Deuteronomy 21

What was to be done when a man was found slain in the field and the slayers not known verse 1 &c. how an Israelite was to deal with the heathenish woman that was taken captive in war when he desired to marry her 10 a law against a bridging the birth-right of the first born when a man had two wives and had begotten by both of them 15 a law concerning the punishment of a rebellious son 18 a law concerning him that was banged upon a tree 22.

1. When one shall be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God shall give the to inherit it lying in the field it being not known who had smitten him.

2. Then thy eldest and thy judges shall go forth and they shall measure unto the cities which are found about him that is slain.

3. Now the city which shall be next unto the slain man there the eldest of the city shall take a young cow of the oxen wherewith no work hath been done which had drawn in the yoke.

4. And the eldest of that city shall bring down the young cow into the rough valley which is neither tilled nor sown and they shall cut off his young cows neck there in the valley [these circumstances as some conceive serve to shadow out the heinousness of the sin of the murder and to deter men from it.]

5. Then the priest the children of Levi shall come near for the Lord thy God hath chosen them to minister unto him and bless unto the name of the Lord [see above chapter 10 on verse 8] and according to their mouth to the word saying sentence] shall all or every controversy and all or every stroke be decided [Heb. Be or not be done.]

6. And all the eldest of that next city which are next unto the slain man shall wash their hands over the young cows whose neck was cut off in that valley.

7. And they shall testify and say our hands have not shed this blood neither have our eyes seen it [that is have not seen it shed.

8. Be merciful O LORD unto thy people Israel [Heb. Expiate or make appropriation for or over thy people Israel [that is do not lay murder of the innocent person unto thy peoples charge or punish them for it] and that blood shall be expiate for them [that is thus shall they be discharge from the guilt of this murder that it shall not be imputed unto them.]

9. So thou put away out innocent blood out of the midst of thee for thou shalt do that which is right in the eyes of the Lord.

10. When thou art gone forth in the battle against thine enemies and the Lord thy God shall have delivered them into thine hand that thou hast carried away captive [Heb. His captivity and so in the sequel.]

11. And thou shalt see among the captives a beautiful woman and shalt have a desire unto her that thou mightiest take her to thy wife.

12. Then thou shalt bring her in thine house [Heb. Into the midst of thine house as below chapter 22.2] and he shall shave her head and pare her nails [Heb. Make her nails that ft fashion prepare them in this sense is the Hebrew word likewise found 2 Samuel 19:24 all these ceremonies mentioned in this and the following verses as shaving the head paring or cleansing the nails putting off her former heathenish garments bewailing her parents &c. were a token of putting off and forsaking the former heathenish idolatrous being of embracing the true religion of being incorporated or embodied into the people of God compare Psalms 45:11 some conceive that these things tended to make a man loath and abhor such king of match as this was and therefore translates the words rendered here pairing the nails to let the nails grow.]

13. And she shall put off the remnant of her captivity from her [to wit her heathenish garments wherein she was taken captive] and sit in thine house and bewail her father and mother a full month [Heb. A month of days see Genesis 29 on verse 4 so a year of days that is a full year see Genesis 41 on verse 1] and after that shalt go in into her husband and she shall be thy wife.

14. And it shall come to pass when thou have no delight in her that thou shalt let her go according to her desire [Heb. Soul] but thou shalt not sell her at all [Heb. Selling not sell her] for money thou shalt not make merchandise of her [compare chapter 27.7] because thou shalt humble her [or defiled her layen with her.]

15. When a man hath two wives one beloved and one hated [that is whom he loveth less then the other compare Genesis 29:31] and the beloved and hated shall have born him sons and the first born son shall be her that hated.

16. Then it shall come to pass in the day when he shall make his sons to inherit that which he hath that he may not give the primogeniture the right of the first born.]To the son of the beloved and the hated [that is passing him by his presence and as it were in his own sight and his disgrace and prejudice others before his face that is in his stead] who is the first born.

17. But he shall acknowledge the son of the hated for the first born [that is he shall make it actual appear that he esteemed him to be the first born] giving him a double portion [or two parts Heb. The mouth of two compare 2Kings 2.9 see the annotations there also Zachariah 13.8] of all that shall be found with him for he is the beginning of his strength the right of the primogeniture is his [see genesis chapter 225 on verse 31.]

18. When any man hath a willful and rebellious son who is not obedient to the voice of his father and to the voice of his mother and they shall have chastened him and he will not hearken unto them.

19. Then his father and his mother shall [oath. May] lay hold on him and they shall bring him out unto the eldest of his city [where the son liveth] and unto the gate of his place[see genesis 22 on verse 17.]

20. And they shall say unto the eldest of his city this our son is backsliding and rebellious he is not obedient unto our voice he is a glutton and biber.

21. Then all men of the city shall throw stones at him and he shall die and thou shalt put away the evil in the midst of thee that all Israel may hear it and fear.

22. More when there shall be any man a sin that is worthy of the sentence of death [Heb. A sin or sentence of death a judgment sees above chapter 19.6.] so that he shall be put to death and thou shalt have hanged him up on a tree.

23. Then this dead body shall not remain all night upon the tree but thou shalt surely bury it [Heb. Burying bury it] that day for one hanged up is curse unto God [Heb. A curse of God as above chapter 17.1 an abomination unto the Lord this is general hath respect to the offences which are abominable in the eyes of the Lord but are particular to the intention of God concerning our savior Jesus Christ who was to bear the curse for us who were under the curse by reason of sin and for a token and assurance thereof was to be hanged on the tree see Galatians 3:13 1Peter 2.24.]