by Ptr. Art Calaguas
Shalom.
The bodies of 2 elderly Israeli-Americans slain in the October 7, 2023 Hamas surprise attack at Kibbutz Nir Oz were recently retrieved by the IDF from Gaza. Later the body of a Thai national who was taken also from Nir Oz was recovered from another part of Gaza. He was an overseas worker, a farmhand in the kibbutz. He had been taken alive and then apparently slain while in captivity.
There are still 55 total remaining hostages with only about 20 of them still alive. Please continue to pray for the release of all the remaining hostages who have been in captivity for 610 days and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Continue to stand with Israel and continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).
This time, for Deuteronomy 25, the outline from the ESV Global Study Bible is not used for the covenant specific laws as these do not seem to correspond to the Decalogue order compared with the earlier chapters.
Deuteronomy 25 contains several sundry or miscellaneous laws that are divided into several sections. Verses 1-3 talks about court disputes, judgment and punishment. Verse 4 reminds all that if one can treat an animal well, the more one should treat his fellowman. Verses 5-10 are laws about levirate marriage. Verses 11-12 appears to speak about immorality. Verses 13-16 speaks about dishonesty. The last section, verses 17-19 reminds the people about destroying a long-time enemy – Amalek.
Deuteronomy 25:1-3 describes the process of judgment for disputes that result in upholding the righteous and judicial flogging for the wicked. The judge must be present when the sentence is carried out and the number of lashes must not exceed 40. As noted by The Jewish Study Bible – Tanakh Translation, “no parallel restriction exists” in the ancient Near East (ANE) law codices. An example given is the 5 – 100 lashes specified by The Middle Assyrian Laws while The IVP Bible Background Commentary – Old Testament cites the number of lashes (for both men and women) to be 20 – 60. The number 40 may hold a “completeness” meaning and it also aims to preserve the dignity of the sentenced individual and/or prevent permanent harm. The later rabbinical rules then pegged the number of lashes to 39 (see 2 Corinthians 11:24).
As stated earlier, Deuteronomy 25:4 appeals to humane treatment of beasts of burden. This verse is found 3 times in Scripture: here; 1 Corinthians 9:9; and 1 Timothy 5:18. In all 3 it is obvious that God was concerned not only about animals but more importantly its application among men (see the apostle Paul quote this verse for the support of God’s servant-ministers).
Deuteronomy 25:5-10 discusses levirate marriage. The word “levirate” is derived from the Latin levir which is a translation of the Hebrew noun יָבָם “yavam” meaning a husband’s brother found in Deuteronomy 25:5 and 25:7; and its verb form יָבַם “yavam” meaning to perform the duty of a husband’s brother, found in Genesis 38:8 and also in Deuteronomy 25:5 and 25:7 side-by-side with its noun form. The goal of the levirate marriage rule is to carry on the name of the deceased brother with (only) the first born son of his widow in a levirate marriage and thus preserve his property/inheritance for his heir and also provide support for his widow. But the levir can opt to refuse; he is not forced into a levirate marriage. Verse 7 mentions the widow going to the שַׁעַר “shaar” gate to the elders for judgment. Verse 8 continues with the elders in the עִיר “iyr” city tasked to discuss the refusal of the levir to fulfill his expected role. Finally, in verse 10 the brother who refuses to build up the בּיִת “bayith” house of his brother will have his own called the בּיִת “bayith” house of him who had his sandal removed. Note that the familiar Hebrew words used to indicate a settled life in the land promised are deployed.
Deuteronomy 25:11-12 apparently is seen more as an act of immorality or indecency on the part of the wife who came to the aid of her husband in a fight with another man. Her act might also be construed as adversely affecting the reproductive ability of her husband’s protagonist. Her action is treated as “a sexual act that dishonors her and her husband” according to The IVP Bible Background Commentary.
