Holly Bible - KJV with Concise Commentaries by Z Selam - HTML preview
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13 And if a man lie not in wait, but God deliver him into his hand;
then I will appoint thee a place whither he shall flee.
14 But if a man come presumptuously upon his neighbor, to slay him
with guile; thou shalt take him from mine altar, that he may die.
15 And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put
to death.
Concerning rebellious children. It is here made a capital crime, to be punished with death, for children either,
1. To strike their parents (Ex 21:15) so as either to draw blood or to make the place struck black and blue. Or,
2. To curse their parents (Ex 21:17), if they profaned any name of God in doing it, as the rabbies say. Note, The undutiful behaviour of children towards their parents is a very great provocation to God our common Father; and, if men do not punish it, he will. Those are perfectly lost to all virtue, and abandoned to all wickedness, that have broken through the bonds of filial reverence and duty to such a degree as in word or action to abuse their own parents. What yoke will those bear that have shaken off this? Let children take heed of entertaining in their minds any such thought or passions towards their parents as savour of undutifulness and contempt; for the righteous God searches the heart.
16 And he that stealeth a man, and selleth him, or if he be found in
his hand, he shall surely be put to death.
Here is a law against man-stealing (Ex 21:16): He that steals a man (that is, a person, man, woman, or child), with design to sell him to the Gentiles (for no Israelite would buy him), was adjudged to death by this statute, which is ratified by the apostle (1Ti 1:10), where men-stealers are reckoned among those wicked ones against whom laws must be made by Christian princes.
17 And he that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put
to death.
18 And if men strive together, and one smite another with a stone,
or with his fist, and he die not, but keepeth his bed: