What is the meaning of Deuteronomy 21:22? If a man has committed a sin worthy of death • Scripture takes certain sins so seriously that God assigns the ultimate penalty (Genesis 9:6; Exodus 21:12). • Capital offenses protect community holiness and underscore that “the wages of sin is death” (Romans 6:23). • The verse presumes a fair trial in line with Deuteronomy 17:6–7 and numbers of witnesses (Deuteronomy 19:15). • God’s justice is never arbitrary; it matches crime with consequence while safeguarding the innocent (Numbers 35:31–34). and he is executed • The sentence is actually carried out—justice moves from verdict to action (Deuteronomy 19:21). • Execution is a sobering reminder that sin’s cost is real, not theoretical (James 2:10 speaks to the seriousness of breaking God’s law). • The community—not a lone avenger—performs the penalty, showing that sin affects everyone (Numbers 35:30). • Even in judgment, God calls for dignity: stoning required witnesses to throw the first stones, preventing casual violence (Deuteronomy 17:7). and you hang his body on a tree • The public display came after death, serving as a deterrent and a visual lesson that “anyone hung on a tree is under God’s curse” (Deuteronomy 21:23). • Joshua used this practice to show victory over wicked kings (Joshua 8:29; 10:26). • Saul’s sons were hanged to address national guilt (2 Samuel 21:9), illustrating corporate consequences. • The New Testament reveals the ultimate fulfillment: “The God of our fathers raised up Jesus, whom you killed by hanging Him on a tree” (Acts 5:30). Christ “redeemed us from the curse of the Law by becoming a curse for us” (Galatians 3:13), taking the place of every sinner who deserves death. summary Deuteronomy 21:22 shows the gravity of sin, the necessity of just punishment, and the visual warning of hanging a body on a tree. It validates God’s righteous standards while pointing forward to Jesus, who bore the curse on our behalf so that all who trust Him may receive life instead of the death we deserve. |
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