dowry.)

 

14.  What will occur if the man and his family cannot afford the dowry? The man becomes the slave of the father or mother of the woman he ‘suckered.’ (It is totally permissible to beat slaves.)

 

15. Suppose that the father of the woman determines that this man will have his daughter has a wife, but the daughter doesn’t desire to have this man as her husband; what does the Torah teach regarding this? If the father insists, the man obtains the woman as his wife. Yet, most fathers will consider the desires of their daughters. If this father will do as the daughter desires, and will therefore take the dowry amount, but not give the daughter, he can then later obtain another dowry sum for her from another man! Therefore, the father has good incentive to consider the wishes of his daughter.

 

16.  Suppose that the woman becomes pregnant from this ‘suckering,’ and suppose that the father refused to give his daughter to him; who is responsible to rear the child? The daughter and her father (and her mother, also) will rear the child.

 

17.  Suppose that the woman’s father is dead, and she is living with her mother; does her mother’s say in these matters work the same as the father’s say? The Torah shows types—that is, pictures of things to come. Every detail as it is written will be one of those types. That doesn’t mean that the Israelis cannot decide matters that are not directly described; they can, and they must. Thus, we propose that the mother can make the decision if the father is dead or incapacitated. (The father and the mother are one.)

 

 

 

VIII. Dead Witch (verse 17)

 

Under no circumstance is a witch to be permitted to stay alive in Israel.

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a witch? She is one who uses and makes drugs and potions, she casts spells, and she contacts demons who act as family spirits (familiar spirits) in order to either manipulate others or to help manipulate others and have power over them. She uses pain, pleasure, fear, and other senses to do this manipulation.

 

2.     What is the male version of a witch? He is called a warlock.

 

3.     If an Israeli becomes a warlock, must he also die? The Israelis must put a warlock to death just like a witch.

 

4.     Why is Yehovah so against witches? Witches teach others to manipulate for selfish and destructive purposes. Witches teach idolatry by giving the impression that demons are gods and are good. Witches employ drugs that cause victims of the drugs to do what they would not otherwise do, and witches supply drugs to others who will use the potions to harm others and to lower their resistance to sin!

 

5.     Are all witches ugly hags? Many witches are truly pretty and can be very nice. Yehovah has commanded against what they do when they are practicing their witchcraft.

 

6.     Should we kill witches today? Yehovah gave this Teaching to Israel. He did not command this teaching to any other group. Yehovah will judge those who are outside of Biblical faith, and those who believe the Bible have no business judging others regarding their religions and idolatries. Thus, a person who fears Yehovah today will be kind to witches, and will not participate in witchcraft.

 

 

 

IX. Lethal Bestiality (verse 18)

 

Every person in Israel who has sex with an animal must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a bedder with a beast? It is a person who has sex with animals. It has nothing to do with sleeping with an animal in one’s bed.

 

2.     Why must such a person be put to death? Yehovah sees this as a terrible perversion and a great evil. (It also can bring some of the most violent diseases into human populations.)

 

3.     Should we put such persons to death today? Yehovah gave this command to Israel, and not to any other race. God will judge those outside of the race of Israel. If they of the other races desire to make laws regarding such practices, they can do so.

 

 

 

X. Devoted Idolater (verse 19)

 

Anyone who sacrifices to gods (not referring to Yehovah) will be devoted to destruction as the property of the false gods. That person will be put to death and will not be permitted to live.

 

Sacrificing to Yehovah, and to Him alone, is permissible.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does kherem—that is, devoted to destruction mean? The Arabic word harem comes directly from this word. When it refers to an object, if the object isn’t an animal, it becomes the property of Yehovah and can never be the property of a human. If it is Yehovah’s property, it can be kept as such, or destroyed as such.

 

          If it refers to an animal, the animal must be slaughtered.

 

          If it refers to a human, the human must be slaughtered! (In the Arabic custom, the women who belong to a man’s harem are for the use of the man. If they try to leave the harem in order to be a regular citizen or to leave the land, or if they are unfaithful, they are put to death if caught. This is not part of the Biblical practices.)

 

          The idea of being devoted—completely put to one particular use and purpose—shows how strong this is, since a person is devoted to destruction, and cannot be redeemed.

 

2.     The text states, “A sacrificer to elohim shall be kherem.” Why would a person who sacrifices to elohim be killed? The word elohim means gods. I have always capitalized elohim (Elohim) when the text is referring to Yehovah. I don’t capitalize it when it refers to gods other than Yehovah. In this text, an Israeli is a sacrificer to other gods that are not Yehovah. That Israeli person must be killed.

 

3.     Suppose that a sojourner from some other race comes to stay a while in Israel, and is normally a sacrificer to other gods besides Yehovah; must the Israelis kill that person? These commands only have to do with Israelis, and not with sojourners from among the other races. Now, a sojourner in the land of Israel must refrain from doing sacrifices to other gods while in Israel. The person certainly can continue to believe in his/her own gods, but sacrificing to them while in Israel mustn’t be done. (If the person truly wants to sacrifice to his/her god(s), he/she can simply go outside of the borders of Israel, and do the sacrifice there; then he/she can return back into the borders of Israel.) If a sojourner insists upon doing a sacrifice to false gods within the borders of Israel, that sojourner must also be put to death. The Israelis must warn sojourners about these things in order to protect them from violating. Sojourners must be protected, and therefore they must be warned so that they won’t violate while in the Land of Israel.

 

4.     To whom are the Israelis permitted to do sacrifices? They are permitted to do sacrifices to Yehovah, and to Him alone.

 

 

 

XI. Cheating and Oppressing a Sojourner (verse 20)

 

Yehovah commanded Israel to not cheat a sojourner. Israel also must not oppress a sojourner. The reason is given: the Israelis were sojourners in the land of Egypt!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would an Israeli desire to cheat a sojourner? The Israelis (with few exceptions) were not fearers of Yehovah, and did not hold faith in Him. That is one reason why He gave them the Torah (Teaching). Thus, the Israelis will desire to sin at various times in various ways. Cheating a sojourner can be easily accomplished since the sojourner doesn’t know how much things are worth in this land and in this culture of Israel. A sojourner doesn’t have relatives who can come and help against a powerful Israeli. The sojourner is helpless in so many ways. Therefore, an Israeli who is evil might take advantage of the sojourner.

 

          Of course, there are other Israelis who might be willing to stand up for the sojourner, but Yehovah isn’t assuming this; His command is against cheating a sojourner, period. (A sojourner is a person from another land who is on a journey to another land, and whose journey is continuing. A sojourner can remain in a foreign land for years, and still be a sojourner.)

 

2.     What does oppress mean? It means to mistreat, to put into a difficult situation without cause, to hassle, to threaten, to berate, to treat meanly, etc.

 

3.     What is wrong with oppressing a sojourner? Yehovah has special consideration for sojourners! He takes mistreating sojourners very personally. The Israelis were sojourners in the land of Egypt! Yehovah therefore struck hard against the land of Egypt in order to open the way for the Israelis to leave, and to bring the Egyptians to a willingness to send them on their way!

 

          Yehovah also sees the future. Sojourners will often be His property during the Tribulation. He will see how others treat His property, and He will respond!

 

4.     The Israelis were sojourners how long in the land of Egypt? They were sojourners 430 years!

 

5.     What famous command fits this text?

 

          Luke 6:31 As ye would that men should do to you, do ye also to them likewise.

 

          This is a little different from the so-called ‘Golden Rule’: Do unto others as you would have them do unto you. The Luke text is a little stronger.

 

 

 

XII. Humiliating a Widow and an Orphan (verses 21-23)

 

The Israelis must not humiliate any widow, and they must not humiliate any orphan. If Israel humiliates him, screaming, he will scream unto Yehovah, and Yehovah will hearken to his scream! Yehovah’s nose will then heat, and He will kill the Israelis via sword! The women of the Israelis will become widows, and the children of the Israelis will become orphans!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is the difference between being humble and being humiliated? Being humble is voluntary; being humiliated is being forced. I propose that the word humble has this definition: knowing where one stands in terms of rank and responsibility, and living that way. Now, if a person doesn’t know his/her rank and responsibilities toward others, and therefore doesn’t live according to the person’s true rank and real responsibilities, the person isn’t humble. Instead, the person is either arrogant (‘stuck up’) or irresponsible, and will mistreat others. The Bible describes this as pride; pride is never good in the Bible.

 

          Humiliation, then, is being forced into a rank that isn’t true (usually a lower rank, but sometimes a higher rank to cause failure), and being given responsibilities (or being held responsible for things that the person didn’t do) that don’t belong to the person and don’t fit the person.

 

          The Hebrew language doesn’t have separate words for humility and humiliation. The difference is whether it is voluntary or forced.

 

2.     Why would Israelis humiliate a widow? If they take advantage of her because of her inability to defend herself, her property, her standing in Israeli society, her weakness, etc., they are humiliating her. Some Israelis who don’t fear Yehovah might do this openly, but others might take steps that involve a widow and that humiliate her without realizing what they are doing. Yehovah gives this command and warning, therefore, so that Israelis who fear Him will consider before they do anything that involves a widow.

 

          The land that belongs to a widow will be considered valuable; others around the widow might want to take her lands. (Some of the Israelis who fear Yehovah will instead help the widow so that she can keep her lands and stay on them.)

 

3.     Why would Israelis humiliate an orphan? Those who don’t fear Yehovah might view an orphan as truly an unimportant person who is also helpless, and might therefore push the orphan out of the way of their plans or take what belongs to the orphan, figuring that the orphan won’t find help. Others might not know that they are humiliating the orphan, but Yehovah will still see it that way. Therefore, the Israelis must be very cautious to make sure that they aren’t humiliating an orphan by the decisions that they make.

 

4.     Who is him in, “thou wilt humiliate him”? Him refers to the widow or the orphan! Though it is masculine, the widow, who is a woman, is being viewed as an offspring of Adam—that is, generically.

 

5.     What will this widow or orphan do if she/he is humiliated? She/He will scream unto Yehovah! (This is true even if this person doesn’t directly pray to Yehovah!)

 

6.     How will Yehovah respond to this scream? Yehovah will hearken! He will become furious! He will then send a sword against the Israelis (the entire group!) so that their women will be widows and their children will be orphans!

 

7.     Why will Yehovah react so strongly, that He will kill many for the sake of a few mistreated individuals? Is this justice? It is! It is Yehovah’s justice! He holds all Israelis responsible for what one or two individuals do! Therefore, the Israelis will show wisdom if they stop their fellow Israelis from such behaviours! They must consider such Israelis as bringing a threat of destruction on the whole group!

 

8.     Is making Israeli women widows when those women did nothing wrong, and making Israeli children orphans when those children did nothing wrong, truly justice? It truly is justice! The women did nothing wrong, but they also didn’t stand up for the widows and orphans who were being mistreated when they heard about them! (They will hear about them. If they can’t hear about them because of the evil leaders of society keeping the news of them from becoming public, it is time for Yehovah to take Israel apart and give Israel into the hands of enemies!)

 

 

 

XIII. Lending to the Poor (verses 24-26)

 

‘Bringing silver near’ to a humble one of Yehovah’s people (the People of Israel) is akin to lending. It is making silver available. The Israelis must not be to this humble one as a creditor—that is, as one who is lending, and who therefore pressures this person to pay the amount owed. The text continues to command that the Israelis must not put ‘a bite’ upon him; that bite will include charging interest.

 

Israel is permitted to take collateral—that is, to take something of value in the process of lending. Taking this collateral item is called binding. If the form of the binding is a fitted garment, it must be returned to the humble one ‘unto the coming of the sun’—that is, by sunset. The reason is given: this garment is the humble person’s being’s blanket covering; it belongs only to the person’s being. It is the person’s garment to the person’s skin. Yehovah asks, “Via what will he bed?”—that is, in what will he sleep? If Israel does take this humble person’s fitted garment, and doesn’t return it at sunset, this person will scream unto Yehovah, and Yehovah will hearken! Why? Yehovah favours!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does bring silver near mean in this text? It means to make it available. We call that lending. However, it is a particular kind of lending; not a business lending. It is lending to a person who is very poor, and who greatly needs this silver. These texts have nothing to do with business lending, which is investing money into the business of another in order to earn a return on the business. Do not confuse these two.

 

2.     Why does the text specify, “If thou wilt bring-near silver with my people”? This command only has to do with the people of Israel. It is not a command regarding lending to those of other races who have become poor. Israel isn’t responsible for folks of other races in their own countries and lands. The Israelis must deal properly with Israelis.

 

3.     The text states, “with the humble one with thee.” What does being humble have to do with a text on lending? This humble person is very low in rank or has become very low in rank because of no silver. This person knows his/her rank because of this.

 

4.     What does “thou shalt not be to him as a creditor” mean? This means that this Israeli (who is thou in, “If thou will bring-near silver with my people…”) must not treat the Israeli to whom he loaned the silver as if that Israeli owes him interest on the loan.

 

          A creditor is a person who lends money or goods in order to make more money from the interest on the loan.

 

          The interest is a certain amount of money charged or gained from lending the money in the first place. For example, I might lend you, say, $50 if you agree to pay me $55 back! The interest is $5.

 

          No Israeli is permitted to behave as a creditor toward a humble Israeli in need of the silver. Therefore, no interest can be charged or taken.

 

5.     What is a bite in, “Ye shall not put upon him a bite”? A bite is a piece of the earnings from the loan. It is called a bite because it is like what a loan shark does: he lends and then charges high interest with strong threats if the loan isn’t repaid with the high interest. The term loan shark is just like this Hebrew term, bite!

 

6.     Verse 24 started out with thou and thee—both being singular. It then switched to ye, which is plural. Why did Yehovah change it from singular to plural? Verse 24 starts with an individual lending to another Israeli. When it switches to ye, it shows that all of the Israelis are now responsible for what this one Israeli does! (The text then switches back to the individual.)

 

7.     What is this binding mentioned in verse 25? In English, this is called collateral. Collateral is some form of the borrower’s property that the person borrowing promises or temporarily gives to the lender so that the lender has something of value while the borrower has the loan. In the case of this text, the valuable item is a fitted garment; that would be worth quite a bit of silver. The lender will take and hold that fitted garment until the borrower pays back the loan.

 

          Binding the fitted garment is taking and holding it until the loan is repaid.

