신명기(Deu) 19장
3. 네 하나님 여호와께서 네게 기업으로 주시는 땅 전체를 세 구역으로 나누어 길을 닦고 모든 살인자를 그 성읍으로 도피하게 하라
3. Determine the distances involved and divide into three parts the land the LORD your God is giving you as an inheritance, so that a person who kills someone may flee for refuge to one of these cities.
10. 네 하나님 여호와께서 네게 기업으로 주시는 땅에서 무죄한 피를 흘리지 말라 이같이 하면 그의 피가 네게로 돌아가지 아니하리라
10. Do this so that innocent blood will not be shed in your land, which the LORD your God is giving you as your inheritance, and so that you will not be guilty of bloodshed.
11. 그러나 만일 어떤 사람이 그의 이웃을 미워하여 엎드려 그를 기다리다가 일어나 상처를 입혀 죽게 하고 이 한 성읍으로 도피하면
11. But if out of hate someone lies in wait, assaults and kills a neighbor, and then flees to one of these cities,
12. 그 본 성읍 장로들이 사람을 보내어 그를 거기서 잡아다가 보복자의 손에 넘겨 죽이게 할 것이라
12. the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.
13. 네 눈이 그를 긍휼히 여기지 말고 무죄한 피를 흘린 죄를 이스라엘에서 제하라 그리하면 네게 복이 있으리라
13. Show no pity. You must purge from Israel the guilt of shedding innocent blood, so that it may go well with you.
20. 그리하면 그 남은 자들이 듣고 두려워하여 다시는 그런 악을 너희 중에서 행하지 아니하리라
20. The rest of the people will hear of this and be afraid, and never again will such an evil thing be done among you.
21. 네 눈이 긍휼히 여기지 말라 생명에는 생명으로, 눈에는 눈으로, 이에는 이로, 손에는 손으로, 발에는 발로이니라
21. Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
God seems to balance between justice and mercy, by making the cities of refuge for anyone who has killed someone unintentionally because He doesn't want to see innocent blood shed in our land. However, He never seems to forgive anyone who has killed someone intentionally, like with malice aforethought(계획적인 범행 의사를 가진 채). Then, He says, "Show no mercy: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot."
This message looks like too terrible and merciless to follow it but I have learned that it has the very important meaning and intentions of God who is just and generous as well.
These laws must have played the role of stopping that kind of crime from happening again and it also could purge (get rid of) the evil from among us, so that we could go well with each other, without shedding any innocent blood.
I think that It shows real fairness. I mean, in case we are upset about anyone, so we try to intentionally do harms on them, there are possibilities that we, as a victim, could hurt them even worse than that we have got from them in anger and fury. Therefore, we will have to wait until we face them to keep the commands of God, standing before judges in a court, which leads to just and right decisions to make, calming down our emotions and thoughts of killing the murder or anyone who hurt us.
Long ago, I got to know that the first and essential law of human mankind is based on this law of God and it is very impressive and this lets me think of God's wisdom and His love toward humans and humanity as well. The most important thing is that this law of God applies to this modern ones, affecting our daily lives as well, so I can't stop saying "Thanks, Lord my God!" for everything that i have got from Him for my and our sake and for our safety.
