Ethical Values In The Old Testament

BY JOHN G. TAYLOR III

RELIGION 205 R. !RAN" JOHN#ON $% NOVE&BER $''( ETHI)AL VAL*E# IN THE
OL
TE#TA&ENT
H+, ,e li-e +u. li-es is /+-e.ned 01 ethics. Ethics is 2human
m+.al
c+nduct acc+.din/ t+ 3.inci3les +4 ,hat is /++d +. .i/ht t+ d+.5 Ou.
ethical
-alues t+da1 descend 3.ima.il1 4.+m a )h.istian ethic in ,hich 2a t.ul1
ethical
decisi+n6 ,e a.e t+ld6 must 0e s3+ntane+us6 undi.ected6 4.ee 7 the
indi-idual8s
un4ette.ed and unc+e.ced .es3+nse t+ each ne, decisi+n7demandin/
situati+n.5
The ethical -alues +4 t+da16 es3eciall1 )h.istian ethics6 0+..+, and
ca..1
4+.,a.d the He0.e, ethics +4 the 3ast. Yet it is ha.dl1 4ai. t+
e93lain Old
Testament ethics ,ith +nl1 ,hat ,as 0+..+,ed 4.+m it.
:hat sets Judaism a3a.t 4.+m +the. .eli/i+ns +4 the time ,as its
m+n+theistic 0asis. The ethics +4 Judaism is hist+.ical and
t.aditi+nal as
+33+sed t+ 3hil+s+3hical and the+.etical. 2In Is.ael6 4+. the 4i.st
time6 an
ethical c+nce3ti+n +4 G+d is attained6 and this n+t 3hil+s+3hicall1 0ut
hist+.icall1; ,hile its -ie, +4 the m+.al li4e is ce.tain +4
<usti4icati+n n+t
+nl1 01 .eas+n 0ut 01 hist+.1.5 Thus G+d is l++=ed at as an ethical
3e.s+nalit1 and is l++=ed t+ as an e9am3le +4 /++d and .i/ht. In the
Old
Testament6 G+d8s -+lunta.1 >-+lunta.1 4+. G+d? c+-enant ,ith man must
0e l++=ed
at as the 3.ime e9am3le +4 ethical -alue. The c+-enant8s .e@ui.ements
is the
s+u.ce +4 all ethics6 m+.als6 la,s6 and <ustice in the Old Testament.
The &+saic )+-enant is the 0est e9am3le +4 ethical -alues and
n+.ms in
the Old Testament. The &+saic )+-enant has th.ee 3a.ts; the
ecal+@ue6 the
)+-enant )+de; and the H+liness )+de. The ecal+@ue is made u3 +4
a3+dictic >+.
a0s+lute? la,6 it is unc+nditi+nal and has n+ 2i4s +. 0uts5 a0+ut it.
This is
c+mm+nl1 .e4e.eed t+ as the ATen )+mmandments.A Alth+u/h le/all1 -a/ue
these
c+mmandments a.e the 0asics 4+. all ethical n+.ms in the Old Testament.
The
)+-enant )+de is made u3 +4 casuistic >+. c+nditi+nal? la,6 it has a
cha.acte.istic 4+.mulaB 2i4 this ha33ens6 then that ,ill 0e the le/al
c+nse@uence.5 &uch +4 the )+-enant )+de deals ,ith 3.+3e.t1 and
3a.allels
+the. ancient Nea. East la, c+des. The H+liness )+de 4+und in Le-iticus
$C72(
states ,hat is h+l16 4+. e9am3le6 2the 3h.aseB 2I6 Yah,eh6 1+u. G+d6 am
h+l15
>$'B2; 20B2(? is the sel473.edicati+n alm+st 2taut+l+/ical65 4+.
