The Pulpit Commentary — Numbers — Section 464

u <:ondemned the murderer to death solemnly reajfirmed (ver. 30; compare with vers. 16-21 and Gen. ix. 6). To be sure, the extreme penalty ought not to be executed' without extreme circumspection. The unsupported testimony of one witness is not to be held sufficient to sustain a charge of murder. Nevertheless, if there is sufficient. evidence, the sword must strike, the murderer must not be suffered to go free. 2. T/i,- death penalty may not be commuted into a fine (ver. 31 ). In regard to this point the Mosaic law differs from many, perhaps from most other primitive codes; for they suffered the murderer to compound with the kinsmen of his victim by paying a fine in cattle or in money. The law of Moses suffered no such composition. The murderer must be put to death. Even the restraint to which the lo.w subjected the involuntary manslayer was not suffered to be relaxed by a money payment. In all cases affecting- the sanctity of life pecuniary compositions are utterly forbidden. III. THE REASON OF THIS STATUTE is carefully explained (vers. 33, 34). The reason- lies in these three principles :-1. "Blood de.fileth the land" ( cf. Ps. cvi. 38). That sin defiles the sinner, that murder especially defiles the conscience of the murderer- these are facts patent to all. It is not so often observed that crime perpetrated in a city defiles the whole city. The whole community has a share in the guilt. Hence- the remarkable law laid down in Deut. xxi. 1-9 for the expiation of an uncertain murder. 2. The proper ezp_iation of murder is by the death of the murderer. " The land cannot be cleansed of the blood that is shed therein but by the blood of' him that shed it." Justice is satisfied, the honour of the law vindicated, when the murderer is put to death, and not otherwise. To accept a pecuniary satisfaction for- blood is simply to pollute the land. 3. In this whole matter the paramount con~ sideration ought to be the honour of God. Murder is criminal beyond all other- offences, because it is the defacement of the image of God in man. Murder must, not go unavenged, because it defiles the land before God.--Let these principles be carefully weighed. They set in a clear light the true and adequate reason for- inflicting punishment on evil-doers. The true reason is neither the reformation o:f the criminal (for the sword must strike although there should be no hope of refonn- ation) nor the protection of society. These are importnnt objects, and not to be- overlooked ; but the proper reason of punishment is the vindication of righteousness, the executing of vengeance on the man who doeth evil (Rom. xiii. 4). IV. In conclusion, DOES NOT ALL THIS SHED WELCOME LIGHT ON THE ATONEMENT OF" OUR DLESSED LORD? The death of Christ for our sins accomplished many great o.ndc precious purposes. It was an affecting proof of his sympathy with us. lt was & revelation of the Father's love. But these purposes do not contain the proper and- adequate reason of our Lord's sufferings. He died for our sins. It was necessary that our sins should be cleansed, that expiation or atonement should be made for- them. (N.B. It is the same Hebrew word, commonly translated -atonement else- where in the Old Testament, which in this passage is translated cleansing in the text and upiation in the margin.) They might have been expiated in our blood. B~t, blessed be God, his mercy has found out another way. By a blessed exchange Chn~t has become sin for us ; he bas borne our sins and mude atonement for them. This was the end of his sufferings-to satisfy the justice of the Father for our sins, so tlrnt bis righteousness might not be dishonoured although we should go free.-B. Vere. 9-34.-Tke cuiea of refuge. The laws in regard to the cities of refuge and' manslaughter suggest truths on the following subjects. We see in them- I. A TOLERATION OF WHAT Goo NEl'J'BEB HAS APPOINTED NOB APPROVES. The old custom of blood-avenging by the goel, though open to grave_ abuses, was not altogether proscribed. The laws given by God to Moses were not always absolutely the beet, tLough, relatively to the state of the people, the best they could endure. Other illustrations are found in the laws relating to divorce1 polygamy, and slavery. TLese examples of a wise conservatism suggest lessons tor parents, who have _to• "overlook" (Acts xvii. 30) the times of ignorance of their children, and for mis- sionaries, who may have for a time to tolerate inevitable evils in converts whose consciences are not yet trained. As God dealt with the Jews during their childhood: as a nation, so does he in mercy deal with his sinful cl1ildren during their education- in this life (Ps. xix, 12; cx.xx-. 3, 4). ()H. XXXV. 1-34, l THE BOOK OF NUMBERS.