John Gills Exposition of the Bible Commentary - Deuteronomy 21:3
And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man ,.... And so suspected, as the Targum of Jonathan, of the murder; or the murderer is in it, or however belonged to it: even the elders of the city shall take an heifer ; of a year old, as the same Targum, and so Jarchi; and in this the Jewish writers agree, that it must be a year old, but not two; though heifers of three years old were sometimes used in sacrifice, Genesis 15:9 a type of Christ, in his strength,... read more
Matthew Henry's Complete Commentary - Deuteronomy 21:1-9
Care had been taken by some preceding laws for the vigorous and effectual persecution of a wilful murderer (Deut. 19:11-13), the putting of whom to death was the putting away of the guilt of blood from the land; but if this could not be done, the murderer not being discovered, they must not think that the land was in no danger of contracting any pollution because it was not through any neglect of theirs that the murderer was unpunished; no, a great solemnity is here provided for the putting... read more