Tuesday, June 7, 2011

Ancient Hebraic Perspective --- Break

"While the word keep, as in "keep the commands of God" does not mean obedience but guarding and protecting, the meaning of "break the commands of God" does not mean disobedience.

The Hebrew word parar, translated as break, is the treading of grain on the threshing floor by oxen to open up the hulls to remove the seeds. To the Ancient Hebrews, breaking the commands of God was equated with throwing it on the ground and trampling on it.

In both cases, keeping and breaking are related to ones attitude toward the commands. A child who disobeys his parents and is genuinely apologetic shows honor and respect to his parents. But a child who willfully disobeys with no sign of remorse has trampled on his parents teachings and deserves punishment."

AHLB# 1388-B

3 comments:

  1. I've wondered about this before. I imagined Moses breaking the commandments as he slammed the tablets to the ground-showing the people what they had done with God's laws.

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  2. Moses broke the Tablets, but not the commandments.

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  3. I loved this one Donna--when I read it, I thought of the phrase "keep the sabbath day Holy". As a mother, I find that to help my family honor and protect this commandment on Sunday is one of my treasured matriarchal "holy oblations". Thanks for the insight!

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