Texts in Conversation
In Deuteronomy 32, God says that there is no other god beside him. Rabbinic tradition in the Sifre draws on this to answer anyone who claims there are two powers in heaven, pointing to the same words as proof that God is one.
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2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Deuteronomy 32:39
Hebrew Bible
38 who ate the best of their sacrifices, and drank the wine of their drink offerings? Let them rise and help you; let them be your refuge! 39 “See now that I, indeed I, am he!” says the Lord, “and there is no other god besides me. I kill and give life, I smash and I heal, and none can resist my power. 40 For I raise up my hand to heaven, and say, ‘As surely as I live forever,
Sifre Deuteronomy 329
Halakhic Midrash
Rabbinic
"See, now, that I, I am He!": If one says there are two Authorities in heaven, he is rebutted — "and there is no god with Me!" — But perhaps He cannot bring to life or put to death or bring harm or benefit; it is, therefore, written "I put to death and I bring to life; I wound and I heal, etc." And it is written (Isaiah 44:6) "Thus has said the L-rd, King of Israel, and its Redeemer, the L-rd of hosts: I am the first and I am the last, and besides Me there is no G-d."
Date: 200 C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
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Notes and References
"... This anonymous passage in Sifre cannot be shown to be aimed merely at one heretical group. It is a cleverly designed anthology of arguments against various views which the rabbis opposed. Something about the character of the heretical doctrines can be learned, but the final identities of any groups espousing the doctrines is elusive. The best we can do is note the form of the argument. First, those who deny the existence of God are refuted by reference to Deuteronomy 32:39a. This is obviously an important scriptural weapon because immediately thereafter those who believe in "two powers" in heaven are refuted with the continuation of the same verse. Finally, those who believe in God but deny His ability to kill or bring to life are refuted by reference to Isaiah 44:6. ..."
Segal, Alan F.
Two Powers in Heaven: Early Rabbinic Reports About Christianity and Gnosticism
(pp. 84-85) Brill, 1977
* The use of references are not endorsements of their contents. Please read the entirety of the provided reference(s) to understand the author's full intentions regarding the use of these texts.
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