Difference between revisions of "Killing Kill"

Killing Kill <ref name="term_17994" />  

<p> <i> The Old [[Testament]] </i> . The Old Testament uses many terms to refer to the act of killing, some of which can be used interchangeably (see 2 Samuel 14:7 ,; where three terms for killing are used ). The most common of these is <i> harag </i> [ [[Genesis]] 9:6 ). </p> <p> <i> [[Killing]] [[Enemies]] in [[Battle]] </i> . The [[Hebrew]] term <i> harag </i> [ Numbers 31:7,17; Deuteronomy 2:34; 3:6; 7:22-26; 13:16; 20:10-14; Joshua 8:26-28; 1 Samuel 15:3 ). Even [[Pharaoh]] participated in the mass destruction of enemies ( 1 Kings 9:16 ). </p> <p> <i> Killing Opponents </i> . The killing of political opponents occurred during periods of revolution, in disputes with prophets, or in the battle for succession to the throne. [[Gideon]] destroyed [[Peniel]] and its people when they refused his aid ( Judges 8:17 ); Saul thought about killing Samuel ( 1 Samuel 16:2 ), and was successful in having the priests of Nob slain ( 1 Samuel 22:17 ); [[Jezebel]] killed the prophets of [[Yahweh]] ( 1 Kings 18:13; cf. 1 Kings 19:10 ); Zechariah was stoned during the reign of [[Joash]] ( 2 Chronicles 24:21 ); [[Abimelech]] killed his seventy brothers ( Judges 9:5 ); [[Athaliah]] killed her family and was herself killed ( 2 Kings 11:16; 2 Chronicles 23:15 ); and Jehu destroyed the line of Ahab ( 2 Chronicles 22:8 ). The festival of [[Purim]] was associated with the slaying of political enemies ( Esther 3:13; 7:4; 8:11; 9:2 ). Pharaoh intended to kill the Hebrew sons (Heb. causitive of <i> mut, </i> Exodus 1:16; also see 1 Samuel 17:50; 2 Samuel 3:30 ). <i> Harag </i> [ Genesis 4:23-24 ] for the intended killing of [[Joseph]] 37:20; <i> mut </i> was used in Genesis 37:18; also see 1 Samuel 19:1; 1 Kings 11:40 ] [[Jacob]] versus Esau [ Genesis 27:41 ] and Cain versus Abel [ Genesis 4:1-6 ]). </p> <p> <i> Killing as a [[Crime]] </i> . There were at least four types of criminal homicide: murder, accidental homicide, the goring ox, and justifiable homicide. [[Murder]] was a premeditated act ( Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:20-22 ) punishable by death ( Numbers 35:31-33; Deuteronomy 19:13 ). Moses' killing of an [[Egyptian]] was considered a crime by Pharaoh ( Exodus 2:14-15 ), as was Joab's blood vengeance against [[Abner]] ( 2 Samuel 3:30; cf. 1 Kings 2:5 ) and David's plotting the death of [[Uriah]] ( 2 Samuel 12:9,14 ). [[Judicial]] murder was also condemned ( Exodus 23:7; [[Psalm]] 10:8; 94:5-6 ). </p> <p> A distinction was made between homicide and premeditated murder ( Exodus 21:13-14 ), although the blood avenger was required to act against both, primarily as a safeguard against the killing of relatives. The one who committed accidental manslaughter was able to receive asylum ( Exodus 21:13; Numbers 35:9-30; [Heb. <i> naka, </i> [ Deuteronomy 19:1-10 ). [[Accidental]] manslaughter could result from a sudden shove or unintentional throwing of an object ( Numbers 35:22 ), the dropping of a stone or random missile ( Numbers 35:22-23 ), a fall from a roof with no rail ( Deuteronomy 22:8 ), or assault by a killer who was not lying in wait ( Exodus 21:12-13 ). An ox who killed a man was stoned ( Exodus 21:28-32 ). A property owner was justified in killing a thief in the act of stealing ( Exodus 22:2; in daylight hours ). </p> <p> <i> Killing as [[Punishment]] for a Crime </i> . Israel's death penalty showed moral sensitivity and placed a high value on human life. Punishment was often regarded as God's vengeance on the crime. [[Capital]] punishment was employed for the following criminal cases: intentional homicide ( Exodus 21:12; Leviticus 24:17; Numbers 35:16-21 ), kidnapping ( Exodus 21:16; Deuteronomy 24:7 ), prostitution by the priest's daughter ( Leviticus 21:9 ), persistent disobedience against