Deuteronomy 19:21

Deuteronomy 19:21 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)And thine eye shall not pity; but life shall go for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
• New International Version (NIV)Show no pity: life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
• English Standard Version (ESV)Your eye shall not pity. It shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.
• New King James Version (NKJV)Your eye shall not pity: life shall be for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Context of Deuteronomy 19:21

19then you shall do to him just as he had intended to do to his brother. So you shall remove the evil from among you. 20Those who remain will hear and be afraid, and will never again do such an evil thing among you. You shall not show pity [to the guilty one]: it shall be life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot.

Deuteronomy 19:21 word by word

וְלֹ֥א תָח֖וֹס עֵינֶ֑ךָ נֶ֣פֶשׁ בְּנֶ֗פֶשׁ עַ֤יִן בְּעַ֙יִן֙ שֵׁ֣ן בְּשֵׁ֔ן יָ֥ד בְּיָ֖ד רֶ֥גֶל בְּרָֽגֶל׃ סRead the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• And thine eyeעַ֫יִן‛ayin · eyeH5869
• shall not pityחוּסchûs · to pityH2347
• lifeנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: lifeH5315
• toothשֵׁןshên · toothH8127
• handיָדyâd · handH3027
• footרֶ֫גֶלregel · footH7272

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:21

• Deuteronomy 19:13You shall not pity him [the guilty one], but you shall purge the blood of the innocent from Israel, so that it may go well with you.
• Exodus 21:23But if there is any further injury, then you shall require [as a penalty] life for life,
• Leviticus 24:17‘If a man takes the life of any human being [unlawfully], he shall most certainly be put to death.
• Matthew 5:38“You have heard that it was said, ‘An eye for an eye, and a tooth for a tooth [punishment that fits the offense].’

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:21

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 21Life - for life, eye for eye, etc. - The operation of such a law as this must have been very salutary: if a man prized his own members, he would naturally avoid injuring those of others. It is a pity that this law were not still in force: it would certainly prevent many of those savage acts which now both disgrace and injure society. I speak this in reference to law generally, and the provision that should be made to prevent and punish ferocious and…Read the comment
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 19-21Verses 19-21 See the marginal references.Read the comment
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 15-21Verses 15-21 Sentence should never be passed upon the testimony of one witness alone. A false witness should suffer the same punishment which he sought to have inflicted upon the person he accused. Nor could any law be more just. Let all Christians not only be cautious in bearing witness in public, but be careful not to join in private slanders; and let all whose consciences accuse them of crime, without delay flee for refuge to the hope set before them…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 21The legal principle described as life for life is known as lex talionis (“law of retaliation”). This means the punishment must match the crime (see Exodus 21:23; Leviticus 24:20). It should not be too weak or too harsh. Appropriate punishment is a necessary function of government (compare Romans 13:1–7). It helped maintain Israel’s spiritual integrity as God’s people (see study note on Deuteronomy 17:7). But vengeance belongs to God, not individuals (see…Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 16-2116-21. But if convicted of perjury, it will be sufficient for his own condemnation, and his punishment shall be exactly the same as would have overtaken the object of his malignant prosecution. (See on Ex 21:23; see also Le 24:20).Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 19:21

• Church
• Evidence
• Pity
• Retaliation
• Slander

In the dictionaries

• Add
• Landmark
• Remove
• Tooth
• Witness
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of
• Eye
• Genesis

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19

• Adam Clarke Bible Commentary
• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible
• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary
• Tyndale Open Study Notes
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary
• Rashi on Tanakh
• Calvin’s Commentaries
• Keil & Delitzsch Commentary
• John Wesley’s Notes
• Darby Translation Notes
• Geneva Bible Translation Notes
• Kingcomments
• Matthew Henry’s Complete Commentary
• Matthew Henry’s Modern English Commentary
• Scofield Reference Notes, 1917 Edition
• Seventh-day Adventist Bible Commentary
• EGW Writings