Isaias 66

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Isaias 66:17 seems to forhibid the eating for swine; but aren’t these laws now invalid? What does this verse mean? what is the chapter about?
 
Nickless said:
Isaias 66:17 seems to forhibid the eating for swine; but aren’t these laws now invalid? What does this verse mean? what is the chapter about?
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Hi.

Much of the content, yes, involves the Old Covenant, although perhaps not all.

You may find links from this older thread that point to Bible study aids for this book to be useful.

A entry on Isaiah (the prophet) as well as the books attributed to him can also be found in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
 
Nickless said:
Isaias 66:17 seems to forhibid the eating for swine; but aren’t these laws now invalid? What does this verse mean? what is the chapter about?
Click to expand...
D-R Bible, Haydock Commentary:

Ver. 17. Within the court, or gardens, where they purified themselves, foolishly supposing that this would remove their crimes, as the pagans did. (St. Jerome) (Tertullian, Bapt. v.) — Instead of gate, St. Jerome wrote unam, “one,” moon or Hecate, which is obviously derived from Hebrew Achat, chap. lvii. 8., and lxv. 11. Chaldean, Syriac, &c., “gardens, one after another with those who eat,” &c. — Mouse, or “field-rat,” (Bochart) all declared unclean; (Leviticus xi. 7, 29.; Calmet) or, “the dor-mouse,” (St. Jerome) which was looked upon as a delicacy by the Romans. (Varro iii. 15.; Pliny, [Natural History?] xxxvi. 1.)
 
So those that eat swine and mouse are the pagans? What does the word יסופו mean?
 
The only stuff in the OT that went null was the ritualistic laws, and eye for an eye, tooth for a tooth.
Everything else from the OT still stands.
 
In Acts 10:9-16, Peter has a vision, and he saw; 'the heaven opened, and something descending, like a great sheet, let down by four corners upon the earth. In it were all kinds of animals, reptiles and birds of the air. And there came a voice to him, “Rise, Peter, kill and eat.” But Peter said, “No, Lord; for I have never eaten anything that is common or unclean.” And the voice came to him again a second time, “What God has cleansed, you must not call common.”
Peter reported this vision to the Church in Jerusalem, which resulted in the later Council at Jerusalem decision (Acts 15) placing only one dietary restriction on the new Gentile Christians;** ‘avoid meat of strangled animals, and blood.’**
So we as Christians have no other dietary laws from the O.T. that we have to follow.
 
Nickless said:
So those that eat swine and mouse are the pagans? What does the word יסופו mean?
Click to expand...
The general meaning of the chapter is set out in 66:2-3—a common theme in the O.T. prophets where the Israelites are chastized for thinking that worship according to ritual is sufficient in cases where the worship is unmatched by the humility and just living of the worshipper. The Israelites’ sacrificial worship in these cases is declared no more effective than the worship of other nations who pay homage to idols.

In 66:17, we see the image of Israelites who have taken great pains to sanctify themselves and set themselves apart, only to proceed to eat things that are prohibited under Israelite law. They will all literally “end” or “be brought to an end” (יסופו) which I would assume to be a prediction of coming divine judgment. The sanctification processes are ineffective for them if they refuse to follow the law in other areas.

In the Letter of Paul to Galatians (particularly Chapter 2) you can read about how non-Jews do not participate in God’s covenant with the Israelites.
 
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