Put to death

Audio

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Questions

Did Moses tell the people that they were supposed to surely put to death people who violated a certain list of what we are told were laws?

Did Jesus preach forgiveness and turning the other cheek?

How are these two approaches reconciled with each other if Moses and Jesus preaçhed The Way of God?

Comments

God did not only not kill Cain but He warned that no one was to put Cain to death eventhough he murdered his brother.

The ultimate usurpation of God is to take the life of another which Cain chose to do... Stealing and even coveting what belonngs to someone else would be counted as the wages of unrighteousness since they both will lead to the taking away of a portion of the life of another the same as to bite one another.

“‭10 Yet not altogether with the fornicators of this world, or with the covetous, or extortioners, or with idolaters; for then must ye needs go out of the world. ‭11 But now I have written unto you not to keep company, if any man that is called a brother be a fornicator, or covetous, or an idolater, or a railer, or a drunkard, or an extortioner; with such an one no not to eat. ‭12 For what have I to do to judge them also that are without? do not ye judge them that are within? ‭13 But them that are without God judgeth. Therefore put away from among yourselves that wicked person.” 1 Corinthians 5:10-13

Put to death by whom

We have been told for centuries that the Bible was telling the people which God had just delivered from the Bondage of Egypt where they had been oppressed that Moses was giving them a new law that seems to be full of vengeance and oppression.

On the other hand Jesus and Moses seemed to be in agreement and Jesus quotes Moses. Jesus preached forgiveness and turning the other cheek. How are these two approaches reconciled with each other?

We know that Jesus actually accused Pharisees, Sadducees and many of the Jews of not even knowing Moses. It would seem reasonable to assume that there is a strong possibity that there interpretation was considerable skewed if not blatantly false. If that is true then our present view and understanding of the Old Testament may be also skewed if not also a false view of that early religion taught by Moses.

Did the LORD through Moses tell the people that they were supposed to surely put to death people who violated a certain list of laws?

We have been repeatedly told that those whose conduct violated a list of crimes were subject to a death penalty. Supposedly only those who had recklessly or intentionally committed capital offenses were to be put to death.

Surely die by what cause

We see the words together as muth tamut MemVavTav TavMemVavTav (מות תָּמֽוּת׃) first in Genesis 2:17 where Adam is warned that if he eat of the tree of knowledge the consequences are "thereof thou shalt surely <muth(מ֖וֹת)04191> die <tamuṯ(תָּמ֔וּת)04191>".

These words are again repeated in Genesis 3:4 by the serpent who said "Ye shall not surely <04191> die <04191>."

This phrase "Ye shall not surely die" in Hebrew (לא־מות תמתון). The phrase contains the same verb "to die" twice and the Hebrew word (לא־) for negative. the first verb is the root word muth(מות) which means to die or be dead. It is translated surely.

The second occurrence of the verb muth it is written as təmuṯūn(תְּמֻתֽוּן׃). The Tav at the beginning suggests the syntax is second person verb, hence the Ye or You. But the paragogic nun "function is debated and may involve a modal change to the meaning of the verb."

This same form of muwth (təmuṯūn(תְּמֻתֽוּן׃)04191) is found several times in the Bible.

It is worth noting that the text of Genesis 3:3 states that we were not only told not to eat the fruit of the tree of knowledge but we were not even supposed to touch that fruit.

The execution of Cain

Even though Cain committed murder God did not want Cain "put to death" by men. God will deal with Cain by the curse that would come upon him which made him "a fugitive and a vagabond|".

We also are told "dwelt in the land of Nod". Nod was not so much a place as a condition. Nod means a word meaning wandering.

Cain understood that he was now ostracized, driven out where he might die prematurely because of the hardships that would come upon him.

It was not the desire of God to have Cain surely put to death by men, but instead he said "whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold."

Why would any one think that this gives the people the right to execute out of vengeance or even punish the wicked when we know the vengeance belongs to the LORD.

Capital punishment and Abimelech

God may allow people to protect the weak and themselves but so far God does not seem to want us to be putting people to death even for murder.

The Hebrew word we often find in the text concerning this idea of capital offenses is the term Muwth(מ֖וֹת) which is repeated in some verses as MemVavTav and MemVavTav with additional letters. Do these letters MemVavTav YodVavMemTav (מות יומת) really mean "surely be put to death" according to the intent of Moses?

It is repeated twice in Genesis 26:11 which is about a warning by Abimelech concerning Isaac and Rebecca and the danger associated with anyone touching this "man or his wife". He states if they do so they shall surely<muth(מ֖וֹת)04191> be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Some will tell you that Abimelech is saying he will put them to death but that does not seem to be the case.

