Any Old Test. Buffs out there?? -- Deut. 22:10

[CuriousMegan]

In many ways this really goes along with my other post "Unequally Yoked"...

Is Deuteronomy 21:22-22:12 meant to be "read into" or is it just "various laws" like my Bible titles it? In other words, is v.10 "Do not plow with an ox and a donkey yoked together." simply a law? Or is it something we are to read into? As a law, it makes a lot of sense...the two animals are different sizes and strengths and one would be unable to keep up with the other and therefore get unnecessarily hurt. However, it's also easy to read into it...

 

[is54]

I believe we are to read into all of the Old Testament. That what it was written for. If that weren't so, these verses wouldn't have any meaning to us. That's not possible since any part of the word of God is or us today...

 

[filosofer]

There is a problem when "reading into" (labeled "eisegesis" from the Greek) the text the Scripture becomes a wax nose, twisted to carry any meaning I want. The starting point for Biblical study is to "read out" ("exegesis" from the Greek) from the text. in other words, we try to understand the text as written/spoken to the original audience. Unless we can determine that, the Scriptures become anything we want them to be. But we have to exercise caution, since the OT finds it fulfillment in Christ (Rom 10:4, etc.). Therefore, the next step is to interpret the OT Christologically (from the perspective of Christ's fulfillment). Once we have "read out" from text, then we can apply the text. In other words, interpretation comes first and then application.

In Christ's love,
filo

 

[filosofer]

BTW, Megan, good question, and welcome to the board!

In Christ's love,
filo

 

[EPIC]

Breaking it down into the individual laws, I'll speak first to 21:22 - 21:23. I think that you can certainly take some meaning from the law.

A man hung from a tree and left their to rot doesn't really add to the ambiance of a place, does it? This particular law ties in with many others in the OT that deal with the treatment of a body after death. This one's interesting because it relates to a criminal. Does the body curse the land because it is the body of a criminal? Rather, does the law give the same, basic respect to the body (created in the image of God) of a criminal that it would another man. It would seem the latter, based on the other laws regarding the burial of bodies.

According to some translation notes, Paul cites this text in Gal 3:13: "Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree." Referring to Christ's sacrifice.

Taking the idea of death, the spiritual death of the old self, and running with it; death and the body after death are both referenced as the most severe penalty in a good portion of the OT, the punishment for all sin. Our bodies symbolize death from sin. Having such a symbol in the land that is your inheritance would then equate to having a symbol of sin in the land that was given to the Israelites as a covenant.

A very limited swipe at the subject. Thanks for the great question!