1 Samuel 15: USCCB vs. Douay-Rheims

[kieron]

Sorry if this has been posted b4, I searched for 1 Samuel 15, Samuel 15, and even Samuel, and all came up empty. Oh well…if I’m doing something wrong in my searching, please tell me.

Ok…which is correct…did God command the slaughter of babies or not? I’m hoping not, but then all what the prophets said is called into question, which is guess is fine, but then really my question becomes…where do I get the “official” catholic interpretation. Does it differ by country? Yikes!

USCCB: Under the ban: in such wars of extermination, all things (men, cities, beasts, etc.) were to be blotted out; nothing could be reserved for private use. The interpretation of God’s will here attributed to Samuel is in keeping with the abhorrent practices of blood revenge prevalent among pastoral, seminomadic peoples such as the Hebrews had recently been. The slaughter of the innocent has never been in conformity with the will of God.

Douay-Rheims: Child… The great Master of life and death (who cuts off one half of all mankind whilst they are children) has been pleased sometimes to ordain that children should be put to the sword, in detestation of the crimes of their parents, and that they might not live to follow the same wicked ways.

Thanks for your help, and God Bless you.

 

[kieron]

I think I may have answered my own question…in part…by my reading this thread. But I still want to hear what you have to say…

 

[AmbroseSJ]

Ok…which is correct…did God command the slaughter of babies or not? I’m hoping not, but then all what the prophets said is called into question, which is guess is fine, but then really my question becomes…where do I get the “official” catholic interpretation.

Are you saying you’re ok with the slaughter of everyone BUT babies? Are you ok with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorha? There were probably babies there too. What about the destruction of everyone on Earth except Noah and his family? Lots of babies again, I’m sure…

I don’t mean to sound sarcastic, but it’s something to consider. There’s a certain mystery to evil in the world, and unfortunately, we don’t have ready answers for all of it. I think it is safe to believe that God does NOT will the destruction of anyone, as the one note said. Unfortunately evil does exist in the world, and there are many times God does PERMIT an evil of some sort, but does not WILL it. Regardless, God’s Will will be done, and He will always bring good out of any evil. That’s something our Redemption should testify to

 

[Jerry-Jet]

Do all the Just War Doctrine proponents of today think that God always willed Just Wars according to their modern day criteria in the Old Testament?

Or is it simply a case of there not being those criteria then so God did nothing wrong?

 

[kieron]

Are you saying you’re ok with the slaughter of everyone BUT babies? Are you ok with the destruction of Sodom and Gomorha? There were probably babies there too. What about the destruction of everyone on Earth except Noah and his family? Lots of babies again, I’m sure…
[snip]

babies = innocents (by definition), so yes, I guess I’m saying I’m ok with the slaughter of everyone but babies (that is, I concede the possibility that justice demands it for adults).

As for the other “slaughters”, this is the only one where God COMMANDS the killing of the “nursling”. He singles them out SPECIFICALLY for death.

But my real question is which commentary should I look to, in general, to help me understand difficult passages such as this one?

 

[Ron_Conte]

God is the owner of every human life. He can take human life at any time without fault or sin, even the child in the womb, or the infant, or the young child. His order of the ban was not unjust, but it was also not something that any human being or society could choose to do.

God ordered the Israelites to destroy seven tribes occupying the holy land. These tribes were very sinful, so He ordered them all to be destroyed, even the young lest the grow up and learn of their parents sins, commit the same sins, and scandalize others also.

Concerning 1 Samuel 15, God said: I will punish what Amalek did…
therefore, God ordered the destruction of that entire people; it is not something that human persons can morally choose to do (i.e. killing innocent children; destroying whole societies).