h+liness he.e
has a theistic6 .athe. than an e9clusi-el1 m+.al6 c+nn+tati+n.5
H+, the c+-enant is 3.esented in the Old Testament is as a ,h+le
and as 2
the ,+.ds +4 Yah,eh.5 &an1 +4 the la,s ,ithin the c+-enant6 es3eciall1
in the
)+-enant )+de a.e anach.+nistic6 meanin/ man1 a.e la,s +4 a late. time
that ,e.e
added t+ the +.i/inal c+-enant. This 2sh+,s h+, successi-e /ene.ati+ns
c+ntinued t+ .es3+nd t+ Yah,eh8s c+-enant demand in the chan/in/
ci.cumstances
+4 thei. hist+.1.5 Instead +4 usin/ a 3hil+s+3hical +. the+.etical
challen/e
t+ ethics6 the Old Testament inc+.3+.ates the needs +4 s+cietal ethics
int+ the
actual hist+.1 and t.aditi+ns. This h+,e-e. d+es n+t unde.mine the
t.aditi+n +4
t.acin/ the la, 0ac= t+ &+ses. &an1 +4 these la,s can 0e 4+und
th.+u/h+ut the
ancient Nea. East. The 0est .e3.esentati+n +4 this is the )+de +4
Hammu.a0i.
The simila.ities 0et,een la, c+des6 such as the )+de +4
Hammu.a0i and
+the. t.eaties +4 the ancient Nea. East6 and the c+-enant a.e n+t <ust
simila.
in the actual la, 0ut in the actual c+nt.act itsel4. These t.eaties
,e.e
c+nt.acts 0et,een a =in/ and his su0<ects. 2B1 esta0lishin/ the
c+-enant
Yah,eh limited his +,n 4.eed+m6 and he did s+ in c+m3lete li0e.t1
,ith+ut an1
3.ecedin/ +0li/ati+n +. .ati+nal m+ti-e.5 This c+-enant is 4+. the
Je,ish and
)h.istian 4aith a hist+.ical 4act ,hich is tied t+ &+ses and the e9+dus
4.+m
E/13t6 2and its sti3ulati+ns c+ntained 4.+m the 0e/innin/ .eli/i+us and
ethical
n+.ms.5 This can e93lain ,h1 Old Testament ethics ta=es +n a st.+n/ 2
hist+.ical5 @ualit1. !+. e9am3le6 the L+.d sa1s t+ &+ses6 2On the
ei/hth da1
the 4lesh +4 his 4+.es=in shall 0e ci.cumcised.5 >Le-iticus $2BD? This
ancient
.itual 3+ssi0l1 ,as used t+ ,a.d +44 e-il. It is m+.e 3.+0a0le that
s+me
h1/ienic e93e.ience in the 3ast l+n/ 4+./+tten ,as .es3+nsi0le. The
L+.d did
n+t ha-e t+ ha-e a .eas+n 4+. the c+nditi+ns +4 his c+-enant. 2!+.
this the
cultic and the ethical c+mmandments ,e.e6 4+. the la,6 +n the same
le-el +4
im3+.tance.5
A4te. .eadin/ the ecal+@ue6 the )+-enant )+de6 and the H+liness
)+de6
+ne can see ,h1 Old Testament ethics is hist+.ical and t.aditi+nal.
Ethical
-alues and n+.ms c+me st.ai/ht 4.+m G+d. The.e is n+ need t+ 0e
3hil+s+3hical
and the+.etical6 4+. t+ d+ s+ ,+uld 0e t+ @uesti+n Yah,eh. In the Old
Testament6 t+ 0e t.ul1 ethical and m+.al +ne must acce3t as the 0asic
ethical
-alue and the essential .ule +4 c+nduct6 the imitati+n +4 G+d. 2The
.ule d+es
n+t .e@ui.e asceticism6 0ut it d+es as= that man li-e e-e.1 ,a=in/
m+ment in the
a,a.eness that he is n+t al+ne6 4+. G+d is 3.esent.5
ENNOTE#
:+.=s )ited
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Ha.3e.)+llins6
$'%5.
Ande.s+n6 Be.nha.d :.6 *nde.standin/ the Old Testament. Ne, Je.se1B
E.entice7
Hall6 $'5C.
Butt.ic=6 Ge+./e A.6 The Inte.3.ete.8s icti+na.1 +4 the Bi0le. Ne,
Y+.=B
A0in/d+n E.ess6 $'(26
He.tF0e./6 A.thu.6 Judaism. Ne, Y+.=B Ge+./e B.aFille.6 $'(2.
:hite6 R. E. O.6 Bi0lical Ethics. AtlantaB J+hn "n+9 E.ess6 $'C'.