Berean Standard Bible
Deuteronomy 21:14
14And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.
Deuteronomy 21:14 in other versions
- King James Version (KJV)And it shall be, if thou have no delight in her, then thou shalt let her go whither she will; but thou shalt not sell her at all for money, thou shalt not make merchandise of her, because thou hast humbled her.
- New International Version (NIV)If you are not pleased with her, let her go wherever she wishes. You must not sell her or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her.
- English Standard Version (ESV)But if you no longer delight in her, you shall let her go where she wants. But you shall not sell her for money, nor shall you treat her as a slave, since you have humiliated her.
- New King James Version (NKJV)And it shall be, if you have no delight in her, then you shall set her free, but you certainly shall not sell her for money; you shall not treat her brutally, because you have humbled her.
Context of Deuteronomy 21:14
12then you shall bring her into your house. She must shave her head, trim her nails, 13and put aside the clothing of her captivity. After she has lived in your house a full month and mourned her father and mother, you may have relations with her and be her husband, and she shall be your wife. And if you are not pleased with her, you are to let her go wherever she wishes. But you must not sell her for money or treat her as a slave, since you have dishonored her. 15If a man has two wives, one beloved and the other unloved, and both bear him sons, but the unloved wife has the firstborn son, 16when that man assigns his inheritance to his sons he must not appoint the son of the beloved wife as the firstborn over the son of the unloved wife.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 21:14 word by word
וְהָיָ֞ה אִם־לֹ֧א חָפַ֣צְתָּ בָּ֗הּ וְשִׁלַּחְתָּהּ֙ לְנַפְשָׁ֔הּ וּמָכֹ֥ר לֹא־תִמְכְּרֶ֖נָּה בַּכָּ֑סֶף לֹא־תִתְעַמֵּ֣ר בָּ֔הּ תַּ֖חַת אֲשֶׁ֥ר עִנִּיתָֽהּ׃ סRead the interlinear
- Andהָיָהhâyâh · to beH1961
- ifאִם'im · ifH518
- you are notלֹאlô' lô' lôh · notH3808
- pleasedחָפֵץchâphêts · to delight inH2654
- you are to let her goשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: let goH7971
- wherever she wishesנֶ֫פֶשׁnephesh · soul: appetiteH5315
- sell herמָכַרmâkar · to sellH4376
- for moneyכֶּ֫סֶףkeseph · silver: moneyH3701
- or treat her as a slaveעָמַר‛âmar · deal tyrannicallyH6014
- sinceתַּחַתtachath · underneath: because ofH8478
- ·אֲשֶׁר'ăsher · whichH834
- you have dishonored herעָנָה‛ânâh · to afflictH6031
Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:14
- Exodus 21:7And if a man sells his daughter as a servant, she is not to go free as the menservants do.
- Deuteronomy 22:19They are also to fine him a hundred shekels of silver and give them to the young woman’s father, because this man has given a virgin of Israel a bad name. And she shall remain his wife; he must not divorce her as long as he lives.
- Genesis 34:2When Shechem son of Hamor the Hivite, the prince of the region, saw her, he took her and lay with her by force.
- Judges 19:24Look, let me bring out my virgin daughter and the man’s concubine, and you can use them and do with them as you wish. But do not do such a vile thing to this man.”
Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:14
- Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 14Thou shalt not make merchandise of her - Rather, thou shalt not constrain her: literally “treat her with constraint,” or “treat her as a slave.”Read the comment
- Matthew Henry Concise Commentary · v. 10-14Verses 10-14 By this law a soldier was allowed to marry his captive, if he pleased. This might take place upon some occasions; but the law does not show any approval of it. It also intimates how binding the laws of justice and honour are in marriage; which is a sacred engagement.Read the comment
- Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 14dishonored her: When a man first took a woman as a prisoner and later divorced her, he treated her as if she had little value. This action brought shame and pain to her. To protect her from further harm, the law limited what he could do. He was not allowed to sell her as a slave or treat her like property. Instead, he had to let her go free.Read the comment
- Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 10-2310-14. When thou goest to war ... and seest among the captives a beautiful woman ... that thou wouldest have her to thy wife--According to the war customs of all ancient nations, a female captive became the slave of the victor, who had the sole and unchallengeable control of right to her person. Moses improved this existing usage by special regulations on the subject. He enacted that, in the event that her master was captivated by her beauty and…Read the comment
Topics related to Deuteronomy 21:14
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
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