This Abimelech may be the same as the first Abimelech who had taken the wife of Abraham, Sarah, to his harem, and resulted in he and his whole household was stricken with a plague but he did not know and repented once he understood the situation and the danger. It was made clear that he would die had he touched her but not by men doing the execution.

This second Abimelech not only had no intention of doing this sin of violating Isaac's wife. But God had come to the first Abimelech in a dream and said he was a "dead man" if he touched her. So, the second Abimelech was simply anxious to protect his people from a plague, even death if they harmed or "touched" either Rebeca or Isaac. But eventhough the people may "surely<04191> be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>" it is not by the execution of men but like the "tree of knowledge" or the soldiers of Pharaoh in the Red Sea, their death will be a consequences of their choice to sin this God blessed union.

The depth of death

If we join this letter Mem to the letters Vav Tav you get the word "mavet", meaning "death". We are told that the combination of the letters Mem and Tav spell the word for "death". Now if you add the letter Alef to MemTav you get the Hebrew word emet which is said to mean truth.

Even the name Adam, AlefDaletMem, if you remove the Alef, the relation of God and man, all you have left is blood void of the spirit of God. See Exodus 21.

Blood for blood

In Genesis 9 some will say that God is allowing for the death penalty but . The idea that if you shed a man's blood your blood may be shed by man is in agreement with Jesus who said in Matthew 26 "Put up again thy sword into his place: for all they that take the sword shall perish with the sword."

If we read the verse in its context what we are allowed to consume to sustain life but that does not include flesh with life in it.

Once we comprehend what that term for "life" means in this text we may have a better comprehension of the next verses may make more sense.

The text is not talking about physical cannibalism or becoming an actual vampire but does reference consuming the life of others. This precept is inclusive in covetous practices where what you consume of a person is taken by force rather than freely given like a mother who freely gives her own life to her child.

This is also why we should curb our appetite for the dainties of rulers or men who call themselves benefactors but employ force to set their tables of welfare. All legal charity is not milk of human kindness but the meat or flesh of your neighbor with the blood still in it.

Historians have known for centuries that that appetite for benefits at the expense of your neighbor degenerates the masses until they cannot resist the power of tyrants. There is almost no way to interpret these verses as permission to execute anyone.

In fact if we just consider Exodus 23 warning that "the innocent and righteous slay thou not: for I will not justify the wicked" and man's ability to be wrong or make a mistake should dispel the idea of the power to execute people, who could be restrained or exiled, to be placed in the hands of men or their governments is a frightening thought and should be avoided if not prohibited.

Levites smite

At the time the people built the golden calf in Exodus 32:26 Moses takes a stand, "Then Moses stood in the gate of the camp, and said, Who is on the LORD’S side?" This is where the sons of Levi gathered themselves together unto him and by doing so were the first to come out at the calling of Moses. This calling out would lead to them being called the church in the wilderness.

What followed was the slaughter of three thousand people, or is it?

In verse 28 we see they "fell".

Does this mean that "of the people that day about three thousand men" were slaughtered by these men that would become known as the Levites?

Were they actually killing the heads of three thousand families or was something else taking place?

Exodus 32:27 "And he said unto them, Thus saith the LORD God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, and go in and out from gate to gate throughout the camp, and slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour. 28 And the children of Levi did according to the word of Moses: and there fell of the people that day about three thousand men."

The use of the word bammaḥăneh, from machaneh commonly translated "in the camp", and the use of wāšūḇū (וָשׁ֜וּבוּ) from shuwb meaning "to return, turn back" all suggests if we read them in the context of Verse 29 that the Levites were sent with their sword at their side to make an account of those people who would not Consecrate themselves again to the LORD and to keep them from entering the camp.

By barring them from the camp(also translated host and company or even the "body of people") they were saying that unless they consented and consecrated themselves to the way of the LORD they were not to receive the protection of Israel when it came to the weightier matters. They were also going to be excluded from the welfare tables of their society where the people protected one another through the social safety net of the altars of freewill offerings. At least 3000 people fell free from the grace of their society and were required to go their own way even though they might be killed.

In verse 27 we can see the word harag that seems to mean "slay every man his brother, and every man his companion, and every man his neighbour." This means there are no exceptions. Everyone must "consecrate' themselves or they are barred.

The word slay is normally seen as harag (הָרַג)‎ with the letters HeyReishGimel but in the text we see wəhirḡū (וְהִרְג֧וּ) VavHeyReishGimelVav which only appear in this form in one verse and no where else in the biblical text. Harag can be translated as literally "and let kill" or even "let them be ruined". The Vav at the beginning of the word may suggest the idea of word "and" but why is there a second Vav at the end?

Were the Levites turning away everyone who would not consecrate themselves to the way Moses had been teaching the people since he came to bring them out of Egypt.

