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Verses

Question

What evidence exists for the moral law operating from creation to Sinai?

A. Creation Sabbath (Genesis 1:31-2:3)

Genesis 1:31-2:3

Genesis 1:31 And God saw every thing that he had made, and, behold, [it was] very good. And the evening and the morning were the sixth day.

Genesis 2:1 Thus the heavens and the earth were finished, and all the host of them.

Genesis 2:2 And on the seventh day God ended his work which he had made; and he rested on the seventh day from all his work which he had made.

Genesis 2:3 And God blessed the seventh day, and sanctified it: because that in it he had rested from all his work which God created and made.

Notes: Three actions by God on the seventh day: (1) rested (shabath, H7673), (2) blessed, (3) sanctified. The verb shabath ("ceased/rested") is used here, not the noun shabbath (H7676). The seventh day is blessed and sanctified at creation, before any human nation exists.

B. First Prohibition and First Sin (Genesis 2:15-17; 3:1-19)

Genesis 2:15-17 (First Commandment)

Genesis 2:15 And the LORD God took the man, and put him into the garden of Eden to dress it and to keep it.

Genesis 2:16 And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat:

Genesis 2:17 But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die.

Notes: The verb "commanded" (tsavah, H6680) is used. This is the first divine prohibition, with a stated penalty (death). The word "keep" (shamar, H8104) in v.15 is the same word used in Gen 26:5 for Abraham "keeping" God's commandments.

Genesis 3:1-19 (First Transgression and Judgment)

Genesis 3:1 Now the serpent was more subtil than any beast of the field which the LORD God had made. And he said unto the woman, Yea, hath God said, Ye shall not eat of every tree of the garden?

Genesis 3:2 And the woman said unto the serpent, We may eat of the fruit of the trees of the garden:

Genesis 3:3 But of the fruit of the tree which [is] in the midst of the garden, God hath said, Ye shall not eat of it, neither shall ye touch it, lest ye die.

Genesis 3:4 And the serpent said unto the woman, Ye shall not surely die:

Genesis 3:5 For God doth know that in the day ye eat thereof, then your eyes shall be opened, and ye shall be as gods, knowing good and evil.

Genesis 3:6 And when the woman saw that the tree [was] good for food, and that it [was] pleasant to the eyes, and a tree to be desired to make [one] wise, she took of the fruit thereof, and did eat, and gave also unto her husband with her; and he did eat.

Genesis 3:7 And the eyes of them both were opened, and they knew that they [were] naked; and they sewed fig leaves together, and made themselves aprons.

Genesis 3:8 And they heard the voice of the LORD God walking in the garden in the cool of the day: and Adam and his wife hid themselves from the presence of the LORD God amongst the trees of the garden.

Genesis 3:9 And the LORD God called unto Adam, and said unto him, Where [art] thou?

Genesis 3:10 And he said, I heard thy voice in the garden, and I was afraid, because I [was] naked; and I hid myself.

Genesis 3:11 And he said, Who told thee that thou [wast] naked? Hast thou eaten of the tree, whereof I commanded thee that thou shouldest not eat?

Genesis 3:12 And the man said, The woman whom thou gavest [to be] with me, she gave me of the tree, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:13 And the LORD God said unto the woman, What [is] this [that] thou hast done? And the woman said, The serpent beguiled me, and I did eat.

Genesis 3:14 And the LORD God said unto the serpent, Because thou hast done this, thou [art] cursed above all cattle, and above every beast of the field; upon thy belly shalt thou go, and dust shalt thou eat all the days of thy life:

Genesis 3:15 And I will put enmity between thee and the woman, and between thy seed and her seed; it shall bruise thy head, and thou shalt bruise his heel.

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire [shall be] to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Genesis 3:17 And unto Adam he said, Because thou hast hearkened unto the voice of thy wife, and hast eaten of the tree, of which I commanded thee, saying, Thou shalt not eat of it: cursed [is] the ground for thy sake; in sorrow shalt thou eat [of] it all the days of thy life;

Genesis 3:18 Thorns also and thistles shall it bring forth to thee; and thou shalt eat the herb of the field;

Genesis 3:19 In the sweat of thy face shalt thou eat bread, till thou return unto the ground; for out of it wast thou taken: for dust thou [art], and unto dust shalt thou return.

Notes: God investigates the transgression (3:9-13), pronounces judgment (3:14-19), and enforces the penalty. The sequence is: commandment given (2:16-17), commandment violated (3:6), guilt recognized (3:7-8), divine inquiry (3:9-13), judgment (3:14-19). This pattern of law-violation-judgment operates before Sinai.

C. Cain's Murder and God's Response (Genesis 4:1-15)

Genesis 4:1-15

Genesis 4:1 And Adam knew Eve his wife; and she conceived, and bare Cain, and said, I have gotten a man from the LORD.

