Deuteronomy 21:1

_IF ONE BE FOUND SLAIN IN THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE TO POSSESS IT, LYING IN THE FIELD, AND IT BE NOT KNOWN WHO HATH SLAIN HIM:_ If one be found slain ... lying in the field. The ceremonies here ordained to be observed on the discovery of a slaughtered corpse show the ideas of sanctity which the Mosaic law sought to associate with human blood, the horror which murder inspired, as well as the fears that were felt lest God should avenge it on the country at large, and the pollution which the land was supposed to contract from the effusion of innocent, unexpiated blood. According to Jewish writers, the sanhedrim, taking charge of such a case, sent a deputation to examine the neighbourhood, and, they having reported which was the nearest town to the spot where the body was found, an order was issued by their supreme authority to the elders or magistrates of that town to pro...

1._If one be found slain in the land_. This Supplement: is of a mixed character, relating partly to the civil, and partly to the criminal law. We are informed by it how precious to God is the life of man; for, if a murder had been committed by some unknown person, He requires an expiation to be made, whereby the neighboring cities should purge themselves from the pollution of the crime. Whence it appears that the earth is so polluted by human blood, that those who encourage murder by impunity, implicate themselves in the guilt. The question here is as to a secret crime, the guilt of which attaches to the neighboring cities, until, by the institution of a diligent inquiry, they can testify that the author is not discovered; how much less excusable, then, will they be, if they allow a murderer to escape with impunity? The rite prescribed is, that the elders of the nearest city should take...

1-9 If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread and detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often wonderfully brought to light these hidden works of darkness, and the sin of the guilty has often strangely found them out. The dread of murder should be deeply impressed upon every heart, and all should join in detecting and punishing those who are guilty. The elders were to profess that they had not been any way aiding or abetting the sin. The priests were to pray to God for the country and nation, that God would be merciful. We must empty that measure by our prayers, which others are filling by their sins. All would be taught by this solemnity, to use the utmost care and diligence to prevent, discover, and punish murder. We may all learn from hence to take heed of partaking in other men's sin...

CHAPTER XXI _If a man be found slain in a field, and the cause of his death_ _be unknown, the murder shall be expiated by the sacrifice of a_ _heifer in an uncultivated valley_, 1-4. _The rites to be used on the occasion_, 5-9. _The ordinance concerning marriage with a captive_, 10-14. _The law relative to the children of the hated and beloved wives:_ _if the son of the hated wife should be the first-born he shall_ _not be disinherited by the son of the beloved wife, but shall_ _have a double portion of all his father's goods_, 15-18....

EXPOSITION EXPIATION OF UNCERTAIN MURDER. TREATMENT OF A CAPTIVE TAKEN TO WIFE. RIGHTS OF THE FIRSTBORN. A REBELLIOUS, REFRACTORY SON TO BE JUDGED AND PUNISHED. A MALEFACTOR WHO HAS BEEN HANGED TO BE BURIED ERE NIGHTFALL. One general idea, viz. the sacredness of human life and of personal rights, connects the laws in this chapter together, as well as connects them with the laws in the two preceding chapters....

IF ONE BE FOUND SLAIN,.... After public war with an enemy, Moses proceeds to speak of a private quarrel and fight of one man with another, in which one is slain, as Aben Ezra observes: IN THE LAND WHICH THE LORD THY GOD GIVETH THEE TO POSSESS IT; where murders might be committed more secretly, and remain undiscovered, when they came to live in separate cities, towns, and villages, with fields adjacent to them, than now encamped together: LYING IN THE FIELD; where the quarrel begun, and where the fight was fought: or, however, where the murderer met with his enemy, and slew him, and left him; it being common for duels to be fought, and murders committed in a field; the first murder in the world was committed in such a place, Genesis 4:8. The Targum of Jonathan is, "not hidden under an heap, not hanging on a tree, nor swimming on the face of the

17. THE EXPIATION OF AN UNCERTAIN MURDER AND VARIOUS INSTRUCTIONS CHAPTER 21 _ 1. The expiation of an unknown murder (Deuteronomy 21:1)_ 2. Concerning a wife, who had been a prisoner of war (Deuteronomy 21:10) 3. The right of the firstborn (Deuteronomy 21:15) 4. The punishment of a rebellious son (Deuteronomy 21:18) 5. The burial of one who hanged on a tree (Deuteronomy 21:22) The expiation of an unknown murder seems to find an interesting applicati

See W. R. Smith, _Kinship_ 1 p. 263 (= 64f. in _Kinship_ 2) for a similar law among the ancient Arabs. The ground of this law may be the belief that, until avenged or atoned for, a murdered man's blood defiles a land and its people. Note the idea that the community (here the nearest town) is responsible for the act of an individual. The conception of individual responsibility becomes specially prominent in Jeremiah 31:29; Ezekiel 14:12 ff., Ezekiel 18:2 f. The solidarity of the family, tribe, and nation had been emphasized in early writings, the whole suffering for the sins of each one; see Deuteronomy 13:7;...

THE LORD. Hebrew. _Jehovah._ App-4. GOD. Hebrew. _Elohim._ App-4. LYING. fallen down....

_If one be found_ So Deuteronomy 17:2; Deuteronomy 24:7, also Sg. passages. _which the Lord thy God_ IS TO GIVE _thee_ see on Deuteronomy 19:14. _lying_ Heb. _falling_but with perfect sense, _fallen_, cp. Numbers 24:4; Judges 3:25; Judges 5:27. _in the field sadeh_, as in Deuteronomy 22:25;...