The Heifer, Murder, and the Bible

Quran

[2:67] Moses said to his people, “GOD commands you to sacrifice a heifer.” They said, “Are you mocking us?” He said, “GOD forbid, that I should behave like the ignorant ones.” [2:68] They said, “Call upon your Lord to show us which one.” He said, “He says that she is a heifer that is neither too old, nor too young; of an intermediate age. Now, carry out what you are commanded to do.” [2:69] They said, “Call upon your Lord to show us her color.” He said, “He says that she is a yellow heifer, bright colored, pleases the beholders.” [2:70] They said, “Call upon your Lord to show us which one. The heifers look alike to us and, GOD willing, we will be guided.” [2:71] He said, “He says that she is a heifer that was never humiliated in plowing the land or watering the crops; free from any blemish.” They said, “Now you have brought the truth.” They finally sacrificed her, after this lengthy reluctance.

[2:72] You had killed a soul, then disputed among yourselves. GOD was to expose what you tried to conceal. [2:73] We said, “Strike (the victim) with part (of the heifer).” That is when GOD brought the victim back to life, and showed you His signs, that you may understand.

Numbers 19

¹ Then the Lord spoke to Moses and Aaron, saying, ² “This is the statute of the law which the Lord has commanded, saying, ‘Speak to the sons of Israel that they bring you an unblemished red heifer in which there is no defect and on which a yoke has never been mounted. ³ And you shall give it to Eleazar the priest, and it shall be brought outside the camp and be slaughtered in his presence. ⁴ And Eleazar the priest shall take some of its blood with his finger and sprinkle some of its blood toward the front of the tent of meeting seven times. ⁵ Then the heifer shall be burned in his sight; its hide, its flesh, and its blood, with its refuse, shall be burned.

Deuteronomy 21

¹ “If a person who has been killed by someone is found lying in the open country in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who struck him, ² then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the one who was killed. ³ And it shall be that the city which is nearest to the person killed, that is, that the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd that has not been worked and has not pulled in a yoke; ⁴ and the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which has not been plowed or sown, and they shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. ⁵ Then the priests, the sons of Levi, shall come forward, because the Lord your God has chosen them to serve Him and to bless in the name of the Lord; and every dispute and violent crime shall be settled by them. ⁶ And all the elders of that city which is nearest to the person killed shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; ⁷ and they shall respond and say, ‘Our hands did not shed this blood, nor did our eyes see who did. ⁸ Forgive Your people Israel whom You have redeemed, Lord, and do not place the guilt for innocent blood in the midst of Your people Israel.’ And the guilt for bloodshed shall be forgiven them. ⁹ So you shall remove the guilt for innocent blood from your midst, when you do what is right in the eyes of the Lord.