“‘Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death; but he shall surely be put to death.
Parallel translations
- KJV Moreover ye shall take no satisfaction for the life of a murderer, which is guilty of death: but he shall be surely put to death.
- BSB You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
- NKJV Moreover you shall take no ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death.
- NASB Moreover, you shall not accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who is condemned to death, but he must be put to death.
- NLT Also, you must never accept a ransom payment for the life of someone judged guilty of murder and subject to execution; murderers must always be put to death.
Scripture taken from the New King James Version®. Copyright © 1982 by Thomas Nelson. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
Scripture quotations taken from the (NASB®) New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995, 2020 by The Lockman Foundation. Used by permission. All rights reserved. lockman.org
Scripture quotations are taken from the Holy Bible, New Living Translation, copyright © 1996, 2004, 2015 by Tyndale House Foundation. Used by permission of Tyndale House Publishers, Carol Stream, Illinois 60188. All rights reserved.
Quick answer
No payment may be accepted to spare a guilty murderer from death. The life of the victim cannot be bought off with money.
Overview
Israel was forbidden to accept a ransom that would let a true murderer escape the death penalty, affirming that human life is too sacred to be commuted by a bribe. This upholds the absolute seriousness of unlawfully shed blood before God. By contrast, the gospel reveals that the only sufficient ransom for sinners is not silver or gold but the precious blood of Christ (1 Peter 1:18-19).
Cross-references & the web
Cross-references · 6
- Ps 51:14Deliver me from the guilt of bloodshed, O God, the God of my salvation. My tongue shall sing aloud of your righteousness.
- 1 Kgs 2:28–34This news came to Joab; for Joab had followed Adonijah, although he didn’t follow Absalom. Joab fled to Yahweh’s Tent, and held onto the horns of the altar.
- 2 Sam 12:13David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against Yahweh.” Nathan said to David, “Yahweh also has put away your sin. You will not die.
- Exod 21:14If a man schemes and comes presumptuously on his neighbor to kill him, you shall take him from my altar, that he may die.
- Deut 19:11–13But if any man hates his neighbor, lies in wait for him, rises up against him, strikes him mortally so that he dies, and he flees into one of these cities;
- Gen 9:5–6I will surely require your blood of your lives; at the hand of every animal I will require it. At the hand of man, even at the hand of every man’s brother, I will require the life of man.
Themes, concepts, people & topics
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Christ at the center
In the wilderness Christ is the water from the rock, the bronze serpent lifted up that the dying might look and live (John 3:14), and the star and scepter that Balaam saw rising out of Jacob.
How Numbers 35:31 points to him is part of the one story that runs through all Scripture — meet Jesus at the heart of the web, or follow a trail that traces him from Genesis to Revelation.
Original language
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