Microsoft Word - Deuteronom 18 - magie _NICOT_.docx

Atunci urmeaza o lista cuprinzatoare a tuturor tipurilor de religie si practicantilor de magie care erau sa fie interzisi in Israel. Semnificatia exacta a tuturor acestor termeni angajati este incerta, dar accentuarea listei trebuie gasita in fundamentul ei ca o patura de interzicere a tuturor tipurilor de divinizatie, magie si consultatie cu lumea spiritelor, asa cum era tipic religiei din cannanitilor. Unul care va cauza ca fiul sau fiica lui sa arda in flacari (vezi 12:31 si comentariile)- contextul arata ca referirea nu este simplificata la sacrificarea copilului, dar in a oferi copilul cu scopul deosebit de a determina sau discerne cursul evenimentelor. Aceasta inseamna ca sacrificiul ar avea o intentie magica. Unul care practica ghicirea/divinatia, unul care practica ghicitul, sau unul care interpreteaza semnele rele- diversele metode de divinatie (angajand supranaturalul inseamna sa descoperi cursul viitoarelor evenimente, intamplari) sunt interzise. Magia a fost dintotdeauna interzisa; spre deosebire de divinatie, (pag 261) magia tindea sa influenteze evenimente sau persoane prin utilizarea metodelor supranaturale. Metodele urmand a fi interzise erau vrajitoria si utilizarea farmecelor magiei, cu toate ca distinctia dintre cele doua metode nu este clara in acest context. In sfarsit, diferitele metode de consultare cu lumea spiritelor ( din nou cu scopul de a cunoaste, poate chiar a determina viitorul) urmeaza a fi interzise. Cineva care se informeaza de la o fantoma/ spirit (referire catre acea persoana care vrea sa evoce si sa consulte orice fantoma) vezi consultatia lui Saul cu vrajitoarea la Endor. Spiritele familiare sunt consultate doar ca fiind spirite deosebite. Vrajitoria este de asemenea o forma de prezicere, prin comunicarea cu moartea/ cei morti.1011 There follows a comprehensive list of the types of religious and magic functionaries who were to be forbidden in Israel. The exact significance of all the terms employed is now uncertain,1 but the emphasis of the list is to be found in its character as a blanket prohibition of all types of divination, magic, and consultation with the spirit world, such as would be typical of the religion of the Canaanites.2 One who causes his son or his daughter to be burned in the fire (see 12:31 and commentary)the context indicates that the reference is not simply to child sacrifice, but to the offering of a child with the particular purpose of determining or discerning the course of events. That is, the sacrifice would have a magical intention. One who practices divination, one who practices soothsaying, or one who interprets omensvarious methods of divining (i.e., employing supernatural means to discover the course of future events) are prohibited. Magic was also to be forbidden; as distinct from divination, [Page 261] magic was intended to influence events or persons by the use of supernatural methods. The methods to be forbidden were and the use of magic spells (v. 11), though the distinction between the two methods is not clear in this context. Finally, various types of consultation with the world of spirits (again with the purpose of knowing, and perhaps determining, the future) are to be forbidden. One who inquires of a ghostthe reference is to the kind of person who would conjure up and consult any ghost (see Sauls consultation with the witch at Endor, 1 Sam 28:814). Familiar spiritsome practitioners

1For useful philological comments, see S. R. Driver, Deuteronomy, pp. 22326; G. A. Smith, The Book of Deuteronomy, pp. 231f. 2The Ugaritic texts from Ras Shamra provide a few clues relating to these topics in ancient Canaan. There may be an allusion to divining by birds in CTA 19.1.3236 (UT, 1 Aqht, 3236). Recent finds of liver models indicate the practice of divination by hepatoscopy; see M. Dietrich and O. Loretz, Beschriftete Lungen- und Leber-modelle aus Ugarit, Ugaritica 6 (1969), pp. 16569. Some texts contain magical incantations. The recently discovered text RS 24.244 contains magical incantations against snakes; see Ugaritica 5 (1968), pp. 564572, and M. C. Astour, Two Ugaritic Serpent Charms, JNES 27 (1968), pp. 1336. consulted only known or particular spirits. Necromancy is also a form of prediction, by means of communicating with the dead.

1

2

This seems to have been the motivation behind the Moabite kings sacrifice of his son: see 2 K. 3:2627.

The root used for divine (qsm) is not always used negatively in the OT; here it is foreign forms of divination that come in for strong condemnation. See the discussion in J. Pedersen, Israel: Its Life and Culture (31953, repr. 1963), pp. 124f.; H. H. Rowley, Ritual and the Hebrew Prophets, Myth, Ritual and Kingship (1958), p. 247.

Cf. A. Guillaume, Prophecy and Divination among the Hebrews and Other Semites (1938).

Peter C. Craigie, The Book of Deuteronomy, The New International Commentary on the Old Testament, Wm. B. Eerdmans Publishing Co., Grand Rapids, 1976, pp. 260-261.