Friday, January 23, 2009

Deuteronomy 25.11

The Bible is weird. For those of you who haven't read it, it's weirdness is probably what is keeping you away. For those of you who have, you know what I'm talking about. 

There are some weird things happening all throughout the pages of Scripture - things we can't even begin to get our minds around (Judges 19, anyone?)

One of my favorite passages of Scripture is called a "sundry law" which states that "If two men, a man and his countryman, are struggling together, and the wife of one comes near to deliver her husband from the hand of the one who is striking him, and puts out her hand and seizes his genitals, then you shall cut off her hand; you shall not show pity." (Deut. 25.11)
       
(thank you for the visual aids, TheBrickTestament)

Why is this my favorite? I don't know. But I like to use it as a threat. Until I remember that the retaliation is that my hand will be cut off...

Still! Stuff like this is in the Bible! Mixed in there with Moses and the temple and Jesus! Why, even in the Ancient NearEast, with the Hebrew people, would this have even been an issue?! I honestly don't know. 

How utterly strange. 

And how wonderfully fascinating. 

Man, the Bible is weirdly cool!

10 comments:

Michael Gilley said...

The fact that you are a woman I think might explain your wonderment at this law. I mean, every guy that pictures in his head getting into a fight with another man and then some woman coming around and trying to stop it by going below the belt knows that's not fair fighting, especially when you can't strike another man's woman! To me it makes sense, since that's one of the most vulnerable places on a man and in those days it was the livelihood of his entire family. Women can't be doing that. I mean, why would a woman be going in to help her man in the first place if it wasn't to do something that he wouldn't do himself for honor? Cheap, dirty fighting.

CerahSee said...

I really enjoy Deuteronomy 23.12-14

12) Designate a place outside the camp where you can go to relieve yourself. 13) As part of your equipment have something to dig with, and when you relieve yourself, dig a hole and cover up your excrement. 14) For the LORD your God moves about in your camp to protect you and to deliver your enemies to you. Your camp must be holy, so that he will not see among you anything indecent and turn away from you.

Anytime the Bible can bust out the word excrement... its a good day.

CerahSee said...

http://www.thebricktestament.com/the_law/camp_defecation/dt23_14.html

See for visual aid... pertaining to
Deut 23.12-14

Jamie said...

hey! i used a brick testament visual aid on my post yesterday!! WHAT THE?! but unlike you i did not give props...i'm sure i lost a jewel because of that. i'm going to right my wrong now...i'm so ashamed. :(

Unknown said...

How did you even FIND this?! <3

Anonymous said...

I miss your face. And, I miss getting to have conversations like this with face to face.

Sarah Lewie said...

@ Maples: I google-imaged "Deuteronomy 25.11" and that's what came up. It was awesome. I will for sure be using that site in the future!
hehehehe....

deliveredjude said...

Adult Warning! Adult Warning!

So, MOMountainGirl and others, I think it's so interesting you brought that up. I am completely emberassed to say that I used to use that verse to confirm that it was ok to masturbate. My version didn't say excrement. That would have totally destroyed my plot.

Sigh, oh, confession. Why do I visit thee?

nopions

Anonymous said...

Look for Bricktestament.com to appear in the What's Online section in the paper this Friday! :)
I looked at the whole birth of Moses this morning, it's hysterical.

Jamie said...

can it be plaid flannel cloth?!
well, as long as its not bally fleece....
*this comment makes no sense to anyone else....unless they were to head on over to my blog :)