Law and Life
The Interpretation of Leviticus 18:5 in Early Judaism and in Paul
by Preston M. Sprinkle
Preston M. Sprinkle examines the interpretation of Lev 18:5 (awhich if a person does he will live by them) in early Judaism and in Paul. This passage from Leviticus, used in later Old Testament tradition (Ezek 20:11, 13, 21; Neh 9:29), became one of the more important verses from the Hebrew Bible for early Jewish reflection on the notion that obedience to the Mosaic law will lead to eternal life. The apostle Paul cites the passage on two occasions (Gal 3:12; Rom 10:5) and his interpretation of it is highly debated. While scholars often discuss its meaning in Paul, a thorough examination of Lev 18:5 in the Old Testament and early Judaism has been virtually ignored. The author, then, seeks to contribute to our understanding of Paul’s view of the law in relation to early Jewish soteriology through the lens of their respective interpretations of Lev 18:5. This is carried out by first examining the passage in its original literary context of Leviticus. Then, an examination is made of its later use in the Hebrew Bible (Ezekiel and Nehemiah) and the Septuagint. Following is a study of every citation of and allusion to Lev 18:5 in Early Judaism (ca. 200 B.C. to AD 100). Finally, the author takes a look at Paul’s two citations of the text (Romans and Galatians). He concludes with a comparison between Early Jewish and Pauline interpretations of Lev 18:5.
Preston M. Sprinkle, Born in 1976; B.A. in Biblical Studies at The Master’s College (California), MDiv in Biblical Exegesis from The Master’s Seminary (California), PhD in New Testament from Aberdeen University (Scotland); currently Assistant Professor of Biblical Studies in the School of Biblical and Theological Studies at Cedarville University (Ohio, USA).
- By (author) Preston M Sprinkle
Other Titles in this Series
Studies in New Testament Lexicography
Advancing toward a Full Diachronic Approach with the Greek Language
Volume 303
Galatians and the Imperial Cult
A Critical Analysis of the First-Century Social Context of Paul's Letter
Volume 237
Paul’s Territoriality and Mission Strategy
Searching for the Geographical Awareness Paradigm Behind Romans
Volume 266
Knowledge and Religious Authority in the Pseudo-Clementines
Situating the 'Recognitions' in Fourth Century Syria
Volume 213
Mitleid und Erbarmen im Lukasevangelium
Ein Beitrag zu Ethik und Emotionsgeschichte des entstehenden Christentums in seinem antiken philosophischen und frühjüdischen Kontext
Jesus as the Way to the Father in the Gospel of John
A Study of the Way Motif and John 14,6 in Its Context
Volume 584
Creation and Christ
An Exploration of the Topic of Creation in the Epistle to the Hebrews
Volume 527
The High Priest and the Temple
Metaphorical Depictions of Jesus in the Letters of Ignatius of Antioch
Volume 473
Ein Jesusbild im Horizont des Nationalsozialismus
Studien zum Neuen Testament des 'Instituts zur Erforschung und Beseitigung des judischen Einflusses auf das deutsche kirchliche Leben'
Volume 440
Repetition in Hebrews
Plurality and Singularity in the Letter to the Hebrews, Its Ancient Context, and the Early Church
Volume 388
Die Areopagrede des Paulus und Reden bei Josephus
Eine vergleichende Studie zu Apg 17 und dem historiographischen Werk des Josephus
Volume 419
Crucifixion in Antiquity
An Inquiry into the Background and Significance of the New Testament Terminology of Crucifixion
Volume 310
Kult und Macht
Religion und Herrschaft im syro-palastinensischen Raum. Studien zu ihrer Wechselbeziehung in hellenistisch-romischer Zeit
Volume 319
Christusglaube
Studien zum Syntagma pistis Christou und zum paulinischen Verstandnis von Glaube und Rechtfertigung
Volume 227
The Characterisation of Jesus the Davidic Shepherd in Mark’s Gospel
A Narrative Analysis through the Lens of Metalepsis
Volume 626
“Make Disciples of All Nations”
The Appeal and Authority of Christian Faith in Hellenistic-Roman Times
Moral Transformation in Greco-Roman Philosophy of Mind
Mapping the Moral Milieu of the Apostle Paul and his Diaspora Jewish Contemporaries
Volume 515
Paul’s Teaching on the Pneumatika in 1 Corinthians 12-14
Prophecy as the Paradigm of ta Charismata ta Meizona for the Future-Oriented Ekklesia
Volume 455
Similar Books
Apocrypha, Magic, Liturgy
The Multiple Identities of Coptic Prayers in Late Antique and Early Islamic Egypt
Athanasius of Alexandria, Epistula ad episcopos Aegypti et Libyae
Old Slavonic Version and English Translation
Volume 261
Contesting Labeled Identities
The Sociology of Gentilics in Biblical and Northwest Semitic Literature
Cyril of Alexandria’s Christological Exegesis
Explorations of Partitive Exegesis in the Dialogues on the Trinity
Volume 70
Epiphanies of the Divine in the Septuagint and the New Testament
Fifth International Symposium of the Corpus Judaeo-Hellenisticum Novi Testamenti (CJHNT), 14-17 May 2015, Nottingham
Extracanonical Traditions and the Holy Land
Texts, Rituals, and Material Culture in Late Antique Palestine
From Joseph to Jesus
The Joseph Narrative as a Compositional Template from Old Greek Esther to the Gospel of Luke
Volume 125
Nicholas of Lyra’s Commentaries on the Gospels of Matthew and Luke
Franciscan Exegesis in a Time of Crisis
Paradise Lost in Transmission
The Return to Eden in the Apocalypse of Peter within Its Ethiopic and Early Christian Contexts
Punning in Odd or Elegant Constructions in Jeremiah
The Convergence of Linguistics, Rhetoric, and Textuality in the Hebrew Text of Jeremiah
Reformed Covenantal Eudaimonism
Wilhelmus à Brakel (1635–1711) on Highest Good, Virtue, and Law
Volume 87