6<\/strong>. wash their hands<\/em> ] thus disowning their own and their community’s guilt. Psa 26:6<\/span>; Psa 73:13<\/span>, Mat 27:24<\/span>.<\/p>\n over the heifer<\/em> ] As representing the murderer or the murder?<\/p>\n Verse 6<\/span>. Shall wash their hands over the heifer<\/B><\/I>] Washing the hands, in reference to such a subject as this, was a rite anciently used to signify that the persons thus washing were innocent of the crime in question. It was probably from the Jews that Pilate learned this symbolical method of expressing his innocence.<\/P><\/p>\n In testimony of their innocency. See Poole “Mat 27:24<\/span>“. <\/P> <\/p>\n And all the elders of that city that are next unto the slain man<\/strong>,…. The whole court of judicature belonging to it, all the magistracy of it; even though there were an hundred of them, Maimonides x says:<\/p>\n shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley<\/strong>: in token of their innocence, and this they did not only for themselves, but for the whole city, being the representatives of it; see<\/p>\n Ps 26:6<\/span>. Some think that this is a confirmation of the sense embraced by some, that it was a strong stream to which the heifer was brought; and there might be a stream of water here, and a valley also; though it would be no great difficulty to get from the city, which was near, a sufficient quantity of water to wash the hands of the elders with. This may denote the purification of sin by the blood of Christ, when it is confessed over him; and shows that priests and elders, ministers of the word, as well as others, stand in need of it; and that even those concerned in the death of Christ shared in the benefits of it.<\/p>\n x Hilchot Rotzeach, c. 9. sect. 3.<\/p>\n 6. And all the elders of that city. The washing of their hands had the effect of stirring them up the more, so that they should not inconsiderately protest in that solemn rite that they were pure and guiltless; for it was just as if they had presented the corpse of the dead mall before God, and had stood themselves opposite to it to purge away the crime. At the same time, also, they ask for pardon, because it might have been through their carelessness that the man was smitten; and again, since, by the sacrilege of Achan alone the whole people were contaminated, it was to be feared lest the vengeance of God should extend more widely on account of the offense committed. And thus they were again taught how greatly God abominates murders, when the people pray that they may be pardoned for the crime of another, as if, by the very looking upon it, they had contracted guilt. God at length declares that He will not impute it to them, when they have duly performed this rite of expiation; not because the heifer was the price of satisfaction to propitiate God, but because in this way they humbly reconciled themselves to Him, and shut the door against murders for the time to come. On this account it is said — “Thou shalt put away the blood from among you;” for if the murder be passed over without observation, there remains a blot upon the people, and the earth itself, in a manner, stinks before God. <\/p>\n 6-8<\/strong>. <\/strong> The elders shall wash their hands <\/strong> The elders were to wash their hands over the slain heifer, to indicate that the guilt of the blood of the murdered man was not to rest upon the place they represented.<\/p>\n Ver. <\/em><\/strong>6. <\/strong>Shall wash their hands<\/em><\/strong><\/strong> In testimony of their innocence. See the following verses, Psa 26:6<\/span> and Mat 27:24<\/span>. It is supposed by many, that the words in the next verses are spoken by the priests: there seems as much reason to believe that they were spoken by the elders. A learned Jewish writer, Chazkuni, says, that they who washed their hands used these words: “As our hands are now clean, so are we innocent of the blood which has been shed.” Wagenseil is of opinion, that Pilate alluded to this ceremony when he washed his hands, and declared himself innocent of the blood of Jesus. It is, however, more probable, that Pilate used this as a general and well-known ceremony, expressive of innocence: nevertheless, he grossly abused it; since nothing could authorise or exculpate him from the guilt of condemning an innocent person. <\/p>\n DISCOURSE: 213 Deu 21:6-8<\/span>. And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley; and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. Be merciful, O Lord, unto thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and lay not innocent blood unto thy people of Israels charge. And the blood shall be forgiven them.