눈에는 눈 이에는 이 신명기 19장

신명기 19장은 실수로 사람을 죽였을 때는 임시 거처를 마련할 것과 남의 땅을 임의로 건드리지 말 것을 강조합니다. 그리고 거짓을 밝히는데 여러 사람의 증언을 확인할 것과 형벌은 눈에는 눈 이에는 이처럼 똑같이 응징하라는 내용입니다.

 

---

도피처에 관하여

1. "When the Lord your God cuts off the nations whose land the Lord your God is giving you, and you dispossess them and dwell in their cities and in their houses, 2 you shall set apart three cities for yourselves in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess. 3. You shall measure the distances and divide into there parts the area of the land that the Lord yyour God gives you as a possession, so that any manslayer can flee to them.

 

 

4. "This is the provision for the manslayer, who by fleeing there may save his life. If anyone kills his neighbour unintentionally without having  hated him in the past 5 as when someone goes into the forest with his neighbour to cut wood, and his hand swings the axe to cut down a tree, and the head slips from the handle and strikes his neighbour so that he dies he may flee to one of these cities and live, 6 lest the avenger of blood in hot anger pursue the manslayer and overtake him, because the way is long, and strike him fatally, though the man did not deserve to die, since he had not hated his neighbour in the past. 7.Therefore I command you, You shall set apart three cities. 8 And if the Lord your God enlarges your territory, as he has sworn to your fathers, and gives you all the land that he promised to give to your fathers 9 provided you are careful to keep all this commandment, which I command you today, by loving the Lord your God and by walking ever in his ways- then you shall add three other cities to these three, 10 lest innocent blood be shed in your land that he Lord your God is giving you for an inheritanc, and so the guilt of bloodshed be upon you.

 

11."But if anyone hates his neighbour and lies in wait for him and attacks him and strikes him fatally to that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities, 12 then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die. 13 Your eye shall not pity him, but you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood you shall purge the guilt of innocent blood from Israel, so that it may be well with you.

 

 

고대 사회에는 복수법이 있었다고 합니다. 일반적이었고 피해자의 가족이 가해자를 직접 복수할 수 있는 구조였는데 현명한 하나님이 이것이 부당하다고 느꼈는지 제도 개선을 하십니다. 그래서 만일 도끼로 나무를 찍다가 날이 빠져나가 사람을 죽이게 되었다면 그 사람은 복수의 대상이 아니기에 그를 보호할 수 있는 도피처를 마련해 둬야 한다는 것입니다. 이는 우발적 혹은 충동적 살인과는 결이 다르며 전혀 의도치 않은 살인을 했을 경우 상황을 해명하기 위한 임시 도피처를 의미합니다. 비교적 현명한 처사인 것 같기도 합니다.

 

 

---

랜드마크를 건드리지 마라

14. "You shall not move your neighbour's landmark, which the men of old have set, in the inheritance that you will hold in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess.

 

하나님이 진작에 정해주신, 선조들에게 할당된 토지, 즉 랜드마크를 멋대로 강탈하지 말라고 합니다. 땅의 경계선을 옮기는 것은 단순한 사유 재산 침해가 아니라 하나님께서 정하신 질서를 어지럽히는 일로 간주했습니다. 이는 남의 땅을 뺏지 말라는 것을 넘어 나름의 질서를 유지한 뜻이었다고 봅니다.

 

 

신명기 18장 읽기

예수 등장을 암시하는? 신명기 18장

 

 

---

 

이에는 이 눈에는 눈

 

15 " A single witness shall not suffice against a person for any crime or for any wrong in connection with any offence that he has committed. Only on the evidence of two withnesses or of three witnesses shall a charge be established. 16 If a malicious witness arises to accuse a person of wrongdoing, 17 then both parties to the dispute shall appear before the Lord, before the priests and the judges who are in offfice in those days. 18 The judges shall enquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, 19 then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. 20 And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. 21 Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth gor tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

 

 

법 체제도 매우 합리적입니다. 거짓 증언일 경우 재차 확인해서 증언이 일치하는 것을 확인해야 하며 거짓 증언이 밝혀지면 고소한 상대에게 했던 동일한 방식으로 벌을 받습니다. 이런 것을 통해 악을 제거하고 공의로운 사회를 유지하도록 노력하는 모습이 엿보입니다. 그리고 그 유명한 눈에는 눈 이에는 이 손에는 손 발에는 발로 똑같이 처벌한다고 합니다.