Texts in Conversation
Hammurabi’s prologue defines the ideal shepherd-king who cares for his people’s well-being. Ezekiel indicts Israel’s leaders for failing this same standard, feeding themselves while neglecting the weak.
Share:
2500 BCE
1000+ CE
Code of Hammurabi
Babylonian Legal Text
Ancient Near East
When Anu the Sublime, King of the Anunaki, and Bel, the lord of Heaven and earth, who decreed the fate of the land, assigned to Marduk, the over-ruling son of Ea, God of righteousness, dominion over earthly man, and made him great among the Igigi. They called Babylon by his illustrious name, made it great on earth, and founded an everlasting kingdom in it, whose foundations are laid as solidly as those of heaven and earth. Then Anu and Bel called by name me, Hammurabi, the exalted prince, who feared God, to bring about the rule of righteousness in the land and destroy the wicked and the evil-doers. So that the strong should not harm the weak, so that I should rule over the black-headed people like Shamash and enlighten the land, to further the well-being of mankind. Hammurabi, the prince, called of Bel am I, making riches and increase, enriching Nippur and Dur-ilu beyond compare, sublime patron of E-kur, who reestablished Eridu and purified the worship of E-apsu. Who conquered the four quarters of the world, made great the name of Babylon, rejoiced the heart of Marduk, his lord who daily pays devotions in Saggil, the royal scion whom Sin made.
Date: 1750 B.C.E. (based on scholarly estimates)
Ezekiel 34:2
Hebrew Bible
1 The Lord’s message came to me: 2 “Son of man, prophesy against the shepherds of Israel; prophesy, and say to them—to the shepherds: ‘This is what the Sovereign Lord says: Woe to the shepherds of Israel who have been feeding themselves! Should not shepherds feed the flock? 3 You eat the fat, you clothe yourselves with the wool, you slaughter the choice animals, but you do not feed the sheep! 4 You have not strengthened the weak, healed the sick, bandaged the injured, brought back the strays, or sought the lost, but with force and harshness you have ruled over them. 5 They were scattered because they had no shepherd, and they became food for every wild beast. 6 My sheep wandered over all the mountains and on every high hill. My sheep were scattered over the entire face of the earth with no one looking or searching for them.
Search:
Notes and References
“... In the ancient Near Eastern development of the metaphor of shepherd kings, a primary responsibility was to care for the human flock. The range of nurturing activities is reflected in the autobiographical introduction to the law code of the Babylonian king Hammurabi (18th century BCE). When the gods Anum and Enlil established kingship in Babylon, they appointed Hammurabi to “make justice prevail in the land, to abolish the wicked and the evil, to prevent the strong from oppressing the weak, to rise like the sun-god Shamash over all humankind, to illuminate the land.” When Hammurabi invokes the epithet of shepherd, it is closely associated with the well-being of his people: “I am Hammurabi, the shepherd, selected by the god Enlil, he who heaps high abundance and plenty, who perfects every possible thing for the city Nippur. . . .” ...”
Odell, Margaret S.
The Smyth & Helwys Bible Commentary: Ezekiel
(pp. 426-427) Smyth & Helwys Publishing, 2017
* 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.
Your Feedback:
Leave a Comment
Anonymous comments are welcome. All comments are subject to moderation.