<\/em><\/p>\n THE ceremonial law of the Jews was confessedly figurative and typical in every part: nor was even their judicial law altogether destitute of a spiritual import. The injunction, not to muzzle the ox that trod out the corn, appears as void of any, except a literal, meaning, as any law whatever; yet was there in that law a particular reference to the preachers o. the Gospel, who were to be supported by the people to whom they ministered. In the law that we are now to consider, there is indeed a manifest appearance of mystery: and we shall find it by no means unprofitable to consider the mystery contained in it. We shall endeavour then,<\/p>\n I.<\/p>\n To explain the ordinance<\/p>\n In doing this we must notice,<\/p>\n 1.<\/p>\n Its general design<\/p>\n [God, no doubt, intended by this law, to prevent the commission of murder<\/em>. The shedding of human blood was, in his eyes, so great a crime, that it must never be pardoned by the civil magistrate. If a wilful murderer had fled to a city of refuge, or even to the altar itself, neither the one nor the other was to prove a sanctuary to him; he must be taken thence, and be carried forth for execution [Note: See Num 35:31<\/span>; Num 35:33<\/span>; Deu 19:11-13<\/span><\/u> and Exo 21:14<\/span>.]. In the event of a slain man being found, and the murderer being unknown, this law was to be carried into effect: the elders of the city that was nearest to the slain man, (which, if doubtful, was to be ascertained by measurement,) were, together with the priests, to go to a rough valley, and there slay a heifer, and wash their hands over him, protesting their own innocence, and their inability to discover the offender; and in that manner to implore forgiveness for the guilty land [Note: ver. 19.]. Now this had a tendency to strike a terror into the minds of all the people, to fill them with an abhorrence of murder, to shew them what pains would be taken to discover the person who should be guilty of it, and what terrible vengeance he must expect at the hands of God, though he should escape the punishment that he deserved from man. Somewhat of a similar process obtains amongst us: a coroners inquest is taken whenever a suspicion of murder or of suicide appears to have any just foundation. But there is no comparison between our law and that which existed amongst the Jews; so far superior was the solemnity of their proceedings; and so much more calculated to beget in the minds of men an abhorrence of the dreadful sin of murder.<\/p>\n But besides this more obvious end of the law, God designed also to provide means for removing guilt from his land<\/em>. No sooner had the whole world sinned in Adam, than He devised means for their restoration to his favour through the incarnation and death of his only dear Son. And when all flesh had corrupted their way before him, and determined him to execute vengeance upon them, he still waited to be gracious unto them, and sent them messages of mercy by the hands of Noah for the space of an hundred and twenty years. When the destruction of Nineveh was so imminent, that there remained but forty days before its completion, he sent them a prophet to warn them of their danger, and to bring them to repentance. Thus at all times has God been slow to anger, whilst the exercise of mercy was his delight. Now considering the wickedness of the human heart, it could not be but that sometimes murder should have been committed: and he had declared that, in that case, the land could not be cleansed from blood but by the blood of him that shed it. Yet, as it must sometimes happen that the criminal could not be discovered, here was a method provided for expiating the guilt, so that his judgments might not fall upon any in this world, but only on the criminal himself in the world to come. How amiable does God appear in this view! and how plainly may we see in this very ordinance that judgment is a strange act, to which he is extremely averse; and that he is rich in mercy unto all them that call upon him!]<\/p>\n 2.<\/p>\n Its particular provisions<\/p>\n [These deserve a minute attention. Some have thought that the heifer which had not drawn in the yoke<\/em> represented the murderer, the son of Belial, who refused to bear the yoke of Gods law; and that the rough valley<\/em> in which he was to be slain, denoted the worthlessness of the criminals character, or the disagreeableness of the business [Note: See Scott, on the place.]. But we apprehend that much more was designed by these particular appointments. The heifer that had not drawn in the yoke<\/em> represented Christ, who, though he died under the curse of the law, had no previous obligation to do so, but did it voluntarily, giving himself freely for us an offering and a sacrifice to God for a sweet-smelling savour [Note: Compare Num 19:2<\/span><\/u> and Eph 5:2<\/span>.]. His death marked the utter excision which the murderer deserved; and the rough valley<\/em> in which he was beheaded, marked the desolation, which the land itself merited for the transgression that had been committed [Note: See Psa 107:34<\/span><\/u> and Heb 6:8<\/span>.]