Fun Bible Trivia Part 3!

[guingel]

OK, part 1 of our two-part 10 commandments fun facts. I can't find my notes on this one and it's a little more nebulous in my mind than either of the previous two, because it doesn't involve sex. It's still funny, though, I think - just think of it as one possible theory about the text involved.

Exodus 20:7, You shall not make wrongful use of the name of the Lord your God, for the Lord will not acquit anyone who misuses his name.

So this has become all about not using God's name in swears, right? Cursing, and exclamations? But actually, it was about oaths. The swearing of oaths was a serious social problem in ancient Israel. Seriously! People were always swearing things by God, making promises to God and stuff like that, and if you did that, you had to keep the promise. My memory of the subject is that people would say "God, if you give me a good crop, I'll shave my kid's head bald," or something like that, and then they'd have to do it. Basically, it was a big problem. So that's what the third commandment is all about. Not going "Oh God, WHY??" or "God damn you!" Although, you know, people probably didn't do that so maybe if they had there would have been a commandment about it.

I know, it's not dirty, but I still found it. . . somehow cute?

Comments

[guingel.livejournal.com]

Why? Because of how fierce people get when they're really seriously passionate about something? Religion gives good excuses for that sort of thing.

[nitrosss.livejournal.com]

Well, yeah. I mean, people were really hardcore about all this religion stuff way back then. I just keep picturing this guy promising god he'll castrate his son if xyz. It makes me super sad. :(

[guingel.livejournal.com]

There probably weren't too many promises to castrate your kids - having a kid who'll carry on your name is kind of the big goal, so you don't really wanna jeopardize that. If that makes you feel any better? There's actually a fair amount of evidence that people weren't really that obedient - places where consequences are stressed, or other places where things are interpreted to be more loose. On the other hand, you live in the middle of a desert and god probably does feel closer.

I think people were just really into making oaths, though.

[nitrosss.livejournal.com]

It was just an example! I couldn't think of anything else because my mind was stuck on penis from your two other bible posts. :D

WELL. I used to make a lot of oaths when I was a kid!