Divine justice, human justice, biblical justice, justice in Bible, Exodus 21, Leviticus 24, law of retaliation, moral justice, religious justice
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Abstract
This document explores the contrast between human justice and divine justice in biblical context, highlighting their differences and characteristics.
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[...] Thus, the eight beatitudes are an example of this divine justice that is perfect. We can therefore define divine justice as 'the valuation of what has been moral and in accordance with the Scriptures and religious traditions and the condemnation of bad acts by God.' Ultimately, the concept of justice is very different depending on its nature and can take diametrically opposite characteristics and an inverse functioning. Thus, justice is the ability to see what is just on a moral or religious level, depending on the case. [...]
[...] If the idea of justice is crucial in the constitution of a balanced world, the form it can take can differ widely from one system to another. If divine justice seems to be the most absolute of all, it is not actually driven by human ideals. In the case of biblical texts, human justice and God's justice are diametrically opposed. While the former is fallible and divergent, the latter is perfect and without any imaginable contestation. If the law of retaliation is the human form that human justice can take and is the first mentioned. However, it gives rise to human needs. [...]
[...] A similar formula is also present in Leviticus However, if this function is far from being perfect since it has already evolved since, it presented the first form of biblical justice. Finally, if human justice is imperfect, it has, for Christians, condemned to death a God. As a result, it is the most unjust of the two. It can be defined as: 'the just perception of what is good or bad and what is legal or not.' On the other hand, divine justice, also mentioned in the Bible, has a completely different dimension. It presents God as the sole judge. [...]
