23 verses
Deuteronomy 21 outlines procedures for accidental murder, treatment of captured women, inheritance rules, handling of rebellious sons, and capital punishment, emphasizing justice and communal responsibility.
The chapter opens with a procedure for dealing with a man found slain without known assailants: the nearest city’s elders present a heifer to the priests, who then judge the case and the elders wash their hands over the beheaded animal, signifying their innocence and God's mercy. It then instructs how to treat a captured woman, who must be shaved and kept in mourning before becoming a wife, and how to treat her if the man no longer desires her. The laws for inheritance require that the firstborn from a hated wife receives a double portion and the rightful status of a firstborn, even if a beloved wife has a son earlier. A stubborn son who resists parental authority is to be handed over to the city elders, who, after testimony, will stone him to remove evil from the community. Finally, if a person is condemned to death, the law requires that his body not remain on the gallows overnight but be buried the same day to keep the land clean. The passage stresses communal accountability, protection of the innocent, and order within families and society.
neutral
The passage presents legal instructions without overt emotional tone, though it conveys a concern for justice and communal well-being.