What Are the Noahide Laws?
Are the Noahide laws an arbitrary list of rules made up by Rabbis, or are they Biblical instructions for the world to follow? In this article, we explore them one by one from the text.
When people first hear about the Noahide laws, they may view them as an arbitrary list of prohibitions made up by Rabbis. In truth, the Noahide laws are not a Rabbinic imposition on the nations.
Though the Rabbis may have named and organized them, they constitute the Bible's moral guidelines for all of humanity. And they are quite logical.
Spiritual Judgment
The Bible tells us that the flood of Genesis 7 was not random; it was a judgment for the sin and transgression committed by Adam's descendants.
To understand what went wrong in early human history, it would be wise to go back through the text to identify the causes so that we don't repeat them. In fact, this is exactly what the Noahide laws are. Consider them the hard-learned lessons from the transgressions that led to the flood.
Why Are They Called the "Noahide Laws"?
After the world was flooded and the ark was settled, G_D made a new covenant with Noah.
"And G_D said to Noah and to his sons with him, I now establish My covenant with you and your offspring to come," - Genesis 9:8-9
As the text implies, Biblical covenants extend the benefits and stipulations to the descendants of the one with whom the covenant was sealed.
All humans are descendants of Noah. It follows that all humanity is under the laws and covenant of Noah, humanity's basic rules of moral conduct.
Sinaitic vs Noahic
The Jewish people are also descendants of Noah, though they have been included in a later covenant that includes extra commandments and prohibitions. The covenant of Sinai is not the same as the Noahide, but there is significant overlap when it comes to the prohibitions.
The Laws of Noah are not simple commandments, but are categories that can contain many sub-commandments.
We will unpack each of the seven Noahide laws one by one from Genesis Chapter 4 through 9.
1. Bloodshed - Genesis 4:8
"Cain said to his brother Hevel … and when they were in the field, Cain set upon his brother Hevel and killed him." - Genesis 4:8
The first sin outside of the Garden is murder. When Cain rose against his brother Hevel, killing him, we learn that bloodshed and murder are prohibited. We continue to see the prohibition of bloodshed in the immediate generations to follow.
2. Courts or Governance (Dinim) - Genesis 4:23-24
"I have slain a rival for wounding me, and a lad for bruising me. If Cain is avenged sevenfold, then Lamech seventy-sevenfold." - Genesis 4:23-24
This is the only Noahide law that is not a prohibition. Instead, it is a critical system of judgment or courts to prevent transgressions.
The Talmud¹ derives courts from the first word of Genesis 2:16 "and He commanded" (vayetzav), when G_D tells mankind which trees they can and cannot eat from.
Another example comes through the behavior of Lamech, a descendant of Cain, who bragged about the disproportionate revenge he enacted upon others.
No longer are we allowed to carry out revenge as we see fit; we must build systems to judge civil and capital matters. The absence of a court system and justice is a violation.
3. Idolatry (Avodah Zarah) - Genesis 4:26
"It was then that the Name of G_D began to be invoked." - Genesis 4:26
In the plain sense, all humans are commanded to avoid idol worship. We see this mentioned in Genesis 4:26, when "...men began to invoke the Name of G_D."
Tradition understands that this is when mankind began calling men and objects by the Name of G_D, making them objects of worship².
Historically, idolatry tends to compound other prohibitions, like sexual immorality, violence, robbery, and blasphemy, making it one of the most damaging.
4. Blasphemy - Genesis 4:26
Idolatry and blasphemy are related. At its core, blasphemy includes cursing the Name of G_D and degrading it.
Where one misappropriates the Name of G_D upon His creation, this also serves to blaspheme His Name.
5. Sexual Immorality - Genesis 6:2; 12
"The divine beings saw how pleasing the human women were and took wives from among those who delighted them...(2)
When G_D saw how corrupt the earth was, for all flesh had corrupted its ways on Earth..." (12)
An early example of sexual immorality occurred when the angels took human women as wives, producing hybrid offspring³.
Eventually, we learn that all flesh had corrupted its ways in verse 6:12. Naturally, this has been one of the primary means by which humans corrupt themselves.
6. Robbery - Genesis 6:11; 13
"The earth became corrupt before G_D; the earth was filled with lawlessness."
In the Garden of Eden, a few sins took place, one of which was taking fruit from the tree that was not permitted.
Later, in Genesis 6:11, we learn that the Earth became filled with violence. The Hebrew word for violence is Hamas (חָמָס), and commentator Rashi connects this with robbery (Gezel).
Violence is the precursor to robbery; stealing one's health, resources, and their right to live in peace.
7. A Limb Torn - Genesis 9:3-4
"Every creature that lives shall be yours to eat; as with the green grasses, I give you all these. You must not, however, eat flesh with its life-blood in it."
- Genesis 9:3-4
In the Garden of Eden, humans ate of the plants. After the flood, meat became permitted with the caveat that it must not be eaten while its blood (soul⁴ (nefesh, the life force) is still in it.
The Talmudic Sages read this as a ban on a limb torn from a living animal (Sanhedrin 59b).
In Jewish law, great care is taken to make sure an animal is kept, slaughtered, and processed properly. Though the Noahide laws are not as strict, they are more involved than they seem on the surface.
The Noahide covenant leaves the governance around this prohibition up to Gentile societies. As there is no universal formal structure in societies, it is not uncommon for someone seeking to live as a Noahide to eat kosher meat to ensure the standards are covered.
Righteous Gentiles
Since ancient times, the Jewish world has believed that the Noahide laws are the guidelines incumbent upon Gentiles.
Maimonides lays many of these laws out in his work, Mishneh Torah. He writes:
"Whoever accepts the seven commandments and is careful to keep them is called one of the “pious of the nations” and has a share in the world to come."
At many times through history, the Jewish people have taught these ideas to others - most notably, we see these referenced in the Book of Acts⁵.
Conclusion
The Noahide covenant is one of the oldest Biblical covenants made with humans, predating the covenant at Sinai.
Ever since the Torah was given at Sinai, discussions, wisdom, and insights were collected into the volume of work known as the Talmud to ensure these laws were upheld in each generation.
Unfortunately, there is no equivalent work in the Gentile world regarding the Noahide laws.
Nevertheless, Jewish tradition generally holds that the Noahide laws will remain the minimum standard until the Messianic kingdom, when the Gentiles will be expected to go beyond them.
Want to Learn More?
James - The Hidden Orchard
James - The Hidden Orchard
Notes:
¹ Sanhedrin 56b
² See Rashi on Genesis 4:26
³ The Rise and Fall of the Nephilim: Exploring the Legends of Fallen Angels and Giants
⁴ Nefesh Soul Series
⁵ The Roots of Gentile Inclusion: Noahide Laws and the Jerusalem Council