 

8.     Verse 25 continues, “unto the coming [setting] of the sun thou shalt return him to him.” What does this mean? The “coming of the sun” is sunset. (It appears to come down to the land.) Thus, as the sun is setting, the lender must return the fitted garment to the borrower for each night! The garment is a blanket cover! Yehovah does not permit an Israeli to keep the only blanket cover of another Israeli overnight! When the morning comes, the lender can then again take and hold the fitted garment—that is, until the next sunset!

 

9.     Who is her in, “For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone”? This refers to the person’s being, which is always feminine (regardless of the gender of the person).

 

10.  What does “For He is her blanket-covering, hers alone” mean? This means that the fitted garment is the blanket covering for only that person’s being; it wasn’t made for anyone else, but was dedicated to that one person’s being.

 

11.  Explain, “He is his garment to his skin”: He, the fitted garment, is his, the man’s, garment to his, the man’s, skin—what he needs in order to not be exposed to the weather.

 

12.  Who is asking the question, “Via what will he bed?” Yehovah is asking the question. Since Yehovah is asking it, it is a question that already has an obvious answer: He won’t have what he needs in which to sleep! That garment also acts as his pajamas!

 

13.  Why would a person scream unto Yehovah if his or her fitted garment were being held by the lender? Whether the temperature is cold, and the person who borrowed the silver didn’t have enough cover, or whether the temperature is warm, and the garment helped keep insects off—there could be many reasons. While the lender was doing a favour for the borrower, still, mistreating the borrower by holding his/her fitted garment during the night is a great offense to Yehovah.

 

14.  What will Yehovah do when He hearkens? Yehovah will cause the Israelis to be without proper clothing in the very same way! This means that they will necessarily either be prisoners or will be on the run, since they cannot obtain proper clothing.

 

15.  Yehovah said these things to the Israelis about their treatment of other Israelis. Suppose that an Israeli lends to a sojourner who has become poor, and holds a fitted garment overnight from the sojourner; suppose the sojourner screams unto Yehovah the Gods of Israel. Will Yehovah hearken, or will He ignore the shouts of the sojourner?

 

          Leviticus 19:33 And if a sojourner sojourns with thee in your land, ye shall not vex him. 34And the sojourner who dwells with you shall be unto you as one born among you! And thou shalt love him as thyself! For ye were sojourners in the land of Egypt! I am Yehovah your Gods!

 

          Thus, Yehovah will indeed hearken!

 

16.  Some folks in some other cultures greatly mistreat sojourners. What does Yehovah do in other cultures and races regarding sojourners? Yehovah burned every citizen to death in four cities (Sodom, Gomorrah, Admah and Zeboim) because of what they did to sojourners! That included little children, babies, animals, the elderly—He burned them all to death. Yehovah sees. He will take down any culture that mistreats sojourners, orphans, widows, etc.

 

 

 

XIV. Lightly Esteeming Elohim (verse 27)

 

Israel must not lightly esteem (that is, consider of little value) Elohim.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does lightly esteem mean? It means to consider something of little worth, value, rank, importance, etc.

 

2.     How does a person behave who lightly esteems Elohim? That person lives, speaks and reacts as if Elohim isn’t important, isn’t worth fearing, doesn’t have to be obeyed, and so on. Such a person will treat others made in Elohim’s image in the same wrong ways! That person will sin without considering the consequences, and will teach others to do the same.

 

3.     Since the word Elohim is the same word used in verse 19, and since the Hebrew language doesn’t have capitalization (which means that a reader in Hebrew won’t see any difference), how can the reader tell that this refers to the Gods of Israel instead of the false gods of the races? This sentence is connected to the next sentence by and, showing that they are connected: “Thou shalt not lightly-esteem Elohim. And thou shalt not curse the carrier in thy people!” This section isn’t speaking about the false gods, but about the True Gods and the leader that the True Gods has appointed (that leader being called a carrier).

 

          A reader must figure out many things like this: by looking around the text. All the texts surrounding a text that are connected with that text together are called the context (where the prefix con- means with; thus, context means with the text).

 

 

 

XV. Cursing the Carrier (verse 27)

 

The carrier is the leader. If Israel curses the carrier in Israel’s people, Yehovah will react!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a carrier? That is a person who carries the responsibilities of governing and leading a people.

 

2.     Are there many carriers in this world (besides in Israel)? Yes, there are! There are carriers in all cultures! They are the leaders who govern, who lead, often who judge, who go to war, etc.

 

3.     Who chooses the leaders in all cultures, races, lands, etc.? Since some come to power by violence, some by being elected, some by power, some by birth, and some by other means, who truly chooses the leaders? All leaders are brought to power by God:

 

          Romans 13:1 Every being shall be subject to authorities above. For there is no authority except from God! And those who are authorities have been appointed by God 2so that he who sets himself against the authority resists the ordinance of God! And they who resist shall receive judgment to themselves. 3For, the rulers are not a terror to good works, but-rather to evil. Dost thou desire to not be afraid of the authority? Practice the good, and thou shalt have praise from him! 4For he is a slave of God for good to thee! And if thou art practicing evil, fear! For he wears the sword—not in vain! For he is a slave of God, an avenger for wrath to him who does evil! 5Therefore [it is] necessary to be subject—not only on account of wrath, but also on account of conscience! 6For ye pay tribute also on this account! For they are ministers of God attending continually on this same thing! 7Therefore render to all their dues—to whom tribute: tribute; to whom custom: custom; to whom fear: fear; to whom honour: honour. 8Owe ye nothing!—to no one!—unless to love one another. For he who loves the other has fulfilled Torah!

 

          Thus, even very wicked leaders are still brought to power by God; He has given them opportunity to do good and to practice what is right, bringing justice. Even if the wicked leaders came to power by committing murder, Yehovah still has given those leaders opportunity to do right (though very few leaders of this world will do right, and will do it consistently). Yehovah determines all ranks in this world!

 

4.     What is wrong with cursing the carrier in the people of Israel if the cursing is done in private where no one hears and where no harm is done? Since Yehovah appointed the carrier, cursing him is cursing what Yehovah has done! That shows a terrible disrespect toward Yehovah! Instead, one who fears Yehovah will do what is right (even if it is the opposite of what the carrier commands to do, since Yehovah is higher in rank than the carrier), and will show respect toward the carrier. That means that the person could be disobeying the carrier if the carrier’s commands are wrong in the eyes of Yehovah, while still showing respect to the carrier. This happened in the scroll of Daniel:

 

          Daniel 3:14 Nebuchadnezzar spoke. And he said unto them, “Is it true, Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego? Don’t ye serve my gods, and don’t ye worship the gold image that I have set up? 15Now if ye are ready: that at what time ye hear the sound of the cornet, flute, harp, sackbut, psaltery and dulcimer, and all kinds of music, ye shall fall down and worship the image that I have made, good! And if ye don’t worship, ye shall be cast the same hour into the midst of a burning fiery furnace. And who is that God that shall deliver you out of my hands?” 16Shadrach, Meshach, and Abednego answered and said to the king, “Nebuchadnezzar, we are not careful to answer thee in this matter. 17If it is so, our God whom we serve is able to deliver us from the burning fiery furnace. And He will deliver us out of thine hand, king. 18And if not, be it known unto thee, king, that we will not serve thy gods, and we will not worship the gold image that thou hast set up.”

 

          Since Yehovah sent and assigned the carrier, even cursing the carrier in one’s mind isn’t an appropriate response to wrong actions of the carrier in the people of Israel. (Cursing the carrier in any people is likewise not so wise.)

 

 

 

XVI. Giving Firstborn (verses 28-29)

 

Israel must not delay Israel’s fullness (Israel’s harvest) and Israel’s weeping (also referring to the dripping of juices that are produced by squeezing fruit, but consider the type!).

 

Israel must give a firstborn of Israel’s children to Yehovah. Israel must do the same thing to Israel’s ox, to Israel’s flock. The firstborn will be with his mother seven days. Israel must give him to Yehovah in the eighth day.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is this fullness? It is the abundance of any crop in any year.

 

2.     What does delaying the fullness involve? It involves putting off taking out the Biblically commanded portion and doing with it as Yehovah commanded. One of those portions is called the tithe; it is a tenth of any crop and a tenth of the increase of cattle, sheep, etc. The tithe (that is, the tenth) must be set aside right away, since delaying may involve forgetting and making excuses to not give it.

 

3.     What is thy weeping? When grapes are squeezed, they produce a drop of liquid that is like a teardrop. When grapes produce very well, much wine can be produced. Squeezing the grapes to obtain the juice causes the squeezed grapes to ‘weep;’ once the wine is produced, a portion of that belongs to Yehovah. If Israelis delay to give this, they are doing wrong.

 

4.     What do the fullness and the weeping typify? I propose that they typify two things in the Tribulation. When the Israelis see their brethren in distress, and they have an idea that they can rescue them, and the fullness of their compassion prods them to bear fruit (that is, to do good works that save lives), they must not delay to take action! Delay will mean that they won’t take action, and it will mean that those needing to be rescued can die. The weeping, I propose, typifies the reaction that the Israelis have as they see their brethren being destroyed during the Tribulation. If they delay their weeping, they might harden themselves so that they will only think of saving their own lives. If, instead, they weep, they will then be in position to take action, since grieving is often the first step to taking action in such cases. If they don’t weep, they won’t have consolation. If they do weep, they can then become very strong for their brethren.

 

5.     The next statement, “Thou shalt give to me a firstborn of thy children,” uses a firstborn instead of the firstborn. Why is it worded this way, and how can the ‘thou’ do this? First, the command is to one identified as thou. This is singular. The wording is designed to point to all Israel as one unit; it could have been worded ye, referring to the Israelis. Thus, Israel must give to Yehovah a firstborn of Israel’s children. I propose that this points to Yeshua Who is a firstborn of Israel’s children.

 

          Now, this command includes each Israeli giving a firstborn, and other commands go along with this. Yet, the picture it shows is as important as the command itself.

 

          The way Yehovah commanded the Israelis to give Him the firstborn human child was not to sacrifice the child. Instead, the child had to be redeemed by an animal (which was only a type, and not a real replacement) being sacrificed in order to picture Yeshua who really was sacrificed. Yehovah commanded the following:

 

          Numbers 3:12 “And I, behold, I have taken the Levites from among the children of Israel instead of all the firstborn who opens the matrix among the children of Israel! Therefore the Levites shall be mine 13Because all the firstborn are mine. For I sanctified unto me all the firstborn in Israel—both man and beast—on the day that I smote all the firstborn in the land of Egypt! They shall be mine! I am Yehovah!”

 

          Thus, the Levites serve Yehovah as His property as a replacement for all the firstborn of the Israelis being taken.

 

6.     Why must Israel also give a firstborn of an ox and of a flock? Yehovah uses these animals as types to remind (or point out to) the Israelis of the importance of giving the firstborn to Yehovah, and of giving Yeshua to Yehovah.

 

7.     Why must an ox or a goat or a sheep firstborn be with its mother seven days before being given to Yehovah? A small point is so that the animal mama won’t overly grieve, since she will have fed her young for seven days. I propose that taking the firstborn immediately on the first day can be harmful to the mother.

 

          Yet, the seven days are a type. A week is a complete unit of time in the year. Giving the young on the eighth day is like circumcision being done on the eighth day. These lengths of time will be fulfilled during the Tribulation when Israel’s heart (as a group) will be circumcised on the eighth day. Israel as a whole will give Yeshua, the Lamb of God, to Yehovah (as if they were there at the time of Yeshua’s being sacrificed on the cross).

 

 

 

XVII. Owned (verse 30)

 

The Israelis shall be mortals (that is, alive in their bodies that can die—not referring to being in their bodies that cannot die) of the Holy One of Israel, belonging to Yehovah.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “And ye shall be mortals of Holy-[One] to me” mean? A mortal is a person capable of dying (and therefore not referring to a person who has already died). The Holy One, known also as the Holy One of Israel, refers to Yeshua—the One whom Yehovah sent to Israel to save Israel from sin and death, and to provide Salvation for all.

 

          This text shows that the Israelis will belong to this Holy One of Israel Who will in turn belong to Yehovah! Thus, the Israelis will belong to Yehovah!

 

 

 

XVIII. Eating Torn Animals (verse 30)

 

If the Israelis find a torn animal in a field, they must not eat that animal. They must sling that animal to a dog!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a torn one? It is animal that has been killed by another animal.

 

2.     What is wrong with eating the flesh of a torn animal in the field? The Israelis either don’t know how the animal died, or they do know, but in either case, the animal that killed the other animal could be rabid or diseased.

 

          The blood of the animal wasn’t properly drained, but stayed inside of the animal.

 

3.     What does eating flesh of a torn one typify? Since a torn one is a victim of an animal that is or is not identified, Yeshua was not a torn one. He was a sacrifice. Eating the flesh of a sacrifice is right when the sacrifice is right; that shows participation with what the sacrifice typifies. Even Yeshua spoke well of eating His flesh. (His flesh is like the fruit on a fruit tree; it is there to be eaten, and isn’t for the benefit of the tree itself. Picking the fruit doesn’t kill the tree.)

 

4.     What does “in a field” tell the reader? It means that the tearing took place out where no one saw it occur.

 

5.     Why must the Israelis sling this torn carcass specifically to a dog? A dog is a perfect type of an unclean animal, and therefore pictures an unclean person. The torn one, I propose, will picture a false god, and the dog an unclean idolater. If I am right, the dog eats of the false god. (It won’t hurt the dog.)

 

Exodus 21 Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring

Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 21

 

Exodus 21:1 And these are the justices that thou shalt set to their faces.

 

2When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. And in the seventh he will exit to freedom gratis. 3If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body. If he is a husband of a woman, and his woman will exit with him.

 

4If his lords will give a woman to him, and she will child to him sons or daughters, the woman and her children will be to her lords. And he will exit with his body. 5And if the slave will say, saying, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free!” 6And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim. And he shall approach him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah. And his lords shall pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. And he shall serve him to Hider.

 

7And when a man will sell his daughter to a slavemaiden, she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves. 8If she-is-bad in the eyes of her lords who did not betroth her, and she shall be redeemed. He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her. 9And if he will betroth her to his son, he will do to her as the justice of the daughters.

 

10If he will take to himself another {feminine}, he will not diminish her remainder, her blanket-covering and her cohabiting. 11And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.

 

12The smiter of a man, and he will die: dying, he shall-be-made-to-die! 13And whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there.

