Happy are those that seize your children and smash them against a rock. (Psalms 137:9)
The psalmist is speaking about how fortunate the liberators of Israel will be to be able to take part in that wonderful act in history of freeing Israel from Babylon, in the same way that folks during World War II might have said, “What a privlege it would be to be on the army that finally defeats Hitler!” The psalmist is saying, “Happy are those who will free Israel!” Now it so happens that in this time period, one of the (barbaric) things people did in war was to smash children against rocks. In fact, it may have even been the sort of thing that was done when battles were about over, out of revelry. In other words, it may have been an act that signified victory.
The psalmist is saying, “Happy are you who gain victory over Babylon.” Instead of referring to the victory itself, he’s referring to one of actions that will be done during the course of the victory. He might have said “Happy are you who get to slay Babylon’s commander!” Or, “Happy are you who tear down the idols in the temple!” These are not victories themselves, but acts that make up the one victory he’s referring to. Why did he choose the most barbaric act he could? I can’t say I know.
One apologist gives a different take on this issue:
“How barbaric!” the skeptic gasps. As noted above, this is partly answered by noting the frankness and openness of the ancient mind. Actually we do think such things often today (lest the bigoted skeptic snort, “Well, we’re more advanced than those barbarians!”), if only fleetingly, and seldom repeat them in polite company. At any rate, such are simply typical expressions of Oriental imprecation. Rihbany (The Syrian Christ, 92ff) gives more modern examples: “May God burn the bones of your fathers”; “May your children be orphaned and your wife widowed”, and so on. Such wishes were expressed in clan fights and quarrels in Rihbany’s native Syria; and yet: “…the Syrians are not so cruel and heartless as such imprecations, especially when cast in cold type, would lead one to believe.” Such petitions actually serve a purpose as a “safety-valve” through which the Oriental vents his wrath. “As a rule the Orientals quarrel much, but fight little. By the time the two antagonists have cursed and reviled each other so profusely they cool off, and thus graver consequences are averted.” The Anglo-Saxon social order being more complex cannot resolve things so simply; yet the Oriental shudders at the Anglo- Saxon ready resort to fisticuffs. Who’s the barbarian after all? All of us! (For comparison, sci-fi fans may consider Alan Dean Foster’s book, Quozl, which depicted a peaceful society of beings who vented their hostilities through art with blood-curdling scenes of war.)
Now kill all the boys and the women who have slept with a man. Only the young girls who are virgins may live. You may keep them for yourselves. (Numbers 31:17)
A few important points. The women who are to be slain were the perpetrators of a plot aganst Israel. They came to the Israel camp and aggresively seduced the Israeli men into ritual sex acts done in worship of their fertility gods. The men contracted diseases from the women, as well. The women were being put to death for the sake of 1) punishment for their crime and 2) eliminating the disease.
The young girls who were kept were
not kept as sex slaves, as the skeptical claim usually runs, but were adopted into the families of the Israelites in an act of mercy so that these virgins, who had committed no crimes, would not be left homeless.
This is a
super quick treatment. If you would like a more in depth analysis, including treatment of several points I did not address here, please check out the fine article
here.
So both of Lots daughters became pregnant by their father (Gen. 19:30)
An act which is condemnable, according to the Bible itself. This was an act of trickery done by Lot’s daughters, not something commanded by God. Harper Lee’s
To Kill a Mockingbird says that black people were treated unjustly in the 1960s, but that doesn’t mean that she
endorses or
approves of it.
No one who’s testicles have been crushed or who’s penis has been cut off may be admitted into the community of the Lord. (Deut) 23:2)
This refers - based on the context and the Hebrew word choice - to the purposeful mutilation of the genitals for the sake of Pagan worship, not merely an injury.
Yes, the word of God is so beautiful and awe-inspiring!!! Jesus was right when he said of the Old Testament, "Scripture cannot be nullified.
Just give me some of that old-timey religion!!!
Sophie, if you do want to be of advanced civilization and all that, you’ll need to look at things based on reason and evidence, not merely quick hack-job quotations. I don’t know where you got this list from, but Sophie - it’s really
bad. It’s one of the worst I’ve seen. Half of the verses are misnumbered, and a few of the quotations are from the
enemies of Israel, not Israel itself. It looks like whoever made this list didn’t even bother to read any of the Bible at all, but just stole a few sentences out of it. Otherwise, they’d at
least not quote terrible things that were done by the
enemies of Israel.
I know you must be smarter than
that. Get away from this nonsense, and find out what the Bible really says so you can make up your mind for yourself based on facts, not the dillusional hatred of others.
Peace and God bless
