top of page

​

PUNISHMENT

 

Old Testament punishments from God include divine retribution for individual and collective sins, such as the Great Flood and the destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah. The Mosaic Law prescribed specific punishments like capital punishment for murder and adultery, while national punishments for Israel included famine, exile, and war due to persistent disobedience. Punishments varied in severity, ranging from physical ailments and instant death to the loss of a kingdom or the destruction of cities.  

 

Examples of divine retribution

  • Great Flood: A worldwide flood was sent to destroy humanity because of pervasive wickedness. 

  • Destruction of Sodom and Gomorrah: These cities were destroyed by fire and brimstone due to their extreme wickedness. 

  • Plagues of Egypt: God sent a series of plagues on Egypt to demonstrate his power and free the Israelites from bondage. 

  • Nadab and Abihu: These priests were consumed by fire for offering unauthorized fire to the Lord. 

  • Korah's rebellion: Korah and his followers were swallowed by the earth for rebelling against Moses and Aaron. 

 

Examples of punishment through the Mosaic Law

  • Murder: The death penalty was prescribed for murder (Exodus 21:12). 

  • Adultery: The penalty for adultery was death (Leviticus 20:10). 

  • Working on the Sabbath: Punishments could include death, as stated in Exodus 35:2. 

  • Premarital sex: The punishment for premarital sex was often death for both parties (Deuteronomy 22:13-21). 

 

Examples of national punishment for Israel

  • Exile and captivity: Israel was exiled to Babylon for their persistent idolatry and disobedience. 

  • Siege: Enemies were allowed to besiege Israel. 

  • Famine and poverty: The land was cursed and crops were withheld. 

  • War: War was a frequent punishment for disobedience. 

 

Purposes of punishment

 

Male Sinners in the Bible

 

ADAM - The punishment of God on Adam's sin is spelled out in graphic terms:

 

“Because you have listened to the voice of your wife and have eaten of the tree of which I commanded you, ‘You shall not eat of it,’ cursed is the ground because of you; in pain you shall eat of it all the days of your life; thorns and thistles it shall bring forth for you; and you shall eat the plants of the field. By the sweat of your face you shall eat bread, till you return to the ground, for out of it you were taken; for you are dust, and to dust you shall return.”

 

The two areas where Adam had been so clearly set apart from the animals were both affected in this punishment. The work that Adam had been given to do for God's glory as part of his dominion over creation would now be painful at every turn (Gen. 3:17–19). From this point on Adam was to find it difficult to cultivate the land and to have dominion over the creatures of the earth. This remained his created task, but it was to be a trying and bruising effort that would continue until death, for he would return to the dust from which he had been formed (Gen. 3:19). Adam also experienced judgment in being separated from God, both in being thrown out of the Garden of Eden (Gen. 3:23–24) and in beginning to see the physical manifestation of what was now a spiritual reality - death. Very soon Adam saw his sons begin to fight and he saw Cain kill Abel (Gen. 4:8).

 

AHAB - God punished AHAB through a drought that came upon the land - a direct judgement upon his participation in idolatrous practices. 

 

CAIN - After Killing Able, Cain was then condemned by God to be 'a restless wanderer on the earth'. In order to protect Cain as he wandered the earth, God gave him some sort of mark so that he would not be killed, perhaps by the descendants of Abel. Cain then went to the land of Nod, that is, he 'wandered the land' east of Eden. Cain became the ancestor of peoples who were nomads (Gen. 4:17–22) and he and his descendants did not remain faithful to God. Later generations are asked to remember Cain and learn from his sin and jealousy and lack of faith (Heb. 11:4; 1 John 3:12; Jude 11).

 

DAVID - And the Lord said to David, “Because you have despised me and have killed Uriah the Hittite and taken his wife to be your wife I will raise up evil against you out of your own house. And I will take your wives before your eyes and give them to your neighbor, and he shall lie with your wives in the sight of this sun. For you did it secretly, but I will do this thing before all Israel and before the sun.’ David said, “I have sinned against the Lord.” The Lord put away David’s sin and he will not die. Nevertheless, because by this deed you have utterly scorned the Lord, the child who is born to you shall die.” (2 Samuel 11:1-27)

 

JACOB - Jacob's "punishment" was not from God in the sense of direct retribution, but rather the consequences he faced due to his actions, which included a 20-year exile from his family and brother Esau rath and a similar deception by his uncle Laban, who tricked him into marrying his older daughter, Leah, instead of Rachel. Eventually, they were reconciled when they met again after Jacob's long absence. However, even with his deceit, God did not abandon Jacob and ultimately fulfilled the promise of blessing him ("The older will serve the younger"). (Genesis 25:23)

 

JONAH - The sailors heave Jonah overboard, and God sends a big fish to swallow him. Once Jonah is inside the belly of the whale, he laments his fate. God hears this prayer and tells the fish to spit Jonah onto dry ground. Then, God speaks again, “Go at once to Nineveh, that great city, and proclaim to it what I tell you” (3:1). Now, Jonah follows God’s instruction, prophesying to the Ninevites. Both the human and animal population in that great city repent. Jonah situated himself outside the city walls to see if their fasting and sackcloth worked. While waiting, a strong, hot wind blows, which torments Jonah. The prophet prays for shade, so God provides a large plant to ease Jonah’s burden. But then, the next day, God sends a worm to destroy that plant. Once more, Jonah is desperate, begging for death. Finally, in the last several verses of the story, God speaks directly to Jonah, “You cared about the plant, which you did not work for and which you did not grow, which appeared overnight and perished overnight. And should not I care about Nineveh, that great city, in which there are sinners? (4:10-11).

