The Decalogue : living as the people of God

290 Pages·2017·4.8 MB·English

by  Baker, D. L.

The
DECALOGUE
Living as the People of God
DAVID L. BAKER
For Meg, Abi, and Ivan
Three wonderful children!
CONTENTS
Preface
Abbreviations
What Is the Decalogue?
Shape
Form
Origin
Purpose
Loving God
1 First of All
2 Worship
3 Reverence
4 Rest
5 Family
Loving Neighbor
6 Life
7 Marriage
8 Property
9 Truth
10 Last but Not Least
The Decalogue Today
Living as the People of God
Bibliography
Author Index
Subject Index
Scripture Index
Notes
Praise for The Decalogue
About the Author
More Titles from InterVarsity Press
Copyright Page
PREFACE
For centuries it was taken for granted in the Western world that the Ten
Commandments were relevant for all times and in all places. They were
displayed on church walls and windows and formed an essential part of Roman
Catholic and Protestant worship. The 1604 Anglican Canons decreed that “the
Ten Commandments be set up upon the East-end of every Church and Chapel
where the people may best see and read the same” (§82). In Lutheran and
Anglican liturgies today, the Ten Commandments or a summary of the law are
read in preparation for confession, to convict people of sin so they turn to God
for forgiveness. In some Reformed liturgies, they are placed after the confession
of sin as guidance for Christian living. Either way, their continuing relevance for
Christians is assumed.
But what about national and international ethics? In modern Western
societies the relevance of the Ten Commandments is less obvious. Churches in
Britain have been largely unsuccessful in opposing the liberalization of Sunday
trading laws. In the United States there has been vigorous debate about whether
the commandments should be displayed in schools and public places, and on
several occasions judges have ruled that stone monuments inscribed with the
commandments must be removed. While Christians may regret these outcomes,
it is probably unrealistic to expect governments of countries that are becoming
increasingly secularized to acknowledge the authority of biblical laws, though
many of the principles they express are accepted by civilized peoples throughout
the world.
In any case, I am convinced these laws are still important for the people of
God, as I aim to show in this book. I tackle the commandments one by one in
three contexts:
First, I place each commandment in the context of ancient Near Eastern law
and culture. This context is mentioned only incidentally or not at all in most
other books.
Second, I explain each commandment in the context of the Bible itself
(canonical context). This has been done in other commentaries, but it is
absolutely essential in my view and could not be omitted responsibly.
Third, I reflect on each commandment in the context of the world today.
Many commentaries limit their scope to the biblical context, leaving readers
to draw their own conclusions about the contemporary relevance of the text.
There are also a good number of books with valuable insights concerning the
relevance of the commandments, but these often lack a firm basis in the
study of the text. I aim to bridge the gap by covering both explanation and
reflection in one study.
The first part of the book introduces the Ten Commandments, including
discussion of their shape and form, origin and purpose. Another matter that
could have been included is reception history (how the text has been understood
and used over the centuries), but this has been done well elsewhere, and to repeat
1
it here would require a considerably longer book.
My hope is that this book will be useful for teachers and students, preachers
and congregations, and all who are interested in understanding the original
meaning and contemporary significance of this historic text. To make it
accessible for as many readers as possible, I have minimized technical
discussions in the body of the text, providing instead footnotes and
bibliographies for the benefit of academic readers who wish to study things in
more detail.
Finally, I am very grateful to family, friends, and colleagues who have
supported and stimulated me during the years I have been writing about the Ten
Commandments (or Decalogue, as they are often called by scholars). I began my
research on Old Testament law when I was deputy warden at Tyndale House,
Cambridge, and preached through the commandments at chapel there. The
library resources and scholarly interaction at this unique center for biblical
research were immensely important to me. Sabbatical leave granted by Trinity
Theological College, Perth, enabled me to make further progress, and the work
was completed after my return to Cambridge in 2014. Alan Millard, Abigail
Patience, and Diana Hakala read various drafts and made many valuable
suggestions. Finally, and most important of all, I mention my wife, Elizabeth.
Not only has she read and edited the whole book, but she has also sustained and
encouraged me unfailingly over the years. Thank you!
ABBREVIATIONS
BIBLE TEXTS AND TRANSLATIONS
BFBS Hebrew Old Testament. London: British & Foreign Bible
Society, 1958.
BHQ Biblia Hebraica Quinta. Stuttgart: Deutsche Bibelgesellschaft,
2004–.
BHS Biblia Hebraica Stuttgartensia. 5th ed. Stuttgart: Deutsche
Bibelgesellschaft, 1997.
ESV English Standard Version. Rev. ed. Wheaton, IL: Crossway,
2011.
GNT Good News Translation [Today’s English Version].
2nd ed.Philadelphia: American Bible Society, 1992.
JB The Jerusalem Bible. Garden City, NY: Darton, Longman &
Todd, 1966.
KJV King James Version [Authorized Version]. 1611.
Koren Bible The Holy Scriptures. Jerusalem: Koren, 1983.
LXX Septuagint (ancient Greek translation of the Old Testament).
MT Masoretic Text (standard Hebrew text of the Old Testament).
NET New English Translation. Richardson, TX: Biblical Studies
Foundation, 2004.
NIV New International Version. Updated ed. Colorado Springs:
Biblica, 2011.
NJB New Jerusalem Bible. London: Darton, Longman & Todd,
1985.
NJPS New JPS Translation [Tanakh]. Philadelphia: Jewish Publication
Society, 1985.
NLT2 New Living Translation. 2nd ed. Carol Stream, IL: Tyndale
House, 2004.
NRSV New Revised Standard Version. New York: National Council of
the Churches of Christ, 1989.
REB Revised English Bible. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 1989.
RHB A Reader’s Hebrew Bible. Edited by A. Philip Brown II and
Bryan W. Smith. Grand Rapids: Zondervan, 2008.
RSV Revised Standard Version. New York: National Council of the
Churches of Christ, 1952.
Most Bible texts are quoted from the New International Version (2011), but I
have substituted my own translation for the Decalogue and a few other laws
(marked “DLB”) where I feel the NIV does not fully reflect the meaning of the
Hebrew. Chapter and verse numbers follow English conventions, assuming that
those who know Hebrew will be aware of the differences.
ANCIENT NEAR EASTERN LAWS
AI Ana ittišu tablet 7, including Sumerian Family Laws (ca. 2300–
2076 BC; see Driver and Miles 1952: 25-26; 1955: 308-13)
CH Laws of Hammurabi (ca. 1750 BC; see COS: 2.131)
HL Hittite Laws (ca. 1650–1500 BC; see COS: 2.19)
LE Laws of Eshnunna (ca. 1770 BC; see COS: 2.130)
LL Laws of Lipit-Ishtar (ca. 1930 BC; see COS: 2.154)
LU