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
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
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