What is the meaning of Numbers 35:31? You are not to accept a ransom - God explicitly rules out any monetary settlement that would let a killer buy his way out of justice. - This echoes Exodus 21:12 – “Whoever strikes a man so that he dies must surely be put to death”; no loophole exists. - Justice in Scripture is not for sale; Proverbs 17:15 warns that justifying the wicked or condemning the righteous are both detestable to the LORD. for the life of a murderer - The focus is narrow: premeditated, intentional killing. - Earlier in Numbers 35:20–21, deliberate murder is distinguished from accidental manslaughter, which the cities of refuge address (Numbers 35:11). - Genesis 9:6 lays the foundation: “Whoever sheds the blood of man, by man his blood shall be shed…”—because life bears God’s image. who deserves to die - Deserving death is not arbitrary; it rests on God’s moral standard and the testimony of at least two witnesses (Numbers 35:30; Deuteronomy 17:6). - Romans 13:4 later affirms that earthly authority “does not bear the sword in vain” but is God’s servant to execute wrath on the wrongdoer. - Justice protects the innocent and preserves the value of human life by treating murder with ultimate seriousness. he must surely be put to death - The repetition—“must surely”—underscores certainty; the sentence is mandatory, not optional. - Deterrence is intended: Deuteronomy 19:20 says, “Those who remain shall hear and be afraid, and never again do such an evil thing.” - Mercy is shown elsewhere for repentant sinners (e.g., David in 2 Samuel 12:13) yet even then consequences follow (2 Samuel 12:10–14). Here, God upholds civil order through capital punishment. summary Numbers 35:31 teaches that when someone intentionally takes a life, no amount of money or negotiation can replace the God-ordained penalty of death. This protects society, honors the image of God in every person, and affirms that life is priceless. |