The Naked Bible Podcast Naked Bible 023: The Bible’s Literary Context: The Legal Genre
5 snips
Jan 22, 2015 AI Snips
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Bible Law as Case Precedent
- Biblical legal texts are compilations of case law, reflecting precedent and social order rather than theological discourse.
- This genre focuses on crime and punishment, not on philosophical or theological personhood issues.
Exodus 21 Legal Passage Explained
- Exodus 21:22-23 deals with a fight causing a pregnant woman to give birth prematurely or miscarry.
- The passage distinguishes penalties depending on harm to the woman, not the fetus, focusing punishment on harm to the woman.
Social Status Shapes Penalties
- Hammurabi's law code shows penalties vary by social class and status of victim, not by personhood.
- Fetal loss penalties depended on mother's social status, indicating valuation by social hierarchy rather than intrinsic personhood.