Is there a biblical reference to a pound of flesh?

Answer 1

Yes, there is a biblical reference to a pound of flesh in William Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice," where the character Shylock demands a pound of Antonio's flesh as collateral for a loan. This story is often associated with the biblical idea of justice and mercy, as Shylock seeks to exact his pound of flesh as a form of revenge. The concept of a pound of flesh is not directly mentioned in The Bible itself, but it has become a well-known phrase due to its use in this play.

Answer 2

In the play The Merchant of Venice, Antonio, the merchant of the title, borrows money to help his impecunious friend Bassanio go to Belmont and woo a wealthy woman, Portia. He borrows this money from Shylock, a Jewish moneylender. Antonio and his friends are anti-Semitic racists and have been treating Shylock and (presumably) the other Jews badly. Nevertheless, Shylock agrees to lend the money, and does not even ask for interest, but says that as a kind of joke, the contract will state that if Antonio does not pay within the time stated, Shylock can take a pound of flesh from whatever part of Antonio's body he wants. Antonio thinks it's practically impossible that he will be unable to pay so he signs the contract.

Unfortunately for Antonio he has a string of bad business losses and is unable to pay on the due date. Shylock decides that this is his chance to get back at Antonio for all the wrongs that have been done to him by all the Christians. He goes to court to enforce the bond.

In court, Shylock is offered many times the amount of the loan (Bassanio has married Portia and they have money now) but he refuses. (This shows that Shylock is not greedy, as some people say, but rather vengeful) Fortunately for Antonio and unfortunately for Shylock, Portia disguises herself as a lawyer, finds a loophole in the contract and defeats Shylock's suit. She turns the tables on him, so that Shylock is deprived of his wealth and ability to make a living and his right to practise his religion.

"A pound of flesh" therefore means a particularly heavy or onerous clause in a contract.

Answer 3

The reference to a "pound of flesh" comes from Shakespeare, where Shylock, the Jewish moneylender, asked for a pound of flesh as a surety for repayment. There is no biblical reference to a pound of flesh.

Answer 4

The phrase "pound of flesh" appears in the Bible in 1 Corinthians 6:7, where Paul writes, "Why not rather be wronged? Why not rather be cheated?" Paul is trying to combat the idea of demanding one's "pound of flesh" and instead argues that love "keeps no record of wrongs". He also says that it's better to be cheated than to be unloving, and that Jesus Christ's death on the cross is an example of this type of love.

Answer 5

See Shakespeare's play "The Merchant of Venice."