"For the Judgment is God's": Human Judgment and Divine Justice in The Hebrew Bible and in Jewish Tradition
One of the most striking images of God, both in the Bible and in Jewish tradition generally, is that of judge: "The judge of all the earth." In this sense, one may describe God as He who holds in His hands all legal authority: He is the legislator, He is the judge, and He is the one who ex...
| Main Author: | |
|---|---|
| Format: | Electronic Article |
| Language: | English |
| Check availability: | HBZ Gateway |
| Journals Online & Print: | Drawer...
|
| Fernleihe: | Fernleihe für die Fachinformationsdienste |
| Published: |
Cambridge Univ. Press
2012
|
| In: |
Journal of law and religion
Year: 2012, Volume: 27, Issue: 2, Pages: 273-328 |
| Online Access: |
Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) Volltext (lizenzpflichtig) |
| Summary: | One of the most striking images of God, both in the Bible and in Jewish tradition generally, is that of judge: "The judge of all the earth." In this sense, one may describe God as He who holds in His hands all legal authority: He is the legislator, He is the judge, and He is the one who executes judgment. Alongside God's judgment, the Bible recognizes the existence of a human system of judgment, in which human beings act as judges; indeed, it even commands it: "You shall appoint judges and officers in all your gates." What is the relation between God, the judge of all the earth, and those human beings who fulfill the function of judges? The majority of classical Jewish sources in the Bible and in Rabbinic literature that deal with law and the legal system reflect a certain relationship between human judgment and divine justice. Thus, we find in the Bible the notion that God emanates His authority to the judges who perform this function. In this spirit, Moses commands the judges whom he has appointed: "judge righteously… for the judgment is God's." The relation assumed here between God and human judgment finds expression in different ways, extending over a considerable spectrum. At one end, one might describe God as the transcendent source of authority of the legal system, whose practical significance is limited. On the other end, one might describe it as a Divine Presence that inspires the judges and even allows them to appeal to God and to involve Him in the legal decision. |
|---|---|
| ISSN: | 2163-3088 |
| Contains: | Enthalten in: Journal of law and religion
|
| Persistent identifiers: | DOI: 10.1017/S0748081400000400 |