Meaning of PUNISHMENTS

(a) In the OT.
In the Old Testament, punishments are closely related to the greater or lesser severity of the crime committed, with its corresponding grading of penalties.

Many precepts indicated in the Mosaic code reflect prescriptions already existing in pagan countries, modified according to the demands of the life of the chosen people at different times in their history and sealed with divine approval. We can classify them as follows:

(A) Crimes against God.
In Deut. 28:15 ff. a general curse is pronounced on all violations of Jehovah's ordinances.

The people of Israel maintained special relationships with Jehovah, by virtue of the Sinai covenant, which involves absolute fidelity. Therefore, the worship of strange gods deserves capital punishment (Ex. 22:20; Lev. 20:1; Deut. 13:5, 12-16).

Star worship, magic, witchcraft, and the evocation of spirits are punishable by death for the same reason (Deut. 4:19; 17:46; Ex. 22:18; Lev. 20:27).

Blasphemy is punishable by death by stoning. The usurpation of divine authority by a false prophet is also worthy of death (Lev. 24:13-16; Deut. 18:20).

Finally, the desecration of the Sabbath, a sign of the pact, accredits the supreme penalty.

(B) Crimes against persons.
Crimes against people, as happens among all Eastern peoples, are based on the "law of retaliation", formulated in Ex. 21:23-25, aggravated by the old custom of "blood revenge."

But a clear distinction is established between the free man and the slave. The penalty for intentional homicide is death.

In the case of involuntary homicides, the Mosaic law provided “cities of refuge,” to which the murderer could go to escape the vengeance of the relatives of the deceased (Lev. 24:17, 21; Deut. 19:5-10 ; Num. 35:6, 22-28).

But the death of a slave was punished with the law of retaliation, that is, the death penalty for the master, in the event that it was instantaneous; If you have caused serious damage, he will have to compensate you with freedom. Blows and wounds that cause permanent damage require adequate compensation (Ex. 21:23-25, 28, 29, 30-32; Lev. 24:19).

(C) Crimes against the family.
Since the Israelite family is the basis of social organization, any attack against its integrity is severely punished. Lv. 18:6-18 provides for 17 cases of consanguineous marriages.

Such links bring excommunication (Lev. 18:29). The marriage of the mother and daughter at the same time, with the same man, condemns them to the stake.

In the case of the seduction or abduction of a young woman, the guilty party will be obliged to marry her and pay a dowry of 50 shekels to her father. But if the young woman is already betrothed, both will be stoned to death (Ex. 22:16; Deut. 22:28).

Finally, adultery and incest require the death of both guilty parties (Lev. 20:10, 11; Deut. 22:2). (See STING, HANGING).

(b) In the NT.
The New Testament presents us with a different picture. The authorities have the sword to punish and Christians are commanded to obey them (Rom. 13:1-7).

The role of the Christian is not to exercise temporal authority, but, as pilgrims, to act as ambassadors of the One who is offering a universal amnesty to all who accept the Lord Jesus as Savior and Lord (2 Cor. 5:14-6 :10), and live for Him (Tit. 2:11-15; 1 Thes. 1:9-10).