Genesis 4:2 And she again bare his brother Abel. And Abel was a keeper of sheep, but Cain was a tiller of the ground.

Genesis 4:3 And in process of time it came to pass, that Cain brought of the fruit of the ground an offering unto the LORD.

Genesis 4:4 And Abel, he also brought of the firstlings of his flock and of the fat thereof. And the LORD had respect unto Abel and to his offering:

Genesis 4:5 But unto Cain and to his offering he had not respect. And Cain was very wroth, and his countenance fell.

Genesis 4:6 And the LORD said unto Cain, Why art thou wroth? and why is thy countenance fallen?

Genesis 4:7 If thou doest well, shalt thou not be accepted? and if thou doest not well, sin lieth at the door. And unto thee [shall be] his desire, and thou shalt rule over him.

Genesis 4:8 And Cain talked with Abel his brother: and it came to pass, when they were in the field, that Cain rose up against Abel his brother, and slew him.

Genesis 4:9 And the LORD said unto Cain, Where [is] Abel thy brother? And he said, I know not: [Am] I my brother's keeper?

Genesis 4:10 And he said, What hast thou done? the voice of thy brother's blood crieth unto me from the ground.

Genesis 4:11 And now [art] thou cursed from the earth, which hath opened her mouth to receive thy brother's blood from thy hand;

Genesis 4:12 When thou tillest the ground, it shall not henceforth yield unto thee her strength; a fugitive and a vagabond shalt thou be in the earth.

Genesis 4:13 And Cain said unto the LORD, My punishment [is] greater than I can bear.

Genesis 4:14 Behold, thou hast driven me out this day from the face of the earth; and from thy face shall I be hid; and I shall be a fugitive and a vagabond in the earth; and it shall come to pass, [that] every one that findeth me shall slay me.

Genesis 4:15 And the LORD said unto him, Therefore whosoever slayeth Cain, vengeance shall be taken on him sevenfold. And the LORD set a mark upon Cain, lest any finding him should kill him.

Notes: Key observations: (1) v.7 uses the word "sin" (chattath, H2403) -- sin is named before Sinai. (2) God warns Cain before the act (v.6-7) and judges him after (v.10-12). (3) Cain recognizes the justice of the punishment (v.13). (4) v.14 implies others know murder is wrong ("every one that findeth me shall slay me"). (5) Abel's sacrifice of firstlings from the flock (v.4) is listed under ANIMALS: "Offered in sacrifice."

Genesis 9:5-6 (Noahic Murder Prohibition)

Genesis 9:5 And surely your blood of your lives will I require; at the hand of every beast will I require it, and at the hand of man; at the hand of every man's brother will I require the life of man.

Genesis 9:6 Whoso sheddeth man's blood, by man shall his blood be shed: for in the image of God made he man.

Notes: A formal prohibition of murder with capital penalty, given to Noah after the flood, before Sinai. The basis is the image of God in man (v.6b), not a covenant-specific law. This prohibition is given to all humanity through Noah, not to Israel.

D. Pre-Flood Moral Judgment (Genesis 6:5-7)

Genesis 6:5-9

Genesis 6:5 And GOD saw that the wickedness of man [was] great in the earth, and [that] every imagination of the thoughts of his heart [was] only evil continually.

Genesis 6:6 And it repented the LORD that he had made man on the earth, and it grieved him at his heart.

Genesis 6:7 And the LORD said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth; both man, and beast, and the creeping thing, and the fowls of the air; for it repenteth me that I have made them.

Genesis 6:8 But Noah found grace in the eyes of the LORD.

Genesis 6:9 These [are] the generations of Noah: Noah was a just man [and] perfect in his generations, [and] Noah walked with God.

Notes: God judges the entire world for "wickedness" (ra'ah) and "evil" (ra') before Sinai. Noah is called "just" (tsaddiq) and "perfect" (tamim). These are moral evaluations that presuppose a moral standard. The earth was "filled with violence" (6:11) and "all flesh had corrupted his way" (6:12).

E. Clean and Unclean Animals (Genesis 7:1-9; 8:20-22)

Genesis 7:1-9

Genesis 7:1 And the LORD said unto Noah, Come thou and all thy house into the ark; for thee have I seen righteous before me in this generation.

Genesis 7:2 Of every clean beast thou shalt take to thee by sevens, the male and his female: and of beasts that [are] not clean by two, the male and his female.

Genesis 7:3 Of fowls also of the air by sevens, the male and the female; to keep seed alive upon the face of all the earth.

Genesis 7:4 For yet seven days, and I will cause it to rain upon the earth forty days and forty nights; and every living substance that I have made will I destroy from off the face of the earth.

Genesis 7:5 And Noah did according unto all that the LORD commanded him.

Genesis 7:8 Of clean beasts, and of beasts that [are] not clean, and of fowls, and of every thing that creepeth upon the earth,

Genesis 7:9 There went in two and two unto Noah into the ark, the male and the female, as God had commanded Noah.