 

MOSES - But the Lord said to Moses and Aaron, “Because you did not trust in me enough to honor me as holy in the sight of the Israelites, you will not bring this community into the land I give them.” (Numbers 20:11-12)

 

SAMPSON - Samson paid a miserable price for his wrongdoings. The Philis­tines gouged out his eyes and made him grind grain like an ox. For a major assembly at their temple, they brought him out for entertainment. Then Samson prayed, “Please, God, strengthen me just once more.” And God strengthened him to break the pillars of the temple and bring it crashing down on the Philistines. (Judges 16:1-21). 

 

SAUL - The Death of Saul. Now the Philistines were fighting against Israel, and the men of Israel fled before the Philistines and fell slain on Mount Gilboa. And the Philistines overtook Saul and his sons, and the Philistines struck down Jonathan and Abinadab and Malchi-shua, the sons of Saul. The battle pressed hard against Saul, and the archers found him, and he was badly wounded by the archers. Then Saul said to his armor-bearer, “Draw your sword, and thrust me through with it, lest these uncircumcised come and thrust me through, and mistreat me.” But his armor-bearer would not, for he feared greatly. Therefore Saul took his own sword and fell upon it. And when his armor-bearer saw that Saul was dead, he also fell upon his sword and died with him. Thus Saul died, and his three sons, and his armor-bearer, and all his men, on the same day together. And when the men of Israel who were on the other side of the valley and those beyond the Jordan saw that the men of Israel had fled and that Saul and his sons were dead, they abandoned their cities and fled. And the Philistines came and lived in them. (1 Samuel 31: 1-7)

 

SOLOMON - For when Solomon was old his wives turned away his heart after other gods, and his heart was not wholly true to the Lord his God, as was the heart of David his father. The Lord was angry with Solomon, because his heart had turned away from the Lord, the God of Israel, who had appeared to him twice and had commanded him concerning this thing, that he should not go after other gods. But he did not keep what the Lord commanded. Therefore the Lord said to Solomon, “Since this has been your practice and you have not kept my covenant and my statutes that I have commanded you, I will surely tear the kingdom from you and will give it to your servant. Yet for the sake of David your father I will not do it in your days, but I will tear it out of the hand of your son. (1 Kings 11:2-12)

 

UZZAH - As a result of touching the Arch of the Covenant  God 'struck him down and he died' (2 Samuel. 6:7).

 

Women Sinners in the Bible

 

ATHALIAH - She was eventually deposed by her dissatisfied subjects and killed in the royal palace, apparently taken completely by surprise. The revolt was led by Jehoiada the priest and the Temple guards. They promoted the young Joash as king. He had been saved by the quick thinking of King Jehoram's daughter and the sister of Athaliah, who hid him in the Temple of the LORD for six years . In the seventh year Joash was brought out of hiding and proclaimed king before the people. Athaliah was then taken out of the Temple and killed by the command of Jehoiada the priest, to the joy of all the people (1 Kings 11:4–20; 2 Kings 2–3; 2 Chron. 23).

 

EVE- And God said to Eve: “I will surely multiply your pain in childbearing; in pain you shall bring forth children. Your desire shall be contrary to your husband, but he shall rule over you.” 

 

Eve, like Adam, also experienced judgment in being separated from God, both in being thrown out of the Garden of Eden (Genesis. 3:23–24) and in beginning to see the physical manifestation of what was now a spiritual reality - death. Very soon Eve also saw her sons begin to fight and she saw Cain kill Abel (Genesis. 4:8).

 

EDITH - As they fled, Edith turned to look at the burning city of Sodom and was instantly turned into a pillar of salt. Her story is often interpreted as a warning against disobedience and attachment to the sinful world. (Genesis 19:24–25)

 

JEZEBEL - Jezebel's defiance of the LORD led Elijah to prophesy that dogs would devour her body. Although she lived at least ten years after Ahab's death, she died as Elijah predicted when Jehu had her thrown from her window. Dogs devoured her in the street, leaving only her skull, feet, and the palms of her hands. Jezebel's character and actions gain symbolic significance in the NT calling her a false prophetess in the church at Thyatira as 'that woman Jezebel' to indicate that the wrath of God was against her for her false teachings and immorality. (1 Kings 9:21-37) (Rev 2:20)


 

 

bottom of page