Deuteronomy 24:7-9

24:7 If a man is found kidnapping a person from among his fellow Israelites, 1  and regards him as mere property 2  and sells him, that kidnapper 3  must die. In this way you will purge 4  evil from among you.

Respect for Human Dignity

24:8 Be careful during an outbreak of leprosy to follow precisely 5  all that the Levitical priests instruct you; as I have commanded them, so you should do. 24:9 Remember what the Lord your God did to Miriam 6  along the way after you left Egypt.

1 tn Heb “from his brothers, from the sons of Israel.” The terms “brothers” and “sons of Israel” are in apposition; the second defines the first more specifically.

2 tn Or “and enslaves him.”

3 tn Heb “that thief.”

4 tn Heb “burn.” See note on the word “purge” in Deut 19:19.

5 tn Heb “to watch carefully and to do.”

9 sn What the Lord your God did to Miriam. The reference is to Miriam’s having contracted leprosy because of her intemperate challenge to Moses’ leadership (Num 12:1-15). The purpose for the allusion here appears to be the assertion of the theocratic leadership of the priests who, like Moses, should not be despised.