Notes: The word "clean" (tahowr, H2889) appears in v.2, its earliest occurrence in the Bible. Noah already knew the distinction between clean and unclean animals before the Leviticus 11 codification. God instructs Noah based on this pre-existing knowledge. V.1 also calls Noah "righteous" (tsaddiq).

Genesis 8:20-22

Genesis 8:20 And Noah builded an altar unto the LORD; and took of every clean beast, and of every clean fowl, and offered burnt offerings on the altar.

Genesis 8:21 And the LORD smelled a sweet savour; and the LORD said in his heart, I will not again curse the ground any more for man's sake; for the imagination of man's heart [is] evil from his youth; neither will I again smite any more every thing living, as I have done.

Genesis 8:22 While the earth remaineth, seedtime and harvest, and cold and heat, and summer and winter, and day and night shall not cease.

Notes: Noah offers burnt offerings of "clean" animals (v.20) -- sacrifice of clean animals, before Sinai. The distinction between clean/unclean is operative in worship.

F. Sodom's Destruction (Genesis 13:13; 18:16-33; 19:1-13,24-25)

Genesis 13:13

Genesis 13:13 But the men of Sodom [were] wicked and sinners before the LORD exceedingly.

Notes: The text evaluates the men of Sodom as "wicked" (ra') and "sinners" (chattaim) before Sinai.

Genesis 18:19-25

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Genesis 18:20 And the LORD said, Because the cry of Sodom and Gomorrah is great, and because their sin is very grievous;

Genesis 18:21 I will go down now, and see whether they have done altogether according to the cry of it, which is come unto me; and if not, I will know.

Genesis 18:23 And Abraham drew near, and said, Wilt thou also destroy the righteous with the wicked?

Genesis 18:25 That be far from thee to do after this manner, to slay the righteous with the wicked: and that the righteous should be as the wicked, that be far from thee: Shall not the Judge of all the earth do right?

Notes: Key observations: (1) v.19 -- Abraham will "command his children...to keep the way of the LORD, to do justice (tsedaqah) and judgment (mishpat)." (2) v.20 -- Sodom's "sin" (chattath) is "very grievous" (3) v.25 -- Abraham appeals to God as "the Judge of all the earth" who does "right" (mishpat). This presupposes a universal standard of justice by which God judges all nations.

Genesis 19:1-13, 24-25

Genesis 19:1 And there came two angels to Sodom at even; and Lot sat in the gate of Sodom...

Genesis 19:4 But before they lay down, the men of the city, [even] the men of Sodom, compassed the house round, both old and young, all the people from every quarter:

Genesis 19:5 And they called unto Lot, and said unto him, Where [are] the men which came in to thee this night? bring them out unto us, that we may know them.

Genesis 19:7 And said, I pray you, brethren, do not so wickedly.

Genesis 19:13 For we will destroy this place, because the cry of them is waxen great before the face of the LORD; and the LORD hath sent us to destroy it.

Genesis 19:24 Then the LORD rained upon Sodom and upon Gomorrah brimstone and fire from the LORD out of heaven;

Genesis 19:25 And he overthrew those cities, and all the plain, and all the inhabitants of the cities, and that which grew upon the ground.

Notes: Lot calls the Sodomites' intended act "wicked" (v.7). The destruction is for moral transgression, before Sinai.

Ezekiel 16:49-50

Ezekiel 16:49 Behold, this was the iniquity of thy sister Sodom, pride, fulness of bread, and abundance of idleness was in her and in her daughters, neither did she strengthen the hand of the poor and needy.

Ezekiel 16:50 And they were haughty, and committed abomination before me: therefore I took them away as I saw [good].

Notes: Ezekiel identifies Sodom's specific sins: pride, neglect of the poor, and "abomination" (to'ebah). These are moral offenses, recognized and judged before Sinai.

G. Abraham Keeping God's Laws (Genesis 26:1-5; 18:19; 14:18-20)

Genesis 26:1-5

Genesis 26:1 And there was a famine in the land, beside the first famine that was in the days of Abraham. And Isaac went unto Abimelech king of the Philistines unto Gerar.

Genesis 26:2 And the LORD appeared unto him, and said, Go not down into Egypt; dwell in the land which I shall tell thee of:

Genesis 26:3 Sojourn in this land, and I will be with thee, and will bless thee; for unto thee, and unto thy seed, I will give all these countries, and I will perform the oath which I sware unto Abraham thy father;

Genesis 26:4 And I will make thy seed to multiply as the stars of heaven, and will give unto thy seed all these countries; and in thy seed shall all the nations of the earth be blessed;

Genesis 26:5 Because that Abraham obeyed my voice, and kept my charge, my commandments, my statutes, and my laws.

