Deuteronômio 19
David Guzik · Citado em PreceptAustin
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - The cities of refuge were for the protection of the person who killed another accidentally or in self-defense. In ancient Israel, when one was killed, it was the responsibility of the avenger of blood to make certain the murder was punished. This practice was based upon a correct understanding of Genesis 9:6: Whoever shed’s man’s blood, by man his blood shall be shed; for in the image of God, God made man. NET Note on previously - Heb literally "yesterday and a third (day)" (likewise in Dt 19:6). The point is that there was no animosity between the two parties at the time of the accident and therefore no motive for the killing. Cf. NAB "had previously borne no malice"; NRSV "had not been at enmity before." NET Note on manslayer - The “manslayer” is the verb “to kill” in a participial form, providing the subject of the clause. The verb means “to kill”; it can mean accidental killing, premeditated killing, or capital punishment. The clause uses the infinitive to express purpose or result: “to flee there the manslayer,” means “so that the manslayer may flee there.”
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - This, if properly understood and applied, could be an effective deterrent to murder and not a bad institution. Yet, the system had a fatal weakness: What if a death was accidental, yet difficult to prove that it was accidental?. We can picture the situation easily: Two men work together, chopping down trees, when one man swings an ax and the ax head flies off, striking the other man in the head and instantly killing him. The surviving man had good reason to believe the avenger of blood from the dead man’s family would track him down and kill him, believing the death was murder.. Therefore, such a man could flee to a city of refuge—an appointed Levitical city, where he could stay, safe from the avenger of blood, until the issue was settled and he could leave the city of refuge safely. Joshua adds ‘He shall flee to one of these cities, and shall stand at the entrance of the gate of the city and state his case in the hearing of the elders of that city; and they shall take him into the city to them and give him a place, so that he may dwell among them. (Josh 20:4) Deuteronomy 19:6 otherwise the avenger of blood might pursue the manslayer in the heat of his anger, and overtake him, because the way is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death, since he had not hated him previously. avenger: Nu 35:12 Jos 20:5 2Sa 14:7 not deserving: De 21:22 Jer 26:15,16 previously , De 19:4 Deuteronomy 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Numbers 35:12+ ‘The cities shall be to you as a refuge from the avenger, so that the manslayer will not die until he stands before the congregation for trial. Numbers 35:19+ ‘The blood avenger himself shall put the murderer to death; he shall put him to death when he meets him. 20‘If he pushed him of hatred, or threw something at him lying in wait and as a result he died, 21 or if he struck him down with his hand in enmity, and as a result he died, the one who struck him shall surely be put to death, he is a murderer; the blood avenger shall put the murderer to death when he meets him. 22 ‘But if he pushed him suddenly without enmity, or threw something at him without lying in wait, 23 or with any deadly object of stone, and without seeing it dropped on him so that he died, while he was not his enemy nor seeking his injury, 24 then the congregation shall judge between the slayer and the blood avenger according to these ordinances. 25 ‘The congregation shall deliver the manslayer from the hand of the blood avenger, and the congregation shall restore him to his city of refuge to which he fled; and he shall live in it until the death of the high priest who was anointed with the holy oil. 26 ‘But if the manslayer at any time goes beyond the border of his city of refuge to which he may flee, 27 and the blood avenger finds him outside the border of his city of refuge, and the blood avenger kills the manslayer, he will not be guilty of blood 28 because he should have remained in his city of refuge until the death of the high priest. But after the death of the high priest the manslayer shall return to the land of his possession. Joshua 20:5 ‘Now if the avenger of blood pursues him, then they shall not deliver the manslayer into his hand, because he struck his neighbor without premeditation and did not hate him beforehand. RUN FOR YOUR LIFE FROM THE BLOOD AVENGER! Running for your life - To run as fast as one possibly can, as if (or because) one is in a dangerous or grave situation. THOUGHT: God is our refuge and strength, a very present help in trouble. (Ps 46:1+) and we can run to Him for... The name of the LORD is a strong tower; The righteous runs into it and is safe (lifted up - sagab). --Proverbs 18:10+ DO YOU RUN TO HIM FOR REFUGE WHEN THE STORM COMES? OR DO YOU RUN TO MAN AND HIS "WISDOM"? In the ancient culture of Israel, it was not left entirely up to the government to avenge a murder. There was no organized Each extended family had a recognized avenger who would ensure that one who murdered a family member would likewise be killed. Otherwise the avenger of blood (goel/ga'al) might pursue the manslayer (ratsach) in the heat of his anger (literally - while his heart is hot), and overtake him, because the way (road) is long, and take his life, though he was not deserving of death (Heb = no judgment of death) - Remember that there was no police force in ancient Israel so the avenger of blood functioned somewhat like a policeman in death cases. Can you imagine the adrenalin rush in the manslayer running as fast as possible to