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The bitter truth behind “the Laws of Noah” (also known as Jewish led “Noahide” Movement)
Jewish lore claims gentiles are not meant to accept Torah, as God doesn't expects them to follow Moses ten
Laws (or “commandments”) but rather Noah seven Laws. And what is the difference between these two sets
of Law? In a nutshell, they are basically the same; but Noah's Law doesn't require gentiles to honor their
parents, to keep the Shabbat, or to abstain from using God's name in vain.
Strangely, the term “Seven laws of Noah” is nowhere to be found in the Torah (the Hebrew Bible); nor does
the Torah mentions anybody ever becoming a “Benei Noah” (a spiritual son of Noah). So, the claim that God
doesn't want the nations of the world to embrace the ten commandments, doesn't seem to have a strong
biblical support. In fact, Scripture intimates that the opposite is true: that God wants both Jews and gentiles
to follow one single Law [Moses Ten commandments].
As it has been written: “YOU AND THE ALIEN WILL BE ALIKE BEFORE THE LORD. THE SAME
LAW AND THE SAME ORDINANCE WILL APPLY TO BOTH YOU AND THE ALIEN who resides with
you... YOU ARE TO HAVE THE SAME LAW FOR THE PERSON WHO ACTS IN ERROR (SINNING),
WHETHER HE IS AN ISRAELITE OR AN ALIEN who resides among you”- Numbers 15:15,16,&29
(Christian Standard Bible).
And Jewish lore also seems to intimate the same, as one Midrash (Sifre Deuteronomy §343, & Pesikta
Rabbati 21) teaches that, before offering them unto the nation of Israel, the Lord went forth and offered it's
ten Laws unto each and every nation of the World [beginning with Edom, Moab, Ammon, and Ishmael]. And,
only after they had all refused to accept them, did the Lord make thee offer unto Israel.
And whence do we know it is false that the so called “children of Noah” were not expected to honor their
parents [just as ordained by Moses Ten Laws]? We know it from the fact that Noah got drunk and ended up
naked. And, the one son who refused to honor his father (Ham) fell under a curse; while them that honored
him (Sem and Japhet) became blessed.
As it is written: «Noah, as a man of the soil, began by planting a vineyard. HE DRANK SOME OF THE
WINE, BECAME DRUNK, AND UNCOVERED HIMSELF inside his tent. HAM, THE FATHER OF
CANAAN, SAW HIS FATHER NAKED AND [without doing anything for his father] TOLD HIS TWO
BROTHERS outside. THEN SHEM AND JAPHETH TOOK A CLOAK AND placed it over both their
shoulders, and walking backward, THEY COVERED THEIR FATHER’S NAKEDNESS. Their faces were
turned away, and they did not see their father naked. WHEN NOAH AWOKE from his drinking and learned
what his youngest son had done to him, HE SAID- CANAAN IS CURSED. He will be the lowest of slaves
to his brothers. HE ALSO SAID: Blessed be the Lord, the God of Shem; Let CANAAN BE SHEM’S
SLAVE. LET GOD EXTEND JAPHETH; LET JAPHETH DWELL IN THE TENTS OF SHEM; LET
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CANAAN BE SHEM’S SLAVE”- Genesis 9:20-27 (Christian Standard Bible).
But if the former is actually true, where did the concept of “Noahide Laws” come from? Is it all a falsehood?
Not at all! In fact, the concept seems to have originated from a wise and sincere desire to bring peace
between Jews and gentiles. And it most likely originated during the reign of King Solomon (a king whose
name is associated with the Hebrew word “shalom”, meaning “peace”).
The fact is that Solomon married hundreds of gentile wives (“King Solomon loved many foreign women, in
addition to Pharaoh’s daughter: Moabite, Ammonite, Edomite, Sidonian, and Hittite women...”- 1 Kings 11:1
(Christian Standard Bible). But, most of these wives were daughters of pagan kings ruling over neighboring
nations. Why would Solomon do such thing? Because he knew quite well that no father would rush into war
against his daughters husband; no king would like to make a widow out of his own daughter, nor turn
orphans their own grandchildren.
The idea was brilliant... But there was a problem! Moses law forbade Jewish men from marrying pagan
women (“and when the Lord your God delivers them over to you and you defeat them, you must completely
destroy them. Make no treaty with them and show them no mercy. YOU MUST NOT INTERMARRY WITH
THEM, AND YOU MUST NOT GIVE YOUR DAUGHTERS TO THEIR SONS OR TAKE THEIR
DAUGHTERS FOR YOUR SONS, BECAUSE THEY WILL TURN YOUR SONS AWAY FROM ME TO
WORSHIP OTHER GODS”- Deut. 7:2-4).
In fact, Ammonite and Moabite women were not even supposed to enter into the congregation (“No
Ammonite or Moabite may ever be admitted into the community of the Lord...”- Deut. 23:4 (Saint Joseph
new Catholic edition Bible). But, by the time of king Solomon's rule, the priestly power was already inferior
to the Royal power.
In other words, no priest would ever dare opposing royalty; and no priest would dare confronting these pagan
queens, giving them the option of either conversion, or expulsion. Thus, in order to avoid political strife, the
religious leadership of the epoch began to teach the idea that pagan people need not to follow Torah, in order
to please the Creator- they only needed to follow Noah's seven general laws.
Unfortunately, although Solomon's scheme was brilliant, and the intentions of the religious leaders were
equally good and honorable, none of them could prevent the Word of God from being fulfilled- So in the end
Solomon's wives turned his heart away from God: “WHEN SOLOMON WAS OLD, HIS WIVES TURNED
HIS HEART AWAY TO FOLLOW OTHER GODS... SOLOMON FOLLOWED ASHTORETH, THE
GODDESS OF THE SIDONIANS, AND MILCOM, THE ABHORRENT IDOL OF THE AMMONITES...
At that time, SOLOMON BUILT A HIGH PLACE FOR CHEMOSH, THE ABHORRENT IDOL OF
MOAB, AND FOR MILCOM, THE ABHORRENT IDOL OF THE AMMONITES... HE DID THE SAME
FOR ALL HIS FOREIGN WIVES, WHO WERE BURNING INCENSE AND OFFERING SACRIFICES
TO THEIR GODS”- 1 Kings 11:4-8 (C.S.B.).
In short, the Noahide Law is a great example of the kind of truth each Hebrew believer must keep in mind- to
never try using human sagacity in order to twist God's word- even if the aim is a seemingly good purpose!
Why? Because, in the short term, it will seem to work; but, in the end, it will spell disaster. King Solomon
tried it, and got forty years of peace (1 Kings 4:24-25, 1 Kings 11:42); But, in the end, it caused the split of
the Hebrew Nation, as well as countless wars between the Southern and Northern kingdoms.
As is written: «Then the Lord said to Solomon, “Since you have done this, and did not keep my covenant and
my statutes, which I commanded you, I will tear the kingdom away from you, and give it to your servant”...
[and] There was war between Rehoboam (Judah's King) and Jeroboam (Israel's King) throughout their
reigns»- 1 Kings 11:11, & 1 Kings 14:30).
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