Notes: Five terms used: (1) "voice" (qol), (2) "charge" (mishmereth, H4931), (3) "commandments" (mitsvah, H4687), (4) "statutes" (chuqqah, H2708), (5) "laws" (towrah, H8451). These are the same Hebrew terms used for the Sinai legislation throughout Exodus-Deuteronomy.

Genesis 18:19

Genesis 18:19 For I know him, that he will command his children and his household after him, and they shall keep the way of the LORD, to do justice and judgment; that the LORD may bring upon Abraham that which he hath spoken of him.

Notes: God testifies that Abraham will "keep the way of the LORD, to do justice (tsedaqah) and judgment (mishpat)." This is pre-Sinai obedience to known standards.

Genesis 14:18-20 (Tithe to Melchizedek)

Genesis 14:18 And Melchizedek king of Salem brought forth bread and wine: and he [was] the priest of the most high God.

Genesis 14:19 And he blessed him, and said, Blessed [be] Abram of the most high God, possessor of heaven and earth:

Genesis 14:20 And blessed be the most high God, which hath delivered thine enemies into thy hand. And he gave him tithes of all.

Notes: Abraham pays tithes before Sinai. Melchizedek is "priest of the most high God" before the Levitical priesthood. The author of Hebrews (7:1-10) draws theological significance from this pre-Sinai worship act.

H. Adultery as Pre-Sinai Sin (Genesis 39:7-12; 20:1-7; 26:9-11; 38:24)

Genesis 39:7-12 (Joseph)

Genesis 39:7 And it came to pass after these things, that his master's wife cast her eyes upon Joseph; and she said, Lie with me.

Genesis 39:8 But he refused, and said unto his master's wife, Behold, my master wotteth not what [is] with me in the house, and he hath committed all that he hath to my hand;

Genesis 39:9 [There is] none greater in this house than I; neither hath he kept back any thing from me but thee, because thou [art] his wife: how then can I do this great wickedness, and sin against God?

Genesis 39:10 And it came to pass, as she spake to Joseph day by day, that he hearkened not unto her, to lie by her, [or] to be with her.

Genesis 39:11 And it came to pass about this time, that [Joseph] went into the house to do his business; and [there was] none of the men of the house there within.

Genesis 39:12 And she caught him by his garment, saying, Lie with me: and he left his garment in her hand, and fled, and got him out.

Notes: Joseph calls adultery "this great wickedness, and sin against God" (v.9). He identifies it as a sin against God, not merely a social offense, before Sinai. The word "sin" (chata, H2398) is used.

Genesis 20:1-7 (Abimelech warned about adultery)

Genesis 20:1 And Abraham journeyed from thence toward the south country, and dwelled between Kadesh and Shur, and sojourned in Gerar.

Genesis 20:2 And Abraham said of Sarah his wife, She [is] my sister: and Abimelech king of Gerar sent, and took Sarah.

Genesis 20:3 But God came to Abimelech in a dream by night, and said to him, Behold, thou [art but] a dead man, for the woman which thou hast taken; for she [is] a man's wife.

Genesis 20:4 But Abimelech had not come near her: and he said, Lord, wilt thou slay also a righteous nation?

Genesis 20:5 Said he not unto me, She [is] my sister? and she, even she herself said, He [is] my brother: in the integrity of my heart and innocency of my hands have I done this.

Genesis 20:6 And God said unto him in a dream, Yea, I know that thou didst this in the integrity of thy heart; for I also withheld thee from sinning against me: therefore suffered I thee not to touch her.

Genesis 20:7 Now therefore restore the man [his] wife; for he [is] a prophet, and he shall pray for thee, and thou shalt live: and if thou restore [her] not, know thou that thou shalt surely die, thou, and all that [are] thine.

Notes: God warns a Gentile king (Abimelech) about adultery with a death threat (v.3,7). God calls taking another man's wife "sinning against me" (v.6). Abimelech is a non-Israelite, yet God holds him to this standard. This is before Sinai.

Genesis 26:9-11 (Abimelech and Isaac)

Genesis 26:9 And Abimelech called Isaac, and said, Behold, of a surety she [is] thy wife: and how saidst thou, She [is] my sister? And Isaac said unto him, Because I said, Lest I die for her.

Genesis 26:10 And Abimelech said, What [is] this thou hast done unto us? one of the people might lightly have lien with thy wife, and thou shouldest have brought guiltiness upon us.

Genesis 26:11 And Abimelech charged all [his] people, saying, He that toucheth this man or his wife shall surely be put to death.

Notes: Abimelech (a Philistine) recognizes that adultery brings "guiltiness" (asham, H817 -- the same word used for guilt/trespass offerings in Leviticus). He enforces a death penalty for the offense. A Gentile king applies this moral standard before Sinai.

