Could Jesus Have Died For Our Sins? (Deuteronomy 24:16)

This is an interesting verse that people use to claim Jesus couldn't have died for our sins, let us jump into this heads first! This is the verse in question, '“Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin" (Deuteronomy 24:16 NASB1995). 

This is a fair argument, but still easy to debunk. Let us read some of the verses around it,  "You shall give him his wages on his day before the sun sets, for he is poor and sets his heart on it; so that he will not cry against you to the Lord and it become sin in you. “Fathers shall not be put to death for their sons, nor shall sons be put to death for their fathers; everyone shall be put to death for his own sin. “You shall not pervert the justice due an alien or an orphan, nor take a widow’s garment in pledge..." (Deuteronomy 24:15-17 NASB1995).

Clearly, this passage is speaking in reference to judgment. As the passage states, the Lord wishes us not to allow one to die for another in reference to sinning, to not pervert justice by shoving one's burdens on a relative. First of all, by looking at the Hebrew word used for sin. The word was "בְּחֶטְא֖וֹ" or more simply, "חֵטְא." This word has a variety of meanings, some being an offense or penalty. Huh, this seems to make a lot of sense in reference to that whole judgment sentiment. If we translate it in this way, we learn it is speaking about how one shouldn't place their crimes on a relative.

A common practice in the olden days was this exact concept, if a man couldn't pay a debt or was in need of punishment, it was common to strike the heir or a relative of them. An idea of this is found in Hammurabi's code. Specifically, Code #117, "If a man is in debt and sells his wife, son, or daughter, or binds them over to service, for three years they shall work in the house of their purchaser of master; in the fourth year they shall be given their freedom." Laws like these are what the Bible forbids here. Literal judicial crimes, not mere sins. 

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New American Standard Bible®, Copyright © 1960, 1971, 1977, 1995 by The Lockman Foundation. All rights reserved.