Greg on Nostr: This is my interpretation of what they might say, which is that the Biblical view of ...

This is my interpretation of what they might say, which is that the Biblical view of man is not individualistic, but family and relationship oriented. The American idea of individualism comes from the Enlightenment, not the Bible. We are born into a family, and our identity comes from there. Families make up tribes and communities, and communities make up nations. God started with the family of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob, and his sons. From these sons come the 12 tribes that form the structure of the nation of Israel.

It is true that individual Israelites were not regulated by the national government, but they were regulated by the family. The head of the family ruled the family. When there are disputes between families, those are arbitrated by village, town, or tribal elders. Only the cases that couldn't be resolved at lower levels went to Moses, Joshua, the judges, or the kings.