Deuteronomy 21:2

Deuteronomy 21:2 in other versions

• King James Version (KJV)Then thy elders and thy judges shall come forth, and they shall measure unto the cities which are round about him that is slain:
• New International Version (NIV)your elders and judges shall go out and measure the distance from the body to the neighboring towns.
• New King James Version (NKJV)then your elders and your judges shall go out and measure the distance from the slain man to the surrounding cities.
• New Living Translation (NLT)In such a case, your elders and judges must measure the distance from the site of the crime to the nearby towns.

Context of Deuteronomy 21:2

1"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, then your elders and your judges shall come out, and they shall measure the distance to the surrounding cities. 3And 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. 4And the elders of that city shall bring the heifer down to a valley with running water, which is neither plowed nor sown, and shall break the heifer's neck there in the valley.

Deuteronomy 21:2 word by word

וְיָצְא֥וּ זְקֵנֶ֖יךָ וְשֹׁפְטֶ֑יךָ וּמָדְדוּ֙ אֶל־הֶ֣עָרִ֔ים אֲשֶׁ֖ר סְבִיבֹ֥ת הֶחָלָֽל׃Read the interlinear

Words taken from the KJV.

• Then thy eldersזָקֵןzâqên · old: elderH2205
• and thy judgesשָׁפַטshâphaţ · to judgeH8199
• shall come forthיָצָאyâtsâ' · to come out: comeH3318
• and they shall measureמָדַדmâdad · to measureH4058
• unto the citiesעִיר‛îyr ‛âr ‛âyar · cityH5892
• round aboutסָבִיבsâbîyb sebîybâh · aroundH5439
• him that is slainחָלָלchâlâl · slain: killedH2491

Cross-references for Deuteronomy 21:2

• Deuteronomy 16:18"You shall appoint judges and officers in all your towns that the Lord your God is giving you, according to your tribes, and they shall judge the people with righteous judgment.
• Romans 13:3For rulers are not a terror to good conduct, but to bad. Would you have no fear of the one who is in authority? Then do what is good, and you will receive his approval,

Commentaries on Deuteronomy 21:2

• Barnes’ Notes on the Bible · v. 2The elders represented the citizens at large, the judges the magistracy: priests Deuteronomy 21:5 from the nearest priestly town, were likewise to be at hand. Thus, all classes would be represented at the purging away of that blood-guiltiness which until removed attached to the whole community.Read the comment
• Tyndale Open Study Notes · v. 1-9The guilt of murder was usually removed through the death of the murderer (19:11–13; Numbers 35:30–34). However, if the murderer was unknown, the guilt could still be removed by using this ritual.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 21:2

• Church
• Government
• Heifer
• Homicide
• Inquest

In the dictionaries

• Ablution
• Controversy
• Crucifixion
• Divers
• Murder
• Rebellious
• Wrought
• Atonement, Day of
• Criticism
• Exodus, the Book of

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