Shēnméngjì 21

1 Zaì Yēhéhuá nǐ shén suǒ cì nǐ wéi yè de dì shàng , ruò yùjiàn beì shā de rén dǎo zaì tiānyĕ , bú zhīdào shì shuí shā de ,

2 Zhǎnglǎo hé shĕnpàn guān jiù yào chū qù , cóng beì shā de rén nàli liáng qǐ , zhí liáng dào sìwéi de chéngyì ,

3 Kàn nǎ chéng lí beì shā de rén zuìjìn , nà chéng de zhǎnglǎo jiù yào cóng niú qún zhōng qǔ yī zhǐ wèicéng gēngdì , wèicéng fù è de mǔ niúdú ,

4 Bǎ mǔ niúdú qiā dào liú shuǐ , wèicéng gēngzhòng de shān gǔ qù , zaì gǔ zhōng dá zhé mǔ niúdú de jǐngxiàng .

5 Jìsī Lìwèi de zǐsūn yào jìn qián lái . yīnwei Yēhéhuá nǐde shén jiǎnxuǎn le tāmen shìfèng tā , fèng Yēhéhuá de míng zhùfú , suǒ yǒu zhēng sòng ōudǎ de shì dōu yào píng tāmen pànduàn .

6 Nà chéng de zhòng zhǎnglǎo , jiù shì lí beì shā de rén zuìjìn de , yào zaì nà shān gǔ zhōng , zaì suǒ dá zhé jǐngxiàng de mǔ niúdú yǐshàng xǐ shǒu ,

7 Dǎogào ( yuánwén zuò huídá ) shuō , wǒmen de shǒu wèicéng liú zhè rén de xuè . wǒmen de yǎn yĕ wèicéng kànjian zhè shì .

8 Yēhéhuá a , qiú nǐ shèmiǎn nǐ suǒ jiùshú de Yǐsèliè mín , búyào shǐ liú wúgū xuè de zuì guī zaì nǐde bǎixìng Yǐsèliè zhōngjiān . zhèyàng , liúxuè de zuì bì de shèmiǎn .

9 Nǐ xíng Yēhéhuá yǎn zhōng kàn wéi zhēng de shì , jiù kĕyǐ cóng nǐmen zhōngjiān chúdiào liú wúgū xuè de zuì .

10 Nǐ chū qù yǔ chóudí zhēng zhàn de shíhou , Yēhéhuá nǐde shén jiāng tāmen jiāo zaì nǐ shǒu zhōng , nǐ jiù lǔ le tāmen qù ,

11 Ruò zaì beìlǔ de rén zhōng jiàn yǒu mĕimào de nǚzi , liànmù tā , yào qǔ tā wéi qì ,

12 Jiù kĕyǐ lǐng tā dào nǐ jia lǐ qù . tā biàn yào tì tóufa , xiū zhǐ jiǎ ,

13 Tuō qù beìlǔ shí suǒ chuān de yīfu , zhù zaì nǐ jia lǐ āikū fùmǔ yī gè zhĕng yuè , ránhòu kĕyǐ yǔ tā tóngfáng . nǐ zuò tāde zhàngfu , tā zuò nǐde qīzi .

14 Hòulái nǐ ruò bú xǐyuè tā , jiù yào yóu tā suíyì chū qù , jué bùkĕ wéi qián maì tā , yĕ bùkĕ dàng bìnǚ daì tā , yīnwei nǐ diànwū le tā .

15 Rén ruò yǒu èr qì , yī wéi suǒ aì , yī wéi suǒ è , suǒ aì de , suǒ è de dōu gĕi tā shēng le érzi , dàn zhǎngzǐ shì suǒ è zhī qì shēng de .

16 Dào le bǎ chǎnyè fèn gĕi érzi chéngshòu de shíhou , bùkĕ jiāng suǒ aì zhī qì shēng de érzi lì wéi zhǎngzǐ , zaì suǒ è zhī qì shēng de érzi yǐshàng ,

17 Què yào rèn suǒ è zhī qì shēng de érzi wéi zhǎngzǐ , jiāng chǎnyè duō jiā yī fèn gĕi tā . yīn zhèr zǐ shì tā lìliang qiángzhuàng de shíhou shēng de , zhǎngzǐ de míngfèn bĕn dàng guī tā .

