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NASB | Leviticus 5:2 'Or if a person touches any unclean thing, whether a carcass of an unclean beast or the carcass of unclean cattle or a carcass of unclean swarming things, though it is hidden from him and he is unclean, then he will be guilty. |
AMPLIFIED 2015 | Leviticus 5:2 'Or if someone touches any [ceremonially] unclean thing--whether the carcass of an unclean wild animal or the carcass of an unclean domestic animal or the carcass of unclean creeping things--even if he is unaware of it, he has become unclean, and he will be guilty. |
Subject: unclean is a sin? or not? |
Bible Note: Since I did start this thread, let me jump in here. Thanks to both of you for spending so much time on this. It has benefited me greatly. Doc, your statement about the use of the Mishnah et. al. is well stated. 1)"The order of the Laws" was a very common argument among the rabbis in the time of Jesus. You see it in the question to Jesus, "Which is the greatest commandment." They actually went deeper then the fist 3 or 4, but Jesus answer is in line with the Pharisees up until the Samaritan is called a neighbor. The question I like to ask people is, "If your donkey falls into a hole on the Sabbath, do you help it out?" Either way you break one of the commandments. "Life" is the controlling standard. You save the donkey; otherwise it dies, so breaking the Sabbath is justified. 2) The woman who touches the tassel on Jesus robe is showing an amazing act of Faith. She believes in Micah 4:2 that the Son of Righteousness will come with "healing in his corners." Num 15:38 says that all Israel must wear tassels on the corners of their robes. Corners equals Kanaph; Micah says the Messiah will have healing in his (wings, corners) equals Kanaph. The woman obviously understood this passage to mean that if she touched the tassel of the Messiah, she would be made well. So her act, becoming well, superseded the unclean law because to become well was to promote life. She took a great risk in following her faith...if she were wrong she could be exposed of sinning intentionally by touching so many people as well as a respected Rabbi. If she was correct, then her actions would be justified and she would be healed. Note: the word in the Greek text about the woman touching the tassel is the same Greek word used in the LXX to translated Kanaph. 3) It is still my understanding that to become unclean, while limiting your access to the Temple worship for a time did not mean you had “sinned.” But the Lev 5 text does use the word for sin when someone becomes unclean, even unintentionally. I have since had time to study this more and every commentary I found said the following: “The sin was that the person entered the Temple in an unclean state and/or did not do the purification necessary.” Therefore the sin was not being unclean, but in not following the law of purification. Also: In the Jewish Misnah (w) it is said, the word "hidden" is twice used, to show that he is guilty, for the ignorance of uncleanness, and for the ignorance of the sanctuary. (w) Misn. Shebuot, c. 2. sect. 5. I like this explanation much more since one does not have to look at the New Testament and then back track to the old to justify an understanding of scripture. Even though this may work, it doesn’t say “why” it works. Paul and the others didn’t change the meaning or understanding the Old Testament texts. They were working from an understanding of the texts based on their scripture at the time. Not to mention that the Text must mean what it says in the original transmission. MJH |