parents ( Leviticus 20:9; Deuteronomy 27:16 ), apostasy from the Lord ( Numbers 25:5; Deuteronomy 13:10 ), killing the king ( 2 Samuel 4:10-12 ), fratricide ( Genesis 4:14; Exodus 21:14; Judges 9:56; 2 Samuel 14:7 ), child sacrifice ( Leviticus 20:4; Heb. <i> mut </i> ), and false prophecy ( Deuteronomy 13:1-5 ). It was also enforced for sexual abuses such as adultery ( Leviticus 20:10; Deuteronomy 22:22 ), incest ( Leviticus 20:11-17 ), sodomy ( Leviticus 20:13 ), and bestiality ( Exodus 22:19; Leviticus 20:15-16 ), and for cultic abuses including idolatry ( Leviticus 20:1-5; Numbers 25:1-5; Deuteronomy 13:6-18; 17:2-7 ), blasphemy ( Leviticus 24:15-16 ), profanation of the [[Sabbath]] ( Exodus 31:14-15; Numbers 15:32-36 ), and sorcery ( Exodus 22:17; Leviticus 20:27 ). One aspect in criminal law was the idea of corporate personality; Achan's death penalty was extended to his entire family ( Joshua 7 ). </p> <p> <i> Killing as [[Sacrifice]] </i> . The term <i> shahat </i> [ Exodus 29:11,16 , 20; Leviticus 1:5 ), for child sacrifices ( Ezekiel 16:21; 23:39 ), and for Jehu's mass killing ( 2 Kings 10:7,14 ). Other terms (e.g., <i> zabah </i> [ Leviticus 17:3-9 ). </p> <p> <i> Yahweh as the [[Subject]] </i> . Yahweh punished misdeeds, was a military hero (Yahweh of hosts), and killed personal opponents ( Numbers 22:21-35 ). He killed Pharaoh's firstborn ( Exodus 4:23; 13:15 ), the [[Philistines]] ( Isaiah 14:28-32 ), [[Babylonians]] ( Isaiah 14:4-21 ), and even his own people ( Jeremiah 5:14; 23:29; Hosea 6:5; Amos 9:1-4 ). Yahweh was also described as killing his enemies in prophetic visions of judgment ( Ezekiel 23:9-10; Amos 4:10; 9:1 ). </p> <p> <i> The New Testament </i> The New Testament also uses a variety of words for the concept of killing. The most common is <i> apokteino </i> [ Matthew 14:5; 23:30; Mark 6:19; John 16:2; for the killing of God's messengers ) and were condemned to death. The disciples were threatened with death ( Acts 21:31; 23:12-14 ), as were martyrs ( Revelation 6:11; 11:7 ). It could also be used figuratively (2Col 3:6; Ephesians 2:16; sin forces one into a conflict that ends in death ), in parables ( Matthew 23:37; Mark 12:5-12 ), or in prophetic narratives (with reference to the disciples in Matthew's apocolypse [24:9]). It was used concerning [[Christ]] in the passion predictions ( Mark 8:31; 9:31; 10:34 ). Killing was used to execute God's judgment ( Revelation 6:8; 9:15-18; 19:21 ); hostility was behind the killing of Christ ( Ephesians 2:15-16 ). </p> <p> Other terms for killing are also used, but on a less frequent basis. Luke often uses a term ( <i> anaireo </i> [ Luke 22:2; Acts 9:24; 16:27; 23:15; 26:10 ). The New Testament term for committing murder ( <i> phoneuo </i> [ Romans 13:9; see James 2:11 ). Other terms include "handle violently" (in the extended sense to mean "kill": diacheirizo the killing of [[Jesus]] on the cross Acts 5:30; 26:21 ), "deliver up to death" (thanatoo Romans 7:4; 8:36; 2Col 6:9; also, "put to death" Matthew 27:1; Mark 13:12; 14:55; 1 Peter 3:18 ), "to slaughter" (sphazo Romans 5:6,8 , 12; 6:9; 1 John 3:12 ). The New Testament term for immolation ( <i> thuo </i> [ Luke 15:23,27,30 ). It could be used of oxen ( Matthew 22:4 ), flocks ( John 10:10 ), by Peter in Acts (10:13; 11:7), for the [[Passover]] ( Luke 22:7 ), of Christ as the Passover lamb ( 1 Corinthians 5:7 ), and by Paul in comparing pagan and Hebrew sacrifice (1Col 8:4-13; 10:25-30). </p> <p> Mark W. Chavalas </p> <p> See also [[Murder]]; War, Holy War </p> <p> <i> Bibliography </i> L. Conene, <i> NIDNTT, </i> 1:429-30; M. Greenberg, <i> JBL </i> 78 (1959): 125-32; J. J. Finkelstein, <i> TAPS </i> 71 (1981): 1-89; H. Fuhs, <i> TDOT, </i> 3:447-57; H. McKeating, <i> VT </i> 25 (1975): 46-68; R. de Vaux, <i> [[Ancient]] [[Israel]] </i> . </p> <p> </p>

==References ==