"Thou shall not suffer a witch to live" Question?

Question

What exactly does that mean?

If I find out someone is a witch, should I kill him/her?, or should I strive to get the witch to convert and if s(he) declines, I kill him/her? Also, there is "Thou shalt not kill". can anyone please help?

Answer 1

You did not give us a Scripture reference. The following if from the book of Deuteronomy and it speaks of not letting ones who practice the magic arts to live amoung them(the children of Israel). No where in these Scriptures does it say to kill them. What verse are you questioning? Notice that God groups the ones who practice magic right up there with those who would murder their children.

Deuteronomy 18: 9-13

9 “When you are entered into the land that Jehovah your God is giving you, you must not learn to do according to the detestable things of those nations. 10 There should not be found in you anyone who makes his son or his daughter pass through the fire, anyone who employs divination, a practicer of magic or anyone who looks for omens or a sorcerer, 11 or one who binds others with a spell or anyone who consults a spirit medium or a professional foreteller of events or anyone who inquires of the dead. 12 For everybody doing these things is something detestable to Jehovah, and on account of these detestable things Jehovah your God is driving them away from before you. 13 You should prove yourself faultless with Jehovah your God.

Answer 2

The books of the bible were chosen by human minds that cannot, no matter how they try, avoid subjectivity. The bible books were written by human hands that are, after all, imperfect. The bible itself is not written in blood upon stones, God did not write it.

The original sentence read:
"Thou shalt not suffer a poisoner to live".
As in someone who was poisoning community food supplies.

King James had an agenda, and was a very superstitious fellow. He had decided that certain people who were rebelling against his ever-increasing taxes and controls were interferring with his get-rich-quick schemes, and he found a way to manipulate this sentence to get his way. He could then accuse anyone of resisting his "rule" of being a "witch". Keep in mind that in the days of Kings, the throne was "ordained by God". That is, the King was the human manifestation of "God", and therefore, if the King wanted something, he had only to say "God said so". And if a little misunderstanding about the exact wording of how God "said so" was overlooked... well, so much the better... However, the whole issue centered around the Pagan masses refusing to give up their right to self-regulation, when the King wanted total subjugation. Thus, King James had to manipulate the "law book", which was at that time the bible, to get what he wanted.

There are many, many people in the world that when they are given the mantle of "power" and "responsibility", they cannot hold it. They become crazed with it...

Answer 3

Exodus 22:18 "thou shalt not suffer a witch to live"

No, we are NOT to "kill" witches in the physical action of doing so...

This was from the Old Testament and was merely saying "do not let there be witches among you for they are evil"

And, as Patricia has stated, Deuteronomy 18:9-13 explains more clearly about that.

Within the N.T., Jesus and the Apostles also had many things to say about witches and witchcraft....but Galatians 5:20 explains that they are workings of the flesh and later, as you read on, those whom are of Christ has given up those things...and now walk in the Spirit

Answer 4

Even though they may deserve it-the answer is no. The passage in the Bible covering this topic was written to Jews within the land of Israel and for a specific purpose. It does not apply to you. And was never meant to apply to anyone else besides Jews.

"Thou shalt not kill" is taken from the outdated (for modern or unskilled readers) KJV. The word translated "kill" (rasah) means to murder without cause. If you are going to use the King James version, you will also need a dictionary of 17th century English. Many English words have changed meaning over the last 400 years.

Answer 5

Well I think that is pretty plain really - it means exactly what it says. That was the basis the 'good' religious men like the Rev. Cotton Mather used in 1694 when witches were everywhere in Essex County, Massachusetts.

It's funny how the whole thing ended when the Gov. of Massachusetts wife was accused and he stepped in and put a stop to it.

Answer 6

This is an old testament saying I believe. Here is the problem. Jews, unlike Xtians, have no tradition of bible inerrancy. They know it was written by humans because they wrote the hebrew bible. The dopes starting creation museums aren't Jewish. Evolution is never challenged in the synagogues. They know it is pointless.

So I would say no, don't kill the witch. Ask for a spell on your girlfriend that'll give her bigger tooties.

Answer 7

The be conscious translated subsequently as "witch" certainly meant "poisoner". King James had a actual bee in his bonnet approximately witches (he imagined they have been plotting to overthrow him), so in his version of the Bible the witches have been falsely inserted into that verse.

Answer 8

Of course not. All religions have their foaming at the mouth moments and this is one of them.

All modern religious people can do is be a bit embarrassed, overlook these awkward verses in their scriptures and thank God that their society has moved beyond wanting to kill people for their beliefs.

Answer 9

I've heard that older translations more accurately have it as "a poisoner" (as in one who goes around poisoning livestock) and not "a witch". I think King James changed the line. Maybe somebody else could confirm if this is true.

Answer 10

this scripture originally stated "thou shall not suffer a poisoner to live" not witch. the word witch was added later by close minded people