 

14And when a man will presume upon his neighbour to slay him via guile, thou shalt take him from with my altar to die.

 

15And the smiter of his father and his mother: dying he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

16And a stealer of a man, and he sells him, and he will be found in his hand: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

17And he lightly esteems his father and his mother: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

18And when men shall fight, and a man shall smite his neighbour via a stone or via a fist and he will not die, and he will fall to bed, 19if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff, and the smiter will be innocent. Only he will give his sitting and healing—he-will-cause-healing!

 

20And when a man will smite his slave or his slavemaiden via a rod, and he will die under his hand, avenging, he shall be avenged! 21Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver.

 

22And when men will physically-fight, and they will smite a pregnant woman, and her children will exit, and there will not be injury, amerced, he shall be amerced just-as the husband of the woman will set upon him. And he will give via the deliberators. 23And if injury will be, and thou shalt give, being under being!— 24eye under eye, tooth under tooth, hand under hand, foot under foot, 25branding under branding, wound under wound, bruise under bruise.

 

26And when a man will smite the eye of his slave or the eye of his slavemaiden, and he will blind her, he will send him to freedom under his eye. 27And if a tooth of his slave or a tooth of his slavemaiden will fall, he will send him to freedom under his tooth.

 

28And when an ox will gore a man or a woman and he will die, stoning, the ox shall be stoned! And he shall not eat his flesh. And the husband of the ox is innocent. 29And if an ox—he gored from yesterday three days ago, and he was testified via his husbands, and he will not guard him, and the ox will cause- a man or a woman -to-die, he will be stoned, and also his husbands─he will-be-caused-to-die! 30And if a covering will be set upon him, and he shall give a redemption of his being as all that will be set upon him! 31Or he will gore a son, or he will gore a daughter, he will be done to him as this justice.

 

32If the ox will gore a slave or a slavemaiden, he will give silver of 30 shekels to his lords. And the ox will be stoned.

 

33And when a man will open a pit, or when a man will dig a pit, and he will not cover him, and an ox or an ass will fall ‘thereward,’ 34the husband of the pit will make peace. He will return silver to his husbands. And the dead will be to him.

 

35And when the ox of a man will attack the ox of his neighbour, and he will die, and they shall sell the living ox. And they shall halve his silver. And they shall also halve the dead. 36Or it was known that the ox—he gored from yesterday, three days ago, and his husbands will not guard {singular} him: making-peace, he shall make peace, an ox under the ox. And the dead will be to him.

 

37When a man shall steal an ox or a sheep and slaughter him or sell him, he will-make-peace: five of the herd under the ox and four of the flock under the sheep!

 

 

 

I. The Justices (verse 1)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to set these justices to the faces of the Israelis. How surprising to find that the first justices pertain to proper treatment of slaves!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Yehovah call these things justices?

 

2.     Why must these be “set to their faces” (instead of being told to them or written for them)?

 

 

 

II. Buying a Hebrew Slave (verses 2-3)

 

Israelis will purchase Hebrew slaves. (A Hebrew slave is an Israeli slave.) The slave will serve six years. In the seventh year, the slave will exit from slavery to freedom gratis—that is, without having to pay anything.

 

If the slave will come with the only possession being his own physical body, he will exit with his physical body. If, on the other hand, he is a husband of a woman, his woman will exit with him.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who is thou in, “When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave”?

 

2.     What is a Hebrew slave?

 

3.     The text states, “He will serve six years.” Can’t the time of his serving as a slave be less than six years?

 

4.     Why did Yehovah choose six years (instead of seven or five, for examples)?

 

5.     What does gratis mean?

 

6.     Suppose that this slave had run up a debt that is equivalent to 25,000,000 dollars; how would his being a slave for six years come anywhere near paying that debt?

 

7.     The text states, “If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body.” How could he come without his body?

 

8.     If he is a husband of a woman, does his woman also become a slave when he does?

 

9.     If he went into slavery with his children, would they also come out with him?

 

10.  Suppose that an Israeli purchases a slave who isn’t a Hebrew. Will that slave also exit in the seventh year?

 

 

 

III. Slaves Making Babies (verses 4-6)

 

A slavemaster of a Hebrew slave can give a woman to the slave to make babies. If she does become pregnant for the slavemaster, the woman and her children will be the property of the slavemaster (and not the slave who impregnated her—who got her pregnant). When the time comes for the slave to exit, he will exit with his own physical body, and not with the woman or the child that he fathered.

 

Now, if the slave will insistently say, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free,” his slavemaster will ‘approach’ him unto the Elohim—unto the Gods of Israel. And he will ‘approach’ him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah (the doorpost). The slavemaster will then pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. The slave will then serve the slavemaster to Hider—he will permanently become his property. (That way, he can keep his woman and his child/children.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why is lords plural? Does this refer to a slavemaster and his wife?

 

2.     If the slave’s lords will give a woman to him, does she become the slave’s wife?

 

3.     Aren’t a man and a woman supposed to be married in the Bible before having sex and producing children?

 

4.     Why would a slavemaster desire a slave to produce children for the slavemaster?

 

5.     What does “he will exit with his body” mean, again?

 

6.     In what order will the slave declare his love?

 

7.     What else must the slave declare?

 

8.     Under what conditions would a slave be willing to voluntarily become a permanent slave to another human?

 

9.     Isn’t slavery evil?

 

10.  The next verse states, “And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim.” What does this mean, and how can this happen?

 

11.  Why should he approach him unto the door, and what door is this?

 

12.  What is a Mezuzah?

 

13.  What is a piercing tool?

 

14.  Why must the ear be pierced?

 

15.  What does “he shall serve him to Hider” mean?

 

16.  Since a human cannot serve another to Hider (due to finally becoming old and dying), what does this section of the text typify?

 

 

 

IV. Selling a Daughter (verses 7-9)

 

An Israeli can sell his daughter as a slavemaiden. (See questions to learn why this might occur.) This slavemaiden shall not exit (go out) as the exiting of the slaves. She must be treated differently from the other slaves.

 

If her slavemaster doesn’t look at her in a good light, and if he also didn’t betroth her (either to himself or to his son), she must be redeemed. The slavemaster is never permitted to sell her to a foreign people in the process of defrauding (dealing crookedly with her) by means of her.

 

If, on the other hand, he will betroth her to his son, he must do to her exactly what is the justice to do with daughters.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the man really sell his daughter to a slavemaiden?

 

2.     Isn’t selling a daughter to become a slavemaiden really cold, an act of total lovelessness, and just cruel?

 

3.     What does “she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves” mean?

 

4.     What does “she is bad in the eyes of her lords” mean?

 

5.     What does betroth mean?

 

6.     What does “she shall be redeemed” mean?

 

7.     What does defraud mean?

 

8.     Explain “He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her”:

 

9.     Can this slavemaster betroth this slavemaiden to his son without her parents’ permission?

 

10.  What does “he will do to her as the justice of the daughters” mean?

 

 

 

V. Second Wife (verses 10-11)

 

If the son of the slavemaster who has married the slavemaiden takes another woman to himself as a second wife, he will not diminish the remainder of the woman who was both the first woman and the slavemaiden. He will not diminish her blanket-covering, and he will not diminish her cohabiting—sleeping with her. If he will not do these three to her, he will exit her without any redemption price—that is, gratis; there must be no silver exchange for her leaving.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the Bible permit an Israeli to have more than one wife?

 

2.     Why would Yehovah permit a man to have more than one wife?

 

3.     Can a man have more than one wife in the United States and in countries with similar cultures?

 

4.     Isn’t taking on another wife a form of cruelty to the first wife?

 

5.     Who is taking to himself another woman?

 

6.     What does “he will not diminish her remainder” mean?

 

7.     What does “he will not diminish … her blanket-covering” mean?

 

8.     What does “he will not diminish … her cohabiting” mean?

 

9.     Verse 11 states, “And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.” Does he send her away after living with her as a wife for a while, and then after obtaining a second wife?

 

 

 

VI. Murderer and Manslayer (verses 12-13)

 

Anyone who smites a human such that he dies, the smiter shall be likewise made to die.

 

Now, if anyone killed another, and that person didn’t stalk the one he/she killed, and the Elohim situated the victim to the hand of the one who killed him, Yehovah will put a place to Israel so that this ‘manslayer’ will flee there.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “The smiter of a man, and he will die” mean?

 

2.     What does “dying, he shall-be-made-to-die” mean?

 

3.     Is Yehovah for capital punishment, or is He against capital punishment?

 

4.     What does “the Elohim situated to his hand” mean?

 

5.     What does “whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there” mean?

 

 

 

VII. Plotting Murderer (verse 14)

 

When a man will presume upon his neighbour (assume with arrogance in a prideful approach) to slay him via guile, Israel must take that person from being with Yehovah’s altar so that the man will die (being put to death).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does presume mean in the Bible?

 

2.     How can a person presume upon his neighbour (to slay him via guile)?

 

3.     Why must he slay him with guile?

 

4.     Why did Yehovah state, “thou shalt take him from with my altar to die”? Why was the man at Yehovah’s altar?

 

 

 

VIII. Parent Murderer (verse 15)

 

Smiting (striking) one’s father and one’s mother is a death-penalty offense; that person must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a smiter of his father and his mother?

 

2.     Why is this a death penalty?

 

3.     Suppose that one’s father and mother are drowning; is smiting them in order to bring them to shore or to a ship also a death penalty?

 

 

 

IX. Kidnapper (verse 16)

 

Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a stealer of a man?

 

2.     If he sells him, how can he be found in his hand?

 

3.     Why is kidnapping a death penalty offense?

 

 

 

X. Light-Esteemer of Parents (verse 17)

 

Anyone who views parents with contempt as if they have little value must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does lightly esteem mean?

 

2.     Why is lightly esteeming father and mother a death penalty offense?

 

 

 

XI. Fighting and Reparations (verses 18-19)

 

Israeli men will fight. If one of them smites his neighbour via a stone or via a fist, and the neighbour doesn’t die, but he does fall to bed, if he later arises and walks on his own power into the outside upon his staff, the smiter will be innocent. In the meantime, however, the smiter must pay for whoever has to care for the man and for medical bills; the smiter must make sure the man is healed.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Will Israelis fight with each other?

 

2.     Is smiting a neighbour via a stone against the Torah?

 

3.     What does “he will fall to bed” mean?

 

4.     The text continues, “if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff …” What does this mean?

 

5.     Why will the smiter be innocent in this case?

 

6.     What does the text require the smiter to do?

 

7.     The text states, “he will cause healing!” What does this mean?

 

8.     Suppose that both men injure each other, and both are stuck in bed for a while. Are they even?

 

 

 

XII. Smiting a Slave (verses 20-21)

 

When a slavemaster smites a male or female slave via a rod, and the slave dies under his hand, vengeance must be taken for the slave.

 

If instead the slave arises in a day or several days, no vengeance will be taken for the slave since the slave is the silver of the slavemaster.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Is an Israeli in violation of the Torah if he/she smites a slave?

 

2.     In the case that a slave dies under a smiting, the text states, “avenging, he shall be avenged.” It doesn’t say what will be done. What will be done in such a case?

 

3.     Explain this: “Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver”:

 

4.     Doesn’t this paragraph permit the general mistreatment of slaves?

 

 

 

XIII. Pregnant Woman’s Injury during a Fight (verses 22-25)

 

Israelis will physically fight. If they will smite a pregnant woman in the process of fighting, and if her children will exit (from her womb), and there won’t be injury, there will still be a monetary fine for causing this birthing at this time. The husband of the woman will set the fine, and the one who smote the woman causing the birth will pay the fine. Deliberators will decide if the fine’s size is right, and the man will give according to the deliberators.

 

If, on the other hand, there will be injury, whatever the nature of the injury is, that will be done to the man who smote the pregnant woman!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would men smite a pregnant woman?

 

2.     Why does the text state, “and her children will exit,” instead of this: “and her child will exit”?

 

3.     What does amerced mean?

 

4.     Why does the woman’s husband (and not the woman) get to set the amount that must be paid?

 

5.     What is a deliberator?

 

6.     How many deliberators will be involved?

 

7.     What occurs if the deliberators determine that the amount declared by the husband is too high or too low?

 

8.     What must be done if the woman is injured?

 

9.     Why is the Torah so hard on the man who accidentally harmed the woman while fighting with another Israeli?

 

10.  What does under mean in “eye under eye,” etc.?

 

11.  Suppose that the injury is to the baby—what is the ruling regarding this?

 

 

 

XIV. Damaging a Slave (verses 26-27)

 

A slavemaster who will smite a slave might put out the slave’s eye. If he does, he must send the slave to freedom in the place of his/her eye. The same is true regarding a tooth.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does it matter if putting out the eye of a slave was an accident, or was intentional?

 

2.     Why isn’t the eye of the slavemaster put out in an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ response?

 

3.     Supposing that both eyes are put out; wouldn’t sending the slave or slavemaiden to freedom be cruel, since he/she cannot do anything much for quite a while?

 

4.     Only the blinding of an eye or the falling of a tooth is mentioned. Suppose that the little toe of the slave is broken; what must be done in that case?

 

5.     Why does Yehovah pick things like the losing of a tooth when they are so minor compared to other things, and when the Torah is truly so short (in contrast to other bodies of ‘law’ in other lands)?

 

 

 

XV. A Goring Ox (verses 28-31)

 

An ox that gores a man or a woman to death must be stoned. No one is permitted to eat the flesh of the ox. The husband (ox owner and handler) is innocent.

 

On the other hand, if the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and someone testified this to the ox’s husbands (handlers), and the husband will not guard the ox, and the ox will cause a man or a woman to die, the ox will be stoned, and the ox’s husbands—he will also be put to death!

 

If a covering will be set upon the husband, the husband will give a redemption of his being according to all that will be set upon him!

 

If the ox will gore a son or a daughter, this same justice will be done to the husband.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why must the ox be stoned to death instead of just being slaughtered?

 

2.     Who is he in, “And he shall not eat his flesh”?

 

3.     What does “the husband of the ox is innocent” mean?

 

4.     What does “he gored from yesterday three days ago” mean?

 

5.     Explain “he was testified via his husbands”:

 

6.     The text states, “and he will not guard him.” Does the husband of the ox refuse to guard the ox? Suppose that the husband was willing, but just couldn’t guard the ox for a short time; doesn’t that mean that he will guard him?

