Cultural Practices Forbidden in Scripture
The Old Testament, particularly the Pentateuch, outlines numerous cultural practices forbidden to the Israelites, often distinguishing them from the surrounding nations. Idolatry is a prominent example, with prohibitions against making "graven or molten images" for worship [2, 9]. This extended beyond the creation of idols to participating in feasts where food was offered to them [4]. The prophet Micah also speaks against "witchcrafts" and "soothsayers," indicating a divine disapproval of such practices [6].
Sexual practices are also addressed. Leviticus 18:22, for instance, describes male homosexual acts as an "abomination," which Abraham Ibn Ezra interprets as not only prohibited by the Torah but also "unnatural" [3]. Similarly, the prostituting of daughters, a practice sometimes associated with religious rituals in other cultures, was explicitly forbidden [7].
Beyond these, the Law also prohibited certain agricultural and animal husbandry practices. The mixing of different kinds of seeds in a field and the breeding of "diverse kind" of cattle were forbidden [5]. Commentators like Jamieson, Fausset & Brown suggest these prohibitions aimed to discourage practices associated with idolatrous rituals, such as those of the ancient Zabians who sowed different seeds with magical rites [5].
In the New Testament, the early church grappled with which Old Testament prohibitions remained binding for Gentile converts. The Jerusalem Council, as recorded in Acts 15, issued a decree prohibiting four things: "pollutions of idols," "fornication," "things strangled," and "blood" [4]. Adam Clarke interprets "pollutions of idols" as encompassing all idolatry and eating food offered to idols, especially when done in conjunction with idolatrous feasts [4]. The prohibition against "fornication" covered all forms of sexual uncleanness [4]. The Roman proconsul Gallio, in Acts 18, dismissed charges against Paul that involved "questions about words and names and your own law," suggesting that some Jewish legal customs were not universally applicable [1].
The concept of "work" on the Sabbath and festivals is another area of prohibition. While the general prohibition against "working" on festivals is found in Leviticus and Numbers, the stricter phrase "no manner of work" (Hebrew: kol melakhah) is reserved for the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement [8]. Ramban (Nachmanides) discusses the implications of this, particularly concerning whether one can have others perform work on their behalf on these days [10].
Sources
- Acts “Acts 16:21 (BSB) — by promoting customs that are unlawful for us Romans to adopt or practice.””
- Deuteronomy (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Deuteronomy 27:15: Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image,.... The blessings and the form of them are not recorded, because they were not to be had from the law, and through obedience to it; and therefore there is a profound silence about them, to put men upon seeking for them elsewhere, and which are only to be had in Christ, especially spiritual ones; but we may suppose they were delivered in the same form, and respecting the same things as the curses, only just the reverse of them; as, "blessed is the man that maketh not any graven image", &c. The order of bot”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Leviticus 18:22: Scripture states it is abomination , for it is an abomination to a holy soul even by the laws of nature. 103 It is not only prohibited by the Torah, it is unnatural.”
- Acts (Methodist/Wesleyan) “Adam Clarke on Acts 15:20: But that we write unto them - Four things are prohibited in this decree: 1. Pollutions of idols; 2. fornication; 3. things strangled; 4. blood. By the first, Pollutions of Idols, or, as it is in Act 15:25, meats offered to idols, not only all idolatry was forbidden, but eating things offered in sacrifice to idols, knowing that they were thus offered, and joining with idolaters in their sacred feasts, which were always an incentive either to idolatry itself, or to the impure acts generally attendant on such festivals. By the second, Fornication, all uncleanness of eve”
- Leviticus (Presbyterian) “Jamieson, Fausset & Brown on Leviticus 19:19: Thou shalt not let thy cattle gender with a diverse kind--This prohibition was probably intended to discourage a practice which seemed to infringe upon the economy which God has established in the animal kingdom. thou shalt not sow thy field with mingled seed--This also was directed against an idolatrous practice, namely, that of the ancient Zabians, or fire-worshippers, who sowed different seeds, accompanying the act with magical rites and invocations; and commentators have generally thought the design of this and the preceding law was to put an”
- Micah (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Micah 5:12: And I will cut off witchcrafts out of thine hand,.... Such as were formerly practised among the Jews, though forbidden them, and in mystical Babylon, or the antichristian church, whose sorceries are mentioned, Rev 9:21; but nothing of this kind will be found in the Christian church, consisting of Jews and Gentiles, in the latter day; all unlawful arts, cheating and juggling in religious matters, will cease, and be no more: and thou shalt have no more soothsayers; or diviners, that cast a mist over people's eyes, and deceived them with false appearances of things; tha”
- Leviticus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Leviticus 19:29: Do not prostitute thy daughter, to cause her to be a whore,.... Not by delaying to marry her, which is the sense the Jews give (l), but it refers to a wicked practice among the Phoenicians or Canaanites, Athanasius (m) speaks of, whose women used to prostitute themselves in the temples of their idols; and to such filthy services, in a religious way, the Israelites, in imitation of them, are forbid to expose their daughters: such filthy practices, under a notion of religion, were committed at Babylon, Corinth, and other places; See Gill on Mic 1:7, lest the land ”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Rationalist)) “Abraham Ibn Ezra on Exodus 12:16: NO MANNER OF WORK. We do not find the phrase kol melakhah (no manner of work) stated with regard to any of the festivals, 332 In Lev. 23 and Num. 28 and 29 Scripture prohibits one from “working” on the festivals. The formula used is kol melekhet avodah lo ta’asu (ye shall do no manner of servile work). See Lev. 23:8, 21, 25, 35; 36. Also see Num. 28:18, 26, 29:1, 12, 35. with the exception of the Sabbath and the Day of Atonement. 333 Wherein Scripture employs the term lo ta’aseh kol melakhah (ye shall do no manner of work). See Ex. 20:10; Lev. 23:3, 28. Also s”
- Exodus (Baptist/Reformed) “John Gill on Exodus 20:4: Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image,.... An image of anything graven by art or man's device, cut out of wood of stone, and so anything that was molten, or cast into a mould or form, engraved by men, and this in order to be worshipped; for otherwise images of things might be made for other uses and purposes, as the cherubim over the mercy seat, and the brazen serpent, and images and impressions on coin, which we do not find the Jews themselves scrupled to make use of in Christ's time on that account; though they vehemently opposed the setting up any images o”
- Sefaria (Jewish (Kabbalistic/Philosophical)) “Ramban (Nachmanides) on Exodus 12:16: NO MANNER OF WORK SHALL BE DONE IN THEM. Rashi commented: “Even by the agency of others.” I do not understand this. If these “others” are Israelites, they themselves are commanded not to work on the Festival, and I am not bound to ensure that my work is not done through them. It is only where one deceives another in a matter which is prohibited — whether it be in the deceiver’s work or in that of the deceived that the deceiver transgresses the prohibition, Before the blind do not put a stumbling-block . 202 Leviticus 19:14. For fuller discussion of this co”