Deuteronomy 21:1

Deuteronomy 21:1 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)If one be found slain in the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him:
• New International Version (NIV)If someone is found slain, lying in a field in the land the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who the killer was,
• English Standard Version (ESV)"If in the land that the Lord your God is giving you to possess someone is found slain, lying in the open country, and it is not known who killed him,
• New King James Version (NKJV)“If anyone is found slain, lying in the field in the land which the Lord your God is giving you to possess, and it is not known who killed him,

Context of Deuteronomy 21:1

“If someone is found slain, lying in the field, in the land which the Lord your God gives you to possess, and it is not known who has killed him, 2then your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance to the cities which are around the dead person. 3It shall be that the elders of the city which is nearest to the dead man shall take a heifer of the herd, one which has not been worked and which has not pulled in a yoke;

Deuteronomy 21:1 word by word

כִּי־יִמָּצֵ֣א חָלָ֗ל בָּאֲדָמָה֙ אֲשֶׁר֩ יְהוָ֨ה אֱלֹהֶ֜יךָ נֹתֵ֤ן לְךָ֙ לְרִשְׁתָּ֔הּ נֹפֵ֖ל בַּשָּׂדֶ֑ה לֹ֥א נוֹדַ֖ע מִ֥י הִכָּֽהוּ׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• be foundמָצָאmâtsâ' · to findH4672
• slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
• in the landאֲדָמָה'ădâmâh · land: soilH127
• which the Lordיְהֹוָהyehôvâh · LORDH3068
• thy Godאֱלֹהִים'ĕlôhîym · GodH430
• givethנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• thee to possessיָרַשׁyârash yârêsh · to possess: takeH3423
• it, lyingנָפַלnâphal · to fall: killH5307
• in the fieldשָׂדֶהώâdeh ώâday · land: countryH7704
• it be not knownיָדַעyâda‛ · to knowH3045
• who hath slainנָכָהnâkâh · to smiteH5221

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:1

• Psalms 5:6You destroy those who tell lies; The Lord detests and rejects the bloodthirsty and deceitful man.
• Psalms 9:12For He who avenges blood [unjustly shed] remembers them (His people); He does not forget the cry of the afflicted and abused.
• Proverbs 28:17A man who is burdened with the guilt of human blood (murder) Will be a fugitive until death; let no one support him or give him refuge.
• Isaiah 26:21Listen carefully, the Lord is about to come out of His [heavenly] place To punish the inhabitants of the earth for their wickedness [their sin, their injustice, their wrongdoing]; The earth will reveal the [innocent] blood shed upon her And will no longer cover her slain.
• Acts 28:4When the natives saw the creature hanging from his hand, they began saying to one another, “Undoubtedly this man is a murderer, and though he has been saved from the sea, Justice [the avenging goddess] has not permitted him to live.”

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:1

• Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 1The expiation of uncertain murder. (1-9) Respecting a captive taken to wife. (10-14) The first-born not to be disinherited for private affection. (15-17) A stubborn son to be stoned. (18-21) Malefactors not to be left hanging all night. (22-23) Verses 1-9 If a murderer could not be found out, great solemnity is provided for putting away the guilt from the land, as an expression of dread and detesting of that sin. The providence of God has often…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1In contrast to the word translated murder in the Ten Commandments (see study note on 5:17), the Hebrew verb here translated as slain (literally pierced through) shows clear evidence that the death was not from natural causes.Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-91-6. If one be found slain ... lying in the field, and it be not known who hath slain him--The ceremonies here ordained to be observed on the discovery of a slaughtered corpse show the ideas of sanctity which the Mosaic law sought to associate with human blood, the horror which murder inspired, as well as the fears that were felt lest God should avenge it on the country at large, and the pollution which the land was supposed to contract from the effusion…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 21:1

• Church
• Heifer
• Homicide
• Inquest

In the dictionaries

• God
• god, false god, goddess, idol, idolater, idolatrous, idolatry
• Ablution
• Controversy
• Crucifixion
• Divers
• Murder
• Rebellious
• Wrought
• Atonement, Day of

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21

• 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