CRITICAL NOTES.— Exodus 21:1. Judgments.] Here begins the second part of “The Book of the Covenant” (ch. Exodus 24:7), the entire contents of which seem to range themselves thus:— 1. Safeguards of worship (ch. Exodus 20:22); 2. Safeguards of justice and mercy (ch. Exodus 21:1 to Exodus 23:19); 3.... [ Continue Reading ]
CRITICAL NOTES.— Exodus 21:7. Not as the men-servants] From Deuteronomy 15:17, ‘Kalisch infers that in this place foreign female servants are intended, whereas in that place Hebrew domestics are meant, by which supposition the seeming contradiction is removed. _MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— E... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 21:12_ CASES OF HOMICIDE A rude state of society requires rough measures for the repression of crime and for the preservation of social order; and in considering the stern severity of the Mosaic code, we must try to project ourselves into that aboriginal s... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 21:11_ GOD’S DISAPPROBATION OF BRUTE FORCE.—_Exodus 21:22_ I. One of the great underlying principles and fundamental axioms of the Mosaic legislation was the sanctity of human life. Hence the number of hedges and guards by which it was surrounded. 1. Lif... [ Continue Reading ]
_MAIN HOMILETICS OF THE PARAGRAPH.— Exodus 21:28_ GOD’S REGARD FOR THE SAFETY OF MAN AND BEAST.—_Exodus 21:28_ This is an extension of the principle maintained in the preceding section,—the sanctity of human life. So sacred is it, that it is not merely to be protected from injury or murder, but fr... [ Continue Reading ]