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Violation of Divine Law in the Jewish Tradition: A Comparative Study of the Old Testament and Qur’anic Accounts of Sabbath-Breaking and Jewish Interpretive Responses
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Elahe Hadian Rasnani   |
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Abstract: (14 Views) |
| This study demonstrates that the Hebrew Bible’s accounts of Sabbath violation (Shabbat desecration) and subsequent Jewish interpretive responses serve less as direct reflections of historical covenantal breaches and more as identity-shaping and justificatory narratives aimed at reconstructing religious memory and masking collective failures. In contrast, the Qur’an reinterprets the same events with an emphasis on historical reality and within the framework of divine laws and patterns (sunan ilāhiyya). Employing a comparative and critical approach, the study first examines the biblical narratives of Sabbath-breaking—such as the story of the wood-gatherer (Numbers 15), commercial activity in Jerusalem (Nehemiah 13), and the prophetic warnings of Ezekiel and Jeremiah. It then analyzes Jewish interpretive reactions from the Talmud and Midrash through medieval exegesis and modern Jewish theology. The findings reveal that the Jewish tradition, through its legal codifications and moral, mystical, and philosophical interpretations, has tended toward the restoration and reconstruction of collective memory. The Qur’an, however, presents the events candidly, emphasizing the factual occurrence of transgression and its divine consequences, portraying the Israelites’ Sabbath-breaking as a symbol of covenantal rebellion, a divine test, and a criterion distinguishing the faithful from the transgressors. |
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| Keywords: Shabbat, Sabbath, Violation of Divine Law, Hebrew Bible, Qur’an, Jewish Exegesis, Exegetical Criticism. |
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Full-Text [PDF 464 kb]
(8 Downloads)
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Type of Study: Research |
Subject:
Special
Received: 2025/11/15 | Accepted: 2025/11/15 | Published: 2025/11/15
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