. Thus, the victim<\/em>, the death<\/em>, the place<\/em>, all conspired to impress the minds of the beholders with the malignity of the offence, which required such a sacrifice; whilst the presence of the priests, which was especially required, (not to officiate themselves, but to overlook and direct the offices of others,) intimated the indispensable necessity of seeking pardon precisely in Gods appointed way, and not in any method of their own devising [Note: Deu 17:8-12<\/span>.]. To this sacrifice was to be added a public profession of their personal<\/em> innocence, and, at the same time, a public acknowledgment of their national<\/em> guilt: they must profess their innocence both by an appropriate sign, (washing their hands over the slain heifer<\/em>,) and an express declaration; and they must acknowledge their guilt, with earnest supplications for mercy and forgiveness. Thus, namely, by their protestations<\/em> and petitions<\/em>, did they shew to all, that, as God would not hear those who regarded iniquity in their hearts, so neither would he punish any, who should humble themselves before him in his appointed way. Truly, in this view, the ordinance, though merely judicial, was most interesting and most instructive.]<\/p>\n The mystical import of the ordinance being explained, we proceed,<\/p>\n II.<\/p>\n To point out some lessons which may be learned from it<\/p>\n We of course pass over those things which are less appropriate, and fix our attention upon those which seem to arise most naturally out of the subject before us. 1.<\/p>\n The importance of preventing or punishing sin<\/p>\n [The concurrence of the elders and the priests in this ordinance shews, that magistrates and ministers should unite their efforts for the preservation of the public morals, and the averting of guilt from the land in which they dwell. To discourage, detect, and punish it, should be their constant endeavour; that the interests of society may not suffer, and that the honour of God may be maintained. The magistrate ought not to bear the sword in vain: he should be a terror to evil-doers, and a revenger to execute wrath upon them: and though it does not comport so well with the ministerial office to be exercising civil authority, the minister should be forward on every occasion to aid and stimulate to the utmost of his power those whom God has ordained to be his vicegerents upon earth Were such a co-operation more common, the flagrant violations of the Sabbath, and a thousand other enormities which are daily committed in our streets, would vanish at least from public view, and in a great measure be prevented. 2.<\/p>\n The comfort of a good conscience<\/p>\n [The persons who were thus solemnly to assert their innocence in the presence of God, would doubtless feel happy that they were able to make their appeal to him in truth. To do so with respect to all sin, would be impossible, because there is no man that liveth and sinneth not: but with respect to allowed and indulged sin, we all ought to be able to call God to witness that we are free from it. We must be Israelites indeed, and without any allowed guile. And O! what a comfort is it when we can say with Job, O God, thou knowest I am not wicked [Note: Job 10:7<\/span>.]! Such was the comfort enjoyed by Paul; Our rejoicing is this, the testimony of our conscience, that in simplicity and godly sincerity, not with fleshly wisdom, but by the grace of God, we have had our conversation in the world [Note: 2Co 1:12<\/span>.]; When indeed we can make that appeal to God, we should do it with holy fear and jealousy, lest there should, after all, be some sin undiscovered by us. We should say with Paul, Though I know nothing by myself, yet am I not hereby justified; but he that judgeth me is the Lord [Note: 1Co 4:4<\/span>.]. We may see in the instance of Pilate how awfully a man may deceive his own soul: he washed his hands before the multitude, and said, I am free from the blood of this just person: but his reluctance to commit sin could not excuse the actual commission of it; any more than the washing of his hands could cleanse his soul. Nevertheless we should labour to keep a conscience void of offence, and so to have every evil disposition mortified, as to be able constantly to say with David, I will wash my hands in innocency, O Lord, and so will I compass thine altar [Note: Psa 26:6<\/span>.].]<\/p>\n 3.<\/p>\n The efficacy of united faith and prayer<\/p>\n [Great as the guilt of murder was, the Lord declared that it should not be imputed to the land, if this ordinance were duly complied with. And what sin is there that shall be imputed to us, if we look by faith to that great Sacrifice which was once offered for sin, and implore mercy from God as his redeemed people?