Unsolved Murder
Study note
When a dead body was found in a field and no one knew who killed the person, the elders of the nearest city had to perform a special ceremony. They would sacrifice a young cow in an uncultivated valley and wash their hands over it, declaring their innocence. This ceremony removed the guilt of bloodshed from the community.
1 "A dead body is found in a field. It is in the land the Lord your God gives you. No one knows who killed that person. 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:
2 your elders and judges must go out and measure the distance from the body to each of the surrounding towns. Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
3 The leaders of the closest town must pick out a young cow. It must be one that has never been used for work or worn a yoke. And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
4 They must take the cow down to a valley with a running stream -- a valley that has never been farmed or planted. There they must break the cow's neck. And the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a rough valley, which is neither eared nor sown, and shall strike off the heifer's neck there in the valley:
5 The Levitical priests will then step forward, since the Lord your God chose them to serve him and to give blessings in his name. They are the ones who settle all legal and injury cases. And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them the LORD thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of the LORD; and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried:
6 All the elders from the closest town must then wash their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the valley. And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
7 They must announce publicly: 'We did not kill this person, and we did not see it happen. And they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it.
8 Lord, please forgive your people Israel, the ones you rescued. Do not hold this innocent person's blood against us.' Then the guilt of the death will be forgiven. Be merciful, O LORD, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israel's charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
9 This is how you clear yourselves of guilt when innocent blood is shed, by doing what the Lord considers right. So shalt thou put away the guilt of innocent blood from among you, when thou shalt do that which is right in the sight of the LORD.
Marrying a Captive Woman
Study note
If a soldier wanted to marry a woman captured in war, he had to bring her home, let her mourn her parents for a full month, and then marry her properly. If he later did not want her, he had to let her go free. He could not sell her or treat her as a slave.
10 "When you go to battle and the Lord your God gives you victory, and you take prisoners, When thou goest forth to war against thine enemies, and the LORD thy God hath delivered them into thine hands, and thou hast taken them captive,
11 if you notice a beautiful woman among the captives and want to marry her, And seest among the captives a beautiful woman, and hast a desire unto her, that thou wouldest have her to thy wife;
12 bring her home. She must shave her head and cut her nails. Then thou shalt bring her home to thine house; and she shall shave her head, and pare her nails;
13 She must change out of the clothes she was captured in and stay in your home. She needs a full month to mourn her parents. After that, you may marry her. And she shall put the raiment of her captivity from off her, and shall remain in thine house, and bewail her father and her mother a full month: and after that thou shalt go in unto her, and be her husband, and she shall be thy wife.
14 But if later you change your mind about her, you must let her go wherever she wants. You cannot sell her or treat her like property, since you have already taken her as your wife. And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
Rights of the Firstborn
Study note
If a man had two wives and the firstborn son belonged to the less-favored wife, he could not give the inheritance rights to the son of his favorite wife. The firstborn son had the right to a double share of the father's property regardless of which wife he preferred.
15 "Say a man has two wives -- one he loves and one he doesn't. Both wives have given him sons. But his firstborn belongs to the wife he doesn't love. If a man have two wives, one beloved, and another hated, and they have born him children, both the beloved and the hated; and if the firstborn son be hers that was hated:
16 When it is time to divide his property among his sons, he must not give the firstborn's share to the son of the wife he loves. The real firstborn must get it. Then it shall be, when he maketh his sons to inherit that which he hath, that he may not make the son of the beloved firstborn before the son of the hated, which is indeed the firstborn:
17 He must treat the firstborn son of the unloved wife as the rightful heir and give him a double portion of everything he owns. That son was born first and has the right to the firstborn's share. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the firstborn, by giving him a double portion of all that he hath: for he is the beginning of his strength; the right of the firstborn is his.
A Rebellious Son
Study note
If a son was completely stubborn and rebellious, refusing to obey his parents even after they disciplined him, both parents could bring him before the town elders. If the charges were confirmed, the community would stone him to death. This extreme law emphasized the seriousness of honoring one's parents.
18 "A man has a son who is stubborn and will not obey. The son refuses to listen to either parent. They correct him, but he will not change. If a man have a stubborn and rebellious son, which will not obey the voice of his father, or the voice of his mother, and that, when they have chastened him, will not hearken unto them:
19 his father and mother must bring him to the town elders at the gate. Then shall his father and his mother lay hold on him, and bring him out unto the elders of his city, and unto the gate of his place;
20 They will tell the elders, 'Our son is stubborn and defiant. He will not listen to us. He throws away money and drinks too much.' And they shall say unto the elders of his city, This our son is stubborn and rebellious, he will not obey our voice; he is a glutton, and a drunkard.
21 Then all the men of the town must stone him to death. Root out this evil from your community. Everyone in Israel will hear about it and be afraid. And all the men of his city shall stone him with stones, that he die: so shalt thou put evil away from among you; and all Israel shall hear, and fear.
Burial of the Executed
Study note
If a criminal was executed and hung on a tree as a public display, the body must be buried before nightfall. A body left hanging overnight would defile the land. The apostle Paul later connected this verse to Jesus' death on the cross.
22 "If someone does something worthy of death and is put to death, and you hang the body on a tree," And if a man have committed a sin worthy of death, and he be to be put to death, and thou hang him on a tree:
23 do not leave the body hanging there through the night. Make sure to bury it the same day, because a body left hanging on a tree is cursed by God. Do not pollute the land the Lord your God is giving you." His body shall not remain all night upon the tree, but thou shalt in any wise bury him that day; (for he that is hanged is accursed of God;) that thy land be not defiled, which the LORD thy God giveth thee for an inheritance.