레위기 26:25의 Musar

Commandment 51 provides for the Court to impose the death penalty by the sword in certain situations (Hereg). If a master kills his Canaanite servant by a lethal blow, he is also guilty of execution by this method, viz: (Exodus 21,20) "he shall be avenged." (Leviticus 26,25 states "the sword will wreak vengeance for the covenant" on those breaching it).

A few words concerning the four methods of executing someone legally that are possible in Jewish law, namely סקילה, שרפה, הרג, חנק, i.e. death by stoning, burning, sword or asphyxiation. Though according to the plain meaning, פשט, these methods are listed in descending order of severity, and the Torah specified the method compatible with each respective sin for which a death penalty is mandatory as a positive commandment, the fact remains that a person's death is due to the angel of death who derives his authority from the attribute of Justice, מדת הדין, which in turn decides on a variety of methods in which to implement this authority. Execution by the sword is symbolic of the avenging sword at work; it avenges the breach of the covenant with the supreme Law-giver. Hanging, i.e. choking to death, is appropriate for rebellious acts, i.e. an unspecified method of execution, suggesting that it is the result of the מדת הדין. The sinner is to have his mouth closed so that he can no longer speak out rebelliously. Stoning, סקילה, i.e. the very use of stones, suggests that the guilty person had upset the אבן הפינה, the cornerstone of Torah, had undermined it, so to speak. Death by fire, indicates that G–d's great fire had struck the guilty person (compare Rekanati's commentary on Deut. 18,16).