Genesis 38:24 (Judah and Tamar)

Genesis 38:24 And it came to pass about three months after, that it was told Judah, saying, Tamar thy daughter in law hath played the harlot; and also, behold, she [is] with child by whoredom. And Judah said, Bring her forth, and let her be burnt.

Notes: Judah orders execution for sexual immorality before Sinai. The penalty of burning is similar to Leviticus 21:9. This presupposes a recognized standard against sexual immorality.

I. Defilement of Dinah (Genesis 34:1-7,13,27)

Genesis 34:1-7,13,27

Genesis 34:1 And Dinah the daughter of Leah, which she bare unto Jacob, went out to see the daughters of the land.

Genesis 34:2 And when Shechem the son of Hamor the Hivite, prince of the country, saw her, he took her, and lay with her, and defiled her.

Genesis 34:5 And Jacob heard that he had defiled Dinah his daughter: now his sons were with his cattle in the field: and Jacob held his peace until they were come.

Genesis 34:7 And the sons of Jacob came out of the field when they heard [it]: and the men were grieved, and they were very wroth, because he had wrought folly in Israel in lying with Jacob's daughter; which thing ought not to be done.

Genesis 34:13 And the sons of Jacob answered Shechem and Hamor his father deceitfully, and said, because he had defiled Dinah their sister:

Genesis 34:27 The sons of Jacob came upon the slain, and spoiled the city, because they had defiled their sister.

Notes: The word "defiled" (tame, H2930) is used three times (vv. 2, 5, 13, 27). This is the same word used for ritual and moral uncleanness throughout Leviticus. V.7 says it was "folly" (nebalah) and "which thing ought not to be done." The moral vocabulary of defilement is operative before Sinai.

J. Manna-Sabbath Test Before Sinai (Exodus 15:25-26; 16:1-30)

Exodus 15:25-26 (Marah Statute)

Exodus 15:25 And he cried unto the LORD; and the LORD shewed him a tree, [which] when he had cast into the waters, the waters were made sweet: there he made for them a statute and an ordinance, and there he proved them,

Exodus 15:26 And said, If thou wilt diligently hearken to the voice of the LORD thy God, and wilt do that which is right in his sight, and wilt give ear to his commandments, and keep all his statutes, I will put none of these diseases upon thee, which I have brought upon the Egyptians: for I [am] the LORD that healeth thee.

Notes: BEFORE Sinai (Exodus 19-20), God "made for them a statute (choq, H2706) and an ordinance (mishpat, H4941)" at Marah (v.25). V.26 references "his commandments" (mitsvah) and "his statutes" (choq) as already existing. God tests Israel with standards that predate the Sinai event.

Exodus 16:1-30 (Manna and Sabbath)

Exodus 16:1 And they took their journey from Elim, and all the congregation of the children of Israel came unto the wilderness of Sin, which [is] between Elim and Sinai, on the fifteenth day of the second month after their departing out of the land of Egypt.

Exodus 16:4 Then said the LORD unto Moses, Behold, I will rain bread from heaven for you; and the people shall go out and gather a certain rate every day, that I may prove them, whether they will walk in my law, or no.

Exodus 16:5 And it shall come to pass, that on the sixth day they shall prepare [that] which they bring in; and it shall be twice as much as they gather daily.

Exodus 16:22 And it came to pass, [that] on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one [man]: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

Exodus 16:23 And he said unto them, This [is that] which the LORD hath said, To morrow [is] the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake [that] which ye will bake [to day], and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning.

Exodus 16:25 And Moses said, Eat that to day; for to day [is] a sabbath unto the LORD: to day ye shall not find it in the field.

Exodus 16:26 Six days ye shall gather it; but on the seventh day, [which is] the sabbath, in it there shall be none.

Exodus 16:27 And it came to pass, [that] there went out [some] of the people on the seventh day for to gather, and they found none.

Exodus 16:28 And the LORD said unto Moses, How long refuse ye to keep my commandments and my laws?

Exodus 16:29 See, for that the LORD hath given you the sabbath, therefore he giveth you on the sixth day the bread of two days; abide ye every man in his place, let no man go out of his place on the seventh day.

Exodus 16:30 So the people rested on the seventh day.

Notes: Key observations: (1) v.4 -- "my law" (towrah, H8451) -- God refers to "my law" as already existing, before Sinai. (2) v.23 -- first narrative use of the noun "sabbath" (shabbath, H7676). (3) v.28 -- "my commandments and my laws" (mitsvah + towrah) -- God speaks of "my commandments" as already existing, before Sinai. (4) v.29 -- "the LORD hath given you the sabbath" -- the Sabbath is presented as something already given, not now being instituted for the first time. (5) Sabbath violation occurs (v.27) and God rebukes (v.28). (6) This entire episode is chronologically BEFORE Sinai (Exodus 19-20).

