Deuteronomy 19:12

Deuteronomy 19:12 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then the elders of his city shall send and fetch him thence, and deliver him into the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.
• New International Version (NIV)the killer shall be sent for by the town elders, be brought back from the city, and be handed over to the avenger of blood to die.
• English Standard Version (ESV)then the elders of his city shall send and take him from there, and hand him over to the avenger of blood, so that he may die.
• New King James Version (NKJV)then the elders of his city shall send and bring him from there, and deliver him over to the hand of the avenger of blood, that he may die.

Context of Deuteronomy 19:12

10You must not punish with death people who are not guilty. That would make you guilty yourselves. That must not happen in the land that the Lord your God is giving you. 11But perhaps somebody does hate another person. He may hide himself so that he can catch his enemy. Then he may attack him and kill him. After that, he may run to one of the safe cities. If he does that, the leaders of his own town must fetch him back. They must bring him to the dead person's relative. He must die as his punishment. 13Do not be sorry for him. You must punish murderers with death. Then Israel will not be guilty of evil acts. If you do that, everything will be well for you. 14When you go to live in the land that the Lord your God is giving to you, each family will receive their piece of land. You must never move the stones that show the edge of your neighbour's land. It has always belonged to them.

Deuteronomy 19:12 word by word

וְשָֽׁלְחוּ֙ זִקְנֵ֣י עִיר֔וֹ וְלָקְח֥וּ אֹת֖וֹ מִשָּׁ֑ם וְנָתְנ֣וּ אֹת֗וֹ בְּיַ֛ד גֹּאֵ֥ל הַדָּ֖ם וָמֵֽת׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then the eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• of his cityעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• shall sendשָׁלַחshâlach · to send: departH7971
• and fetchלָקַחlâqach · to take: takeH3947
• him thence, and deliverנָתַןnâthan · to give: giveH5414
• him into the handיָדyâd · hand: toH3027
• of the avengerגָּאַלgâ'al · to redeem: avengeH1350
• of bloodדָּםdâm · bloodH1818
• that he may dieמוּתmûth · to dieH4191

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 19:12

• 1 Kings 2:5Do not forget what Zeruiah's son Joab did to me. He killed the two leaders of Israel's armies, Ner's son Abner and Jether's son Amasa. Joab killed them as if they were his enemies in a war. But there was no war. So he is guilty of their deaths when they had done nothing wrong. Their blood is on his belt and on his shoes.

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 19:12

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 1-13Verses 1-13 This and the next two chapters contain enactments designed to protect human life, and to impress its sanctity on Israel. In Deuteronomy 19:1-13 the directions respecting the preparation of the roads to the cities of refuge, the provision of additional cities in case of an extension of territory, and the intervention of the elders as representing the congregation, are unique to Deuteronomy and supplementary to the laws on the same subject given…Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-13Cities of refuge were placed in different parts of the land (19:2). They were located carefully so people could reach them easily. A person accused of killing someone could run to one of these cities for protection. There, the person would be safe until a fair trial took place (see 4:41; Numbers 35:6–29).Read the comment
• Jamieson–Fausset–Brown Commentary · v. 1-132. Thou shalt separate three cities for thee in the midst of thy land--Goelism, or the duty of the nearest kinsmen to avenge the death of a slaughtered relative, being the customary law of that age (as it still is among the Arabs and other people of the East), Moses incorporated it in an improved form with his legislative code. For the protection of the unintentional homicide, he provided certain cities of refuge--three had been destined for this purpose…Read the comment

Topics related to Deuteronomy 19:12

• Avenger of Blood
• Government
• Homicide
• Refuge

In the dictionaries

• Avenger of blood
• Add
• City
• Landmark
• Remove
• Atonement, Day of
• Courts, Judicial
• Criticism
• Deuteronomy
• Elder in the Old Testament

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