Deuteronomy 21:5

5 Then the priests, the descendants of Levi, will step forward because the LORD your God selected them to minister for him and to bless in the LORD's name, and because every legal dispute and case of assault is decided by them.

Deuteronomy 21:5 Meaning and Commentary

Deuteronomy 21:5

And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near
Who were clearly of the tribe of Levi, as Aben Ezra notes; about whom there could be no dispute; for it seems there sometimes were persons in that office, of whom there was some doubt at least whether they were of that tribe; these seem to be such that belonged to the court of judicature at Jerusalem; see ( Deuteronomy 17:9 ) , who were to be present at this solemnity, to direct in the performance of it, and to judge and determine in any matter of difficulty that might arise:

for them the Lord thy God hath chosen to minister unto him;
in the service of the sanctuary, by offering sacrifices

and to bless in the name of the Lord;
the people; see ( Numbers 6:23-27 )

and by their word shall every controversy and every stroke be tried;
every controversy between man and man respecting civil things, and every stroke or blow which one man may give another; and whatsoever came before them was tried by them, according to the respective laws given concerning the things in question, and were not determined by them in an arbitrary way, according to their own will and pleasure; see ( Deuteronomy 17:8-11 ) .

Deuteronomy 21:5 In-Context

3 Once it is determined which city is closest to the dead body, its elders must take a young cow that hasn't been used or yet pulled a plow,

4 and those elders will take the cow down to a ravine with a flowing stream—one that has not been plowed or planted—and they will break the cow's neck right there in the river valley.

5 Then the priests, the descendants of Levi, will step forward because the LORD your God selected them to minister for him and to bless in the LORD's name, and because every legal dispute and case of assault is decided by them.

6 All the elders of the city closest to the corpse will wash their hands over the cow whose neck was broken in the river valley.

7 They will then solemnly state: "Our hands did not shed this blood. Our eyes did not see it happen.