Guilt Offering (Leviticus 5:14–26)
Leprosy: Regulations About Defiling Skin (Leviticus 13:1-46)
The Leviticus 13-14 presents the major discussion of צָרַעַת (zaraʻat) meaning "skin disease" traditionally associated with leprosy. According to today's scientific findings, however, the entity causing leprosy is bacillus Mycobacterium leprae (Hansen's disease). Therefore, today the agreement...
Holy War (Deuteronomy 20:1-20)
The term "holy war" refers to a sort of warfare that is dedicated to the purposes of the Lord. God himself is also an active participant it this kind of war. The Old Testament does not use the term “holy war.” Instead, it was coined by the German scholar Friedrich Schwally in the early...
Accusation of a woman (Deuteronomy 22:13-21)
The content of this passage deals with the situation in which a husband accuses his wife of not being a virgin at the time of marriage. The passage prescribes a specific procedure to be followed by the parents of the accused woman, the husband, and the community elders. If the accusation is proven...
Adultery and Betrothal Transgressions (Deuteronomy 22:22-29)
The text presents a series of laws concerning sexual misconduct, focusing on adultery and transgressions related to betrothal. These verses emphasize the importance of maintaining moral and ethical standards within the community, especially regarding sexual relationships and marriage. The...
Dissatisfaction with a woman (Deuteronomy 24:1-4)
Deuteronomy 24:1-4 outlines the regulations regarding divorce and remarriage in ancient Israel, with a particular focus on protecting the rights and dignity of women. The passage begins by explaining that if a man finds something indecent about his wife, he may write her a certificate of...
Levirate marriage (Deuteronomy 25:5-10)
In this passage, the practice of levirate marriage is described. This custom instructs that if a man dies without having any children, his brother is expected to marry his widow in order to provide an heir for the deceased brother. The passage displays that if a man dies without children, his...
Joshua
The biblical book of Joshua describes the conquest and settlement of the land of Canaan by the Israelites under the leadership of Joshua, who succeeded Moses as the leader of the Israelites. The book is divided into two main parts: the conquest of the land and the distribution of the land among...
Judge Othniel (Judges 3:8-11)
Othniel (עָתְנִיאֵל בֶּן קְנַז, Otniel ben Kenaz) was the first of the judges of Israel. The name Othniel can be interpreted as „Protector of God“ or „Protection (is) God“. Some time after the death of Joshua, the Israelites once again turned to sin and fell under the subjection of...