CLAIM: In Numbers, we read, “You shall not take ransom for the life of a murderer who is guilty of death, but he shall surely be put to death” (Num. 35:31). However, in Exodus, we read, “If a ransom is demanded of him, then he shall give for the redemption of his life whatever is demanded of him” (Ex. 21:30). Could the Israelites offer ransom for murder or not?

RESPONSE: These two laws are describing two different types of death. Numbers 35 was an intentional murder. Exodus 21 was an accidental homicide. In Exodus 21, the guilty person simply didn’t contain his ox. The Israelites could pay a fine for accidental deaths, but they couldn’t simply pay a fee for intentional murder.