 

7.     Why must the husbands also be caused to die even if the ox broke down a fence (say), and then gored a man?

 

8.     How will the husband of the ox be caused to die?

 

9.     The next verse states, “And if a covering will be set upon him…” What does this mean?

 

10.  Under what circumstances might a covering keep the husband of the ox that gored from being put to death?

 

11.  Why is verse 31 necessary?

 

12.  How could this justice be the means of making a proper law regarding someone who drives after having become a little drunk, and kills someone?

 

 

 

XVI. Ox Goring a Slave (verse 32)

 

If the ox will gore a male or female slave, the husband will give 30 shekels of silver to the slavemaster, and the ox will be stoned.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Thirty shekels isn’t much at all—the equivalent of perhaps $50. Why is this all that occurs from an ox goring of a human?

 

2.     What will occur if the ox of a master kills that master’s slave?

 

 

 

XVII. An Open Pit (verses 33-34)

 

When a man opens or digs a pit, it is up to the man to provide a cover for the pit that will keep humans and large animals from falling into the pit. If the man who opens or digs the pit doesn’t provide such a cover, and an ox or an ass falls into the pit, the husband of the pit (the one who is responsible for the pit being opened or dug) will make peace. He will return silver to the husbands of the dead animal; he will now own the dead animal.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does this text mean by cover him?

 

2.     What is the purpose of digging such a hole?

 

3.     Suppose that the animal falls into the pit, but isn’t hurt; must the one who dug the pit pay something?

 

4.     What does “thereward” mean?

 

5.     What does “the husband of the pit will make peace” mean?

 

6.     Suppose that the animal that was harmed or killed was a pet or a prize animal to the owner; how would peace be made?

 

7.     What does “He will return silver to his husbands” mean?

 

8.     Why must the price be in silver? Why didn’t the text specify that silver or gold could be used?

 

9.     Suppose that he doesn’t want the dead animal; can he leave the animal in the pit, and cover it?

 

10.  If the animal is an ox, and it just recently fell into the pit and died, can the new owner eat the animal?

 

 

 

XVIII. Ox Duel (verses 35-36)

 

If one ox of one man attacks another ox of a neighbour, and the neighbour’s ox dies, both men must sell the living ox. They must then halve the silver for the ox. They will also halve the dead ox.

 

If it was known that the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and his husbands will not guard the ox, that owner must make peace, replacing the ox with one of his own oxen (or acquiring an equivalent ox for the victim’s husband). The owner of the goring ox will now own the dead ox.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must they do if an ox attacks and kills two oxen of his neighbour?

 

 

 

XIX. Animal Theft (verse 37)

 

A sheepstealer or an ox thief who slaughters or sells the animal must make peace with the owner. Making peace includes this: he must give five animals of the herd in the place of the ox, and four of the flock in the place of the sheep!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must be done to a man who steals an ox or a sheep, and is found with the animal alive and unsold?

 

2.     What will happen to the thief if he cannot cover these costs?

 

3.     Why are the rates for oxen and sheep different—that is, five of the herd under the ox, and four of the flock under the sheep?

 

Exodus 21 Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring QA

Slaves, Killing, Fighting and Goring

With Questions and Proposed Answers

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 21

 

Exodus 21:1 And these are the justices that thou shalt set to their faces.

 

2When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave, he will serve six years. And in the seventh he will exit to freedom gratis. 3If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body. If he is a husband of a woman, and his woman will exit with him.

 

4If his lords will give a woman to him, and she will child to him sons or daughters, the woman and her children will be to her lords. And he will exit with his body. 5And if the slave will say, saying, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free!” 6And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim. And he shall approach him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah. And his lords shall pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. And he shall serve him to Hider.

 

7And when a man will sell his daughter to a slavemaiden, she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves. 8If she-is-bad in the eyes of her lords who did not betroth her, and she shall be redeemed. He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her. 9And if he will betroth her to his son, he will do to her as the justice of the daughters.

 

10If he will take to himself another {feminine}, he will not diminish her remainder, her blanket-covering and her cohabiting. 11And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.

 

12The smiter of a man, and he will die: dying, he shall-be-made-to-die! 13And whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there.

 

14And when a man will presume upon his neighbour to slay him via guile, thou shalt take him from with my altar to die.

 

15And the smiter of his father and his mother: dying he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

16And a stealer of a man, and he sells him, and he will be found in his hand: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

17And he lightly esteems his father and his mother: dying, he shall-be-caused-to-die!

 

18And when men shall fight, and a man shall smite his neighbour via a stone or via a fist and he will not die, and he will fall to bed, 19if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff, and the smiter will be innocent. Only he will give his sitting and healing—he-will-cause-healing!

 

20And when a man will smite his slave or his slavemaiden via a rod, and he will die under his hand, avenging, he shall be avenged! 21Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver.

 

22And when men will physically-fight, and they will smite a pregnant woman, and her children will exit, and there will not be injury, amerced, he shall be amerced just-as the husband of the woman will set upon him. And he will give via the deliberators. 23And if injury will be, and thou shalt give, being under being!— 24eye under eye, tooth under tooth, hand under hand, foot under foot, 25branding under branding, wound under wound, bruise under bruise.

 

26And when a man will smite the eye of his slave or the eye of his slavemaiden, and he will blind her, he will send him to freedom under his eye. 27And if a tooth of his slave or a tooth of his slavemaiden will fall, he will send him to freedom under his tooth.

 

28And when an ox will gore a man or a woman and he will die, stoning, the ox shall be stoned! And he shall not eat his flesh. And the husband of the ox is innocent. 29And if an ox—he gored from yesterday three days ago, and he was testified via his husbands, and he will not guard him, and the ox will cause- a man or a woman -to-die, he will be stoned, and also his husbands─he will-be-caused-to-die! 30And if a covering will be set upon him, and he shall give a redemption of his being as all that will be set upon him! 31Or he will gore a son, or he will gore a daughter, he will be done to him as this justice.

 

32If the ox will gore a slave or a slavemaiden, he will give silver of 30 shekels to his lords. And the ox will be stoned.

 

33And when a man will open a pit, or when a man will dig a pit, and he will not cover him, and an ox or an ass will fall ‘thereward,’ 34the husband of the pit will make peace. He will return silver to his husbands. And the dead will be to him.

 

35And when the ox of a man will attack the ox of his neighbour, and he will die, and they shall sell the living ox. And they shall halve his silver. And they shall also halve the dead. 36Or it was known that the ox—he gored from yesterday, three days ago, and his husbands will not guard {singular} him: making-peace, he shall make peace, an ox under the ox. And the dead will be to him.

 

37When a man shall steal an ox or a sheep and slaughter him or sell him, he will-make-peace: five of the herd under the ox and four of the flock under the sheep!

 

 

 

I. The Justices (verse 1)

 

Yehovah commanded Moshe to set these justices to the faces of the Israelis. How surprising to find that the first justices pertain to proper treatment of slaves!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why did Yehovah call these things justices? A definition of justice is rendering (that is, finally concluding and telling) a right decision based on all facts. Elohim will be telling the Israelis what justice is in each case.

 

2.     Why must these be “set to their faces” (instead of being told to them or written for them)? The Israelis must see these justices occurring in order for them to know that they are good and right. Just hearing them won’t necessarily show them that they are good or right.

 

          Also, the Israelis are in unbelief; thus, they go by sight rather than by faith. They must have Truth put right in front of them.

 

          If something good is set to their faces, they will be more likely to go after it.

 

 

 

II. Buying a Hebrew Slave (verses 2-3)

 

Israelis will purchase Hebrew slaves. (A Hebrew slave is an Israeli slave.) The slave will serve six years. In the seventh year, the slave will exit from slavery to freedom gratis—that is, without having to pay anything.

 

If the slave will come with the only possession being his own physical body, he will exit with his physical body. If, on the other hand, he is a husband of a woman, his woman will exit with him.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Who is thou in, “When thou shalt buy a Hebrew slave”? Thou is Israel. Again, whatever an individual Israeli does, all Israel does.

 

2.     What is a Hebrew slave? Anyone who is a Hebrew is descended from an ancestor named Ever (Eber in regular translations). The following text gives the genealogy from Shem, one of Noah’s sons, to Avraham:

 

          1 Chronicles 1:24 Shem, Arphaxad, Shelah, 25Ever, Peleg, Reu, 26Serug, Nahor, Terah, 27Avram; the same is Avraham.

 

          The term Hebrew later came to be used mainly for the Israelis, though it originally included other non-Israeli groups who came from Ever’s lineage. If Yehovah’s command includes all who come from Ever’s lineage, that would include descendants of Ishmael, of Moab, of Ammon, of Esau… Had Yehovah said, “When thou shalt buy an Israeli slave…,” I would have known that this command was only for Israelis. Yehovah worded it the way He meant it.

 

3.     The text states, “He will serve six years.” Can’t the time of his serving as a slave be less than six years? Yehovah could have worded this, “He will serve no more than six years,” but He didn’t word it that way. The period of six years is the maximum (unless the slave desires to become a permanent slave), but it seems that it is also the required length of time. Yehovah will give exceptions if the slave can be freed before that. Of course, if the slavemaster wants the slave to be freed before six years, he can command the slave to be freed, in which case the remainder of the six years will be under the command of freedom!

 

4.     Why did Yehovah choose six years (instead of seven or five, for examples)? This length of time is also a type—a picture of events to come.

 

          The one future event of which I am aware that lasts seven years is the Tribulation. The Israelis will be as slaves to the lusts of others for six of those years, and the seventh year will be especially when the Israelis come with freedom to Mount Zion. I don’t know of another seven-year event that this could typify at this time.

 

5.     What does gratis mean? This means without price or payment of any kind.      

 

6.     Suppose that this slave had run up a debt that is equivalent to 25,000,000 dollars; how would his being a slave for six years come anywhere near paying that debt? It wouldn’t come near paying the debt. That is exactly what Yehovah is teaching the Israelis. No matter how great the debt, that debt will be canceled after six years and in the seventh year. That is exactly what will happen to Israel. The People of Israel will have accrued a debt (will have run up a debt) that will be so large, that no amount of time would permit the Israelis to pay that debt. Yet, Yehovah will cancel that debt in the seventh year of the Tribulation; the Israelis will request forgiveness, and Yehovah will grant it; the Israelis will ask for it in Truth.

 

7.     The text states, “If he will come with his body, he will exit with his body.” How could he come without his body? This wording in Hebrew implies that he comes into this slavery position without any other possessions except his physical body.

 

8.     If he is a husband of a woman, does his woman also become a slave when he does? If his debt is great enough, she does, and so do his children!

 

9.     If he went into slavery with his children, would they also come out with him? They do!

 

10.  Suppose that an Israeli purchases a slave who isn’t a Hebrew. Will that slave also exit in the seventh year? No! That person is a slave for life, and the children of that slave are also slaves:

 

          Leviticus 25:39 And when thy brother with thee will be impoverished, and he will be sold to thee, thou shalt not slave-drive via him the slavery of a slave. 40He will be with thee as a hireling, as a resident. He will slave with thee unto the year of the flowing. 41And he will exit from with thee—he and his children with him. And he will return unto his family. And he will return unto the possession of his fathers. 42For they are my slaves—them whom I exited from the land of Egypt. Ye shall not sell the selling of a slave. 43Thou shalt not descend into him via rigour! And thou shalt fear from thy Gods! 44And thy slave and thy slavemaiden who will be to thee: Ye shall acquire a slave and a slavemaiden from them—from with the races that are around you 45and from the children of the residents, the sojourners with you. Ye shall also acquire from them who are with you and from their families who childed in your land. And they shall be to you to a grasping. 46And ye shall self-inherit them to your children after you to a possession of grasping to hider. Ye shall slave-drive via them. And thou shalt not descend into him via rigour via your brothers, sons of Israel, a man via his brothers!

 

 

 

III. Slaves Making Babies (verses 4-6)

 

A slavemaster of a Hebrew slave can give a woman to the slave to make babies. If she does become pregnant for the slavemaster, the woman and her children will be the property of the slavemaster (and not the slave who impregnated her—who got her pregnant). When the time comes for the slave to exit, he will exit with his own physical body, and not with the woman or the child that he fathered.

 

Now, if the slave will insistently say, “I loved my lords, my woman and my children! I will not exit free,” his slavemaster will ‘approach’ him unto the Elohim—unto the Gods of Israel. And he will ‘approach’ him unto the door or unto the Mezuzah (the doorpost). The slavemaster will then pierce his ear with a piercing-tool. The slave will then serve the slavemaster to Hider—he will permanently become his property. (That way, he can keep his woman and his child/children.)

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why is lords plural? Does this refer to a slavemaster and his wife? It isn’t referring to a second human slavemaster/slavemistress. It is referring to one slavemaster/slavemistress. It is plural because the slavemaster/mistress is the boss in the many areas of the slave’s life. This is also the reason why Yehovah is so often called my Lords Yehovah in Hebrew in the Bible. Yehovah isn’t merely the Lord, but He is boss in this area and in this other area and in this other area… He is all the Lords over all things.

 

2.     If the slave’s lords will give a woman to him, does she become the slave’s wife? No! That is the point of this section: she doesn’t become his wife, and he isn’t her husband. (There is one exception to this.)

 

3.     Aren’t a man and a woman supposed to be married in the Bible before having sex and producing children? That is the rule except in this one case, and in one other case given in the Bible. A slavemaster can have a slave produce children through a woman that the slavemaster provides, and the woman and the children will not belong to the slave, but to the slavemaster unless the slave meets certain conditions (given next in the text). This is not wrong; it is perfectly right in the eyes of Yehovah.

 

          The other exception occurred with Judah and Judah’s daughter-in-law, Tamar. When Judah’s son who was married to Tamar died, Judah’s next son was responsible to take Tamar, and try to produce children to his deceased brother. He refused, and he died. Judah was afraid to give his third son to Tamar because Judah knew that the third son might also end up dead like the first two (they were evil, and Yehovah killed them). Judah cheated Tamar by promising the third son to Tamar, and not giving him to her. So, Tamar dressed up like a prostitute, and Judah had sex with her thinking she was a pagan temple whore. She became pregnant by Judah, her father-in-law, and had twins. What she did was right, and the tribe of Judah in Israel became the most notable among the tribes of Israel, the tribe that will prove to be the most Spiritual at the earliest time.

