In To Kill a Mockingbird, what does "let the dead bury the dead" mean?

Question

In the ending chapter of "To Kill a Mockingbird", Atticus and Mr Heck Tate (the Sheriff) are deciding who is responsible for the death of Mr Ewell. Atticus thinks Jem killed Mr Ewell but Heck knows it was actually Boo Radley. Heck Tate said that instead of bringing Boo to the public they should just "let the dead bury the dead." What is meant by this quotation?

Answer 1

Great question! This quote is actually an allusion to something Jesus says in the Bible. A man wants to leave Jesus to go bury his father and Jesus replies, "Leave the dead to bury their own dead. But as for you, go and proclaim the kingdom of God” (Luke 9:59–60). Jesus is asking the man to put aside his personal needs in favor of the greater good (in this case, the greater good is spreading Christianity). The dead can take care of themselves and the man (according to Jesus) has more important work to do.

Heck Tate is saying something similar. Yes, the law says that if Boo killed a man, he should be brought to trial, but Tate knows that what Boo did was for the greater good. So he doesn't see a need to arrest him. Bob Ewell is dead, and there's no need for the living to continue worrying about him.