David Daube (1909-1999), a world renowned biblical law scholar, was known for his important research on Roman law, biblical law, Hebraic Law, and medical ethics.

In The Deed and the Doer in the Bible, the first published collection of his 1962 Gifford Lectures, Daube analyzes and questions deeds of all sorts in the Bible:

What causes people to act in a certain way, what is the role of intent, and does acting under the grip of a passion make a difference in judging their deed?

Why are unintended deeds sometimes punishable?

How do they work out the ultimate origin of any deed?

Daube specifically questions those deeds of God:

Why, when he wishes someone to commit evil, the person does so, but when God wants someone to do the right thing, the desired result often does not come about?

In addition to these questions, The Deed and the Doer in the Bible examines topics such as free will, discusses subjective and objective criteria that constitute negligent actions, assesses attitudes to criminal acts that do not get beyond the stage of attempt, and notes how the Bible views certain offenses as special to women.