One Year Readings and Bible Commentary for Saturday, April 2nd

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Deuteronomy 21:1-22:30

Cleansing for Unsolved Murder

Even though there was not an answer for how this person died, they still need to be a reckoning of his blood. Unavenged murder also polluted the land. The town closed to the death had jurisdiction. Though no one could specifically charged with this death, a sacrificial animal's blood still was needed to atone for the sin. We see again the justice of God and how there is no forgiveness without the shedding of blood. (Hebrews 9:22)

Marriage to a Captive Woman

It was common in this day to be able to take a wife from among the captives, especially if they were beautiful. But these provisions are put in to protected the women from being taken advantage of and also giving them time to grieve. If the man decided not marry her, he could let her go and she could keep her dignity. 

Inheritance Rights and Rebellious Children

With the adding of wife it could have caused issues with inheritance rights, but the firstborn son was still entitled to a double inheritance despite being the son of the first wife. You can imagine how many fights this prevented. In the case of a rebellious son (this is a person past the age of accountability) who has refused discipline time and time again, they were to be brought out publicly before the people of that town. This was once again a deterrent to this type of behavior among the young men. 

"Perhaps just the presence of this law was deterrent enough; we never have a Scriptural example of a son being stoned to death because he was a stubborn and rebellious son." (Guzik)

“Yet the Jews say this law was never put into practice, and therefore it might be made for terror and prevention, and to render the authority of parents more sacred and powerful.” (Poole)

Various Regulations

s was primarily because of the exceedingly great social consequences of this sin. Therefore, God commanded the ultimate penalty against it.

God also specifically instructs: both the man that lay with the woman, and the woman. Adultery was not to be condemned with a double standard; if it was wrong for the woman, it was wrong for the man, and vice-versa.

Then both of them shall die: As a practical matter, this death penalty was rarely carried out, as is the case in most of the situations where capital punishment was commanded. This is because any capital crime required two or three witnesses, and the witnesses had to be so sure of what they saw that they were willing to “cast the first stone” – that is, initiate the execution



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