The purpose of the justice system is to acquit the innocent and condemn the guilty. Physical punishment was used, and was limited to forty lashes to avoid the offender being "degraded". Now to us this seems very strange. However, I think it is fair to say that our judicial system and punishment system is not exactly effective. Moreover, the advantage of corporal punishment is that it is over and done with. Prison drags on and seems to do little to help. So perhaps we should not be so quick to rush to judgement.
Under certain circumstances a brother was to take his brother's widow as a wife. The goal was to ensure that the family name did not die out. There was a much greater sense of family identity than we find in our very individualistic society.
Verses 11 and 12 contain a very amusing instruction. It is not quite clear why the woman should be punished for helping her husband.
Trade was to be carried out in a legal and straightforward manner, not cheating anyone.
Judgement was to be carried out against the Amalekites.
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