Friday, January 27, 2017

The role of humanity in the garden

Regarding ʾbd and šmr, however, the only other place in the Hebrew Bible aside from Gen 2:15 where these verbs appear together is in Num 3:7–8, 8:26, and 18:5–6, where they describe the duty of the Levites in guarding and ministering at the tabernacle. Thus, the use of ʾbd and šmr to describe Adam’s work in the garden of Eden suggests that he functioned not only as an administrator of the kingdom but also, on some level, as a royal priest of Yahweh’s “sanctuary” in Eden.—The "Image of God" in the Garden of Eden, page 141

<idle musing>
I wonder if it is stretching it too much to say that we are Levites, but the priestly office is reserved for Christ? Probably; especially so because in Num 18:5–6, the Levites do the ʾbd while the sons of Aaron do the šmr. Nice thought, too bad the grammar doesn't allow it : )
</idle musing>

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