 

          Apart from these types of justices, when a man and a woman (including a girl and a boy) who are not married to anyone engage in sex together without forming marriage bonds, they are committing fornication, and fornication is sin before Yehovah. Now, since most folks do not fear Yehovah, and most folks do not believe in Yehovah and in His Messiah (Yeshua), they follow their own gods; most gods are not against fornication. Those who fear Yehovah have no business judging those who serve other gods regarding such things; the True and Living God will judge those who are outside of the faith of Yehovah. These texts in Exodus that we are considering are the Teachings of Yehovah, and not the teachings of other gods. Getting to know the Teachings of Yehovah can save lives.

 

4.     Why would a slavemaster desire a slave to produce children for the slavemaster? Children are very valuable in the Bible. I don’t mean that they are worth a lot of money; they have great abilities to benefit those around them, and they are worth all the difficulties that come with rearing children if they decide to have good character.

 

          Suppose that a slavemaster and his wife cannot have children for one reason or another; obtaining children from a slave would be an excellent and simple way to solve this problem. That is one of Yehovah’s solutions.

 

5.     What does “he will exit with his body” mean, again? He won’t take anyone with him; the woman and the children are not his.

 

6.     In what order will the slave declare his love? He starts by stating, “I loved my lords.” He then says, “… my woman …” and finally, “… my children.”

 

7.     What else must the slave declare? He must declare, “I will not exit free!” Thus, he is declaring his intention to be a slave to this slavemaster for the rest of his life.

 

8.     Under what conditions would a slave be willing to voluntarily become a permanent slave to another human? There can be many conditions, including the following:

 

  • The slave loves and trusts the slavemaster
  • The slave greatly desires to keep the woman and the children
  • The slave does much better in life with the slavemaster handling his affairs than he would do handling his own affairs
  • The slave is confident in the ability of the slavemaster to provide protection
  • The slavemaster is very good at finances and runs his holdings very well

 

 

          Many volunteered to become slaves of others in Biblical times when masters were very good to those around them.        

 

9.     Isn’t slavery evil? Slavery is evil under the following conditions:

 

  • When a person has been kidnapped for slavery purposes (as in the cases of slavery in the early United States)
  • When slaves are mistreated
  • When slaves are treated as cattle rather than as humans (made in the image of God)
  • When corrupt laws of humans cause free-born persons to become slaves
  • When slave drivers and slavemasters don’t value the lives and limitations of their slaves

 

 

          Otherwise, slavery isn’t evil; it is actually an excellent relationship that all countries in the world use and acknowledge. Marriage is voluntary slavery; every form of the military is always slavery; life-and-death forms of work are usually slavery.

 

          The military is slavery because officers can and do send men and women into life-threatening positions and assignments. They order men and women to do tasks that can easily get them killed. The military tells folks where to go, where to live, what to eat, how to dress, how to behave, etc. Even when a person retires from the military, every military can always call the retired to return to active duty. The country owns its military personnel; that ownership is for life. Thus, slavery is not automatically evil. Some thrive as slaves.

 

10.  The next verse states, “And his lords shall approach him unto the Elohim.” What does this mean, and how can this happen? The Elohim, of course, is the Gods, usually (if not always) a reference to the Messiah, and definitely a reference to the Creator. This slavemaster must bring this slave to approach the Creator.

 

          Now, the text doesn’t tell how this must be accomplished. (When I ask a question about what these things typify, you will probably see that the type will be clear.) The normal way to approach the Elohim is by coming to the altar of the Temple or Tent of Appointment. That act of coming to the altar is considered approaching Him.

 

11.  Why should he approach him unto the door, and what door is this? The text doesn’t tell what door is in mind, but the door will be made of wood, and will be hard. It will be the backdrop for ear piercing.

 

12.  What is a Mezuzah? That is the Hebrew word for a doorpost—the hard wood structure that fits around the door on the left and right upon which the door is either hinged or latched.

 

13.  What is a piercing tool? It is a tool designed to make a small but permanent hole in the lobe of the ear.

 

14.  Why must the ear be pierced? Apart from the type (that I will discuss shortly), this is usually for the placement of an earring, and if so, it shows that the man is owned as a permanent slave.

 

15.  What does “he shall serve him to Hider” mean? Since Hider refers to a time that isn’t revealed, serving to that time is serving throughout all of revealed time! The Bible reveals what will happen up to the creation of the New Earth! Thus, Hider must be beyond this present earth’s history!

 

16.  Since a human cannot serve another to Hider (due to finally becoming old and dying), what does this section of the text typify? Suppose that the slave’s lords is a type of Yehovah Himself. If this is correct, Yehovah is the one who gives a woman to the slave. She can bring forth children to him, but the woman and the children belong to Yehovah, the owner. When the slave’s time with Yehovah ends, he exits with his body. The woman who belonged to Yehovah and the children that belonged to Yehovah still belong to Yehovah; the exit of the man (I am proposing) is his death. If, however, the man declares, “I loved my lords”—that is, that he truly loved Yehovah, and, “I loved my woman and my children, I will not exit free,” his lords (supposing that this is Yehovah) will approach him unto the Elohim—that is, unto the Messiah, Yeshua. He will also approach him unto the door or unto the doorpost; the door and the doorpost are designed to keep undesired persons out. His lords (again, supposing that this is Yehovah) will pierce his ear with a piercing-tool, and I propose that this typifies the hearing of the man being opened so that he can hearken. The man who is the slave will now serve Yehovah to Hider—that is, even beyond his own death, since he will return in the resurrection of the dead to continue serving Yehovah. Since the woman and the children belonged to Yehovah, his relationship with them will also continue, though there is no marriage after death; marriage is only for this life.

 

          If what I propose is correct, this text pictures how things change when a man is born of God, opting to become a permanent slave of Yehovah and of His Messiah.

 

 

 

IV. Selling a Daughter (verses 7-9)

 

An Israeli can sell his daughter as a slavemaiden. (See questions to learn why this might occur.) This slavemaiden shall not exit (go out) as the exiting of the slaves. She must be treated differently from the other slaves.

 

If her slavemaster doesn’t look at her in a good light, and if he also didn’t betroth her (either to himself or to his son), she must be redeemed. The slavemaster is never permitted to sell her to a foreign people in the process of defrauding (dealing crookedly with her) by means of her.

 

If, on the other hand, he will betroth her to his son, he must do to her exactly what is the justice to do with daughters.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the man really sell his daughter to a slavemaiden? That is the Hebrew way of wording that he is selling his daughter to become a slavemaiden.

 

2.     Isn’t selling a daughter to become a slavemaiden really cold, an act of total lovelessness, and just cruel? While this could be the case, doing this among the Israelis under the Torah (Teaching) was often quite different in results. Now, if a man must sell his daughter to become a slavemaiden, it is usually because the financial situation of his family has become desperate. Now, suppose that he sells his daughter to become a slavemaiden, and the couple who purchases her has a son about her age. Suppose that this couple truly loves this hard-working and very gracious slavemaiden, and suppose that their son also does. She can easily go from being poor to being the wife over much property. In cases like this, selling her wasn’t cold, it wasn’t a loveless act, and it wasn’t cruel. It was a step up for her, giving her opportunity to demonstrate her quality of character.

 

          While every daughter-selling will not be so romantic, some of them will be, and the two families will then be bonded by a strong love for each other. Yehovah’s commands are good; they are not designed to do bad to the innocent.

 

3.     What does “she shall not-exit as the exiting of the slaves” mean? This can mean two different things; I propose that both are what is in mind.

 

          When the male slaves go out in the morning, most going into the fields to tend crops or to tend cattle, the slavemaiden is not to accompany the male slaves. Accompanying them would put her at risk of being raped and of being mistreated in various ways. She must be given safe tasks in safe places so that her time of slavery is not dangerous.

 

          Also, when the time comes for her to be freed from her slavery, she must not be sent out with just her body and her clothing; she must be accompanied and treated as a daughter.

 

4.     What does “she is bad in the eyes of her lords” mean? For one reason or another, her slavemaster (or slavemistress) just didn’t like her. Instead, he (or she) viewed her as destructive to his/her goals. This doesn’t imply that she did anything wrong. Yehovah knew that the Israelis were not born of God, and their senses of justice can be all wrong because of the hardness of their hearts.

 

          On the other hand, the slavemaiden might truly be destructive; still, she must be treated in a right manner.

 

5.     What does betroth mean? This means to seal a marriage relationship; the two involved are indeed husband and wife, but they haven’t yet come together for sexual intercourse.

 

          Betrothal can occur at any age. Parents of a son can betroth their son to the daughter of another set of parents when the son and daughter are, say, six years old. (I am speaking of another set of cultures, and not the cultures of the United States.) The children are husband and wife, but they are not old enough for many things. Later, when they are ready and mature enough, they can live under the same roof and can live as husband and wife. In the meantime, though, they are still married, and the term betrothed explains their relationship. Once they are betrothed, only divorce or death can break that relationship.

 

6.     What does “she shall be redeemed” mean? This form of redemption refers to a monetary price being paid for her release from slavery. Someone who is near of kin to her must pay the redemption, since her lords sees her as bad, and he didn’t betroth her to himself or to his son. The text doesn’t tell who must do this, but only that it must be done. (Someone who fears Yehovah, who is near of kin, and who can afford the redemption price will redeem her.)

 

7.     What does defraud mean? It means to cheat; to claim the willingness to do something, and then not do it; to fool another and then refuse to do what was promised.

 

8.     Explain “He shall not rule to sell her to a foreign people in his defrauding via her”: The slavemaster acquired her as a slavemaiden, and then he didn’t like her. He gave her the impression that she would do well under him, but instead he turned against her. He cannot rule over her to sell her to a foreign (non-Israeli) people; if he did, he would be selling her to folks outside of Israel who are not bound by the Teaching (Torah) of Yehovah, and who therefore could do with her whatever they wanted. If he were to sell her to a foreign people, he would be both violating this commandment and defrauding Israel and Yehovah by means of her! Yehovah will not be happy!

 

9.     Can this slavemaster betroth this slavemaiden to his son without her parents’ permission? During the time that she is a slavemaiden to this master, he owns her—but he owns her as a daughter. If his son is of good character, and if he is of good character, I don’t think that her parents will be against this betrothal. If the slavemaiden didn’t desire to be betrothed, she could express this; forced marriages do not usually work well. I propose that a wise slavemaster will speak with the slavemaiden’s parents, and will also speak with the slavemaiden herself to make certain that his son and this woman will work well together.

 

10.  What does “he will do to her as the justice of the daughters” mean? Doing as the justice of in the Bible means treating as—that is, doing things in the right manner that Yehovah has commanded.

 

          Justice is a right decision based on all facts. If the justice of a daughter who is about to be married includes giving her a dowry (a gift that is like an inheritance to help supply things needed during the marriage), the slavemaster must likewise give her a dowry! He must treat her exactly as if she were his natural daughter. (This is the only right way to treat a slavemaiden.)

 

 

 

V. Second Wife (verses 10-11)

 

If the son of the slavemaster who has married the slavemaiden takes another woman to himself as a second wife, he will not diminish the remainder of the woman who was both the first woman and the slavemaiden. He will not diminish her blanket-covering, and he will not diminish her cohabiting—sleeping with her. If he will not do these three to her, he will exit her without any redemption price—that is, gratis; there must be no silver exchange for her leaving.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does the Bible permit an Israeli to have more than one wife? Yes.

 

2.     Why would Yehovah permit a man to have more than one wife? Yehovah knew that wars would leave shortages of men, and Yehovah gave most women the desire to have children. He therefore gave that option so that a woman would not have to be without a husband and a means of legitimately having children if there were not enough men.

 

3.     Can a man have more than one wife in the United States and in countries with similar cultures? No; it is against the laws of these lands. These lands are not Israel. Yehovah has commanded those who fear Him to obey the laws of the lands in which they live as long as those laws do not command citizens to violate the Scriptures.

 

4.     Isn’t taking on another wife a form of cruelty to the first wife? Work for women and men was usually very hard. A woman might be able to have slaves who worked with her, but at times, she desired to have help that was more personal, and she might have a true friend who was in need of a marriage relationship. In other words, at times, the women found this arrangement good, and they would basically run the household while their husband did his labour.

 

          In many of our cultures, such a relationship would make for terrible jealousy, frustration and even hatred. Under the conditions of the cultures in which Israel was placed, such a relationship could be very beneficial.

 

          Yehovah never permits a woman to have more than one husband; that confuses the lineages, and men are liable to kill each other in such a case.

 

          Also, Yehovah never recommended that a man have more than one wife; He permitted it, and He gave the conditions under which it could occur.

 

5.     Who is taking to himself another woman? I propose that this is the son whose father has betrothed a slavemaiden to his son.

 

6.     What does “he will not diminish her remainder” mean? If a man will take on a second wife, the man is not permitted to cut down on what the first wife (the slavemaiden) previously was given. He cannot take what is hers and share it with the second wife; mistreatment is not permitted.

 

7.     What does “he will not diminish … her blanket-covering” mean? The husband is not permitted to take blankets (or clothing) of the first wife (the slavemaiden) to give to the second wife. He is not permitted to take part of the tent or all of the tent of the first wife and give it to the second wife.

 

8.     What does “he will not diminish … her cohabiting” mean? This means that the first husband is not permitted to diminish the amount of time that he sexually sleeps with his first wife (who was a slavemaiden). He is not to position his second wife as a replacement for his first.

 

9.     Verse 11 states, “And if he will not do these three to her, and he will exit her gratis─there is no silver.” Does he send her away after living with her as a wife for a while, and then after obtaining a second wife? If the son who has been betrothed to the slavemaiden is not willing to meet these three conditions from the beginning of his coming together with this woman, the slavemaiden’s betrothal becomes a form of fraud against her. Thus, she will be immediately sent away from being a slave.

 

          If the son takes another woman before coming together with this betrothed slavemaiden, and the son isn’t willing to make the other woman second to the slavemaiden, this also is a form of fraud against the slavemaiden, and has mandated her freedom.

 

          If the son comes together with this slavemaiden to whom he is betrothed, and then later takes another woman, and he isn’t willing to do the three things commanded to the slavemaiden, he again has defrauded her (cheated her). She must be freed. (I do not know if this constitutes a divorce since the only allowable divorce is for fornication.)

 

 

 

VI. Murderer and Manslayer (verses 12-13)

 

Anyone who smites a human such that he dies, the smiter shall be likewise made to die.

