American Standard Version
Deuteronomy 21:6
6And all the elders of that city, who are nearest unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley;
Deuteronomy 21:6 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And all the elders of that city, that are next unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer that is beheaded in the valley:
- New International Version (NIV)Then all the elders of the town nearest the body shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
- English Standard Version (ESV)And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley,
- New King James Version (NKJV)And all the elders of that city nearest to the slain man shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:6
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. And all the elders of that city, who are nearest unto the slain man, shall wash their hands over the heifer whose neck was broken in the valley; 7and they shall answer and say, Our hands have not shed this blood, neither have our eyes seen it. 8Forgive, O Jehovah, thy people Israel, whom thou hast redeemed, and suffer not innocent blood to remain in the midst of thy people Israel. And the blood shall be forgiven them.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:6 word by word
וְכֹ֗ל זִקְנֵי֙ הָעִ֣יר הַהִ֔וא הַקְּרֹבִ֖ים אֶל־הֶחָלָ֑ל יִרְחֲצוּ֙ אֶת־יְדֵיהֶ֔ם עַל־הָעֶגְלָ֖ה הָעֲרוּפָ֥ה בַנָּֽחַל׃Read the interlinear
- eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
- nearestקָרֹבqârôb qârôb · nearH7138
- slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491
- manזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
- washרָחַץrâchats · to wash: washH7364
- handsיָדyâd · handH3027
- heiferעֶגְלָה‛eglâh · heiferH5697
- neckעָרַף‛âraph · to break the neckH6202
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:6
- Job 9:30If I wash myself with snow water, And make my hands never so clean;
- Psalms 19:12Who can discern his errors? Clear thou me from hidden faults.
- Psalms 26:6I will wash my hands in innocency: So will I compass thine altar, O Jehovah;
- Psalms 51:2Wash me thoroughly from mine iniquity, And cleanse me from my sin.
- Psalms 73:13Surely in vain have I cleansed my heart, And washed my hands in innocency;
- Jeremiah 2:22For though thou wash thee with lye, and take thee much soap, yet thine iniquity is marked before me, saith the Lord Jehovah.
- Matthew 27:24So when Pilate saw that he prevailed nothing, but rather that a tumult was arising, he took water, and washed his hands before the multitude, saying, I am innocent of the blood of this righteous man; see ye to it.
- Hebrews 9:10being only (with meats and drinks and divers washings) carnal ordinances, imposed until a time of reformation.
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:6
- Adam Clarke Bible Commentary · v. 6Shall wash their hands over the heifer - Washing the hands, in reference to such a subject as this, was a rite anciently used to signify that the persons thus washing were innocent of the crime in question. It was probably from the Jews that Pilate learned this symbolical method of expressing his innocence.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 6wash their hands: In the ancient world, people sometimes washed their hands to show they were innocent. This action showed that they were not guilty of wrongdoing (compare Matthew 27:24). In this case, the community washed their hands to declare that they were not responsible for the crime. The crime had taken place near them, but they had not committed it.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 21:6
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