by Ptr. Art Calaguas<\/p>\n\n\n\n
Shalom.<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The last American-Israeli hostage remaining alive was released by Hamas as a \u201cgoodwill measure\u201d to US President Trump who visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE early last week. IDF soldier Edan Alexander was quietly released without ceremony and without a prisoner exchange. But 58 abductees, most of them already dead, are still held somewhere in Gaza. The IDF has launched its high-intensity \u201cOperation Gideon\u2019s Chariots\u201d and Hamas now seems ready to negotiate a partial hostage release in exchange for prisoners and a limited ceasefire. <\/p>\n\n\n\n
Let us continue to pray for the release of all the remaining hostages and for a just end to the wars against the Jewish nation. Let us continue to stand with Israel and continue to pray for the peace of Jerusalem (Psalm 122:6-9).<\/p>\n\n\n\n
The previous section, Deuteronomy 16:18 – 18 discussed about public officials. Deuteronomy 19:1 \u2013 21:14 is the next literary unit, corresponding to the Decalogue\u2019s 6th<\/sup> Commandment, according to the ESV Global Study Bible<\/em>. This section deals with cases of murder and\/or accidental manslaughter, together with designated Levitical cities of refuge; laws concerning warfare and the Holy War the Israelites would wage in Canaan, with the LORD himself fighting for them and driving away the nations occupying it; and atonement for unsolved murders that would defile the land promised. It even specifies such minutiae as the proper treatment of trees during a siege with a prohibition against unnecessary cutting of trees. The end of the unit also legislates the proper handling of women captives; especially those taken as wives and those later being let go.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Chapter 19 starts off with verses 1-3 citing the law of setting apart 3 cities in Canaan (no longer in the Transjordan) for the manslayer to flee to as discussed previously. A number of Hebrew words are used to directly or indirectly refer to the land promised, including the familiar word \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u201cerets\u201d for land in all 3 initial verses. This word is also used in verses 8, 10, and 14. The plural word \u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd \u201ciyrim\u201d for cities is used for verses 1-2, 5, 7, 9, and 11. Its singular form \u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u201ciyr\u201d for city is used in verse 12. Recall that Leviticus 26 painted the picture of the disobedient Israelites suffering a seven-fold punishment where they will seek refuge and cower inside their \u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd \u201ciyrim\u201d cities. Numbers 35:11 and Deuteronomy 13:12, 13, 15, 16 earlier used the word for city\/cities of refuge or temporary asylum as set apart among the Levitical properties given by each of the other tribes. Another word, \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05dc<\/strong> \u201cgebul\u201d usually meaning territory or boundary is used in verses 3, 8 and 14. Deuteronomy 19:14 in the Hebrew is given below (read right to left, top down): <\/p>\n\n\n\n \u05dc\u05b9\u05a4\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b7\u05e1\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05d2\u0599 \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05a3\u05d5\u05bc\u05dc<\/mark> \u05e8\u05b5\u05bd\u05e2\u05b2\u05da\u05b8\u0594 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a5\u05e8 \u05d2\u05b8\u05bc\u05d1\u05b0\u05dc\u0596\u05d5\u05bc \u05e8\u05b4\u05d0\u05e9\u05b9\u05c1\u05e0\u05b4\u0591\u05d9\u05dd \u05d1\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u05bd\u05ea\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0599 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a3\u05e8 \u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05e0\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u0594\u05dc \u05d1\u05b8\u05bc\u05d0\u05b8\u0595\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5<\/mark> \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u0599 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u0594\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05a5\u05df \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0596 \u05dc\u05b0\u05e8\u05b4\u05e9\u05b0\u05c1\u05ea\u05b8\u05bc\u05bd\u05d4\u05bc\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n The New King James Version (NKJV) Bible translation follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 14<\/sup><\/strong>\u201cYou shall not remove your neighbor\u2019s landmark<\/mark>, which the men of old have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land<\/mark> that the LORD your God is giving you to possess.