Talk:Ex 19:1-24:11
From Feast upon the Word (http://feastupontheword.org). Copyright, Feast upon the Word.
20:1-5: Seven vs. ten commandments[edit]
Hi Joe, It is odd and surprising that it isn't really obvious where to break up the 10 commandments since they are known by their number. Interesting commentary. Thanks, --Matthew Faulconer 15:09, 15 Aug 2006 (UTC)
20:3: "Before me"[edit]
My thought here was that if the "precedence" notion of "before me" is taken, then it seems rather odd. That is, it there would seem to be almost an implicit condoning of other gods, just as long as God was worshipped more than the rest of them.... --RobertC 03:39, 29 Nov 2006 (UTC)
- I agree. I think there are scholars who would probably read this verse as condoning the worship of other gods, just so long as they are understood to be lesser gods (like the seventy sons of El, etc.). However, I think your lexical note points to the better reading: lpny as "to my face." I think such a reading depends also on reading `hr ("other") as "foreign," "strange," etc. The commandment seems to be that Israel is to bring no foreign god to the face of Jehovah. They are to come before Him stripped of all foreign elements, recognizing Him as the only Other, etc. There are some interesting possibilities about thinking this commandment. --Joe Spencer 15:47, 29 Nov 2006 (UTC)