K. NT Commentary on Pre-Sinai Law

Romans 5:12-14 (Sin from Adam to Moses)

Romans 5:12 Wherefore, as by one man sin entered into the world, and death by sin; and so death passed upon all men, for that all have sinned:

Romans 5:13 (For until the law sin was in the world: but sin is not imputed when there is no law.

Romans 5:14 Nevertheless death reigned from Adam to Moses, even over them that had not sinned after the similitude of Adam's transgression, who is the figure of him that was to come.

Notes: Paul's argument: (1) Death reigned from Adam to Moses (v.14). (2) Sin is not imputed where there is no law (v.13). (3) Yet death (the penalty for sin) reigned during this period. (4) The logical inference: a law must have been operative from Adam to Moses, since sin was being imputed (people were dying). This passage addresses the exact question of this study.

Romans 4:15

Romans 4:15 Because the law worketh wrath: for where no law is, [there is] no transgression.

Notes: Paul states that where there is no law, there is no transgression. Combined with Rom 5:12-14 (transgression and death existed from Adam to Moses), this implies law existed before Sinai.

Romans 2:14-15 (Law Written on Hearts)

Romans 2:14 For when the Gentiles, which have not the law, do by nature the things contained in the law, these, having not the law, are a law unto themselves:

Romans 2:15 Which shew the work of the law written in their hearts, their conscience also bearing witness, and [their] thoughts the mean while accusing or else excusing one another;)

Notes: Gentiles who never received the Sinai legislation have "the work of the law written in their hearts." Their conscience "bears witness" to this law. This is Paul's argument that the moral law is not limited to those who received it at Sinai.

Galatians 3:17-19 (Law 430 Years After Abraham)

Galatians 3:17 And this I say, [that] the covenant, that was confirmed before of God in Christ, the law, which was four hundred and thirty years after, cannot disannul, that it should make the promise of none effect.

Galatians 3:18 For if the inheritance [be] of the law, [it is] no more of promise: but God gave [it] to Abraham by promise.

Galatians 3:19 Wherefore then [serveth] the law? It was added because of transgressions, till the seed should come to whom the promise was made; [and it was] ordained by angels in the hand of a mediator.

Notes: Paul states "the law" came 430 years after Abraham (v.17) and was "added because of transgressions" (v.19). The referent of "the law" in Galatians 3 is debated: it could mean the entire Sinai legislation, the ceremonial system, or the formal codification of law. If transgressions existed before the law was "added," then some standard already existed by which acts were recognized as transgressions.

1 John 3:4, 12

1 John 3:4 Whosoever committeth sin transgresseth also the law: for sin is the transgression of the law.

1 John 3:12 Not as Cain, [who] was of that wicked one, and slew his brother. And wherefore slew he him? Because his own works were evil, and his brother's righteous.

Notes: John defines sin as "transgression of the law" (v.4) and then cites Cain (v.12) as an example of evil. If sin is defined as law-transgression, and Cain sinned, then the law was operative when Cain murdered Abel -- before Sinai.

Hebrews 11:4, 7 (Abel and Noah's Faith)

Hebrews 11:4 By faith Abel offered unto God a more excellent sacrifice than Cain, by which he obtained witness that he was righteous, God testifying of his gifts: and by it he being dead yet speaketh.

Hebrews 11:7 By faith Noah, being warned of God of things not seen as yet, moved with fear, prepared an ark to the saving of his house; by the which he condemned the world, and became heir of the righteousness which is by faith.

Notes: Abel is called "righteous" (v.4). Noah "condemned the world" and is called "heir of the righteousness which is by faith" (v.7). Moral evaluations (righteous/condemning the world) are applied to pre-Sinai figures.

Hebrews 4:3-4, 9-10 (Sabbath Rest from Creation)

Hebrews 4:3 For we which have believed do enter into rest, as he said, As I have sworn in my wrath, if they shall enter into my rest: although the works were finished from the foundation of the world.

Hebrews 4:4 For he spake in a certain place of the seventh [day] on this wise, And God did rest the seventh day from all his works.

Hebrews 4:9 There remaineth therefore a rest to the people of God.

Hebrews 4:10 For he that is entered into his rest, he also hath ceased from his own works, as God [did] from his.

Notes: The author of Hebrews connects the Sabbath rest to creation (v.4 quotes Gen 2:2). He states "there remaineth therefore a rest (sabbatismos, G4520) to the people of God" (v.9). The word sabbatismos is a Sabbath-keeping, derived from sabbatizo ("to keep sabbath"). The argument traces the Sabbath institution to creation, not Sinai.

John 1:17

John 1:17 For the law was given by Moses, [but] grace and truth came by Jesus Christ.

Notes: This verse states the law was "given by Moses." The Abolished position cites this as evidence that the law began with Moses. The Continues position notes this refers to the formal codification/giving at Sinai, not necessarily the first existence of moral principles.

