American Standard Version
Deuteronomy 21:3
3and it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
Deuteronomy 21:3 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall be, that the city which is next unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take an heifer, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke;
- New International Version (NIV)Then the elders of the town nearest the body shall take a heifer that has never been worked and has never worn a yoke
- English Standard Version (ESV)And the elders of the city that is nearest to the slain man shall take a heifer that has never been worked and that has not pulled in a yoke.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall be that the elders of the city nearest to the slain man will take a heifer which has not been worked and which has not pulled with a yoke.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:3
1If one be found slain in the land which Jehovah thy God giveth thee to possess it, lying in the field, and it be not known who hath smitten him; 2then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain: and it shall be, that the city which is nearest unto the slain man, even the elders of that city shall take a heifer of the herd, which hath not been wrought with, and which hath not drawn in the yoke; 4and the elders of that city shall bring down the heifer unto a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer’s neck there in the valley. 5And the priests the sons of Levi shall come near; for them Jehovah thy God hath chosen to minister unto him, and to bless in the name of Jehovah; and according to their word shall every controversy and every stroke be.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:3 word by word
וְהָיָ֣ה הָעִ֔יר הַקְּרֹבָ֖ה אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל וְלָֽקְח֡וּ זִקְנֵי֩ הָעִ֨יר הַהִ֜וא עֶגְלַ֣ת בָּקָ֗ר אֲשֶׁ֤ר לֹֽא־עֻבַּד֙ בָּ֔הּ אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא־מָשְׁכָ֖ה בְּעֹֽל׃Read the interlinear
- beהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- nearestקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- manזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- takeלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
- heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- herdבָּקָרbâqâr · cattleH1241
- drawnמָשַׁךְmâshak · to drawH4900
- yokeעֹל‛ôl ‛ôl · yokeH5923
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:3
- Numbers 19:2This is the statute of the law which Jehovah hath commanded, saying, Speak unto the children of Israel, that they bring thee a red heifer without spot, wherein is no blemish, and upon which never came yoke.
- Jeremiah 31:18I have surely heard Ephraim bemoaning himself thus, Thou hast chastised me, and I was chastised, as a calf unaccustomed to the yoke: turn thou me, and I shall be turned; for thou art Jehovah my God.
- Matthew 11:28Come unto me, all ye that labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest.
- Philippians 2:8and being found in fashion as a man, he humbled himself, becoming obedient even unto death, yea, the death of the cross.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:3
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 3The requirements as regards place and victim are symbolic. The heifer represented the murderer, so far at least as to die in his stead, since he himself could not be found. As hearing his guilt the heifer must therefore be one which was of full growth and strength, and had not yet been ceremonially profaned by human use. The Christian commentators find here a type of Christ and of His sacrifice for man: but the heifer was not strictly a sacrifice or…Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 3-8A family member seeking revenge could not blame the entire community (19:6–7; Numbers 35:16–29).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 21:3
In the dictionaries
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
American Standard Version — 1901 — Public Domain
Commentaries