plague torn out, thrown outside city in unclean place (Lev. 14:40); house scraped off all around inside, mortar poured outside city in unclean place (Lev. 14:41); new stones put in and house plastered (Lev. 14:42)

b. If plague returned, entire house pulled down (Lev. 14:43-45)

c. Anyone going into quarantined house unclean until evening (Lev. 14:46)

4. Genital discharge (evidently due to diseased condition) (Lev. 15:2, 3)

a. Bed or articles unclean if lain on or sat on by such person (Lev. 15:4)

b. Anyone touching the affected one, his bed or whatever he was sitting on, unclean, or if affected person spat on another, he was rendered unclean (Lev. 15:5-11)

c. Earthenware vessels smashed, wooden one rinsed with water, if touched by one having running discharge (Lev. 15:12)

d. After discharge stopped, person unclean seven days (Lev. 15:13)

5. Safeguarding military camp

a. Private place outside for each to cover excrement (Deut. 23:12, 13)

b. Pollution occurring at night made person unclean until next evening; he had to stay outside camp (Deut. 23:9-11)

6. Regulations concerning bodies of dead persons

a. Touching corpse, bone or burial place of human made one unclean seven days (even when on open field) (Num. 19:11, 16)

b. Death for refusing to purify self. (Num. 19:12, 13) (See cleansing procedure at Numbers 19:17-19.)

c. Opened vessel on which no lid tied down unclean, also all who were in or came Into tent (Num. 19:14, 15)

7. In spoil taken from city, everything that could be processed with fire should be so processed (metals), then passed through water for cleansing; other things must be washed (Num. 31:20, 22, 23)

XI. BUSINESS PRACTICES

A. Accurate scales, weights and measures (Lev. 19:35, 36; Deut. 25:13-15)

B. Proper calculation of value of land (based on time until Jubilee year) (Lev. 25:14-17)

C. Granting right of repurchase of land (Lev. 25:24)

D. Release at end of every seven years from pressure on Hebrew brothers to pay debts (Deut. 15:1, 2); could press foreigner for payment of debt (Deut. 15:3)

E. Hired laborers, in trouble or poor, whether of brothers or alien residents, must be paid that day (Deut. 24:14, 15)

F. If taking a person’s outer garment as security for a loan, one must not keep it overnight (The poor often slept in the garment for lack of other bedclothes. He might suffer from cold if deprived of it at night.) (Ex. 22:26, 27; Deut. 24:12, 13)

1. One could not enter another man’s house to get a pledge or something as security for a loan. He must remain outside the house and let the person bring it out to him (This maintained the inviolability of the man’s domain.) (Deut. 24:10, 11)

2. One could not take a hand mill or its upper grindstone for security (The person then could not grind grain for himself and family. Hence, “it is a soul that he is seizing as a pledge.”) (Deut. 24:6)

LAWGIVER

A maker of laws; a legislator. There are countless humans who have served in a legislative capacity, making laws for nations and communities. However, the Bible centers attention on Jehovah as the fundamental Lawgiver of the universe.

JEHOVAH AS THE LAWGIVER

Jehovah is actually the one true Lawgiver in the universe. Attributable to him are the physical laws governing material creation, inanimate things (Job 38:4-38; Ps. 104:5-19) and animals. (Job 39:1-30) Man also, as a creation of Jehovah, is subject to Jehovah’s physical laws and, being a moral, rational creature, capable of reasoning and of spirituality, is equally subject to his moral laws. (Rom. 12:1; 1 Cor. 2:14-16) Furthermore, his law governs spirit creatures, angels.—Ps. 103:20; 2 Pet. 2:4, 11.

Jehovah’s physical laws are unbreakable. (Jer. 33:20, 21) Throughout the known visible universe his laws are so stable and reliable that, in areas where scientists have knowledge of these laws, they can calculate the movements of the moon, planets, and so forth, with split-second accuracy. One who goes contrary to the physical laws experiences immediate application of their sanctions. Likewise, the moral laws of God are irrevocable and cannot be circumvented or violated with impunity. They are as sure of enforcement as His natural laws, though the punishment may not be as immediately enforced. “God is not one to be mocked. For whatever a man is sowing, this he will also reap.”—Gal. 6:7; 1 Tim. 5:24.

Whereas from Adam’s rebellion to the Flood badness increased among the majority of his descendants, some faithful men “kept walking with the true God.” (Gen. 5:22-24; 6:9; Heb. 11:4-7) The only specific commands recorded as given to such men by God are the instructions to Noah in connection with the ark. These Noah obeyed implicitly. (Gen. 6:13-22) Nevertheless, there were principles and precedents to guide them in their “walking with the true God.”

They knew of God’s bounteous generosity in providing for man in Eden, the evidence of divine unselfishness and loving interest. They knew that the principle of headship was in effect from the start, God’s headship over man, the man’s headship over woman. They knew of God’s assignment of work to man, His concern for proper care of the things given to man for his use and enjoyment. They knew that sexual unions were to be between man and woman and that those so uniting were to do so, not as a momentary thing (as in fornication), but as entering into a family relationship, ‘leaving father and mother’ to form such a lasting union. They could appreciate the principle of ownership rights, and due respect for such, in God’s command regarding the use of the trees of the garden of Eden and the tree of the knowledge of good and bad in particular. They realized the bad results coming from the first lie. They knew of God’s approval of Abel’s course of worship, God’s disapproval of Cain’s envy and hatred of his brother and God’s punishment of Cain’s murder of Abel.—Gen. 1:26–4:16.

Thus, even without further specific statements, decrees or statutes from God, they could draw upon these principles and precedents to guide them in other, different but related situations that might develop. Centuries later Jesus and his apostles used the pre-Flood matters in this way. (Matt. 19:3-9; John 8:43-47; 1 Tim. 2:11-14; 1 John 3:11, 12) Law means a rule of action. By God’s words and acts they had the means for knowing something of his way, his standards, and this should be the rule of action or law for them to follow. By doing so they could ‘keep on walking with the true God.’ Those failing to do so were sinning, ‘missing the mark,’ even though there was no law code to condemn them.

Following the Flood, God stated to Noah the law, binding on all mankind, which allowed the eating of flesh but prohibited eating of blood, and stated the