14 `And when a man doth presume against his neighbour to slay him with subtilty, from Mine altar thou dost take him to die.
And the report hath come unto Joab -- for Joab hath turned aside after Adonijah, though after Absalom he did not turn aside -- and Joab fleeth unto the tent of Jehovah, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar. And it is declared to king Solomon that Joab hath fled unto the tent of Jehovah, and lo, near the altar; and Solomon sendeth Benaiah son of Jehoiada, saying, `Go, fall upon him.' And Benaiah cometh in unto the tent of Jehovah, and saith unto him, `Thus said the king, Come out;' and he saith, `Nay, but here I die.' And Benaiah bringeth back the king word, saying, `Thus spake Joab, yea, thus he answered me.' And the king saith to him, `Do as he hath spoken, and fall upon him, and thou hast buried him, and turned aside the causeless blood which Joab shed, from off me, and from off the house of my father; and Jehovah hath turned back his blood on his own head, who hath fallen on two men more righteous and better than he, and slayeth them with the sword, -- and my father David knew not -- Abner son of Ner, head of the host of Israel, and Amasa son of Jether, head of the host of Judah; yea, turned back hath their blood on the head of Joab, and on the head of his seed to the age; and for David, and for his seed, and for his house, and for his throne, there is peace unto the age, from Jehovah.' And Benaiah son of Jehoiada goeth up and falleth upon him, and putteth him to death, and he is buried in his own house in the wilderness,
For we -- willfully sinning after the receiving the full knowledge of the truth -- no more for sins doth there remain a sacrifice,
`And the person who doth `aught' with a high hand -- of the native or of the sojourner -- Jehovah he is reviling, and that person hath been cut off from the midst of his people; because the word of Jehovah he despised, and His command hath broken -- that person is certainly cut off; his iniquity `is' on him.'
`And if in hatred he thrust him through, or hath cast `anything' at him by lying in wait, and he dieth; or in enmity he hath smitten him with his hand, and he dieth; the smiter is certainly put to death; he `is' a murderer; the redeemer of blood doth put the murderer to death in his coming against him.
`And I speak unto you, and ye have not hearkened, and provoke the mouth of Jehovah, and act proudly, and go up into the hill-country;
And the man who acteth with presumption, so as not to hearken unto the priest (who is standing to serve there Jehovah thy God), or unto the judge, even that man hath died, and thou hast put away the evil thing from Israel, and all the people do hear and fear, and do not presume any more.
that which the prophet speaketh in the name of Jehovah, and the thing is not, and cometh not -- it `is' the word which Jehovah hath not spoken; in presumption hath the prophet spoken it; -- thou art not afraid of him.
`And when a man is hating his neighbour, and hath lain in wait for him, and risen against him, and smitten him -- the life, and he hath died, and he hath fled unto one of these cities, then the elders of his city have sent and taken him from thence, and given him into the hand of the redeemer of blood, and he hath died; thine eye hath no pity on him, and thou hast put away the innocent blood from Israel, and it is well with thee.
And Abner turneth back to Hebron, and Joab turneth him aside unto the midst of the gate to speak with him quietly, and smiteth him there in the fifth `rib' -- and he dieth -- for the blood of Asahel his brother.
And Joab saith to Amasa, `Art thou `in' peace, my brother?' and the right hand of Joab layeth hold on the beard of Amasa to give a kiss to him; and Amasa hath not been watchful of the sword that `is' in the hand of Joab, and he smiteth him with it unto the fifth `rib', and sheddeth out his bowels to the earth, and he hath not repeated `it' to him, and he dieth; and Joab and Abishai his brother have pursued after Sheba son of Bichri.
and Adonijah feareth because of Solomon, and riseth, and goeth, and layeth hold on the horns of the altar. And it is declared to Solomon, saying, `Lo, Adonijah feareth king Solomon, and lo, he hath laid hold on the horns of the altar, saying, Let king Solomon swear to me as to-day -- he doth not put to death his servant by the sword.'
And Jehoiada the priest commandeth the heads of the hundreds, inspectors of the force, and saith unto them, `Bring her out unto the outside of the ranges, and him who is going after her, put to death by the sword:' for the priest had said, `Let her not be put to death in the house of Jehovah.'
Also -- from presumptuous ones keep back Thy servant, Let them not rule over me, Then am I perfect, And declared innocent of much transgression,
Worthy.Bible » Commentaries » Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible » Commentary on Exodus 21
Commentary on Exodus 21 Commentary Critical and Explanatory on the Whole Bible
CHAPTER 21
Ex 21:1-6. Laws for Menservants.
1. judgments—rules for regulating the procedure of judges and magistrates in the decision of cases and the trial of criminals. The government of the Israelites being a theocracy, those public authorities were the servants of the Divine Sovereign, and subject to His direction. Most of these laws here noticed were primitive usages, founded on principles of natural equity, and incorporated, with modifications and improvements, in the Mosaic code.
2-6. If thou buy an Hebrew servant—Every Israelite was free-born; but slavery was permitted under certain restrictions. An Hebrew might be made a slave through poverty, debt, or crime; but at the end of six years he was entitled to freedom, and his wife, if she had voluntarily shared his state of bondage, also obtained release. Should he, however, have married a female slave, she and the children, after the husband's liberation, remained the master's property; and if, through attachment to his family, the Hebrew chose to forfeit his privilege and abide as he was, a formal process was gone through in a public court, and a brand of servitude stamped on his ear (Ps 40:6) for life, or at least till the Jubilee (De 15:17).
Ex 21:7-36. Laws for Maidservants.
7-11. if a man sell his daughter—Hebrew girls might be redeemed for a reasonable sum. But in the event of her parents or friends being unable to pay the redemption money, her owner was not at liberty to sell her elsewhere. Should she have been betrothed to him or his son, and either change their minds, a maintenance must be provided for her suitable to her condition as his intended wife, or her freedom instantly granted.
23-25. eye for eye—The law which authorized retaliation (a principle acted upon by all primitive people) was a civil one. It was given to regulate the procedure of the public magistrate in determining the amount of compensation in every case of injury, but did not encourage feelings of private revenge. The later Jews, however, mistook it for a moral precept, and were corrected by our Lord (Mt 5:38-42).
28-36. If an ox gore a man or a woman, that they die—For the purpose of sanctifying human blood, and representing all injuries affecting life in a serious light, an animal that occasioned death was to be killed or suffer punishment proportioned to the degree of damage it had caused. Punishments are still inflicted on this principle in Persia and other countries of the East; and among a rude people greater effect is thus produced in inspiring caution, and making them keep noxious animals under restraint, than a penalty imposed on the owners.
30. If there be laid on him a sum of money, &c.—Blood fines are common among the Arabs as they were once general throughout the East. This is the only case where a money compensation, instead of capital punishment, was expressly allowed in the Mosaic law.