 

Now, if anyone killed another, and that person didn’t stalk the one he/she killed, and the Elohim situated the victim to the hand of the one who killed him, Yehovah will put a place to Israel so that this ‘manslayer’ will flee there.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does “The smiter of a man, and he will die” mean? This means that a man struck another man such that the other man died.

 

2.     What does “dying, he shall-be-made-to-die” mean? This means that this person must be put to death.

 

3.     Is Yehovah for capital punishment, or is He against capital punishment? Yehovah isn’t for death at all, but He commanded capital punishment for certain crimes. If He commands something, it is morally right.

 

4.     What does “the Elohim situated to his hand” mean? This means that Elohim (Gods) placed the one man (or woman) who is about to be accidentally killed into the hand of the other man (or woman) who is about to do the accidental killing. Thus, this accidental killing involves Elohim’s direct action. (Life and death are in Elohim’s hands.)

 

5.     What does “whoever did not stalk, and the Elohim situated to his hand, and I will put a place to thee that he will flee there” mean? This describes a man who didn’t stalk another person to kill him, and he didn’t plan to do so. Elohim placed the other man into the hand of the man who accidentally kills him. Elohim will designate (point out) a place for the accidental slayer so that the slayer will flee there. (He will be tried there, and if found to be an accidental slayer, he will remain there until the death of the High Priest—see Numbers 35, beginning at verse 9; you will have to read quite a few verses to see what is occurring.)

 

 

 

VII. Plotting Murderer (verse 14)

 

When a man will presume upon his neighbour (assume with arrogance in a prideful approach) to slay him via guile, Israel must take that person from being with Yehovah’s altar so that the man will die (being put to death).

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does presume mean in the Bible? It means to assume with arrogance. Assuming anything means that one figures that it is the case without checking it out. Assuming with arrogance means pridefully figuring that something is the case without a willingness to be corrected if it isn’t the case.

 

2.     How can a person presume upon his neighbour (to slay him via guile)? This person pridefully figures that he has the right to kill his neighbour, and that his neighbour deserves being killed. Thus, this person is behaving as a judge, the jury, and the executioner.

 

3.     Why must he slay him with guile? If he doesn’t, the neighbour might be able to defend himself!

 

4.     Why did Yehovah state, “thou shalt take him from with my altar to die”? Why was the man at Yehovah’s altar? If a person accidentally kills someone, that person can flee to a city of refuge where he will be safe until he is put on trial.

 

          If a person slays another using guile, that person might also flee to a city of refuge in order to make the claim that the killing was accidental!

 

          There is one detail this murderer doesn’t know: that Yehovah knows that he did his murder with presumption and via guile! Thus, Yehovah is quite capable of showing the truth of this to the judges at the city of refuge!

 

          Now, Yehovah is indicating that the murderer has fled to the city of refuge, and that he also has taken hold of the horns of the altar (see 1 Kings 2, especially at verse 28, but read the surrounding text to see an example) in order to avoid being killed until he will give his version of what took place. Once the judges find out that the man actually murdered his neighbour, they will take the man from the horns of the altar, and they will see that he is put to death.

 

 

 

VIII. Parent Murderer (verse 15)

 

Smiting (striking) one’s father and one’s mother is a death-penalty offense; that person must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a smiter of his father and his mother? This is one who strikes his father and his mother (that is, who hits them very hard, and not in play).

 

2.     Why is this a death penalty? This is also a type.

 

          First, the image of God is on these parents, and Yehovah gave these particular parents to this youth in order for these parents to benefit him. Smiting them, then, is an attack of Elohim.

 

          Secondly, these parents are a type, as proposed in the last chapter. The father, I proposed, typifies Avraham, and the mother Jerusalem. Smiting Avraham, the father of faith, and smiting Jerusalem, the free mother of all Israelis is striking out against the two by which Yehovah has brought Truth to all of Israel. That will lead to death, and not to life.

 

3.     Suppose that one’s father and mother are drowning; is smiting them in order to bring them to shore or to a ship also a death penalty? Doing what is necessary to save their lives is different, and is the right thing to do. Again, these things are types—pictures of actions and situations that are far more important. Smiting parents to save their lives is heroic.

 

 

 

IX. Kidnapper (verse 16)

 

Anyone who kidnaps another and either sells him or still has him must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What is a stealer of a man? This is a kidnapper.

 

2.     If he sells him, how can he be found in his hand? This is describing two different cases, though it is connected by and in Hebrew. This is the way to read it: “And a stealer of a man, and he sells him; and a stealer of a man, and he will be found in his hand; dying, he shall be caused to die!” Whether the kidnapped person has been sold or not, the kidnapper will be put to death.

 

3.     Why is kidnapping a death penalty offense? This action violates ownership, destroys relationships, causes (and is) violence, and brings death. It brings the great mistreatment and murder of others as if they are worthless objects. It destroys society, causes wars, breeds bitterness, and is cruel.

 

          Yet, war is not wrong, though one can take others for slaves in a war. That is not kidnapping (according to the Bible). It is quite different from kidnapping since taking slaves in a war is acquiring very valuable acquisitions of others. A slave legitimately acquired can be so good for all involved (it can even be good for the one taken into slavery, as the Bible shows).

 

 

 

X. Light-Esteemer of Parents (verse 17)

 

Anyone who views parents with contempt as if they have little value must be put to death.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does lightly esteem mean? It means to view and treat as of little worth and value. It is why some show contempt for their parents and treat their parents as excess baggage to be dropped off and abandoned.

 

2.     Why is lightly esteeming father and mother a death penalty offense? This shows contempt for Yehovah who gave the father and mother, since the image of God is in the father and the mother, and they were given the role of God for a while in the life of the child. Yet, the type shown by this is very important.

 

          If Avraham is the father and if Jerusalem is the mother, lightly esteeming Avraham will not only stop one from having faith (since Avraham is the father of faith), but it will also lead to contempt for fellow-Israelis who are children of Avraham. Thus, it will lead to every form of mistreatment of others. Lightly esteeming Jerusalem will stop a person from heroism during the Tribulation, and will instead cause that person to focus on self-preservation (a form of selfishness) instead of focusing on preserving others. This will be one of the reasons why Yehovah’s wrath will be against Israel! Thus, such action is worthy of the death penalty since it causes great death among the Israelis (and others).

 

 

 

XI. Fighting and Reparations (verses 18-19)

 

Israeli men will fight. If one of them smites his neighbour via a stone or via a fist, and the neighbour doesn’t die, but he does fall to bed, if he later arises and walks on his own power into the outside upon his staff, the smiter will be innocent. In the meantime, however, the smiter must pay for whoever has to care for the man and for medical bills; the smiter must make sure the man is healed.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Will Israelis fight with each other? They will until they will all be born of God. Until that occurs, some of their fights will be severe.

 

2.     Is smiting a neighbour via a stone against the Torah? I haven’t seen where that is against the Torah, but the command to love one’s neighbour as oneself is part of the Torah, and using a stone or a rock in a fight isn’t normally a good way to show love toward a neighbour. If the one who is using the stone or rock is considerably weaker or smaller than the other, that might be the advantage needed to even out the fight, but it has its risks as the text will explain.

 

3.     What does “he will fall to bed” mean? This means that the hit with the rock/stone or with the fist was great enough, that the other person has been injured and cannot get up out of bed. This is quite an injury.

 

4.     The text continues, “if he will arise and he will walk himself into the outside upon his staff …” What does this mean? This means that the person who was injured was later able to get out of bed and was able to walk without aid, using his own staff to walk. Thus, the injury wasn’t permanent or very long-lasting.

 

5.     Why will the smiter be innocent in this case? The smiter didn’t do permanent damage to the injured person.

 

6.     What does the text require the smiter to do? The text requires the smiter to “give his sitting and healing”—that is, to pay for another to sit with the injured person until the person can get up, and to pay the medical bills and medication costs until the person can get up.

 

7.     The text states, “he will cause healing!” What does this mean? This means that the smiter must bring about the healing of the injured person! This can be very expensive; it might be worthwhile for the smiter to decide to not smite with his fist or with a rock/stone!

 

8.     Suppose that both men injure each other, and both are stuck in bed for a while. Are they even? No! They each must pay for the sitter for the other, for the medical bills for the other and the medication costs for the other! Their bills and costs might not be similar!

 

 

 

XII. Smiting a Slave (verses 20-21)

 

When a slavemaster smites a male or female slave via a rod, and the slave dies under his hand, vengeance must be taken for the slave.

 

If instead the slave arises in a day or several days, no vengeance will be taken for the slave since the slave is the silver of the slavemaster.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Is an Israeli in violation of the Torah if he/she smites a slave? No; this isn’t a violation as long as there is no permanent damage from the smiting.

 

2.     In the case that a slave dies under a smiting, the text states, “avenging, he shall be avenged.” It doesn’t say what will be done. What will be done in such a case? The slavemaster will be put to death. Though the person beaten was a slave, that doesn’t diminish the crime of murder that was committed.

 

3.     Explain this: “Only if he will arise a day or days, he will-not-be-avenged. For he is his silver”: If the slave that was beaten doesn’t die, and will be able to get out of bed in a day or two days, the slave won’t be avenged; nothing will happen to the slavemaster. The reason is given: the slave is the slavemaster’s ‘silver’—that is, he is his money! If the slavemaster wants to beat a slave, and have that slave useless for a time, such that the slavemaster must take care of the slave, that is the choice of the slavemaster. (If the slavemaster damages the slave, however, another text commands what must be done.)

 

4.     Doesn’t this paragraph permit the general mistreatment of slaves? It may appear to do that, but it doesn’t. The Torah is such that all of it must be taken together; taking only parts will certainly lead to taking it wrong!

 

          Some slaves are at first very unwilling to do what they are told; and sometimes what they are told to do is good, and not bad. The slavemaster must be careful to not permanently hurt the slave, however, since another text teaches that the slave must be released from slavery under that circumstance. If slavemasters were never permitted to strike their slaves who refused to work, no one would desire to be a slavemaster since almost no slaves would voluntarily work. The Bible shows a number of slaves and slavemasters who developed a relationship with each other that included great love and trust. Besides this, anyone entering into a marriage is volunteering to be a slave; anyone entering into the military is becoming a slave; slavery is a normal part of life.

 

          Now, some slavemasters are just evil. Yehovah later gives rulings about the treatment of slaves who run away. For example, if a slave runs away and comes to the home of another Israeli, that Israeli must treat that slave well, and that Israeli is not permitted to return the slave back to the slavemaster! The slavemaster must come for the slave on his own!

 

 

 

XIII. Pregnant Woman’s Injury during a Fight (verses 22-25)

 

Israelis will physically fight. If they will smite a pregnant woman in the process of fighting, and if her children will exit (from her womb), and there won’t be injury, there will still be a monetary fine for causing this birthing at this time. The husband of the woman will set the fine, and the one who smote the woman causing the birth will pay the fine. Deliberators will decide if the fine’s size is right, and the man will give according to the deliberators.

 

If, on the other hand, there will be injury, whatever the nature of the injury is, that will be done to the man who smote the pregnant woman!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why would men smite a pregnant woman? Normally, this is an accident. This text doesn’t make a distinction between an accident and an intentional attack on the pregnant woman; what must be done is the same.

 

2.     Why does the text state, “and her children will exit,” instead of this: “and her child will exit”? She might be carrying twins (or more). (He children exiting means that she gave birth.)

 

3.     What does amerced mean? This means to impose a financial penalty that is not fixed by any statute. The woman’s husband (along with deliberators) will determine how much the one who struck her and caused the premature birthing must pay.

 

4.     Why does the woman’s husband (and not the woman) get to set the amount that must be paid? Some women would feel very uncomfortable having to set a price for what took place. The husband is more likely to not be stressed by such a decision. Since the woman and her husband are one flesh, and since he wasn’t directly involved, he can participate in this way without being dishonoured for setting the price high.

 

5.     What is a deliberator? This is a person who thinks things (including very difficult things) through in order to reach a good decision.

 

          Folks who participate in a jury are supposed to deliberate on what they hear in court; they are supposed to carefully weigh all testimonies given to determine who is innocent and who is guilty, and whether the evidence presented is truly convincing evidence.

 

6.     How many deliberators will be involved? The text doesn’t give this information; the reader can tell that there are at least two. That way, the decision will probably be wiser.

 

7.     What occurs if the deliberators determine that the amount declared by the husband is too high or too low? I propose that the deliberators will change the amount to reflect what they feel is wise.

 

8.     What must be done if the woman is injured? Whatever the injury of the woman is, that same injury must be done to the man who injured her! Thus, if one of the two fighting men broke her leg, the judges will appoint someone to break the leg of the guilty man!

 

9.     Why is the Torah so hard on the man who accidentally harmed the woman while fighting with another Israeli? Every Israeli is a guard (‘keeper’) of his brother and his sister. Becoming angry at one Israeli, and then hurting another in the process of getting back at that Israeli is wrong. (The Israelis could have gone to the judges instead of fighting.) Thus, the retribution (payback) must be exactly according to the damage.

 

          The Israelis will usually fear this ruling, and will be careful to stop the fight when any woman comes into the area.

 

10.  What does under mean in “eye under eye,” etc.? It means in the place of. Thus, if the fighter puts out the woman’s eye, the fighter’s eye is put out in place of her eye that was put out.

 

11.  Suppose that the injury is to the baby—what is the ruling regarding this? Since the text doesn’t specify whether the injury is to the woman or to her children, I propose that the same would be true. If the baby dies, the man who struck the woman will be put to death (if I am right about this).

 

 

 

XIV. Damaging a Slave (verses 26-27)

 

A slavemaster who will smite a slave might put out the slave’s eye. If he does, he must send the slave to freedom in the place of his/her eye. The same is true regarding a tooth.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Does it matter if putting out the eye of a slave was an accident, or was intentional? It doesn’t matter.

 

2.     Why isn’t the eye of the slavemaster put out in an ‘eye-for-an-eye’ response? There isn’t a way to tell if the slave or slavemaiden was intentionally fighting with the slavemaster in a case where the slavemaster was truly being kind and very reasonable (even if there were witnesses, since things can be made to look like they are not). The slave/master relationship can start out being very adversarial (that is, with the slave seeing the slavemaster as a terrible enemy, and the slavemaster seeing the slave as doing everything to not participate in work that needs to be done). If there were danger of kind-for-kind retribution in such cases, a slave could intentionally receive payment to have his own eye put out, and then to claim that the slavemaster did it. This would make holding slaves very dangerous for even the best and kindest of slavemasters. Yehovah has limited the damage response to losing the slave.

