Deuteronômio 21

Deuteronômio 21

MacArthur has an interesting note on why a valley - They would go to a valley (idol altars were always on high places, so this avoided association with idolatry). NET NOTE - a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown - The combination “a wadi with flowing water” is necessary because a wadi (נַחַל, nakhal) was ordinarily a dry stream or riverbed. For this ritual, however, a perennial stream must be chosen so that there would be fresh, rushing water. The unworked heifer, fresh stream, and uncultivated valley speak of ritual purity—of freedom from human contamination. Jack Deere - This ritual demonstrated how extremely valuable God considers life. For even though no murderer was found, the land and the people both incurred the guilt of shedding innocent blood. The animal sacrifice, accompanied by the petition of the elders, made atonement, that is, turned the wrath of God away from the people. (Bible Knowledge Commentary) Doug McIntosh - The animal was to be killed in a rite of atonement for the community. Two proposals are commonly forwarded for the rationale behind this ritual. One suggests that the rite substituted the death of the heifer for the death of the murderer. By killing the animal, the community displayed their recognition of the need to cleanse the land of such offenders. The other option is to regard the rite as symbolic of the cleansing of community guilt. Just as the blood of the animal was washed away by the flowing stream, the bloodguilt of the community was cleansed by the rite. In favor of the second suggestion is the location prescribed and the ritual of hand-washing by the elders (cp. v. 6). In this respect the rite of atonement resembles other prescribed rituals for the elimination of guilt (cp. the released bird in Lev. 14:1-7 and the scapegoat on the Day of Atonement in Lev. 16:20-22). Although the ritual for communal atonement contained aspects of worship, it was not properly a sacrifice. It was not offered at the central sanctuary (cp. Deut. 12:5-7), or on an altar of any kind, but in a valley adjacent to the responsible community. No reference is made to the pouring out of the blood in a ritualized way. (Holman Old Testament Commentary) ESVSB - This animal is not burned, as in the usual sacrifices. However, its death is a sacrifice to atone for sin committed by an unknown person.