Ethical assessment

Ethical assessment: YHWH/Jehovah as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible (Hebrew Bible corpus)

Subject: YHWH/Jehovah as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible

View the YHWH/Jehovah as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible ethical assessment profile

Ethical assessment categories

Ethical score profile

This assessment does not reduce the subject to one moral ranking. Each dimension is scored separately from −100 to +100 and must be read with its evidence and uncertainty.

Scorecard status: Recalculated under multidimensional system

Personal moral conduct
+20.0
Plausible range: +5.0 to +35.0
Rights and dignity
-25.4
Plausible range: -40.4 to -10.4
Nonviolence and harm
-25.0
Plausible range: -40.0 to -10.0
Stewardship of power
+25.0
Plausible range: +10.0 to +40.0
Wisdom and truthfulness
+12.8
Plausible range: -2.2 to +27.8
Consequential legacy
-70.1
Plausible range: -85.1 to -55.1
Severe-harm record
No separate finding recorded
Evidence confidence
C — moderate

Scope of assessment

Scriptural-portrayal assessment. This assessment evaluates YHWH/Jehovah only as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible. It does not claim that God exists or does not exist, and it does not score later Jewish or Christian communities. The corpus attributes mercy, liberation, law, care for vulnerable people and moral accountability to YHWH, while also attributing collective punishment, severe penal rules, divinely commanded warfare and destruction.

The score evaluates documented public conduct during the stated period. It does not measure inherent human worth, does not constitute a legal verdict and remains open to correction when stronger evidence becomes available.

Reasoned conclusion

The textual portrayal is morally bipolar: strong commitments to justice, mercy and protection coexist with commands and punishments that conflict sharply with modern standards of individual rights, proportionality and protection of civilians.

This assessment presents six separate ethical dimensions rather than one overall moral score. Each result must be read with its evidence, plausible range, confidence, disputes, exclusions, severe-harm findings and sources.

Ethical-domain scores

Domain Score Intensity Confidence
Consequences -75.0 75.0 C — moderate
Rights and duties -60.0 60.0 C — moderate
Virtue and character -25.0 25.0 C — moderate
Intentions +20.0 20.0 C — moderate
Care +25.0 25.0 C — moderate
Justice +10.0 10.0 C — moderate
Wisdom and judgment +5.0 5.0 C — moderate
Baseline ethics -65.0 65.0 C — moderate

Bipolar ethical variables

Positive pole Negative pole Score Intensity Confidence Reasoning
Human dignity Dehumanisation -65.0 65.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Human dignity and Dehumanisation.
Care Neglect +25.0 25.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Care and Neglect.
Benefit Harm -75.0 75.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Benefit and Harm.
Benevolent intention Malicious intention +20.0 20.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Benevolent intention and Malicious intention.
Justice Injustice +10.0 10.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Justice and Injustice.
Respect for rights Violation of rights -60.0 60.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Respect for rights and Violation of rights.
Courage Cowardice -25.0 25.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Courage and Cowardice.
Wisdom Ignorance +5.0 5.0 C — moderate Calculated from 1 reviewed evidence item(s) concerning Wisdom and Ignorance.

Principal positive evidence

The Hebrew Bible portrays YHWH as liberating an oppressed people, demanding honest courts, protecting strangers, widows and the poor, praising mercy and covenant fidelity, and imposing limits such as Sabbath and land rest.

Principal negative evidence

The same corpus attributes collective punishment, the flood and plagues, commands to destroy populations, regulation rather than abolition of slavery and patriarchy, disproportionate penalties, unlimited authority and punishment of dissent.

Evidence considered

DUN-C1

benefit-harm: The portrayal includes liberation from oppression and protection of a covenant community, but also the flood, plagues, collective punishments and commands to destroy populations.

benefit-harm: The portrayal includes liberation from oppression and protection of a covenant community, but also the flood, plagues, collective punishments and commands to destroy populations.

Ethical axis
Benefit ↔ Harm
Ethical direction
Negative pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-R1

rights-respect-rights-violation: Laws protect strangers, widows and the poor, yet slavery, patriarchal authority and unequal status are also regulated rather than abolished.

rights-respect-rights-violation: Laws protect strangers, widows and the poor, yet slavery, patriarchal authority and unequal status are also regulated rather than abolished.