 

3.     Supposing that both eyes are put out; wouldn’t sending the slave or slavemaiden to freedom be cruel, since he/she cannot do anything much for quite a while? Once the slave is free in Israel, the Israelis have other commands that take care of such cases. The Israelis must take care of their brethren who become poor.

 

4.     Only the blinding of an eye or the falling of a tooth is mentioned. Suppose that the little toe of the slave is broken; what must be done in that case? This must be asked: will the toe heal? The eye won’t, and the tooth won’t. If the toe won’t heal, the slave must be freed. If the toe will, the slave won’t be freed. (Time will tell.) Now, if the slavemaster causes the slave to lose a toe or a finger, the slave must be freed.

 

5.     Why does Yehovah pick things like the losing of a tooth when they are so minor compared to other things, and when the Torah is truly so short (in contrast to other bodies of ‘law’ in other lands)? Yehovah gave rulings in order to keep lives from being lost.

 

          Suppose that Yehovah had not covered this issue of slaves. Now, supposing that a man in Israel had a sister whom he loved, and who was married to a man who became poor. Suppose that the man with the sister couldn’t afford to pay for her freedom. Now, suppose that she had a tooth knocked out during an angry response of her slavemaster, and the slavemaster still kept her as a slave. Her brother, who loves her a great deal, might go to find the slavemaster, and might intentionally knock out three of his teeth. His kinfolks, hearing about this, might get together to go after this brother and his kin… This would begin a feud and much bloodshed. Thus, Yehovah ruled on such things so that like things could also be judged by judges, and so that feuding would be far less likely to occur, thus saving lives.

 

 

 

XV. A Goring Ox (verses 28-31)

 

An ox that gores a man or a woman to death must be stoned. No one is permitted to eat the flesh of the ox. The husband (ox owner and handler) is innocent.

 

On the other hand, if the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and someone testified this to the ox’s husbands (handlers), and the husband will not guard the ox, and the ox will cause a man or a woman to die, the ox will be stoned, and the ox’s husbands—he will also be put to death!

 

If a covering will be set upon the husband, the husband will give a redemption of his being according to all that will be set upon him!

 

If the ox will gore a son or a daughter, this same justice will be done to the husband.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Why must the ox be stoned to death instead of just being slaughtered? The ox has acted as a type—as if the ox were a group that committed murder! Therefore, the ox is treated as a murdering group and is stoned to death. The outrage of the Israeli community must be shown against this animal. This will also cause other oxen owners to fear so that they will be far more careful to keep their oxen from harming others. (An ox is very valuable; losing one is a great loss.) If the ox is stoned, it cannot be used for food.

 

2.     Who is he in, “And he shall not eat his flesh”? This refers to the owner, and to any Israeli (or sojourner).

 

3.     What does “the husband of the ox is innocent” mean? The husband of the ox is either the owner or the person taking care of the ox. That person didn’t do anything wrong since this is the first incident of the ox goring.

 

4.     What does “he gored from yesterday three days ago” mean? This means that the ox tried to ram someone with its horns yesterday, or three days ago, or sometime in the past (it could be two months ago!).

 

5.     Explain “he was testified via his husbands”: Someone told the husbands of the ox—that is, the ox tender(s) who take(s) care of the ox—that the ox has a tendency to try to gore humans, and that the animal is dangerous. If the husbands received this information, it changes everything!

 

6.     The text states, “and he will not guard him.” Does the husband of the ox refuse to guard the ox? Suppose that the husband was willing, but just couldn’t guard the ox for a short time; doesn’t that mean that he will guard him? The statement, “and he will not guard him,” has nothing to do with his willingness in his mind; it has everything to do with whether or not he has taken precautions and measures to make sure that the ox never has opportunity to gore anyone. If the husband permits the ox to take any opportunity to gore another person, that husband isn’t guarding the ox!

 

7.     Why must the husbands also be caused to die even if the ox broke down a fence (say), and then gored a man? The husbands knew very well of the danger. He could easily have had the ox dehorned! (A dehorned ox cannot gore; it can kick and stomp, but it can’t gore.) The owner could also have traded the ox to a butcher, and used the proceeds to purchase a more docile (quieter and calmer) ox.

 

          Once an Israeli knows the danger, and that Israeli is always his brother’s and sister’s keeper, that Israeli is responsible to take action, and to do it right away!

 

8.     How will the husband of the ox be caused to die? The text doesn’t say. Stoning would be appropriate, in some cases!

 

9.     The next verse states, “And if a covering will be set upon him…” What does this mean? Since the covering is connected to a redemption, I propose that this covering will keep the husband from being killed, and the redemption is what the husband must pay because of the death that the animal he was tending has caused.

 

10.  Under what circumstances might a covering keep the husband of the ox that gored from being put to death? I thought of several, and I suspect that you also can think of several circumstances. Here is one: Suppose that the owner of the ox didn’t know that the ox tended to gore humans. Now, suppose that the owner traveled to a distant part of Israel. In the meantime, while he is gone, he receives a communication from the person he put in charge to watch his oxen, and this communication tells him that his ox tried to gore one of the cowboys. This owner now knows, but he is still a distance from being home. Suppose he writes a communication back, telling the person in charge of the ox to keep the ox carefully tied up until he gets back, because he intends to use the ox in some form of work in which the ox won’t be dangerous. Now, the one in charge of the ox is the husband of the ox while the owner is out of town. He receives the note, and he carefully ties up the ox. In the meantime, the ox breaks loose. A cowboy is passing through the field, and the ox goes after him; the ox gores the cowboy, who then dies. Now, the husband of the ox tried to restrain him, and the owner told the husband of the ox to restrain him. The judges hear this case, and they put a covering on both men. They can’t blame the husband of the ox because the owner didn’t permit him to destroy the animal; they can’t blame the owner because the owner gave specific directions to keep the ox tied. Thus, I propose that the judges will set a covering upon the husband of the ox—the man hired, and he must give a redemption of his own being according to whatever is set upon him because though the ox escaped, it was his responsibility to make sure that the ox didn’t escape. If the man isn’t married, and if the cowboy was married, and she is now a widow, she might insist that his redemption be that he will take her husband’s place, and become her husband!

 

11.  Why is verse 31 necessary? If the ox (that has gored before) gores a child, someone might think that the child was foolish for being in the area of the ox, and that it was an accident. The Torah doesn’t permit this view; the ox was already dangerous, and it is up to the husband of the ox to make certain that the ox doesn’t hurt anyone!

 

12.  How could this justice be the means of making a proper law regarding someone who drives after having become a little drunk, and kills someone? While these Teachings are designed for the Israelis in the Land of Israel, the correctness and the justice of these teachings will sometimes be wise considerations when making laws in other countries and cultures.

 

          For example, here is a way that a law could be constructed in another country that would resemble this: Suppose that a person who has never been tipsy or drunk before becomes tipsy, and then drives. If that person hits and kills another person, manslaughter has taken place, and the laws regarding manslaughter should be enforced.

 

          Now, suppose that the person had previously become tipsy or drunk, and drove the car. This person now drives drunk again, and kills someone. This person should be held for murder since the person already has shown the tendency to drink and then drive, and also to be dangerous to others. Thus, this person should be put to death. (Of course, most places are doing away with capital punishment because of terrible justice inconsistencies that have put innocent folks to death, and because there isn’t the view that the image of God is on each person, making capital punishment both right and necessary when there is valid proof of murder.)

 

 

 

XVI. Ox Goring a Slave (verse 32)

 

If the ox will gore a male or female slave, the husband will give 30 shekels of silver to the slavemaster, and the ox will be stoned.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     Thirty shekels isn’t much at all—the equivalent of perhaps $50. Why is this all that occurs from an ox goring of a human? The text assumes that the reader realizes that this ox wasn’t previously known to try to gore and ram humans. This exchange of currency is more than what would have been exchanged if the person had not been a slave, since there would have been no monetary compensation or compensation of any kind. This ox goring destroyed the property of another: a slave. The 30 shekels should remind readers who have read the entire Bible of another incident in which this price was exchanged. (See Zechariah 11:12-13, Matthew 26:15, and Matthew 27:3-9.) This is the price of a slave.

 

2.     What will occur if the ox of a master kills that master’s slave? He cannot pay himself; he has lost a slave.

 

 

 

XVII. An Open Pit (verses 33-34)

 

When a man opens or digs a pit, it is up to the man to provide a cover for the pit that will keep humans and large animals from falling into the pit. If the man who opens or digs the pit doesn’t provide such a cover, and an ox or an ass falls into the pit, the husband of the pit (the one who is responsible for the pit being opened or dug) will make peace. He will return silver to the husbands of the dead animal; he will now own the dead animal.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What does this text mean by cover him? It refers to placing something over the entire hole so that even a large animal cannot fall into this hole. (Of course, the man could put a fence around the hole, but that would defeat the purpose.)

 

2.     What is the purpose of digging such a hole? There can be a number of reasons. It might be to start a well; it might be to trap deer or similar animals; it might be to catch a lion; it might be to look for minerals or for valuable items in the ground that can be used for various purposes; it might be to catch rainwater… Regardless of its purpose, if an ox or ass owned by someone else falls into this pit, the one who dug the pit must compensate (pay out for damages).

 

3.     Suppose that the animal falls into the pit, but isn’t hurt; must the one who dug the pit pay something? This text assumes that the animal that fell into the pit was harmed or killed. If the animal isn’t harmed or killed, the one who dug the pit must get the animal out of the pit.

 

4.     What does “thereward” mean? This is a coined word(a made-up word) that means toward there—toward the pit (the bottom of the pit), in this case.

 

5.     What does “the husband of the pit will make peace” mean? The husband of the pit is the one who dug the pit. (This could easily be a worker who was told to dig the pit.) This person must make peace—that is, must pay a reasonable price for the damages so that theowner of the harmed or dead animal doesn’t feel as if he had been cheated regarding the actual value of the animal.

 

6.     Suppose that the animal that was harmed or killed was a pet or a prize animal to the owner; how would peace be made? In very difficult cases like that, where the owner has a value on the animal that is far above any market price (the price that would normally be paid for the animal at a place where animals are sold), the judges in the city gates will hear, and will determine what must be done.

 

          There are some folks with whom peace just cannot be made; they will insist on being unreasonable no matter what. Some of them try to make a huge profit from such a case. The judges at the gate will hear such cases, and they will force a peace on that man even if he doesn’t like it; the peace that must be made also has Yehovah in mind!

 

7.     What does “He will return silver to his husbands” mean? This means that he won’t give an animal for an animal, but will instead pay a price in silver (it doesn’t say, in gold).

 

8.     Why must the price be in silver? Why didn’t the text specify that silver or gold could be used? All of these texts are types—pictures of things that are even more important. Silver is a picture of redemption in the Bible. To redeem (with this kind of redemption) is to pay a price in order to bring a person from some sort of a held state—like being held as a hostage, as a slave, as a prisoner, etc. The one paying the silver is thus redeeming the dead animal! The dead animal therefore becomes “to him” (becomes his).

 

9.     Suppose that he doesn’t want the dead animal; can he leave the animal in the pit, and cover it? He can do whatever he wants with the animal. He cannot tell the previous owner to come and get it! It is now the property of the one who dug the pit, and it is also his problem!

 

10.  If the animal is an ox, and it just recently fell into the pit and died, can the new owner eat the animal? Yes!

 

 

 

XVIII. Ox Duel (verses 35-36)

 

If one ox of one man attacks another ox of a neighbour, and the neighbour’s ox dies, both men must sell the living ox. They must then halve the silver for the ox. They will also halve the dead ox.

 

If it was known that the ox gored yesterday or even three days ago, and his husbands will not guard the ox, that owner must make peace, replacing the ox with one of his own oxen (or acquiring an equivalent ox for the victim’s husband). The owner of the goring ox will now own the dead ox.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must they do if an ox attacks and kills two oxen of his neighbour? If no one knew that the ox showed this behaviour before, the living ox must be sold, and half its value must be given to the owner of the dead oxen; and half the price of another ox of equal value must be given by the husband of the ox that gored; and both dead animals must be halved between the husband and the owner of the dead oxen. It will come out equal for both.

 

          If the oxen’s reputation as a gorer was already established, however, peace must be made, and the two dead oxen will then belong to the husband of the goring ox. This could become quite expensive! 

 

 

 

XIX. Animal Theft (verse 37)

 

A sheepstealer or an ox thief who slaughters or sells the animal must make peace with the owner. Making peace includes this: he must give five animals of the herd in the place of the ox, and four of the flock in the place of the sheep!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.     What must be done to a man who steals an ox or a sheep, and is found with the animal alive and unsold? I can only propose an equitable solution, since I don’t know. I propose that instead of five of the herd, he will return the ox with four other oxen; instead of four of the flock, he will return the sheep with three other sheep.

 

2.     What will happen to the thief if he cannot cover these costs? He will become a slave of the man or woman from whom he tried to steal. If the man or woman doesn’t want him, the man or woman can sell him to another Israeli who can deal with such a person with ease.

 

3.     Why are the rates for oxen and sheep different—that is, five of the herd under the ox, and four of the flock under the sheep? Stealing an ox is stealing an Israelis tractor! It is taking away not only an animal that could be eaten, but also one that can be used to farm and raise crops! Therefore, the theft was much more severe than the theft of a sheep.

 

          (Now, if that sheep were like a daughter, that is a very different case, again! In such a case, the judges will determine what to do. King David almost ordered the death of a man who took the only sheep of another man; King David almost ordered his own death! See 2 Samuel 12!)

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Exodus 20 Ten Statements

Ten Statements

 

 

Background and printed text: Exodus 20

 

Exodus 20:1 And Elohim spoke all these speeches to say,

 

2 “I am Yehovah thy Gods Who exited thee from the land of Egypt, from the house of slaves!

 

3 “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces! 4Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image] and every picture that is in the heavens from above and that is in the land from under and that is in the waters from under to the land. 5Thou shalt not prostrate to them. And thou shalt not serve them. For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One] visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters, 6And doing Grace to thousands—to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!

 

7 “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity! For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!

