Cruelty

The habits and sentiments of Gentiles and average Israelites, both in OT and NT, are often tainted with gross cruelty. Even acta of divinely atipointed leaders of Israel, utter- ances of the psalmists and prophets, and ordin- ances of the inspired Law, sometimes seem inhuman when juilged by the highest standards of modem Christianity. These standards require the righteous man to treat hiuaan life as sacred, and to refrain scrupulously from inliicting unnecessary pain.

But Christianity has only rei^entlj' secured any widespread practical recognition of these principles, and even now they prevail only with minorities in a few of the most advanced com- munities. Moreover, cirilization has developed a sensitiveness which often renders the punishment of a criminal really as severe as in ancient times ; the mitigation of physical cruelty has been compensated for by the rehnement of mental torture.

The constant tendency of inspired teaching is towards humanity, and ordinances which seem inhuman often mitigate prevailing barbarity. The facts are as follows. The extermination of enemies is frequently commanded, Dt 20" etc., and such extermination is described with apparent approval, Jos 6" etc. David massacred the Ammon- ites with great barbarity, 2 S 12", 1 Ch 20", cf. 2 K 15". Amongst the Israelites themselves the Law ventures to impose only a moderate limitation of blood-revenge.

Ex 2r*'- '' (JE) forbids the actual bciiting to death of a male or female slave, but does not feel it po.ssible to deal with ca.ses in which the victim survives a day or two. Death is to be inflicted for a large number of oflences, some of them slight, e.g. sabbath-breaking, Ex 35^ (P). An incestuous person, Lv 20" (H), and an unchaste woman of the priestly clan, Lv 21" (H), were to be burnt to death.

The OT records great cruelty on the part of (ientiles, barbarous outrages on women ami children, 2 K 8", Hos 13", Am I", and cniel mutilation, 2 K 25'. These are more than borne out by the sculptures of the A.ssyrians, who dcli;.'liti'd to dei>ict Haying alive and other tortures iiillicted upon their enemies, e.g. upon the Elainitu prisoners on sliibs 48-.')0 in the Kouvunjik Gallery of the British Museum. In the S'T we meet with the barbiirous Homan punishments of scourging and cruciti.xion.

W. II. Bennett.