Key Verses: Deuteronomy 21:8, 21:18, 21:23
A series of laws addresses difficult situations. When a murder victim is found and the killer is unknown, the nearest town performs a rite to atone for the innocent blood and clear the community of guilt. Laws govern the treatment of a woman captured in war, the inheritance right of a firstborn son even if his mother is unloved, and the case of a stubborn and rebellious son. Finally, one whose crime deserves death and is executed and hung on a tree must be buried the same day, “for a hanged man is cursed by God,” so that the land is not defiled.
These varied laws reflect God’s concern that bloodshed be atoned for, that justice and mercy be balanced, and that the land where He dwells not be defiled. The rite for an unsolved murder shows how seriously innocent blood was regarded, requiring the community to disclaim guilt before God. The most far-reaching statement comes at the end: “a hanged man is cursed by God.” Paul seizes on this very verse to explain the meaning of the cross: “Christ redeemed us from the curse of the law by becoming a curse for us — for it is written, ’Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree’” (Galatians 3:13). In dying on the cross, Christ took upon Himself the covenant curse that His people deserved, so that the curse pronounced here becomes the very means of redemption.
Key Terms & Words:
- כַּפֵּר (kapper) - Deuteronomy 21:8 - “Atone”; cleansing the land of the guilt of innocent blood
- סוֹרֵר וּמוֹרֶה (sorer umoreh) - Deuteronomy 21:18 - “Stubborn and rebellious”; the incorrigible son
- קִלְלַת אֱלֹהִים (qilelat Elohim) - Deuteronomy 21:23 - “Cursed by God”; the one hanged on a tree
Cross-References:
- Galatians 3:13 - “Cursed is everyone who is hanged on a tree,” fulfilled at the cross
- Deuteronomy 21:23 - The curse on one hanged, and the same-day burial
- John 19:31 - The bodies not left on the cross on the Sabbath
- Acts 5:30 - Jesus “hanging him on a tree”
Discussion Questions:
- What do the laws about bloodshed reveal about the seriousness of innocent blood?
- How does the requirement of atonement for an unsolved murder involve the whole community?
- How does Paul use “cursed is everyone hanged on a tree” to explain the cross?