Crime and Punishment

Exodus 21:12–36

Frustration with Hebrew Law Passages

“Religious laws against idolatry (22:20) suddenly intrude into more secular laws about sexual relationships, oppressing the poor, and lending money (22:16-19, 25-27).”

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-Dennis Olsen “The Jagged Cliffs of Mount Sinai”

Frustration with Hebrew Law Passages

“Whereas some laws provide direct and detailed guidelines for adjudication and punishment and appear to be intended for use in a human court of law (21:1-22:17), other laws contain numerous motive clauses that seem more intended for persuading, exhorting, and teaching a community about its values and actions as a direct and personal word from God (20:22-26; 22:18-23:19)…”

-Michael Heiser, The Naked Bible, 290

Frustration with Hebrew Law Passages

“Some of the laws in the Book of the Covenant are closely parallel to laws that have been discovered in other ancient Near Eastern cultures. For example, the law of the goring ox resembles laws in the Mesopotamian law codes of Eshnunna (54-55) and the code of Hammurabi (250-252). In contrast, other laws clearly derive from a uniquely Israelite context and history (e.g., Exod. 22:21; 23:9-19). Some scholars argue that this distinction between borrowed Near Eastern laws and native Israelite laws is a sign of a deeper, unresolved conflict between two clashing systems of values embedded within the Book of the Covenant.”

Outline – Exodus 21:12-36 – Personal Injury

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

1. Vv. 12-14 Intentional vs. Unintentional Death

2. V. 15 – Assaulting Parents

3. V. 16 - Kidnapping (man stealing)/Possession of a kidnapped slave

4. V. 17 – Cursing Mother and Father

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

1. V. 18-19 – Serious Injury

2. Vv. 20-21 – Injuring Slaves

3. Vv. 22-25 – Injury During Pregnancy

4. Vv. 26-27 – Permanent Injury

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

1. Vv. 28-32 – Injury/Death by Animal

2. Vv. 33-34 – Negligence Kills an Animal #1

3. Vv. 35-36 – Negligence Kills an Animal #2

Outline – Exodus 21:12-26

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

1. Vv. 12-14 Intentional vs. Unintentional Death

2. V. 15 - Assaulting Parents

3. V. 16 - Kidnapping (man stealing)/ Possession

4. V. 17 – Cursing Mother and Father

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

Numbers 35:33–34

‘So you shall not pollute the land in which you are; for blood pollutes the land and no expiation can be made for the land for the blood that is shed on it, except by the blood of him who shed it. 34 ‘You shall not defile the land in which you live, in the midst of which I dwell; for I the Lord am dwelling in the midst of the sons of Israel.’ ”

Outline – Exodus 21:12-26

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

1. Vv. 12-14 Intentional vs. Unintentional Death

2. V. 15 - Assaulting Parents

3. V. 16 - Kidnapping (man stealing)/ Possession

4. V. 17 – Cursing Mother and Father

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

Deuteronomy 21:22–23

“If a man has committed a sin worthy of death and he is put to death, and you hang him on a tree, 23 his corpse shall not hang all night on the tree, but you shall surely bury him on the same day (for he who is hanged is accursed of God), so that you do not defile your land which the Lord your God gives you as an inheritance.

Outline – Exodus 21:12-26

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

1. Vv. 12-14 Intentional vs. Unintentional Death

2. V. 15 - Assaulting Parents

3. V. 16 - Kidnapping (man stealing)/ Possession

4. V. 17 – Cursing Mother and Father

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

Outline – Exodus 21:12-27

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

1. V. 18-19 – Serious Injury

2. Vv. 20-21 – Injuring Slaves

3. Vv. 22-25 – Injury During Pregnancy

4. Vv. 26-27 – Permanent Injury

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

Numbers 35:31

“Moreover, you shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.”

Outline – Exodus 21:28-36

A. Capital Crimes (Vv.12-17)

B. Personal Injuries (Vv. 18-27)

C. Criminal Negligence (Vv. 28-36)

1. Vv. 28-32 – Injury/Death by Animal

2. Vv. 33-34 – Negligence Kills an Animal #1

3. Vv. 35-36 – Negligence Kills an Animal #2

Principles of Righteousness:

1. The extreme value of a person, made in the image of God. This is seen in both the taking the life of a person and the enslaving of a person.

2. Law was administered by God given structure and proper authority.

3. Both the individual as well as God’s community has to address guilt and sin, they must be removed or “expiated”.

Principles of Righteousness:

4. Accusing and witnessing against someone is no small matter. This easily leads to serious sins and harsh punishment for those who are not truthful.

5. When you injure a person, you have the responsibility to try to make him whole.

6. Revenge is to be replaced by proportional recompense.

Principles of Righteousness:

7. You are responsible for your property of all kinds.

8. You should take all reasonable measures to ensure the safety of others.

9. When you fail in your responsibilities to your neighbors, seek to make it right.

Matthew 5:21–22

“You have heard that the ancients were told, ‘You shall not commit murder’ and ‘Whoever commits murder shall be liable to the court.’ 22 “But I say to you that everyone who is angry with his brother shall be guilty before the court; and whoever says to his brother, ‘You good-for-nothing,’ shall be guilty before the supreme court; and whoever says, ‘You fool,’ shall be guilty enough to go into the fiery hell.”

Galatians 3:13

“Christ redeemed us from the curse of the Law, having become a curse for us—for it is written, “Cursed is everyone who hangs on a tree”—