Life for Life נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ

We are in chapter twenty-four of Leviticus with our word for today which is a phrase. נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ life for life. It is used 5 times in the Old Testament. We see our phrase used in the context of the court judicial system in Israel. We see it in the context of injuring a child in the womb. Exodus 21:22-25 When men strive together and hit a pregnant woman, so that her children come out, but there is no harm, the one who hit her shall surely be fined, as the woman's husband shall impose on him, and he shall pay as the judges determine. But if there is harm, then you shall pay נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, stripe for stripe. We see it used in the context of the capital crime of blaspheming God. This is how our phrase is used in our chapter. Leviticus 24:17-20 Whoever takes a human life shall surely be put to death. Whoever takes an animal's life shall make it good, נֶ֖פֶשׁ תַּ֥חַת נָֽפֶשׁ life for life. If anyone injures his neighbor, as he has done it shall be done to him, fracture for fracture, eye for eye, tooth for tooth; whatever injury he has given a person shall be given to him. We find our word used of God carrying out justice on a king who was operating outside of God’s direction. 1 Kings 20:39-42 And as the king passed, he cried to the king and said, “Your servant went out into the midst of the battle, and behold, a soldier turned and brought a man to me and said, ‘Guard this man; if by any means he is missing, נַפְשְׁךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ your life shall be for his life, or else you shall pay a talent of silver.’ And as your servant was busy here and there, he was gone.” The king of Israel said to him, “So shall your judgment be; you yourself have decided it.” Then he hurried to take the bandage away from his eyes, and the king of Israel recognized him as one of the prophets. And he said to him, “Thus says the Lord, ‘Because you have let go out of your hand the man whom I had devoted to destruction, therefore נַפְשְׁךָ֙ תַּ֣חַת נַפְשׁ֔וֹ your life shall be for his life, and your people for his people.’” We also see our phrase used in a different form translated the same way. It is used in the context of how to deal with a false witness. Deuteronomy 19:18-21 The judges shall inquire diligently, and if the witness is a false witness and has accused his brother falsely, then you shall do to him as he had meant to do to his brother. So you shall purge the evil from your midst. And the rest shall hear and fear, and shall never again commit any such evil among you. Your eye shall not pity. It shall be נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot. This use and the use in our chapter reminds us of God’s character of wanting to keep people from over reacting when responding to criminal actions. We have looked at this several times already in our journey through the Bible so far. The good news is that regardless of if we have committed criminal actions (all of us have committed sinful actions) God offers us forgiveness and life through his Son’s death on the cross for us. Jesus gave up his life to save our life and give us real life. I’ll close with these great reminders. Mark 10:45 For even the Son of Man came not to be served but to serve, and to give his life as a ransom for many. John 5:26 For as the Father has life in himself, so he has granted the Son also to have life in himself. 2 Corinthians 2:14-16 But thanks be to God, who in Christ always leads us in triumphal procession, and through us spreads the fragrance of the knowledge of him everywhere. For we are the aroma of Christ to God among those who are being saved and among those who are perishing, to one a fragrance from death to death, to the other a fragrance from life to life.