John Gill's Bible Commentary Ver. 3. And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man , etc.] And so suspected, as the Targum of Jonathan, of the murder; or the murderer is in it, or however belonged to it: even the elders of the city shall take an heifer ; of a year old, as the same Targum, and so Jarchi; and in this the Jewish writers agree, that it must be a year old, but not two; though heifers of three years old were sometimes used in sacrifice, ( Genesis 15:9) a type of Christ, in his strength, laboriousness, and patience; (see Numbers 19:2) which hath not been wrought with ; in ploughing land, or treading out corn: and which hath not drawn in the yoke , which never had any yoke put upon it; or however, if attempted to be put upon it, it would not come under it, and draw with it: no mention is made, as usual, that it should be without blemish: because though in some sense expiatory, yet was not properly a sacrifice, it not being slain and offered where sacrifices were; hence it is said in the Misnah f263 , that a blemish in it did not make it rejected, or unlawful for use: nevertheless, this heifer may be a type of Christ, whose sufferings, bloodshed, and death, atone for secret and unknown sins, as well as for open and manifest ones, even for all sin; and its being free from labour, and without a yoke, may signify the freedom of Christ from the yoke of sin, and the service of it, and from human traditions; that he was not obliged to any toil and labour he had been concerned in, or to bear the yoke of the law, had he not voluntarily undertaken it of himself; and that he expiated the sins of such who were sons of Belial, children without a yoke; and for the same reason, this heifer not being required to be without blemish, might be because Christ, though he had no sin of his own, was made sin for his people, and reckoned as if he had been a sinner; though indeed, had this been the design of the type, all the sacrifices which typified Christ would not have required such a qualification, to be without blemish, as they did.
Matthew Henry Commentary
Verses 1-9 - If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread an detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often wonderfull brought to light these hidden works of darkness, and the sin of the guilty has often strangely found them out. The dread of murder shoul be deeply impressed upon every heart, and all should join in detectin and punishing those who are guilty. The elders were to profess tha they had not been any way aiding or abetting the sin. The priests wer to pray to God for the country and nation, that God would be merciful We must empty that measure by our prayers, which others are filling by their sins. All would be taught by this solemnity, to use the utmos care and diligence to prevent, discover, and punish murder. We may all learn from hence to take heed of partaking in other men's sins. And we have fellowship with the unfruitful works of darkness, if we do no reprove them.
Original Hebrew והיה1961 העיר5892 הקרבה7138 אל413 החלל2491 ולקחו3947 זקני2205 העיר5892 ההוא1931 עגלת5697 בקר1241 אשׁר834 לא3808 עבד5647 בה אשׁר834 לא3808 משׁכה4900 בעל׃5923
