21:8,9
The heifer was offered as atonement, and God would not hold the people responsible. This differs from a sacrifice where the guilt is admitted, and then the sacrifice atones for the sin. Here it is more a general guilt and innocence. The community is in a way responsible, but it is not known who actually committed the murder.
21:10-14
This is a rather strange passage. Elsewhere the Israelites are forbidden from marrying foreign women for fear that they will be led astray to worship idols. Here they are permitted to marry beautiful women who are among the captives. We may also act in revulsion against the practice. However, in wars soldiers often do marry women of occupied lands. We should also note that considerable attention is paid to the dignity of the woman. First she is allowed to mourn for her family for one month, and during this time the Israelite would not sleep with her. If the man decided he did not want to marry her after all he was still to treat her with care, not selling her nor making a slave of her.
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