NOTAS 89 Ἔνοχος (Mt 5, 21-22) AND THE JURISPRUDENCE OF HEAVEN J. DUNCAN M. DERRETT Besides the normal meaning, ἔνοχος has special dimension in the Sermon on the Mount. Unaware of this commentators missed a great opportunity. 1. Preamble The modern story of ἔνοχος, at Mt 5,21-22 is astounding, with widespreading implications. Its ambiguities have been costly and embarrassing. The present writer is himself a delinquent: he too has betrayed the (so-called) Antitheses1. Ἔνοχος is thoroughly documented: it means “liable” both in criminal and civil cases. Its normal use figures at Mk 14,64, while the use at Mk 3,29 is (in our present sense) ambiguous. The word naturally has metaphorical uses also. Ἔνοχος is the equivalent of the Hebrew hͺayyāv, “liable”2. But there is an important speciality here. Ἔνοχος suggests human jurisdictions, remedies, legislation. ayyāv has another dimensión also: it refers to the Jurisprudence of Heaven. We note the dictum of Issi son of (?) Ἁqîba (c. 150 AD), “Before the giving of the Torah we had been warned (Gen 9,6?) against shedding blood. After the giving of the Torah (Ex 21,12-14, etc.) whereby laws were made more strict, shall they be considered lighter?”3 “In truth,” they (the Sages) said, “He (a certain slayer) is free from judgement by a human court, but his judgement is surrendered to Heaven (pāūr mēdînê ᾽ādām wedînô māsûr lešāmāyim)”4. Heaven has various penalties at its disposal, J.D.M. Derrett, The Sermon on the Mount. A Manual for Living (Northhampton 1 1994). G. Dalman, Jesus-Jeschua (Leipzig 1922) 66-7 suggests mithͺayyāv unnecessarily. 2 Hermann Strack and G. Stemberger, Einleitung in Talmud und Midrasch (Munich 3 1982) 84. 7 Mekilta de R. Ishmael, trans. J. Z. Lauterbach (Philadelphia 1976), Nezikin IV, 4 lines 64-7, vol. 3, 37. J. Winter and A. Wünsche, trans. Mechilta (Leipzig 1909) 257 & n.6. Christianus Schoettgenius, Horae Hebraicae et Talmudicae (Dresden & Leipzig 1755) 34. H. Strack & P. Billerbeck (hereafter “SB”), Kommentar zum Neuen Testament aus Talmud und Midrasch (Munich 1922, 1961) I, 274, n.1. Sifre on Numbers 35, 20 (§ 160) at SB I, 274 is similarly phrased. Filología Neotestamentaria - Vol. XIX - 2006, pp. 89-97 Facultad de Filosofía y Letras - Universidad de Córdoba (España)