Essay su Deuteronomio 19:78

Num. 35 dealt at length with the same problem, the fate of the accidental murderer. There, however, the manslayer was confined to particular locations until the death of the High Priest, as a kind of atonement for the polluting of the land through bloodshed, whereas here it is primarily to escape family vengeance.

A society that put great store by land, as many still in the region today, ancient Israel saw family holdings and borders as basically sacred (in this text as in others, the “inheritance” comes from God).

The need for multiple witnesses and proper inquiry establishes the seriousness of what is at stake in the justice system. In keeping with the biblical idea of “equity” (Heb. tzedek), that is, fairness and balance in judgment, a false witness suffers the same punishment as would have befallen the innocent person whom he accused. The “eye for an eye” punishment is thus to serve as a deterrent for a most abhorrent crime.