The Law Concerning Violence
August 23, 2020
Commentary
Four crimes are stated that required the death penalty (vv. 12-17):
Premeditated Murder (vv. 12-14) – It is clearly stated here that to take the life of a murder is not the violation of “Thou shalt no kill” but was clearly commanded by God.Physical violence against parents (v. 15) – The hitting of one’s parents was certainly a very serious thing in Israel’s society.Kidnaping (v. 16) – Required capital punishment.Verbal abuse of parents (v. 17) – It is very sobering to think that disrespectfulness in the home was to be dealt with in the same way as murder.In the next few verses we find regulations concerning how civil violations that were not severe enough to merit the death penalty were to be handled:
Fighting (vv. 18-19) – The injured party was to be given compensation for his loss of work time and pay for medical expenses.Slaves beaten or killed (vv. 20-21) – If killed, judges would set the masters punishment. If the slave soon recovered, the loss of the slaves work was considered punishment enough.
Application
How many children do you think would have to die today if the penalty for verbal abuse of parents was carried out as it was stated in verse 17? I am thankful my parents respected God and loved me.
Exodus 21:12– 21 (NET)
12 “Whoever strikes someone so that he dies must surely be put to death. 13 But if he does not do it with premeditation, but it happens by accident, then I will appoint for you a place where he may flee. 14 But if a man willfully attacks his neighbor to kill him cunningly, you will take him even from my altar that he may die.
15 “Whoever strikes his father or his mother must surely be put to death.
16 “Whoever kidnaps someone and sells him, or is caught still holding him, must surely be put to death.
17 “Whoever treats his father or his mother disgracefully must surely be put to death.
18 “If men fight, and one strikes his neighbor with a stone or with his fist and he does not die, but must remain in bed, 19 and then if he gets up and walks about outside on his staff, then the one who struck him is innocent, except he must pay for the injured person’s loss of time and see to it that he is fully healed.
20 “If a man strikes his male servant or his female servant with a staff so that he or she dies as a result of the blow, he will surely be punished. 21 However, if the injured servant survives one or two days, the owner will not be punished, for he has suffered the loss.
Illustration: Prisoner Pardoned After Warden Refuses to Pull The Switch
A strange situation that saved the life of a condemned man arose as Jim Williams, was about to be executed in the Florida state penitentiary at Raiford in 1926. After he had been strapped into the electric chair and the black hood placed over his head, both the warden and the sheriff refused to pull the switch, each claiming it was the duty of the other. At the end of the futile and heated argument which lasted 20 minutes. Williams was un-strapped and returned to his cell. For being subjected to this misfortune, his sentence was commuted to life imprisonment and, eight years later, for saving two lives on a prison farm, he was rewarded with a full pardon. (Encyclopedia of Illustrations #1134).