Untranslated Passages, the Conquest, Hate the Sinner

1. Charles Perrot, "The Reading of the Bible in the Ancient Synagogue," Mikra: Text, Translation, Reading and Interpretation of the Hebrew Bible in Ancient Judaism and Early Christianity, ed. Martin Jan Mulder (Peabody: Hendrickson, 2004) 144.

"During the reading from the Tora each verse, read aloud in Hebrew, could be translated into Aramaic...Only a few passages in the Tora are not to be translated: the story of Reuben (Gen 35:22f.); the end of the story of the golden calf (Exod 32:21f.); the Priestly Blessing (Num 6:24-27). The same holds for some prophetic texts about David (2 Sam 11:2-17) and Ammon (13:1f.). It was deemed sufficient to read them, but not to give a translation. The case of Ezekiel was graver: 'They may not use the chapter of the Chariot (Ezek 1) as a reading from the Prophets; but R. Yehudah permits it."

I can understand why Ezekiel was banned, since rabbis feared that people may do some mischievous stuff with the Chariot chapter. But why couldn't that other stuff be translated into Aramaic? What's so special about the story of Reuben, or the end of the Golden calf story? Perrot doesn't explain.

2. Philip Schaff, History of the Christian Church, Volume II: Ante-Nicene Christianity (Grand Rapids: William B. Eerdmans, 1910) 460.

Gibbon says that the Gnostics "were at a loss to reconcile 'the conquest of Canaan, and the extirpation of the unsuspecting natives with the common notions of humanity and justice."

Someone mentioned to me a pamphlet that says Satan is god of this world (II Corinthians 4:4), so he was the one who commanded the Israelites to slaughter every Canaanite man, woman, and child. That may be similar to what the Gnostics said. For them, a diabolical sub-deity created the heavens and the earth, so the God of the Hebrew Bible is not the true God.

I know that the rabbis wrestled somewhat with the Conquest. They said that the Israelites offered the Canaanites terms of peace, then proceeded to slaughter them when they didn't accept them. I wonder how the early Christians addressed this issue.

3. Jacob Neusner, Judaism's Story of Creation: Scripture, Halakhah, Aggadah (Boston: Brill, 2000) 217.

"The net effect is to link the homely observance of the Sabbath to the most profound issues of human existence and divine love--all out of the simple statement that God blessed the seventh day and hallowed it."

Neusner says that Judaism has a conception of divine love. As I've read the Koran for my daily quiet time, I have wondered if Islam really has such a concept. I don't think that Islam sees God as a harsh tyrant who hates humanity, as certain Christians like to portray it. After all, the Koran says at the outset that Allah is compassionate and merciful. But I don't really see therein God's love for his enemies, as I do in the following New Testament passages:

Matthew 5:44-45: But I say to you, Love your enemies and pray for those who persecute you, so that you may be children of your Father in heaven; for he makes his sun rise on the evil and on the good, and sends rain on the righteous and on the unrighteous.

Romans 5:6-7: 7 Indeed, rarely will anyone die for a righteous person-- though perhaps for a good person someone might actually dare to die. But God proves his love for us in that while we still were sinners Christ died for us.

Instead, the Koran states that God does not love certain people (translation is from whatever my BibleWorks uses. Also, keep in mind that I've only read the first four suras):

Sura 2:276: Allah does not bless usury, and He causes charitable deeds to prosper, and Allah does not love any ungrateful sinner.

Sura 3:31-32: Say: If you love Allah, then follow me, Allah will love you and forgive you your faults, and Allah is Forgiving, Merciful[.] Say: Obey Allah and the Apostle; but if they turn back, then surely Allah does not love the unbelievers.

Sura 3:57: And as to those who believe and do good deeds, He will pay them fully their rewards; and Allah does not love the unjust.

Sura 4:36:...surely Allah does not love him who is proud, boastful[.]

At the same time, I have encountered one passage that says Muslims shouldn't look down on non-believers, since they once were non-believers themselves, saved by the gift of Allah:

Sura 4:94: O you who believe! when you go to war in Allah's way, make investigation, and do not say to any one who offers you peace: You are not a believer. Do you seek goods of this world's life! But with Allah there are abundant gains; you too were such before, then Allah conferred a benefit on you; therefore make investigation; surely Allah is aware of what you do.

At the same time, the Bible says that God hates certain people:

Psalm 5:5 The boastful will not stand before your eyes; you hate all evildoers.

Psalm 11:5: The LORD tests the righteous and the wicked, and his soul hates the lover of violence.

Proverbs 6:16-19: There are six things that the LORD hates, seven that are an abomination to him: haughty eyes, a lying tongue, and hands that shed innocent blood, a heart that devises wicked plans, feet that hurry to run to evil, a lying witness who testifies falsely, and one who sows discord in a family.

(Notice that God hates a person here: a lying witness.)

God hates the sin but loves the sinner? Not in every Scripture!

Actually, God probably loves sinners, even while he hates them. He loves them in that he wants them to repent, but he hates them for the bad decisions that they make. He doesn't just hate sin in the abstract, as if sin and sinner are separate, for sin flows from the decisions of the sinner.