reach the nearest city of refuge. Talk about running for your life! Avenger - Nu 35:12; Nu 35:19; Nu 35:21; Nu 35:24; Nu 35:25; Nu 35:27; Dt. 19:6; Dt. 19:12; Jos. 20:3; Jos. 20:5; Jos. 20:9; 2 Sam. 14:11; Ps. 44:16; Ps. 99:8 The basis for the avenging of blood is found in Genesis 9:5-6 "Surely I will require your lifeblood; from every beast I will require it. And from every man, from every man’s brother I will require the life of man. 6 “Whoever sheds man’s blood, By man his blood shall be shed, For in the image of God He made man." NET Note - The participle גֹּאֵל (goel/ga'al) is the one who protects the family by seeking vengeance for a crime. This is the same verb used for levirate marriages and other related customs. McIntosh - This provision is spelled out in much greater detail in Numbers 35:9-28, which includes the additional provision that the elders of the city of refuge must hold a hearing to determine the legitimacy of a person's claim that the death in question was accidental. If his claim was upheld, he was permitted to stay in the city of refuge until the death of the high priest. He wandered outside its walls, however, at his own risk.(Holman Old Testament Commentary – Deuteronomy) Norman Geisler - What is forbidden in Exodus 20:13+ is the recognized crime of murder, and what is permitted in Numbers 35 (AND DEUT 19) is the recognized responsibility of capital punishment. Guzik -The avenger of blood (goel/ga'al) was an appointed member of the family (the goel), designated to protect the honor and lives of the family. His interest would not be in gathering evidence, but it avenging the honor of the family—so, in the case of an accidental killing, the manslayer would need protection from the avenger of blood. POSB - A clear illustration was given: a man and his neighbor were in the forest cutting trees. As one man swung the ax, the head flew off and killed his neighbor (Deut. 19:5-6). The man could flee to a city of refuge for safety from the "avenger of blood." In ancient days it was the responsibility of the nearest relative to protect the family rights of any victim who had been killed. The nearest relative was known as the "revenger of blood" or the "redeemer" or "kinsman." The nearest relative or "kinsman" was responsible by law to save his relative from any trouble he faced. He was essentially the protector of the family. For example, the "kinsman" or "redeemer" was responsible... • for buying or redeeming a relative from slavery (Leviticus 25:48-49) • for buying back or redeeming the property of a relative (Leviticus 25:25) • for marrying a dead relative's widow and bearing children in order to carry on the name of the deceased (Ruth 3:12-13; Ruth 4:5-10) • for avenging the death of a relative (Numbers 35:19; Deut. 19:6) The kinsman or the avenger of blood became the avenger for the person who had been killed. By law, it was the responsibility of the avenger to execute justice upon the person who had committed the killing. But revenge would run wild and sweep the nation without a place of safety for the manslayer. Accidental killings do happen: the heads of axes do fly off and kill neighbors; cut trees do fall and accidentally kill bystanders. All kinds of accidental killings occur. Consequently, to take revenge against the person who accidentally killed a neighbor is to commit a gross injustice. This was the purpose for establishing the cities of refuge. (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) NET Note on take his life - literally “smite with respect to life,” that is, fatally.
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - God was just as concerned that the guilty be punished as He was that the innocent be protected (lest innocent blood be shed in the midst of your land, Deuteronomy 19:10). POSB - Note that the guilt of shedding innocent blood had to be purged from the people in order to receive God's blessing. If the people executed justice throughout the land, things would go well for them—far, far better. The execution of justice, not injustice, makes things go far better for any nation. Just as Scripture declares: the execution of justice will cause things to "go well with you." (ED: O AMERICA, AMERICA, READ AND HEED THESE PROPHETIC WORDS!) (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy)
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - The cities of refuge as a picture of Jesus a. The Bible applies this picture of the city of refuge to the believer finding refuge in God on more than one occasion: i. Psalm 46:1: God is our refuge and strength, A very present help in trouble. More than 15 other times, the Psalms speak of God as being our refuge. ii. Hebrews 6:18: That by two immutable things, in which it is impossible for God to lie, we might have strong consolation, who have fled for refuge to lay hold of the hope set before us. b. Both Jesus and the cities of refuge are within easy reach of the needy person; they were of no use unless someone could get to the place of refuge. c. Both Jesus and the cities of refuge are open to all, not just the Israelite; no one needs to fear that they would be turned away from their place of refuge in their time of need (Numbers 35:15). d. Both Jesus and the cities of refuge became a place where the one in need would live; you didn’t come to a city of refuge in time of need just to look around (Numbers 35:25). e. Both Jesus and the cities of refuge are the only alternative for the one in need; without this specific protection, they will be destroyed. f. Both Jesus and the cities of refuge provide protection only within their boundaries; to go outside meant death (Numbers 35:26–28). g. With both Jesus and the cities of refuge, full freedom comes with the death of the High Priest (Numbers 