# Everyday Law in Biblical Israel: An Introduction



## Peairtach (Mar 13, 2012)

I found this book to be highly useful and enlightening in presenting the Mosaic case laws in context and giving other "Ancient Near Eastern" examples of similar laws.

Sadly the book has quite a number of refernces to the "Documentary Hypothesis"/JEDP, so I wouldn't recommend it to an inexperienced Christian. The apparent commitment by the authors to the possibility that the Doumentary Hypothesis doesn't however seem to detract from the usefulness of the book, because the JEDP theory is of so little relevance to the understanding the book gives of the case laws. It is quite easy to distinguish the little amount of chaff from the wheat.

Anyone who is interested in WCF Chapter 19:4



> IV. To them also, as a body politic, He gave sundry judicial laws, which expired together with the State of that people; not obliging under any now, further than the general equity thereof may require.



will be interested in understanding how these laws operated in their original context, and in the nature of biblical case law in general, and this book will be of assistance if used with discretion.

It's a pity if there is not a similar book available that subscribes to an orthodox view of the origin of the Pentateuch, but in the absence of that this will have to do.

http://www.amazon.com/Everyday-Law-...=sr_1_1?s=books&ie=UTF8&qid=1331642224&sr=1-1


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## timmopussycat (Mar 13, 2012)

Thanks for mentioning this book. Another useful book on this topic is:
Amazon.com: Old Testament Ethics for the People of God (9780830839612): Christopher J. H. Wright: Books


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## Eoghan (Mar 13, 2012)

There is of course the Case Laws of Exodus or some such title by Gary North. He would not hold to the JEDP documentary hypothesis. He does however have his own particular "views" but that aside his review of case laws is second to none In my humble opinion. If you would like to borrow...


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## PuritanCovenanter (Mar 13, 2012)

What thinkest thou?



> In this tour de force of Reformed political ethics, Johannes Piscator discusses the relevance of the Judicial Laws of Moses for Christian magistrates. This series of arguments originally appeared as an Appendix to his commentary on Exodus, and was recommended by George Gillespie (Scottish delegate to the Westminster Assembly) as helping to resolve scruples regarding the Judicial Laws of Moses.​



Disputations on the Judicial Laws of Moses by Translated by Adam Jonathan Brink, Johannes Piscator in Law


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## Peairtach (Mar 13, 2012)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> What thinkest thou?
> 
> 
> 
> ...



I haven't read that book Randy.

*Eoghan*


> There is of course the Case Laws of Exodus or some such title by Gary North. He would not hold to the JEDP documentary hypothesis. He does however have his own particular "views" but that aside his review of case laws is second to none In my humble opinion. If you would like to borrow...



I have theonomist, Gary North's "Leviticus". I find there is food for thought in the theonomist material but that it is sometimes simplistic. All of his books are avaiable online.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gary_North_(Christian_Reconstructionist)

http://www.garynorth.com/freebooks/sidefrm2.htm

*Tim*


> Thanks for mentioning this book. Another useful book on this topic is:
> Amazon.com: Old Testament Ethics for the People of God (9780830839612): Christopher J. H. Wright: Books



I have a number of books by Christopher J.H.Wright which are very good re the understanding and application of the case laws and take a less simplistic approach than the theonomists.


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## Christusregnat (Mar 13, 2012)

Piscator was not plagued by German Rationlism and its attendant barren views of the inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures in all of their content.

Piscator's work is also cited by Rutherford, Thomas Edwards, Francis Cheynelle, and Thomas Shephard.

ANE practice is irrelevant to biblical case law because:

1. It is not divinely inspired;
2. Pagan law was directly in conflict with divinely inspired laws; and
3. Biblical law was obviously superior in origin and equity.


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## Peairtach (Mar 13, 2012)

*Adam*


> Piscator was not plagued by German Rationlism and its attendant barren views of the inspiration and authority of the Holy Scriptures in all of their content.



Of course.




> ANE practice is irrelevant to biblical case law because:
> 
> 1. It is not divinely inspired;
> 2. Pagan law was directly in conflict with divinely inspired laws; and
> 3. Biblical law was obviously superior in origin and equity.



Clearly all of these things are the case but ANE can help us understand biblical law better because God gave the Israelites laws that were of their era but yet with an abiding moral general equity.


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## Backwoods Presbyterian (Mar 13, 2012)

See this is where ANE theory breaks down hard for me. I think it is a great injustice to the wisdom and holiness of the Law of God (which we testify is in keeping with the very character of God) to say that it was merely "of their era". The false laws of the surrounding nations were a bastardized version of the laws they inherited from Ham, Japheth, etc...


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## Peairtach (Mar 13, 2012)

In their _form and style _they are "of their era" but since they come from God they have an abiding and sustantial general moral equity which must be studied and applied.


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## Shawn Mathis (Mar 13, 2012)

Randy, I have that book. I have not read it yet. I found out about it at puritanboard from Adam himself. It's on my too long of a to-do list.

---------- Post added at 04:51 PM ---------- Previous post was at 04:46 PM ----------

It would seem to me that a responsible use of ANE does not negate the abiding equity of the law anymore than a responsible use of the cultural background of the NT via the Talmud, etc. (see Lightfoot) negates the NT. A good hermeneutic has always incorporated not only the linguistics of the time but the cultural practices as well.


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## MW (Mar 13, 2012)

Peairtach said:


> It's a pity if there is not a similar book available that subscribes to an orthodox view of the origin of the Pentateuch, but in the absence of that this will have to do.



"If therefore the light that is in thee be darkness, how great is that darkness!"


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## PuritanCovenanter (Mar 13, 2012)

I have to admit that I am not impressed by the ANE synthesis with understanding scripture. It is like synthesizing Germanic Biblical Criticism with Inspiration.


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## Peairtach (Mar 15, 2012)

PuritanCovenanter said:


> I have to admit that I am not impressed by the ANE synthesis with understanding scripture. It is like synthesizing Germanic Biblical Criticism with Inspiration.



They can keep their "Documentary Hypothesis" and their Liberal Theology. I was only interested to read about law in general in the ANE.

When we examine external sources to the Bible e.g. as some use Josephus in regard to the Olivet Discourse and Revelation, nothing should overturn the clear teaching of Scripture interpreted by Scripture.


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