Wow -- two answers while I was composing this. Anyway, here's mine:
In a message dated 11/30/00 5:55:35 PM Pacific Standard Time,
[log in to unmask] writes:
<< Hi, I'm wondering if anyone can help me locate a passage from the Old
Testament. While discussing the stories of Lilith and Eve, I mentioned that
the Christian God was vengeful. A student challenged me and said I should
not impose my viewpoints onto them. When I explained that God claimed that
he was "a jealous and vengeful God," the student rejected my explaination.
I can't locate the passage. Either I've gotten it wrong or actually did make
it up. Does anyone know where this passage is? Thanks in advance.
Loretta Lorance
[log in to unmask] >>
Not sure the Lilith story is actually in the Bible...but Exodus has what
you've specifically asked about:
Ex. 20:5-6: "I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of
the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them
that hate me; And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep
my commandments."
Beyond that:
Ex. 34:6-8: "And the LORD passed by before him [Moses], and proclaimed, The
LORD, The LORD God, merciful and gracious, longsuffering, and abundant in
goodness and truth, Keeping mercy for thousands, forgiving iniquity and
transgression and sin, and that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting
the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's
children, unto the third and to the fourth generation. And Moses made haste,
and bowed his head toward the earth, and worshipped."
In fairness, I might add that such ancient visions of
Heavenly-Father-as-Mafia-Don are by no means limited to the Bible; cf. the
Iliad, for starters. And truly the Bible is a library more than a book,
presenting a broad range of conceptions of deity. That said, however,
fondness for the more barbaric conceptions has been regrettably common, down
to the present day.
Anyhow, hope that helps! -- AJ
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