EasyEnglish Bible 2018
Deuteronomy 21:1
1In the land that the Lord your God is giving to you, you may find someone's dead body lying in a field. Someone has killed him but you do not know who the murderer is.
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
In the land that the Lord your God is giving to you, you may find someone's dead body lying in a field. Someone has killed him but you do not know who the murderer is. 2Your leaders and your judges must then go to the field. They must measure how far the place is from the nearest towns. 3Then the leaders from the town that is nearest to the body must take a young cow that has never done work on a farm.
Read all of Deuteronomy 21Deuteronomy 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 hates murderers, and those who deceive others.
- Psalms 9:12God punishes murderers, and he takes care of people who receive pain from others. When they call to him, he does not refuse to help them.
- Proverbs 28:17Someone who is guilty of murder will be running until he dies. Nobody should help him to escape.
- Isaiah 26:21Look! Now the Lord is coming from the place where he lives. He is coming to punish the people who live on the earth for their sins. The earth will clearly show the blood that murderers poured out on it. Murderers will no longer be able to hide the people that they have killed.
- Acts 28:4The people who lived on the island saw the snake. They saw that it was hanging from Paul's hand. So they said to each other, ‘We know now that this man murdered someone. He did not die in the sea but now the snake will kill him. The god who punishes people for the bad things that they do will not let him 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
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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