Week 1 Day 3 - What are the Commandments? Pt 3

The Final commandments entry, then we can go back to the actual verse XD

Number Seven 

"Do not commit murder."

Exodus 20:13

These last few are fairly straight forward.

The only issue one could have with this commandment is that while murder relates specifically to the killing of a fellow human, You shall not kill, opens up a whole bunch of questions and issues. The main one being 'You shall not kill... what?' 

To kill something is to end its life, so the hunting of animals and the extermination of insects can plausibly fall into the area of breaking a commandment.

If we wanted to go the extra mile, one could even, though weakly, argue that it may also be applied to video games in which virtual killing is necessary goes against this commandment.

  

It should be clear in context that 'murder' is the better choice here, as these are rules to which the Hebrew nation would be built upon, and so would be about how the people should live. There is a whole section about what to eat and how to kill to, so it goes without saying that this commandment is referring solely to the intentional taking of the life of another human being.

Though my Mum had an interesting variation as her definition of murder was killing for pleasure. We came to the agreement that since animal abuse and inhumane killing of animals is also murder that a more satisfactory definition of murder is the taking of life for pleasure, for selfish or self beneficial reasons, or when there are other courses of action and it is unnecessary.

Number Eight 

"Do not commit adultery."

- Exodus 20:13

 In My Tanach and the JPS Bible, commandments seven through ten are in the one verse, Exodus 20:13.

The King James Version gives each it's own verse though. So this commandment, in the KJV is Exodus 20:14.

The only differences here are the choice of "Thou shalt not", "Do not", and "You shall not".

The definition of adultery varies, but the most widely known definition is having an affair. So having intercourse with someone while being married to another person. In countries where it is still seen as a crime, there is a much greater severity placed on a married woman committing adultery to when a married man does.

Christian Answers says that an adulterer is a man who had sexual intercourse with a woman he was not married to, either a married woman or one who was engaged to be married. 

This is a strange definition though, as it goes to say that it would be something different if the woman he slept with wasn't married or engaged.

The same rules apply to a woman. 

From what I can see, the crime falls upon the married person in the affair. 

There is also an ongoing issue of cases in which the person has had an affair with someone of the same gender. In cases where it has been the woman, adultery charges were dropped as it was deemed that it didn't constitute as adultery. Some countries laws even specify that adultery is only committed when the extramarital relations are between people of the opposite gender.

Despite all this, adultery can safely be said to be extramarital sex, or sex with someone other than ones spouse and a strong backer for the keeping of chastity before marriage.

 Number Nine

"Do not steal."

- Exodus  20:13

According to navigating the Bible 'Do not steal' is primarily a commandment against kidnapping, however it does forbid all sorts of dishonesty.

Going by the time in which this was written, it makes a lot of sense for there to be a rule against kidnapping. It never even really occurred to me that none of the commandments guarded against that sort of crime, even though human trafficking would have been a legal industry back then.

And as much as it is horrible to say so, since women were property back then, it is also a commandment against some situations of rape, though not in a very meaningful way :/

Number Ten

"Do not testify as a false witness against your neighbour."

- Exodus 20:13

The wording here can also mean answer, respond, or speak up. However, it is also used specifically for testimony.

This is the "Don't lie" rule. Where Number Eight and Nine address dishonest actions, Number Ten addresses dishonest words, or speaking falsely.

Number Eleven

"Do not be envious of your neighbour's house. Do not be envious of your neighbour's wife, his slave, his maid, his ox, his donkey, or anything else that is your neighbour's."

- Exodus 20:14

The differences here are basic things. Slave or manservant, maid or maidservant, covet or be envious.

Be envious is easier to understand than covet, but both mean the same thing; wanting something that isn't yours.

Envy is more general, simple wanting things that others have, were coveting does deeper in that you don't just want what others have, but you want it especially because someone else already possesses it.

It is specifically wanting what someone else has. To clarify, say I had a nice bag. If you saw it and wanted one, then you would go out and get one. In this case, you aren't coveting my bag, because while you do want a bag like mine, you don't want to take my bag and make it yours.

I was surprised to see that there are Eleven commandments, but I'm sure that there is going to be one that I've taken as two when it is really the same one. It might even be the two I said should be one commandment in the first place. That would be cool.

And thus we end the third day's entry and see that it is good. See what I did there? Am I allowed to do that? <.< >.>

Have a great day everyone and see you tomorrow! 

Ponder, Away! 

Sources

Navigating the Bible II

http://bible.ort.org/books/torahd5.asp?action=displaypage&book=2&chapter=20&verse=2&portion=17

The featured verses are from here.

Bible Gateway

https://www.biblegateway.com/passage/?search=Exodus+20&version=KJV

King James Version verses.

Jewish Bible (JPS 1917)

http://www.breslov.com/bible/Exodus20.htm#2

JPS Bible verses

Babylonian Talmud

http://www.come-and-hear.com/shabbath/shabbath_73.html

Further insight into the 39 categories of work in regards to the Sabbath day.

