You are not to accept a ransom for the life of a murderer who deserves to die; he must surely be put to death.
Parallel translations
- WEB “‘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.
- 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.
- ESV Moreover, you shall accept no ransom for the life of a murderer, who is guilty of death, but he shall 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 quotations are from the ESV® Bible (The Holy Bible, English Standard Version®), copyright © 2001 by Crossway, a publishing ministry of Good News Publishers. Used by permission. All rights reserved.
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 bloodguilt, O God, the God of my salvation, and my tongue will sing of Your righteousness.
- 1 Kgs 2:28–34When the news reached Joab, who had conspired with Adonijah but not with Absalom, he fled to the tent of the LORD and took hold of the horns of the altar.
- 2 Sam 12:13Then David said to Nathan, “I have sinned against the LORD.” “The LORD has taken away your sin,” Nathan replied. “You will not die.
- Exod 21:14But if a man schemes and acts willfully against his neighbor to kill him, you must take him away from My altar to be put to death.
- Deut 19:11–13If, however, a man hates his neighbor and lies in wait, attacks him and kills him, and then flees to one of these cities,
- Gen 9:5–6And surely I will require the life of any man or beast by whose hand your lifeblood is shed. I will demand an accounting from anyone who takes the life of his fellow 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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