18 Rén ruò yǒu wán gĕng beìnì de érzi , bú tīng cóng fùmǔ de huà , tāmen suī chéng zhì tā , tā réng bú tīng cóng ,

19 Fùmǔ jiù yào zhuāzhù tā , jiāng tā daì dào bĕn dì de chéng mén , bĕn chéng de zhǎnglǎo nàli ,

20 Duì zhǎnglǎo shuō , wǒmen zhèr zǐ wán gĕng beìnì , bú tīng cóng wǒmen de huà , shì tānshí hàojiǔ de rén .

21 Bĕn chéng de zhòngrén jiù yào yòng shítou jiāng tā dá sǐ . zhèyàng , jiù bǎ nà è cóng nǐmen zhōngjiān chúdiào , Yǐsèliè zhòngrén dōu yào tīngjian haìpà .

22 Rén ruò fàn gāisǐ de zuì , beì zhìsǐ le , nǐ jiāng tā guà zaì mùtou shàng ,

23 Tāde shī shǒu bùkĕ liú zaì mùtou shàng guō yè , bìyào dàng rì jiāng tā zàng mái , miǎndé diànwū le Yēhéhuá nǐ shén suǒ cì nǐ wéi yè zhī dì . yīnwei beì guà de rén shì zaì shén miànqián shòu zhòuzǔ de .

Shēnméngjì 21 Commentary

Chapter 21

The expiation of uncertain murder. (1-9) Respecting a captive taken to wife. (10-14) The first-born not to be disinherited for private affection. (15-17) A stubborn son to be stoned. (18-21) Malefactors not to be left hanging all night. (22,23)

Verses 1-9 If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread and detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often wonderfully brought to light these hidden works of darkness, and the sin of the guilty has often strangely found them out. The dread of murder should be deeply impressed upon every heart, and all should join in detecting and punishing those who are guilty. The elders were to profess that they had not been any way aiding or abetting the sin. The priests were to pray to God for the country and nation, that God would be merciful. We must empty that measure by our prayers, which others are filling by their sins. All would be taught by this solemnity, to use the utmost care and diligence to prevent, discover, and punish murder. We may all learn from hence to take heed of partaking in other men's sins. And we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, if we do not reprove them.

Verses 10-14 By this law a soldier was allowed to marry his captive, if he pleased. This might take place upon some occasions; but the law does not show any approval of it. It also intimates how binding the laws of justice and honour are in marriage; which is a sacred engagement.

Verses 15-17 This law restrains men from disinheriting their eldest sons without just cause. The principle in this case as to children, is still binding to parents; they must give children their right without partiality.

Verses 18-21 Observe how the criminal is here described. He is a stubborn and rebellious son. No child was to fare the worse for weakness of capacity, slowness, or dulness, but for wilfulness and obstinacy. Nothing draws men into all manner of wickedness, and hardens them in it more certainly and fatally, than drunkenness. When men take to drinking, they forget the law of honouring parents. His own father and mother must complain of him to the elders of the city. Children who forget their duty, must thank themselves, and not blame their parents, if they are regarded with less and less affection. He must be publicly stoned to death by the men of his city. Disobedience to a parent's authority must be very evil, when such a punishment was ordered; nor is it less provoking to God now, though it escapes punishment in this world. But when young people early become slaves to sensual appetites, the heart soon grows hard, and the conscience callous; and we can expect nothing but rebellion and destruction.

Verses 22-23 By the law of Moses, the touch of a dead body was defiling, therefore dead bodies must not be left hanging, as that would defile the land. There is one reason here which has reference to Christ; "He that is hanged is accursed of God;" that is, it is the highest degree of disgrace and reproach. Those who see a man thus hanging between heaven and earth, will conclude him abandoned of both, and unworthy of either. Moses, by the Spirit, uses this phrase of being accursed of God, when he means no more than being treated most disgracefully, that it might afterward be applied to the death of Christ, and might show that in it he underwent the curse of the law for us; which proves his love, and encourages to faith in him.

Chapter Summary

INTRODUCTION TO DEUTERONOMY 21

This chapter treats of the beheading of the heifer, for the expiation of unknown murder, and the rules to be observed in it, De 21:1-9 of a beautiful captive woman an Israelite is desirous of having for his wife, and what methods he must take to accomplish it, De 21:10-14, of giving the double portion to the firstborn, which he must not be deprived of in favour of the son of a beloved wife, De 21:15-17 and of the stubborn and rebellious son, who remaining so must be put to death, De 21:18-21 and of burying a person hanged on a tree the same day he is executed, De 21:22,23.