35:25). h. A crucial distinction: The cities of refuge only helped the innocent; the guilty can come to Jesus and find refuge! POSB - In a fallen world, accidents happen. Sometimes the accidents cause the death of loved ones. When we lose a loved one, our thoughts should never be upon revenge but upon seeking help from God. God is our refuge and strength. He loves and cares for us, and He will take care of us even in the most painful and grieving experiences of life. As stated, God Himself is our refuge and strength. He will sustain us through the loss of our loved ones. (Romans 8:28, 1 Peter 5:7, Deut. 33:27, Psalm 27:5, Psalm 40:17, Psalm 46:1, Psalm 57:1, Psalm 71:3, Proverbs 14:26, Proverbs 18:10). (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy) "For thou hast been a strength to the poor, a strength to the needy in his distress, a refuge from the storm, a shadow from the heat, when the blast of the terrible ones is as a storm against the wall" (Isaiah 25:4). "Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea, I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness" (Isaiah 41:10). "And even to your old age I am he; and even to hoar hairs will I carry you: I have made, and I will bear; even I will carry, and will deliver you" (Isaiah 46:4). Deuteronomy 19:14 "You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess. not move: De 27:17 Job 24:2 Pr 22:28 23:10 Ho 5:10 Deuteronomy 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries LANDMARK LAW MOVING BOUNDARIES ~ STEALING "AKA" - how to sneakily steal a neighbor's property! Here God's law puts a "hedge" around a person's property. Background - Down through the centuries, the boundaries of property lines have probably been one of the most controversial issues among men, causing conflict after conflict. No doubt, this was especially true before the development of accurate surveys and property maps. It was far easier for a person to move a boundary stone than it is today. (POSB) You shall not move your neighbor's boundary mark, which the ancestors have set, in your inheritance which you will inherit in the land that the LORD your God gives you to possess (yarash) -This would have been easy to do because when walls and fences were not in use stones and pillars were used to mark the division between territories.To move the stone was equivalent to stealing the person's property! (cf. Job 24:2, Eph 4:28, Titus 2:10, 1 Peter 4:15, Exodus 20:15) Notice once again the land is a gracious gift from the LORD their God. What was the penalty? Move a boundary stone and you receive a curse! ‘Cursed is he who moves his neighbor’s boundary mark.’ And all the people shall say, ‘Amen.’ (Deut. 27:17)
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik has an interesting comment - God here established and supported the basic right to private property. When your neighbor has a lawful landmark, you must respect it—and are forbidden to change it as you might please.. This command supports an important foundation for human society: The right to personal property. God has clearly entrusted certain possessions to certain individuals, and other people or states are not permitted to take that property without due process of law. Which the men of old have set: This law also reflects an important spiritual principle: It isn’t wise to ignore what the men of old have set when doing the work of the LORD. Many a young man, or a new man, has greatly hindered his own work by being a revolutionary—and ignoring the “landmarks” which the men of old have set.
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - One needed two or three witness to establish a matter.. This isn’t just because it is possible for one witness to lie without having his story corroborated. It is because one witness can be confused, or mistaken in his testimony. It is a basic measure of reliability that it must be more than a simple case of “my word against theirs.”. Some have carried this principle to modern courts by saying that two independent lines of evidence can be valid “witnesses.” For example, if there were a murder which no one witnessed with their eyes, yet there was a murder weapon with clear fingerprints, and additional blood evidence each pointing to one suspect, this would be counted as two independent “witnesses.” Grant - Testimony that is not true could be given for three reasons. First, it could be the result of a genuine misunderstanding of events. The witness could honestly believe that his testimony was true, but not have had a clear view of what took place. Second, with the passage of time since the events the witness could have built into the case things that did not take place, or words that were never spoken, and by the time of the trial genuinely believe that these actually happened. We see this sometimes when people recount stories, and some of what they thought was said, or took place, we know is inaccurate. Again there is no deliberate malice in this. Third, there could also be witnesses who deliberately lie, either because they simply dislike the accused and wish him malice or because they would profit from a "guilty" verdict. "A false witness that speaketh lies" is one of the things that the Lord hates (Prov 6:19). To ensure that the truth was established, therefore, two or three witnesses were required to corroborate evidence before a verdict could be reached. If there was only one witness the case could not be heard. (What the Bible Teaches)
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - At the trial of Jesus, many false witnesses rose up against him, and were demonstrated to be false witnesses by their confused and contradictory testimony (Matthew 26:59–60). The false witnesses, under Jewish law, should have been put to death, because that is the punishment they sought for Jesus. NET Note - "This is a witness whose motivation from the beginning is to do harm to the accused and who, therefore, resorts to calumny and deceit." (NN)