Moses said in the very next verse, Exodus 32:29 "For Moses had said, Consecrate yourselves to day to the LORD, even every man upon his son, and upon his brother; that he may bestow upon you a blessing this day."

The words "Consecrate yourselves" seem to mean in the Hebrew that Moses is calling everyone to "fully commit their hand to the LORD" or they will be turned away from the camp, even if they might die.

This is no different than Jesus' parable about the foolish virgins who waste their oil and still expect to be let in to the feast.

The Levites would be put in charge of the social safety net of the nation, serving the tents of the congregations of the people which were free assemblies, but they would do it through a system of freewill offerings through what would be called charity and love in the new testament.

other Put to Death quotes

There are numerous places in the Bible where similar words expressing the idea meant by the phrase we see translated as "put to death" appears but is slightly different. The ultimate practice to exercise authority over another is to take their life but does not seem to be the intent and meaning of Moses.

We see an example of this in:

• Deuteronomy 17:5 "Then shalt thou bring forth that man or that woman, which have committed that wicked <(הָרָ֤ע hara)07451> thing <(הַדָּבָ֨ר hadaḇar)01697>, unto thy gates, [even] that man or that woman, and shalt stone them with stones, till they die <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>."

Which is followed by:

• Deuteronomy 17:6 "At the mouth of two witnesses, or three witnesses, shall he that is worthy of death be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; [but] at the mouth of one witness he shall not be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>."

more appearances

Exodus 19:12 And thou shalt set bounds unto the people round about, saying, Take heed to yourselves, [that ye] go [not] up into the mount, or touch the border of it: whosoever toucheth the mount shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>>:

Exodus 21:12 He that smiteth a man, so that he die, shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 21:15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 21:16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in his hand, he shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 21:17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 21:29 But if the ox were wont to push with his horn in time past, and it hath been testified to his owner, and he hath not kept him in, but that he hath killed a man or a woman; the ox shall be stoned, and his owner also shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 22:19 Whosoever lieth with a beast shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 31:14 Ye shall keep the sabbath therefore; for it [is] holy unto you: every one that defileth it shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: for whosoever doeth [any] work therein, that soul shall be cut off from among his people.

Exodus 31:15 Six days may work be done; but in the seventh [is] the sabbath of rest, holy to the LORD: whosoever doeth [any] work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Exodus 35:2 Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death <04191>.

Leviticus 19:20 And whosoever lieth carnally with a woman, that [is] a bondmaid, betrothed to an husband, and not at all redeemed, nor freedom given her; she shall be scourged; they shall not be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>, because she was not free.

Leviticus 20:2 Again, thou shalt say to the children of Israel, Whosoever [he be] of the children of Israel, or of the strangers that sojourn in Israel, that giveth [any] of his seed unto Molech; he shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: the people of the land shall stone him with stones.

Leviticus 20:9 For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood [shall be] upon him.

Leviticus 20:10 And the man that committeth adultery with [another] man’s wife, [even he] that committeth adultery with his neighbour’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Leviticus 20:11 And the man that lieth with his father’s wife hath uncovered his father’s nakedness: both of them shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; their blood [shall be] upon them.

Leviticus 20:12 And if a man lie with his daughter in law, both of them shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: they have wrought confusion; their blood [shall be] upon them.

Leviticus 20:13 If a man also lie with mankind, as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; their blood [shall be] upon them.

Leviticus 20:15 And if a man lie with a beast, he shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: and ye shall slay the beast.

Leviticus 20:16 And if a woman approach unto any beast, and lie down thereto, thou shalt kill the woman, and the beast: they shall surely be put to death <04191>; their blood [shall be] upon them.

Leviticus 20:27 A man also or woman that hath a familiar spirit, or that is a wizard, shall surely be put to death <04191>: they shall stone them with stones: their blood [shall be] upon them.

Leviticus 24:16 And he that blasphemeth the name of the LORD, he shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>, [and] all the congregation shall certainly stone him: as well the stranger, as he that is born in the land, when he blasphemeth the name [of the LORD], shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Leviticus 24:17 And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Leviticus 24:21 And he that killeth a beast, he shall restore it: and he that killeth a man, he shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Leviticus 27:29 None devoted, which shall be devoted of men, shall be redeemed; [but] shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 1:51 And when the tabernacle setteth forward, the Levites shall take it down: and when the tabernacle is to be pitched, the Levites shall set it up: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 3:10 And thou shalt appoint Aaron and his sons, and they shall wait on their priest’s office: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 3:38 But those that encamp before the tabernacle toward the east, [even] before the tabernacle of the congregation eastward, [shall be] Moses, and Aaron and his sons, keeping the charge of the sanctuary for the charge of the children of Israel; and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 15:35 And the LORD said unto Moses, The man shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: all the congregation shall stone him with stones without the camp.

