The Skeptics Annotated Bible (189 page)

18
If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother
, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:

(21.18)
“If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother,”

19
Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city
, and unto the gate of his place;

(21.19)
“Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city.”

20
And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.

(21.20)
“And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.”

21
And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die
: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.

(21.21)
“And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die.”

(21.22-23) When someone commits “a sin worthy of death” that person is “accursed of God” and should be hung on a tree. But should the accursed person be killed first by stoning and then hung on a tree or be killed by hanging on a tree—that is, by crucifixion? I’ll leave that for the Bible scholars to decide. The important thing is to make sure you take the accursed dead body down before nightfall. Leaving dead bodies on trees all night is just nasty. Too nasty even for a very nasty God.

22 And
if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:

(21.22)
“If a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree: His body shall not remain all night upon the tree:”

23
His body shall not remain all night upon the tree
, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day;
(for he that is hanged is accursed of God;)
that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.

(21.23)
“His body shall not remain all night upon the tree … (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;).”

(22.1-4) Look out for your neighbor’s animals and protect them from harm.

22
Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.

(22.1)
“Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ox or his sheep go astray, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt in any case bring them again unto thy brother.”

2 And if thy brother be not nigh unto thee, or if thou know him not, then thou shalt bring it unto thine own house, and it shall be with thee until thy brother seek after it, and thou shalt restore it to him again.

3
In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found
, shalt thou do likewise: thou mayest not hide thyself.

(22.3)
“In like manner shalt thou do with his ass; and so shalt thou do with his raiment; and with all lost thing of thy brother’s, which he hath lost, and thou hast found.”

4
Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him
to lift them up again.

(22.4)
“Thou shalt not see thy brother’s ass or his ox fall down by the way, and hide thyself from them: thou shalt surely help him.”

5
The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD
thy God.

(22.5)
“The woman shall not wear that which pertaineth unto a man, neither shall a man put on a woman’s garment: for all that do so are abomination unto the LORD.”
Women cannot wear men’s clothing and vice versa—it’s an “abomination unto the Lord.”

6 If a bird’s nest chance to be before thee in the way in any tree, or on the ground, whether they be young ones, or eggs, and the dam sitting upon the young, or upon the eggs, thou shalt not take the dam with the young:

7 But thou shalt in any wise let the dam go, and take the young to thee; that it may be well with thee, and that thou mayest prolong thy days.

8
When thou buildest a new house
, then thou shalt
make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.

(22.8)
“When thou buildest a new house … make a battlement for thy roof, that thou bring not blood upon thine house, if any man fall from thence.”
When building a roof, make sure it is safe.

9 Thou shalt not sow thy vineyard with divers seeds: lest the fruit of thy seed which thou hast sown, and the fruit of thy vineyard, be defiled.

(22.10-12) Don’t plow with an ox and an ass together, wear clothes made from blended fabrics or that lack fringes.