Mark 2:27-28

Mark 2:27 And he said unto them, The sabbath was made for man, and not man for the sabbath:

Mark 2:28 Therefore the Son of man is Lord also of the sabbath.

Notes: Jesus says the Sabbath "was made for man" (v.27). The word "man" (anthropos) is generic, not Israel-specific. The statement that the Sabbath was "made for man" traces its purpose to humanity, which is consistent with a creation origin.

L. Additional Cross-References

Exodus 20:8-11 (Fourth Commandment)

Exodus 20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.

Exodus 20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:

Exodus 20:10 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God: [in it] thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that [is] within thy gates:

Exodus 20:11 For [in] six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them [is], and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.

Notes: The fourth commandment says "Remember" -- indicating something already known, not newly introduced. V.11 explicitly grounds the Sabbath in creation ("For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth...and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it").

Deuteronomy 5:12-15

Deuteronomy 5:12 Keep the sabbath day to sanctify it, as the LORD thy God hath commanded thee.

Deuteronomy 5:13 Six days thou shalt labour, and do all thy work:

Deuteronomy 5:14 But the seventh day [is] the sabbath of the LORD thy God...

Deuteronomy 5:15 And remember that thou wast a servant in the land of Egypt, and [that] the LORD thy God brought thee out thence through a mighty hand and by a stretched out arm: therefore the LORD thy God commanded thee to keep the sabbath day.

Notes: Deuteronomy adds the Exodus motivation (v.15) to the creation basis given in Exodus 20:11. Both motivations coexist.

Isaiah 56:2, 4-7 (Sabbath Blessings for Gentiles)

Isaiah 56:2 Blessed [is] the man [that] doeth this, and the son of man [that] layeth hold on it; that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and keepeth his hand from doing any evil.

Isaiah 56:4 For thus saith the LORD unto the eunuchs that keep my sabbaths, and choose [the things] that please me, and take hold of my covenant;

Isaiah 56:6 Also the sons of the stranger, that join themselves to the LORD, to serve him, and to love the name of the LORD, to be his servants, every one that keepeth the sabbath from polluting it, and taketh hold of my covenant;

Isaiah 56:7 Even them will I bring to my holy mountain, and make them joyful in my house of prayer...for mine house shall be called an house of prayer for all people.

Notes: The Sabbath blessing extends to "the sons of the stranger" (non-Israelites), which is consistent with a universal (creation) origin rather than an Israel-specific institution.

Isaiah 58:13-14

Isaiah 58:13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, [from] doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the sabbath a delight, the holy of the LORD, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking [thine own] words:

Isaiah 58:14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the LORD; and I will cause thee to ride upon the high places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the LORD hath spoken [it].

Isaiah 66:23

Isaiah 66:23 And it shall come to pass, [that] from one new moon to another, and from one sabbath to another, shall all flesh come to worship before me, saith the LORD.

Notes: A future prophecy where "all flesh" worships on the Sabbath. "All flesh" extends beyond Israel.

Ezekiel 20:12, 20

Ezekiel 20:12 Moreover also I gave them my sabbaths, to be a sign between me and them, that they might know that I [am] the LORD that sanctify them.

Ezekiel 20:20 And hallow my sabbaths; and they shall be a sign between me and you, that ye may know that I [am] the LORD your God.

Notes: God calls the Sabbaths "my sabbaths" -- they belong to God, not to any nation. They are a "sign" of the relationship between God and His people.

2 Peter 2:5-8 (Noah, Sodom as Examples)

2 Peter 2:5 And spared not the old world, but saved Noah the eighth [person], a preacher of righteousness, bringing in the flood upon the world of the ungodly;

2 Peter 2:6 And turning the cities of Sodom and Gomorrha into ashes condemned [them] with an overthrow, making [them] an ensample unto those that after should live ungodly;

2 Peter 2:7 And delivered just Lot, vexed with the filthy conversation of the wicked:

2 Peter 2:8 (For that righteous man dwelling among them, in seeing and hearing, vexed [his] righteous soul from day to day with [their] unlawful deeds;)

Notes: Peter calls the pre-Sinai deeds of the Sodomites "unlawful" (athesmos, G113 -- "lawless/wicked"). Noah is called "a preacher of righteousness" (v.5). Lot is "righteous" and the Sodomites' deeds are "unlawful" (v.8). This NT commentary applies law-vocabulary to pre-Sinai acts.

Cross-Testament Parallels

Cross-testament parallel searches were run for 8 key verse groups using both --hybrid-ot and --hybrid-nt. Full raw output is in raw-data/parallels.md. Below are the most significant findings.

Genesis 2:2 (Creation Sabbath)

  • OT Parallels: Gen 2:3 (0.537), Exo 35:2 (0.488), Exo 31:15 (0.485), Lev 23:3 (0.474), Exo 20:10 (0.452), Deu 5:14 (0.447) -- the creation rest passage connects directly to the fourth commandment at Sinai and its restatement in Deuteronomy.
  • NT Parallels: Heb 4:4 (0.437, "cease, seventh, work") -- Hebrews explicitly quotes Gen 2:2 and connects the creation Sabbath to ongoing spiritual rest. Heb 4:10 (0.341, "cease, work").