Numbers 18:7 Therefore thou and thy sons with thee shall keep your priest’s office for every thing of the altar, and within the vail; and ye shall serve: I have given your priest’s office [unto you as] a service of gift: and the stranger that cometh nigh shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 35:16 And if he smite him with an instrument of iron, so that he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 35:17 And if he smite him with throwing a stone, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 35:18 Or [if] he smite him with an hand weapon of wood, wherewith he may die, and he die, he [is] a murderer: the murderer shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Numbers 35:21 Or in enmity smite him with his hand, that he die: he that smote [him] shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; [for] he [is] a murderer: the revenger of blood shall slay the murderer, when he meeteth him.

Numbers 35:31 Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which [is] guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

Deuteronomy 13:5 And that prophet, or that dreamer of dreams, shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; because he hath spoken to turn [you] away from the LORD your God, which brought you out of the land of Egypt, and redeemed you out of the house of bondage, to thrust thee out of the way which the LORD thy God commanded thee to walk in. So shalt thou put the evil away from the midst of thee.

Deuteronomy 21:22 And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death <04191>, and thou hang him on a tree:

Deuteronomy 24:16 The fathers shall not be put to death <04191> for the children, neither shall the children be put to death <04191> for the fathers: every man shall be put to death <04191> for his own sin.

Joshua 1:18 Whosoever [he be] that doth rebel against thy commandment, and will not hearken unto thy words in all that thou commandest him, he shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: only be strong and of a good courage.

Judges 6:31 And Joash said unto all that stood against him, Will ye plead for Baal? will ye save him? he that will plead for him, let him be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> whilst [it is yet] morning: if he [be] a god, let him plead for himself, because [one] hath cast down his altar. Judges 21:5 And the children of Israel said, Who [is there] among all the tribes of Israel that came not up with the congregation unto the LORD? For they had made a great oath concerning him that came not up to the LORD to Mizpeh, saying, He shall surely be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

1 Samuel 11:13 And Saul said, There shall not a man be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> this day: for to day the LORD hath wrought salvation in Israel.

1 Samuel 19:6 KJV: liveth, he shall not be slain <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>.

1 Samuel 20:32 KJV: and said unto him, Wherefore shall he be slain <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>? what hath he done?

2 Samuel 8:2 And he smote Moab, and measured them with a line, casting them down to the ground; even with two lines measured he to put to death <04191>, and with one full line to keep alive. And [so] the Moabites became David’s servants, [and] brought gifts.

2 Samuel 19:21 But Abishai the son of Zeruiah answered and said, Shall not Shimei be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> for this, because he cursed the LORD’S anointed?

2 Samuel 19:22 And David said, What have I to do with you, ye sons of Zeruiah, that ye should this day be adversaries unto me? shall there any man be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> this day in Israel? for do not I know that I [am] this day king over Israel?

2 Samuel 21:9 And he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the LORD: and they fell [all] seven together, and were put to death <04191> in the days of harvest, in the first [days], in the beginning of barley harvest.

2 Kings 11:8 KJV: within the ranges, let him be slain <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: and be ye with the king

2 Chronicles 23:14 KJV: and whoso followeth her, let him be slain <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> with the sword.

Ezekiel 18:13 KJV: he shall surely die <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>; his blood

1 Kings 2:24 Now therefore, [as] the LORD liveth, which hath established me, and set me on the throne of David my father, and who hath made me an house, as he promised, Adonijah shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> this day.

2 Kings 14:6 But the children of the murderers he slew not: according unto that which is written in the book of the law of Moses, wherein the LORD commanded, saying, The fathers shall not be put to death <04191> for the children, nor the children be put to death <04191> for the fathers; but every man shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191> for his own sin.

2 Chronicles 15:13 That whosoever would not seek the LORD God of Israel should be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>, whether small or great, whether man or woman.

2 Chronicles 23:7 And the Levites shall compass the king round about, every man with his weapons in his hand; and whosoever [else] cometh into the house, he shall be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: but be ye with the king when he cometh in, and when he goeth out.

Jeremiah 38:4 Therefore the princes said unto the king, We beseech thee, let this man be put to death <(יוּמָ֑ת)04191>: for thus he weakeneth the hands of the men of war that remain in this city, and the hands of all the people, in speaking such words unto them: for this man seeketh not the welfare of this people, but the hurt.

Put to death
Sophistry | Stoning | Leaven | Kill | Naka |
Altars | Idolatry | Clay and stone | Peine forte et dure
cities of blood | Temples | Corban | foolish |
Burnt Offerings | Grain Offering | Peace Offering |
Sin offering | wave offering | freewill offerings | no king |