<\/em> Not even murder itself should be excepted, if the forgiveness of it were diligently sought in this manner. Hear how David prayed, after the murder of Uriah: Deliver me from blood-guiltiness, O God, thou God of my salvation; and my tongue shall sing aloud of thy righteousness! Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, and cleanse me from my sin! Purge me with hyssop, and I shall be clean; wash me, and I shall be whiter than snow [Note: Psa 51:2<\/span>; Psa 51:7<\/span>; Psa 51:14<\/span>.]. O glorious truth! Though our sins be as crimson, they may be made white as snow. Beloved Brethren, see your guilt as already irrevocably contracted: see the judgments of God hanging over you: see death ready to execute its commission, and the jaws of hell opening to swallow you up. And now turn your eyes to the heifer slain in the rough valley, and averting from you the wrath of an offended God: in that heifer, see the Lord Jesus Christ, who has redeemed you from the curse of the law, being made a curse for you. To you, even to you, that blessed Redeemer says, Look unto me and be ye saved, all the ends of the earth! O look to Him, plead with him, trust in him! and he will in no wise cast you out. This<\/em> is the violence by which the kingdom of heaven is taken, even the violence of faith and prayer; and this force shall never be exerted in vain [Note: Mat 11:12<\/span>.].]<\/p>\n<\/p>\n Deu 21:6 And all the elders of that city, [that are] next unto the slain [man], shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:<\/p>\n Ver. 6. Shall wash their hands.<\/strong> ] An old ceremony, used in this case by the Gentiles also, as the Scholiast upon Sophocles showeth. See Trapp on “<\/em> Mat 27:24 “<\/em> <\/p>\n wash their hands: Washing the hands was anciently a symbolical action, denoting that the person was innocent of the crime in question. Job 9:30, Psa 19:12, Psa 26:6, Psa 51:2, Psa 51:7, Psa 51:14, Psa 73:13, Jer 2:22, Mat 27:24, Mat 27:25, Heb 9:10 <\/p>\n Reciprocal: 1Ti 1:9 – manslayers<\/p>\n And all the elders of that city, [that are] next unto the slain [man], shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley: 6. wash their hands ] thus disowning their own and their community’s guilt. Psa 26:6; Psa 73:13, Mat 27:24. over the heifer ] As representing the murderer or … Continue reading “Exegetical and Hermeneutical Commentary of Deuteronomy 21:6”<\/span><\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"","ping_status":"","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-5462","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-commentary"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5462","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=5462"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/5462\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=5462"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=5462"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.biblia.work\/bible-commentary\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=5462"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Fuente: The Cambridge Bible for Schools and Colleges<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Adam Clarke’s Commentary and Critical Notes on the Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: English Annotations on the Holy Bible by Matthew Poole<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Gill’s Exposition of the Entire Bible<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Calvin’s Complete Commentary<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Whedon’s Commentary on the Old and New Testaments<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: Commentary on the Holy Bible by Thomas Coke<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
THE METHOD OF EXPIATING AN UNKNOWN MURDER<\/strong><\/p>\n
We may learn then,<\/p>\n
But it is not only public<\/em> sin which should be thus discountenanced: the crimes perpetrated in secret<\/em>, and especially the hidden abominations of our own hearts, should be carefully investigated by us, and unreservedly suppressed. Every one should consider sin, of whatever kind it be, as that abominable thing which God hateth: and should remember, that, though it should never be detected and punished in this world. God will expose it in the world to come, and manifest his righteous indignation against all who commit it. Then at least, if not now, our sin will find us out: and therefore it becomes us now with all diligence to search and try ourselves, and to beg of God also to search and try us, to see if there be any wicked way in us, and to lead us in the way everlasting.]<\/p>\n
<\/strong><\/p>\nFuente: Charles Simeon’s Horae Homileticae (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: John Trapp’s Complete Commentary (Old and New Testaments)<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n
Fuente: The Treasury of Scripture Knowledge<\/b><\/i><\/h4>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"