 

8 “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him! 9Thou shalt slave and do all thine errand six days. 10And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates. 11For, six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And He ceased in Day the seventh. Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!

 

12 “Glorify thy father and thy mother so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.

 

13 “Thou shalt not murder.

 

“Thou shalt not commit-adultery.

 

“Thou shalt not steal.

 

“Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie.

 

14 “Thou shalt not covet a house of thy neighbour. Thou shalt not covet a woman of thy neighbour and his slave and his female-slave and his ox and his ass and any that is to thy neighbour.”

 

15And all the people, they are seeing the voices and the torches and a voice of the shofar! And the mountain is smoke! And the people saw. And they tottered. And they stood from a distance. 16And they said unto Draw [Moshe], “Speak thou with us! And we hearkened! And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

17And Draw [Moshe] said unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye. For the Elohim came in order to test you and in order that His fear will be upon your faces so-that-ye-shall-not-sin!”

 

18And the people stood from a distance. And Draw [Moshe] neared unto the neck-falling-darkness where there is the Elohim.

 

19And Yehovah said unto Draw [Moshe], “So thou shalt say unto children of Israel, ‘Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens! 20Ye shall not make with me gods of silver! And ye shall not make gods of gold to you! 21Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me. And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him. I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee. 22And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her! 23And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!’”

 

 

 

I. All These Speeches (verse 1)

 

Elohim spoke all these speeches. This section shows what all the speeches said.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is Elohim?

 

2.    How many speeches are given in these texts?

 

3.    This speech of verse 1 states, “Elohim spoke all these speeches to say.” What are these speeches saying?

 

4.    To whom did Elohim speak all these speeches?

 

 

 

II. The First Statement: The Identity of Yehovah (verse 2)

 

Yehovah identified Himself: “I am Yehovah thy Gods.” He said what He did: “… Who exited thee from the land of Egypt (Double-Adversity)…” He also did this: “… Who exited thee from the house of slaves!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does the name Yehovah mean?

 

2.    Why does the text state, “Yehovah thy Gods instead of “Yehovah thy God”?

 

3.    Why does Yehovah identify Himself as the Gods “who exited thee from the land of Egypt,” of all the different ways that He could describe Himself?

 

4.    What does house of slaves mean?

 

5.    Who is thee in, “Who exited thee?”

 

6.    Why did Yehovah exit Israel from the land of Egypt?

 

 

 

III. The Second Statement: NO Other Gods (verses 3-6)

 

Yehovah stated very specifically: “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces!”

 

He then added details: “Thou shalt not make to thee an engraved-[image].”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the heavens from above.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the land from under.”

 

“Thou shalt not make to thee every picture that is in the waters from under to the land.”

 

Yehovah then commanded what not to do:

 

“Thou shalt not prostrate to them.”

 

“And thou shalt not serve them.”

 

He then gave the reasons:

 

“For I am Yehovah thy Gods, a jealous mighty-[One].”

 

What does a jealous mighty One do?

 

“…visiting iniquity of fathers upon children upon thirds and upon fourths to my haters…”

 

He also does beneficial things:

 

“…And doing Grace to thousands to my lovers and to guards of my commandments!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why did Yehovah word this, “He shall not be to thee—other gods—upon my faces,” instead of wording it this way: “Other gods shall not be to thee upon my faces”?

 

2.    Why does He say, “upon my faces”?

 

3.    Why does the text read, “upon my faces,” instead of, “upon my face”?

 

4.    What is an engraved image?

 

5.    Is Yehovah commanding the Israelis to refrain from every carving and sculpture?

 

6.    Is this text commanding the Israelis to never make any pictures?

 

7.    What would an engraving or a picture look like if it is “in the heavens from above”?

 

8.    What is “the land from under”?

 

9.    Does this command prohibit making photographs?

 

10. What are the “waters from under to the land”?

 

11. Are only pictures of these gods and goddesses prohibited?

 

12. What does prostrate mean?

 

13. What does “Thou shalt not prostrate to them” mean?

 

14. What is involved in serving them?

 

15. Do folks today serve false gods and goddesses?

 

16. Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not prostrate to them”?

 

17. Is this command only to whom you identified in the answer above?

 

18. What is the reason Yehovah gives for not prostrating to or serving false gods?

 

19. Isn’t being jealous very childish?

 

20. In what way is Yehovah jealous?

 

21. What is iniquity?

 

22. What does visiting iniquity upon someone mean?

 

23. Is Yehovah doing right by visiting the iniquity of fathers upon children? Should children be held responsible for what their fathers did?

 

24. What is Grace?

 

25. What does doing Grace mean?

 

26. What is a ‘lover’ of Yehovah?

 

27. What is a guard of Yehovah’s commandments?

 

 

 

IV. The Third Statement: Carrying the Name to a Vanity (verse 7)

 

Yehovah commanded, but He spoke of Himself in the third person (as if He were speaking of another being): “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity!” (A vanity includes a false god; see the questions.)

 

He then gave the threat, but again in the third person, as if He were speaking of another: “For Yehovah will not clear whoever will carry His Name to a vanity!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is a vanity in the Bible?

 

2.    What does “Thou shalt not carry Name Yehovah Thy Gods to a vanity” mean?

 

3.    What does Yehovah say that He will do to anyone who carries this Name to a vanity?

 

4.    Most translations give the impression that using God’s name in vain is what this command about. This gives the impression that this command is against cussing/swearing using His name. Is this also correct?

 

 

 

V. The Fourth Statement: the Day of Ceasing (verses 8-11)

 

The commands continued as if Yehovah were not the speaker, since they are not in the first person (“I,” “my” or “me”), but in the third person (“He,” “His” or “Him”). “Remember-thou Day of the Ceasing to sanctify him!”

 

Yehovah then gives the directions: “Six days thou shalt slave and do all thine errand. And Day the seventh is a ceasing to Yehovah thy Gods. Thou shalt not do any errand—thou and thy son and thy daughter, thy slave and thy female-slave and thy cattle and thy sojourner who is in thy gates.”

 

He gives the reason: “For six days Yehovah did the heavens and the land, the sea and all that is in them. And he ceased in Day the seventh.”

 

“Yehovah therefore blessed Day the seventh, and He sanctified him!”

 

Questions

 

1.    What is this Day of Ceasing?

 

2.    What do the Days of Ceasing picture?

 

3.    What does sanctify mean?

 

4.    How can one sanctify a Day of Ceasing?

 

5.    How many days of the week is Israel assigned to work?

 

6.    Why must Israel slave? What does this mean?

 

7.    What is an errand, and how does this differ from work?

 

8.    Why is errand singular (“all thine errand”)?

 

9.    Why is Day the seventh a ceasing to Yehovah instead of being a ceasing to Israel?

 

10. Why mustn’t Israel do any errand, including even a sojourner who is in Israel’s gates?

 

11. What did Yehovah do for the six days mentioned in verse 11?

 

12. What does bless mean, and how did Yehovah bless Day the seventh?

 

13. How did Yehovah sanctify him, and who is him?

 

 

 

VI. The Fifth Statement: Glorification and a Prolonged Stay (verse 12)

 

Yehovah commanded one being (described by thy) to glorify this being’s father and mother. He gave the reason: “so-that thy days will lengthen upon the soil that Yehovah thy Gods gave to thee.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does glorify mean?

 

2.    Who is thy in, “Glorify thy father and thy mother…”?

 

3.    If the answer to the above text is true, identify the father and the mother:

 

4.    How will glorifying Avraham lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel?

 

5.    How will glorifying Jerusalem lengthen Israel’s days upon the soil that Yehovah, Israel’s Gods, gave to Israel?

 

6.    Has Yehovah given the soil of the Land of Israel to the Israelis?

 

 

 

VII. The Sixth Statement: Don’t Murder (verse 13)

 

Again speaking to one being, Yehovah commanded, “Thou shalt not murder.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is murder?

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not murder?

 

 

 

VIII. The Seventh Statement: Don’t Commit Adultery (verse 13)

 

He then commanded to this one being, “Thou shalt not commit-adultery.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What is adultery?

 

2.    Who is being commanded to not commit adultery in this text?

 

3.    With whom might Israel as a whole commit adultery?

 

4.    Is Israel as a whole committing adultery right now?

 

 

 

IX. The Eighth Statement: Don’t Steal (verse 13)

 

Yehovah told this one being, “Thou shalt not steal.”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Who is being told to not steal?

 

2.    From whom could Israel steal?

 

 

 

X. The Ninth Statement: Don’t Answer as a Witness of a Lie (verse 13)

 

Yehovah commanded against answering a question by means of a neighbour such that the person answering is a witness of a lie.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does “Thou shalt not answer via thy neighbour, a witness of a lie” mean, and how does it differ from “Thou shalt not answer, a witness of a lie”?

 

2.    Is lying as a witness ever right?

 

3.    How else can Israel answer via Israel’s neighbour, a witness of a lie?

 

 

 

XI. The Tenth Statement: Coveting What Can’t Be Obtained (verse 14)

 

Yehovah commanded against coveting particular items: a house of one’s neighbour, a woman of one’s neighbour, a male slave of one’s neighbour, a female slave of one’s neighbour, an ox of one’s neighbour, an ass of one’s neighbour, and any item that is holy to one’s neighbour.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What does covet mean?

 

2.    Who is thou in, “Thou shalt not covet…”?

 

3.    If the answer above is correct, what is wrong with Israel coveting a house of Israel’s neighbour?

 

4.    What is wrong with coveting a neighbour’s woman?

 

5.    If the neighbour has a slave, can’t the slave be purchased if the one who is coveting can afford the price?

 

6.    Can Israel go to war with neighbours, and take property (including slaves and women for wives) from the neighbours?

 

 

 

XII. Terror of Dying (verses 15-16)

 

All the people of Israel are seeing the voices! They see the torches, and they see the voice of the shofar! The mountain is smoke. Upon seeing these things, the people tottered, and they stood from a distance!

 

The Israelis then said unto Moshe, “Speak thou with us!” They guaranteed, “And we hearkened!” They then requested, “And Elohim will not speak with us lest we will die!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    How can all the people see voices, including the voice of the shofar?

 

2.    What torches were there?

 

3.    What do torches do, and why were they there with Elohim?

 

4.    If the above answer is correct regarding the torches, what do the voices do, and why did Elohim send the sounds of the voices?

 

5.    What is a shofar?

 

6.    What does “the mountain is smoke” mean?

 

7.    Why did the people totter, and what does that mean?

 

8.    What did the Israelis do as they tottered?

 

9.    What did the Israelis desire Moshe to do, and why?

 

10. Would they have died if Elohim had continued to speak with them?

 

 

 

XIII. The Test and Sin-Preventing Fear (verse 17)

 

Moshe responded by saying unto the people, “Don’t fear-ye.” He explained, “For the Elohim came in order to test you.” That wasn’t the only reason, however; He also came “in order that His fear will be upon your faces;” that fear was intentional. That way, the Israelis won’t sin!

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    What good did Moshe’s telling them to not fear do? Does telling fearful folks to not fear do any good?

 

2.    What is the purpose of a test from Elohim?

 

3.    What are the two reasons given for Elohim coming (to Mount Sinai)?

 

4.    What does fear being upon a person’s face have to do with not sinning?

 

5.    Does anyone show a fear of Elohim on his/her faces today?

 

 

 

XIV. Neck-Falling Darkness (verse 18)

 

The people of Israel still stood from (at) a distance. Moshe neared unto the darkness where Elohim was. It was ‘neck-falling’ darkness.

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Why does the text again state, “And the people stood from a distance”?

 

2.    Why is the darkness described as neck-falling?

 

3.    Why did Moshe approach this? Wasn’t he afraid?

 

4.    Does Elohim show up in great darkness elsewhere in the Bible?

 

5.    What is the benefit of Elohim’s appearing in neck-falling darkness?

 

 

 

XV. Against Idolatry (verses 19-23)

 

Yehovah now gave Moshe more things to say unto the children of Israel. Yehovah started with what He did: “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!”

 

Since Yehovah is therefore right there with them, He commanded, “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver!”

 

He also commanded against making gods of gold to (for) themselves.

 

Now, He commanded them to make one item: “Thou shalt make an altar of soil to me.” He gave its purposes: “And thou shalt sacrifice thine ascensions and thy ‘peaces,’ thy flock and thy herd upon him.”

 

How will Yehovah respond? “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name. And I will bless thee.”

 

He didn’t command against a stone altar, but He gave one restriction: “And if thou wilt make an altar of stones to me, thou shalt not build them a cutting. For thou did swing thy sword upon her, and thou profaned her!”

 

There was one other restriction regarding an altar: “And thou shalt not ascend upon my altar via steps so-that thy nakedness will not-be-exposed upon him!”

 

 

 

Questions

 

1.    Did Moshe now see Elohim (since Moshe just entered into the neck-falling darkness)?

 

2.    Yehovah told Moshe to tell the children of Israel, “Ye, ye saw that I spoke with you from the heavens!” Did Yehovah speak to them from the heavens, or did He speak to them from Mount Sinai?

 

3.    Why did He speak with them from the heavens instead of appearing on the land where they were?

 

4.    What does Yehovah’s speaking with them from the heavens have to do with their not making gods of silver with Him and not making gods of gold to them?

 

5.    Yehovah said two different things: “Ye shall not make with me gods of silver” and “Ye shall not make gods of gold to you.” What is the difference between the two besides the metal from which the gods are made?

 

6.    Why did Yehovah specify that the altar must be made of soil?

 

7.    What is an ascension, and how is it sacrificed?

 

8.    What are ‘peaces,’ and how are they sacrificed?

 

9.    Why did Yehovah specify, “thou shalt sacrifice … thy flock and thy herd upon them” when that is obvious?

 

10. Yehovah next stated, “I will come unto thee in each place that I will remind my Name.” What does He mean by “remind my Name,” what places are these, and what will Yehovah do?

 

11. Yehovah mentioned two types of sacrifices: the ascension and the peaces. Why didn’t He also include the various sin sacrifices?

 

12. Why will Yehovah bless Israel?

 

13. What does “build them a cutting” mean?

 

14. What is wrong with cutting the stones into shapes in order to make a pretty altar to Yehovah?

 

15. What nakedness will be exposed if Israel ascends upon Yehovah’s altar via steps?

 

16. What is wrong with nakedness? Doesn’t Yehovah have the ability to see through all garments, and didn’t He design the human body in the first place?