Verses 13-16 stipulates honesty in commerce with the use of fair weights. During the ANE era without coinage and other monetary currency taken for granted nowadays, transactions depended on standard weights and measures. Archaeological discoveries of stone and metal weights in this era abound. Using dishonest weights and measures clearly defraud and is another example of theft. The Hebrew verses of Deuteronomy 25:15-16 are given below (read right to left, top down):
אֶ֣בֶן שְׁלֵמָ֤ה וָצֶ֙דֶק֙ יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֔ךְ אֵיפָ֧ה שְׁלֵמָ֛ה וָצֶ֖דֶק יִֽהְיֶה־לָּ֑ךְ לְמַ֙עַן֙ יַאֲרִ֣יכוּ יָמֶ֔יךָ עַ֚ל הָֽאֲדָמָ֔ה אֲשֶׁר־יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ נֹתֵ֥ן לָֽךְ׃
כִּ֧י תֹועֲבַ֛ת יְהוָ֥ה אֱלֹהֶ֖יךָ כָּל־עֹ֣שֵׂה אֵ֑לֶּה כֹּ֖ל עֹ֥שֵׂה עָֽוֶל׃
The New King James Version (NKJV) Bible translation follows:
15You shall have a perfect and just weight, a perfect and just measure, that your days may be lengthened in the land which the LORD your God is giving you.
16For all who do such things, all who behave unrighteously, are an abomination to the LORD your God.
The Hebrew word אֲדָמָה “adamah” is used for land (with the definite article). The admonition and condemnation are quite familiar. They are also found in other verses and phrases from other chapters previously studied.
To end the chapter, an admonition to destroy Amalek is given in Deuteronomy 25:17-19. Amalek is known as a fierce desert nomadic tribe and Exodus 17:8-16 narrates that it is the first among the nations (see Numbers 24:20) that attacked Israel after the water from the rock incident at Massah and Meribah. The Amalekites became the traditional long-standing enemy after it was stated that the LORD will have generations of war with Amalek. Attempts to destroy them completely are found in several parts of the Old Testament (OT) after this Deuteronomy reminder (e.g., Judges 6:3; 1 Samuel 15:2-3; 30:1-6; 2 Samuel 8:11-12; 1 Chronicles 4:43). In Jewish tradition, it had to take Mordecai and Esther to finally destroy Haman and his sons, the remaining descendants of Agag, an Amalekite king (see Esther 3:1; 9:1-10).
Deuteronomy 25:17-19 uses a Hebrew literary device: repetition. The previous chapter, Deuteronomy 24, verses 18 and 22 use forms of the verb זָכַר “zakar” meaning to remember. The Israelites where told to remember that they were former slaves in Egypt. In Deuteronomy 25:17 the same verb זָכַר “zakar” is used but this time to remember what Amalek did to the Israelites. Then in verse 19 the admonition comes. The Hebrew verse of Deuteronomy 25:19 is given below (read right to left, top down):
וְהָיָ֡ה בְּהָנִ֣יחַ יְהוָ֣ה אֱלֹהֶ֣יךָ ׀ לְ֠ךָ מִכָּל־אֹ֨יְבֶ֜יךָ מִסָּבִ֗יב בָּאָ֙רֶץ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר יְהוָֽה־אֱ֠לֹהֶיךָ נֹתֵ֨ן לְךָ֤ נַחֲלָה֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ תִּמְחֶה֙ אֶת־זֵ֣כֶר עֲמָלֵ֔ק מִתַּ֖חַת הַשָּׁמָ֑יִם לֹ֖א תִּשְׁכָּֽח׃
The English Standard Version (ESV) Bible translation follows:
19Therefore when the LORD your God has given you rest from all your enemies around you, in the land that the LORD your God is giving you for an inheritance to possess, you shall blot out the memory of Amalek from under heaven; you shall not forget.
To emphasize what is being commanded, the literary unit starts off in verse 17 with the word “remember” and ends with verse 19 with the admonition not to forget. Note that this time, the regular Hebrew word אֶרֶץ “erets” for land is used in the phrase “in the land” for the land promised.
We will continue next time.
God bless us all.