Genesis 4:7 (Sin at the Door / Cain)

  • NT Parallels: Jas 4:17 (0.386, "good, iniquity"), Rom 6:12 (0.384, "dominion, iniquity") -- Paul's language of sin having "dominion" echoes God's words to Cain about sin's desire to master him. Rom 7:13 (0.357, "good, iniquity"), 1Jn 5:17 (0.327).
  • OT Parallels: Job 22:5 (0.443), Psa 19:14 (0.363, "dominion") -- David's prayer about sin's dominion parallels the Cain passage.

Genesis 4:10 (Abel's Blood Cries)

  • NT Parallels: Rev 6:10 (0.330, "blood, cry") -- the souls under the altar cry out with their blood, paralleling Abel's blood crying from the ground.
  • OT Parallels: Gen 4:11 (0.354), Psa 9:13 (0.335, "blood, cry").

Genesis 7:2 (Clean/Unclean Animals)

  • OT Parallels: Gen 7:8 (0.428, "cattle, pure"), Lev 20:25 (0.376, "cattle, pure") -- the Levitical clean/unclean codification parallels the pre-Sinai distinction Noah already knew.
  • NT Parallels: Low scores overall, indicating this specific passage has no strong direct NT parallel. Rev 14:4 (0.342, "pure") is the closest.

Genesis 26:5 (Abraham Kept God's Commandments)

  • OT Parallels: Deu 30:10 (0.496, "commandment, hear, instruction, keep"), Deu 28:15 (0.487, "commandment, hear, keep, regulation"), 1Ki 2:3 (0.484, "commandment, guard-post, instruction, keep") -- the highest-scoring parallels use the same vocabulary cluster as Gen 26:5, showing that the Sinai and post-Sinai covenant language is identical to the pre-Sinai description of Abraham. Exo 16:28 (0.425, "commandment, instruction, keep") connects to the pre-Sinai manna test. Ecc 12:13 (0.415, "commandment, end, hear, keep") -- Solomon's conclusion also parallels.
  • NT Parallels: Luk 16:29 (0.366, "abraham, hear"), Mat 5:19 (0.308, "commandment, keep"), 1Jn 3:24 (0.305, "commandment, keep"), Heb 7:5 (0.298, "abraham, commandment").

Genesis 39:9 (Joseph: Sin Against God)

  • OT Parallels: Neh 13:27 (0.468, "evil, great, woman") -- Nehemiah rebukes Israel for the same kind of sin Joseph refused. 2Sa 12:11 (0.427, "evil, woman") -- David and Bathsheba. Deu 24:4 (0.413, "miss, woman").
  • NT Parallels: Low direct scores. 3Jn 1:11 (0.320, "evil"), 1Th 4:8 (0.273).

Exodus 16:4 (Manna-Law Test)

  • OT Parallels: Exo 16:28 (0.472, "instruction, mose") -- the manna test connects to the rebuke about commandments. Isa 2:3 (0.456, "instruction, walk"), Mic 4:2 (0.453, "instruction, walk") -- prophetic passages about walking in God's instruction/towrah parallel the manna test of walking in God's law.
  • NT Parallels: Jhn 6:32 (0.364, "bread, heaven, mose") -- Jesus' discourse on the bread from heaven directly references the manna narrative.

Exodus 16:28 (How Long Refuse My Commandments?)

  • OT Parallels: 2Ki 17:13 (0.493, "commandment, instruction, keep") -- Israel's later failure to keep commandments parallels the pre-Sinai rebuke. Num 14:11 (0.495, "mose, unto, whither").
  • NT Parallels: Mat 5:19 (0.387, "commandment, keep"), Mrk 7:9 (0.381, "commandment, keep"), Jhn 7:19 (0.360, "keep, mose").

Romans 5:13 (Sin Before the Law)

  • NT Parallels: Rom 7:8 (0.481, "iniquity, law"), Rom 7:7 (0.448, "iniquity, law"), Rom 6:14 (0.440, "iniquity, law"), Rom 3:20 (0.437, "iniquity, law"), 1Co 15:56 (0.417, "iniquity, law"), 1Jn 3:4 (0.405, "iniquity"), Rom 4:15 (0.401, "iniquity, law"), Rom 2:12 (0.395, "law") -- Paul's entire sin-and-law argument in Romans 5-8 forms a tightly connected cluster with Rom 5:13. 1Jn 3:4 ("sin is the transgression of the law") is particularly significant for the study question.
  • OT Parallels: Isa 13:11 (0.388, "iniquity, world"), Eze 18:21 (0.368, "iniquity").