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - Many modern people doubt that the punishment of others is an effective deterrent to crime; but the Bible clearly says that it is. Weak or inconsistent punishment does not deter crime, but effective punishment does. Deuteronomy 19:21 "Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. eye: De 19:13 life : Ex 21:23-25 Lev 24:17-21 Mt 5:38,39 Deuteronomy 18 Resources - Multiple Sermons and Commentaries Related Passages: Deuteronomy 13:11 “Then all Israel will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such a wicked thing among you. Deuteronomy 17:13 “Then all the people will hear and be afraid, and will not act presumptuously again. Revelation 21:8 “But for the cowardly and unbelieving and abominable and murderers and immoral persons and sorcerers and idolaters and all liars, their part will be in the lake that burns with fire and brimstone, which is the second death.” Exodus 20:16 “You shall not bear false witness against your neighbor. Exodus 23:1 “You shall not bear a false report; do not join your hand with a wicked man to be a malicious witness. Proverbs 19:9 A false witness will not go unpunished, And he who tells lies will perish. LEX TALIONIS "THE LAW OF RETALIATION" Wikipedia - "An eye for an eye" (Biblical Hebrew: עַיִן תַּחַת עַיִן)[a] or the law of retaliation (Latin: lex talionis) is the principle that a person who has injured another person is to be penalized to a similar degree by the injured party. Thus you shall not show pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot - No pity was granted to the false witness. Equal justice must be executed for every citizen within the nation. This law was to encourage balanced and just punishment so that it was neither too lenient nor too strict. Grant - The principle of an eye for and eye, and a tooth for a tooth was to be upheld. The common view of this today is that it calls for judgment without mercy. This is not so. It was to protect the guilty from a sentence that was disproportionately greater than the offence, and also to prevent judges showing favouritism to the guilty. The expression "Eye for eye, tooth for tooth" is found elsewhere (Ex 21:24; Lev 24:20). In Exodus it is used as a principle in the payment for compensation for wrongs inflicted. A woman who was injured in a dispute and who lost the unborn child that she was carrying was due compensation for her loss, and the judges would determine the sum that was righteous reparation. In Leviticus it is used as the basis of judgment in respect of wrongs of any kind committed. (What the Bible Teaches) POSB - Throughout the legal system of the Bible and some of the Near Eastern nations, there is this fundamental principle of law: the punishment must match the crime. This is known as the principle of lex talionis. It is sometimes called the principle of retaliation or retribution. In the Bible, however, it should be noted that the principle was seldom carried out literally. The basic principle in the Holy Scripture is that of restitution, except in the case of deliberate murder. Premeditated murder and serious sins against the family in God's holy name did merit the death penalty. But in most, if not all, other cases of crime, restitution that equaled the crime had to be paid. (Preacher's Outline & Sermon Bible – Deuteronomy)
Deuteronômio 19
Guzik - Your eye shall not pity: This was an important principle for the Biblical court of law; here, connected to the punishment described for false witness, it shows that whatever evil was planned or practiced against another, a similar punishment should be brought against the false witness.. Life shall be for life, eye for eye: However, retribution was always limited by the eye for eye principle. This law was meant to be a check to our desire to revenge, not a license for revenge.. Our tendency is to want to do more to the offending party than what they have done to us. But we cannot punish from a motive of revenge, only from a motive of justice.. “Far from encouraging vengeance it limits vengeance and stands as a guide for a judge as he fixes a penalty suited to the crime. The principle was thus not license or vengeance, but a guarantee of justice.” (Thompson) Eye for eye, tooth for tooth: In Matthew 5:38–39, Jesus quoted this passage in His teaching on the true interpretation of the law. He does not say that the eye for eye principle is wrong; rather, He simply condemns the use of it to make it an obligation to exact revenge against someone who has personally offended me. Many Rabbis in Jesus’ day taught that the eye for eye law meant you were obligated to avenge yourself of a personal insult or attack brought against you. Jesus rightly disallowed the application of this law in our personal relationships; it was a law intended to guide the judges in the law courts of Israel, not to guide our personal relationships.. “Jesus’ criticism of this law (Mt. 5:38f.) arose from its use to regulate conduct between individuals. He did not reject it as a principle of justice which should operate in the courts of the land. For private relationships He proposed the ideal of brotherhood, a strong principle throughout the book of Deuteronomy. To extend the lex talionis to this interpersonal domain was to destroy the law of God.” (Thompson) Believer's Study Bible - The lex talionis (Lat.), i.e., "law of retaliation," is fully presented in Ex. 21:23-25 (see note on Ex. 21:24) and Lev. 24:17-20. It is here applied to the false witness, who tries to misuse "justice" to harm his neighbor.