The Problem with Blood
Deliver me from bloodguiltiness, O God, the God of my salvation; Then my tongue will joyfully sing of Your righteousness. Psalm 51:14 NASB
Bloodguiltiness – Unfortunately this text doesn’t actually say “bloodguiltiness.” That is an interpolation of the actual word, dam. The text literally says, “Rescue me from blood.” It could also be read, “Deliver me” or “Secure me” or “Save me.” The translators’ use of “bloodguiltiness” shifts the physical implications of the text to spiritual realms. It is quite possible that David is appealing to YHVH not to execute him. Why would we suggest that this statement is about dying rather than guilt? Because of the use of blood (dam) in the Tanakh. The problem with blood is nicely summarized by Hamilton in TWOT:
The theological debate today centers around the significance of what is symbolized by the biblical word, “blood” in a context of sacrifice. Briefly, two suggestions have been made. One is that blood symbolizes life. The blood of the victim is the life that has passed through death. Thus, to say that one is saved by “the blood of Christ” means that we are saved by Christ’s life, by participating in his life. Much emphasis is placed here on several OT verses which all say substantially the same thing: “The life of the flesh is in the blood” (Gen 9:4; Lev 17:11,14; Deut 12:23).
The second interpretation and the one adhered to in this article, emphasizes that blood in the OT denotes not life, but death, or more accurately, life that is offered up in death. Having said this, it should be pointed out that there is absolutely nothing in the ot akin to the morbid preoccupation with the sinister deities of the netherworld such as one finds in the blood rituals of Israel’s neighbors where the emphasis is also on “blood-death.”
The three passages quoted above should present no problem. Rather than saying that blood is life they simply say that blood is the source of life, the means by which life is perpetuated. To remove the blood is to terminate life. [1]
Hamilton’s analysis significantly alters the typical evangelical claim. If he is correct, the cross is not about life. It is about death (something that I argue in Cross Word Puzzles). Hamilton’s analysis also helps us remove the idea that David is speaking about guilt. When David uses the Hebrew dam, he is also writing about death, not spiritual guilt. David’s sins are worthy of death. That is the prescribed penalty for what he did. David is not asking for his spiritual guilt to be removed. He is asking God not to kill him! In the face of certain justice, he is pleading for mercy. We might translate this as, “Spare my life, O God, the Elohim of my salvation.” Of course, this means that “salvation” must also be corrected. The evangelical cultural content must be removed. The word, teshuati (teshu’ah from yasha’) is about creating freedom and removing distress. It is primarily a word of deliverance from enemies and catastrophes, not forensic judgments. The peshat of this text recalls Leviticus 20:10, not John 3:16.
Topical Index: dam, blood, yasha’, deliver, salvation, guilt, death, Psalm 51:14
[1] Hamilton, V. P. (1999). 436 דָּם. In R. L. Harris, G. L. Archer, Jr. & B. K. Waltke (Eds.), Theological Wordbook of the Old Testament.
Thank you for the thoughtful clarification, Skip. I think we have had a huge sleight of hand foisted on us, when all the perfectly good words and terms got re-defined. Who was it that said “he who defines the terms, wins”? It is about time we took back those terms and started back over! All of them! Hooray!
There is a huge difference between thinking of God as a stern, punishing judge (in some vague, distant future), and thinking of Him as Someone Who personally threw Himself on the line to save us from death. Not ‘death’ as re-defined by paganism, where ‘death’ (perfectly clear term) somehow means torment for eternity, but death – annihilation – right now, this instant, every time I am fractured from God, myself, or others. And that is just for starters!
Let the re-defining (or, better, the un-re-defining) begin!
or maybe the re-un-defining…….:)
What I have been becoming aware of in this journey of determining the original intent of all these words is that the message is not some high minded religious structure, but simple, down-to-earth truths that deal with everyday life (and death.) The spiritualization of so much in christianity has clouded and even blocked the seeing of truths recorded in the Tanakh and has lead us all astray, away from that which gives life and clarifies death.
It’s exhausting and exhilarating at the same time. In the end, my nephesh is much more at peace with this newer reference point. It just makes sense to me. Eureka!
Real Royal Red Rich Redeeming Blood
~ For the life of a [any] creature is in the blood, and I have given it to you to make atonement for yourselves on the altar; it is the blood that makes atonement for one’s life ~ (Leviticus 17.11)
Oh, how we cling to Torah!! Except when it comes to a blood sacrifice. Now, things change (conveniently?). Where, o where, did the Temple sacrifices go? Yes, the once a year, entering into the holy of holies and sprinkling [what?] upon the mercy seat?
Where has the High Priest gone? Just askin’..
And? ~ “When I see the [what?] BLOOD, [the blood of a spotless, perfect Lamb btw] I will ‘pass over’ you.” Is it okay to remind folks of their history? What was applied to a “real doorway” by “real” people? It was real red blood.
Some say the Bible is a bloody book. Perhaps it is. There is a red thread that runs through tHis Book and ties the entire Book together. It is the red thread of redemption.
Follow this red thread,from Garden to Garden. From Eden to Gethsemane, the theme remains the same – “without the shedding of blood, there is no remission of sin.”
Blood IS life!!
Sorry. It cannot be “explained away..” Nor can it be any other way, friend, ~ “the [Real Royal Red Rich Redeeming] blood of Jesus Christ [Yeshua HaMashiach] cleanses from ALL sin.”
Thank God for Calvary. For the cross of Calvary. For the One “who for the joy that was set before Him, endured the cross, [the Tslav, the Execution Stake] despising the shame, and has sat down at the right hand of the throne of God.”
And the Master’s theme of tHis entire Book? — “Behold the Lamb of God” who takes away the sins of the world.
For you see, ~ He is the atoning [propitiating] Sacrifice for our sins, and not only for ours but also for the sins of the whole world ~ (1 John 2.2)
Blessed Redeemer, precious Redeemer
Seems now I see Him on Calvary’s tree
Wounded and bleeding, for sinners pleading
Blind and unheeding, — dying for me
There, to my heart was the blood applied
Glory to His Name!!
Skip’s explanation seems to lead towards David appealing for restoration of Honor because of the shame his sin causes. The guilt vs innocence is that Greek paradigm creeping back in to influence our understanding of the Tanak