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The familiar \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5<\/mark> \u201cerets\u201d referring to the land is highlighted. The other highlighted Hebrew word \u05d2\u05b0\u05bc\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05dc<\/mark><\/strong> \u201cgebul\u201d translated as \u201clandmark\u201d is a valid entry taken from the Brown-Driver-Briggs<\/em> Hebrew and English Lexicon<\/em> to mean a discernible territory or boundary marker; some object used to set off property limits. Other translations also use \u201clandmark\u201d or \u201cboundary marker\u201d for this word in the context of this verse. Other words such as \u201chouse\u201d and \u201croad\u201d are used as well in Deuteronomy 19:1-14. All these words refer to a future settled existence in the land promised in contrast to the exodus travel the Israelites had undergone.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deuteronomy 19:15-21 completes the chapter with stipulations regarding requirements for witnesses for cases and offenses. It sets up a steep cost for false accusers as a deterrent. It also points out the need for punishment to be appropriate for the crime. This section may also be treated as a prelude to another later section that corresponds to the 9th<\/sup> Commandment of the Decalogue against false witness against one\u2019s neighbors.<\/p>\n\n\n\n Deuteronomy 20:1-20 discusses laws that will govern warfare when the Israelites occupy and possess Canaan. Verses 1-4 make it clear that the Israelites should not fear their adversaries as it is the LORD himself who goes with them to fight and assures them of victory. In verses 5-9 allowances are made for temporary exemption of men of fighting age in certain cases such as being newly betrothed. Verses 10-20 stipulates that terms of peace should be offered to enemies in walled cities and what to do in case the response is positive or negative. It presents an opportunity for both sides to prevent unnecessary loss of life in warfare. A distinction is given by the LORD for the treatment of cities and its populace not within the land promised in contrast to those set apart as their inheritance to possess. For those lands and cities the Israelites were mandated to dispossess, the Hebrew word \u05d7\u05b8\u05e8\u05b7\u05dd \u201ccharam\u201d meaning to devote for complete destruction is used, albeit sparingly and only in the context of holy war in the land promised. It is a word already mentioned used in Exodus, Numbers and other chapters of Deuteronomy. Deuteronomy 20:16-18 in the Hebrew follows (read right to left, top down) to illustrate this:<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u05e8\u05b7\u0597\u05e7 \u05de\u05b5\u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b5\u05a4\u05d9<\/mark> \u05d4\u05b8\u05bd\u05e2\u05b7\u05de\u05b4\u05bc\u05d9\u05dd\u0599 \u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b5\u0594\u05dc\u05b6\u05bc\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05e8\u0599 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05a3\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u0594\u05d9\u05da\u05b8 \u05e0\u05b9\u05ea\u05b5\u05a5\u05df \u05dc\u05b0\u05da\u05b8\u0596 \u05e0\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05dc\u05b8\u0591\u05d4 \u05dc\u05b9\u05a5\u05d0 \u05ea\u05b0\u05d7\u05b7\u05d9\u05b6\u05bc\u0596\u05d4 \u05db\u05b8\u05bc\u05dc\u05be\u05e0\u05b0\u05e9\u05b8\u05c1\u05de\u05b8\u05bd\u05d4\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u05db\u05b4\u05bc\u05bd\u05d9\u05be\u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b5\u05a3\u05dd \u05ea\u05b7\u05bc\u05d7\u05b2\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u05de\u05b5\u0597\u05dd<\/mark> \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b4\u05ea\u05b4\u05bc\u05a4\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b8\u05d0\u05b1\u05de\u05b9\u05e8\u05b4\u05d9\u0599 \u05d4\u05b7\u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05e0\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e0\u05b4\u05a3\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05e4\u05b0\u05bc\u05e8\u05b4\u05d6\u05b4\u05bc\u0594\u05d9 \u05d4\u05b7\u05d7\u05b4\u05d5\u05b4\u05bc\u0596\u05d9 \u05d5\u05b0\u05d4\u05b7\u05d9\u05b0\u05d1\u05d5\u05bc\u05e1\u05b4\u0591\u05d9 \u05db\u05b7\u05bc\u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a5\u05e8 \u05e6\u05b4\u05d5\u05b0\u05bc\u05da\u05b8\u0596 \u05d9\u05b0\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05a5\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b6\u05bd\u05d9\u05da\u05b8\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n \u05dc\u05b0\u05de\u05b7\u0597\u05e2\u05b7\u05df \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a8\u05e8 \u05dc\u05b9\u05bd\u05d0\u05be\u05d9\u05b0\u05dc\u05b7\u05de\u05b0\u05bc\u05d3\u05a4\u05d5\u05bc \u05d0\u05b6\u05ea\u05b0\u05db\u05b6\u05dd\u0599 \u05dc\u05b7\u05e2\u05b2\u05e9\u05b9\u05c2\u0594\u05d5\u05ea \u05db\u05b0\u05bc\u05db\u05b9\u05dc\u0599 \u05ea\u05b9\u05bc\u05bd\u05d5\u05e2\u05b2\u05d1\u05b9\u05ea\u05b8\u0594\u05dd \u05d0\u05b2\u05e9\u05b6\u05c1\u05a5\u05e8 \u05e2\u05b8\u05e9\u05c2\u0596\u05d5\u05bc \u05dc\u05b5\u05bd\u05d0\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05d4\u05b6\u0591\u05dd \u05d5\u05b7\u05d7\u05b2\u05d8\u05b8\u05d0\u05ea\u05b6\u0596\u05dd \u05dc\u05b7\u05d9\u05d4\u05d5\u05b8\u05a5\u05d4 \u05d0\u05b1\u05dc\u05b9\u05d4\u05b5\u05d9\u05db\u05b6\u05bd\u05dd\u05c3<\/p>\n\n\n\n The New American Standard Bible (NASB 1995) translation follows:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 16<\/sup><\/strong>\u201cOnly in the cities<\/mark> of these peoples that the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, you shall not leave alive anything that breathes.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 17<\/sup><\/strong>\u201cBut you shall utterly destroy them<\/mark>, the Hittite and the Amorite, the Canaanite and the Perizzite, the Hivite and the Jebusite, as the LORD your God has commanded you,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n 18<\/sup><\/strong>so that they may not teach you to do according to all their detestable things which they have done for their gods, so that you would sin against the LORD your God.<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The Berean Standard Bible has an alternative verse 17 translation:<\/p>\n\n\n\n 17<\/sup><\/strong>For you must devote them to complete destruction<\/mark>\u2014the Hittites, Amorites, Canaanites, Perizzites, Hivites, and Jebusites\u2014as the LORD your God has commanded you,<\/em><\/p>\n\n\n\n The construct form of \u05e2\u05b8\u05e8\u05b4\u0596\u05d9\u05dd<\/mark> \u201ciyrim\u201d meaning cities is used here probably referring to an existing walled settlement (of whatever size) in the land. The Hebrew word for city\/cities is found in verses 10, 15, 16, 19 and 20 all referring to existing (probably walled) settlements in the land.<\/p>\n\n\n\n In Deuteronomy 21:1-14 atonement for unsolved murders that cause defilement of the land is discussed. A sacrifice of a heifer is used by the Levitical priests and elders of the community to atone for an unsolved murder. Deuteronomy 21:1 uses the word \u05d0\u05b6\u05e8\u05b6\u05e5 \u201cerets\u201d for the land of Canaan where the unsolved murder happened after the Israelites have taken possession of it and settled in. The word \u05e2\u05b4\u05d9\u05e8 \u201ciyr\u201d for city is used in verses 3 and 6 to refer to a city taken over by the Israelites in the land. The discussion is in keeping with the stipulations against defilement of the land promised and the corresponding necessary atonement.<\/p>\n\n\n\n We will continue next time.<\/p>\n\n\n\n God bless us all.<\/p>\n\n\n\n <\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" by Ptr. Art Calaguas Shalom. The last American-Israeli hostage remaining alive was released by Hamas as a \u201cgoodwill measure\u201d to US President Trump who visited Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE early last week. IDF soldier Edan Alexander was quietly released without ceremony and without a prisoner exchange. But 58 abductees, most of them already…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[15],"tags":[6,7,9,8,5],"class_list":["post-500","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-ptr-art-calaguas","tag-church-of-the-risen-lord","tag-crl","tag-spiritual-refreshment-of-the-day","tag-upcemi","tag-upcrl"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=500"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":501,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/500\/revisions\/501"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=500"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=500"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/upcrl.org\/refreshment\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=500"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}