 |
 |
The concept of intentionality/un-intentionality as a moral factor in assigning guilt and punishment is clearly present in these passages, from Exodus 20, the same chapter as the so called '10 Commandments': Ex. 21:28 “If an ox gores a man or a woman to death, the ox shall surely be stoned and its flesh shall not be eaten; but the owner of the ox shall go unpunished. Ex. 21:29 “If, however, an ox was previously in the habit of goring and its owner has been warned, yet he does not confine it and it kills a man or a woman, the ox shall be stoned and its owner also shall be put to death." This could also be described as lazy or careless, but the idea of intention (vs. unintended) and degrees of responsibility based on intention is implied. Similarly, the idea is covered in many other places, including the following: Ex. 21:12 “He who strikes a man so that he dies shall surely be put to death. Ex. 21:13 “But if he did not lie in wait for him, but God let him fall into his hand, then I will appoint you a place to which he may flee. Ex. 21:14 “If, however, a man acts presumptuously toward his neighbor, so as to kill him craftily, you are to take him even from My altar, that he may die. You can reference the Hebrew if you like, but according to BDB (Brown Driver Briggs) and TWOT (Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament) one ancient Hebrew word typically translated 'intend' is yetser or yasar, which is also translated as "form, fashion, or make," including God's creative activity making man: Gen. 2:7 Then the LORD God formed man of dust from the ground, and breathed into his nostrils the breath of life; and man became a living being. Another ancient Hebrew word translated as 'intend' is machashabah, also translated as "DESIGNS" in the following: Ex. 35:30 Then Moses said to the sons of Israel, “See, the LORD has called by name Bezalel the son of Uri, the son of Hur, of the tribe of Judah. Ex. 35:31 And He has filled him with the Spirit of God, in wisdom, in understanding and in knowledge and in all craftsmanship; Ex. 35:32 to make designs for working in gold and in silver and in bronze, HB 4284. machashabah or machashebeth [364b]; from 2803; thought, device:—design(1), designs(3), devised(1), intentions*(1), invented(1), inventive(1), plan(2), plans(14), plot(1), plots(1), plotting(1), purposes(3), scheme(2), schemes(4), thoughts(19), ways(m)(1). The word translated intention in ancient Greek, epinoia, is similarly connected to design: 1963. epinoia; from 1909 and 3563; a thought, design: —intention(1). It's a compound word, epi and nous - mind, understanding, reason, but it certainly gets to the heart of design and design thinking. Intention is clearly an very ancient concept, based on this probably as ancient as written human language, and the concept of creativity and design are closely allied with it. Mike Zender Director of Graduate Studies, School of Design University of Cincinnati >I'm not familiar with this basic text, but the history of the concept >of intention doesn't seem to go back that far. So I'd be suspicious >of the translation. I don't read ancient Hebrew, but i might find the >Ancient Greek if you give the paragraph number. which looks to be say >22? in the latinate bible, which is likely where the origin of the >mistranslation comes from, intentio for 'mind' again, or something >similar. hmm. interesting. Still looking for the original >paragraph that mentions intention in the pre-latinate text, dunno if >i'll find it. >>