Detestable Abominations and the Like

I did a quick survey of "abomination" and its close synonyms in the Old Testament in response to a question from a good friend. I had to correct a couple of misconceptions that I have entertained for years. There are several Hebrew words used for this idea, but two in particular stood out:

Hebrew: Shekets/shakats/shikuts שׁקץ
English: Something detestable/abominable, to detest, to make detestable
Context: 

• Unclean animals of all kinds are to be considered detestable to you. Leviticus 7, 11 
• Eating unclean animals will make you detestable. Leviticus 11:43, 20:25
• Unclean animals offered as sacrifice or impure sacrifices. Deuteronomy 29:17, 2 Chronicles 15:8, Jeremiah 4:1, Jeremiah 16:18, Ezekiel 5:11 (Sometimes translated as "abominable idols" or something like that, but "idols" is an assumption of the translator. I'm pretty sure it's referring to the sacrifice, not the idol.)

Hebrew: Toebah תּועבה
English: Abomination
Context: 

• Sexual immorality including temple prostitution. Leviticus 18, 20:13, 1 Kings 14:24, Jeremiah 6:15
• Human sacrifice, necromancy, and related practices. Deuteronomy 18, 2 Kings 16:3, 2 Chronicles 28:2-3
• Idolatry and general pagan religious practices. Deuteronomy 20:18, 32:16, 2 Kings 21:2, 23:13, 2 Chronicles 28:2-3, 34:33, Jeremiah 16:18
• Generally wicked behavior. Proverbs

There is definitely a difference between the two words, but it seems to be lost on the English translators. That's more the fault of the English language than of the translators, though. The major difference that I can see is that "shekets" and it's relatives is used when God commands us to hold a thing to be detestable, especially unclean animals, like trying to train a child not to eat something he found on the ground. It’s not that the parent is repulsed by the child eating it (although he is!) so much as he needs to teach the child to be repulsed for himself. On the other hand, whatever is "toebah" is more offensive personally to God. It is behavior that he hates: idolatry, sexual immorality, and a love of death. I don't think that English has such a distinction.

With that perspective, it seems perfectly reasonable to say that God told us not to eat unclean animals because it's bad for us to do so. Whether it's bad physically or spiritually or both is another question. The last option gets my vote.

A Long Parallelism in Deuteronomy 20:1-21:9

See Wise Choices Early in Life Make Happier, Stronger Families for some exposition of this parallelism.

A Chiasm Framed by 2 Parallelisms in Deut 16-17

Let every house keep the feasts focused on Jerusalem and as God prescribed, be very careful to ensure fair and objective justice for all people, and do not tolerate open idolatry among the people or the disease will even infect the most sacred place and function of the Temple. Whether in church or state, the people usually get the leadership they deserve.

• Deuteronomy 16:16-17 – Parallelism A, part 1
  1. Three feasts every year
  2. Don’t appear empty-handed
  3. Every man give as he is able
  4. According to God’s blessings
• Deuteronomy 16:18-20 – Parallelism B, part 1
  1. Appoint rulers in the towns God gives you
  2. Be very careful to follow justice and not pervert it
  3. You will live
• Deuteronomy 16:21 – Don’t plant a sacred tree beside the altar
• Deuteronomy 16:22 – Don’t set up a pillar
• Deuteronomy 17:1 – Don’t sacrifice a blemished animal
• Deuteronomy 17:2-5 – Parallelism B, part 2
  1. In the towns God gives you, someone has done evil
  2. Inquire diligently and convict only if judgment is certain
  3. The perpetrator will die
• Deuteronomy 17:6-12 – Parallelism A, part 2
  1. Two or three witnesses
  2. By the hands of the witnesses
  3. If you are unable to judge
  4. The Cohanim will judge for you

Check It or Chuck It

If you’re only getting one side of a story that makes someone sound pretty bad, you have a few options:

1. Swallow it, hook, line, and sinker.
2. Check the facts, or at least get the other side of the story
3. Chuck it and the baby too.

Can’t decide? Let me help:

Lev 19:16 You shall not go as a slanderer among your people; you shall not stand against the blood of your neighbor. I am YHWH.

Deu 19:15-20 One witness shall not rise up against a man for any iniquity, or for any sin, in any sin that he sinneth: at the mouth of two witnesses, or at the mouth of three witnesses, shall the matter be established. If a false witness rise up against any man to testify against him that which is wrong; Then both the men, between whom the controversy is, shall stand before YHWH, before the priests and the judges, which shall be in those days; And the judges shall make diligent inquisition: and, behold, if the witness be a false witness, and hath testified falsely against his brother; Then shall ye do unto him, as he had thought to have done unto his brother: so shalt thou put the evil away from among you. And those which remain shall hear, and fear, and shall henceforth commit no more any such evil among you.

Pro 11:13 One going with slander is a revealer of secrets, but the faithful of spirit keeps the matter hidden.

Pro 20:19 A gossip is a revealer of secrets; so do not mix with him who flatters with his lips.

So you heard something bad about someone? Either check it or chuck it. If it doesn’t hurt you then it’s probably better just to chuck it.