Ethical axis
Respect for rights ↔ Violation of rights
Ethical direction
Negative pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-V1

courage-cowardice: The corpus repeatedly demands honest courts and concern for the vulnerable, while some punishments and inherited or collective liabilities are disproportionate by modern standards.

courage-cowardice: The corpus repeatedly demands honest courts and concern for the vulnerable, while some punishments and inherited or collective liabilities are disproportionate by modern standards.

Ethical axis
Courage ↔ Cowardice
Ethical direction
Negative pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-I1

benevolent-intent-malicious-intent: Truthfulness and covenant fidelity are praised, but divine testing, hardening of hearts and strategically deceptive episodes complicate the portrayal.

benevolent-intent-malicious-intent: Truthfulness and covenant fidelity are praised, but divine testing, hardening of hearts and strategically deceptive episodes complicate the portrayal.

Ethical axis
Benevolent intention ↔ Malicious intention
Ethical direction
Positive pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-CA1

care-neglect: YHWH is described as merciful and compassionate and commands care for neighbours and strangers, alongside episodes of severe wrath.

care-neglect: YHWH is described as merciful and compassionate and commands care for neighbours and strangers, alongside episodes of severe wrath.

Ethical axis
Care ↔ Neglect
Ethical direction
Positive pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-J1

justice-injustice: The wisdom tradition contains sustained reflection on justice, humility and human limitation, but some commands are insulated from moral challenge by absolute authority.

justice-injustice: The wisdom tradition contains sustained reflection on justice, humility and human limitation, but some commands are insulated from moral challenge by absolute authority.

Ethical axis
Justice ↔ Injustice
Ethical direction
Positive pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-W1

wisdom-ignorance: Sabbath, land-rest and limits on exploitation provide positive stewardship themes, though nature and animals are generally subordinated to human and divine purposes.

wisdom-ignorance: Sabbath, land-rest and limits on exploitation provide positive stewardship themes, though nature and animals are generally subordinated to human and divine purposes.

Ethical axis
Wisdom ↔ Ignorance
Ethical direction
Positive pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

DUN-B1

human-dignity-dehumanisation: The portrayed authority is unlimited and not institutionally accountable; dissent can be punished even where the moral proportionality is contested.

human-dignity-dehumanisation: The portrayed authority is unlimited and not institutionally accountable; dissent can be punished even where the moral proportionality is contested.

Ethical axis
Human dignity ↔ Dehumanisation
Ethical direction
Negative pole
Evidence status
Verified
Period
Hebrew Bible corpus
Affected scope
Switzerland and the international humanitarian movement

Disputed claims

This assessment evaluates YHWH/Jehovah only as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible. It does not claim that God exists or does not exist, and it does not score later Jewish or Christian communities. The corpus attributes mercy, liberation, law, care for vulnerable people and moral accountability to YHWH, while also attributing collective punishment, severe penal rules, divinely commanded warfare and destruction.

Excluded claims

This assessment evaluates YHWH/Jehovah only as portrayed in the Hebrew Bible. It does not claim that God exists or does not exist, and it does not score later Jewish or Christian communities. The corpus attributes mercy, liberation, law, care for vulnerable people and moral accountability to YHWH, while also attributing collective punishment, severe penal rules, divinely commanded warfare and destruction.

Sources

  1. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-B1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  2. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-B1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  3. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-B1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  4. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-B1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  5. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-C1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  6. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-C1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  7. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-C1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  8. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-C1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  9. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-CA1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  10. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-CA1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  11. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-CA1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  12. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-CA1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  13. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-I1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  14. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-I1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  15. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-I1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  16. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-I1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  17. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-J1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  18. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-J1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  19. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-J1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  20. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-J1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  21. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-R1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  22. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-R1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  23. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-R1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  24. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-R1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  25. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-V1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  26. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-V1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  27. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-V1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  28. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-V1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  29. 1 Samuel 15:1–3 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-W1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  30. Deuteronomy 20:10–18 — Sefaria (1901) Evidence item DUN-W1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  31. Exodus 34:6–7 — Sefaria (2026) Evidence item DUN-W1; Supports the evidence item. View source
  32. Leviticus 19:9–18 — Sefaria (2010) Evidence item DUN-W1; Supports the evidence item. View source

Correction history

No corrections have been recorded.

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