"Bring the one who has cursed outside the camp, and let all who heard him lay their hands on his head; then let all the congregation stone him.I find the requirement to lay hands on him both interesting and disturbing. Placing your hand on his head is what they did to animals they were about to sacrifice. It almost makes it sound like they're going to sacrifice him to God as some kind of offering, like they would a goat or a bull.
However, I think it is not meant as a sacrifice, but a sign of commitment. You are about to condemn something to die, that God's Law may be fulfilled. That is a serious undertaking, and not to be done lightly. To place your hand on the head of an animal, you are making a connection between you and it, that it may take your sins. On a man who has transgressed, you are confirming that this is the man you heard curse, as a witness would in court. He is about to die, and you are going to be responsible for that death, even though it is not you who sinned. Like someone in a court bearing witness, you'd better be sure you're right.
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