Did the Jews have Confession?

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You need to narrow your question.

Are you asking if the Old Testament Jews had confession exactly as we now have sacramental Confession in the Church as instituted by Christ?

Or are you asking is there an Old Testament type or foreshadowing of confession that prepared Christians for their fuller understanding of Confession as revealed by Christ?
 
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Fidelis:
You need to narrow your question.

Are you asking if the Old Testament Jews had confession exactly as we now have sacramental Confession in the Church as instituted by Christ?

Or are you asking is there an Old Testament type or foreshadowing of confession that prepared Christians for their fuller understanding of Confession as revealed by Christ?
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I think that answered my question. So, what was the OT type of confession?
 
In the Old Testament, we read about mandatory confession of one’s sins to a priest:

Leviticus 5:4-6:
The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word: and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence, Let him do penance for his sin: And offer of the flocks an ewe lamb, or a she goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin.

This passage implies auricular confession to a priest because the priest did not know what sacrifice to offer for atonement unless he was told the sin by the penitent. Also, rabbinical tradition had an exact way the confession to the priest had to be made, mentioned, for instance, in Fr. Leo Haydock’s commentary on this passage in the Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible.

St. Jerome also points out:

“We read in Leviticus about lepers, where they are ordered to show themselves to the priests, and if they have leprosy, then they are to be declared unclean by the priest. . . . Just as in the Old Testament the priest makes the leper clean or unclean, so in the New Testament the bishop or presbyter binds or looses not those who are innocent or guilty, but by reason of their office, when they have heard various kinds of sins, they know who is to be bound and who is to be loosed” (Commentary on Matthew 3:16:19 [A.D. 398]).
 
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Fidelis:
In the Old Testament, we read about mandatory confession of one’s sins to a priest:

Leviticus 5:4-6:
The person that sweareth, and uttereth with his lips, that he would do either evil or good, and bindeth the same with an oath, and his word: and having forgotten it afterwards understandeth his offence, Let him do penance for his sin: And offer of the flocks an ewe lamb, or a she goat, and the priest shall pray for him and for his sin.

This passage implies auricular confession to a priest because the priest did not know what sacrifice to offer for atonement unless he was told the sin by the penitent. Also, rabbinical tradition had an exact way the confession to the priest had to be made, mentioned, for instance, in Fr. Leo Haydock’s commentary on this passage in the Haydock Douay-Rheims Bible.

St. Jerome also points out:

“We read in Leviticus about lepers, where they are ordered to show themselves to the priests, and if they have leprosy, then they are to be declared unclean by the priest. . . . Just as in the Old Testament the priest makes the leper clean or unclean, so in the New Testament the bishop or presbyter binds or looses not those who are innocent or guilty, but by reason of their office, when they have heard various kinds of sins, they know who is to be bound and who is to be loosed” (Commentary on Matthew 3:16:19 [A.D. 398]).
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I forgot to add that this answer only begins to scratch the surface on this subject. If you are sincerely wanting to go deeper into this subject, I highly recommend Scott Hahn’s Lord, Have Mercy: The Healing Power of Confession, available here:

amazon.com/exec/obidos/tg/detail/-/0385501706/qid=1093392530/sr=8-1/ref=pd_ka_1/102-8169546-9436127?v=glance&s=books&n=507846
 
Since you haven’t responded, but have instead gone off to other threads, I’m assuming you are satisfied with this answer. Glad to be of service. 🙂
 
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Fidelis:
Since you haven’t responded, but have instead gone off to other threads, I’m assuming you are satisfied with this answer. Glad to be of service. 🙂
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Actually, I’ve been bussy helping my room-mate move in. So Hahn’s “Lord, Have Mercy” goes into confession in the OT?
 
It goes extensively into the OT history and concept of atonement, sacrifice, and satisfaction for sin. It draws the connection between what was foreshadowed and its connection to Sacrament of Reconciliation. If you are one of those types (like me) that love the Book of Hebrews and it’s OT connection, you’ll love this book (Hahn also has a mind boggling tape series on Hebrews available at www.saintjoe.com).
 
I’d just like to second Fidelis’ suggestion–Hahn’s Lord Have Mercy is an excellent book. I’m actually half way through it right now, and it explains in depth the history of the sacrament and its importance for the spiritual life of Catholics. It’s an interesting and enjoyable read. And I got mine from my university library, so you might check your local library if you don’t feel like buying it.
 
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