Christian Answers - Adultery

http://www.christiananswers.net/dictionary/adultery.html

Adultery - Wikipedia

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Adultery

Google - definitions

www.google.com.au

Picture One - Murder

https://pastorjesusfigueroa.wordpress.com/2012/12/21/day-37-you-murder-and-burn-with-envy/

Picture Two - Adultery

https://drintimacy.wordpress.com/2011/11/15/non-sexual-adultery/

Picture Three - Theft

http://www.marketwatch.com/story/8-products-targeted-by-shoplifters-2013-11-22

Picture Four - False Witness

http://www.hannaharendtcenter.org/?tag=lying-and-politics

Picture Five - Coveting

http://www.examiner.com/article/thou-shalt-not-covet

Week 1 Day 2 - What are the Commandments? Pt 2

Back again and today we have Four, Five, and Six.

Tomorrow will be the last Commandment entry and we can continue on the Path of Ponder.

Number Four

"Do not take the name of God your Lord in vain. God will not allow the one who takes His name in vain to go unpunished."

- Exodus 20:7

My Tanach

"You shall not take the name of the Lord your God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless who takes his name in vain."

King James Version

"Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain; for the Lord will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain."

JPS Bible

"Thou shalt not take the name of HaShem thy G-d in vain; for HaShem will not hold him guiltless that taketh His name in vain"

The featured one is the one that differs here, though I can see the benefits of it. To not hold someone guiltless is much less serious than not allowing them to go unpunished.

The featured translation is from Hebrew as is My Tanach and JPS. The King James Version from Latin. As I know neither Hebrew nor Latin, I can only be as reliable as the translations that I am using, so take all these at face value.

This is one that I struggle with, though I am partly relieved to find that using God's name in vain is bad, but doesn't include all cursing. I am still working on not cursing, but glad that I can focus on not using His name freely instead of worrying about cussing.

The featured version notes that in vain can also mean illegally. It primarily forbids false and trivial oaths, but it also prohibits all unnecessary use of God's name. Knowing this, while cursing using God's name is bad, swearing a false or trivial oath in his name is worse.

Probably best to just not say His name outside of worship.

Number Five

"Remember the Sabbath to keep it holy.

You can work during the six weekdays and do all your tasks.

But 'the seventh day' is the Sabbath to God your Lord. Do not do anything that constitutes work. This includes you, your son, your daughter, your slave, your maid, your animal, and the foreigner in your gates.

It was during the six weekdays that God made the heaven, the earth, the sea, and all that is in them, but he rested on 'the seventh day'. God therefore blessed the Sabbath day and made it holy."

- Exodus 20:8-11

While literally 'the seventh day', it is the Hebrew expression for Saturday.
 
By tradition, in the Jewish faith, there are 39 categories of work (Shabbath 73a). These include carrying (Exodus 16:29), cooking and other food preparation (Exodus 16:23), lighting fires (Exodus 35:3), and all agricultural activities (Exodus 34:21). By tradition, all such activities as writing, making cloth, sewing, making leather, building, laundering, and assembling articles are also forbidden.
 
Most of these make sense for the time, but in the modern context, many of these would be considered hobbies or even leisure activities rather than work, particularly writing and sewing.
 
This was in a time where learning was done with the need for notes or writing down, so there is difference in today where studying normally relates to writing things down.
 
Herein we find the need to find creative ways to teach or study scripture on the Sabbath. Writing is forbidden, but reading and speaking are not and reading something out loud can be more of a memory aid to some people, particularly if you choose to cover only a reasonable amount of verses.
 
I won't include the three other versions for this one, as they are all equally long and don't differ greatly from one another.

• Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy.
• Get all your work done during the six days prior.
• You and your family and your servants/staff (I hope no one reading this has slaves), and your animals, and anyone who is under your roof or on your property, isn't allowed to do anything that constitutes as work.
• God finished creation on the sixth day and on the seventh He rested and blessed the Sabbath day, making it holy.

 Number Six

"Honour your father and mother. You will then live long on the land that God your Lord is giving you."

- Exodus 20:12

My Tanach 

"Honour your father and your mother; that your days may be long upon the land which the Lord your God gives you."

King James Version

"Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee."

JPS Bible

"Honour thy father and thy mother, that thy days may be long upon the land which HaShem thy G-d giveth thee."

Very similar translations, but can be read so many different ways.
 
For one thing, it does not say how one honours their father or mother, or what is seen as dishonouring them. Though it may say elsewhere in the texts, with the great detail that God went into for the Sabbath day commandment, he could have cleared up what he meant by 'honour'.
 
You will live long on the land that God your Lord is giving you. This, to me, is talking about the promised land. The land that the Hebrews were promised by God.
 
From a latter-day-saints angle, it could be talking about either Zion or Heaven.
 
Whatever it is referring to, honouring your parents is important in gaining that which is given from God, so it's probably the best idea to do it anyway.